The importance of free speech

Recently, I have been accused of being a Bog Dwelling Racist Bigot because of my defense of a couple blogger’s right to free speech. Interestingly, the individual who is making the accusation is supposedly a team player. I made a comment a couple of weeks ago that seemed pretty clear to just about all who read it… except the individual it was directed at, so I’ll publish it here:

”…I fully agree with Voltaire's idea:

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Though he did not actually write this, the phrase was invented by a later author as an epitome of his attitude. It appeared in The Friends of Voltaire (1906), written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S[tephen] G. Tallentyre.

My point now is the same as it has always been:

I don't need to agree or disagree with anybody's position; but I will defend to the death their right to say it. That was why I served: to protect this country against all enemies; both foreign and domestic. Interestingly, by attacking [one’s] free speech, you seem to be placing yourself in the latter column…”

Gawfer- Warou Ichiyusai Homepage 07.24.08 - 7:32 am #

Now, because I have defended Free Speech, I received an email earlier this week… while on vacation:
Gawfer:

You told me Robert was a good man, of good heart.

I seriously have to question those statements. He's gotten worse, and you've joined him, maybe not at this thread, but you're enabling that hatred…”

“…It's hard for me to understand, really. The best I can say is that you, Robert, Texas Fred, Cary, Jenn, Kris, and a few other random commenters form an evil community of hatred.

You all sit around and call people child pedophiles, while defending the most evil attacks on the nicest people like Amy Proctor…”

“…Jenn's the worse hypocrite. She attacked Sherry on the View but embraces Texas Fred, totally giving him a pass…”

First of all, the only disagreement with Amy Proctor was with ONE individual; not the collective so the author’s generality is a typical error of the left. Personally, I enjoy Amy’s website and frequently agree with her articles, commenting occasionally. But I digress.

The clear issue here is that because there are differing views about issues, the use of colorful and sometimes derogatory language, and because certain individuals believe their education gives them some sort of intellectual superiority, they feel they have the right; nay, the responsibility to become the moral police, publishing and berating the “offenders,” attempting to have their websites shut down.

News Flash: Frequently, people say derogatory things that are intended to be hurtful. Look no further than the daily kos or the Huffington post for examples (I won’t even bother to link those sites). But the thing about the first amendment is it doesn’t protect us from being offended. And the minute we begin to regulate free speech simply to protect the minority, we damage the core of that inalienable right and the heart of this nation.

Here are a couple of recent examples:

• 1962, Engel v. Vitale: Prayer is outlawed in the classrooms;

• 1985, Wallace v. Jaffree: Period of Silence banned;

• 1992, Lee v. Weisman: Clergy cannot deliver invocations, no matter how banal, at school functions. Establishes vital new constitutional right to “not feel uncomfortable.”

• Current: Atheists are endeavoring to remove “In God We Trust” from our currency and “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance.
(How to ruin the United States of America, Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth, New Beginnings Press, 2008).


When one attempts to quiet the American Voice in public forums such as the internet, one becomes the enemy who is destroying this Country from within.

With that being said, please understand, my website is NOT a public forum but a personal journal of opinions, and is completely regulated by me. The rules of engagement are simple: if I find your comments offensive or irrelevant, I reserve the right to edit them and or delete them. I will not hesitate to ban anyone who is too stupid to function. Free Speech Begins and ends with your own site; not mine.

Finally, as I said previously, “…I don't need to agree or disagree with anybody's position; but I will defend to the death their right to say it…”

And for the record, I play golf with friends and acquaintances; not back stabbing morons.

Lawmaker offers 'modest bill' for detainees

One Congressman grows a set and stands up in the face of the Politics of Adolescents, and begins to behave as an adult.

As reported on Politico:
By REP. LOUIE GOHMERT
After reading through Boumediene v. Bush, I cannot help but feel that it is simply about the judiciary expanding its own power by usurping the clearly defined constitutional powers of Congress and the president. In essence, the Supreme Court ruled in this case that when Congress and the president followed the decisions the court itself made in crafting law regarding enemy combatants, they did not act within the bounds of our Constitution.

As Chief Justice Roberts noted in his dissent, “The DTA [Detainee Treatment Act] system of military tribunal hearings followed by Article III review looks a lot like the procedure Hamdi blessed. If nothing else, it is plain from the design of the DTA that Congress, the president and this nation’s military leaders have made a good faith effort to follow our precedent. The court, however, will not take ‘yes’ for an answer.”

