A Man Who’s Story Deserves Telling

The following was forwarded to me from a church friend in a mass email, like we all get. Like all of them it challenged me to forward it to my email contacts. Since I never do that, I thought I’d do one better by posting this incredible man’s story on my blog. It’s short and worth the read. Furthermore, it’s worth sharing. Please post this to your social media sites so this man can be remembered by all of us.

May you

Rest In Peace!

Van T. Barfoot 

died at the age of 92 on 2 March 2012 .

Remember the guy who wouldn’t take the 

flag down?

You might remember a news story several months ago 

about a crotchety old man who defied his homeowners association 

and refused to take down the flagpole on his property 

and the large flag that flew on it. 

Now you can find out who, exactly, that old man was.

On June 15, 1919 , 

Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg , Mississippi 

— probably didn’t make much news back then. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944 , 

near Carano, Italy , Van T. Barfoot, 

who had enlisted in the US Army in 1940, 

set out to flank German machine gun positions 

from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. 

 

 

 

 

 

He advanced through a minefield,

took out three enemy machine gun positions 

and returned with 17 prisoners of war.

If that wasn’t enough for a day’s work, he later took on 

and destroyed 

three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions.

That probably didn’t make much news either, 

given the scope of the war, 

but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, 

who retired as a Colonel 

after also serving in Korea and Vietnam , 

a Congressional Medal of Honor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What did make news…

was a neighborhood association’s quibble 

with how the 90-year-old veteran 

chose to fly the American flag 

outside his suburban Virginia home. 

Seems the rules said a flag could be flown 

on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, 

items such as Barfoot’s 21-foot flagpole 

were unsuitable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He had been denied a permit for the pole, 

erected it anyway and was facing court action 

if he didn’t take it down. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the story made national TV, 

the neighborhood association has rethought its position

and agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them.

 

 

“In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag 

without interference,” Barfoot told The Associated Press

 

As well he should.

 

And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they

might want to read his Medal of Honor citation. 

It indicates he’s not real good at backing down.

 

 

 

Van T. Barfoot’s Medal of Honor citation:

 

 

This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, 

listed with the National Medal of Honor Society,

is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 

157th Infantry, 45th Infantry

 

 

Desperate Times and Desperate Measures for the President.

English: Seal of the President of the United S...

Recent decisions, announcements and policy steps by President Barrack Obama show two things. They show how far to the left his true politics are. And they show that he is approaching near desperation in his attempts to secure his re-election.

Obama would be only the fifth U.S. President to fail in his bid for re-election since the start of the 20th Century joining the list of

William Howard Taft (Bones 1878), son of the s...

William Howard Taft, Herbert Hoover,

President Herbert Hoover.

President Herbert Hoover.

Jimmy Carter,

English: James Earl "Jimmy" Carter

James Earl “Jimmy” Carter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

and George H. W. Bush. Taft and Bush were both victims of a third-party candidate that took more from their presumed voter base than from their winning opponent. Such a situation doesn’t and isn’t currently likely to exist in this year’s Presidential race. Hoover and Carter were both booted from office in large part for presiding over bad economies. Something very much in play in this year’s contest.

In recent weeks Obama has seen voter polls between himself and Republican candidate Mitt Romney narrow to a point of where statistically its a dead heat. Obama has changed his previous position and declared himself in favor of Gay marriage. Then declared by Executive Order that illegal immigrants who were brought into this country by their illegal immigrant parents, could stay in this country and not face deportation from HIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Finally in the past week at the request of his Attorney General Eric Holder, President Obama declared Executive Privilege on the documents sought by a House Committee in the Fast and the Furious gun running investigation.

The polls reflect the fact that Romney no longer has Republican opponents throwing daggers at him, and the increasingly discontented publics view of the stagnating economy. It’s natural that GOP voters would coalesce behind their candidate and that independents would come his way the more they learn about him. But Obama’s problem is that too many people who voted for him in 2008 are expressing disappointment and a desire to not support him this year.

In a widely viewed televised interview with Pastor Rick Warren Senator Barrack Obama said  “I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian…it is also a sacred union. God’s in the mix.” Apparently no longer thinking it was sacred and that God  was no longer in the mix Obama bent to political pressure and pandered to his liberal base and said, “At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Obama had been forced to address the issue by his gaffe prone Vice-President, Joe Biden. The week before Biden said on a National TV show that same-sex couples ought to be able to get married. The media didn’t leave the subject alone everyday thereafter until Obama capitulated, once again demonstrating his lack of leadership. While some believe this change in position won’t lose him any votes it’s a widely held view that many blacks and Catholic Hispanics don’t look favorably upon this decision and won’t be as enthusiastic in supporting their man as they clearly were in 2008.

