Some, primarily libertarians, are scandalized that there was an operation carried out purposely targeting an American citizen. They said that because of this citizenship, al Awlaki should have been afforded the due process of our criminal justice system.

If the Muslim cleric had been shot by someone stepping out of the shadows as he entered his New York City apartment, or if he were gunned down as he enjoyed a night at the theater in our nation’s capitol, then it would really be a problem with our government just exterminating someone they determine to be an enemy of the state. It’s not that this sort of thing, assisted “suicides” and the like, have never taken place – justified or not. This case, on the other hand, is just very visibly public.

Al-Awlaki’s life was not terminated while he was innocently minding his own business. The uproar from our libertarian friends needs to be moderated when they consider their own ideals. The ideals of individual choices and personal responsibility… and acceptance of the consequences.

Unfortunately, Mr. al-Awlaki made some bad choices that ultimately led to his demise. Although he was born in this country, it is apparent that he did not consider it his home. He chose, instead, to align himself with its’ enemies. He chose to side with those who hate us, not just in spirit, but in action as well. If he had stayed at home and wrote an occasional diatribe against the infidels surrounding him, we would have just written him off as another trouble making psychotic in our midst.

He did not stay home. He traveled half way around the world and worked with this organization dedicated to doing harm to you and to me. He lived with them. He worked with them. He led them. He put himself in a very dangerous position – and he paid the price.

From time to time, even local police are put in the position of taking the life of a citizen without due process. A few years back a crazed man near my home took a young woman hostage and, using duct tape, fastened the barrel of a shotgun to her neck as the police surrounded the house they occupied. To save the innocent life, a police sniper shattered his skull and blew away half his brain to keep him from pulling the trigger and killing the girl. This young man put himself in a position where the only option was to terminate his life.

Through negative choices, Anwar al-Awlaki did the very same thing. To those who see the US as responsible for creating the hatred of us in the Arab world, it is understandable that they would want to deal less harshly with our enemies. However, if I were to choose to step out in front of a speed eighteen wheeler, I would be responsible for my violent end, not the truck and not the driver.

These middle eastern wars have already cost us for too much in the way of precious lives and dollars we don’t have. For myself, I would not be willing to risk more American soldiers in an operation to give this traitor to the country we love a public platform to spew his hatred as part of the due process many would want him to have.

Just as it was necessary to cut off the signal from the brain to the trigger finger of the hostage taker before he could kill his victim, it is also necessary to cut off the head of the beast that seeks to destroy us, no matter where that head was born. Al-Awlaki understood we were his enemy when he became ours. As a result, he was introduced to the fallacy of the 72 virgin reward.

This weekend a special event is taking place all across the nation. The film Courageous opens in theaters with a message for men that is sadly needed for our time. Courageous is a movie that shows men working to live up to their roll in life and in their family. It shows four sheriffs deputies dealing with life on the streets to protect the public and their families… sometimes at a price to these same families. They find a solution.

Courageous is produced by the same people who gave us Fireproof and Facing the Giants. Each one getting better and better. It is a first class film that is not only good for the dads, but essential for their teenage sons as well. In a world where families are threatened and downplayed everywhere in the media, Courageous stands up for them and the crucial roll of the men in bringing them to the place God intended for them.

Don’t miss it. You won’t be the same!

[Editors note: so many people want to get their face time as the public turns its attention to the tenth anniversary of the September 11th tragedy. Congressman Forbes is not one of them.  He is the real deal, one of he good guys in congress who voted against every single bailout and stood up for America at every opportunity.]

It is ten years later. Most of us remember where we were. We remember who we were with. We remember the phone calls we made, desperate to hear the sounds of our loved ones’ voices, to know they were OK. We remember the images of the twin towers crashing to the ground, the thick, gray ash that covered the New York City streets, the papers that littered the sidewalks, and the panic that followed. We remember the eery, weighty silence that swept the country in the days that followed. The images are burned into our minds.

Over the course of ten years since September 11, 2001, our nation has collectively gone through stages of grief: shock and denial that such a horrific act could have occurred. Anger at those who sought to take the lives of thousands of innocent people. Deep sadness over the senseless loss of lives and reflection as we try desperately to understand.

