Tag: heroes

Memorial Day 2021: Liberty is Freedom With Responsibility

On By kingsjesterIn PoliticsLeave a comment

memorial-day-true-meaning-ftr (2)

Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring veterans, its honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that’s a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It’s a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it. – Pete Hegseth

Today is a day of solemn remembrance, during which we honor our fallen heroes.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication “To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead” (Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Last night, as I sat down to write today’s post, I tried to think about something pithy to write. Then, I realized that today is not a day for witticisms and sarcasm.

I thought about all of the American lives, all of the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives out of love and devotion for our Sovereign Nation and their fellow Americans, both their comrades and their families back home.

The unselfish devotion shown by these brave Americans is made fun of and remains the source of derision by many devotees of the anti-American political philosophy who consider themselves to be the “smartest people in the room”.

These same “enlightened” individuals consider “patriotism” to be a bad word.

They have replaced it words like “nationalism” and “jingoism”.

The devotees of this political philosophy do not believe in American Exceptionalism.

They believe that America is “just another country”, certainly not worthy of sacrificing their lives for.

These people just don’t get it.

Freedom is not free.

That is why brave men and women of the past and the present age have fought and died while wearing the uniforms of our Armed Forces.

When they went into battle, they did not just represent their hometowns…they represented all of us.

From the germ of an idea to the greatest country on the face of God’s green Earth, this country has stood strong because of resolute men and women who were willing to “pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” to protect “The Shining City Upon a Hill”.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13-17 

May God bless and comfort the families of our Fallen Heroes and may their memories and our American Freedom endure.

Until He Comes,

KJ

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Memorial Day 2019: Liberty is Freedom With Responsibility

On By kingsjesterIn PoliticsLeave a comment

memorial-day-true-meaning-ftr (2)

Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring veterans, its honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that’s a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It’s a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it. – Pete Hegseth

Today is a day of solemn remembrance, during which we honor our fallen heroes.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication “To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead” (Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Last night, as I sat down to write today’s post, I tried to think about something pithy to write. Then, I realized that today is not a day for witticisms and sarcasm.

I thought about all of the American lives, all of the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives out of love and devotion for our Sovereign Nation and their fellow Americans, both their comrades and their families back home.

The unselfish devotion shown by these brave Americans is made fun of and remains the source of derision by many devotees of the anti-American political philosophy who consider themselves to be the “smartest people in the room”.

These same “enlightened” individuals consider “patriotism” to be a bad word.

They have replaced it words like “nationalism” and “jingoism”.

The devotees of this political philosophy do not believe in American Exceptionalism.

They believe that America is “just another country”, certainly not worthy of sacrificing their lives for.

These people just don’t get it.

Freedom is not free.

That is why brave men and women of the past and the present age have fought and died while wearing the uniforms of our Armed Forces.

When they went into battle, they did not just represent their hometowns…they represented all of us.

From the germ of an idea to the greatest country on the face of God’s green Earth, this country has stood strong because of resolute men and women who were willing to “pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” to protect “The Shining City Upon a Hill”.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13-17 

May God bless and comfort the families of our Fallen Heroes and may their memories and our American Freedom endure.

Until He Comes,

KJ

 

 

 

 

“American Sniper”: Why America Is Supporting It

On By kingsjesterIn Entertainment, PoliticsLeave a comment

American Sniper“American Sniper”, the movie about American Hero, Chris Kyle, continues to play to sold-out crowds at movie theaters across America.

