Memorial Day Tributes and Observances (Video)

Here are the best of the Memorial Day videos I’ve been collecting over the past week. These are moving  tributes to those who sacrificed all.

Let’s remember their sacrifice and courage, today and everyday.

The first video is actually neither a tribute or an observance – it’s a Memorial Day Challenge.
Ryan’s Story:

#DoMore this Memorial Day. Help get 50,000 views to show WWII vets we care. Share now: http://on.fb.me/JnEaAf …and then thank a WWII vet on Facebook:http://on.fb.me/JHONys

This one via The Right Scoop showed up in my in box just this morning, sent by Brian B:

Congressman Allen West speaks at the Boynton Beach Memorial Day Observance May 27, 2012:

Continuing where West left off: No Greater Love:

“No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.” -John 15:13
Musical Selections from:
“Simple Gifts” (instrumental) from Appalachian Spring, by Aaron Copland, 1944
“Fanfare for the Common Man” by Aaron Copland, 1942
“Hymn to the Fallen” from Saving Private Ryan, by John Williams, 1998

Memorial Day Tributes 2012:

These are montages of stirring war photos coupled with soaring music:

Not feeling any hesitation to call these men heroes…

USAA’s 2012 Memorial Day Ceremony:

Courage to Persevere is the theme of USAA’s 2012 Memorial Day program. Highlights include J.R. Martinez, motivational speaker and champion of Dancing with the Stars, Season 13; singer Angie Johnson, a contestant on The Voice and former Tops in Blue performer; and country music artist Russ Murphy.

Over an hour long, this one starts with former Marine SSgt  Tim Chambers’ 10th Rolling Thunder vigil…

See Also:

Hot Air: Video: MSNBC observes Memorial Day:

….for another *ahem* point of view.

Yesterday, MSNBC and its host Chris Hayes called that recognition warmongering in an incoherent, rambling statement that will haunt the channel and its host for a very long time…

Human Events: Forgotten: Why has Bowe Bergdahl languished as a POW for nearly 3 years?

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), himself a former POW, told Human Events he has followed the captured soldier’s plight with interest.

“We’ve had briefings from the intelligence community; we’ve been doing everything we can to try to see what can be done,” McCain said. “I know that the men and women who are serving in the military are willing to do anything to rescue him. I’ve had briefings from the intelligence people, and they tell me it’s their highest priority.”

But notably absent from the discussion has been any commitment from President Obama that the country will not leave its own behind. After refusing interviews for nearly three years, Bergdahl’s parents briefly broke their silence earlier this month.

Not even a Hallmark card

“(President Obama) has never contacted us,” Sgt. Bergdahl’s mother, Jani Bergdahl, told the New York Times in a May 13 story. “We haven’t gotten a Hallmark card, we haven’t gotten a note signed by an aide, nothing. Is it because he thinks we’re not Democrats?”

A year ago, Robert Bergdahl, the sergeant’s father, tried to communicate with his son’s captors directly via YouTube, thanking them for keeping him alive and pleading for his safe return.

“We’ve been quiet in public, but we haven’t been quiet behind the scenes,” Robert Bergdahl said in the video, addressing his son. “You are not forgotten. You are not forgotten.”

CNN: The toll of war now includes more amputees:

They are a small group, the quadruple amputee combat vets — just five of them.

There are also 40 triple amputees. When they come home, they have their own set of issues, but many face the problems of every wounded vet. They start their new lives together.

“When you are out on the battlefield, you don’t realize how many amputees there are because you are not there and you don’t see them,” Nicely said. “But when you are in the hospital and see all the amputations. … But it’s like one big support group. It doesn’t matter whether you are a quad or missing one leg, it doesn’t matter, everybody is in it together and it’s like one big family in there.”

UPDATE II:

In contrast to Obama’s long-winded, self-congratulatory Memorial Day speech, here’s Mitt’s simple message of thanks to our fallen heroes:

Linked by Darleen at Protein Wisdom, thanks!

