Caprock Patriot July 2019 Edition

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CAPROCK CONSERVATIVE

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PATR IOT CHRISTIAN

COMMENTARY

FREE For the People By the People

JULY 2019 VOLUME 1 | EDITION 7

INDEX Commentary

1

Military Salute

24

2nd Amendment

28

The Word

32

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, butt in an an abundance abund ab b dancee o off ccounselors ou o uns nsellor o s the th there her ere iss safety. Proverbs 11:14

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FIRST TO FIGHT! The Heroes of Vietnam First Platoon

BY GEORGE LASCU & JOHN CHARLES

I

t was November 21, 1967 – LBJ was president, “Incense and Peppermints” topped the music charts, and First Platoon’s 35 young Marines and corpsmen were about to be ambushed by a battalion-sized enemy force of North Vietnamese Army regulars and local Vietcong in what would come to be known as the Battle at Finger Lake.

Although that day was almost 52 years ago, it is still fresh in the minds of the surviving members of Vietnam First Platoon 3rd Battalion 7th Marines.

In reality, for most Vietnam combat Veterans, Vietnam is painfully present every day. When asked “when were you in Vietnam?”, many would say 52 years ago… yesterday… last night… this morning.

Recently, Lubbock, Texas welcomed the men of First Platoon, a group of Marine combat veterans who fought in Vietnam and now reunite every two years for three days of camaraderie, fellowship, and remembrance. The reunion was hosted by Lubbock native Jerry Lucero, a member of First SEE FIRST TO FIGHT | PAGE 4

India Company Command Staff, Operation Knox, recovering bodies and destroying guns of downed aircraft

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COMMENTARY

JULY 2019

Living Under Sharia Law: Viewed through the Veil of an Infidel

BY BECCA KEATING

O

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ne thing is clear, Americans love freedom. Among many other things, we are grateful for our freedom of religion. When I lived in the Middle East, I didn’t have that freedom living under Sharia law.

As a result, I am more thankful than ever to live and worship in the United States. I am thankful to be able to read my Bible anytime, anywhere. When living under Sharia law, our Bibles would have been burned if found by the authorities. I’m thankful that we can gather together to worship, sing praises, and fellowship with other believers. When living under Sharia law in Saudi Arabia, there were no churches, no temples, no places where non-Muslims could gather/worship publicly. When living under Sharia law, I felt I didn’t have the freedom to voice my opinion or to do countless things merely because I was a woman and an infidel.

But in this country, I have experienced a freedom like no other country. For that I am very grateful. Yet I wonder, how is it that we have become the land of the free and the home of the brave? Reiterating the words of President Ronald Reagan in his speech at Normandy, “…There is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest.” Hitler and others like him fought for conquest. He and others like him wanted to take over the world.

He and others like him wanted to force his Nazism on all those he ruled over.

He and others like him wanted to extinguish the Jews. The others like Hitler sound reminiscent of an ideology of a totalitarian political system that I experienced when I felt in bondage under Sharia law, not free to be the woman God designed me to be.

The United States fought many wars,

but for the purpose of liberty and freedom. We fought to be free from the tyranny of Great Britain. We fought to free those within our homeland who were enslaved. We fight to defend our nation from invasion. We fight when there is a threat to our freedom such as communism. We battle to defend those who are unable to fight because they dwell in the womb of their mother.

We battle to protect the elderly, the orphan and the disabled. We desire to hold these truths that are self-evident, realizing afresh, that “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It is this moral difference for which we battle in order to retain our freedom.

But this freedom we talk about did not come about without sacrifice.

Our freedom is not free. Os Guinness writes, “This means not only that blood is the price of defending freedom abroad, but also that, if freedom is to flourish and endure, freedom’s essential character and conditions must be guarded vigilantly, both at home and overseas. Freedom can no more take a holiday from history than from gravity, and the plain fact is that it is harder to be free than to not be free, for freedom’s fire has not only to be lit once but must be kindled and rekindled all over again in each succeeding generation.” It is my hope that “freedom’s fire” has been rekindled in this generation as well as in the younger generation as we are seeing in the results of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point. He, along with Candace Owens, has awakened those on college campuses around the country to the fact that this Constitutional Republic is strongest when citizens, not the government, lead in the affairs of men and women.

SEE LIVING UNDER SHARIA LAW | PAGE 21

COMMENTARY

JULY 2019

The Declaration of ‘IN’Dependence

BY DR JIM SULLIMAN

I

NDEPENDENCE... the founding principle that gave birth to our nation and has remained an integral part of our American fabric ever since. We the people have a great appreciation for self-sufficiency and value independent thinking, financial independence, and people who live independently, completely “off the grid.”

Each year in July, millions of flags appear as we celebrate Independence Day and the courageous men and women who fought for freedom from tyranny. We are proud to show the entire world what liberty looks like. We want everyone to know that as Americans we are free to choose to live any way we want and do whatever we want to do. Indeed, one of our most illustrious founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, boldly proclaimed “I am lord of myself accountable to none.”

Conversely, one of the worse things you can say about a person is that they are “dependent.” The very word raises thoughts of 30-year-olds living with their parents, or a person who lives for their next drink, pill, or smoke, or simply someone who cannot make it on their own. Maria Montessori is well known for creating non-traditional schools and believes, “The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self.” Similarly, a professor I had in graduate school often said, “In theory, a child should be most dependent on their mother on the day of their birth and less so every day thereafter.”

So, it would appear that the time to rest the case for independence has passed and the verdict is in...independence is a great thing and something for which we should aspire. It reflects strength, courage, and confidence, while dependency is always an indication of weakness wherever it is found. We must, however, be very

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"Serving Military Across America For Over 35 Years!" careful not to overlook one critical fact...WE WERE CREATED TO BE DEPENDENT and we all are dependent every second of our lives. Not on drugs, booze, or things, but on God (Gen 2: 16–17): The LORD God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.

We may not believe that, but it does

not make it any less true. I don’t believe the Cubs finally won a World Series, but they did.

The original “founding father,” Adam, chose not to accept that truth and instead chose freedom from God, taking “life” into his own hands, resulting in death. We literally continue to do the same thing today each time we decide to end the life of an unborn child.

SEE THE DECLARATION OF ‘IN’DEPENDENCE | PAGE 22

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4

COMMENTARY

FIRST TO FIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Platoon and a decorated combat veteran himself.

While in Lubbock, the Marines and Corpsmen of First Platoon participated in Memorial Day services including a roll call at Lubbock City Cemetery and a wreath presentation at the Lubbock War Memorial.

These men represent part of the 20% of Vietnam combat veterans living today. Their reunion in Lubbock represented much more than that. It represented hope, healing and the heroism of ordinary men, which they displayed most notably in a 10-hour firefight in the Battle at Finger Lake, Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam.

On that fateful day almost 52 years ago, a 23-year-old lieutenant from Topanga, California, Larry Wilson, led his fellow Marines in this devastating mêlÊe, driven by his guiding principle since volunteering to be a combat Published by Rockin’ M Media, LLC, dba Caprock Patriot, Lubbock, TX 806-831-7366 ■info@caprockpatriot.com www.CaprockPatriot.com Paul McArthur ■President & Publisher

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www.CaprockPatriot.com officer in Vietnam – he promised he would always do everything he could to bring back as many of his men as possible. “Within minutes of the initial burst (of mortar rounds and machine gun fire) a third of First Platoon had been shot and wounded,� R.M. “Cook�

Barella wrote about the ambush in his Vietnam War memoir, “Dreams of Glory, Fields of Fire.�

Two of Lt. Wilson’s Marines died from their wounds at the Battle of Finger Lake. Thirty-three Marines and corpsmen survived. And for his leadership over the course of that harrowing, 10-hour engagement with the enemy, Lt. Wilson’s men nominated him for a Bronze Star with a “V� for valor.

31 years after that terrible day of bloody sacrifice and astonishing acts of courage, back home in Topanga, now retired FBI Agent Larry Wilson did something that required a different kind of courage. He made the most important phone call of his life.

Cook Barela had reached out to Larry a few days earlier to ask if he could verify some of Cook’s war diary before he sent it off to be published. This struck a chord in Larry and a thought came to him: the call of duty never ends.

With this in mind, Larry started calling all of the surviving members of

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First Platoon, beginning a conversation that would lead to the very first reunion of the surviving members of First Platoon. “31 years after I got out of Vietnam, Larry calls me. I could not believe it.

I hear my wife say, ‘It’s Larry Wilson on the phone.’ And I said, ‘No sh**!� recalled Bernie “Doc Mac� McNallen, one of First Platoon’s corpsman, and one of the first men to receive Larry’s call. “During that very first call, Larry was talking to me about a reunion.� “The first reunion was like walking into a family reunion. It was palpable.

You could feel the comradery. You could feel the laughter. You could feel the love. It was inspirational. It was amazing to me,� said Mr. McNallen.

Also attending the first reunion of First Platoon, was Jerry Dumont, Sergeant Weapons Squad Leader, who recalled, “I was totally shocked and surprised. At the same time, my anxiety really kicked in. (But) I got the okay to fly to Las Vegas in 2007 to come to my first reunion.� “I will drive to wherever we have a reunion, I don’t care where it is,� said James Keene, Lance Corporal Rifleman. “I couldn’t even talk to other people about the atrocities we saw. And the guys that can’t be here, it tears me up.� “You gotta love the guys that you serve with,� said Jerry Burns, Lance Corporal Platoon Radioman. “There are no guys who aren’t brothers when you’re sharing the blood, sweat, and tears of war.� “People say why do you still bring these guys together,� said Larry Wilson, when asked during a previous First Platoon reunion. “I don’t think the Marine Corps sent me to these guys. I think a spirit sent me.�

All of the young men of First Platoon answered the call to fight in a war in Southeast Asia, 7,899 miles from Topanga Canyon – Larry’s home. And Larry had volunteered to lead them. “If you’re a true leader, the call of duty never ends,� said Mr. Wilson.

The men of First Platoon were united in battle, their bonds forged in the heat

JULY 2019

of war. They came together as strangers from all across the country, and left the war individually, without fanfare, being met on their return with jeers, epithets, and derision.

While World War 2 had its “Band of Brothers�, Vietnam had bands of strangers, young men who came separately to war and left separately – back to what Larry says he and his fellow Marines called, “The World�.

The friendships formed in Vietnam were forged in battle; a brotherhood beyond compare for anyone who never experienced it. But Larry’s men had it.

And while separated for decades in a country that denigrated their service, mocked their sacrifice and ignored their heroism, these men lived apart in a self-imposed conspiracy of silence.

They didn’t stew. They moved on with their lives, becoming doctors, lawyers, policemen, FBI agents. Like all Vietnam combat vets, however, they carried their experience in Vietnam with them. And most of them did it alone – with family and friends who couldn’t possibly understand what they went through, both in battle and when they returned – to “The World�.

It was a phone call from Larry Wilson, one simple everyday action that would change the lives of every living member of First Platoon from that day forward.

This story of Larry and his platoon captured the imagination of Larry’s next-door neighbor in Topanga, George Lascu, who happens to be a movie producer.

George escaped communist Romania about the same time First Platoon was serving in Vietnam. Armed with a personal understanding of the horrors of communism – and the reverence he holds for those who fought against it – George quickly realized that this was a story that needed to be told.

Larry and George then set their minds to creating a documentary about this unique reunion of Vietnam combat veterans: a documentary they would call simply, “First Platoon�.

And that’s all it took to begin the SEE FIRST TO FIGHT | PAGE 12

Larry “LT” Wilson Lieutenant Platoon Commander Age: 23

Herman Lajeunesse Jr. “Izzy” Corporal Grenadier Age: 21

James Keene Lance Corporal Rifleman Age: 19

Jerry L. Burns Lance Corporal Platoon Radioman Age: 21

Robert “Bobby” Cash Hospitalman 3rd Class Corpsman Age: 20

Terry Goodman Lance Corporal Machinegunner Age: 19

Bernard W. “Doc Mac” McNallen Hospitalman 2nd Class Corpsman Age: 21

Gerard “Jerry” Dumont Sergeant Weapons Squad Leader Age: 23

Leonard A. Calderon Corporal Rifleman Fireteam Leader Age: 27

Arthur O’Farrell Lance Corporal Platoon Radioman Age: 19/20

Lionel “Jerry” Lucero Lance Corporal Rifleman Age: 19

Semper Fidelis

Steven Aquilar Refugio Barela Raymond Belliveau James Boone Jonathan Boyd William Burdge Larry Callahan Newman Cuch Felix Duran Jerry Ezell Richard Fludd Larry Gibbs Douglas Harris Robert Howard Ira Hulihen Larry Isaacs William Jackson Michael Jones James Keenan Ward Keeton Earl Lergner Dennis Martinez John McGinley Abram Metzler Ronald Moore Evaristo Morales Russell Moses Erikki Nevati Jon Nelson John Neideringhaus Vaughn O’Neil Larry Perkins James Perry Glen Prescott Keith Pridemore Ira Rahm Harold Sotzen Jerome Soubble Zaryl Stamford James Stanley Bill Stoddard Kenneth Stoker Charles Taylor III Bernard Toth Arthur Toy James Turner Ed Welsh Calvin Whiteside Stephen Welhelmsen Jackie Williams

COMMENTARY

6

www.CaprockPatriot.com

JULY 2019

How Was the 86th Texas Legislative Session for Taxpayers?