The final stage of grief is acceptance. While we have come to accept that this tragedy happened, we are resolved to never forget. As we enter a second decade of a post-9/11 nation, we face the reality that those Americans entering college this year were only eight years old when the attacks happened; old enough to know that something terrible had occurred, but probably too young to fully understand the gravity of the situation. Our nation’s high school freshmen very likely do not have any first-hand memories of that day.

It is natural to fear that, with each decade, our nation will forget a little more. Many worry that our younger generations will never grasp the sense of terror, the fear, and the vulnerability we felt that day as a nation – that they will never truly understand how it changed our nation forever.

But September 11th is not just a memory. It is a reminder.

It is a reminder of community. No matter the political, ideological, religious, or socioeconomic differences, America relies on the strength of her communities in great times of national need. Community is what helps us to prevail over tragedy.

It is a reminder of how vital our security, defense and law enforcement agencies are to our nation. They are in place to keep us safe. Without them we are vulnerable, and we cannot afford to hollow out our defense and national security structure. We must be vigilant to invest in resources and systems to protect our nation from those who would seek to destroy it.

It is a reminder that prayer has sustained our nation. Victims of the attacks prayed for help; family members prayed to be reunited with loved ones; first-responders prayed for strength and wisdom as they risked their lives; millions of Americans asked God for comfort, protection, and peace. Today, ten years later, Americans will join in pray again as individuals gather in churches, neighborhoods and with families to remember those who lost their lives that day.

It is a reminder that there are always those who are willing to give their all for others. There are men and women on the front lines and working behind the scenes to continue to defend America and to keep us safe. They are willing to go into a burning building or take down a hijacked plane in an act of selflessness. It is on their backs that we are able to stand.

We do not have to have first-hand memories to be reminded of something. But we do need to have someone tell us. As another decade passes, may the anniversary of September 11th be more than a memory. May it be a reminder. May those of us who experienced the day first-hand tell our stories to our youngest citizens. Make we make it a teachable moment for our nation. May we be reminded that our freedoms are precious and take pride in America as the home of the brave and the land of the free.

In Washington, at the National Cathedral even, there will be representatives of all sorts of fringe belief systems, but none from the largest groups of Christians in the land. It seems that religion is welcome in this venue only if it will be subservient to the secular wishes of the state. What can we expect from these gatherings? Nothing our founders would tolerate! Yet, like sheep, we follow blindly as we tolerate all the lies and misinformation that comes from the people in charge of our country.

Should we try to change these events? What would be the point? Islamic crazies have contended that they will make as much noise as possible during the moment of silence in New York. I have to wonder what the purpose of the moment of silence is at such a gathering. Certainly it is not to seek comfort from a Creator they fail to acknowledge.

Then there is the Washington ceremony. This brings us to the question of what makes a cathedral or church a church. Is it the fine building? Or is it the presence of God? Whether it is a great building like the National Cathedral, or a cement block building with a tin roof in a third world country or even an open meadow, it is the presence of the Almighty in the midst of sincere worshippers that makes it a church. Unfortunately, He has not been invited to this gathering in the fancy building or the one in the big apple.

If those who died and those who tried to save them are to be remembered, it is, once again, up to We the People. There are groups gathering at various spots around the nation to remember and to pray. They are not sanctioned by the government, but they are getting together for retrospection and introspection. Sure some may be there for self-serving purposes, but that’s not point of the meetings.

The government extravaganzas are designed to distract us from the hurt and anger we associate with the attack and encourage us to agree to everything and stand for nothing. They would have us believe that planting a tree or reading to blind kids is the way to heal the pain. Don’t get me wrong, planting trees and helping the handicapped are both worthy activities. They hardly measure up to the gravity of that day.

Remembering the day when when three thousand people went to work in the city, or boarded a plane on a business trip, or maybe a dream vacation and ended up dying in a war we didn’t even know we were involved in should cause us to consider the meaning of life, or at least its’ potential brevity.