Saturday Movie Matinee:The Best of the ‘Standing Up For Religious Freedom’ Rally Speeches

Yesterday, at nearly 200 rallies across the nation,  thousands of pro-life advocates  rallied for religious freedom  and against the Obama mandate that requires employers to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions.

The rally in Washington, D.C. was so large organizers had problems getting the entire crowd in one picture.

Every single one of these speeches is worth listening to.

Star Parker gave a rousing speech at Stand Up for Religious Freedom rally, Washington DC:

Star Parker, president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and speaker at today’s event in DC, explained the untenable choice the mandate forces non-exempt religious employers to make: “Bow your knee, pay a fine, or close your business.”

Congressman Joe Walsh was on fire at the Stand Up For Religious Freedom rally at the Federal Plaza in Chicago:

Walsh addressed an audience of 2500 individuals about preparing to go to jail while defending our religious freedom, which is clearly violated by Barack Hussein Obama’s heinously criminal, unconstitutional HHS Mandate!

At the Kansas City rally, a gentleman from Life Front, gave a rousing speech, quoting Patrick Henry: “237 years ago today – March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry spoke these words”:

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

Stand Up for Religious Freedom rally, Howell, MI – AFLC’s Robert Muise Speech:

AFLC Co-Founder & Senior Counsel Robert Muise was honored to give a speech at the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rally at the county courthouse in Howell, Michigan on March 23, 2012. He discussed Obama’s attack on religious freedom and the legal action AFLC is taking to stop it.

Fr. John Speech at Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally, Winston-Salem, NC:

Michele Wetteland Inspired Attendees Of The Fort Worth Religious Freedom Rally:

Orlando Stand Up for Religious Freedom – Liberty Counsel:

Pastor and lawyer for Liberty Counsel speaks at the “Stand Up for Religious Freedom” rally March 23, 2012 outside the U.S. courthouse in downtown Orlando.

Religious Freedom Rally Phoenix-Dr. & Reverend C.T. Wright:

Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally – Flint, MI,  3/23/11:

Stand Up For Religious Freedom – Nashville Rally – Dr. Richard Land:

Stand Up For Religious Freedom, Buffalo:

About 1,000 people rallied in front of the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Buffalo on Mar. 23, 2012, supporting religious freedom and opposing the HHS mandate. In this video, Cheryl Calire, director of Pro-Life Activities for the Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y., reads a statement on behalf of Bishop Edward U. Kmiec.

Stand Up For Religious Freedom Rally In Pittsburgh, PA:

http://www.40daysforlife.com 40 Days for Life national director David Bereit speaks to the Stand Up For Religious Freedom rally in Pittsburgh, PA, challenging the large crowd to stand up against the Obama administration’s egregious HHS Mandate.

KC ‘Stand Up For Religious Freedom’ Rally – 3/23/2012

Today  is the dreaded  second anniversary of the passage of the Obamacare Hydra, and at 12:00 noon in over 130 cities across the nation, crowds of concerned citizens rallied  to “Stand Up For Religious Freedom and Stop the HHS Mandate”.

I went to the rally in at the U.S. District Courthouse at 500 State ave in KC,  where a crowd of about 200 people were assembled.

They started off the rally with a rosary:

The crowd showed its love for America:

This gentleman from Life Front, gave a rousing speech, quoting Patrick Henry:

“237 years ago today – March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry spoke these words”:

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

After the rally, an organizer thanked the assembled cops for putting up with us.

If you were unable to go to one of today’s rally’s, there’s still next Tuesday’s AFP “Hand’s off my Healthcare rallies in Washington DC, and Jefferson City, MO.

You can also: SIGN THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION’S, “REPEAL OBAMACARE” PETITION, TODAY!

UPDATE:

LifeNews: Thousands of Pro-Life Advocates Rally for Religious Freedom

Thousands of pro-life Americans took to nearly 200 local rallies in cities and towns across the country to stand up for religious freedom and against the Obama mandate that requires employers to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions.

The rally in Washington, D.C. was so large organizers had problems getting the entire crowd in one picture.