BY ROBERT PRATT

T

he 86th regular session of the Texas Legislature is in the books having ended its mandatory

biennial 140-day run on Memorial Day. The new Speaker of the House, Dennis Bonnen, delivered on his promise of a big school finance bill. It is big spending, big in changing formulas for funding, and as I promised at the start of the session, not big on simplification or transparency. At least serious school property tax reform ended up being part of the package which is all that makes it palatable.

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick made good on his promise to get the state’s first major property tax reform done since the 1970’s. Though not perfect, the bill from Houston’s Bettencourt in the Senate and Lubbock’s Burrows in the House got through with the active help of Governor Abbott and Speaker Bonnen. It should pay dividends to taxpayers for decades.

The budget passed by both bodies was

too bloated and did not show the conservative fiscal constraint promised Republican primary voters by most members but, and we must be honest in our disappointment, also was nowhere near the bloated spending Democrats wanted or would enact if their Leftist party was in control and that is not saying much when it comes to fiscal discipline.

There is much that should have been accomplished better and there are some bad bills for which legislators voted and deserve serious criticism. The failure to pass the limited ban on taxpayer funded lobbying, upon which all of Lubbock’s legislators voted the right way but others in the region did not, should be seen as a kick in the teeth to us citizens.

Overall, based on historic standards of actual practice, it was a session in which taxpayers made real gains – but

so did the spenders.

Submitted by Robert Pratt who is the host of Pratt on Texas which can be heard in the Lubbock-area weekdays 5 to 7pm on KFYO 790AM or 95.1FM. www.PrattonTexas.com.

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COMMENTARY

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JULY 2019

7

Democratic Platform & Oil Have Cost Taxpayers $1.7 Trillion

BY SEL GRAHAM

T

axpayers of all political parties have paid foreigners for foreign oil imports 1.7 trillion dollars during the past decade. This vast fortune should be going to American workers who pay taxes. Isn’t it about time that YOU help put a stop to this stupidity?

Democrats will deny that anything that stupid could be in their political platform. But there it is. Democratic platform under the heading “Combat Climate Change� under which is “Building a Clean Energy Economy.� In the first paragraph there is this: “We will transform American transportation by reducing oil consumption through clean fuels.�

Democrats refuse to admit to the truth.

There are no “clean fuels.� Gasoline

emits less carbon dioxide than ethanol. A 1965 DOE study shows that gasoline emits only 272.4 grams per vehicle mile traveled and that ethanol emits 301.1 grams per vehicle mile traveled.

Mobility of U.S. Armed Forces depends exclusively upon oil. Democrats are against oil, against U.S. oil, and against the U.S. Armed Forces.

Currently, the U.S. depends upon foreign oil imports for 41% of our oil, more than twice the percentage at the time of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo which brought transportation to a standstill.  Democrats are against U.S. oil which increases foreign oil imports to meet oil demand. Since Democrats increase foreign oil imports to meet oil demand, Democrats endanger National Security and give aid and comfort to our enemies.

Has President Trump’s great economy endangered National Security

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and given aid and comfort to our enemies—like Democrats have done for decades? No. Defeat all Democrats in the 2020 elections because you now know that Democrats endanger National Security and give aid and comfort to the enemy.

Submitted by Seldon Graham who

has 65 years of experience as a Petroleum Engineer. He is a World War II veteran, a graduate of West Point and the U.S. Army War College, a Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired, and author of the book, Why Your Gasoline Prices Are High. He can be reached at (512) 452-4000.

8

COMMENTARY

www.CaprockPatriot.com

Are You Tired Yet of How DC Works?

BY R. STEPHEN BOWDEN

A

re you tired of the histrionics of the Democrat contenders for the presidency of the U.S., what with all their scare tactics and promises of free stuff for everyone without any serious explanation of how to pay for it? ...and Nadler’s Salem Witch Trial... ...and Adam Schiff in general... ... and the immigration crisis... ... and D.C.’s inertial disdain for its own country?

I am. It has become tiresome...a staggering journey to nowhere.

At some point, ennui sets in. Quite simply, I’m tired. The people in Washington don’t really care about you or me. Yes, they care, but about different things — such as getting re-elected, and hanging on to power, and making

money. It’s an ego trip, basically, and a handsome source of collateral income along the way. They work for it, what with their endless calls to donors and lobbyists, plus the added leverage of their political influence. And their efforts are not in vain. Just ask Joe Biden

and his son Hunter. They made out quite well.

Not all of them do the D.C. shuffle, but most of them do, their political party notwithstanding. It’s how the game is played. Politics has become a profession, and a lucrative one at that.

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JULY 2019

Maybe young upstarts don’t think so in the beginning, but most of them eventually get sucked into the swirling eddy of D.C. politics, or else they submerge willingly. I mean, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez already thinks she needs a raise in excess of her $174,000 salary.

I guess that’s what happens after you discover garbage disposals.

Donald Trump can free them from such bondage — and all of us, actually — but too few in D.C. trust him. He’s a businessman and a free thinker. He doesn’t dance to their tune. So, they hold on to the folks they know best: the lobbyists with big money who contribute to their re-election campaigns. And they abide or promote the meme that Russia actually rules U.S. elections.

How stupid.

Notice the strange silence among Republican bigwigs. Aside from a few, why aren’t they protesting such insanity? Well, here’s one reason: that’s how D.C. works. The rest of America falls way down in the pecking order, until the politicos need your $5 contribution to prove their populist bona fides. Oh, yes, they will brag about your contribution until you no longer are needed. Then you will be forgotten, and they will get about the business of D.C. politics as usual, which has little to do with you or me.

Is this a reason for despair? No, it is not. Trump got elected in 2016 by folks like you and me. He seems to care about his country and its future.

I believe him. What’s to lose? I think that’s what we all homed in on back in 2016. This guy has moxie. He shakes things up in a good way. He loves his country and he works for free. He’s all about business and the art of the deal.

And he can win again in a landslide in 2020.

Your vote matters. So does your voice. And mine. If we bring others to the ballot box, it means even more.

Don’t let up. The mountaintop is but steps away. Let’s get there.

Submitted by R. Stephen Bowden.

Stephen is a guest writer at AmericanThinker.com

JULY 2019

COMMENTARY

www.CaprockPatriot.com

9

Who Is the Biggest Liar in the Room?

BY JUDIE BROWN

Who is the biggest liar in the room?

Is it the media, the pro-abortion Catholic, or the president who defends the babies?

OK, none of these folks are perfect.

Let’s make that clear. But when it comes to defending the preborn versus those who would prefer killing them to welcoming them, the question takes on a whole new meaning.

Within the media we find several candidates for liar. The first is Mother Jones reporter Rebecca Leber, who recently wrote an article entitled “Trump Has a New Go-To Lie about Abortion, and It’s Horrific.� She opined that, during a rally speech, Trump described “a graphic—and wholly inaccurately— situation in which a mother and doctor ‘execute’ a baby.� But later in the article she claims that Trump’s descriptions of late-term abortions “are just getting even more graphic and violent.� Rebecca, perhaps you should consider the fact that all abortions kill a baby and that such an event is not only violent, but if described properly, more than a little graphic. Your problem, Rebecca, is that you do not want to admit the truth.

Then we see an article in the Daily Beast entitled “Bizarre, Dangerous and Insulting: Baby Nurses Fed Up with Trump’s Bogus Rants� that states that “President Trump’s latest rant about babies being executed after birth is riling up neonatal nurses, who say he’s twisted the palliative care they provide for the sickest of infants into an anti-abortion rallying cry that could endanger health providers.� It goes on to suggest that Virginia governor Ralph Northam’s description of what happens to a baby born alive after an abortion has been mischaracterized

by Trump. The article claims: “What Northam had described— and what Trump seized on—was not third-trimester abortion but palliative

care, in which infants born with severe birth defects are kept comfortable while they are taken off life-sustaining treatment.�

But this article defies reality at every turn. The Northam comments were directly linked to babies born alive after abortion. You can call how they are treated by any name you wish, but the baby dies because a late-term abortion was performed, and the baby survived.

That was and is the truth, folks!

But for medical professionals—including NICU nurses—who do not want to acknowledge the facts about the horrors of abortion at any stage of pregnancy and for any reason, it becomes easier to point the finger at the messenger and call him a liar rather than admit the ugly truth.

The Washington Examiner tells its readers: “Our president lies and simply says false things. A lot. Trump’s relationship with the truth is tenuous at best, and at times, his lies don’t even serve a real purpose.�

Yet the article goes on to explain why in the case of late-term abortion Trump actually was telling “the cold, hard truth.�

And on the topic of deceptive statements, pro-abortion Catholic and former vice president Joe Biden really takes the cake. Biden joined the chorus saying President Trump has shredded the moral fabric of America and that he (Biden) would work as president to “restore the American creed.�

Perhaps Biden has lost sight of what it means to knit a moral fabric in the first place. It means opposing abortion, for example, which is among the gravest moral evils enunciated in Catholic teaching.

Further, Biden also is at odds with Catholic teaching on marriage. He is a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage.

In fact, “he earned some veiled condemnation from the USCCB when he presided over a gay wedding in 2016.�

So, if the basic moral teachings of the Catholic Church have evaded Biden, how is it that he can suggest that any man has shredded the moral fabric of America? His sanctimonious platitudes are phony at best, evil at worst.

Finally, we get to President Trump, who is not a perfect human being; none of us are. But he is courageously capable of defending the babies and driving the pro-aborts mad! For that, we are most grateful.

So who is the biggest liar in the room?

From my perspective as a Catholic prolife leader, it is anyone who denies that every abortion kills a child of God, no matter the baby’s size or condition.

To deny that truth is cruel, vicious, and deadly.

Submitted by Judie Brown. Judie is president and co-founder of American Life League, the nation’s oldest

grassroots pro-life educational and advocacy organization. For more information, visit www.all.org

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COMMENTARY

"You Gotta STOP EM, Before they MULTIPLY!"

JULY 2019

Why I Honor the American Flag

Reid McCaleb, Patriot’s Pen Winner, with Members of Lubbock VFW Post 2466

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s a citizen of the United States, for the purpose of unity, it is imperative to actively honor the American flag. President Woodrow Wilson once expressed, “The things that the flag stand for were created by the experiences of a great people. Everything that it stands for was written by their lives. The flag is the embodiment, not of sentiment, but of history.”

One way of honoring Old Glory is remembering. I remember the sacrifice of men and women in our military who fought courageously to defend all the ideals we hold dear as free people. I recall the sacred moments in history that define who we are. I look back on the war for our independence, the Revolutionary War; the battle for equality for all U.S. citizens, the Civil War; the struggle against tyranny, D-Day. I should constantly be reminded that things like freedom, liberty, and justice for all require unselfish acts of bravery, daily.

I honor the American flag, because I am forever indebted to those who came before me. I am grateful for the

privileges I enjoy every single day because of the freedom this country freely grants me. l am thankful that my parents can go to work and earn a living for my brother and me to wear clothes, eat delicious food, and live in a beautiful home. I am appreciative that I can openly worship in any church I faithfully choose. I am filled with gratitude that we have a democracy, so that we can elect all our governing officials by the people and for the people. l am thankful that we as a country have laws and rules to follow, so we will be protected and safe.

As a citizen of this country, for the purpose of togetherness, I should keep, obey, and respect the American flag.

We can choose to be a great people that will someday be revered by generations if we learn to honor our flag and one another. It is my privilege and utmost responsibility to honor the flag and other Americans.

Honor starts with me.

Submitted by Reid McCaleb. Reid is Ancile “AL” White VFW Post 2466 Patriot’s Pen Third place winner out of 195 essays and 1st Place winner from VFW District 9. Reid is a 6th grader from Lubbock, TX, and is homeschooled.

COMMENTARY

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JULY 2019

Grading the 86th Legislative Session

BY JAMES DICKEY, REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS CHAIRMAN

T

exans are far better off than they were before the 86th Legislative Session convened in Austin.

At least 61 bills passed that were related to Republ ica n Pa rty of Texas’ platform planks, plus nine bills passed related to the Legislative Priorities identified by State Convention Delegates in 2018 - abolishing the maintenance and operation school property tax, ending taxpayer funded lobbying, abolishing abortion, ensuring the right to unlicensed self-defense, and finally prohibiting the violation of the rights (commonly referred to as Constitutional Carry) and freedoms of individuals, organizations, and businesses to exercise

their sincerely held religious beliefs.

We know these are significant goals and recognize that change takes either large majorities or an incremental approach because Texas’ founders wisely ensured legislation is difficult to pass in order to hinder government’s tendency to grow aggressively. Despite that rightfully challenging system, we saw victories on each of our legislative priorities.

This session brought with it a landmark piece of legislation that will help families across Texas - real property tax reduction. With Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 3 working in conjunction, they establish a 3.5% cap on property tax growth and a 2.5% cap on property tax growth for schools - this will make a tremendous, palpable impact on property taxes - and family budgets - over time. Senate Bill 2 also requires voter approval should taxing units seek to increase taxes more than those caps. On top of this, $5 billion in property tax relief was allocated during the first biennium to ease the maintenance and operation property tax. This relief is set to continue to grow each biennium delivering lasting property tax relief for all Texans. We even saw a major reduction in recapture, the long despised “robin hood”, which has hurt schools throughout the state.

Significant wins for Texas families.

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While the practice of taxpayer funded lobbying was not terminated, our legislators were able to ensure full disclosure and transparency by passing measures that require all taxing units post on their website the lobbyists they hire, the issues they work on, and how much they are being paid. This is a huge win in the name of transparency and important step toward ending the practice.