If allowed to consider how these lives ended so suddenly, we may end up considering how we live each day and how we treat those around us. The media, in the way they refuse to show planes crashing into building, and our government does its’ best to keep that memory from our consciousness. Yet remember we must. The other thing we must remember is that it is a tragedy that so many people perished in such a violent manner, yet the ultimate fate of these 3000 people is no different than what we all will face at sometime. No one gets out of life alive.

There were eternal implications to the events of 9/11, just as there are for people who breath their last every day of the year. Sadly for those who crashed the planes and killed so many thinking they would be rewarded with 72 virgins, their perverted dreams didn’t materialized. They ultimately suffered the same fate as many of their victims who failed to recognize their creator. To remember the event and not consider the families and safety people and the ultimate destination of so many is, perhaps, a more heinous deed than the one we are commemorating.

Sunday morning, remember and pray with the folks at your church. If you want to get together with others, there may well be some in your area. One of them may be a simulcast featuring Anne Graham Lotz and Joel Rosenberg Sunday evening. http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/ Another option for an ongoing arrangement would be Awakening America.

Once again, the people are called upon to do the job the government refuses to do. Just remember II Chronicles 7:14: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV)

Two days ago, the Washington Post reported, “The ATF head has been reassigned amid an investigation into a controversial U.S. gun-trafficking operation, part of a broader shake-up at the Justice Department in which the U.S. attorney in Phoenix also stepped down, officials said Tuesday.

“Kenneth E. Melson, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, will become a senior adviser on forensic science in the department’s Office of Legal Policy. He will be replaced as acting director at ATF by B. Todd Jones, the U.S. attorney in Minnesota, the department said in a statement.”

The Post report went on to say, “In a sign of the continuing fallout, Dennis Burke, the U.S. attorney in Phoenix who worked closely with ATF and provided legal guidance for “Fast and Furious,” has resigned, the department said Tuesday. He is being replaced on an acting basis by his deputy, Ann Scheel.

“An assistant U.S. Attorney in Phoenix, Emory Hurley, who helped oversee “Fast and Furious,” is being transferred out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s criminal division and into the civil division. That means he will not be involved in criminal cases.

“The multiple moves amounted to an extraordinary shake-up for a Justice Department that has been under fire for the gun-trafficking probe, which critics consider ATF’s biggest debacle since the deadly 1993 confrontation in Waco, Tex. ATF is part of Justice.”

The Washington Post has since revised this report. Click here to see it.

Back in July, World Net Daily ran a story featuring Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America in which he warned the American people of the ATF’s horrific scheme by saying, “Ten million dollars, and one of the ways they were spending it was a paid FBI informant who was a drug dealer they had flipped. So he was buying lots of guns with that stimulus money.”

Pratt went on to say, “We can say there’s one thing that was stimulated by the stimulus bill and that was the Mexican undertaker business. Mexican authorities say that 150 people were murdered using these guns.”

World Net Daily also reported, “Firearms law analyst and writer David Codrea believes that even if there is evidence to prove that known criminals used taxpayer money to get guns to take to Mexico, nothing is likely to be done with the evidence.

“‘If left to Holder’s Justice Department, nothing, because it shows this had to be top-level DoJ-authorized,’ Codrea explained.

“Reports say other federal agencies have also been drawn into the operation. The DEA, FBI and upper-level DOJ officers, including the U.S. Attorney’s office in Phoenix, have been named.”

WND goes on to state, “Pratt also believes that some of the guns were purchased by the Mexican cartels directly from federal agents.

“‘One of the founders of the cartel, one of the top 14 directors if you will, a guy whose nickname is El Mamito, has said that he was buying guns directly from the federal government,’ Pratt explained.”

And one more quote from the WND report: “Pratt said he believes for the guns to go across at a designated location, there had to be coordination between several federal law enforcement agencies.

“‘There had to be some kind of a deal with the Border Patrol… We know that in the ’09 meeting that set up Fast and Furious, those four or five agencies were all part of the deal,’ Pratt said.”

Click here to see the report.

What makes the ATF’s criminal gunrunning conspiracy even worse (if that’s possible) is the fact that, much like his superiors Obama and Holder, Melson has a career-long reputation for wanting to curtail the right of law-abiding US citizens to keep and bear arms. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, in the weird world of Obama/Holder/Melson, law-abiding US citizens cannot be trusted to keep and bear arms, but US tax dollars and federal police agencies are used to provide firearms to Mexican drug gangs. Then, when Mexican drug gangs using firearms supplied by the US Justice Department murder one of their own Border Patrol agents, the only retribution that follows is for underlings to be “reassigned.”