The Daily Caller: Rep. Walsh on Obamacare: ‘We have to be prepared to go to jail’:

Republican Rep. Joe Walsh told supporters that they have to be prepared to go to prison in order to protect the freedoms and liberties they now enjoy.

Walsh’s five-minute speech, delivered at a rally for religious liberty at Federal Plaza in Chicago, evoked a Braveheart-like response as the crowd chanted, “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” upon its completion.

“We have to be prepared to go to jail. Are we prepared?” Walsh asked rhetorically.

The crowd responded with a boisterous, “Yes!”

Nearly a thousand people braved a steady rain in the Windy City to attend the rally.

UPDATE II:

How the President commemorated the 2nd year anniversary of his monstrosity, via Twitchy:

Classy: Obama pimps “BFD” t-shirt on Twitter

Video: Rick Santorum on American Exceptionalism

In this clip from Rick Santorum’s speech in Lee’s Summit, Mo, Friday night, he talks about what distinguishes America from all other nations. Which founding document is directly related to  American exceptionalism?

Previously:

Video: Santorum Explains Why He’s The Best Candidate To Beat Obama

Video: Santorum on Birth Control Mandate: The Bishops “Got What They Deserved”

Video: Santorum in Lee’s Summit, MO: “Barack Obama Believes You Are Incapable of Handling Freedom”

Santorum Swings Through Lee’s Summit, MO – UPDATED with Video UPDATE II: Santorum Leads Obama in Rasmussen Poll!

‘Cooking With The Troops’ In The News: CEO Interview (Video) + Veteran’s Day At NASDAQ

Cooking With The Troops is a program started by Bruce McQuain and fellow Blackfivers, Blake Powers and Bob Miller. Its mission is “to provide comfort, nutrition, and hope through four major programs.”

They’re holding a fund raiser that will run until Thanksgiving day.  You can donate, here.

It really is simple: Donate so we can help the wounded, their families, and the U.S. and Allied troops on the line.  There is no such thing as too small a donation, because they all can and do add up into something grand.  So, please don’t hesitate as all are appreciated and needed!

To give you an idea of what your donations can mean:
$10:  covers the costs of napkins for a typical event
$20:  covers the costs to feed a meal to a wounded warrior or family member at a European event
$50:  covers the cost of disposable plates for an event
$100:  covers the cost of drinks for a typical event
$250:  covers the cost for all paper goods at an event
$500:  covers most or all of the cost of meats for a typical barbecue
$1,000:  covers most or all of the cost of airfare to send a guest chef to a European event

Via Pundit Review:

We were honored to welcome the group’s CEO, C. Blake Powers, a fellow Blackfive blogger of Bruce’s, to Pundit Review Radio. Blake told us about the group, some of the great events they have held, including on Veterans Day at the NASDAQ. The reception that CWWT has received has been phenomenal. To keep things going, they need our support. You can help them and learn more by visiting their website.

Here’s C. Blake Powers talking about Cooking with the Troops:

Cooking With The Troops recently celebrated Veterans Day at NASDAQ:

How do you describe the indescribable?  In some respects, the event done by at the NASDAQ MarketSite by Cooking with the Troops and NASDAQ OMX truly was indescribable.  After all, how can one describe the feelings that come from bringing together veterans from WWII to present with those currently serving?  How can you describe the joy that came from being able to bring in those in uniform in to watch the cooking demos and for a magnificent lunch?  How can one say thank you to all who made it possible?

After all, this is a day that started with a surprise, and what a surprise it was.  Blue Nile, the leading online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry, made it possible for wounded warrior Timothy G. Strobel to propose to his love Jennifer.  He was a medic who survived a great deal in Iraq, but was severely wounded in the leg.  He refused amputation of his leg, and has worked to walk again when told that it wouldn’t happen.  He met Jennifer during that time, and he credits her love and support for his recovery.  Blue Nile not only provided the ring and other items, but worked with Fox & Friends (you can see video of this from Fox here, tissue alert) to make the surprise happen.  Jennifer thought she was being interviewed because he couldn’t be present, then had Brian point out a video that was playing on the NASDAQ tower — in which Timothy held up five signs outlining his love for her.  As she was watching that, he came up, got down on bended knee, and proposed.  He later admitted in an interview that he was more nervous at that moment than during a firefight… Yes, that is Cooking with the Troops in the background, we were screening and trying hard not to let her know something was up (to say there was OPSEC on this is an understatement).

