A soldiers “thanks” to the MSM

I have a very close friend in “the ‘stan’ right now.  He’s one of my Eagle Scouts, watched him take to the wilderness since he was about 11.  He’s a 1st LT. now.  Here’s his facebook post this morning:

“I would like to thank the liberal media for turning an innocent cultural mistake into a book burning atrocity against all muslims. When you accept your paycheck from your western based media corporation and go to sleep tonight in your safely guarded American built building, will you also take responsibility for the soldiers who were killed by their own afghan partners because of those stories? I'...d complain about the hypocrisy of denouncing civilian deaths while you now incite deadly riots, but somehow its hard to find compassion for the same people that are now calling for the death of all Americans. Sleep well in that bed knowing the soldiers protecting you now lock their doors and have to watch the very afghans living within those same walls as closely as the Taliban outside.”

He’s a great young man, please keep him and his troops in your prayers.

Welcome to Kat

Welcome to Kat from Kat Runs Like a Girl.  Honestly, I’m shot just from reading her PT schedule, holy crap!!  Thanks for joining us, please share your thoughts, ideas or anything else that comes to mind!

Commentary – thoughts for an Ash Wednesday

“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”
—Mark 1:15

Really, on a firearms blog – you’re going to blog about Ash Wednesday?

Well – “bitter clinger” that I am, and being Catholic no less, I’m not feeling the love from my government and this administration in particular, so I thought I’d share a few thoughts.
Ash Wednesday is the start of the Lenten Season – the 40 days prior to Christ’s death and resurrection. We use it as a time of reflection and introspection – where are we in our faith life? What is our relationship with God? How does this relationship effect our life and the lives of those around us?

For me, the marvel of Christ, and His life and death as a whole, is that it occurred at all. Why on earth did the whole redemption process happen? What was it’s purpose? Why didn’t God simply let us go, set us adrift? “For God so loved the world . . . .” Really? Why??? It’s a question I hope I have the opportunity to ask in person some day – until then, it is a mystery. So, let’s focus on Lent.

I see Lent revolving around the theme of love and sacrifice. I believe Jesus knew what was in store for him. By this time, He knew events were accelerating rapidly and that they would end in his torture and death. He believed He would rise, but I wonder if there wasn’t some doubt in the very back of his mind – what if this were it? Yet, He loved his Father’s creation, His Father’s chosen people and He willingly accepted His fate. Honestly, when I am sitting at Mass – reflecting on what is to come – the emotion is very strong. What have I ever done to be worthy of such a sacrifice? Could I ever find that much love in my being to commit all that I am to save people I don’t know, and will never even meet?  I suspect I would fall far short.

So, for all of us in this season of reflection, introspection and devotion, may we all find a way to become closer to Him, to forgive those things we thought we could never forgive, to draw closer to those around us and to marvel at the sacrifice that we will celebrate in 40 short days.

A warm welcome to North!

North pushed the follow button today – welcome sir.  Looking forward to you thoughts, insights and just getting to know you.  He has a great post up today about meeting his wife for the first time – he’s obviously quite the romantic!

A Welcome to Robert

Thanks for Robert from “My Tumultuous Adventure” for pushing the “follow” button – welcome sir.  Enjoy, offer your thoughts and smack me on the back of the head if I need it!
Bill

Commentary . . . . . . . . . Frayed around the edges.

frayed: unraveled or worn at the edge

It’s interesting to see who takes my training classes – it covers the whole range of ages, interests and political positions. They have been male and female, 21 to early 70s, conservative and moderate, somewhat gun savvy to having never touched a weapon.

And yet, they do seem to have one thing in common – they believe our society and our country are becoming “frayed around the edges”. There is disquiet in their heart. A discomfort in their soul. A feeling, as the hair on the back of their neck begins to stand, that something is wrong and sliding sideways, out of control quickly.

As a nation, we know this. Our headlines scream stories of unemployment, jobs that have been so lost, they are no longer even are part of our labor statistics. “Home owners’, so underwater they are perfectly willing to blame the banks for “tricking” them into buying expensive homes that they feel justified in simply walking away. College grads with huge loans that now turn to society and expect them to be paid. “99-weekers” that should cause us to hang our head in shame. Daily, we hear our president (small “p” intended) hammer on the “rich” and the need for them to pay their “fair share” while the top 10% pay over 70% of all taxes collected and the bottom 50% pay nearly nothing. We have gone from the days presented by “Pan Am” to elderly women in wheel chairs being strip searched. We have gone from “pay as you go” government finance to simply “you pay”. And pay. And pay. And pay.

I read a post last night by HH revolving around president Obama’s insistence on the Catholic church paying for contraception drugs and “morning after” medication (abortive drugs) and the strong had being applied. (BTW – please read her, she is a skilled writer with great insights that I enjoy very much) And I posted the following: 

I wonder if those in Washington realize how close to the razor's edge we are walking. Did the members of the Reichstag realize the danger their country was in? Were they aware, in their heart, of what was to come? Every day I pray for a change, wish for the path to diverge. Yet, on it goes. Dangerous times HH, dangerous times. 

OOOOoooooo – compare America today with 1939 Germany? How could you!!! Well let’s see: massive unemployment, declining manufacturing base, dependence on foreign oil and goods / services, a charismatic national leader blaming our woes on “the rich”, encroachments on personal liberty in the name of national security, massive national debt as far as the eye can see, and a federal legislature seemingly unable to get the government under control. Any similarities that you see?
It is the disquiet that arises from the casual observation of our society today that is bringing students to weapons classes. A lingering suspicion that they may well need to defend themselves from those willing to simply take what they want from whom ever has it, including our “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”. The feeling that help is not coming and that they are on their own. These are reasons that in the first 11 months of 2011, Iowan’s requested 95,000 carry permits. 95,000. And what ultimately is moving the average citizen to decide to become an armed American.

Dangerous times folks, dangerous times.

A message from the master . . .

In light of this :

Man fires gun into air, kills Amish girl mile away

And this:

Pastor’s Daughter Accidentally Shot While in Church

And this:

Permalink to Man charged in Redmond shooting of Claire Thompson

And all of these for this year:

Google Search - “accidental shooting 2012”

I thought a message from Clint Smith, the President and Director of Thunder Ranch, was in order as a reminder to all of us.