Seriously folks, have you ever known of any federal agent being brought to justice for even the most egregious violations of life and liberty? Where was the first federal agent brought to justice for the murders of over 80 mostly old men, women, and children outside Waco, Texas? Was agent Lon Horiuchi brought to justice for murdering Vicki Weaver? That monster shot Vicki in the face with a high-powered, scoped rifle as she stood in her kitchen holding her little baby. Not only was this creep not punished, he was later promoted and continues to work in law enforcement today. (Horiuchi was charged with manslaughter in Idaho State court, but US District Judge Edward Lodge dismissed the case. In justifying his horrific ruling, Lodge said that the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution “grants immunity to federal officers acting in the scope of their employment.” Way to go judge! Heil Hitler!) Oh! And by the way, Horiuchi was a federal sharpshooter at Waco, too.

So, one more time, criminals inside the US federal government have been found out! I hope Congressman Issa will not be content to let the matter die with the reassignments of a few underlings. The American people have been enduring criminality, bloodshed, and death perpetrated by rogue elements inside the federal government for far, far too long! It is time now for true justice to come to the US Justice Department!

For more by Chuck Baldwin, go to http://chuckbaldwinlive.com

Overturning a common law dating back to the English Magna Carta of 1215, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday [May 12, 2011] that Hoosiers have no right to resist unlawful police entry into their homes.

In a 3-2 decision, Justice Steven David writing for the court said if a police officer wants to enter a home for any reason or no reason at all, a homeowner cannot do anything to block the officer’s entry.

Justice Robert Rucker and Justice Brent Dickson dissented from the ruling, saying the court’s decision violates the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution.

“In my view the majority sweeps with far too broad a brush by essentially telling Indiana citizens that government agents may now enter their homes illegally-that is, without the necessity of a warrant, consent or exigent circumstances,” Rucker said.

The NW Indiana Times also reported, “This is the second major Indiana Supreme Court ruling this week involving police entry into a home.

“On Tuesday, the court said police serving a warrant may enter a home without knocking if officers decide circumstances justify it. Prior to that ruling, police serving a warrant would have to obtain a judge’s permission to enter without knocking.”

See the report.

Shortly after the ISC decision, Newton County Sheriff Donald Hartman, Sr. said he believes the ruling makes house-to-house searches possible. According to a report at Infowars.com, Sheriff Hartman “made it clear that he would use random house to house searches if he believed it was necessary.”

The Infowars.com report also correctly notes that it was years of illegal searches and seizures and seizures of the American colonists (along with the attempt to seize the colonists’ firearms) that led our forebears to resist the British government with force on April 19, 1775, at Lexington Green and Concord Bridge which ignited America’s War for Independence.

See the report.

It may be helpful at this point to rehearse the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution. “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

With this ruling, the ISC effectively told the citizens of the State of Indiana that the Fourth Amendment is null and void in their State. And Sheriff Donald Hartman has effectively said that he will treat the citizens of Newton County in much the same way that King George treated America’s colonists–or the way Stalin’s or Mao’s police treated the enslaved subjects of the former Soviet Union and Communist China.

And what is also disturbing is the way government, at every level, seems unwilling to police itself.

The reason the US Constitution limited the jurisdiction and authority of the federal government and left states with their own jurisdiction and (broader) authority was to serve as a check and balance against the tyrannical tendencies of the central government. Today, however, acts of tyranny seem to be taking place as frequently on the State and local levels as it is at the federal level. This story out of the Hoosier State is only the latest example.

Does anyone find it more than interesting (and even paradoxical) that while the US military is being used more and more as international policemen, local and State law enforcement personnel are often being used more and more like military troops (and taking on the appearance, procedures, and tactics of military troops)?

Traditionally, it was never the role of local and State law enforcement personnel to act like soldiers. Police officers have no “enemy” to seek out and destroy. Their job is to protect, not punish. The citizens of their State, county, or city are not the enemy.