His move on illegal immigration seems less a change of position than it does a timely gesture toward the Hispanic voting block that he desperately needs to support him big-time in order for him to win re-election. It remains unfathomable to me that Obama and other Democrats can be so blind and insensitive to this nations least educated and poorest legal citizens by continually pushing for some form of amnesty for all illegal immigrants. All one needs to do is compare who you find working at your local fast food restaurant now compared to who used to be their 10-20 years ago. Where such jobs were typically held by teenagers, now their held largely by Spanish-speaking persons, many of whom we can presume are undocumented. A few years back I had carpeting installed in my home a few weeks after doing the same at a rental property we owned. Installation was done by two different companies. In each instance none of the 4-5 workers present at each job spoke English. I feel comfortable saying some, if not all, were illegals. And whats wrong with these observations? Simply, these jobs are not for the wealthy or well-educated or experienced. These jobs were for our young, and our less educated, less schooled, our poorer citizens. Furthermore, since these workers are not in this country legally and often work “off the books” they work for a lower wage, thereby forcing down the wages of competing businesses who hire legal citizens, subsequently making them poorer. One need only look at the unemployment rate overall, and specifically for those without a college education, those in a minority community to see that Obama has abandoned them in order to score some cheap political cache. At the time of this writing the overall unemployment rate is 8.2%. Among blacks its 13.6%. Hispanics its 11%. For those with only a high school diploma its 9.4%. For those without a high school diploma its 14.1%. Their jobs are being taken by lower wage illegals whom Obama lets stay in this country, and come into this country by failing to secure our borders, our security.

In the Fast and the Furious investigation, clearly Obama is doing one of two things. He’s either trying to cover his own ass. Or he’s protecting his hand-picked Attorney General. To claim that the House committee’s investigation, led by California GOP Congressman Darrel Issa, an election year Republican ploy ignores the fact that Obama waited 18 months since the time the subpoenas  were issued. It also ignores the fact the story was only being covered by the FOX News channel until Holder and the President put it front and center by ignoring a Contempt vote against Holder by Issa’s committee and moved to have the documents made off-limits by declaring Executive Privilege. Fast and Furious is the name given an il-advised American investigation of Mexico Drug dealers. The plan was to sell guns to associates of the drug lords in order to trace the guns, or follow them back to the heads of the gangster families. It became an issue when a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed, allegedly by a person firing a gun bought from the Americans. To date guns sold in this scheme have been found at the scenes of 170 shootings in Mexico. Obama previously claimed he had no previous knowledge of or involvement in the Fast and the Furious operation. Now he claims Executive Privilege which he can’t do in most cases unless the documents under subpoena were from him or to him. Which is it Mr. President? To date Holder has yet to fire anyone responsible for the Fast and the Furious debacle. To date, no one has been held accountable.

Obama has attended more campaign fund-raisers than the previous five Presidents seeking re-election combined. He’s desperate to hold onto his office. We can only hope that American voters feel likewise about not retaining his services.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Obama Reveals Himself Fully

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

In last Friday’s nationally televised news conference President Barrack Obama did more to offer voters a true point of evaluating him and his philosophy since he told Joe the Plumber in 2008 that he wanted to redistribute wealth. He showed that he is more about big government and supporting union jobs through taxation of the hard-working American people than he is about those same Americans creating their own lives and benefiting from their own labors. He wants more government jobs for people.

As you can see in this video, in which we provide you his entire answer, not just a short juicy clip, Obama says the private sector is doing fine. He says we need more government jobs.

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney wasted no time in pouncing on the President’s revealing words and correctly pointing out how remarkable the statement was.

The Administration quickly moved to damage-control following Obama’s statement. Obama himself saying a day later “Of course the economy is not fine..”. The media portrayed these words as Obama and his minions walking back his “the private sector is doing fine” comment. But did he really? Did he really correct himself? Of course not. He didn’t because he doesn’t want to. His so-called correction just re-emphasized what he’d already said that the economy isn’t doing fine (making certain not to mention “the private sector” again), and that his solution is to provide more government and government-employee-union jobs. And the big bad Republicans are to blame for not wanting to hire more government workers.

