September 11, 2001, ​plus 16

The words of Ron Paul, September 12, 2001

Yesterday, Americans were awakened to find ourselves in a war, attacked by barbarians who targeted innocent civilians. This despicable act reveals how deep-seated is the hatred that has driven this war.

Though many Americans have just become aware of how deeply we are involved in this war, it has been going on for decades. We are obviously seen by the terrorists as an enemy.

In war, there is no more reprehensible act than for combatants to slaughter innocent civilian bystanders. This is what happened yesterday.

If there is such a thing, a moral war is one that is only pursued in self-defense. Those who initiate aggression against others for the purpose of occupation or merely to invoke death and destruction are unforgivable and serve only to spread wanton killing.

In our grief, we must remember our responsibilities. The Congress’ foremost obligation in a constitutional republic is to preserve freedom and provide for national security. Yesterday our efforts to protect our homeland came up short. Our policies that led to that shortcoming must be reevaluated and changed if found to be deficient.

When we retaliate for this horror we have suffered, we must be certain that only the guilty be punished. More killing of innocent civilians will only serve to flame the fires of war and further jeopardize our security. Congress should consider its constitutional authority to grant letters of marque and reprisal to meet our responsibility.

Demanding domestic security in times of war invites carelessness in preserving civil liberties and the right of privacy. Frequently the people are only too anxious for their freedoms to be sacrificed on the altar of authoritarianism thought to be necessary to remain safe and secure. Nothing would please the terrorists more than if we willingly give up some of our cherished liberties while defending ourselves from their threat.

It is our job to wisely choose our policies and work hard to understand the root causes of the war in which we find ourselves.

We must all pray for peace and ask for God’s guidance for our President, our congressional leaders, and all America- and for the wisdom and determination required to resolve this devastating crisis. – Ron Paul, September 12, 2001

Are you living every day like it’s September 12th?

Every individual who takes these words to heart, understands them, and determines to live by them (as one who is determined to live free) is my brother or sister in Liberty.

What can we do? That’s not the proper question.

The proper question is:

What can I do?

The least I can do is remember what I was like, September 12th, 16 years ago. I need to talk to people and act like I did 16 years ago. I need to think what it means for me to personally Honor and live by the pledge our Republic’s Founders made when they took a stand for Life and Liberty:

“…with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The most I can do is to take a stand for liberty, no matter how small, whenever I can and wherever I am.

I am going to do these things. What about you?

When ALL individuals determine in their hearts to make these personal commitments, then and only then, will our families, neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, and nation begin to change for the better…

From my heart … your heart … OUR hearts outward.

Benjamin Bennett – IWS

Time to Choose

 

This tweet has it about 98% right. The only connection that is missing is the fact that the world is now at the precipice of a great war of cultures.

Two cultures: One that worships the god of the Quran, and follows the commands of its prophet; and another that worships the God of the Bible, and follows the commands of Jesus Christ (who was foretold and fulfilled ALL of the Biblical prophecies, including his crucifixion and resurrection.)

These two cultures have been at odds since the beginning of time. And let’s be clear. This is not an epic battle between conflicting “religions;” nor is this a physical war over ideologies. This war certainly isn’t over resources or territories.

No. These two warring cultures are spiritual. We are seeing the consequences, or results of an overall culture that follows the spirits of good or evil. One culture worships that which brings darkness, hate, murder, lies, damnation and death. The other culture worships that which brings light, love, truth, salvation and life. (You don’t have to practice a certain religion, or believe in a god at all to live in a culture that follows either light or darkness. You WILL experience the consequences however, if that culture clashes with your own personal beliefs. Example: being openly gay in the Middle East tends to result in your murder.)

Once you identify and name your enemy; once you understand what the battle is really about–your soul–then it becomes a simple matter of choosing sides, doesn’t it? (Remember: Silence is also a choice.)

So… Where will you stand? Choose a side. You can’t just sit there and point fingers at people-groups and religions and lifestyles. You can’t just hope to be neutral and escape harm while the spirits of good and evil duke it out, using humans as both weapon and shield. Nope.

YOUR SOUL IS AT STAKE! Where will you stand? Choose.

And may I offer a little advice? If you do decide to choose to side with the God of the Bible, He has some armor for you.

—

Ephesians 6:11-13 (NKJV)

¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The Next Greatest Generation

I am sickened. I am physically ill. Anyone who looks at that picture, and doesn’t see the evil that is about to repeat itself across the globe, makes me sick.

Now that I am over 50, I think I am old enough to safely look back at history with a properly jaundiced and cynical eye. I’m still young enough to be clear-headed. I’m told that I’ve got a few years before dementia sinks in. So I better get to writing.

Did I mention I’m sickened? My heart aches at the realization that I am probably part of the generation that will be known as the generation that buried their heads in the sand.

We are the generation who thought we knew what “Never Again” meant.
We were the last generation to actually see and study the horror that was Democratic Socialism under Hitler… Nazism; Communism under Soviet Russia and Communist China. We grew up during the Cold War. We learned the price of totalitarianism on those who stand against tyranny and defend ourselves and our allies, was an expensive military industrial complex. For those who couldn’t defend themselves or dissolve the governments that oppressed them… death was typically the price they paid.

I thought our generation learned these things. I suppose learning and knowing are two different things. It’s sort of like the difference between schooling and education.

Nevertheless, our generation has no excuse for being as blind as we are.

We saw the film clips; and yet…. We saw the documentaries about the horrors of totalitarianism in all its forms; and yet…. We wrote the reports and research papers in high school; and yet…. Many of us said, “Never Again!!” (admittedly with less enthusiasm than the generation before us) and yet… here we are, turning our heads.

Open Your Eyes!
We are staring into the face of evil in our time…
AND DOING NOTHING.

Ask yourself: Why does being confronted with a young man happily holding someone’s head in his hand, make me mad at this blog and not mad at the reason a young man is happily praising his god while holding a human head?

Hundreds and thousands of Christian men, women and children are being killed every day because of their faith. Gays are being killed because they are infidels. Muslim women are being killed or sold into sex slavery for hundreds of reasons… and no reason.

Why can’t we declare these acts evil? 

From the president on down… we are failing. America is failing to do the one thing we have always had the courage to do in the past; take a stand against evil.

Today it seems we can’t be bothered with taking a stand against evil. And who can blame us? We’ve been taught from the 1970s that life isn’t black and white, evil doesn’t exist, truth is subjective, meaning is whatever you want it to mean. We were groomed to be blind at this time in history.

We are leaving a mess for our children to clean up, just like the generation that raised the children who would eventually fight Naziism during World War II. Our only hope (ironically) is this: because of our inability to take action against evil in our lifetimes, we will accidentally end up raising the “Next Greatest Generation.” Our children will be the next Davids, Daniels, and Gideons. Our children will look at evil and stand against it.

They… our children… will hopefully be known as, the Next Greatest Generation. That is if we allow them to prevail against the evil that is sweeping the globe. We will think we must have taught them something worthwhile, but we will be wrong. Our children will look back at our generation and say:

“We stood up and did what had to be done, in SPITE of what your generation taught us. You didn’t stand for good over evil. You equivocated. You stared at your navels and among other things, you sued people who offended you, while millions died in the name of a “religion” YOU called peaceful. Your generation sickens me.”

God, please forgive our blindness and lack of courage. And bless our children. Raise up a generation of Daniels, Davids and Gideons. Give our children strength, power, courage, and wisdom. Heavenly Father, raise up our Next Greatest Generation.