Patriotism, Pageantry and Passion. And Progressive Propaganda

We were fortunate to hear the North Carolina Symphony last week as part of its Red, White and Blue Tour. The tour was designed to pay tribute to the men and women who have kept America safe for generations and included concerts at three North Carolina military installations, including MCAS Cherry Point.

The MCAS Base Theater is the largest theater in North Carolina and seats approximately 2,000. The concert was sold out and the theater filled early; our group went out to dinner first, then found and greeted other friends at the theater, all as enthusiastic as we, in anticipation of an evening of patriotic music.

For those readers who haven't attended a military movie, sporting event, or any other official function... it always begins with the playing of The Star Spangled Banner. Something I've experienced since my birth.

My father was a World War II veteran, ball turret gunner on B24s with 50 missions over the European Theater and based in Benghazi, Libya. He went on to retire from the United States Air Force. My earliest memories are of standing, with hand over my heart, at the playing of our National Anthem at the beginning of a basketball game or movie. A memory made even more powerful because we were overseas, far away from our American home.

Feeling the strong martial bass of the melody rumble in my stomach and hearing the powerful lyrics of this one special song has always given me goosebumps. From my childhood, then as a teenager at America's Bicentennial celebration, to every movie or event Jason and I attend now, the awe, the reverence -- the goosebumps -- have remained the same.

The Wednesday evening concert was no different. In fact, it was more powerful because I was part of a community -- of servicemembers: active, retired, and dependents -- enhanced by the civilian community that has supported its military counterpart for over six decades. Imagine 2,000 Americans, standing and singing our National Anthem in accompaniment to the North Carolina Symphony, in a venue where so many Marines are deployed in defense of our freedom. Brought me to tears.

Made me wonder...................

I'm an amateur student of history, favoring the Second World War and aviation in particular. Because of my Dad's service and because I flew airplanes for a living when I was younger. Most certainly because I'm a bit odd! But I've always worried about the feeling of raw emotion and patriotism that The Star Spangled Banner can elicit; especially powerful as Marines Pass in Review. A Wing Level change of command a decade ago included a half dozen General Officers, honors rendered, unit colors flying in the breeze. Very martial. Very Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl, Nuremberg Rally.

Very disturbing because it was simple to comprehend how a mass of people could be so easily moved by pageantry, passion -- and propaganda. But it can't happen here. Civilian control of the military. Our Constitution. States rights. A history of freedom based upon shared sacrifice. Our First Amendment rights.

Click on these links and you'll know that it can, and is, happening now: Obama Youth Alpha and Omega chant. School children sing praises to Barack Hussein Obama. California parents use their young children as propaganda, first video to surface. And of course, the "Civilian National Security Force" that will be as strong as our military. Under Obama's total control, of course.

Have I mentioned that the NC Symphony Red, White and Blue concert was last Wednesday? Music night at what used to be known as The People's House. Now it's the Obama's private (weekly) venue for new or very long-in-the-tooth, musicians and musical groups. But wait, a bonus last week, there were TWO music evenings, the second soiree before the Sunday evening at Ford's Theater. But I'll focus on the first.

Because it's taken me almost a week to blog this. A week to be circumspect, to work out the compare-and-contrast, to be able to paint a picture and draw a line between past and present. To hope our future does not repeat the past.

Because we came home from the patriotism of the concert, the more-than-moving Star Spangled Banner; followed by Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man; Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy; The Liberty Bell March; From Sea to Shining Sea, An American Medley; and ending with two standing ovations that earned our audience a spectacular arrangement of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and ended with an exhortation: God Bless America. With everyone standing -- appropriate for a prayer for our Nation -- and as we were when the concert opened (...thank you, Al).

But we came home from the concert, turned on the computer, and read that 67 year old "Sir" Paul McCartney had sang the Beatles hit Michelle to Michelle Obama at the weekly Wednesday night music event. And insulted a former President, in OUR house, while fawning in adulation over the current occupant. We were treated to detailed descriptions of music, garb, commentary of Obama "feeling the music and swaying" as "his wife mouthed the words". Every MSM outlet parroting the party line.

From passionate patriotism of song -- to empty pageantry of the Washington elite. From paeans in celebration of America -- to progressive propaganda -- in search of absolute power.

We must gather at every opportunity to celebrate freedom and to provide a beacon of light to those who wander in the darkness of the Obama Alpha and Omega -- those who have chosen to repeat the blind worship so evident at the Nuremberg Rallies and chillingly chronicled in Triumph of the Will.

We are Americans and we will not be silenced.

Louisiana Congressman Breaks Down During Hearing

This video of Rep Charlie Melancon (D LA) is very hard to watch, mainly because of this public servant's obvious distress and concern for his constituents, his state, and the environment. If you can watch without crying with him, you are stronger than I...

It's even harder to watch if you've seen any part of Obama's news conference yesterday. He was detached, distanced, disdainful of any impact of the spill except that which affects him personally.

To say that I am concerned for the future of our Nation is an understatement. I am also sad that Americans have elected an Alinskyite, Cloward-Piven "leader" who looks to every crisis as an opportunity to further undermine our Constitution and consolidate power in Washington.

We are Under Assault on ALL Fronts

We're being assaulted on all fronts. While we're trying to slow down and eventually block Kagan's lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, Hillary's State Department is agreeing to a UN resolution that will restrict our Second Amendment rights. The Senate has voted to extend government grip on the financial industry, the FCC continues to push control of the Internet, while no longer referred to openly as the Fairness Doctrine, the eventual outcome will be my inability to even publish my views to this blog and your ability to access, read, and share.

As Charles Krauthammer writes below, with much more eloquent prose than I could ever aspire to, this assault is by design. An assault upon our freedoms that is promulgated by a President who hates America, hates American Exceptionalism, and by extension, I can only surmise that he hates American citizens...

...while he publicly embraces hoards of illegal immigrants who invade our country at will. But of course this President would welcome illegal immigrants; they bring their culture, language, mores and refuse to assimilate into our American culture. Their presence simply fuels his plan to undermine the fabric of our shared national identity.

The election in November is about so much more than ousting the incumbents, returning fiscal responsibility, states rights, national security, all the freedoms enumerated and reserved to We the People by our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The election is about the survival of the United States of America.

Hyperbole? No. Fact based on fear. Fear raised by what one man has already accomplished in only 16 months in power. Not in office. Not governing, but in the words of his own spokesperson, during the transition period, but of one man RULING over America.

Please become even more active, vocal (while you still can), proseletize, preach, pray. We can make a difference but we have to start now. And we cannot let down our guard. Because while we secure one front, we lose another.


The Fruits of Weakness
By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, May 21, 2010

It is perfectly obvious that Iran's latest uranium maneuver, brokered by Brazil and Turkey, is a ruse. Iran retains more than enough enriched uranium to make a bomb. And it continues enriching at an accelerated pace and to a greater purity (20 percent). Which is why the French foreign ministry immediately declared that the trumpeted temporary shipping of some Iranian uranium to Turkey will do nothing to halt Iran's nuclear program.

It will, however, make meaningful sanctions more difficult. America's proposed Security Council resolution is already laughably weak -- no blacklisting of Iran's central bank, no sanctions against Iran's oil and gas industry, no nonconsensual inspections on the high seas. Yet Turkey and Brazil -- both current members of the Security Council -- are so opposed to sanctions that they will not even discuss the resolution. And China will now have a new excuse to weaken it further.