According to deadline.com,

With Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s American Sniper shooting down more box office records this weekend with an updated industry projection of $61.2M, another star-studded bomb went off at the B.O. following last weekend’s Blackhat debacle: Johnny Depp’s $60M R-rated comedy Mortdecai flatlined with an estimated $1.6M on Friday at 2,648 theaters, on track for a horrendous $4.6M weekend in eighth place – far below the $10-$12M that distributor Lionsgate was expecting for the OddLot co-production. Among Depp’s wide releases, that bow is lower than his 2011 Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary, which posted $5.1M and was also overpriced ($45M) in relation to its final domestic cume ($13M). It’s Depp’s fourth flop domestically after Alcon/WB’s Transcendence ($100M budget, $23M domestic B.O.), The Lone Ranger ($215M budget, $89M domestic) and Rum Diary (This is outside his ensemble work in Disney’s Into the Woods which is looking to take tenth this weekend with a projected cume through Sunday of $121.29M).

In fact…

Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper is proving both a big draw and talking point in Iraq and across the Arab world, where the film opened wide yesterday. In Iraq, where much of Chris Kyle’s story takes place, the film has reflected the bitter political divisions in the country. In capital city, Baghdad, the management of Iraqi Cinemas, which operates a four screen theatre there, pulled the film ahead of its scheduled bow Jan. 22 for fear of inciting protests and violence.  In the semi-autonomous north of the country in the Kurdish cities of Irbil, Suleimaniya and Dohuk, however, American Sniper has opened strongly, second only to Liam Neeson-starrer Taken 3.  To give  a sense of the complexity of politics in the country, Iraqi Cinemas actually operates the three screen theatre in Dohuk and had no problem releasing the film there, despite its own self-imposed Baghdad ban.

“The Kurds don’t like the Baghdadis that much so they have no big problem seeing them getting shot by an American,” said one film exec who operates theaters in Iraq. “So far, the film is working well for our screens in Kurdistan.”

In Lebanon, American Sniper opened uncut and at number one with over 3100 tickets sold on its first day alone, comfortably ahead of Taken 3 and local Lebanese hit Single, Married, Divorced.  

Former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, recently posted the following on Facebook:

God bless our troops, especially our snipers.

Hollywood leftists: while caressing shiny plastic trophies you exchange among one another while spitting on the graves of freedom fighters who allow you to do what you do, just realize the rest of America knows you’re not fit to shine Chris Kyle’s combat boots.

May the epic “American Sniper” bring nothing but blessings to Taya and the children of this true American hero.

Thank you Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood for respecting the United States Military.

– Sarah Palin

There are several reasons for the popularity of “American Sniper”.

First, there is a reason that Hollywood has having more misses than hits, in the last several years.

The Liberals who run “Hollyweird” are totally disconnected from the average American’s belief system of ethics, values, and faith.

In other words, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”.

All of the great movies and television shows my generation watched while we were growing up, reinforced those values.

One of the movies expected to be a blockbuster a while back, “The Lone Ranger”, cast Johnny Depp as Tonto, and rewrote the legend to center around him, instead of the title character.

The audience simply did not buy Captain Jack Sparrow as Tonto.

When Americans envision the crime fighting duo of the Old West, Americans see Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. Two outstanding gentlemen, both on and off the television screen.

We knew that the Lone Ranger and Tonto would beat the snot out of the bad guys, and rescue the rancher’s daughter. We knew that James Bond would defeat SPECTRE and get the beautiful Bond Girl.

We smiled in admiration when we heard that Superman fought for “truth, justice, and the American Way”. We threw our rubber tomahawks at the trees in our front yards, just like “Daniel Boone”. We knew that John Wayne would rescue Dean Martin in “Rio Bravo”.

And, all the guys in the 1970s wanted a red Gran Torino with a white stripe down the side, like “Starsky and Hutch” drove.

Even though they “underperformed”, you want to know why  Americans go to see movies like “American Sniper”, the Captain America Movies, the Spider-Man Movies, the X-Men Movies, and  “Guardians of the Galaxy”?

They are throwbacks. They are entertaining. They are not dirty or vulgar. There is plenty of action with a great story line wrapped around it, and GOOD TRIUMPHS OVER EVIL.

We go to movies to be entertained, not to be lectured to by a bunch of snotty-nosed, America-hating, relative morality, situational ethics-loving Liberals.

