My favorite Obama quotes...

Memorial Day address: "On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today -- our sense of patriotism is particularly strong." (The White House probably had them disinterred just for this special occasion... in an effort to prove Obama's "superior vision" for the country.)

"It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian, wheeling and dealing." --confusing German for "Austrian," a language which does not exist, Strasbourg, France, April 6, 2009  (I find it surprising that there isn't a linguist among his speech writing staff)

"The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries." --Tampa, Fla., Jan. 28, 2010  (Ummmm... the Middle East IS "the region")

 "We're the country that built the Intercontinental Railroad." —Cincinnati, OH, Sept. 22, 2011  (Apparently he's never heard of the Transcontinental Railroad that we actually DID build.)

"No, no. I have been practicing...I bowled a 129. It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something." --making an off-hand joke during an appearance on the Tonight Show, March 19, 2009  (An offhanded, insensitive remark - one that probably wasn't on his teleprompter. However, he is challenged enough [or perhaps TOO much] to qualify for the Special Olympics.)

"The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings and inefficiencies to our health care system." --in remarks after a health care roundtable with health care providers, Washington, D.C., July 20, 2009  (If anybody can bring us greater inefficiencies in all things, it's the Obama administration!)

"Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel's. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under a McCain...administration. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under an Obama administration. So that policy is not going to change." --Amman, Jordan, July 22, 2008  (Isn't he absolutely amazing in his grasp of the obvious?)

"I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go." --at a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon  (Apparently he was counting the soon to be included Islamic nations and Mexico)

"In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died -- an entire town destroyed." --on a Kansas tornado that killed 12 people  (Obviously Obama can't count accurately after he runs out of fingers. This explains why he hasn't been offered an anchor slot on the nightly news. He should have, however, been offered an anchor - while swimming in Hawaii.)

And the Dumocrats and liberals made fun of Gee Dubbya when he was in the Oval Office!

TEA Party A Bit Overboard?

I try to be as objective as I can with my posts, but my life experiences undoubtedly "color" my views somewhat. I received an email this morning from the TEA Party claiming:
"Open your eyes and look at the past two years objectively:

Killer drones primed to kill U.S. citizens; Jailing citizens without due process; Assassinations of citizens endorsed by the Obama regime; Active seeking out of top military officials willing to fire on U.S. citizens; Stockpiling of billions of hollow point killer rounds by the alphabet agencies; Obama's regime demanding the disarmament of America; Grabbing your guns without rhyme or reason; Destruction of the Constitution and the targeting of the Second Amendment." Evaluating these claims based upon what I have gleaned from numerous sources over the past few years, I believe their claims are  noticeably over-the-top  - to wit: Killer drones primed to kill U.S. citizens - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as "drones", are quite capable of delivering devastating, terminal payloads. Yes, they can kill from above, and do so quite effectively in combat zones. The proposed, purported (1. To have or present the often false appearance of being or intending; profess) use of drones within the geographical United States is for observation in high crime areas. Is that a fact? Only our government knows for sure. Do I trust the government to keep it's word? No. Ask the Native Americans about the truthfulness of government promises. Politicians are noted for their ability to tell half-truths - and outright lies - in order to accomplish their goals, and the government is run by politicians. Politics is a profession of smoke and mirrors. Would they use drones to kill U.S. citizens? I am not naive enough to believe they wouldn't. Is that the plan? Who knows? Jailing citizens without due process - This is now possible, thanks to the so-called "Patriot Act", the National Defense Authorization Act, and the left-wing administration. The government now has the authority to conduct warrantless searches, detain, arrest, seize personal property, and incarcerate citizens for indeterminate periods based solely upon "suspicion of ________". Those two "acts" have abridged the First and Third Amendments in the Bill of Rights under the guise of keeping the country safe... and it is safe - just not from the actions of the government itself.  Assassinations of citizens endorsed by the Obama regime - The only verifiable instance I am aware of (and one verifiable instance does make the claim true) concerns the termination of one Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical American-born Muslim cleric living in Yemen. However, his involvement in - and support of - terrorist activities against the United States interests could easily be interpreted as al-Awlaki being an "enemy combatant". One does not have to be a foreigner to be an active enemy of the USA. Active seeking out of top military officials willing to fire on U.S. citizens - According to reports from several usually reliable sources: "Dr. Jim Garrow (a Nobel Peace Prize winner) made a shocking claim about what we can expect to see in Obama's second term. Garrow made the following Facebook post" I have just been informed by a former senior military leader that Obama is using a new “litmus test” in determining who will stay and who must go in his military leaders. Get ready to explode folks. “The new litmus test of leadership in the military is if they will fire on US citizens or not.” Those who will not are being removed. So, who is the source? Garrow replied: “The man who told me this is one of America’s foremost military heroes.” There are other, background goings-on which make Garrow's claim believable. The next item is one of those goings-on.  Stockpiling of billions of hollow point killer rounds by the alphabet agencies - DHS alone, has ordered FOUR BILLION (4,000,000,000) rounds of ammunition. That's enough to shoot every person in the USA ten times, and then eradicate Lichtenstein, Monte Carlo and Vatican City. More recently, DHS has also requested the purchase of 7,000 semi-automatic AR-15 carbines (rifles). One can only guess at the intended use... my guess is that these are not for deer hunting, or recreational shooting. Obama's regime demanding the disarmament of America - This is in agreement with the UN "Small Arms Trade Treaty", which Obama (and I assume his new Sec'y of State, John Kerry) can barely wait to sign, since it is the first step toward taking guns away from law abiding citizens. Luckily, treaties do not have the force of law unless they are ratified by the Senate. Ratification also requires that two-thirds of the senators present concur. "Present" is the word that gives me some concern - politicians have been known to have votes without informing the opposition party. Grabbing your guns without rhyme or reason - See Obama's recent 23 asinine Executive Orders for "gun control" - these are the first steps toward registration, which is the first step toward confiscation. The left is nibbling away at our rights, one bite at a time. Destruction of the Constitution and the targeting of the Second Amendment - Obama never misses an opportunity to circumvent the Constitution, which borders upon a violation of his Oath of Office, and treason. The Constitution seems to be an annoyance - a stumbling block - to Obama and the other left-wingers in the country. The Second Amendment recognizes our God-given right to self defense by affirmation of our "right to keep and bear arms". As such, Amendment II is the keystone to all our Constitutional rights, and was included in the #2 spot to protect our citizenry from the imposition of a tyrannical form of government. If  the Second Amendment is ever abridged or deleted, the rest of our rights will be eliminated in short order. Again, the above is based upon reports and personal observations over the last 7 decades. Nothing more than my thoughts on what's happening in our country.