I recently had a well-meaning police lieutenant tell me that his primary concern was that his officers were protected. That is all well and good, and I certainly understand his concern for his officers. However, when a man or woman puts on the uniform of a police officer (or sheriff’s deputy), he or she is saying that they are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to make sure that the citizens of their community stay protected. The “us versus them” attitude of many police officers today is very harmful to the principles of freedom and liberty.

In the above-mentioned story, it was the judiciary branch of the Indiana State government that was unwilling to hold the executive branch of the Indiana State government accountable to the principles of liberty and constitutional government. Once again, we see that government cannot be trusted to police itself.

If the State of Indiana had constitutionalist sheriffs (and surely there must be a few of them), they would have immediately renounced the ISC decision, and made it clear that they would never allow their deputies to operate in the tyrannical manner approved by the court’s dastardly decision. The same should have been true for Indiana’s police chiefs. Was there such a response? If there was, the media ignored it.

Furthermore, Indiana’s governor should have immediately renounced the ISC’s decision and issued an executive order forbidding State and local law enforcement personnel from complying with this unconstitutional decision. Again, if he did this, we didn’t hear about it, did we?

The propensity of government is not only to build and strengthen itself, but also to protect itself. This is true at every level of government. It is up to “We the People” to hold our civil magistrates accountable to constitutional government. And this is most efficiently done at the State level.

The citizens of Indiana can put a stop to this nonsense if they are of a mind to do so. They should rise as one in opposition to the court’s opinion; they should rise as one in demanding the resignations of the three justices who affirmed this draconian decision; they should rise as one in demanding the resignation of Newton County Sheriff Donald Hartman (and any other sheriff who expressed similar views); they should rise as one in demanding that the Indiana governor publicly repudiate this opinion and that he sign an EO countering it; and they should rise as one in making sure that every elected official in Indiana knows that the people of the Hoosier State will not sit back and allow their liberties to be trampled on in such an egregious fashion.

As I have said in past columns, liberty will be won or lost at the State level. All this talk about “saving America” is just that: talk. If we are serious about protecting and preserving our liberties, we will work to ensure that our individual State is the vanguard of freedom–not the instrument of its demise. If we cannot convince our State and local governments to protect our liberties, we are dreaming if we think we are going to convince Washington, D.C., to do the same.

The decision of the Indiana Supreme Court and the public statements of Sheriff Donald Hartman prove that George Washington was spot-on: government is a “fearful master.”

Freedom-loving Hoosiers need to stand up NOW!

For more by Chuck Baldwin, Click here.

There is a lesson in that for many of us that may think ourselves wise enough to offer answers for solving some of the major problems of other people. The lesson is that regardless of the wisdom that we may have, there is a certain line that we should not cross, and where we learn to “mind our own business”.

Often times when people solve their own problems they are their own best psychologist. This is a point of personal and national relevance.

Nationally, on February 4th I began this message on “Minding your own business”. It was a timely message as we saw that on February 11th, 2011, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned and fled Cairo. This change came without the military intervention of any other nation. Mubarak’s, alleged corruption had inflamed the citizens of his nation causing them to rise up and riot.

ABC News indicated that experts believed the personal wealth of Mubarak and his family to be between US$40 billion and $70 billion founded on military contracts made during his time as an air force officer. Britain’s Guardian newspaper also reported that Mubarak and his family might be worth up to $70 billion due to corruption, kickbacks and legitimate business activities.

As the riots continue to erupt in the various Arabic nations, there is a prophetic current running through the Middle East that we need to see and understand if we are going to be empowered intercessors. Intercession always works best when we know what and who to pray for.

The first point of note in all of this is that this Egyptian Revolution of 2011 is being called by many the Revolution of the Youth. Facebook and the interactive social media played a critical role in overcoming the traditionally and originally, repressive nature of the Government with regards to news coverage of such an event.

The 26 year old founder of Facebook is Mark Elliot Zuckerberg. This Jewish American youth can be credited with creating a medium that interpreted the dream of a national deliverance for Egypt from devastation.

