Sunday, February 5, 2012

RE: Save Bradley Manning

Save Bradley Manning is a page on Facebook that I found in conjunction with a news article concerning the court-martial of this piece of scum.  Here's why this guy is going to burn in hell for what he did:

Code of Conduct:
(1) I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense

 (2) I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never
surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to
resist

(3) If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will
make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

(4) If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners.
I will give no information or take part in any action which might be
harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will
obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me, and will back them up in
every way

(5) When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give
only my name, rank, service number, and date of birth.  I will evade answering
further questions to the utmost of my ability.  I will make no oral or written
statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to  their cause.

(6) I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom,
responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my
country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.

This guy was not captured.  He was not a prisoner of war.  He was not put to the question.  He was not tortured.  He willingly, of his own free will and choice, divulged information that put hundreds of thousands of US and allied troops in increased danger.  He is a traitor to his country, and to the men and women of the armed forces with whom he served.  He forgot that he was an American, fighting for freedom.  He must now take responsibility for his actions.  He must share David's fate when he sent Uriah to his death.  He shall have no forgiveness in this life, nor in the life to come.  He is damned by his own pride, having committed an unpardonable sin, and that is worse than anything any earthly power can do to him.  He knew that his actions would aid the enemy, and therefore increase risk to US and allied forces.  The blood of those who died as a result of his lapse in judgment is testimony against him.


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Why not Ron Paul?

I have to commend Representative Ron Paul on sticking by his principles for decades.  He believes what he believes, and nobody is going to convince him to change his mind.  The problem with that is that I don't agree with him. 
He is a Constitutionalist, but he doesn't interpret it the same way that I do.  He has his set of personal beliefs, and I have mine.  Because of that, we each vary slightly in our interpretations of what we read.  However, these differences are not so great as to convince me that he is unfit for the presidency.  I have studied the Constitution for years.  In less than 3 months, I will be taking an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, even unto the laying down of my life, if need be.  I believe I am entitled to my own opinions on how it was meant to be interpreted.
My biggest issue is that his approach to international affairs are all but guaranteed to doom this country.  Ron Paul seems to be convinced that we, as a country, can just withdraw from the world, focus on ourselves, and be just fine.  I believe that this country was established with the assistance of divine intervention, and that we are not just expected to take care of ourselves.  When we are prosperous, we have a responsibility to help to care for those who cannot care for themselves - this applies to us individually and as a nation.  The Lord has said, "Of him unto whom much is given, much is required" (D&C 82:3).  If our nation is in a position to protect and uplift the oppressed, we damn ourselves if we do not lift a helping hand. 
But this is not all.  Globalization has rendered isolationism impractical and obsolete.  We must maintain international activities and overseas military presence to protect our national interests and our national security.  If Mr. Paul had his way, we would be jeopardizing economic, political and security interests around the world.
Finally, and I intend no offense, I'm just expressing an observation, Ron Paul has the most antagonistic supporters that I have had the displeasure to interact with outside of the United States Democratic Party.  It is inexcusable that they feel they have the right to verbally attack and abuse anyone who doesn't agree with them.  This, unfortunately, has been the majority of my interaction with these people.  What does it say about Mr. Paul that these are the people that he is attracting?  I have no desire to associate myself with a group of people that have such blatant disregard for the opinions that other people have. 
So, why not Ron Paul for president?  I believe I have sufficiently illustrated why not.