When the Supreme Court makes a ruling, America listens. Congress believed that the Supreme Court would follow its own rulings and the precedents it set when it ruled in the 2004 Hamdi case, the 2006 Hamdan case, and the 1950 Eisentrager case.

In his dissent in Boumediene, Justice Antonin Scalia said the court's decision means the "[handling of] enemy prisoners in this war will ultimately lie with the branch that knows least about the national security concerns." If the high court is going to exceed its jurisdiction and endanger the American people, at least we can help it do a better job by seeing that it has a little skin in the game with some hands-on experience.

The Supreme Court clearly is exercising self-appointed war powers in order to micromanage the handling of international terrorists. By transporting all of the detainees to the court's grounds, my bill, H.R. 6615 — "To provide for the transport of the enemy combatants detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Washington, D.C., where the United States Supreme Court will be able to more effectively micromanage the detainees by holding them on the Supreme Court grounds, and for other purposes" — will give the justices plenty of opportunities to interact with these terrorists and therefore do a better job of supervision.

It is especially important for the court to closely observe the effects of its ruling, as Scalia pointed out in his dissent: “During the 1995 prosecution of Omar Abdel Rahman, federal prosecutors gave the names of 200 unindicted co-conspirators to the Blind Sheik’s defense lawyers; that information was in the hands of Osama bin Laden within two weeks. … In another case, trial testimony revealed to the enemy that the United States had been monitoring their cellular network, whereupon they promptly stopped using it, enabling more of them to evade capture and continue their atrocities.” Scalia surmised that, “The game of bait-and-switch that today’s opinion plays upon the nation’s commander in chief will make war harder on us. It will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed. That consequence would be tolerable if necessary to preserve a time-honored legal principle vital to our constitutional republic. But it is this court’s blatant abandonment of such a principle that produces the decision today.”

What a sad day it was for the rule of law when such important constitutional precedent was discarded. And what a sad day it is when Americans cannot rely on their Supreme Court to be consistent in upholding the rules it makes. As a former judge, I have a deep understanding of the role of precedent in creating certainty, stability and order. The purpose of my bill is simply to hold our high court responsible for its decisions, so that we may rely on some degree of certainty as we go forth in conducting the work of our nation. The court needs to understand that it does not make such inconsistent rulings in a harmless vacuum.

Rep. Louie Gohmert is a U.S. representative for Texas (R-Texas).

There was a time when most of our elected officials actually behaved as adults, and as a result built on what our framers started rather than destroying it. But somewhere along the way, selfish desires and an apatite for power corrupted the lot of them and even the perception of career politicians who are owned by lobbyists and special interest groups. Now, when an individual stands up and says something with meaning, we applaud them as being extraordinary. What a shame.

Gawfer, at a wise 17 years

While stationed at NATTC Memphis for A school, a photo was taken and a portrait painted.

For posterity's sake and subsequent entertainment.

(Thanks for the correction, Chief)

Happy 4th of July, 2008

From the Declaration of Independence:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

A couple of statements to consider:
"...appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world..."
"...with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence..."

Gawfer and family wishes you all a happy 4th of July, and hopes that each of my readers will continue to enjoy the blessings of the God that was referred to thoughout the beginning of our Country; whether you acknowledge Him or not.

Peace.

Extreme Home Makeover, Iraq Edition

I have enjoyed my Sunday evenings watching Ty and his crew positively affect the life af an American family. Well, the show has gone international with this latest offering of Extreme Home Makeover, Iraq Edition. Special Thanks to our Navy and Marines who filled the role of contractor.

Enjoy!

Extreme Home Makeover: Iraq Edition

Marcus Latrell, Lone Survivor, Hero

NAVY SEAL Lone Survivor

McCain on the War and Obama

If McCain is going to stand a chance against the Obama Love-Bots, he needs to drive this point like a nail.

"...Obama is willing to meet with ahmadinejad who just days ago called Israel a stinking corpse, but refuses to meet with General Patraeus and Ambassador Crocker to fully understand OIF..." (paraphrased by author)



Michael Yon has a decidedly different take than Obama does:

Memorial Day Honors

Memorial Day, 2008

Honoring those who gave the full Measure for so many. Thank you.

Earn the Right To be an American

Who deserves the right to become a United States Citizen? How about the men and women currently serving in our military forces who were born in countries other than the United States?


NEW AMERICANS ALL - Two hundred fifty-nine foreign-born US Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen serving throughout Iraq become American citizens at Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, in the largest U.S. naturalization ceremony to date in-country.
- US Army photo by SGT Jasmine Chopra

Welcome, and thank you for your service!

