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Just Following Orders
Townhall.com ^ | October 12, 2013 | Steve Deace

Posted on 10/12/2013 5:14:55 AM PDT by Kaslin

As government attempts to exalt itself above the Most High, more and more of what used to be called paranoia is now becoming our new normal.

Some recent examples include:

After the government declares we are no longer a Christian nation, it decides to take our kids on field trips to mosques where they can receive a copy of the Koran (after the Bible was removed from our schools first of course).

As the government now decides what morality is, the Air Force is targeting enlistees in its ranks that believe homosexuality is immoral, even if they’re still willing to serve capably under the command of out-and-proud homosexuals.

Playing the role of judge, jury, and executioner, Capitol Police shot an unarmed dental hygienist to death in her vehicle while it was stuck at a medium following a high-speed chase. Her 1-year old baby was in the car with her at the time.

There’s plenty more where that came from, and more examples of government run amok are happening each day. Yet perhaps the most disturbing, yet subtle, examples are occurring as we speak during the so-called “government shutdown.”

Now I’m not sure how something still running at 83% capacity can be in a “shutdown.” Only in Washington, D.C. could a 17% loss of way too much government to begin with be described as a “shutdown.” But while this “shutdown” isn’t producing the welfare state victimology stories the liberal media was hoping for beforehand, it is producing the kind of stories that set the stage for tyranny.

Something vital has been lost in the kerfuffle about barricading veterans from their own war memorials that were left unattended prior to the “shutdown,” removing veterans from their own war memorials that were left unattended prior to the “shutdown,” and now veterans getting arrested for failing to leave their own war memorials that were left unattended prior to the “shutdown.”

While the focus remains on whether or not these are ham-fisted attempts by the White House to make this phony “shutdown” hurt, we have overlooked the fact that the only way these ridiculous examples of government overreach happen is if someone is willing to implement them on government’s behalf.

In other words, there have to be cops, park rangers, and the like willing to say they’re “just following orders” from government regardless of whether or not those orders from government violate the Constitution.

Further signifying the rise of Statism in America, there clearly – and sadly – are.

Statism is the belief the ultimate power over thought, commerce, and conscience (individually and/or corporately) resides in consent from the state alone. Statism says it is government in whom we live and breathe.

Our Constitution begs to differ.

Our Constitution’s intent is to reign in government in order to protect our rights that come from God alone, which He has revealed in nature. Government does not have the right to disrupt peaceable assembly, nor the freedom of speech, nor the freedom of religion because those rights predate government. We were created with them in mind.

Our Constitution includes a scheme of checks and balances for when federal government schemes to impose on those God-given rights. It compels the lesser magistrate to interpose on our behalf since the Constitution that protects your God-given rights is a higher authority than the federal government itself.

The whole point of our Constitution is to maintain the proper chain of command from God, to the will of the people, to a government only by the consent of the governed. Historically government has always sought to assert its own divine right to rule over the will of the people if not God Himself. Thus, our Constitution isn’t just a system of checks and balances to ensure that doesn’t happen here, it’s a check and balance against government unto itself.

Therefore, there shouldn’t have been a cop or park ranger in America that agreed to implement such anti-liberty actions from government. Instead of “just following orders” they should’ve “just followed the Constitution.”

Let me be very blunt about what that means.

A park ranger that is told he has to barricade veterans from war memorials that are almost always unattended to begin with should refuse. A cop who is told he has to arrest veterans from a war memorial that is almost always unattended to begin with should refuse. A Capitol Policeman who is told to shoot to death an unarmed woman who is at a dead stop with a 1-year old baby in tow should refuse.

Yes, you may lose your job and suffer the consequences for not following unjust orders. But this is a country founded by men who “pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honors” rather than follow unjust laws. Had our Founding Fathers behaved like these park rangers and cops “just following orders” we’d all either still be British subjects or speaking Arabic by now.

These park rangers and cops don’t serve government. They serve us. They aren’t employed by government. They’re employed by us. Sadly, more and more they appear to be acting as government agents and not public servants.

Unfortunately, too often in recent times we have voluntarily surrendered our God-given rights to government and turned the Constitution on its ear. Government now controls how our children are educated, not the parents. Government now determines when life begins, not the Author of all life. Government now decides what is a marriage, not the One who created the institution in the first place. Government now picks winners and losers in the marketplace, not the free market itself.

If we have arrived at the day when park rangers and cops are willing to barricade and arrest veterans attempting to access the freedoms they risked their lives for on our behalf, then that is a very scary day indeed.

It’s also a sign that even scarier days may be on the horizon. A day when a government agent disguised as a public servant shows up at your door demanding your guns and your children because he, too, is “just following orders.”

