My Quick Self-Education On Executive Orders

I have to admit that when I heard President Obama had issued his latest executive order concerning immigration and border security, I was quite upset, for two reasons.  First, I felt that (and still do) the President was sacrificing the safety of the southern United States and rendering the mission of the Border Patrol both impossible and so much more dangerous.  Second, and most important, I was concerned that President Obama was writing too many executive orders, that is, governing by executive order (which is what a dictator does) and that Mr. Obama would possibly hold on to the office of president BY EXECUTIVE ORDER.

Leaving those two reasons alone for the moment, I would like to relate a few things I learned about executive orders in just a couple of hours of reading.  Executive Orders, as such, are not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, but in Article II, Section 1, the president is given "executive power" or the authority to operate the executive branch, and by extension, federal agencies, the way he sees fit in order to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.." according to Article II, Section 3.  President George Washington (the man who WOULD NOT be King) wrote the first executive order just THREE MONTHS after taking office.  This executive order required all the various department heads (now known as The Cabinet) to report to the President on the situations of their various functions.  This executive order was hardly noticed outside the government and certainly raised no eyebrows, unlike Washington's later executive order that required American citizens to remain neutral during the war between France and England.

Back to our current leader, President Obama, I have to say that I honestly expected that he would have by now issued the most executive orders of any president to date.  On that presumption I was wrong.  It turns out that President Franklin D. Roosevelt holds that honor, although Mr. Obama still has time to write a passel of executives orders and overtake FDR.  Mr. Roosevelt issued over 3500 executive orders.  To date, President Obama has issued approximately 183 executive orders, just over half the number that Bill Clinton wrote, and over a hundred LESS than Bush II issued.  But I would like to point out that President Roosevelt served three terms as president due to the nation being under a State of Emergency.  With all that is going on in the world today, including the ongoing War On Terror (WOT), it is not inconceivable that the President could decide it is not in the nation's best interest to hold elections in 2016.  Thus he could hold onto his office via executive order stating the above.

While I now know that President Obama was acting in his scope of power to issue the executive order curtailing the enforcement of the sanctity of our southern border, I believe he is clearly neglecting his duty as Chief Executive to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."  It could be argued (and has been over the years) that since the resources of the United States are limited (though one would never know, considering we in debt to the tune of $16 trillion dollars) the President must focus on those areas where he can be the most effective.  Mr. Obama apparently, then, feels that border security is not a big issue.  I would propose to him, however, that a WOT cannot be faithfully executed when our nation's sovereignty is intentionally unenforced. 

The second and more frightening concern I have with the current holder of the White House is that Mr. Obama might follow the example of President Roosevelt and take a third term as president.  UNLIKE Roosevelt, however, President Obama might decide to issue an executive order cancelling the 2016 presidential election and then simply remain in office until the WOT is concluded.  Since "terror" is a concept, a belief, even an OPINION, one might say that the WOT will never end, because "terror" can never be truly eliminated.  Terrorism cannot be totally eliminated, either.  So, due to the ongoing (undeclared as yet) state of emergency that exists because this nation is engaged in an unwinnable war, the President has the legal authority (under the present sheeple thinking anyway) to simply executive order himself into a lifelong presidency.  All President Obama need do is declare that national state of emergency then executive order away to his content.

I know some who read this may say to me that I need to take a big dose of my "nerve" medicine and just chill, because a President, even President Obama, WOULD NEVER do such a thing.  To that, let me just retort that a much greater man than Obama, Mr. Abraham Lincoln, believed it necessary, and in his power, to suspend habeas corpus, and he did so, during the Civil War.  Given that Mr. Lincoln was a honorable man doing the best he could in a desperate situation, there is little doubt that a less than scrupulous man might enact such powerful measures with less honorable intent than had Mr. Lincoln. 

Be that as it may, and I do hope I am wrong, I am glad I detoured from my evening's activities to delve into the background and history of presidential executive orders, also called presidential decision directives, and to gain a better understanding of this subject.  Almost every president from George Washington to Barack Obama has written at least one executive order.  I have also formed the opinion (and this IS my opinion ONLY) that the Founding Fathers indeed wanted the president to have the power and authority to issue executive orders; however, I also believe the Founding Fathers believed the president would be very sparing and judicious in the use of this awesome power.  I further believe that the government (people working in governmental capacities) as well as "the people" would have "re-revolted" if the early presidents had so effectively circumvented Congress and the Supreme Court with executive orders to the degree that our current President and recent presidents have done.

