The Patriot Post Brief 12-03-2012

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Brief 12-03-2012
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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The Second Amendment 'Threatens' Our Liberty?

December 3, 2012

The Foundation

"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic." --Joseph Story

Re: The Left

"Columnist Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports ... blamed the Second Amendment to the United State Constitution for the murder/suicide of Jovan Belcher, linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs. Calling for the NFL to have cancelled the Chiefs' Sunday game, Whitlock wrote: 'I would argue that your rationalizations speak to how numb we are in this society to gun violence and murder. We've come to accept our insanity. We'd prefer to avoid seriously reflecting upon the absurdity of the prevailing notion that the second amendment somehow enhances our liberty rather than threatens it. How many young people have to die senselessly? How many lives have to be ruined before we realize the right to bear arms doesn't protect us from a government equipped with stealth bombers, predator drones, tanks and nuclear weapons? Our current gun culture simply ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience-store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead.' Whitlock never lays responsibility for Jovan Belcher's murder of his 22-year-old girlfriend and his suicide at the feet of Jovan Belcher. In fact, he describes Belcher as 'A 25-year-old kid,' which is simply asinine -- at age 25, you are no longer a 'kid.' You are a man, with real responsibilities -- Belcher had a three-month-old child. ... If Belcher wanted to kill his girlfriend and then himself, he didn't need a gun to do it. And no matter how much Whitlock propounds that 'Handguns do not enhance our safety,' Kasandra Perkins would have had a much better shot at life if she'd been the one with the handgun." --Breitbart's Ben Shapiro1

    Editor's Note: Not only is Whitlock dead wrong, as was NBC's Bob Costas in quoting him during Sunday Night Football, but, as Mark Alexander argued Thursday, all Patriots are obligated to be armed and ready2.

For the Record

"On the day before Thanksgiving, Barack Hussein Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum, or an unofficial directive to the heads of departments and agencies under the executive branch. This Presidential Memorandum, the text of which is only 183 words, directs agency and department heads to establish a program 'to deter, detect, and mitigate actions by employees who may represent a threat to national security.' ... There appears to be a deliberate lack of specificity concerning the exact elements that constitute such an 'insider threat.' ... The key to understanding this memorandum is to understand that we are witnessing the greatest consolidation of power and control under the Executive branch of the government in recent U.S. history. This consolidation of power makes it possible for a select number of highly political 'czars' and appointed officials to observe, control and report on the activities of people within their various departments to the Executive branch. ... It's no longer about the rule of law and one's allegiance to the United States. It's now about allegiance to the agenda of the Executive branch, assured by active surveillance of government employees by Obama's hand-picked appointees." --columnist Doug Hagmann3

Reader Comments

"Thanks to each and every staff member at The Patriot Post. You engage in a labor of love in honor of all those who have gone before us in defense of Liberty. I am on a fixed income but will assist in any way I can6 those who 'stand a post' at this most crucial time in my life and in the lives to be of my kids and grandkids. I'll give what I can and, if you need more, I'll give more. It's the very least I can do to support and honor each of you and this magnificent resource." --Steve

"I've said this before but it needs to be re-stated. The Patriot Post doesn't merely call into question the positions of Liberals. It questions the validity of all. It asks the tough questions of anyone who holds a leadership position of both parties. Thus far, in three years I have had to stop and re-think what I thought and why because of in-depth, fair and reasonable writings on this site. It challenges the status quo. It challenges my thinking and I need that. America needs that, even when it steps on holy grails of past thinking. There is not one guidepost of writing in this country that does it better. I don't have any more money to give and truthfully didn't have the spare $100 I did give6 but it's a small price to pay to hear truth based challenges rather than bloviating opinions of left or right wing opinionists." --Andy

Essential Liberty

"No authoritarian government has ever succeeded in delivering prosperity to successive generations. Only societies that embrace open markets, the rule of law, and democracy have seen more people prosper beyond the privileged few. 'What more is necessary,' Thomas Jefferson asked, 'to make us a happy and a prosperous people?' His answer rings true: 'a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.' We do not require government control or benefits in order to prosper. Nor do we need guaranteed health care or even abundant leisure time. Instead, we need the freedom to pursue our aspirations; to own property and to act on our initiative and profit from it; to have access to markets, capital, and resources; to live by the rule of law that is fairly and consistently applied; and to enjoy physical security in our persons and homes. ... Total U.S. public debt will soon surpass $16 trillion -- or $50,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. That amounts to about 70 percent of everything we produce today, but it could hit 195 percent within 25 years. That means each of us would owe over $100,000 to the federal charge account. ... Liberty is indispensable for a good and prosperous life. But freedom is never free." --Heritage Foundation's Kim Holmes, Ph.D.8

[nChrist]

________________________________________
The Patriot Post Brief 12-03-2012
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
________________________________________

Insight

"It is a matter of record that in the German Election of 1933, the Communist Party was ordered by its leaders to vote for the Nazis -- with the explanation that they could later fight the Nazis for power, but first they had to help destroy their common enemy: capitalism and its parliamentary form of government." --author and philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