Republicans throughout Texas have fought for years to end abortion in Texas. Our Legislators again passed important legislation on this front.

The Texas Born Alive Infant Protection Act would severely penalize doctors who fail to provide medical services to babies delivered after failed abortions - and makes clear to voters how extreme Democrat legislators have become as they opposed

11

this obvious humanitarian position.

Senate Bill 22 prohibits the transfer of funds, goods, services or anything that offers the abortion provider “something of value derived from state or local tax revenue.” That’s right, state and local tax dollars will no longer go toward providing abortions in the state of Texas - a significant victory in the fight to get taxpayer money out of the abortion industry.

When this law goes into effect, Texans will have the ability to unlicensed carry of handguns during and after a natural disaster for a certain period of time. Unlicensed carry of firearms, also known as Constitutional Carry, has been a priority since 2014, and this is the first time there has been specific progress on the issue. It’s clear, our legislators are listening and working toward change on the issues Texans care about.

SEE 86TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION | PAGE 18

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JULY 2019

Are Rural Americans More Optimistic Than Our Urban Friends?

BY GARY W. MOORE

I

am a rural American. My grandfather was a pig farmer and coal miner. My dad grew up on that small family farm until he was signed by the Dodgers, but quickly put his baseball career on hold to serve in the US Navy during WWII. I married a rural American from central Iowa.

Arlene didn’t grow up on a farm but spent her summers de-tasseling corn.

Her Dad spent his career at the Rath Meat Packing House in Waterloo, Iowa, while her mother grew up living and working on her family dairy farm.

We are rural Americans, through and through. On both sides of their family, our children are made from rural DNA. Let’s be clear. Rural America is not just the Midwest or South. We are not talking about only Texas, Kentucky or West Virginia. Much of the states of New York, California, and Illinois, homes to the three largest cities in the USA are considered rural. In fact, most of the landmass of the United States of America is rural.

A friend in Australia, Victor Perton, one of the most positive and optimistic men I know, asked me to respond to a recent study on the optimism of rural Americans and I thought I’d do

FIRST TO FIGHT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

process of documenting the incredible story of how one simple phone call would change the lives of every living member of First Platoon and everyone around them.

“First Platoon” is a documentary about those two “calls” – the first that formed the futures of all the young men of First Platoon, before, during and after the Battle at Finger Lake; and the second call that reunited a broken brotherhood and sparked a new chapter in all of their lives and in the lives of those around them – a chapter that’s

so publicly. This study shows that with the hardships of rural America … even amidst the worries of trade wars and loss of international markets for our grains, seventy-five percent of those living away from the big cities are optimistic about their future and seem to have found happiness in their dayto-day lives. The optimism that rural Americans feel is not always shared in the big cities.

My oldest son, Toby, is an actor and producer, working in Los Angeles. We were in a coffee shop in Burbank California the day after George W. Bush was re-elected President. The talk of the stupidity of those in rural America was loud and rampant. A well-known comedian walked in. A small-town guy himself, he had shared in an interview a few weeks earlier that he supported “W” for re-election and the jeers and insults shouted at him forced him to turn and leave. Sitting next to us at a table was a well-known film producer that loudly proclaimed, “Those idiots between the coasts are dumber than their fence-posts and should not be allowed to vote!”

I wasn’t insulted. I was amused. As we were driving to our hotel, Arlene, who did not share my amusement, asked why I thought it was funny. I

said, “Their claim of the stupidity of rural Americans exposes how little they know about life between the coasts and says more about them than us.”

Rural Americans do not vote as a block, but we do tend to be more traditional in our views. We have higher church attendance than those in urban settings and have a higher tendency to marry and remain married. Urban and rural, we are all shaped by our upbringing.

From the time I was twelve until I was eighteen, I played snare drum in our local drum & bugle corps in our Memorial Day parade, then rushed out to the cemetery to play a drum roll during the reading of the names of the veterans who died and were buried in the cemetery that year. It was both a humbling experience and an honor to play a small role in the ceremony honoring those who had served. I was taught to stand as an American flag passes by and to say please and thank you. I still open the door for others and stop to help strangers change tires. My views and actions as an adult were shaped by my rural American upbringing.

I was raised reading and hearing stories of heroes. I hold our Founding Fathers as well as other American heroes in the highest regard. Far from perfect,

they all had their faults, but I believe their vision and heroism founded and shaped the greatest nation in the history of the world. Their negative outlook about our past drives their negative view of our current environment as well as the future. Yes, the stain of slavery on the fabric of our nation can never be washed away, but that is not the only chapter of our history. We have plenty to be proud of. We see our nation and world from a different perspective than our big-city counterparts. I don’t believe we are better, but we are different in our views of life.

The study showing rural Americans to be more optimistic should not surprise anyone paying attention. I love big cities with the same passion that I love rural America. In my travels, I spend time in both. There is no question that rural Americans are more optimistic about our nation and world than our urban counterparts and it’s because we were raised to be so and believe the best is yet to come.

Submitted by Gary W. Moore. Gary is a syndicated columnist, speaker and author of three books including the award-winning, critically acclaimed, “Playing with the Enemy.” Follow Gary on Twitter @GaryWMoore721 and at garywmoore.com

still being written to this day and every day to come.

The documentary is a tribute. It’s an opportunity for the men of First Platoon to tell their story to an audience perhaps only vaguely familiar with what they think there is to know about the Vietnam War. The truth as told by these men who lived it – and the lives of those lost in war and in The World – remembered by the men of First Platoon who loved them.

It was later learned that the enemy lost close to 300 men during the Battle at Finger Lake due to countless acts of bravery and sacrifice.

Larry Wilson considers the Bronze

Star with a “V” for valor, “one of the most important accolades of my life.

Not because of the status of a combat medal, but that it came from my men for what I did to keep them alive.”

Jerry Dumont may have summed it up best, saying of Larry Wilson, “He was one heck of an outstanding platoon leader.”

A platoon leader who knows, that the call of duty never ends.

A Note from the Caprock Patriot: While Vietnam Vets didn’t come home to the hero’s welcome they deserved.

It’s not too late. You can help right that wrong by answering your call of duty.

The documentary “First Platoon” is a

work in progress. Your contribution can help make you a part of this history, a part of this healing, and a chance for you to do so much more than say, “Thank you for your service”. If you’d like to learn more about First Platoon and get information about how you can support this important documentary and future First Platoon Reunions, visit their website at firstplatoonmovie.com and follow them on Facebook, at @ FirstPlatoonMovie Submitted by George Lascu & John Charles. George is the founder of Los Angeles based REXMEDIA. George is a producer, known for 5 Days of War (2011), Red Serpent (2003) and What About Love (2020).

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Giving Up Golf

A

man was walking down the street when he was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby looking homeless man who asked him for a couple of dollars for dinner.

The man took out his wallet, extracted ten dollars and asked, “If I give you this money, will you buy beer with it instead of dinner?” The homeless man replied, “No, I had to stop drinking years ago.”

“Will you use it to go fishing instead of buying food?”, the man asked. The homeless man said, “No, I don’t waste time fishing. I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive!”

“Will you spend this on greens fees at a golf course instead of food?”, the man asked. The homeless man replied, “Are you NUTS?! I’m homeless and haven’t played golf in 20 years!”

‘Well”, said the man. “I’m not going to give you the money. Instead, I’m going to take you home so you can shower, get cleaned up and have a terrific dinner cooked by my wife.”

The homeless man was astounded.

“Won’t your wife be furious with you for doing that? I know I’m dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.”

The man replied, “That’s okay. It’s important for her to see what a man looks like after he has given up beer, fishing, and golf.”

Submitted by the Buffalo Gap News, Buffalo Gap, Texas

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason.

Patriot (and non-Patriot) Feedback Caprock Patriot feedback from fans and haters. Please sound off by sending your Patriot Feedback to info@CaprockPatriot.com “We Need to be Heard!”: I met the publisher at an event. Not only were he and his wife delightful dinner companions, I heard his story of being silenced. Being conservative is hard. Being silenced is wrong. Caprock Patriot is adding to the conservative voices that are clamoring to be heard.

Liberal media doesn’t have ideas that can be defended. Conservatives do.

We need to be heard. Caprock Patriot makes that possible. I’m proud to support them!

Beckie Tapia Laurent, Lubbock, TX “The Good Fight!”: Excellent Facebook page and paper with fair, honest, conservative reporting. In today’s day and age, when anyone right of Che Guevara is a walking milkshake target, it’s important to support business like this.God bless Caprock Patriot for continuing the good fight to expose the lies, and uphold the values needed for a moral and just America tomorrow. Thankless job, but if nobody does it, we’re all done for.

Peter S, Houston, TX “Morally Right: Willing to give a voice to average, real people, who are willing to stand up for what is morally right.

Daniel McCay, Lubbock, TX, On the Rock Chip Repair “No Thank You!: Jingoistic racism based on Christianity? No thank you!

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JULY 2019

One Nation Under God

BY DONALD R MAY

O

ur Founding Fathers established the United States and its Constitution on a foundation of Judeo-Christian principles.

These solid foundations are firmly embodied in The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.

Our Nation’s founding document is The Declaration of Independence. It tells us that our rights come from God and not from our government. Our rights are unalienable and cannot be taken from us.

The first 126 words of our Declaration of Independence establish the foundational principles of our Constitution and our country. Five specific items are enumerated:

First, there is a Creator.

Second, our Creator gives us unalienable rights.

Third, God has an unchangeable moral law that governs men.

Fourth, our Government is established to protect the rights God has given us.

Fifth, We the People will be governed only with our consent.

The words of those who did these things and of those who affirmed the presence and role of religion in our government and our public square further attest to these facts.

George Washington said, “True religion affords to government its surest support.”

John Adams asserted, “Religion and virtue are the only foundations . . . of all free governments.”

Religion is “deemed in other countries

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incompatible with good government and yet proved by our experience to be its best support,” wrote Thomas Jefferson.

Benjamin Franklin said, “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: ‘that God governs in the affairs of men.’ And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

Noah Webster stated, “The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws.”

George Washington concluded his Presidential oath with “so help me God.” The First Congress began sessions with prayer by paid chaplains.

John Marshall opened Supreme Court sessions with the prayer, “God save the United States and this Honorable Court.” These practices still continue today.

Our Founding Fathers established the United States of America and its Constitution on a solid foundation of religious principles with very limited Federal powers.

Our Founding Fathers relied heavily on the Bible for inspiration and wisdom and on Sir William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England (1771). Blackstone’s legal philosophy was embodied in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution,

“Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is an entirely dependent being . . . He should in all points conform to his Maker’s will. This will is called the law of nature . . . [there are] no human laws of any validity, if contrary to this . . .”

French historian Alexis de Tocqueville noted in his book Democracy in America, “The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and Liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other.”

Opinions from our courts have affirmed the religious foundations of the United States.

Justice Josiah Brewer, in the case of Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, wrote on 29 February 1892, “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of Mankind . . . our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian . . . This is a religious people. This is historically true . . . this is a Christian nation.”

Justice William O. Douglas, in the case of Zorach v. Clauson, wrote on 29 February 1952, “We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.”

SEE ONE NATION UNDER GOD | PAGE 20

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JULY 2019

An Arrow Aimed at America’s Heartland

BY DR. ROBERT OWENS

A

re you ready to get down into the weeds and look at a current attack on our Federal System through the lenses of American Constitutional History to gain an understanding of something which is nothing less than an arrow aimed at America’s Heartland?

This is a wakeup call to citizens of Middle America of a plot to strip us of our electoral importance by the entrenched elites of the Deep State.

Recently, Nevada became the 15th state to pass a measure granting its Electoral College votes to the candidate winning the nationwide popular vote regardless of how the citizens of their own State voted.

This movement is being led by an organization called National Popular

Vote. The founders of the 501(c)(4) Are election law expert and attorney Barry Fadem and John Kaza (co-inventor of the scratch-off lottery ticket).

Fa d e m a n d K a z a b o t h h a v e

impressive careers filled with professional achievement. However, it’s easy for anyone with even a smattering of knowledge of civics to discount their efforts by assuming

though they may be intelligent and accomplished they don’t know much about how our government is designed to work.

In reality, the exact opposite might be the case. These two and their organization aim to disrupt the balance between the States and have intentionally launched this arrow aimed at America’s Heartland.

Their objective is to influence a group of States whose electoral votes total 270, which is the number needed to win the presidency, into an alliance binding them to follow a majority vote attainable by a combination of New York, New England, and the Left Coast without regard to how the citizens of the States voted.

During the Constitutional Convention, the Framers vigorously debated SEE AN ARROW AIMED | PAGE 23

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JULY 2019

17

National Energy Symposium: Updated to 2019

BY JOSEPH MAVILIA

T

he National Energy Symposiu m was a n awesome assembly of talented and knowledgeable people who make their living in the energy industries of this country. The key here is that they make their living in Science and Technology. They are the experts and “We the People� pay the bill.

The symposium was presented by The Communications Institute from Pasadena, California. I asked President John Cox to consider a Symposium made up of those capable of seeing the problems from a fresh point of view.

Psalms 8:2. “Out of the mouth of babes and suckling’s hast thou ordained strength ‌â€?

Make no mistake however, I believe we need to employ these scientists despite the admission of all those in attendance that there are many questions, but no one would risk suggesting they have the solution. Might I suggest to them they read Leonardo da Vinci and try to grasp some of his simple observation of nature’s solutions to everything from flight to how water and wind have similar characteristics?