If you don’t think that can happen here, think again. It already did. That’s why we had a revolution in the first place.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
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1 posted on 10/12/2013 5:14:55 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
"Those who cannot remember the past
are condemned to repeat it
"
George Santayana



2 posted on 10/12/2013 5:17:56 AM PDT by Diogenesis
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To: Diogenesis

Reminds me of the NSA employees who now feel the gov’t is throwing them under the bus after the surveillance scandal. I guess when they broke the law, they thought their bosses would cover them...


3 posted on 10/12/2013 5:24:56 AM PDT by Dr. Pritchett
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To: Kaslin
Clock is ticking almost time ,

John has a long mustache

4 posted on 10/12/2013 5:35:54 AM PDT by piroque ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act")
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To: Kaslin
Yes, you may lose your job and suffer the consequences for not following unjust orders. But this is a country founded by men who “pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honors” rather than follow unjust laws.

But people today won't do what you're suggesting.

If you pay income tax, you're financially supporting government employees who are "just following orders." You're sponsoring them. You're supplying the money they're selling out their honor to obtain.

Short of violence there's just one way to change the situation, but...you must lose your job and suffer the consequences.

The park rangers aren't the only sellouts here.

5 posted on 10/12/2013 5:37:01 AM PDT by HomeAtLast (The original Tea Party entailed a willingness to do without some tea.)
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To: Kaslin
The Nuremberg defense: “I vas only folloink ordahs.” will work as long as the DemoRats are in power.
6 posted on 10/12/2013 5:40:57 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: Diogenesis
Did you see this?

Pilots union warns of 'dry run' by possible terrorists on US flight

-- snip --

On a Sept. 2 flight from Reagan National Airport in Washington to Orlando, a "Middle Eastern" man rose from his seat and sprinted toward the cockpit, before veering sharply to go into the forward restroom, according to the memo. While he was in there, sever other men moved about the cabin, changing seats and going into overhead bins, it says.

-- snip --

7 posted on 10/12/2013 5:47:59 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

Many of us often contemplate what might happen in the event of a total collapse or marshal law or any event that would give the feds an excuse to take control. Would federal workers, police, military, etc. follow unlawful orders? I don’t think most of the military would but clearly the others would take joy in it.


8 posted on 10/12/2013 5:54:07 AM PDT by ryan71 (The Partisans)
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To: Navy Patriot

That’s what needs to be done. Everyone coming face to face with these guys needs to put on their best German accept and say “I vas just followink orders, Ja”


9 posted on 10/12/2013 6:01:20 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: McGavin999

accent Sheesh


10 posted on 10/12/2013 6:01:52 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: piroque

Outside of the author’s inability to discern the difference between “reign” and “rein,” I concur totally with the article. I’m currently reading Levin’s book on the need for a constitutional amendments to resolve the problem but it seems your post is closer to mark with the higher likelihood of becoming reality.


11 posted on 10/12/2013 6:02:19 AM PDT by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
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To: Kaslin
Capitol Police shot an unarmed dental hygienist to death in her vehicle while it was stuck at a medium ???
12 posted on 10/12/2013 6:10:28 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: Dr. Pritchett

Wouldn’t it be funny if they started monitoring their overlords and started reporting back to us?...: )


13 posted on 10/12/2013 6:20:05 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Kaslin

Since the shutdown I have come to the conclusion that at the age of 50 I am very naive. This shutdown has really opened my eyes. The closing of the parks was petty and the closing of the open air memorials were disrespectful as well. What really floored me, was the Parks Service just “following” orders. For some to criticize the closings, their participation spoke louder than their words. We are a nation of sheep! Me first. I really would have thought that the American spirit would have risen, instead the Parks service displayed themselves to be mindless zombies. And before anyone says, but they have families...YES, I have quit jobs over moral issues. A paycheck is not worth compromising my values. And the real kicker of the whole debacle is that they are UNION, it is very likely if they protested en mass they would NOT have lost their jobs!


14 posted on 10/12/2013 6:28:02 AM PDT by panthermom (Pray for our troops!)
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To: oh8eleven

The correct word to describe a feature which divides opposite lanes of traffic on the same road is “median.”


15 posted on 10/12/2013 6:31:33 AM PDT by henkster (Communists never negotiate.)
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To: Diogenesis

I seem to recall that we were appalled when we heard about all the Nazis justifying their cruelty with the words “I was just following orders.”


16 posted on 10/12/2013 6:32:13 AM PDT by 3catsanadog (I love my country; I don't like its government)
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Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: Kaslin

Yep, announce that “terrorists” are planning to attack us while leaving our Border wide open and prevent our Border Agents from doing their jobs.

Even IF this is true, what will be done other than frisking the elderly and small children? Besides, I really don’t think planes will be the used. The scenario we saw in Kenya, Hasan, and the Boston Bombers is more effective with no worries of retaliation.


18 posted on 10/12/2013 6:33:22 AM PDT by panthermom (Pray for our troops!)
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: ryan71

Obama is fundamentally changing our military too. Soon the military will only be concerned with keeping their LGBT rights.


20 posted on 10/12/2013 7:46:55 AM PDT by Rusty0604
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