Now that we have seen, particularly during World War II and the current WOT, how the president can and does abuse the power of the executive order, maybe it is time to at least THINK about amending the Constitution so that either the authority to issue executive orders is curtailed greatly, or that this implied power of the president be specifically removed from the Constitution.

In the meantime...

God Bless America

 

End Of Watch: Officer Richard Martin, Houston PD, May 18, 2015

Houston lost one of its finest, and all police officers lost a brother, yesterday afternoon when a fleeing felon intentionally struck Officer Martin with a stolen car.  The criminal had already car jacked one vehicle, then ditched it for another as officers closed in.  The chase continued through Houston with this criminal firing shots at pursuing officers.

Officer Martin was ahead of the chase and got out of his car to deploy stop sticks.  The criminal had to drive out of his way to hit the officer with his car, killing him just as surely as if he had taken his gun and shot this officer at point blank range.  This criminal did have the decency to shoot himself as officers surrounded him, unfortunately the wound was not fatal.  The suspect is in custody.

My heart goes out to this officer's family and colleagues, and my thanks and honor to him, for his service in the face of danger, and his willingness to continue his job even though it was obviously a dangerous job.  The Thin Blue Line up in Heaven has got another officer there tonight.

There Are Important Things To Blog About, and There Are IMPORTANT THINGS To Blog About

I believe that there are many important issues, many important current events to write about, oh, so many urgent matters that could be set to print here.  And I am serious when I say important things; but, there are IMPORTANT THINGS that need to be written about as well, and I am taking time to do that tonight.  I hope you will continue reading even though what I am writing about is not really an international crisis, a national issue, certainly not as urgent as the shootings at Waco and the possible retaliation that looms in the shadows.  But this is an IMPORTANT THING!

I am so proud to be a grandfather!!  I have heard people say how happy they were to be grandparents, or, on the other hand, how they LONGED for grandchildren.  I have to say that honestly I did not understand that longing or that happiness until Leah Marie came into our lives.  Here I would like to pause to say how I admire and am amazed by the strength and courage that my daughter showed throughout the ordeal of giving birth to this precious child.  I will never forget it as long as I live.  But that is another story.  The IMPORTANT THING is that Leah was born healthy, and that Child B is now healthy, in fact she recovered quickly.  But even with all that pain, and the pain I felt for my daughter, how great and wonderful it was to hold that little newborn in my hands.  How great it was to share in the tears of happiness and in the laughter, and the celebration, of the new child!

That very afternoon, after the new family was back home, we (grandmother and I) went to visit, to help with this great adjustment.  Once again, how precious it was to hold this little child, to see that my child had a child of her own, to see that my new son had helped bring his daughter into the world.  Both of them are so new as parents, prepared materially, but so scared, so worried.  Just like most new parents.  So much advice from medical professionals and from relatives, but still the daunting knowledge that they were now raising a child, a little person, who will one day be a big person, who will one day have a child of her own.

Time is almost like the above paragraph.  I mean, it seems like time has passed so quickly from the day my wife and I married, then had a child, lost another child, then had our daughter, Child B.  It seems like all the years are summed up in just four words...it was only yesterday.  I know Honey and I have been married 31 years, but it seems like it was only yesterday that we ran out of that church.  Just a day or two ago we celebrated Child A's birth.  Just a sad yesterday, so sad, when we said our goodbyes to little Bryan, only with just one day to have him, and it seems like it was only yesterday.  Child B was born the next year, and it was only yesterday that our little kids were in school.  Now they are both adults leading their own lives.  How did it all go so fast?  Where are all the years in between?

There are so many important things happening now, but the IMPORTANT THING is to help our daughter and our son to raise their child.  They will get the hang of parenting soon, just like Honey and I did.  And they will be wonderful parents.  But I know they will have many questions for us.  Hopefully we will have many answers.  Child B and Son C are so worried about the health and safety of their child...that is how Honey and I know they will be, and are, great parents.  Their lives have changed, suddenly more complicated, because now there are three of them.  But what a great and wonderful, an awesome change it is.  And how happy are Honey and Popz to be the proud grandparents of this new little bundle.  She looked right into my eyes the other day, and I saw right into Heaven, right into an angel's face.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will blog about issues that might pertain to more people and to more pressing and urgent things, but tonight I am content to mull over the IMPORTANT THINGS, the two who brought this new one into the world, the other relatives that are new to us through the marriage of these children, and the vision we have of the excitement and challenges facing these new parents.  Tomorrow...yes, but tonight all of that pales in comparison to the happiness and the love we feel for these two children and their new child, our Leah Marie.