After all the pontification with technical dialog, the bottom line is that nothing can be done to eliminate the use of oil, coal and natural gas.

Dr. James Sweeney, Professor of

Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University in California explained there are three fundamental issues to consider: Environmental (Global Warming), Economic (cost to society), and Security (international

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vulnerability).

Ok, but the most poignant and powerful exposure to me was the numbers. The U.S. energy needs are satisfied 40% from oil, 23% from coal and 23% from natural gas. Therefore,

86% is where the smallest change gives the largest savings. Nuclear, wind, and solar must be affected in unrealistic amounts to reduce CO2 emissions.

A nd here I must interject the changing science that now tells us we NEED MORE, not less CO2. So, to quote Shakespeare, is all of this “much ado about nothing�? And even if the US with 5% of the population of the world eliminated fossil fuels altogether 95% of the population doesn’t care. Why, because the vast majority of the world is just now experiencing industrialization a hundred years behind the United States and other industrialized nations.

New numbers after 12-years are shown here in this chart where you’ll note very little change as predicted by the august body of scientists. More important is that the chart only represents US Energy information – remember 5% of the world population. And yes, I know we consume a disproportionate amount of energy sources of the world, but the US still only consumes 22-23% of the world’s oil production.

In the past, 25% of our oil came from unstable areas of the world – the Middle East. The Saudi’s and Iran control as high as 60% of known world oil reserves. However, we have since moved more away from those sources.

Conservation has made the most significant impact on our growing SEE NATIONAL ENERGY SYMPOSIUM | PAGE 22

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Our final Legislative Priority focused on protecting religious freedom in Texas. There were many bills filed on this, but one of the most important was Senate Bill 1978, which ensures the government cannot penalize individuals or organizations for who they associate with, support, or donate to. You may have heard this as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chick-fil-a Billâ&#x20AC;?, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scope is much broader than just one restaurant in one location. As Republicans, we stand firmly in defense of religious freedom for all Texans, and this bill works to strengthen that defense.

There were more pieces of legislation that will ensure each and every Texan has a brighter future. Texas truly is a special place and we thank our legislators for putting the needs of Texans first and delivering on

JULY 2019

promises made and fighting to expand Texasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exceptionalism.

As we look ahead, we must continue this expansion. To do so, we must focus on increasing our majorities and winning races up and down the ballot - especially with redistricting at stake in 2021. We must unite against the threat of Texas turning blue with the influx of out-of-state leftist money. We must end infighting and focus on defeating Democrats - or we risk seeing Texas, and the Presidency, fall into the hands of those who will work to undo every Republican legislative victory. Texas is winning with Republican results and together we must do what it takes to keep it that way.

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COMMENTARY

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19

Democrats Lost the Mueller Investigation, So They Attack Barr

BY CHARLES JOHNS

real reason to hold Barr in contempt.

Holder really was bad, so Democrats make Barr look bad. Hillary destroyed e-mails after they were subpoenaed, now it appears democrats used lies to get a FISA warrant to spy on Trump.

None of this would be known if Hillary had won, but she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;tâ&#x20AC;ŚOops!

Now Democrats tell lies on top of lies.

Submitted by Charles Johns, Abilene, TX. Charles is a Navy Veteran that served on 3 carriers, spent 20 years as a TV tech, 50 years building cars, and 10+ years as a shop superintendent and Police Department armorer. He graduated from Elkins Institute in Dallas, (the same school Rush Limbaugh attended).

He holds a Federal Firearms License as a gunsmith, with his own 100-yard gun-range for 21 years. Charles can be reached at chasj43@gmail.com or 325-704-4872.

I

f you have siblings, I am sure you can relate to pointing at them when trouble arises. A brother or sister is an easy target to blame after a bad deed is found out. The Democrats could not wait for Mueller to end his investigation of Trump and Russiaâ&#x20AC;Śthen it flopped. No arrests, no collusion, no Trump in jail, no one in his family is charged, a bunch of Russians were chargedâ&#x20AC;Ś but not T r u mp. T hen Muel ler stepped outside the boundaries of his investigation, giving his â&#x20AC;&#x153;readâ&#x20AC;? on what he did find, in section two of his report. All he was assigned to do, was find if enough proof â&#x20AC;&#x153;beyond a reasonable doubtâ&#x20AC;? that Donald Trump had worked with the Russians to win the 2016 election.

Mueller found NO EVIDENCE to support that, and he did not recommend anyone in the Trump family to be indicted.

So, because the Democrats had been pushing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trump Russia Collusionâ&#x20AC;? story for two years, they had egg on their face. Rachael Maddow on MSNBC said proof existed Trump was in bed with Russia. Once the report came out, her ratings dropped like a lead sinker. Other liberal media (which is basically all TV media) had said similar things for two yearsâ&#x20AC;Śnow the facts say â&#x20AC;&#x153;NO, THAT DID NOT HAPPENâ&#x20AC;?! To add insult to injury, the Mueller Report was one of four reports that came to the same conclusion. The FBI, the House, the Senate, and now the Mueller Report all said Trump had no connection to Russia and the election. Hillary is scared, Comey is scared. Brennan is scared. McCabe is scared. Pelosi is stuttering to find words to fit the situation. The DNC looks like it may be in hot water also.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget, the Mueller investigation was to look for Russia and American collusion, but because false info was

used to go after Trump, Mueller went after him like a bloodhound stuck on one scent. Hillaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fingerprints are all over the Russia Hoax, but Mueller did not look into her connections. Why? Is she so powerful she can invent a crime against her opposition in an election, and walk away free? She has walked free before.

Once Trump was cleared, anyone with even a modicum of common sense would look at where the evidence actually took them. But not Mueller. Again, why? The Steele Dossier was not verified when used to get a FISA warrant if later reports can be trusted, but Comey signed it as if all was above board. However, Steele himself said he could not verify the information, yet Comey signed-off on it as fact, to get a warrant to spy on Trumps people. The fact Hillary and the DNC paid for it, was not presented to the FISA court either. That is an obvious fraud on the court to any layperson. We would go to jail.

Much more has come out lately placing Hillary in the middle of this fiasco,

and the Obama administration could be up to their eyeballs in it. Remember, all of this happened under the Obama administration.

With Trump claiming vindication Democrats need a scapegoat. Somebody must be a crook in this mess, so Mr. Barr being the Attorney General under president Trump, he is the new target. With so many democrats in danger of jail-time, and Mr. Barr saying he will look into who started this lie, democrats are acting like siblings pointing at each other, or in Barrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, a playground opponent. He canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be trustedâ&#x20AC;ŚTrump appointed him.

As an outsider, I see democrats trying to make Barr look as bad as possible before they testify about their involvement. For the Obama administration to use government offices against a political opponent, makes the US look like a Banana Republic. Under Obama, Lois Lerner had to admit she used the IRS against conservatives. Eric Holder refused to give information about Fast-and-Furious and was held in contempt of Congress. Maybe that is the

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COMMENTARY

ONE NATION UNDER GOD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Our Presidents have also understood our Nation’s religious foundations.

In his “Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day,” Abraham Lincoln stated, “Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.”

Calvin Coolidge said, “Our Government rests upon religion. It is from that source that we derive our reverence for truth and justice, for equality and liberty, and for the rights of mankind.

Unless the people believe in these principles, they cannot believe in our Government.”

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “As Commander in Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries, men of many faiths and diverse origins have found in the Sacred Book, words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It is a foundation of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.”

Congress added “under God” to our Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 during the Cold War to distinguish us from the “Godless Communists.” The House Committee on the Judiciary 1954 report stated the added words affirmed “the dependence of our people and our Government upon the moral directions of the Creator.” In 1956 Congress made “In God We Trust” our National Motto.

Delegates convened in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to rewrite or replace The Articles of Confederation of 1778, under which our national government functioned during the Revolution. After almost two months of discord, wrangling, quarrel, and essentially no progress, Benjamin Franklin addressed George Washington, the

www.CaprockPatriot.com President of the Convention, and his fellow delegates and called for prayer at the start of each day of the Convention.

Franklin was recognized as perhaps the least religious of the delegates.

The results the prayers produced were astounding. The acrimony disappeared. The dissentions seemed to have evaporated.

The greatest and most brilliant document ever struck by the minds of men came from that Constitutional Convention. Our Constitution was written based on principles that our Founding Fathers took from the Bible. Our Constitution was based on liberty and equality. It directs that governance be by law and not by the Elite.

James Madison and others realized that there is an inherent depravity in human beings that makes them not trustworthy. The power they attain quickly corrupts them. The desire to retain that power will push men to Evil without limits. Our Founding Fathers recognized the existence of Evil and the sinful nature of man.

Our Constitution prohibits the trust of one man or of a few men. The powers are separated into three branches of government, each with checks and balances over the others.

The constitutions of other nations, such as France and Russia, make the assumption that men are good. This is the moral relativism that leads to Socialism and has been invading our Nation for more than a century. Those who support moral relativism are the people who try to remove The Ten Commandments, God, and prayer from our public lives. They are the ones who push to rewrite our Constitution.

Secularists have tried to remove every vestige of our Judeo-Christian heritage and disregard the role of God in our Nation’s greatness.

Supreme Court decisions supported the freedom of public religious expression until the 1947 Court declared a “wall of separation between church and State” was somehow discovered in the First Amendment. The Supreme Court disregarded the fact that the

first Ten Amendments (Bill of Rights) protect citizens from government and not the reverse.

Ever since Everson (1947), the Supreme Court has been rewriting the First Amendment relying not on the Constitution but its own precedent case law and its own say-so.

Our religious liberties have been taken from us by judicial activism, as such could not have happened at the ballot box. When a nation allows itself to degenerate to the point where judges can force it to apologize for its heritage, seeking to protect others from this heritage less they be offended, that nation has lost its foundations, its courage, and its freedom.

Many in this country hate our Constitution. They and their accomplices have distorted and corrupted it. They have tried to strip the Judeo-Christian foundations from our Constitution.

They have used the courts to change our Constitution without the consent of the American people.

Our nation has been subjected to a persistent assault from the Left to make Secularism our National Religion. God, especially God as recognized by Christians, has been their primary target.

Secularism is a religion that does not permit the belief in a power higher than that of man. Elitist humans take charge of secular governments and a dictatorial tyranny is the result.

Our Founding Fathers realized that a belief in God was the necessary foundation on which our government and our society rest. Without this base, our government would be one of evil men and women doing evil deeds to maintain power. The governments of Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Pol Pot come to mind as recent examples.

Lying and killing people have been the foundations of power for each of these men and for each of their governments.

Thomas Jefferson warned the beneficiaries of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution, “God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be secure

JULY 2019

when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are the gift of God? . . . Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

Ronald Reagan warned our Nation and us. Many have not listened well, “Politics and morality are inseparable.

And as morality’s foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. We need religion as a guide.

We need it because we are imperfect, and our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to admit they’re sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires in order to survive.”

The establishment of Secularism as the official religion of the United States of America is a violation of our Constitution. That has not stopped the Federal Courts from attacking prayer, The Ten Commandments, and other religious expression in the public square.

Secularism creates other intended and unintended consequences. It is not beneficial for social or governmental stability. It results in depression, mental disorders, increased drug and alcohol usage, and promotes moral confusion and delusions.

Secularism promotes human hatred, including Darwinism and human caused Global Warming. Secularism promotes male and female sameness and same sex marriage Secularism, the destruction of patriotism, and the disarmament of the citizens allow for the progressive supremacy of Socialism. Reliance upon God, support of family, and self-reliance and security are fundamental to Liberty and are the enemies of Socialism.

We must choose to push back the forces of Evil, to live as free men and women, and to fight for Liberty and justice for all people.

Submitted by Donald R May, Lubbock, TX, retina surgeon, farmer, medical economist, decorated Air Force Veteran, and former medical school professor, department chair, and dean.

COMMENTARY

www.CaprockPatriot.com

JULY 2019

LIVING UNDER SHARIA LAW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

John Adams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, reminds us that, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” In President Ronald Reagan’s speech in June of 1987 at the Berlin Wall, he explains, “The totalitarian world produces backwardness because it does such violence to the spirit, thwarting the human impulse to create, to enjoy, to worship. The totalitarian world finds even symbols of love and of worship an affront …” If our love and worship are offensive, how has our nation withstood the test of time when our moral character has been challenged?

Could it be our resolve to hold fast to that which keeps us grounded in our faith?

Remember President George H.W. Bush signing a Joint Resolution (164) on February 22, 1990, declaring the International Year of Bible Reading?

Bush declared: “The Bible has had a critical impact upon the development of Western civilization… It was a biblical view of man, one affirming the dignity and worth of the human person, made in the image of our Creator, that inspired the principles upon which the United States is founded… We recall the words of the prophet Isaiah, who declared, ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the Word of our God shall stand

forever’… I invite all Americans to discover the great inspiration and knowledge that can be obtained through thoughtful reading of the Bible.”

Later in that same year, May 1990, President Bush declared a National Day of Prayer. With the freedom to read the Holy Bible and pray, one would think that a moral, religious citizenry would be flourishing. Lately, our religious freedom has been coming under fire. Genevieve Wood of The Heritage Foundation explains…“Religious freedom is more than the “freedom to worship” at a synagogue, church, or mosque. It means people shouldn’t have to go against their core values and beliefs in order to conform to culture or government. Religious freedom protects people’s right to live, speak, and act according to their beliefs peacefully and publicly. It protects their ability to be themselves at work, in class, and at social activities.”