SEAL Falls on Grenade to Save Comrades

2nd UPDATE: 4 APR 2008








Congressional Medal of Honor


The President of the United States, in the name of the Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Master At Arms Second Class, Sea, Air and Land, Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.

As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army sniper overwatch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent-held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.




UPDATE:

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor to posthumously receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Navy SEAL to Receive Medal of Honor
Stars and Stripes Jeff Schogol March 19, 2008

A Navy SEAL who died smothering a grenade with his body to save other servicemembers will be given the Medal of Honor, congressional staffers said Tuesday.

The Navy Times first reported Monday that Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, who has already received the Silver Star for his service in Iraq, would also be awarded the nation's highest military honor.


(Originally posted October 13, 2006)
You won't hear about this in the MSM.
MyWay.com
CORONADO, Calif. (AP) - A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret.

"He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it," said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him."

Monsoor, a 25-year-old gunner, was killed in the explosion in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. He was only the second SEAL to die in Iraq since the war began. Finish the article Here.

There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

On this the 231st birthday of the United States Navy, we celebrate the Honor, Integrity and Esprit de Corps displayed by Petty Officer Monsoor. He is an example of what our Military is all about. My Prayers go out to his family and friends.

The Alabama Judge

I received an email this morning from a dear friend that was interesing enough to post. Have a look:

Some of you may be wondering what Judge Roy Moore has been doing since he was removed from the bench for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom wall. Please read the poem he wrote. It's below his picture.

The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama. Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He has been stripped of his judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama! The judge's poem sums it up quite well.

America the beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride;
I'm glad they'll never see.

Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine
choosing to indulge their lusts,
when God has said abstain

From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God's love
and a need to always pray

We've kept God in our
temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.

We've voted in a government
that's rotting at the core, Appointing Godless Judges;
who throw reason out the door,

Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.

You think that God's not
angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?

How are we to face our God,
from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?

If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:

Then God will hear from Heaven;
and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.

But, America the Beautiful,
If you don't - then you will see,
A sad but Holy God
withdraw His hand from Thee.
~~Judge Roy Moore~~

A Note from Gathering of Eagles

The following is a note on the "Gathering of Eagles" as found in SEALS/SPECOPS INK

A number of you might remember that thousands of patriotic Americans confronted Cindy Sheehan during her March on the Pentagon in March of last year. What you probably don't know is that one of our SEAL brothers, Larry Bailey, organized that rally, called "Gathering of Eagles."

That rally was so successful in confronting Sheehan's people (they only put 12,000 or so on the Mall compared to GOE's estimated 30,000) that the rally became the movement of the same name--"Gathering of Eagles," or GOE. Since that first event, GOE has been in the face of the such demonstrators as Code Pink, A.N.S.W.E.R., the Communist Party USA, United for Peace and Justice, among many others--on dozens of occasions.

To date, GOE's protests have been pretty much local events with little or no coordination from the top. Now, though, Larry says that they are ready to "go national" in the sense that the group needs to hire a full-time Executive Director and launch a national advertising program. Up to now, it's been an all-volunteer effort, except for hiring a webmaster for their website http://gatheringofeagles.org.

Larry asked me to pass the word to my mailing list and to ask that you SEALs (and others!) get involved. I'm glad to do that. These guys are doing the work and doing it well. Last year, for example, they organized "Recruiter Appreciation Day," and some 500 recruiting offices across the country were treated to coffee and pastries by Eagles. And just last week they confronted the anti-war types in front of the recruiting offices in Charlotte, NC, and Pittsburgh, PA, and they absolutely routed them. In Pittsburgh, when the "moonbats" saw how many Eagles were standing in opposition, they simply turned around and left!


Check out the GOE website, and if you like what you see, sent them a few bucks.

Our National Anthem

(Sticky Post, see below for current posts)

As an American and Veteran of the USN, I am sometimes moved by things I hear regarding the Icons of our Country. This explanation of our National Anthem is one of those things that all should appreciate.
One phase that caught my attention was a quote from George Washington: "The thing that sets the American Christian apart from all other people in the world is he will die on his feet before he'll live on his knees."

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

BadAss Marine

Just about the only time I get to read blogs anymore is early Sunday mornings, and since I’m reading, I really don't have much time to post on this meager blog. But finding this YouTube on my buddy Rob’s blog this morning inspired me to put it up for my 4 or 5 readers. Take a minute or two and listen to his sermon..er..RAP.

He tells it like it is, but if your hearing is bad like mine, pay attention because he goes fast.

Evidently, you can find more of his stuff here.