Oh yeah, tonight Child A went to see his niece for the first time.  I have not talked to him yet, but I bet he is already wrapped around her little finger.  I know Popz is.  And how lucky I am to have Child B who has me wrapped around her little finger, and her child, who has me wrapped around the other little finger.  Family...that is the IMPORTANT THING.

Thank you, Good Shepherd, for the little angel in our lives, and for her parents.  Please watch over them all and lead them in your way, on your straight and green path.

Amen.

My Email From Senator John Cornyn of Texas

Much to my pleasure and surprise, I received a response from Senator John Cornyn after emailing him with my concerns about the upcoming (we THINK it has not started yet) military exercise known as Operation JADE HELM.  I was pleased that the Senator did in fact respond to me.  I was displeased that his response was pretty much word for word that of Congressman Conaway's.  The response in a nutshell was the usual rehash of the military's press release about JADE HELM.  The usual lines are that 1) this operation is necessary to train our service men and women how to fight in the diverse terrains they will encounter "overseas;" 2) "unconventional units" will attempt to operate in cities while remaining "undetected" by the local population; 3) no civilians will be endangered by the exercise, and people will most likely not be effected at all, other than noticing more "military traffic" at night.

I emailed Senator Cornyn again after receiving his response yesterday.  I sincerely thanked him for taking the time to respond to me, but I also told him that his response mirrored nearly word for word that of Congressman Conaway.  I then requested that Senator Cornyn respond to two specific issues.  I further asked that he respond to these issues only after reviewing the military's press releases, and only in his own words, not that of rehashed military press releases.  The first issue I asked the Senator to respond to specifically was the idea that our military needed to conduct JADE HELM off military bases because the "diverse terrain" offered by the seven (now more) states participating in JADE HELM would simulate terrain that military forces might find "overseas."  The reason this is an issue for me is that the military is in control of millions of acres of land across the United States, in many different climates, offering many different terrains.  So that reasoning is null.

But the military is also training in United States cities.  THAT is the center of my issue with JADE HELM.  If the military is training its forces for overseas missions, as they stated concerning the diverse terrain requirement above, how will operating "undetected" in US cities prepare our forces for operating undetected in foreign cities "overseas."  The answer is that it will not.  The only way our soldiers can operate undetected in foreign cities is by concealing their nationality in any way possible, and OPERATING MAINLY LATE AT NIGHT.  Our soldiers can certainly practice that ON THEIR various military bases.

The second issue to which I wanted Senator Cornyn to respond concerned the safety of both American civilians and American soldiers when operations are being carried out in cities and towns without the local population knowing an exercise of some type is taking place. According, again, to the military's press releases, "unconventional warfare units" will be assigned certain missions as part of JADE HELM.  These missions include locating and extracting both "high value targets" (terrorists AND persons who refuse to give up weapons when asked to do so) and local leaders.  Again, since the operations call for undetected execution, does this mean that unconventional units will "extract" unsuspecting targets?  The soldiers will be armed but will have only blank ammunition.  They will be expected to confront the "targets" mentioned above as well as to escape AFTER obtaining their targets.  What will the soldiers do to capture and control their targets?  How will they escape after they complete their missions, especially if they are "detected" by citizens or the police?  Does any of this sound like it is "safe" for anyone inadvertently caught up on one of the exercises?  What if soldiers with blank bullets in their weapons become caught up in their mission and point those weapons at police officers, or worse, armed civilians with no police training or "shoot/don't shoot" judgment?  The potential for shootings or other injuries is astronomical.

If the unconventional units are truly operating undetected, that means they cannot notify local police of their specific operations, nor could they inform the civilian population.  The military stated in its releases that if these units were detected, they would use whatever means needed to escape.  The word "means" was defined to include burglary, auto theft, theft of property including medical supplies and guns, and sabotage.  These actions were described by the military as "petty crimes" but last time I checked they were felonies, in most cases.  Also, since the military wants to operate "undetected," will they inform the "targets" that they are indeed targets, or will they simply kidnap them and attempt to flee undetected?