Joseph, son of Israel (Jacob) was 30 years old when he was accredited with interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream that saved Egypt from the years of grievous famine that lay ahead of it. Joseph was persecuted and despised by his brothers but that did not stop him from accomplishing his destined purpose.

I will resist the temptation to comment on the similarity between Joseph’s persecution and the persecution of Zuckergerg by the Winklevoss twins that continue to try and impact and/ or destroy him through civil action.

One of the most important themes of prophetic relevance with regards to Egypt’s riots and the outbursts across the Arabic world is the movement of the youth. When G-d is ready to do paradigm shifts or to make major changes, many times the vessel(s) through which the change comes can often be ignorant with regards to their role in bringing the change:

Psalm 76:10: Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

Mubarak remained defiant to the end, even calling a mass rally where he announced that he would not step down until September (over half a year more for him). It is amazing how most tyrannical leaders make the boldest statement just before they flee office.

In the Caribbean, 25 years ago around this same time of year, the US was very much involved in the island nation of Haiti that had been bled dry by another dictatorial leader in the person of President Jean Claude Duvalier.

On January 30th, 1986 Duvalier had initially accepted President Ronald Reagan’s offer of assistance to help with his departure. President Reagan had even announced his departure. However, gunfire en route to the airport caused him and his entourage to return to his palace.

Like Mubarak, Duvalier also declared that he was not leaving office. The Haitian President declared “we are as firm as a monkey tail.” He departed on February 7, 1986, flying to France in an U.S. Air Force aircraft.

There was no US Air Force flight to ferry Mubarak away because the US was “minding its own business”. When people solve their own problems they are their own best psychologist and they are also more responsible for their own actions. It is amazing how we can learn from the past.

There are two points of relevance that I think stand out in all of this:

1. I believe that the Revolution of the Youth is not just something that is going to be restricted to the geographical region of the Middle East, or just to the Arabic or Muslim World.

I believe that there is a global shifting coming from the Youth that are discontent with the substance less traditions of the generations before them. The youth of this revolution have had enough of being complacent with the corruption and boundaries of ignorance of the generations that have gone before them.

2. Just like so many governmental tyrants that appear to kick and scream the loudest before they leave office, from a spiritual perspective; demons always make the most noise before they are exorcised.

Psychologically speaking, the patient always kicks the hardest on the sofa when truth is revealed that can change them from their state of comfort. This type truth is the kind that brings deliverance.

Our prayer focus then is twofold:

1. That the Revolution of the Youth will bring a healthy change. Medically speaking, there is always the danger that the patient can be lost in the surgery.

2. We must pray for a positive replacement of the negative/ demonic entity that has possessed the patient. Our pray must be that complete healing be actualized in the impact and after effects of deliverance. This impact of deliverance will be felt on both a national scale and also have a personal and individualistic flow.

Shalom,

Pastor Alexis Wallace.

He was running for governor in the early days of 1993 eagerly seeking people to join his “A-Team” as he ran on a “Jeffersonian conservative” platform that included keeping bad actors off the streets longer through the abolition of parole and a generally more efficient government in Richmond. My teenage daughter spent time working at his campaign headquarters and was thrilled when he came around and chatted with those volunteering their time on his behalf.

Much to the chagrin of the entrenched Democrat establishment, Allen won and took up residency in the Governor’s Mansion. He kept his promise to restore truth in sentencing and end the practice of paroling violent criminals long before their time was served. He even went further and made the Department of Motor Vehicles a functioning part of Virginia government. Many other accomplishments marked his time in office, which was ended by term limits, and the citizens were indeed better off for George Allen having served.

Looking for new fields to conquer, he ran the US Senate in 2000 and, as expected, won. Virginians expected him to take his “common sense conservatism” to the nation’s capitol and continue the fight for smaller, less intrusive government. However, while in the Senate, the national debt increased at a rate of over $16,000 per second during his term in office… all with his consent. Allen responds to criticism over this by saying, “Those deficits pale compared to what we see now”

Other missteps, while in the Senate include supporting No Child Left Behind and voting to add sexual orientation to a Federal Hate Crimes bill, using the logic that anything that keeps criminals off the streets longer is a good thing. However with the larger than most number of homosexual staffers and the working relationship with the Log Cabin Republicans, this excuse just doesn’t look like it squares with reality.

