Liberty in America is lost

The United States of America is the land of liberty it's also a land of laws.  As of last night all of that is officially lost forever as we watched the police in California burn down a cabin hoping to catch Chris Dorner.  Due Process for a "murder suspect" is no longer an expectation, now the police serve as Judge Jury and Executioner.  No longer can you expect your day in court, if the state wants you, they simply label you a "domestic terrorist" and hunt you down in order to kill you.

2012 was the first time I personally felt sad to be an American, a I watched a crowd "Boo" Ron Paul as he suggested the Golden Rule.  Now in February of 2013, I again feel sad.  I actually believe some folks were eating pop corn while watching the cabin burn, hoping to see a glimpse of a dead Chris Dorner.  No longer are we a nation of law, we are nation bent on retribution for those perceived to be enemies.  Chris Dorner may very well be a murderer, but being hunted down like an animal is not what's supposed to happen in America.

Yesterday I even heard a radio talker rail on for about an hour in regards to Eric Holder submitting briefs in defense of the 9-11 terrorists, suggesting that this was the worst thing in the history of the world.  He went further to suggest that we are seeing the same thing today for Chris Dorner.  I see two major problems with this analysis.

First, Chris Dorner is an American Citizen accused of a crime, not a convicted criminal.  It doesn't matter what facts the police think they have, they are meaningless until Dorner has had his day in court.  No amount of explanation can justify the actions of the LAPD or the use of Drones and especially not burning down property in order to catch him alive.  Are we witnessing the modern day version of witch trials?

Second, our founding fathers made it clear from a very early stage in our history, that even those guilty of heinous crimes deserve legal defense.  John Adams (The first Vice President and second U.S. President) defended the British Soldiers who committed the Boston Massacre.  There was no question as to their guilt, everyone present that day witnessed the shootings, but they were still afforded Due Process.  John Adams himself lead their defense when no other Lawyer in Boston would take the case, he did so to ensure their ability to a fair trial.

He wrote the following.

"The Part I took in Defence of Cptn. Preston and the Soldiers, procured me Anxiety, and Obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Judgment of Death against those Soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently. As the Evidence was, the Verdict of the Jury was exactly right. This however is no Reason why the Town should not call the Action of that Night a Massacre, nor is it any Argument in favour of the Governor or Minister, who caused them to be sent here. But it is the strongest Proofs of the Danger of Standing Armies."

-John Adams

Today however, many are sitting idle, watching as our government uses drones to watch our every move, as they classify us as "Terrorists", in order to hunt us down and kill us, whenever they perceive us as a threat to their control.


Where does this end?

Mike
    



                  

Live by the Sword

I'm about to piss some people off, so brace yourself. 

Snipers kill people, that's what they do, that's what they trained for and that's why they are called upon.  It doesn't matter if all the "targets" (A.K.A. people) are really bad people, they are still people.  It doesn't matter which government or President sanctioned the actions, the actions result in a person being dead.  Yes, their  following orders, but that doesn't remove the fact that people die.  Being a sniper isn't a game, it isn't a status symbol, it doesn't mean you're a warrior of God, it means you kill people.  When you do this for the government, you are called a hero, when you do it for pure profit, you're called a Hitman and a murderer.  When you do it for the government and then come home and write a book and then profit, you become a household name.  But that doesn't change the fact that you lived by the sword.

Where does live by the sword come from?  The bible of course.  I'm no theologian but I'm going to go out on a limb here and share what the bible says on this matter.  In the Book of Revelations 13:10.

"He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

Now what does this mean?  I'm not going to rely on my own personal interpretation for this I'm going to use a professional interpretation.   

"Live by the sword, die by the sword" Prov. If you use violence against other people, you can expect to have violence used against you.; You can expect to become a victim of whatever means you use to get what you want.


That seems pretty clear to me.  Now I don't claim to be model christian, I don't even usually chose to wear the christian monogram, but if I did I might choose as so many Christians do, to look and see what Jesus Would Do in situations like this.   Mathew 26:52, describes a disciple drawing a sword to defend against the arrest of Jesus, but is rebuked by Jesus, who tells him to sheath the weapon, because "all who take up the sword will perish by the sword"    Now this may seem confusing to some because the bible also teaches us that those who do not own a sword should sell their cloak and buy one, but this teaching only makes it clear that it's a benefit to have one in the case it is needed, and not that using it is always the preferred course.

Snipers use the sword, that's what they do. So to think that it's mean or hateful to say "live by the sword, die by the sword", when a sniper is killed, only means that you think the Bible is mean and hateful, which is OK, if that's what you believe, your entitled to your opinion, but don't hold the Bible up on a pedestal while cursing those who are simply sharing the wisdom from within it.  If one is mean and hateful then they are both mean and hateful.     

Cheers,

Mike