Also, Americans have to deal with enough ugliness trying to survive under the harsh reality of America under Obama.

American Sniper shows very plainly that we can triumph against Radical Islam, the Political Ideology masquerading as a Religion, which Obama dares not call out by name.

Heck, as the article explained, “American Sniper” is even doing well in Islamic Nations.

Why? As President Ronald Reagan realized, all those decades ago, the followers of Mohammed respect strength, not weakness.

So, why are Americans flocking to see this movie in record numbers?

Americans are living vicariously through the late American Hero Chris Kyle.

Americans respect his legacy of heroism. That is why, when Former Professional Wrestler, and lunatic Jesse “The Body” Ventura sued Chris’ widow, Americans wanted to string him up in the middle of the Town Square.

As I have written several times, America is still a Majority Conservative Nation.

Look at an Electoral Map. America is a Sea of Red, with little Blue Enclaves, up in the Northeast and on the Left Coast.

Finally, the last reason that “American Sniper” is blowing the doors off at the Box Office, is the fact that average Americans are being forced to cut back on their Entertainment Budget.

Americans have to pick and choose very carefully the movies they go to, simply due to the high price of tickets, refreshments, and gasoline and Obama’s stagnant economy.

There is a reason that Redbox is so popular.

Americans can choose to view the movies they like to watch.

A while back, my bride and I made the mistake of renting “Noah”. Thank the Lord, we only paid $1.28 for it. Even at $1.28, it was still over-priced. But, I digress…

Hollywood needs to pay attention to which movies the American public is watching at home…and make more just like them.

Average Americans are more perceptive than Liberals think we are.

Until the Liberals in Hollywood (and New York City and Washington, DC) realize that, they will continue to fail.

Until He Comes,

KJ

Burying Heroes, Rioting for Criminals, and Glorifying the Darkness

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, Politics1 Comment

AFBrancoFallen12272014A public servant, a father, and an everyday hero is being laid to rest today.

The local CBS Affiliate in New York City reports that

Thousands are gathering at a Queens church Saturday morning for the final farewell to slain NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, Vice President Joe Biden and hundreds of police officers from the NYPD and all over the country are expected at the service set for at 10 a.m. at Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale.

“He was my rock, a beacon of wisdom; he was my absolute best friend,” said Ramos’ son Justin Ramos.

Justin was in the middle of his sophomore year at Bowdoin College in Maine when his father was gunned down one week ago, CBS2’s Janelle Burrell reported.

As he spoke about the man his father was, Justin’s image was watched on a jumbotron by thousands waiting outside his father’s wake Friday night.

“My dad would have been there for everyone and to see so many people here for him is a testament to who he is as a person. It has been so helpful during this time,” Justin said.

The Ramos family leaning on that support, not only from friends, but countless officers, community members and even strangers.

For more than seven hours, a steady crowd of people offered their condolences.

Among the guests, de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who asked for continued support for the family, especially Ramos’ two sons.

And even in their pain, they managed a few smiles.

“I’ll keep this short and sweet, just like my brother,” said Ramos’ sister Cindy Ramos.

Ramos and NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu were killed as they sat in their patrol car on a Brooklyn street last Saturday. The shooter,Ismaaiyl Brinsley, later killed himself.

Investigators say Brinsley was an emotionally disturbed loner who started off his rampage by shooting an ex-girlfriend in Baltimore.

He also posted online threats to police and made references to Eric Garner and Michael Brown.

The killings ramped up emotions in the already tense national debate over police conduct.

Additionally,

Commissioner Bil Bratton visited a memorial to two fallen NYPD officers on Friday.

Commissioner Bratton worked his way down the line shaking hands with officers who were there, as the memorial continued to grow.

As CBS2’s Weijia Jiang reported, efforts were also underway to help the families of the two fallen heroes.

A 9/11 charity is working to help pay off the mortgages on the homes of the two NYPD officers who were ambushed and killed in Brooklyn.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundationannounced Friday that it will be paying the mortgages in full for the families of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.