To top their morning off, NASDAQ and Cooking with the Troops provided the couple a special breakfast.  Chef Ellen Adams and Chef Kashia Cave prepared and served plates of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and strawberries on behalf of Cooking with the Troops.  The couple enjoyed the breakfast in a very special location prepared for them.

Read rest of report, here.

Again, if you can spare a few bucks for this worthy organization, the fund-raiser lasts until Thanksgiving. You can donate here.

Cooking With The Troops Fund-Raiser (With Video)

Bruce McQuain of The Washington Examiner, Qando, The Greenroom, Questions and Observations, Pundit Review and Blackfive, recently wrote me about a wonderful charity he and fellow Blackfivers,  Blake Powers and Bob Miller are involved with.  They started Cooking With The Troops, a program whose mission is “to provide comfort, nutrition, and hope through four major programs.”

McQuain wrote:

I was at their event at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Tx this summer and witnessed what they do first hand.  We fed 300 of our wounded warriors and their families for 2 meals at the Wounded Warrior Transition center.  They also kicked off their new Homefront program where they teach service members and their families how to cook good food on a budget instead of relying on fast food.

Here’s a video they made of the event:

The fund raiser will run from Veteran’s day (11th) to Thanksgiving day.  You can donate, here.

It really is simple: Donate so we can help the wounded, their families, and the U.S. and Allied troops on the line.  There is no such thing as too small a donation, because they all can and do add up into something grand.  So, please don’t hesitate as all are appreciated and needed!

To give you an idea of what your donations can mean:
$10:  covers the costs of napkins for a typical event
$20:  covers the costs to feed a meal to a wounded warrior or family member at a European event
$50:  covers the cost of disposable plates for an event
$100:  covers the cost of drinks for a typical event
$250:  covers the cost for all paper goods at an event
$500:  covers most or all of the cost of meats for a typical barbecue
$1,000:  covers most or all of the cost of airfare to send a guest chef to a European event

Expect a few more  posts from me,  pushing the program in the coming days, so they can expand to other military bases, etc.

Another Thing We Can Thank The First Amendment For

Paul Krugman.

No.  Seriously.

I really am thankful that the First Amendment protects the vile nonsense that he spews.  Not because I enjoy him proving with each column the utter meaninglessness of being a Nobel Prize Winner, but because it makes him feel secure in revealing who he is, namely a slimy little toad who thinks nothing of disparaging men whose boots he isn’t fit to lick, let alone fill.

Krugman eagerly attacks men who stepped up to lead when it was required of them.  Bush never complained about “inheriting” Bin Laden from his predecessor.  Giuliani never whined about the “bad luck” that befell his city on that sunny autumn morning.  Instead, Giuliani went to help coordinate the response to the attack, and he himself was temporarily trapped at the command center.  Bush went to Ground Zero for those of us who couldn’t go ourselves, and personally carried the thanks of a grateful nation to those whose profound sadness and mourning we all carried on that day.  And then he put the resolve of a wounded nation into words, and directed it in a fashion that took the fight to those who thought they humbled us on that day.

Paul Krugman doesn’t live in the same world as the rest of America.  Every word he types, every “nuance” that he utters in the service of a worldview that misplaces its hope and drips contempt for anyone who believes not in the justice of redistribution and Keynesian economics, but in the power of the individual, and the government that would respect it, rather than restrain it, and every fantasy to empower the government he would worship tells us all that we need to know about him.  And that’s a good thing.

