Justice Ginsburg, President Trump, and SCOTUS

While I disagreed with many of Justice Ginsburg’s positions on her opinions, I respected her. I offer my sincere condolences to her family and pray they find peace.

President Trump should fulfill his duty under Article 2, Constitution of the United States and nominate an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States. This DOES NOT mean said nominee will be confirmed as this task falls to the United States Senate.

The Democrats cannot stop the Republicans from confirming a Trump nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. This is because Harry Reid (D-NV) did away with the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees when the Democrats held the majority in the United States Senate. This means with a 53|45|2 majority, ONLY the Republican Senators can stop confirmation.

I am seeing much speculation as to how this will play out in the US Senate and the talking heads are throwing several scenarios out into the airwaves this evening and the general consensus is a 50/50 split. With 3 Republicans (Collins (ME), Romney (UT), and Murkowski (AK)) voting with the minority along with the 2 Independents. With a 50/50 count, this means Vice President Pence, as the President of the Senate will cast the final tie-breaking vote to either confirm or reject President Trump’s nominee.

President Trump needs to nominate someone with more than just a passing familiarity of the Constitution of the United States. I would like to see someone like KrisAnne Hall, JD nominated. Someone passionate about the Constitution and understands what “Support and Defend the Constitution of the United States, from all enemies foreign and domestic” means. Not just lip service, but the unbridled passion I know a veteran has, not just for his country, but for his battle-buddy, shipmate, or wingman.

Dear Olympians,

As you prepare to trot off to London for the Games of the XXX Olympiad, please take the time to review the protocol for display of our nation’s flag.  Do not disgrace yourself in the eyes of those that have served, fought, bled or died for that flag and what it stands for.  It is not an article of clothing, so please don’t use it as such.

Before you get on the plane to London and before you take the field of competition take a look at following:

Flag Etiquette

STANDARDS of RESPECT

The Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They are:

• The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
• The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard
• The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
• The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.
• The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.

The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.

When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

(Source:  http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html)

I wish you all the best that amateur competition offers and a high medal count.

Sarge, Out

Free Lunch

Aint no such thing.  Period, full stop, end of sentence.  Doesn’t matter if that “Free Lunch” is health care, birth control, cell phone, or whatever those members of the entitlement class think they deserve or are owed.  The liberals in this country are on the verge of destroying everything we have worked for.  For example, the only “free” birth control is for the party of the first part to keep her knees firmly clamped together and since most people in our society wear clothing of some sort, how about keeping zippers zipped and buttons buttoned.  If you believe that you should get “free” birth control, you are now engaging in RECREATION and that, my friends, is fine, just don’t expect me to pay for it, unless you are willing to pay for my recreational activities.  And trust me, I have some expensive recreational activities that I would love to engage in.

Special for Ms. Fluke:

You want the fun without the expense and you let yourself be used.  If the shoe fits and all, just don’t expect me to pay for them.  From what I have read, you are approaching the age of 30.  By that time I was established in my first career, married and had started a family.  Now, almost 2 decades later, I am well into my second career with a child in college and I own my own home.  I have little debt and I am working to pay it off.  Along the way, I have earned my degree and various certifications that show I am dedicated to my chosen career.  And you want me to fund your recreational activities while you earn your degree.  Get a life and get over yourself.

 

Sarge, Out

We’ve Been Counted

Well, I have finally finished counting all of us at the Command Post and have reported same as required by Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States. Since the only question relevant to the census is “How many people live at this residence?” that is the only one needing to be answer IMNSHO. The questions asking for names and birthdates, not being Constitutionally required, were left blank.

And, yeah, it took a long time to count Me, CINCHOUSE, and SIT.

Sarge, Out

Auld Lang Syne, My Friends

And so we come to the end of another year.  So much has happened this year that it would be almost impossible to catch up.  With the shenanigans that the Congress of the United States has pulled, and not just this year.

I hope that 2010 finds you all healthy and remember to pray for this country and our leaders.  See you next year and look for some changes.  I’ll be adding some links to  a couple of sites that I found and GuyK, I know you will enjoy at least one of them.  Read through his archive yesterday and laughed my rear off.

See you soon.

Sarge, Out

Term Limits

I keep seeing term limits being touted as the way to “fix” Congress and other elected(?) bodies and offices. I say they already exist. If you all would get out your copy of the Constitution of the United States and read along (if you need one, go to http://www.askheritage.org/ and request one, they will send you a copy free of charge):

Article I, Section 2 states:

“The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.”

Article I, Section 3 states:

“The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.”

If you don’t like what your elected representative is doing, work to get him/her defeated in the next go around (which folks is a little over 13 months away). You the electorate get to choose your representation. The last thing we need is another law telling us who we can and cannot select to represent us.

Sarge, Out

A Glass Wall

A commonly mis-represented myth is the Constitution of the United States has as one of its tenets the “Separation of Church and State.” While I’ll admit my copy may be out of date, I can find no such wording or phrasing. Would one of my kind readers deign to point out the error of my ways? I’ll wait.

No takers? The concept of a “Wall of separation between Church and State” comes from a letter penned by T. Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802. The Founding Fathers and Framers, who all believed in a Supreme Being and Creator as evidenced in their writings and the Declaration of Independence.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States states, in part, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” And what this means is we, as a nation, will not have a “State Religion” such as the Church of England where the head of the government is the head of the Church. We have a right to participate, or not, as we see fit in the religion of our choice. We are not bound to a state church.

“Great, Sarge, but why are you bringing this up now?” Well, my friends, here is why: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/large-20676-administrators-pensacola.html and I happen to agree with the judge’s ruling. My problem with this whole case is simply this. The school district and the school were sued because of prayer. I would like for someone to explain to me how an individual offering a blessing constitutes the state making a law?

Sarge, Out

Test Post

I see WordPress added a feature where we can mail it in. Just set it up and needed a quick test.

Sarge, Out

Avast ye LandLubbers!

International Talk Like a Pirate Day be a comin’!  Saturday the 19th be the day.  So lads and lasses, mateys and wenches don yer best eye patches, sharpen your cutlasses and lay in a supply of grog and get the sea stories ready.  Check http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Sarge, Out

Driving Lessons from Sarge

Over the last couple of months while traversing the hiways and byways between the Command Post and the Grindstone, I have come to the realization that most people do NOT understand the concept of the MERGE.

Let me simplify for those that can not grasp this simple concept.  First a definition courtesy of dictionary.com

merge

verb, merged, merg⋅ing.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to cause to combine or coalesce; unite.

2.	to combine, blend, or unite gradually so as to blur the individuality or individual identity of: They voted to merge the two branch offices into a single unit.

–verb (used without object)

3.	to become combined, united, swallowed up, or absorbed; lose identity by uniting or blending (often fol. by in or into): This stream merges into the river up ahead.

4.	to combine or unite into a single enterprise, organization, body, etc.: The two firms merged last year.

Now, when it comes to merging into traffic. follow these steps.

1. GET THE DAMN CELL PHONE OUT OF YOUR EAR!
2. If you have the benefit of an acceleration lane, USE IT to match speeds with the traffic you wish to merge with.
3. TURN ON YOUR DIRECTIONAL INDICATOR FOR THE DIRECTION YOU WISH TO MERGE.

I will bet my next paycheck that if you do these things, 9 out of 10 times, someone will make an adjustment for you to smoothly merge into the traffic stream.  Give it a try and see how easy it is.  Soon you too will be merging with the ease and skill of a professional.

Sarge, Out