He has other inconsistencies between his public rhetoric and his personal activities, Among his financial investments are found shares of Barr Laboratories. Chris Freund, policy director for the Family Foundation in Richmond commented, “Given his pro-life record, I think pro-life Virginians would be very confused by this decision to invest in the only producer of the morning-after pill,” This makes it hard to know where the man stands and what the electorate can expect from him, should he regain his Senate seat.

Then came the over documented “macaca” incident that not only shot down his re-election campaign, but brought to an end his presidential hopes last time around. Whether it was really meant as a racial epithet or not is open to debate. It would appear that those wanting to create political capital about out such a comment are majoring in minors and being far too sensitive and politically correct for their own good and the good of the county.

As a candidate, the issue did not have to sink his run. This was one incident on the campaign trail. Yet, because of his string of major victories, he and his campaign staff did not see it as a problem. The people loved George Allen… or so they thought. The scandal could have been handled, but, apparently, no one took it seriously enough to do anything about it… much like the folks on the Titanic when the ship “scraped” the iceberg.

Running with a great record from his term as governor, Allen had much to point to that lifted him over his opponent. Yet most of the TV ads only told us that Jim Webb disrespected women and wrote dirty books. By not taking this incident and, even the election, seriously and going all out to defeat a man who has voted faithfully with our teleprompter reading president, George Allen let down his party, his supporters, his state and his country.

The bigger story of the reported insult is one of a good ole boy establishment pol looking down on one of the little people, particularly on one of the little people from the other side. When he was first starting out, the former Governor was much inclined to chat with constituents and supporters. Now, it is as if they must be kept at arms length from the prince. During his recent visit to the Virginia Tea Party Convention, he was constantly surrounded by half a dozen handlers protecting him, lest one of the riffraff should come near him with a question or the constitution.

He is basically a decent man, a pre-tea party Republican, whose speeches still echo the 90’s rhetoric that rang true to conservatives with no where else to turn. However, the tea party is with us now and the genie cannot be put back in the bottle. Our expectations far exceed those we held fifteen years ago. We are better educated in both the issues and the processes. Richard Viguerie agrees, “Allen is a good man — and was a far better Virginia governor than senator. But he and many of his Republican colleagues aren’t fooling tea partiers about their role in the increase in the size and scope of big government.”

We demand more that small government lip service. George Allen had his chance and now it’s time for someone who better understands today’s problems and is willing to stand up for today’s solutions to come to the fore. We can’t let something good from the past displace something better that we need today.

[Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)]

In spite of this history, members of the progressive left in this country were quick to blame those they fear the most – Sarah Palin and talk radio. Never mind that this troubled young man represented much that the Tea Party stands against. The accusations do, however, match the prejudices of the ruling class, who see those who stand for freedom and against the growth of governmental power as a danger to their nefarious schemes.

In a shameless display of partisan opportunism, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik complained, “I think the vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business and what we see on TV and how our youngsters are being raised, that this has not become the nice United States of America that most of us grew up in. And I think it’s time that we do the soul-searching,” This, in spite of the “Ethical Decisions” emblazoned across the top of the Sheriff’s official web site beginning with, “Am I acting out of anger, lust, greed or peer pressure”

Maryland Democrat, Steny Hoyer chimed in, “When you and I grew up, we grew up listening to essentially three major news outlets: NBC, ABC, and of course, CBS. We listened to people like Walter Cronkite and Eric Sevareid, and Huntley-Brinkley, and they saw their job as to inform us of the facts and we would make a conclusion…”

Whether the newscasters of old were really giving us the straight scoop is a question for another day, but it is clear that a silent and compliant media would make the work of Hoyer and his friends much easier. This is the same thinking we have seen from the beginning of this administration… nothing new or original from one of Nancy Pelosi’s right hand men.

We need to be particularly careful at this time when the opponents of individual freedom are looking for any reason to stifle dissent. We cannot let the hew and cry that comes from this terrible event silence the truth. We cannot be intimidated by those who fear our message, but must continue voicing words of freedom and prosperity.