In a world where such a small person can lash out at people who can’t help but to be better than him, we can all count ourselves lucky that he and others like him not only reveal their true character, but their tragic lack of understanding.  It is good that such would-be tyrants, and others like him can show themselves without any modicum of self-reflection or shame, because then we are all put on notice of exactly who they are, and that all of us can fulfill one of the many duties we each have as citizens, and keep such people from gaining any more power than they already have by challenging all of the false assumptions and conclusions foisted upon us by people who let their jealousies blind them to the nature of evil, and the ability to discern what it is.  I thank God for the wisdom he gave to the Framers who made such that we had such freedoms, knowing full well the capacity for their abuse, and I thank the generations of men and women who made sacrifices to defend the flag that waves over all our heads today, and the guarantees we enjoy because of it.  And I thank God for those who looked upon the dust and rubble that settled over lower Manhattan on that day and put their lives on the line to make sure that Krugman, Bloomberg, and others could continue to show their contempt for the things that continue to make this country great.

Cross-posted at Taxes, Stupidity and Death.

UPDATE (Nice Deb):

Thanks, Biw, I was away this weekend, and I’m just now getting caught up.

Over at Big Government and Ace of Spades HQ, special attention has been paid to the weaselly last words of Krugman’s column:

“I’m not going to allow comments on this post, for obvious reasons.”

Larry O’Conner says:

If by “obvious reasons” he actually means “Because even the left-leaning readers of the New York Times will find this post inappropriate and tasteless and I can’t handle the shit-storm that will inevitably hit this page if I allow comments,” then yes, we understand. But here at Big Journalism we have no such concern.

Ace:

If al-Krugman won’t open his comments, why, I guess we should just open ours. Let ‘er rip, morons.

My own feelings:

The hard left will forever be enraged that 9/11 happened during a Republican’s watch, and they will never forgive the Republicans who were in charge because they showed strength and character when it was needed most. They deeply resent the fact that Republicans benefited politically from 9/11 because they see everything as an opportunity to politically game events to their advantage. Everything is about power with these people. Everything.

The hurt  feelings of these disgruntled vermin persist to this day, which is why some of them loathe  the idea of memorializing 9/11.

Linked by Michelle Malkin in Buzzworthy,  and Doug Ross in Larwyn’s links, thanks!

Happy 4th of July

As we now know, if you’re a Republican, you’ll be dressed in red, white and blue, and enjoying patriotic activities like a 4th of July parade, family picnic,  watching/shooting fireworks, and maybe even attending a tea party.

And if you’re a Dem, well….you may do some of those things, too — but you won’t enjoy them as much as we do, (according to the Hahvard study!) and you might even be asked to add the color green to your festivities, too…like the folks in Berkeley did:

Let’s hear it for the red, white, and blue…but keep it green, too. The party shouldn’t leave the environment trashed. If you can, bring your own dishes — Frisbees double as plates! A bandana is your cloth napkin to use at all of the international food booths. With water stations located around the event, you can refill your own reusable bottle and keep a lot of plastic out of the landfill. Be sure to use the recycling stations located throughout the marina for your disposables.

I appreciate the need  for conservation, but really, people…frisbies doubling as plates? Hokayyy.

Thanks to ZZMike for that interesting find.

***

A friend of this website,  Wisconsin’s own Glen Shulfer, sent me his excellent tribute to America.

Enjoy:

And  Lee Greenwood’s, “God Bless The USA” never gets old:

Footage primarily from both the 2003 and 2005 homecoming of the USS Abraham Lincoln at Naval Station Everett in Washington state. The Nimitz class carrier launched fighter aircraft over Iraq in 2003 and provided humanitarian support to natives of coastal villages ravaged by the 2005 Tsunami. Other footage is from Support Our Troops rallies in the Seattle area.

h/t: Brian B.

My 4th of July Poke Cake recipe here. 
Weasel Zippers: President Reagan Speaks to America on Independence Day 1986…

Harvard Study Shows Republicans Enjoy 4th of July More Than Dems

Reagan used to say, Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15. Now, a new study from Hahvad,  shows what most of us probably suspected. Republicans seem to enjoy celebrating the 4th more than Dems. A shock, I know.