Does that mean people can do whatever they want under the guise of religion? The obvious answer is no because the Supreme Court said the federal government may limit religious freedom, but only when it has a “compelling interest” to do so in order to protect the common good and limit people’s ability to harm others. The application in today’s news is the allegations of discrimination, as in the cases of the florist, the photographer, or the baker who are forced to provide their services

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that violate their religious beliefs.

Looking at this from the opposing angle Woods reasons…“Should a lesbian graphic designer or printer be forced to create a flyer for a religious group’s rally opposing same-sex marriage? The answer should be no. In neither example is a person or group being denied a service because of who they are, it’s because of the specific service they are requesting.

In these cases, there should not a compelling interest for the government to interfere.”

In America, unlike those countries who impose Sharia law, our religious freedom prevents the cultural majority from using the power of the state to impose their beliefs on others. This protects everyone, religious and nonreligious alike, from the government becoming so powerful that it can tell people what to think and how to act. A government that intrudes on conscience will not hesitate to intrude on our other freedoms. If we allow the repression of our religious freedom, we lose our individual liberty and human dignity. This is the very foundation that makes America strong. Take away individual liberty and you have a national climate vulnerable to a totalitarian type of regime. The obvious conclusion leads us to believe that individual liberty/ freedom is restricted under Sharia law of Islam, which in turn, promotes a type of bondage, especially for those who are women.

Realizing the contrast between

21

living under Sharia law and the liberty we have in America for those of the Christian faith, let’s briefly look at the origin of our freedom. When Christ Jesus was talking to those Jews who had believed Him saying, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”(John 8:31-32) He went on to say, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

Once an individual becomes a Christ follower, the Holy Bible explains, “having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness…

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(Romans 6:18, 22-23) “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of bondage.”(Galatians 5:1) How refreshingly encouraging to know that we can choose freedom over bondage! Have YOU made that choice yet?

Submitted by Becca Keating. Becca is an author, speaker and powerful, contemporary voice on the frontline of politics, media and religion. Keating’s urgent first-person perspective on faith and policy are ripped from today’s headlines and featured on TV and talk-radio. For more information, visit http://www.beccakeating.net

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22

COMMENTARY

THE DECLARATION OF ‘IN’DEPENDENCE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

And not only are we dependent but we are also interdependent. We read in Genesis 2:18, “The Lord God said It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a helper suited to him.”

Independence took another major hit with those words. The truth is that we need one another and depend on others far more than we realize. Choose most any item in a grocery store and there is no telling how many hundreds of people played a role to make that item possible for purchase.

Alfred Adler, the true father of modern day psychology, knew the importance of relationships when he based his theory on a concept he called “social interest” and correctly understood that mental health and caring for others were directly related. John Donne knew it when he wrote: No man is an island entire of itself;

www.CaprockPatriot.com every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Similarly, George Bernard Shaw stated: “Independence? That’s middle-class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” And what is true for us as individuals is true for us as a nation. If we cut off all our interdependence with other nations, we would have a much different looking country that many would not recognize.

And if we continue to tout our independence from God, like Adam, we should not be surprised by our death.

Submitted by James R. Sulliman, Ph.D. Individual, marriage, and family therapist in Abilene, TX.

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JULY 2019

NATIONAL ENERGY SYMPOSIUM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

demand and where California took active steps in that direction the rest of America, and the world at large, did nothing to speak of, so after 40 years of significant efforts in the US, no meaningful changes have been made.

After a full day of speakers and panel discussions and Q&A sessions, I came away with the feeling that we need to begin to look at the problem from a very different vantage point.

This assemblage of impressively credentialed scientists came to no real conclusive summary of solutions.

A quote from someone in the audience put much of this into perspective.

“Electricity was not invented from incremental improvements to the candle”.

True enough and unless we make unimaginable breakthroughs in technology to solve the perceived problems with providing energy, we need to look at alternative solutions from a fresh approach.

I suggest that we have another National Energy Symposium and assemble a panel made up of Kindergarten Kids and middle school tots to find ‘Real’ fresh thought to get us started.

Then we could assemble another Symposium with panelists with experience in common-sense real-world problem-solving. Farmers, priests and ministers from all faiths, social scientists, housewives, carpenters, plumbers, house painters and handymen, hardware store clerks, wouldbe inventors, comedians and if we could exhume Mark Twain and Will Rogers the mere presence of their bones might give an air of creativity to the brainstorming session.

Social Engineers like Mao Tse-Tung adopting policies of 1 child per family prevented 350 million new births. Farmers may suggest mass castration. How about reversible vasectomy until age 30 to eliminate the testosterone factor.

The point is we get all mesmerized by the brilliance and forget most often the simplest solution is the best solution. Whether you liked China’s Mao TseTung, it is hard to argue that his restriction made a huge change in reducing population growth in that country. The US has also been able to contain growth because of the changing lifestyle of its people. They voluntarily had fewer children and adopted policies of murdering people while they were helpless babies.

Meanwhile, India continues to grow, and Africans are multiplying faster than responsible societies should.

The very dialog of a Common Man Symposium may lead to alternative approaches to solving our perceived world energy crisis. The jury is still out and as we learn more and science is corrected, we should NOT panic just because pundits (so-called experts) tell us we need a New Green Deal. Global warming has begun to be debunked as well and we need to be calm and continue to study science. Me, I think studying the Bible will produce more significant benefits for everyone, everywhere.

Suggested reading and web sites: The Ozone Myth, by Stephen E. Blewett, PhD from Stanford and Cal Tech; www.communicationsinstitute.org; www.

TCI1.org; www.analysisonline.org.

Submitted by Joe Mavilia who is a syndicated columnist with more than 35 years in the automotive industry. He is a member of the Motor Press Guild and Automotive Press Association. His reviews have been published in print media including the Los Angeles Times, The Golden Transcript – Colorado, La Feria News – Texas, The Pasadena Weekly – California, and others around the country, including www.theweekenddrive.com where he is the West Coast Editor. He is also a friend of the Caprock Patriot.

JULY 2019

AN ARROW AIMED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

how the government they were designing should operate. When looking at the election of the chief executive they rejected direct democracy because they believed it was too prone to result in a majority that would act as a tyrant.

Looking back across time this collection of largely homeschooled patriots drew upon their knowledge of history and philosophy. Specifically, they looked to the writings of Plato who wrote in the Republic that the people or the demos, as they were called in Greek could not be trusted because they would inevitably vote for whoever promised to meet their desires of the moment even if that meant taking from others or from the national treasury. In other words, they would vote for a Santa Clause over a Washington or a Jefferson. A lesson well learned and applied by the pitiful politicians promising paradise who make up the best Congress money can buy.

Plato thought the majority would lack the knowledge and wisdom to make sound choices. Of course, he didn’t know about our enlightened American education system that spends more time indoctrinating the young skulls full of mush about Al Gore’s Climate hoax religion than it does about the founding of this country. A federally controlled union infected system spends more energy turning our children into good little socialist than teaching them that capitalism has raised more people out of poverty than any other system ever devised.

Instead of echoing the platitudes of Comrade Sanders and AOC as if they had any chance of working in the real world our government indoctrinators could teach about how the Connecticut Compromise led to the structure of our bicameral legislature and the executive branch. They could teach that the electoral college was created

COMMENTARY

www.CaprockPatriot.com to prevent the United States from becoming a place where the majority subjugated the minority.

Hamilton and Madison, two of the key strategists in devising our government focused on factions or combinations of likeminded people who work together to advance their own interests. Mainly they spoke of majorities and minorities. Madison especially thought that government must be structured in such a way as to fragment the power of the majority so that it could not become tyrannical.

When you read Federalist 9 (Hamilton), Federalist10, and Federalist 51 (Madison), these deep thinking political theorists identified three key elements they felt existed to help give the new United States a chance for success: its population size, geographic size, and the differing interests of the independent States. Back in those days before smartphones, the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, and 24-hour cable news, these factors made it difficult if not impossible for minority factions to combine into a coalition large enough to do any real damage to our system. But today with near instantaneous communication people can be rallied quickly which means emotions can easily outrun reflection.

In America today, intolerant minority factions can be whipped up into tyrannical majorities in a way the Framers never imagined. At the very time in our history when we are more vulnerable than ever to manipulated majority rule, the National Popular Vote movement wants us to embrace direct democracy at the presidential level.

The Framers designed a system of government limited in scope and shackled by the Constitution. A system designed to do little as opposed to doing too much. They attempted to build a system based on the nature of man. A system of divided power able to control humanity’s less desirable tendencies.

As Madison said in Federalist #51,

“If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.

In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” This identifies the basic problem perfectly.

We aren’t angels.

Because of this, we need controls designed to prevent unfettered majority dominance. The Electoral College is the tool given to us by the Framers to make sure all of the States have a voice that is heard. However, if enough States adopt the National Popular Vote this safeguard will be neutralized, not through amending the Constitution but instead by doing an end-run around it. If this happens, we’ll take a long step towards the dystopian vision our Framers sought to avoid: the tyranny of the majority.

23

One question I have is, “How do these political manipulators convince people to vote to make their future votes irrelevant?” To paraphrase Lincoln, “You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. But you can probably fool enough people to convince a majority to vote themselves onto the sidelines of History.” If this arrow finds its mark a bicoastal electoral juggernaut will trample the voice of the Heartland into the dust of History.

Submitted by Dr. Robert Owens.

Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @http://drrobertowens.com. Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @Drrobertowens or visit Dr. Owens Amazon Page. Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens.

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MILITARY SALUTE

www.CaprockPatriot.com

JULY 2019

Bryan Sauceda, U.S. Marine SALUTED BY THE CAPROCK PATRIOT

Branch: United States Marine Corps Service Dates: 06/2005 – 06/2009 Rank: LCpl MOS: 0331 – Machine Gunner Medals Awarded: Rifle Sharpshooter Badge, Pistol Sharpshooter Badge, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Nato Medal-ISAF Afghanistan, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2nd Award), Certificate of Appreciation, Good Conduct Medal Bio: A native of West Texas, Bryan Sauceda was raised and graduated high school in Rotan, TX. Immediately after high school he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Bryan joined the

Marine Corps knowing he wanted to be in the Infantry. During his time at the School of Infantry, he made the choice to be a Machine Gunner 0331. After School of Infantry, he was stationed with CAAT Red, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines in Twentynine Palms, CA, in the middle of the Mojave Desert. This would be his home for the duration of his enlistment when he was not in Iraq or Afghanistan.

During his time with 1/7, Bryan served in two deployments to Iraq.

His first deployment in the support of Iraqi Freedom was from 03/2006 – 09/2006 in Al Asad Iraq, and the next was in 08/2007- 03/2008 in Hit, Iraq.

The1/7 was not scheduled to make another deployment prior to Bryan’s End of Active Service in 06/2009. As a result, his duties became training

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the younger Marines who were getting ready to deploy.

All this changed when 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, needed volunteer combat replacements in Afghanistan. Close to 300 Marines raised their hands and volunteered, but only 150 were selected. Bryan decided to volunteer because his two best friends decided they wanted to go. Bryan decided he wasn’t going to let them go back alone. They already made it home safe from two deployments to Iraq.

He believed they could do it again in Afghanistan; even knowing there was more kinetic fighting going on there. He served in Afghanistan from 10/2008 – 03/2009.

After his time in the service, he met my wife Crystal Sauceda in Lubbock, TX. Together, they made their way to Texas Tech University where both of earned their bachelor’s degrees in December 2016; while at the same time, raising two children. Bryan earned his degree in Personal Financial Planning, which the program at Texas Tech is considered the best undergraduate financial planning program in the country. He joined a local financial planning firm in order to complete his experience requirement for the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation, which is considered the gold standard of designations in financial planning. He passed the CFP® exam on his first attempt doing only self-study in November 2017. He officially earned his designation and became a CFP® professional in December 2018.

Bryan passion for helping others led him to recently started his own financial planning business serving the Lubbock community. His company, Advisers Investment Management, Inc., is a fee-only financial planning firm, sells no products, and is required to act as a fiduciary in all of their client relationships. A fiduciary is required to

act in their clients’ best interests, rather than in their own interests. Bryan also earned his Retirement Income Certified Professional® designation as of June 1, 2019. As a CFP® professional and RICP®, he specializes in developing comprehensive retirement income plans that address income needs and other financial goals for clients.

He works with clients in choosing the optimal retirement age and determining the optimal age to claim Social Security to maximize benefits. He works with clients to identify and mitigate retirement risks, create sustainable income, minimizing tax burden, and help plan and achieve legacy goals.

From the Caprock Patriot: Bryan, we salute your service to this great country, your commitment to your family, your integrity and your passion for helping to improve the lives of others. Patriots, if you have a need for financial or retirement planning, I humbly ask you support our great Veterans who have proven themselves, in and out of battle.

You can reach Bryan at (806)300-9662 or by email at bryan@thecompletesolution.com Submitted by Paul McArthur, the Caprock Patriot

MILITARY SALUTE

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JULY 2019

25

OLD SALT: How Dumb Were We?

BY DOUGLAS MCARTHUR

T

hose who read my little articles know I like to reflect on U.S. Navy memories. I relate the following incident to add some context to my technology accomplishments as primarily rooted in the U.S. Navy. It was my luck and good fortune to have been immersed in electronics thanks to the Navy. You will hear more about that in my next article entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lucky Strikeâ&#x20AC;?. The current story shows how ignorant assumptions eventually play into real gains in the future.