Choosing to portray the critical need for our economy as teachers, police and firefighters plays well, because we all (at least most of us) love teachers, cops, and firefighters. We don’t necessarily love their unions, especially the teacher’s. But ask yourself do you really think all our economic problems are because we have too few teachers, cops and fire fighters? The premise is silly on its face.

Government creates nothing. Government doesn’t grow any economy. Private sector jobs grow the economy, which generates more taxes (revenue) for the government because more products are being sold, and more income tax is being paid…which ultimately allows government to do and spend more…for teachers, police and fire fighters. President Obama doesn’t seem to get this simple concept.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

You Are Not Special Graduates

As a society we’ve come to adore accolades more than achievement. If you are like me and have campaigned against each member of the soccer team getting a trophy at the end of the season this commencement speech will appeal to you.

If on the other hand you think constant positive reinforcement with no discipline is the way to raise kids…this message will seem foreign to you.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Mayor Bloomberg- Nanny in Chief

Michael Bloomberg - Caricature

Michael Bloomberg

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the sale of soft drinks, sodas, in containers over sixteen ounces. He says it’s not good for us. He says the sale and consumption of these super-extra-large sugary beverages is a contributing factor in our nation’s obesity epidemic. He says he only wants to do right by you. (In fairness to Bloomberg I have no idea whether he said these exact words. But the sentiment is certainly implied)

My response to this gesture of help and support for New York City’s throngs? It’s none of your damned business what I put in my mouth Mr. Bloomberg. And it’s also none of your damned business what legal product my company sells to individuals willing to part with their own money and make it my money. Butt out.

Liberals from NY to SF (San Francisco) continue to propose laws, rules, and ordinances with the intent of taking good care of you, apparently because you can’t take care of yourself. We now have laws governing or prohibiting smoking tobacco or marijuana, trans fatty acids, and increasingly sugar.

A story, not too long ago, told of a Federal bureaucrat from the Department of Health and Human Services prohibiting a four-year old from eating their homemade lunch at her kindergarten class because it didn’t meet Federal standards for a healthy lunch. What was in the lunch, you may ask? Chunks of glass, glue on toast, and to wash it all down a thermos of Liquid Plumber? No. This dangerous lunch, made by the child’s mother, contained a turkey-meat and cheese sandwich, a banana, potato chips, and apple juice. Conservatives and Libertarians continue to warn us all that at some point government control over our lives is going to go to far. Ladies and Gentlemen I offer you Exhibit A for the argument IT ALREADY HAS. 

English: A Portrait of Thomas Jefferson as Sec...

English: A Portrait of Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

None other than the author of The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, said of big government and government control:

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government”

Jefferson also said, “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have”

You may say, calm down this is all for your own good. Too much soda is bad for you. I agree that too much carbonated soft drinks are bad for me, which is why I exercise my personal liberty, my right, and never buy a “Super-Sized” soft drink. But remember when everyone, and I MEAN EVERYONE, told us that salt in any amounts was bad for us and would increase our likelihood of high blood pressure and heart disease? Well, it turns out EVERYONE was wrong. The authors of the study wrote: “Our current findings refute the estimates … of lives saved and health care costs reduced with lower salt intake. They do not support the current recommendations of a generalized and indiscriminate reduction of salt intake.”

The number of times we ALL knew something that proved to be wrong throughout history are innumerable. As late as the early 1900s cocaine was promoted as a healthy medicine. The first recognized authority and advocate for this drug was world-famous psychologist, Sigmund Freud.

Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud

Early in his career, Freud broadly promoted cocaine as a safe and useful tonic that could cure depression and sexual impotence.

Jefferson was one of many American heroes to oppose too much government. Abraham Lincoln said, “Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as a heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors. ”

We must overcome this national infection to control people’s lives and do what’s best for them. The only way we can do that is to accept that some people will make poor decisions, including drinking too much “pop”, possibly leading to obesity. It is every American’s individual right to be obese. It is every American’s individual right to fail. And all the government control, in the name of caring for our well-being, won’t change the fact that some of us will make bad decisions, and fail. Accept it.

And accepting individual’s rights to fail is not a lack of compassion or love as many liberals would have you believe. Just ask any parent of any teenager if it’s possible to love someone who repeatedly chooses actions against the parent’s will whether its possible to love and feel compassion for that person.

Michael Bloomberg may think he knows what’s better for you and me. But it’s not his place, or his right to do anything about it. Unless there’s this small unknown Amendment to the Constitution which I’m unaware of which says the Government can dictate what you and I eat and drink. Democrats will tell you it falls under the Commerce Clause.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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