US News reports:

Democratic political candidates can skip this weekend’s July 4th parades. A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day.

“Fourth of July celebrations in the United States shape the nation’s political landscape by forming beliefs and increasing participation, primarily in favor of the Republican Party,” said the report from Harvard. [See political cartoons about the 2012 GOP field.]

“The political right has been more successful in appropriating American patriotism and its symbols during the 20th century. Survey evidence also confirms that Republicans consider themselves more patriotic than Democrats. According to this interpretation, there is a political congruence between the patriotism promoted on Fourth of July and the values associated with the Republican party. Fourth of July celebrations in Republican dominated counties may thus be more politically biased events that socialize children into Republicans,” write Harvard Kennedy School Assistant Professor David Yanagizawa-Drott and Bocconi University Assistant Professor Andreas Madestam.

Their findings also suggest that Democrats gain nothing from July 4th parades, likely a shocking result for all the Democratic politicians who march in them.

The study suggests that if people are looking for a super-patriotic 4th of July celebrations, they should head to Republican towns. “Republican adults celebrate Fourth of July more intensively.”

As opposed to say…Berkeley, or Dearborn, or Madison, or….you get the idea.

Again, shocking shocking stuff.

Video: Sign The Pledge Petition

The petition comes via The Media Research Center:

Someone at NBC decided it would be a good idea to remove the words “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance during one of their broadcasts. Citizens Against Religious Bigotry want to make sure this never happens again.

Were they following Obama’s lead? There will be more of this to come unless Americans stand up, and strongly object.

Hat tip: Brian B.

It looks like now that they think they’ve won the battle to corrupt the meaning of marriage, they’re working on the pledge. Conservatives must continue to stand athwart the left’s incessant cultural Marxism, and yell, “STOP!!!”

You can sign the Pledge Petition, here.

Memorial Day 2011

Rolling Thunder rolled out of Washington DC, on Sunday, with Sarah Palin in tow,  to honor U.S. brave men and women who served.

Palin was invited by Rolling Thunder said Media Director Christine Colborne.

You’ll hear Rolling Thunder’s “legislative director,” Ted Shpak, “trash talking” some MSNBC reporters at :24 secs in (according to YouTube poster, ShaddapPlease. )

Here’s a video I posted from last years Rolling Thunder’, an instant classic that will touch your heart: Rolling Thunder And A Marine’s Vigil:

A solitary Marine holds vigil at full attention during the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally in tribute to fallen comrades.

Sgt Chambers explained himself in the YouTube comments:

This was a wild hair thing to do on my own accord, Why do people instantly think “why” like your question about more military out there. To begin with Rolling Thunder is a demonstration ride, so to have active duty supporting it in uniform is not going to happen. My salute was never for Rolling Thunder, it is to honor all the sacrifices America has made, along with demonstrate compassion and be a direct reflection of the heart and love Service Members have for humanity……..

One more Memorial Day video via iOWNTHEWORLD: Plot of Land

Enjoy you picnics, today folks, but let’s not forget the noble men and women who gave their best and last measure of devotion; who sacrificed everything to preserve the freedom and liberty we still enjoy in this great country.

Via No Sheeples Here:  Troopathon IV is a project of Move America Forward that sends care packages to our troops: This Memorial Day, Be Their Hero.

Video: The Patriot Guard Ride To The Rescue

The Westboro Baptist freaks target military families when they’re in the midst of horrible suffering  and when they are most vulnerable. Enter the Patriot Guard Riders. This particular group of riders is just one of several spotlighted on NRALifeofDuty.TV.

Take  a few moments and watch this whole thing.

The Patriot Guard Riders consist of motorcycle riders from across the nation who come together and work to ensure that the funerals for America’s fallen heroes are shielded from interruptions by protesters. This group is one of several Patriot Profiles spotlighted on NRALifeofDuty.TV, a network that serves and supports those who go to work each day to protect, defend and fight for the safety of the American people. In light of the Supreme Court 8-1 decision that members of the renegade Westboro Baptist Church have a constitutionally protected right to protest military funerals, please take a moment to watch this video in honor of our heroes, those warriors like Brennan Gibson and Matthew Snyder.