You can see that I am not asking paranoid, hysterical, or "kooky" questions, but valid ones to which we as free citizens deserve answers BEFORE this exercise begins.  I support our military quite strongly, and I want our soldiers to have the best training possible.  Nonetheless, I cannot support JADE HELM if for no other reasons than these two: 1) that Operation JADE HELM is a military exercise taking place in our cities and towns, and our countryside, when the military has millions of acres and hundreds of facilities at its disposal in which JADE HELM could be carried out; 2) that Operation JADE HELM endangers American lives by its very execution.  Since the exercise could not meet all its objectives if specific information concerning separate missions were supplied to the appropriate local authorities or the population in general, it is highly possible that people living or working in areas where JADE HELM exercises are being carried out will at best be suddenly caught up in confusion and chaos, and at worst, could actually be captured and held by military units for the duration of the specific exercise, or (am I stretching a little here, I am not sure) possibly for the total duration of JADE HELM.

I have addressed my concerns with both of my senators and my congressman.  I urge anyone who reads this blog to do the same.  Not using voices of hysteria, but the calm voice of reason.  I will tell you something else.  People around the world are now aware that JADE HELM is set to take place this coming July, and they cannot believe that the American people are sitting idly by, meek as lambs, while this is going on.  I have listened to and read articles by persons residing outside the United States who cannot believe the level of apathy to which our nation has settled. 

JADE HELM is probably not the end of the world, as many are screaming, but it is the beginning of the end of civilian control of the military.  I believe that JADE HELM is only the first operation of its kind, but the very fact that it is being tolerated means that it is not the LAST operation of this kind, and you can be sure that it will not be the largest of its kind we will see.  To prevent this, I hope again, that all who see this, and who agree with me, will begin writing their congressmen and senators, demanding this these military operations stop, and that further operations be carried out on military bases.  I urge you not to approach your leaders with hysterical claims that martial law is coming, that the UN is coming to take over America, but simply talk to them in calm voices, demanding that your elected officials represent you and protect you by halting these exercises and confining military training to the bases and facilities that you and I (and our predecessors) have bought with our hard-earned taxes.

God bless all of you, and,

God Bless America

Why Should A Christian Be Concerned About Politics Or About JADE HELM?

I have published blog posts both recently and in the past years concerning my political beliefs and the idea that our leaders of today and of several past administrations have trampled the Constitution and are intent on curtailing our freedoms in this great republic.  In the past week I have published three blogs about JADE HELM 15, the infamous military exercise about to be perpetrated on the people of seven states.  The official start of JADE HELM is set for July 15th, but already all over the United States various military exercises are happening OFF of the military bases, and military "assets" have been moved around the nation. 

So why SHOULD a Christian be concerned about all of these and other "worldly" things?

First, let me say that a Christian is (or should be) faithful to and trusting in the Good Shepherd no matter what kind of system of government controls his earthly nation.  Having said that, we in the United States were so much more blessed than many people the world over because we have freedom of religion here...even freedom FROM religion if we so desire.  There is no State Religion here, neither is there forced atheism.  At least not yet.  As Americans, we are called to be good citizens, voting on issues and candidates, and obeying our laws (to the extent that they are Constitutional laws).  As Christians, we are called on to support our leaders, to pray for them, and to obey the laws instituted by our leaders.  Jesus once told a Pharisee, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and render unto the Lord what is the Lord's."  Meaning if the law commanded Jews to pay taxes to a heathen leader, then that is what they should do, while still obeying the Lord and holding His law and authority over that of the earthly government.

Today, we in the United States can be Christians while still obeying the law of the land as much as possible.  I am still working on the command of "Render unto Obama what is Obama's" and that is my own weakness.  But as a Christian, I am called on to be a good American citizen as well.  I consider part of being a good American citizen doing all I can to preserve the nation and the Constitution as long as possible.  President Obama is, in my opinion, the worst, most unpatriotic, unchristian, most lawless, most arrogant, most ungrateful, and most unqualified person ever to hold our nation's highest office.  This makes it so much the harder to obey the command to respect and obey the leader of the nation, his minions, and the spineless lawmakers who have ignored 1) this President's highly questionable citizenship; 2) his lawlessness above and beyond that of even Bush I, Bush II, and Clinton; 3) his obvious disdain for the soldiers, the very ones who keep him in the power and strength to which our President is accustomed; and 4) his constant usurpation of the law of the land, our United States Constitution.