I do not wish to convey any notion I or my generation were all that smart.

Really, most mortals are not of super intellect. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just that some are keen observers of the natural world around them and promptly act with passion on what interest them.

I participated in and observed the following funny event occurring one evening just after World War II. I was an 8-year-old boy growing up in High Point, NC. Our neighborhood was near the end of East Green Street. One day we were told, on the stated evening, an experiment would take place. That night pictures would fly through the air to downtown. At dark every man, woman, and child were up and down Green Street sidewalks peering up at the sky to watch those pictures sailing

toward downtown High Point.

As time passed, most gave up and drifted home. I recall some arguments broke out and a couple of our local tough guys were goaded into a bareknuckle fistfight for entertainment.

No! We were not brutes. People were not intent in hurting each other back then, â&#x20AC;&#x153;back in the dayâ&#x20AC;?.

You would rightly think, just how dumb were you people? We had no knowledge of television or any such technology. As a country, we had just survived a brutal war. Two of my uncles had survived the Normandy Invasion and subsequent battles. In my case, it was some years later before my brain had a flashback to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;pictures flyingâ&#x20AC;? night as I realized â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, it

Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2019;Â&#x17D;Â&#x192;Â?Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;ÇĄ Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â?Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2019;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018; Â?Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x192;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x192; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;ÇŚÂ&#x2018;Â?Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A; Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2022; %U\DQ 6DXFHGD

Â&#x2122;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â? Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D; Â&#x203A;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014; Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2022;Â&#x160;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Ď&#x201D;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D; Â&#x2019;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x203A;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2014; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2018;Â?ĚšÂ&#x2013; Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020;Ǩ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â? ǤÂ&#x2026;Â&#x2018;Â? ̡ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â? ͺͲ͸nj;ͲͲnj͝͸͸ʹ Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x201E;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â? Â&#x2122;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â?Ǩ

was televisionâ&#x20AC;?. P.S., we never saw the pictures fly until they landed on our brand-new TV screens in 1950 or so.

Ok, so just how dumb were we? Just to put that in perspective, most of those youths who craned up to the sky went on to become highly successful in almost every field of endeavor. I am sure each of them, in later life, had a good laugh at themselves, as I did.

Fast forward 74 years. We now live in a unique and privileged period in history. Knowledge is doubling at an ever-increasing rate. Currently, we are told knowledge doubles every 12-months. Soon knowledge is expected to double every few days.

Conversely, it seems, personal knowledge, common sense, and self-reliance

has decreased at light speed. FYI, light speed is a paltry 186,000,000 miles per second. Any observer of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American culture cannot help but see the vast ignorance accumulating in the minds of the under 40 generation.

Evidence abounds such as the funny but dumb answers heard in various late night â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;man on the streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; interviews. Additionally, there is evidence that the current generation is quick to throw away the proven values developed over thousands of yearsâ&#x20AC;Ś as if to say we are smarter than all previous mankind. I remember hearing men like David Packard and Bill Hewlett (of Hewlett Packard fame) say we stood on the shoulders of giants. According to history, Sir Isaac Newton was the originator of the phrase. Unfortunately, the contemporary thought seems to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trample on all past proven knowledge and valuesâ&#x20AC;?.

Today anyone can carry a $500 computing device more powerful than any multimillion-dollar computer prior to 30 years ago. We call these contemporary devices â&#x20AC;&#x153;cell phonesâ&#x20AC;?. These devices can compute, store vast amounts of information, and access thousands of computers from around the world at light speed.

Just as our Government aims to keep half the population entitled and dependent on government aid, are we SEE OLD SALT | PAGE 26

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MILITARY SALUTE

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Myth Busters of VA Home Loans: Fast Facts

BY RENEE BURGETT

S

chool is out, summer is in, a nd t h at me a n s t he p e a k home-buying season is here!

When a family makes the decision to purchase a new home, it can be very overwhelming. There are many foreign terms and policies that one may not be familiar with, and it is easy to get overwhelmed. One of the most misunderstood loan programs is the VA loan. Here are three fast facts about the VA loan process to clear some of the confusion surrounding this wonderful program.

MYTH #1: YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE VA LOAN. In truth, VA benefits do not have an expiration date. Once a veteran or active duty service member qualifies for this compensation, it is theirs for

life. Additionally, these benefits can be spread out over the course of several different loans, rather than just a single loan. Certain procedures and policies may apply to any loan after the initial VA loan, such as a VA funding fee, but there is no limit to how many times a veteran can use their VA benefits.

MYTH #2: ONLY RETIRED VETERANS CAN QUALIFY FOR A VA HOME LOAN Many people believe that the only ones who can take advantage of VA benefits are retired veterans, and this could not be further from the truth.

While it is very common for veterans to save their benefits until after they have retired from service, it is not mandatory. Not only can active service members take advantage of the VA benefits after 181 consecutive days of service but members of the national guard and reserves become eligible to receive VA

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benefits after six years of service. Even if they are serving overseas, a VA loan can still be obtained in their honor so long as they intend on returning home within a year from the loan closing, or if they have a spouse who will occupy the home in their absence. Additionally, any surviving spouse may take advantage of the VA benefits given to their spouse who was killed in action or due to a service-connected disability.

MYTH #3: VA HOME LOANS ARE DIFFICULT AND TAKE FOREVER Many people tend to gravitate toward conventional loans because they are seen as the easiest loans to obtain.

What most don’t realize is that VA boasts many of the same benefits a conventional loan does -- the only difference being a few more regulations and guidelines to follow. For example, a VA loan takes about the same amount of time to process as a conventional loan. Most of the time when the loan seems like it is dragging along, OLD SALT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

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meant to be dependent on a device for our knowledge? There are concrete moves by Washington’s politicians to entitle every American to cell phone, personal computer, and network access. More government dependency!

The pioneers who invented television all learned from observing the natural world and added to the knowledge learned by their predecessors.

Chief among these pioneers was Philo Farnsworth. He developed the method to transmit imagery by observing the rows of a plowed field. Yes! He was a humble Midwest farm boy and the true father of Silicon Valley. If you are interested in this amazing history Google Vintage Radio: Making Pictures Fly Through the Air, Part 1 and Making Pictures Fly Through the Air, Part 2.

So, just how dumb is the newer generation? No dumber than any

JULY 2019

it is because the originating lender is unfamiliar or uncomfortable with processing VA loans. Choosing a seasoned lender and Realtor who is very familiar with the VA can ensure that the process is smooth and painless. Most VA loans close in less than 30 days!

I hope that these VA Fast Facts have cleared up some of the common misconceptions about the VA program.

While the added policies and regulations can be intimidating, the VA program is very beneficial and efficient, closing more than 22 million loans since the start of the program in 1944, and it has since become a valuable resource to American homebuyers.

If you have any questions regarding VA Home loans or need help finding a VA lender, give me a call, I’ll be Happy to help. You can contact me at 806-778-1507 or email me at Renee@ ExitLubbock.com Thank you for your service to this great country!!

Submitted Renee Burgett, Agent, Exit Realty Lubbock, 806-778-1507 or email me at Renee@ExitLubbock.com

American generation. Just be careful not to squander your God-given natural ability to observe and act with dedicated passion. Guard against letting a man-made computer device substitute for your brain. The human brain is still the most powerful computer in this world. Left unexercised and dependent on some other device the brain will grind to a final, boring and desolate halt.

I can recall many “flying picture” events that sharpened my desire to learn. How about you? I would love to hear your story.

Join me next month for “Lucky Strike”. And, it’s not LSMFT (showing my age with that cigarette ad acronym!).

Submitted by Old Salt, Douglas McArthur, Arlington, TX, with Tarheel roots, USS Forrestal Ship’s Company, USS Saratoga VA-34 Blue Blaster Squadron, U.S. Army Reserves.

MILITARY SALUTE

JULY 2019

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My Time with Shilo I

BY RUSS MURPHY

have never heard the audible voice of God but when I met Shilo Harris at a Rotary luncheon in 2009, the Lord made it clear that this was one of His “divine appointments.” (Shilo was severely burned by an IED blast in February of 2007) Since 2005 I have worked closely with our military as an encourager to veterans, troops and their families so I was immediately drawn to Shilo and wanted to hear his story. I was curious how this man could deal with the fact that, in just an instant, his appearance and life had been so drastically changed.

The 1st time we worked together was in 2010 at my CD release concert at Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas. I had asked Shilo to share his testimony near the end of the concert. I purposely chose to sit on the platform while he shared so I could see the reactions from the congregation. About 3 minutes into his testimony I found myself struggling to hold back the tears and while he spoke and I counted at least 8 standing ovations from the enthusiastic crowd. I’ll never forget the moment he closed by saying, “And I just want to thank you all for allowing me to make this sacrifice for you and our great nation.” Wow!!! I was stunned

and speechless. (and believe me, it takes a lot to render a Baptist preacher speechless) In fact, I had a hard time composing myself when I came back to the microphone to end the program. It was then that I began to get a glimpse of the depth of Shilo’s faith.

Since then I’ve had the honor of working with Shilo at numerous concerts and each time I am continually in awe of his positive outlook on life. I am humbled by this man who sacrificed so much for me and our nation. However, what has touched me most about Shilo is his desire to follow Christ. He once confessed, “Russ, I want you to know that I sometimes have a difficult time trusting and obeying God.” As his friend and “older brother” I assured him that it’s a problem we all face; even for guys like me who are are in full-time ministry. One evening, while making the 3-hour drive from Farmington to Albuquerque, NM., we had a very honest and open talk about what it meant to follow Christ and the struggles we both have had at times. I think it encouraged Shilo to see that, even though I was a minister, I was just a normal guy who at times has a hard time understanding God and truly resting in Him. A year after we met, I was singing

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at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. Shilo and his family had joined a hundred of his wounded warrior friends who were there. At the concert, I saw a young boy feeding his dad supper because his father had lost both hands in battle. I also listened to a teenage girl read the newspaper to her father who had recently been blinded in combat. After one of our songs I turned to my singing partner, David Spears, and in a whisper said, “Take a look; that’s what freedom costs.”

A few hours later David and I began work on a song called, “That’s What Freedom Costs”; a song that would later become a #1 song on the national Inspirational Country Music charts and nominated for the 2011 ICM Song of the Year. The last verse goes....

“A man and wife in Flagstaff, look at photographs of their wedding day.

He was such a handsome man now there’s burns and scars on this warrior’s face. He turns to her, “now tell me what you see?” She says, “Soldier, you’re still beautiful to me.”

A very special moment happened in 2010 at the Inspirational Country Music Awards Show in Nashville, TN. One of my songs, “Cowboys Love Jesus, Too,” was nominated for the ICM Song of the Year. I was backstage getting ready to sing on the show when I saw Shilo in the dressing room monitor getting

ready to present the award for Song of the Year. I didn’t even know that Shilo was scheduled to be on the show. After the nominees were read, Shilo opened the envelope and with a big grin said, “And the award for the 2010 ICM Song of the Year goes to my friend, Russ Murphy, “Cowboys Love Jesus, Too.” I couldn’t believe my ears. It was such a thrill, not only to win the award but because Shilo was the one who presented it to me.

Several times Shilo has expressed that he looks at me as a big brother in Christ; someone to give him advice on how to grow in the Lord. As it has turned out, Shilo is the one who is helping me walk with Jesus. I love this man and am so grateful that the Lord has allowed us to become friends. Shilo Harris continues to inspire our entire nation with his awesome testimony of courage and strength. And as he says at the end of his testimony, “God bless you and God bless the USA.” Russ Murphy is a singer/songwriter/author who has seen 11 of his Inspirational Country Music songs go to #1 in the nation. He is currently serving at Indiana Ave. Baptist Church in Lubbock as their Senior Adult Minister and 9:30am Worship leader. Russ and his wife, Linda, also spend time working with and encouraging our military, veterans and their families.

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2ND AMENDMENT

www.CaprockPatriot.com

JULY 2019

Guns, Gun Rights, and a Legacy

BY IZZY MUSQUIZ, GENERAL MANAGER, SHARP SHOOTERS SAFE & GUN

W

hen we support lobbyist groups, like the NRA, that are helping to defend our Second Amendment, there are some things we need to consider. Mostly, these groups focus on the right to protect oneself and the right to own a firearm. Where they lack coverage, is the legacy of gun enthusiasts and of the sport.

Working in the gun industry, it’s plain to see that younger generations may not have as much appreciation for the right to bear arms, the right to protect oneself, and more importantly, the joy of shooting. The fact is, this trend has been increasing for some time.

Teaching our kids about firearms and their significance is critical and may help to determine where the sport will be in the next few years. For example, teaching your son or daughter gun safety, the value of hunting, and/or the disciplines of the shooting sports, is responsible and can save their life or another’s. This will also pave the way for them as they get older as to why preserving the Second Amendment is critical. We need to preserve the right and to foster the interest to have the opportunity to hand down our guns, the sport and this legacy to future generations.

Shooting sports, hunting or even just going out and shooting empty coke cans with 22s is the type of involvement we are lacking. If you think back to your childhood, I bet you can remember the first time you shot a gun with your Dad (or uncle, etc.). I bet you can remember ‘plinking’ cans in a field. I bet you can remember the day you got your first, very own, gun.

This subject goes beyond the right to protect ourselves. This is a matter of

Izzy Musquiz and son Jacob at Lubbock Shooting Complex

our generation being able to pass on a little bit of history.

I was motivated to write this article when I had my Uncle come to visit.

My Uncle helped raised my Dad. He is 85 years old now and has suffered two strokes in the last five years.