Hat tip: Breitbart TV

A Trust Betrayed

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

An oath.  73 words.  Defined as “a formally affirmed statement or promise accepted as an equivalent of an appeal to a deity or to a revered person or thing; affirmation.”  And something serious to many, but not all.

It is easy to get lost in the horror of what madness can do.  In the world of a 24 hour news cycle, people can often find themselves barely treading water in the rushing tide of blood libel unleashed by partisan media hacks pretending at neutrality and sanctimony, but we have the right to expect better of a select group among us.  These are the people who put themselves forward as qualified to represent us, and they are set apart by the duty that we trust them with.  It is good to remember that no one is perfect.  Humanity at its best will still be flawed.  Mistakes will be made, judgment will be clouded.  Nevertheless, if one accepts the public trust, then one also has a minimum obligation to not to betray it.

And yet this is exactly what has happened in the wake of the attempted assassination of Representative Gabrielle Giffords, as several of her contemporaries have proposed legislation that offends the freedoms guaranteed by the document that they swore to support and defend.

One day after this tragedy, Congressman Robert Brady proposed legislation that would make it a Federal crime to to use language or symbols that could be perceived as threatening or inciting violence against a federal official or member of Congress. 

“Perceived as threatening” casts a very wide net.  And then there is that little matter of the First Amendment that very plainly states “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” .  In Congresses past, Representative Brady might have had an excuse for forgetting such a plainly written prohibition, but seeing as we were still on a media hue and cry about the stupidity/waste of time/waste of money that occurred when the incoming Congress read the Constitution and Amendments just last week when a mentally ill man succumbed to his urges, it seems to me that he loses this excuse. Maybe the Representative was in the rest room when the part of the Constitution that he is rushing to assault was read?

He isn’t alone in this attack on a Constitutional pillar of our society.  Representative Jim Clyburn has also taken up arms with his proposal to revive the long-dead “Fairness Doctrine” to insure standards to guarantee balanced media coverage.  Even if I thought he meant it, I can see that what he proposes will hinder free speech, and since I’m fairly certain that his idea of “balanced” and mine are not the same thing, I’m even less in favor of such a proposal, especially since the Democrats’ preferred method of achieving such goals is to altogether forego the legislative process and go straight to regulation by government agency.  Having someone else do the dirty work at his suggestion doesn’t relieve him of the oath that he took, either.

These two are not alone, however. 

Representative Peter King has decided that further restrictions on firearms are an appropriate response:

“It is imperative that we do all that we can to give law enforcement the tools they need to ensure the safety of New Yorkers and prevent an attack before it happens,” King said at a news conference with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “That is why, as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Illegal Guns, I will be introducing legislation that would make it illegal to knowingly carry a gun within a 1,000 feet of certain high-profile government officials.”

Now I would be hard-pressed to think how this law would prevent an insane loner who thinks that he is being controlled by grammar from deciding that he is going to take a shot a Representative or Senator, but I can see that law-abiding citizens could get caught up in nebulous enforcement of ”knowingly” carrying too close to a government official.

I suppose that we could think of this as a test.  They failed, and its good that we know that now, because it tells us something important.  These are people who by virtue of their position will be looked to for leadership.  Emergencies and crises are trying times for all.  That does not excuse forgetting their primary duty.  And either by accident or design, these repositories of the public trust have either let themselves get carried away in the hysteria rather than remaining calm and providing an example to others, or they have seen an opportunity, and chose to act like people who rule, rather than people who govern.

Congress is a place where it is possible to find fame.  There are those who have walked its halls, and are remembered as legends, and those who should be, and this is why it is easy for their focus to become misplaced.  But in truth, the real stars of this process are the American People.  They are the ones who, election after election, preside over a peaceful transition of power, regardless of the rhetoric or its tone, and present an example for the rest of the world, where change is often accompanied by bloodshed.   This can only be possible because of the genius of the Constitution, and the freedoms it guarantees. 