American Women In Combat Roles - A BAD IDEA!

Although several, if not many, smaller countries use women in combat, the cultures of those countries are significantly different from that of the United States of America.

Among those countries, Israel immediately comes to mind, as do most Islamic countries. Israel is a country predominantly populated by ethnic and religious Jews. The Jews have been persecuted since biblical times. Their survival as a people has always depended upon their ability to effectively defend themselves against those who sought to overpower, enslave, or eliminate them from the face of the Earth. It is a common misperception that Israel allows women in combat units. In fact, women have been barred from combat in Israel since 1950, when a review of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War showed how harmful their presence could be. The study revealed that men tried to protect and assist women rather than continue their attack. As a result, they not only put their own lives in greater danger, but also jeopardized the survival of the entire unit. The study further revealed that unit morale was damaged when men saw women killed and maimed on the battlefield.

Throughout history (as we are taught history), Muslims have traditionally been a warlike people... at least since there has been the Islamic Muslim faith. Islam was created by a man named Muhammad, who had "visions" in a cave near Mecca in 610AD, and spent the next 12 years preaching on the streets of Mecca. Islam became recognized as a religion in 622AD, with the creation of the Islamic calendar. One of the goals of Islam is world domination, by means of conversion or execution of "the infidels" (anybody that is not Muslim, or apostate Muslims ), and the establishment of a world Caliphate.

The history of the United States is similar to the above in some respects, and totally dissimilar in others. Our culture raises men to respect and protect women, or at least it did until the most recent generation. The majority of men still see women as "the weaker sex" and therefore in need of their protection. Therein lies the "problem". Just as the Israeli's experienced men trying to "protect and assist their female counterparts rather than continue their attack", American men will be culturally and psychologically inclined to do exactly the same. And the end result will unquestionably be the same - they not only will put their own lives in greater danger, but will also jeopardize the survival of the entire unit.

Wherever men and women are put together there is, always has been, and always will be - "fraternization". Fraternization is a military crime punishable by a maximum of two years in prison, and a dishonorable discharge for enlisted personnel and dismissal for officers. (Why enlisted personnel can be imprisoned, and officers just dismissed from the military is beyond me. The crime is the same, but the elitists get to walk away, while the working-class military go to the "Gray Bar Hotel") While the Army defines fraternization differently from the other services, the maximum penalty is the same in all. As a practical matter, though, fraternization alone is rarely prosecuted; instead, most such cases are handled with administrative punishment like a letter of reprimand. Essentially, "fraternization" is a euphemism for inappropriate social interactions between different ranks (I will leave the details of what may constitute "inappropriate social interactions" up to your imagination). When interpersonal relationships (beyond those required to perform one's assigned military duties) arise, there is always the possibility of an unexpected, often unwanted pregnancy. What do we then do with a pregnant "warrior"?

Why is the United States Government even considering assigning women to combat units as combat soldiers, when the DoD has access to this information - “Few serious armies use women in combat roles. Israel, which drafts most of its young women and uses them in all kinds of military work, has learned from experience to take them out of combat zones. Tests show that few women have the upper-body strength required for combat tasks. Keeping combat forces all male would not be discriminatory, as were earlier racial segregation schemes in the military, because men and women are different both physically and psychologically,” said the Feb. 5, 1990, National Review.

Who am I to argue with those who have investigated the consequences of women serving in combat roles? It is not that they are afraid to fight, it is that they will be a greater liability in a combat zone than would their male counterparts. If the fight is brought to them, I feel certain that the majority of American women would pick up a weapon and defend themselves and others. But, if the combat should become hand-to-hand, they will most probably not be victorious. Just my thoughts on the subject. I could be wrong… and the Sun could rise in the west tomorrow morning.