As we were having lunch during his visit, there was very little conversation. The strokes have taken their toll and speaking is very difficult for him. We finished up lunch and I asked his daughter if I could take him to our store. Of course, it came with a warning that she may not be able to get him out of the shop. You see, my Uncle used to be a big gun collector.

So, the minute he walked into the gun room at the store, his entire demeanor changed. I could only imagine all the memories that were running through his mind from when he was young and

first started his collection and shot his first gun. He immediately started conversing with me as best he could about the some of the guns he saw, each one with some significance to him. Each one with some memory he shared.

He was saying things like, “I remember a hunting trip with a gun like that,” or “that was kind of like the first handgun I bought.” The guy who didn’t have much to say at lunch was now trying to speak as much as possible about something that he had a passion and love for. We sat down for a bit and were discussing his earliest memories of shooting guns with my Dad. He even told me a story of when we went to visit him and he showed us his entire gun collection. On that trip, he took us out to a property that belonged to his friend, and we shot 22s

at empty cans all afternoon. It was a blast! You see, that was something he got to share with my Dad, and then my Dad shared it with me, and now I am sharing it with my sons. Then one day, my sons will share that with their kids, and the trend needs to continue.

Understanding of the meaning of our gun rights goes beyond just having the right to protect ourselves. We must remember that the younger generation will be the ones that continue to carry the torch and fight for our gun rights.

They are the voters of the future.

Even more important, shooting with someone in your life, of a younger generation, is a chance to pass down a legacy. And, as in my case, an irreplaceable time to bond with a loved one.

If you want to get started shooting with your son or daughter and are not sure where to start, please come visit us here at Sharp Shooters Safe & Gun. We are passionate about this and it would be our honor to help you begin to build that legacy with your children or grandchildren.

Submitted by Sharp Shooters Safe & Gun, Lubbock, TX, www.ssguns.com; and by Lubbock Shooting Complex/ Hub City Clays, Lubbock, TX, lubbockshootingcomplex.com

JULY 2019

2ND AMENDMENT

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29

100 Days of Democrats’ Gun Control Nonsense

BY LARRY KEANE

R

ecently, a group of Democrats in Congress held a press conference to discuss gun control. It’s not entirely clear why their remarks were newsworthy. It was simply another instance of gun control advocates advocating for gun control in front of the media. Their hook was that it had been 100 days since the House passage of a bill requiring universal background checks for every private party firearm transfer.

Yes, all retailers are already required to run background checks through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), regardless of whether the transfer is made through a store or at a gun show.

But that isn’t good enough for those

who wish to control the actions of every individual seeking to exercise their Constitutional rights under the Second Amendment.

And H.R. 8, their universal background check bill, sounds like the next logical law to pass when covered in the media. However, as we have said before, it can’t work.

CRIMINALS DON’T RESPECT LAWS It can’t work because criminals who are prohibited by law from owning a firearm will not comply, as they do not comply with the existing laws. Government surveys have shown time and time again that the vast majority of prisoners obtained their guns from the black market or from theft.

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There are zero indications that they will follow a new law requiring them to call the FBI as they are purchasing a stolen firearm on the street.

It can’t work because the only way to enforce the law will be to create a massive government database with a list of every gun owner and which firearms they own. That way, they can track whether a background check was run when the firearm was sold or given as a gift to another individual. In a time when every database is hackable and all personal information online is vulnerable, the last thing our country needs is a gun owner database.

NOT AN ANTIDOTE According to the members of Congress who participated in this media availability debacle, H.R. 8 is needed SEE 100 DAYS | PAGE 31

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2ND AMENDMENT

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JULY 2019

Freedom Haters Repeat After Me – There Is No Debate!

BY MARK WALTERS

T

he political left likes to refer to it as a “debate,” as if somehow the nations’ Founding Father’s didn’t know what they were doing when they wrote the Second Amendment to the U.S Constitution.

This, by the way, infers that they (the socialist left) know better what the Second Amendment means than the men who wrote it. Of course, that’s patently absurd, but in today’s day and age of instant communication and fake news, the vast majority of which leans socialist left, it’s understandable why they believe their interpretation as the truth. I mean come on, when MSDNC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS (and sometimes FOX-See Sheppard Smith, Juan Williams or Judge Napolitano) always tow your line and push your narrative, it’s hard to see otherwise.

Let me give you an example of what I’m referring to. The hardline gun prohibitionists like to tell us that the Second Amendment applies only to a connection with military service, such as a national guard, for example, and not the individual people. In other words, they would have us believe it belongs to the state. I forget how many times I’ve mentioned this over the years on air, but the authors of the Bill of Rights said “the people” in the document, five times including

the Second Amendment “right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

■ Amendment I: Congress shall

make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or

the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

■ Amendment II: A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

■ Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

■ Amendment IX: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

■ Amendment X: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

The meaning of the word “people” is so clear that one would have to be stretching the truth (read: lying) to infer the word meant anything other than the individual.

In fact, Amendment IV connects the word “people” to the word “person,” Amendment IX refers to the SEE THERE IS NO DEBATE! | PAGE 31

2ND AMENDMENT

www.CaprockPatriot.com

JULY 2019

THERE IS NO DEBATE! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

“people” without any other reference, and Amendment X clearly separates the “people” from the “state.” To believe otherwise would mean Amendment IX should have read “shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the states, or by the people.” Of course, the reason the founders didn’t include “by the states” in Amendment IX is that states don’t have rights and any invocation that they do only applies to powers (which are not unlimited and are subject to review and oversight) by the people if they are found to be unconstitutional.

Here’s the bottom line: The authors of our Bill of Rights didn’t make a mistake.

They actually knew what they were doing and articulated their intent clearly and unambiguously. If they had meant something else, they would have simply said it rather than

cryptically written other amendments in ways that would have required centuries of debating and deciphering, instead, they were crystal clear – we, (the people), have an individual right to bear arms that shall not be infringed. You know it, I know it, and they know it. There is no debate now, and there has never been unless of course, you’re a leftists socialist who seeks to control me – and good luck with that!

Submitted by Mark Walters who is the host of two nationally syndicated radio broadcasts, Armed American Radio and Armed American Radio’s Daily Defense with Mark Walters. He is the Second Amendment Foundations 2015 Gun Rights Defender of the Year award recipient and co-author of two books, Lessons from Armed America with Kathy Jackson (Whitefeather Press) and Lessons from UnArmed America with Rob Pincus (Whitefeather Press). Reprinted with permission from Ammoland.com

100 DAYS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

to stem the “epidemic of gun violence.”

As we have noted many times before, guns are not a disease and are used in healthy, legal ways every day. When asked whether the bill would have prevented the recent tragic shooting in Virginia Beach, of course the answer was no, as the shooter had already passed more than one background check. The illegal actions of criminals must be addressed, as well as the rising suicide trends and the fortunately rare cases of unintentional injuries. But H.R. 8 is not a solution.

A real newsworthy event would be for the Democrats pushing the gun control agenda to admit that H.R. 8 will not lower crime rates or address the gaps in our mental health system.

How about a press conference to recognize the notably effective programs led and funded by the firearms and ammunition industry that help make

31

our communities safer?

Submitted by Larry Keane, SVP for Government & Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Reprinted with permission from Ammoland.com

Did you notice how high up on the Bill of Rights we placed the Second Amendment?

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THE WORD

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JULY 2019

Freedom, the Ultimate “Mind Game”

BY LEO JALOSYNSKI

O

n July 4th, 2019, fireworks across America will remind citizens, of this blessed nation, that “Freedom” is not free.

The Greek General Thucydides (420 B.C.) wrote “The secret to happiness is freedom. The secret to freedom is courage.” American patriot, Patrick Henry (1736 A.D.) is remembered for his quote “Give me liberty or give me death”. The classic movies, “Braveheart”, “The Patriot”, and “The Passion of Christ” vividly portray the cost required to win and defend FREEDOM. The military sacrifices of America’s millennial generation is truly remarkable. They voluntarily spill their blood and live with the wounds of a nearly twenty-year war in the Middle East. American

citizens must not allow their bravery to be wasted by letting “reason” be defeated by feelings and emotions.

God help us win the timeless battle for “freedom” that must be won on the battlefield of the mind. As was

quoted recently by an American soldier as he stood over the dead body of an enemy soldier he had just shot, “This is not a video game”.

To set others “free”, we must first set ourselves “free”. The “noise” of our “screens” keeps us from the freedom to be found only by looking into the mirrors of our bathrooms. That “Self” whose face we shave or put makeup on must be free before we can set others free. One might call our generation the “Amusement” generation. To amuse means ‘not think’ or ‘be deceived’. In April 2019, Prince Harry (of English royalty) is quoted saying this about the video game Fortnite...”That game shouldn’t be allowed. It’s created to addict. An addiction to keep you in front of a computer screen for as long as possible. It is so irresponsible”. This game SEE FREEDOM, THE ULTIMATE | PAGE 36

JULY 2019

Amazing Grace

L

ast year my daughter (I’ll call her Roxy) met a wonderful little girl named Grace (also, not her real name). When she first told me about Grace, Roxy said she was this ‘sweet teeny tiny girl, who walked really sassy and had very old parents. My daughter had told Grace that her mom looked like her grandma. (Don’t all moms want to know they look like a grandma instead of a mom?) That remark opened the conversation between the two of them.

Grace proceeded to tell my daughter about how her birth parents were drug users, and how the police came to her house one day and took her away.

Grace then explained a really nice lady gave her to this couple who became her mom and dad. Grace told Roxy she was so thankful her adoptive parents chose her. Sometimes my daughter comes up with crazy stories, but given the age of Grace’s parents, it made sense.

It wasn’t until recently I got the opportunity to really know this charming 7-year-old, with the sassy walk.

She’s unlike any 7-year-old I’ve ever met. Her parents invited us to watch her sing the Star-Spangled Banner at a local sports arena. We accepted the invitation and all four of us piled in the car. We got to the arena, and Grace started introducing us to everyone.

She acted like the Mayor of this place.

She introduced us to the owner of the minor league team, the coach’s kids,

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and the managers of the arena. She ran the entire place LIKE A BOSS. I couldn’t believe it.

Before Grace’s performance, her mom had explained to me that Grace had already skipped a grade due to her intelligence. (It finally clicked as to why she was so small!) She had also told me about how Grace consistently gets picked on at the playground because she brings books to read instead of playing with other kids. Her mom started to tell me another story, but it was performance time. Grace took the microphone and started belting out the Star-Spangled Banner. You would have thought there was a trained performer out there, but it was simply this ‘teeny tiny girl’ singing her heart out. After she was finished, her mom looked at me and said, “You thought I was crazy didn’t you?” Yes. Yes. I did.

I never dreamed Grace could actually sing. Grace came back to where we were sitting and told me she was going to sing in the school talent show, and she would like for us to come. I told her I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Tonight was talent show night. The school cafeteria was packed. Standing room only. I always take a position next to the wall so I can stand up and watch. Grace was about halfway through the show and we had already watched several other singers. Grace took the stage. Her song was Whitney

Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You”. Grace chose to sing it acapella. She started singing, and I didn’t watch her, I watched the crowd. In my head, I’m thinking ‘wait for it, wait for it’ and there it was, the first ‘…. AND IIIIIIII, IIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUUU”. Jaws dropped, mom’s looked at dad’s and mouthed ‘who the heck is this kid?’ The expressions on these adults’ faces were priceless. The PTA mom’s had no idea who this kid was or whose class she was in. It was driving them crazy. Grace hit every note with ease. At the end, she smiled and showed everyone those amazing dimples. I looked at Roxy and she was super proud of her friend.

Again, I was amazed. While watching Grace all I could think of was how she confirms my belief that all of us have this pre-determined destiny in life.

It’s beyond our control, but it is up to us to live it to the fullest. Grace didn’t choose to have drug addicts as her birth

33

parents, but she has a great set of adoptive parents who have been honest with her and have encouraged her to always do her best. Grace was given an amazing gift in her voice. I have no doubt she will continue to use her singing as a way to bring people together. She truly is a wonderful little girl, and Roxy is lucky to have her as a friend.

Submitted by an anonymous working Texas Mom

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Feminist until you get married.

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JULY 2019

A Christian Look into Gay Pride

BY ALYSSA AHLGREN

I

t’s the end of June and to a fraction of the population that means the end of the annual celebration of their intersectional identity. It was “pride month”. Gay and lesbian pride is so widely accepted in the United States that an entire month is dedicated to celebrating such sexual orientations. Supporting and promoting every alternative to heterosexuality is mainstream. Target puts on full displays of rainbow clad apparel, major companies put out ads and create limited edition products promoting the LGBTQ community, cities across the nation hold massive parades and festivals with celebrity appearances, and in 2015 the White House was illuminated by rainbow

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lighting to show favor towards the Supreme Court ruling of same-sex couple’s ability to marry nationwide.

Being gay in America is anything but controversial in 2019.

The purpose of pointing this out is not to lay the groundwork for a tirade of anti-LGBT sentiment. Not at all.

My point is that society and government endorse a sexual orientation as if the public perception of its morality should be uniform. You don’t have a choice to be neutral. If you don’t participate actively in the celebration of the LGBT lifestyle you are seen as in opposition to it. And that means you are spewing hate. There is no gray area. It’s not acceptable to say that I don’t morally agree with a homosexual lifestyle, but I don’t deny anyone the right to live their life how they choose. Not celebrating is just as bad as vigorously condemning.