Opinion in Brief

"The middle class is already paying 50% of what they earn in income taxes, payroll taxes, state taxes, property taxes, and taxes on gas, telephone use, and other levies. Obama has not talked of cutting government spending, relying on the automatic 'sequestration' that would begin in January. His Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, called the effect on the U.S. military 'catastrophic' though the cuts would reduce what [Grover] Norquist calls 'the Obama debt machine' and would in theory strengthen the economy. I say 'in theory', but federal regulations in 2011 added more than $231 billion in regulatory costs to private businesses and state and local governments, adding up to 133 million hours of paperwork, according to the American Action Forum. Tons more regulations are in the pipeline, particularly from the Environmental Protection Agency. When you add in the 28 taxes hidden in Obamacare, it is clear that there will be precious little money left over for anything than the bare necessities of life. Americans have been ill-served by their government, composed of those elected to exercise good judgment regarding the economy." --columnist Alan Caruba9

Government

"For the Founding Fathers, a primary and central duty of the federal government created by the Constitution is to 'provide for the common defence.' The reason is simple: If we are not secure, we cannot be free. ... So when you think about American security, the first thing you need to remember is that, in the long run, the strength of America rests not solely on its armed forces. It also rests in the growth, the energy, and the flexibility of the American economy. ... But we can't just buy defense when times are good. Defense is like an insurance policy. If you have to take a job that pays less, you should spend less on vacations and nice restaurants. But it wouldn't be a good idea to stop paying your car insurance bill. Insurance protects you from big expenses that you can't afford. When times are tight, you need insurance more, not less. ... Being prepared for this dangerous world means we have to keep our military ready to defend our interests. It also means that we have to follow economic policies that will allow us to pay for the kind of military we need. ... George Washington was right to say, in his first State of the Union Address, that 'To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.'" --Heritage Foundation's Ted Bromund, Ph.D., and Luke Coffey10

Culture

"When you realize how many political careers and reputations have been destroyed because of sex scandals over the past several years, it's truly mind-boggling. David Petraeus is just the latest in a long line that goes back at least as far as John Kennedy and includes the likes of Gary Hart, Bob Packwood, Wilbur Mills, Ted Kennedy, Mark Sanford, Anthony Weiner, John Edwards and Bill Clinton. Frankly, it's a wonder that any of these guys ever got any work done. ... But I think the bigger message we can take away from the rise and fall of Mr. Petraeus is that we would all do well to stop making heroes out of people we don't really know. ... There's nothing wrong with admiring someone's accomplishments, but if you're looking for heroes, you should probably start looking closer to home. Find people whose honesty and character you're actually in a position to vouch for. Maybe it's your mom or dad, perhaps even a sibling." --columnist Burt Prelutsky11

The Gipper

"Christmas is a state of mind. It is found throughout the year whenever faith overcomes doubt, hope conquers despair, and love triumphs over hate. It is present when men of any creed bring love and understanding to the hearts of their fellow man. ... Let us resolve to honor this spirit of Christmas and strive to keep it throughout the year." --Ronald Reagan12

The Last Word

"Let's say my family taxable income for 2013 will be a little over $250,000 -- just over the magic number making us, by specific declaration of the President of these United States, wealthy. ... According to Forbes.com I could reasonably be expected to pay: '$73,696 in federal, state, local and FICA taxes.' That is an effective tax rate of a little over 29 percent. Assuming my withholding was correct I ended up with $176,300 in spendable income or about $14,700 per month. ... Now, let's say I get hit with an overall 5 percent increase in taxes -- payroll, income, and so on. If my arithmetic is correct that means an additional $3,685 over the course of the year or just north of $300 per month. ... The Federal budget for 2013, according to the White House website, calls for expenditures of $3,803 trillion. Here's what it looks like written in numbers: $3,803,000,000,000. That's just for 2013. If I'm reading the tables correctly, the number goes up each year until it reaches $5,820 billion 10 years down that can-kicking road. If a five percent reduction in my spendable income will not pose a particular hardship on me, why can't a five percent cut in spending not pose a particular hardship on the Federal government? Maybe they won't like it either, but they should do their part. Over the course of the next 10 years total outlays are projected to be about $47 trillion. Five percent of $47 trillion is $2.35 trillion -- more than double the one trillion they're all falling down in a dead faint trying to save over ten years." --columnist Rich Galen13

Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Nate Jackson for The Patriot Post Editorial Team

(Please pray for our Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world, and for their families -- especially families of those fallen Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who granted their lives in defense of American liberty.)

Links

    http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/12/02/Sports-columnist-blames-second-amendment-for-Belcher
    http://patriotpost.us/alexander/15685
    http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51313
    http://washingtonexaminer.com/if-gop-continues-to-ignore-health-care-u.s.-will-end-up-with-single-payer/article/2514693#.ULkFZGhQb4Q
    http://patriotpost.us/opinion
    https://patriotpost.us/donation/new?ref=edition
    https://patriotpost.us/donate/mail/
    http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/11/understanding-american-prosperity
    http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/print-friendly/51460
    http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/11/understanding-american-security
    http://patriotpost.us/opinion/15630
    http://reagan2020.us/
    http://patriotpost.us/opinion/15700