The foundation made the announcement in Staten Island along with former Mayor Rudy Guiliani and Liu’s widow, Pei Xia Chen.

“We want to help lift them out of some of the despair that they’re in today,” said Chairman Frank Siller.

Chen is feeling a pain that Siller knows all too well. He lost his brother on 9/11.

Mortgages Of Fallen NYPD Cops To Be Paid In Full

Peter Haskell reports

play

So far, the foundation has raised $70,000 with a goal of $800,000. Giuliani said he was pledging $20,000 of his own money.

“They should be in a position where, so that for the rest of their lives, they never have to worry about material things,” Giuliani said. “It doesn’t bring back either one of these great men. But it does help.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo agreed. He stressed the importance of helping the families, not only emotionally, but practically too.

“Let’s respect the family. Let’s help the family grieve, find ways to help the family through this. Whether it’s financial support, education with kids, and then we’ll move forward with learning lessons,” the governor said.

Donations have been pouring in.

The Brooklyn Nets gave $10,000, the New York Yankees will pay for the education of Ramos’ sons. Even strangers have been opening their wallets.

“Seeing everyone pull together shows strength, and that you can pull through,” Andreana Simonelli said.

Earlier this week, Liu’s widow came out of their Gravesend, Brooklyn home and spoke tearfully about the road ahead and how loved ones and strangers are helping the family.

While this solemn ceremony to honor someone who gave his life in the service of others is going on, there will be Police Snipers lining the rooftops, in response to numerous threats to disrupt the church service.

How did we get here? Why do we have so many out there who are calling for “dead cops”, while protesting over the deaths of criminals?

By the time President Johnson came into office, after the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the majority of Americans totally believed that our government always had our best interest at heart.

President Johnson came into office and immediately started his push for the Great Society. These programs were designed to make Americans even more dependent on the Federal Government for their very survival.

As the Vietnam War grew more and more and unpopular, Americans’ trust in the government became more and more compromised.  Protests against the Federal Government became more and more common and it became cool to be a rebel or “hippie”.

Time passed, and while rebellious Americans calmed down, Americans’ dependence upon government programs became generational, as multiple family members from one generation to the next, relied on Uncle Sugar for their daily existence.

Meanwhile, the rebels of the 1960’s got older and began to work within the system, taking jobs within the private and public sectors.

Eventually, they moved into positions of power, becoming heads of corporations and local and national politicians.

It is not really necessary to tell you what the political ideology of these rebels was, is it?

As the last century ended and the new one began, these hippies and their offspring, solidly in place in the halls of power, began to pass more more legislation designed to keep generations of Americans enslaved to Uncle Sugar.

With the President of the United States and the Attorney General backing their efforts, the Professionally Perpetually Aggrieved” have been emboldened in their efforts to turn the deaths of two criminals into a “Cause de Celebre”, raising money and gaining face time on every news outlet stupid enough to give it to them.

So, why are the majority of Americans not buying this money-grubbing, disrespectful con job, seeking to turn two people with a history of breaking the law into some sort of “martyrs”?

Now you can call it genetics, you can call it socialization, you can call it the proper alignment of the moon and stars…I choose to call it the Grace of God.

It is a comforting old saying which states

There, but for the grace of God, go I.

We are given free will by our Creator will to make choices and decisions on the direction of our lives. Being human, we often don’t make the right decisions and being human, those decisions have the potential to lead us down a dark path.

Whether is in reality or strictly in the close quarters of our own consciousness, the path we choose to follow is up to us. However, our parents, family, and friends can make a difference in our journey and I thank God that through His Grace I was given a Father who made sure that I received loving instruction in The Way in which I should go.

We still live in the greatest country on the face of the earth and we still have a responsibility to one another.

The Light or the Darkness. The choice is up to each and every one of us.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:14 (ESV)

Until He Comes,

KJ