If you want to create a divisive culture filled with intolerance, circulate the mindset that if someone doesn’t overtly support an ideology or lifestyle then of course they want to abolish it. The thought that Christians who abide by biblical text and disagree with society’s secular moral code are bigoted and hateful is

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misguided and narrow minded. Those who employ this thought process knows very little about Christianity.

What one person’s moral code has to do with someone else’s is absolutely beyond me. The concept “live and let live” does not apply to those of us outside of the progressive purview.

The reality is that Christian teaching of what constitutes sin does not dictate how that Christian treats her fellow man.

Of course, progressives employ double standards in applying their secular thought. Believing in accordance with the Bible and taking its text at face value is unpopular in mainstream society. But believing in accordance to the Qur’an is not. Sharia law, totally fine. The Ten Commandments and biblical morality, not a chance. Progressivism only reaches as far as intersectionality allows.

Enforcing the progressive agenda is

selective, which conflicts with the idea that you need to bureaucratically suppress viewpoints to coexist. The last time I checked, LGBTQ people are humans. Thus, they enjoy human rights like everyone else. However, they do not have special rights. A gay person should have right to force a Christian baker to create a gay wedding cake as I do to force a Muslim caterer to provide non-halal food to a confirmation party, i.e. none. It is also important to note that a Muslim baker would refuse to bake a gay wedding cake just as the Christian baker would. No one has a right to a service or to infringe on religious freedom, this applies to everyone regardless of your intersectionality ranking.

The key to a peaceful and cohesive community is recognizing that your neighbor may not agree with everything you do and that you may not SEE GAY PRIDE | PAGE 38

JULY 2019

www.CaprockPatriot.com

TexWestus

BY CHLOÉ FOWLER

W

ide, rolling plains. Dusty, orange sunsets. Crazy, hect ic TexWestus - I mean, West Texas, winds. These are all trademarks of the Hub City and the surrounding area that have been around for years. All but one, anyway. TexWestus may sound like a funny tongue twister, but over the past two years, Corbin Burgett and Chloé Fowler have been taking an accidental spoonerism and making waves on the Texas Country music scene.

It all began in a classroom at the local community college in the fall of 2016. After a heartbreaking turn of events in an audition for NBC’s “The Voice”, Chloé’s father encouraged

her to step out in faith and take a summer songwriting course just to keep her feet wet. Meanwhile, Corbin was nearing the end of his degree. A mutual love of music and an end-of-semester project drew these two strangers together, and when it was all said and done, Corbin and Chloé realized that what they had cultivated was much larger than just a “lab partner” relationship. While it is incredibly difficult to find two people that click so well together on a personal level, much less a spiritual and professional working relationship, Corbin and Chloé did just that.

However, taking the leap and creating a band was no easy task. Both Corbin and Chloé have full-time SEE TEXWESTUS | PAGE 37

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FREEDOM, THE ULTIMATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

is ruining marriages and crippling the minds of our youth and adults.

Such an example of a “mind game” gone wrong reveals how easily we can become ruled by our feelings and not our minds.

Our “screen addictions” have caused the World Health Organization to

www.CaprockPatriot.com classify “gaming disorder” as addictive behavior. Leaders are “readers” not “gamers”. In the Bible’s library is a book called Romans. Although written in the year 57 A.D., its instruction remains timeless, ”Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind’ (Romans 12:2). The “mind game” begun in the first book of the Bible continues to be played in the

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minds of all today…”Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1) “ F re e d om” f i rs t b e g i n s a s a thought or dream of the mind. A “slave Bible” was written in America and given to the black slaves working on American plantations. The “slave Bible” removed all record of “freedom promises” from the original Bible texts. Removing all mention of God’s promise of freedom, for all, kept slavery alive for too long.

As found in a Bible book named First Corinthians, chapter three, verse seventeen, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. We so easily twist God’s Word to satisfy our own ideas of “freedom”.

A toxic culture which uses hate-filled rebuttals to discourage a free exchange of ideas robs the citizens of that culture of their daily ‘freedoms”. A recent conversation with a 21-year-old

JULY 2019

college student revealed how real this verbal bullying has become. While attending a “social problems” class at college, she voiced a conservative opinion about abortion. She was so verbally intimidated after class that she will never share her thoughts again in that setting.

In the 1980s, President Reagan is quoted as saying, “It is right to put forth an idea, scoffed at by the experts (like social media), and watch it catch fire among the people.” As we celebrate “Freedom” for the 243rd time in America, let us courageously remember that “Freedom” is not a video game but a “mind game”.

Submitted Courageously by Leo Jaloszynski (aka Pastor Ski), Re-fired Pastor (will never retire from serving the Lord), U.S. Marine - Semper Fi, Greensboro, NC (previous Pastor and friend of the Caprock Patriot Publisher)

Heaven and Hell

A

fter dying in a car crash, three friends go to Heaven for an orientation session. They are all asked the same question: “When you are in your casket and family and friends are mourning over you, what would you like to hear them say about you?”

The first guy responds: “I would like to hear them say that I was one of the greatest doctors of my time and a great family man”.

The second guy says: “I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and a school teacher who made a huge difference in the children of tomorrow”.

The third guy thinks for a while and then replies: “I guess I’d like to hear them say ‘Look - he’s moving!’”

Submitted by Barbara M, Lubbock, TX

JULY 2019

THE TEXWESTUS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

jobs outside of TexWestus, Chloé being an elementary school teacher, and when they aren’t at work, they are rehearsing and writing songs and performing. They started as an acoustic cover duet, playing in the background of local restaurants around Lubbock, and didn’t get to perform as a full band until the OktoberFiesta in Lovington, New Mexico in October of 2017. When asked what it was like to perform as a full band for the first time, Chloé describes it as thrilling. “We were so excited. It was terrifying because you can’t just pull out your phone if you forget the lyrics like you can in a restaurant. It was the first time that we actually had to put on a show and got to experience crowd interaction.

These people were actually here to see us perform instead of to eat dinner.” Corbin and Chloé both agree that this first performance as a full band was a mixture of surrealness and the feeling that they had been preparing for this their entire lives.

Although still young in years, Corbin and Chloe both attribute their gifting to God. Corbin began teaching himself guitar at the early age of 11. By the age of 13, he was playing guitar and helping lead worship services at several local churches. “My parents always encouraged me and instilled in me that God does not give

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www.CaprockPatriot.com you a gift for no reason. Take what He has given you and do something with it. Music and Faith have always been and will always continue to be tightly woven for me. Without God, both Chloe and I know none of this would be possible,” said Corbin.

They aren’t afraid of sharing their faith, in fact, before every show you will find Corbin, Chloe and their band in a tight circle with locked hands and bowed heads lifting up prayers.

When asked what their favorite gig played thus far is, two come to mind.

A sorority at Texas A&M asked TexWestus to open up for a Nashville act. Arriving at a venue with an outdoor stage that “was built for a full symphony,” Corbin and Chloé were stunned. “It was definitely a moment of, ‘Oh my gosh... We’re doing it. This is, like, a for real show.’”

But the gig that takes the cake is the Concho Valley Spring Jam in San Angelo, TX. TexWestus was one artist featured among a lineup that consisted of big names like Cody Jinks, Koe Wetzel, Rick Trevino, The Dirty River Boys, and several others.

When asked what that experience was like, Chloé commented that “one of my bucket list things was to play a show where we actually had to have a badge to get past security.

This was the first show that gave us that experience, so it was very cool to be there.”

But as exciting as it is knowing that

they’ve come so far from the days where they were just background music at a local restaurant, Chloé says that one of the biggest challenges they’ve faced on this journey is patience. “When you work on something as much as we do, where a normal day for us starts at six in the morning and goes until around midnight, it’s very easy to get frustrated when things don’t go as fast as you’d like them to. We have to truly trust in the Lord to open doors of opportunity and depend on Him every step of the way.” Which is understandable, considering that once work is over every day Corbin and Chloé are working the band.

Whether it’s rehearsing or writing songs or traveling to gigs that are hours away and driving back after a performance to be at work the next morning, TexWestus stays busy.

“We frequently have to take a step back and remind ourselves how far we have come in the two short years we’ve been together.”

But, thanks to those long days and countless hours, TexWestus is making waves statewide. From having a song on the radio to being nominated for a Texas Country Music Award for Duo of the Year last year, Corbin and Chloé are motivated as ever to work to make their dreams a reality. “We have busted our rears for our dream and it’s the best feeling to get nominated for things like that. It’s an affirmation of sorts for us to see our

37

hard work pay off, especially in such a short amount of time.” What’s one dream they hope to accomplish someday? “Selling out a headlining arena show.”

TexWestus may not be a veteran of country music just yet, but their sound, stage presence, and songwriting abilities are sure to elevate them to a level of success that only a few have achieved coming out of Lubbock, Texas. Chloé notes that her goal for TexWestus is to have songs on country radio across the nation and selling out arenas. “We would love to play the stage with accomplished artists such as Jason Aldean!” interjects Corbin. “We really and truly just love playing shows for people and if we can share our faith along the way, then even better! It’s not that we want to make a certain amount of money and then retire - we want to travel, perform, make music and make an impact on people until we physically can’t anymore.” But until that day comes, Corbin and Chloé can be found on stages across Texas, including local venues such as the Blue Light on July 6th and on July 20th at Celebrate Littlefield 2019, in Littlefield, Texas.

Performing with passion and a love for their music and God that is only seen in a TexWestus heart Submitted by Chloé Fowler. For more information and tour dates, visit www.texwestusmusic.com or follow TexWestus on Facebook @ TexWestus

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GAY PRIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

agree with everything they do, but that sovereignty to act in accordance to your individual liberty is what sustains a functioning free society.

Christians believe that adultery is a sin. They don’t believe that everyone who cheats on their spouse or gets a divorce should be stripped of their human rights. Christians believe homosexual acts are a sin. They don’t believe everyone who engages in such acts should be punished or denied liberty. Acting within a sphere of certain moral obligations does not mean those obligations should be shoved down the throats of others.

Religious tolerance and liberty means you have the freedom to choose a dogma to follow, and that the dogma you choose should not come into conflict with your inherent rights. I know for certain that there are people who disagree with how I live my life.

`

I have friends who don’t adhere to a lifestyle accepted by the Bible, but I don’t love them any less and they don’t love me any less in my attempt to adhere in a way that is. The amazing thing about this country is that we can fundamentally disagree with each other’s life choices while defending each other’s liberty to make those choices. So, celebrate gay pride if you wish to do so. I completely support your right to associate and promote.

I hope you extend the same tolerance to those who don’t.

Submitted by Alyssa Ahlgren. Alyssa has her Bachelor’s in Business Administration and currently works as an analyst in corporate finance. She grew up in northern Wisconsin and is a former collegiate hockey player. Alyssa is pursuing her passion for current events and politics through writing and being an advocate for the conservative movement. To see more of Alyssa’s work, visit alphanewsmn.com

JULY 2019

How Government Works

O

nce upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress was worried “someone may steal from it at night.” So, they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job. Then Congress said, “How does the watchman do his job without instruction?” So, they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies. Then Congress said, “How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?” So, they created a Quality Control department and hired two more people. One to do the studies and one to write the reports.

Then Congress said, “How are these people going to get paid?” So, they hired a time keeper and a payroll officer. Then Congress said, “Who will be accountable for this expensive and growing department?” So, they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.

After a year, Congress said, “We have had this department in operation for one year and we are already $18,000 over budget! We must cutback overall cost.”

So, they laid off the night watchman.

Submitted by Charles L, Lubbock, TX

We the People Liberty Celebration: a twelve part educational series

The Declaration of Independence: In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Celebrating Our Spiritual Liberty Actions speak louder than words. Character matters. Character is formed out of a belief system. The principled or unprincipled acts of character originate from what we believe, our perception of reality, our worldview. The actions of our character flow from our faith (what we believe, trust, worship, celebrate). The light of truth sets us free. The darkness of error captures us in deception. In denial of the truth, King George, practicing the unjust false assumption called “The Divine Right of Kings,” erroneously worshiped himself as God, thereby creating God in his own image, becoming the law unto himself and elevating himself to the highest position of authority - a supreme ruler with accountability to no higher power. Therefore he erroneously concluded that unalienable rights (in this case spiritual liberty) came from him (the government) and there was no higher authority.

We know a tree by its fruit. Lust for power and control is the tap root of the fruit tree of tyranny. The unprincipled seeds of King George’s erroneous thinking (his faith belief system) had taken deep root and produced the bad rotten corrupt fruit of tyranny. The unjust actions of unprincipled behavior produce the bad fruit of a Tyrant tree. Spiritual Liberty, in agreement with the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God, is the freedom to exercise our Creator-endowed unalienable right of individual faith independent of government control with our attitudes and actions respecting the Creator-endowed unalienable rights of others.

This rule of trying every principle…by its fruits…. Is certain and infallible…. There seems, indeed to be an exact analogy between this rule in religious matters, and reason in our common and civil concerns. Reason is the best guide and director of human life. ~ John Witherspoon ~ Signer of the Declaration of Independence ~

For more information email don@donbebee.net or visit www.donbebee.com/calendar Copyright Liberty Enterprises, LLC

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Lord, we ask for blessings on our leaders. May these servants who are in positions of authority take that responsibility seriously and do their very best each day. May they realize their need for you and for your direction. May they hear your voice as they make their decisions, and may they follow your guidance.

May they have a passion for people, for truth, and for righteousness. We pray that they will reject the lawlessness destroying out country. Amen.