Today we in the United States are witnessing, for the first time, a President who has dismissed top military leaders who professed loyalty to the Constitution rather than the man.  We are witnessing for the first time in our history the military operating within our nation other than on military bases.  Today we are witnessing a time when people fear the way the military may be used - that is, against US instead of against our enemies.  Today we are witnessing a government that no longer seems capable of representing the will of the people, but instead seems to cater to large corporations, many of which are themselves military related.  We see a government that bails out large corporations and banks from their own folly while standing by as many people who work and pay taxes have little to show for their efforts, while at the same time many who are able to work but do not have quite a lot to show for their NON-efforts.

So, a good Christian then should try to work for the good of the country, or to just do what he or she can to preserve our free way of life for those who will come after us.  No, I am not saying that Christians should panic in the face of all that is going on now.  In fact, just the opposite.  As times get worse, one's faith should grow and be strengthened, because God is in control and he will save his people, whether that means saving them from things physical, or simply saving their souls when misfortune, tribulations, or even death might overtake them.

A Christian would (I hope) continue to worship the Good Shepherd even if this nation, this great nation of ours, should go the way of all nations and empires.  We may someday be placed under martial law by our own military and government, or we may someday be overrun by foreign enemies.  OR, maybe all of the hype about the coming collapse of the nation, JADE HELM, the New World Order, and what ever other horrors are waiting for us will never come to pass.  Regardless, we in the United States have rarely faced real persecution for our faith, and we have shook our heads and sympathized with people in foreign lands who have been killed for just being Christians. 

As Christians we trust in God in good or bad times.  And even in times of uncertainty such as now, when we face the very real possibility of economic collapse on the one hand, and the increasing strength of military and federal agencies on the other.  So, no, I am not worried about these changing and perilous times, because I have faith in our Lord.  But I do want to preserve America as long as possible, because America, with all its faults, is the land of opportunity and the shining light of freedom for the rest of the world.  If that were not so, we would not have an immigration problem, thanks largely to our current President.  So, a Christian should be concerned about politics and about the JADE HELMS, about the non-representative representative government we have now, not because we fear something, but because we want to preserve the good that our founding fathers intended for this nation to be and to do.  Whether this nation lasts into the next century or further, or if it falls before even the middle of this century, we as Christians will serve our God, be saved, and go on to our reward.

God Bless America

 

Rioting Unnecessary: Baltimore Officers Charged With Freddie Gray's Murder

I am not sure what is possessing some people who think it necessary to riot (tear up their own neighborhoods) to get the point across that they are upset with their police.  The family of Mr. Gray begged for peace and restraint but the rioters did not listen to them.  Not only that, but people came in to Baltimore from other cities to "protest."  And reporters and free-lance journalists also arrived in Baltimore.  Many of these "journalists" in fact fanned the flames of the rioting.  And finally Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the mayor of Baltimore, was believed to have ordered her police chief to allow the rioting to go on for at least one night before eventually asking the governor of Maryland to call in the national guard to quell the rioting.

Nothing was accomplished by this rioting other than a few people getting free electronics, furniture and other goods.  Many things were lost including building, merchandise, and even private and government vehicles.  But across the nation people were once again appalled at the actions of the mobs running unchecked through the streets of Baltimore.  All for nothing.

In the end the justice system worked, as we should have trusted it to work.  The preliminary report from the State Attorney's office in Maryland has ruled that Mr. Gray's death was a homicide.  Now six police officers have been charged with his murder.  These officers will now face either grand jury examination or indictment by information.  This outcome was not unexpected, and, I believe, was not influenced in any way by all the rioting.  Even at this point, it is still necessary to remember that these officers are innocent until proven guilty.  And just as the justice system found reason to charge these men, they will be brought to trial if evidence warrants.  At trial their guilt or innocence will be judged.

I would like to see anyone who murdered this man step up and say that he did it, but even police officers have the right not to incriminate themselves.  How much agony it would save, however, if anyone guilty of a criminal offense in this case would simply confess and halt this process now.  Give the Gray family rest now.  But if I were in this person or persons' shoes, I do not know if I would be able to simply confess, or would I want to take a chance of a hung jury at trial.  There appear to be some irregularities in the account of these incidents as related by some of the officers and that bears further examination.  In the end, I hope that any one who is guilty pays for his crime, anyone who is innocent is not falsely accused of this crime, and that finally the family of Mr. Gray gets justice and a full disclosure of what happened to their loved one.