When one looks at the logic of their argument that Rush’s rhetoric or Beck’s bombast led this poor soul to take out his frustrations with a gun, one would be tempted to laugh if it were not such a sad situation. It’s doubtful if any of their listeners would be reading the same material that Laughner did, except for opposition research. Beyond which, if any serious tea partier went off the deep end and did anything so foolish and against their dedication to life and respect for their fellow man, there are denizens of Washington who have done far more damage to our country than an obscure congresswoman few have heard of outside her district, and who has voted with common sense at least some of the time.

We need to be clear in our opposition to such malevolent violence, not only against a member of congress, but against the citizens whose liberties we are fighting for, along with our own. The goal of most tea partiers is to live free of danger from foreign enemies and free of tyranny at home. This is what we mean, and our founding fathers mean by “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. These things are not possible, if people have to live in fear of such violence in our home towns. We are living in a environment where those whose hands are on the levers of power would be only too happy use such incidents to further restrict our movement and liberty.

Then, we need to take the positive steps of praying for Congresswoman Giffords as well as the others wounded in this attack. We also need to remember the families of those who died as a result of this blatant disregard for life. If we are to be true to our values, we must condemn such behaviors and and work to prevent them while respecting the natural rights our constitution was designed to protect.

Have you ever wondered why they want to drop such items from the budget first? Do they really think we would believe that is the most logical place to save money on state or federal budgets? Perhaps not, but the ruling class knows that we won’t get upset if their favorite boondoggle projects disappeared from public view. However, they know we don’t want to witness and increase in crime or see our homes burn down because of budgetary shortfalls. They know that even our union controlled, overfunded and underperforming schools would not be the first place economize, yet this is the story we hear.

This is because we all use these services and cutbacks would directly impact our lives. Recall the last time Republicans dug in their heels and refused to go along with the bloated budget during the Clinton administration. Some of the first things to be shut down were popular attractions like the Washington Monument and National Parks. They made their point by taking away the things that gave the most comfort and enjoyment to the American people. In Virginia, Governor Kaine (of DNC fame) closed down rest stops along the highways when he didn’t get the budget he wanted.

As many remember, the Republicans caved as the public bought the lies that these cuts in services were essential because the people were not taxed enough. It was only their greed in wanting to keep their money that left the government in the bind that caused their inconvenience. Fortunately, many of the people have woken up and the Tea Parties have opened they eyes of many more.

They are not about to tell us that they want to take our money and give it to their favored people or groups. They won’t come out and tell us directly that they want us to pay higher and higher taxes so they can give the AIG bankers the money for their bonuses needed to maintain their ostentatious lifestyle. They won’t tell us we need to sacrifice good things for our families so outrageous union wages, pensions and benefits could be preserved rather than let a bankruptcy court resolve them to the point where they were not a burden to the rest of the citizens. Neither will they say to to us that it is more important for them to let contracts to favored vendors (often contributors) than stop borrowing from people that hate us and will be collecting interest from us, our children and their children.

The political class knows we won’t get upset about scrubbing plans for another bridge to nowhere, but they know most of us will get upset about cuts in education or public safety. What happens is that they fund the lowest priorities first then come to the public demanding more money when the wasteful spending is done and they need more for the essential projects.

As much as it would seem to be something we blame on Democrats, Republicans have their own share of guilt. This is not just be the way these people get the job done, but it is a symptom of a much greater problem we have with our government; the lack of honesty. Sure the destruction of our economy and the devaluation of our currency are bad enough, but if the people in positions of leadership cannot be straight with the people, we cannot unite behind a plan to fix the mess we find ourselves in – in fact, we don’t even know what the real plan is so we can discuss it intelligently.

During the Clinton administration we were told that character didn’t matter. They were wrong. Despite these claims, character is more important now than ever. The financial debacle is only the tip of the iceberg. Evidence shows that we have not gotten the straight story on job creation, environmental “protection”, health care and a host of other issues and non-issues. We have a budget crisis, mortgage crisis, a health care crisis, an energy crisis… all man made. Now we have the same people that created these problems telling us they have the solutions… and we have no basis for belief. Until we the people demand honestly and accountability from our office holders we will be stuck in this downward spiral, and we won’t deserve to get out until then as well.