Anyone who lets themself get carried away by emotion to the degree that they would assault what they swore to protect fails those whom they represent.  Anyone who purposely designs against it after undertaking the responsibility to defend it shows a contempt for the people who entrusted them with the duty, and an unforgivably cynical outlook by asking for that trust in the first place. 

While it is disappointing to have members of a new Congress that is more filled with promise and an emphasis on the right things than we have had in a long time, we are fortunate that these failures have occurred so early, because it gives these Representatives ample time to redeem themselves, and us time to seek others to fill their offices if they don’t.

Video: Soldier Homecoming Surprise Remix

Have your hankies at the ready:

Hat tip: JoetheMailman on Twitter.

 

Veterans Day Link Round-Up

The President honored our veterans by laying a wreath during a ceremony at an Army base in South Korea last night.

Charles Hunt at The New York Post writes:

That is a distance from here matched only by the chasm that has opened up between him and the voters who elected him two years ago.

This aloofness of his really is becoming a problem.

Not that Obama doesn’t appreciate the sacrifices of veterans. He absolutely does. Just ask the Indonesians.

He was in Jakarta for their Heroes Day this week to honor their veterans “who have sacrificed on behalf of this great country.”

“This great country,” of course, being Indonesia.

Obama went on to make this statement:

Today, we sometimes hear that democracy stands in the way of economic progress.”

Hunt wonders where Obama might have heard “this fatuous claim and with whom has he been talking politics”?

Well, MSNBC, where they talk openly of violent revolution, is the President’s cable news network of choice. He also made some interesting new friends in India.

Thankfully, your president tepidly disputed this calumny against democracy, but the alarming questions remain. He went on to tell the Indonesians, “Democracy is messy.”

“Not everyone likes the results of every election. You go through ups and downs,” he said.

Thanks to Democracy, Socialism “economic progress” will have to wait.

Now, to cleanse the palate:

-

Bob McCarty shares the heartwarming story of the fighting McCarty brothers, his father and uncles who all fought in WWII, and all came home.

Michelle Malkin: Happy Veterans Day: Thank you!

Ruby Slippers: Happy Veterans Day!

Backyard Conservative: Honoring Our veterans

Pundette: A hero for Veterans Day: Marine Cpl. Todd A. Nicely

Right Pundits: Remembering Veterans Day, 2010

No sheeples Here: Honoring Those Who Served—Veterans Day 2010

Gateway Pundit: Happy Veterans Day 2010

iOWNTHEWORLD: Veteran’s Day

Frugal Cafe: God Bless Our Troops: Veterans Day video Tribute

The Hostages: Happy Veterans Day!

Cartoon via iOWNTHEWORLD

And in case you missed it, (it’s cross-posted below): Taxes, Stupidity, and Death: November 11

ISW is announcing their award-winning documentary, The Surge: the Untold Story, which will air twice on The Military Channel’s Veterans Day weekend television special. You can watch live or set your DVR to The Military Channel on Friday, November 12th at 10:30 PM EST or Saturday, November 13th at 1:30 AM EST.

The Surge: the Untold Story, winner of The Military Channel Documentary Award at the 2010 G.I. Film Festival, offers a look into the real story of the troop surge in Iraq, as told by top U.S. military commanders, policymakers, and troops on the ground.  Never-before-seen interviews with General David Petraeus, General Raymond Odierno, Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General Nasier Abadi (Iraq), among others, move the story beyond Washington politics to explore how a failing mission was transformed into one of the most successful military operations in a generation of war fighting. 

This documentary honors the sacrifice, courage and ingenuity of the military personnel who confronted nearly impossible circumstances, but found success through their dedication and hard work.

* The Surge: the Untold Story airing on The Military Channel
* Friday, November 12, 2010, 10:30 PM EST
* Saturday, November 13, 2010, 1:30 AM EST

Project Valor-IT is running it’s annual competition to raise money for technology that reconnects wounded warriors. Give generously if you can.