Posted on 09/20/2004 4:27:32 AM PDT by The Mayor
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THE WEEKEND THREAD
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 1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar. |
Read: Romans 14:14-23
He who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. —Romans 14:23
Bible In One Year: Ecclesiastes 4-6; 2 Corinthians 12
In his book Illustrations of Bible Truth, H. A. Ironside tells about a man who was getting ready to attend a banquet. He wanted to put on a white shirt he had worn on a previous occasion, so he was inspecting it carefully to see if it was too dirty. His wife noticed what he was doing and called out, "Remember, dear, if it's doubtful, don't." The issue was settled. The man threw the shirt into the laundry hamper.
That wife's advice reminds me of the principle in today's text. It's a principle that can be applied to questionable matters of conscience. If doubtful, don't.
The doubtful things the apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 14 had to do with meat and wine considered to be "unclean" by some but not by others (vv.14,21). He indicated that if we have doubts about whether an action is right or wrong and we do it anyway, our action is not from faith and is therefore a sin (v.23). He also pointed out that it is wrong to do anything by which a brother in Christ "stumbles or is offended or is made weak" (v.21). We must never give another Christian a reason to violate his or her conscience.
When faced with questionable practices and a troubled conscience, we would do well to make this our guideline: If it's doubtful, don't! —Richard De Haan
Good morning FInest.
A good Military Monday morning to you, Mayor, GailA and all at the Finest.
It's the start of a new week and NO hurricanes are headed in our direction! How unusual. :o)
Good Morning!
Thank God there is no hurricanes this week.
I heard that Ivan is making a U turn and coming back to dump rain on the east..
Still Praying for Florida!
EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS!!!
Mandatory draft for males and females (ages 18-26)starting June 15, 2005, is something that everyone should know about. This literally effects everyone since we all have or know children that will have to go if this bill passes.
There is pending legislation in the house and senate (companion bills: S89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin as early as spring, 2005, just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately. Details and links follow.
This plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a shelter and includes women in the draft. Also, crossing into Canada has already been made very difficult.
Actions: Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents. . .
And let your children know - - it's their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change!
This legislation is called HR 163 and can be found in detail at this
website: http://thomas.loc.gov/.
Just enter in HR 163 and click search and will bring up the bill for you to read. It is less than two pages long.
If this bill passes, it will include all men and ALL WOMEN from ages 18 - 26 in a draft for military action. In addition, college will no longer be an option for avoiding the draft and they will be signing an agreement with Canada which will no longer permit anyone attempting to dodge the draft to stay within it's borders. This bill also includes the extention of military service for all those that are currently active.
If you go to the select service web site and read their 2004 FYI Goals you will see that the reasoning for this is to increase the size of the military in case of terrorism. This is a critical piece of legislation, this will effect our undergraduates, our children and our grandchildren.
Please take the time to write your congressman and let them know how you eel about this legislation. www.house.gov ;http://www.house.gov/; www.senate.gov http://www.senate.gov/>
Please also write to your representatives and ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills and write to newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story.
$28 million has been added to the 2004 selective service system budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005.
Selective service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation.
Please see www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the Selective Service System annual performance plan, fiscal year 2004. The pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan (and permanent state of war on terrorism)proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.
The Universal National service Act of 2003, to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons(age 18-26) in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.
These active bills currently sit in the committee on armed services.
Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era. College and Canada will not be options. In December, 2001, Canada and the U.S. signed a smart border declaration, which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's minister of foreign affairs, John Manley, and U.S. Homeland Security director, Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30 point plan which implements, among other things, a pre-clearance agreement of people entering and departing each country.
Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester.
Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.
What to do: Tell your friends, Contact your legislators and ask them to oppose these bills. Just type &congress into the aol search engine and input your zip code. A list of your reps will pop up with a way to email them directly. We can't just sit and pretend that by ignoring it, it will go away. We must voice our concerns and create the world we want to live in for our children and grandchildren.
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Thanks for the ping. We don't need a draft. And thanks for linking my article.
No, we don't need a draft!
and Your Welcome
Gotta go do some work, see ya tonight....
I'll be writing about this to my Congresscritter.
Good morning all.
Hubby is on vacation this week and has a long list of chores he expects me to help with......what's the point of a vacation if all one is going to do is work????? SIGH...
Hi, (((GabZ)))!
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
HONOLULU, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2004 -- Civilian opinion leaders visiting here from
throughout the United States got a firsthand look at the level of marksmanship
skill U.S. Marines are using in Iraq and safeguards the Coast Guard is taking
to help protect the homeland.
The business, academic, local-government and civic leaders are participants in
the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, a Defense Department program
designed to expose civilians with little or no military experience to the
operations of the armed forces.
Today's visits with members of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard rounded out a
weeklong itinerary that also included visits with Army, Navy and Air Force
units throughout the Pacific.
At Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Col. Richard Roten, deputy commander, said he
hoped to show the group examples of the "spirit and pride and esprit de corps
that comes from being a Marine." These attributes, he said, "pay a tremendous
dividend in combat" and "set the Marine Corps apart" from its sister services.
Roten said high-tech equipment and technology goes a long way toward building
the military's capabilities. "But in the end, our biggest and most important
product is the United States Marine," he said.
Master Sgt. John Sterling, noncommissioned officer in charge of the base's
Kaneohe Bay Rifle Training Facility, told the group an Army general was once
asked what the most lethal weapon was in the U.S. arsenal. "And he said it was
a U.S. Marine," Sterling said.
At Kaneohe Bay Rifle Training Facility, tucked inside Ulupau Crater and
overlooking beautiful Kaneohe Bay, the civilian visitors got a peek at that
capability as Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carroll Duncan explained the annual
weapons qualification requirements he said help keep Marines in top fighting
form.
"This is our bread and butter," he said.
The civilian leaders tried their hands at firing the M9 Beretta and M16A2
rifle, then watched a demonstration of the Marines' martial arts program that
incorporates karate, akido, tae kwan do, boxing and juijitsu. "It definitely
pushes you to your limits," said Sgt. Robert Mendoza, a martial arts
instructor.
Cpl. George Lewis, an infantryman who served in Iraq from February to June
2003, told group members the marksmanship skills taught at Kaneohe Bay and at
other ranges throughout the Marine Corps have a valuable payoff in combat. "You
never really know what you're going into, but this training gives you the
confidence you need in yourself and your weapon," he said.
Later in the day, the group visited Sand Island to observe multiple missions
being carried out by the 14th Coast Guard District. "Whether you are from the
heartland or a coastal state, I think you will be surprised by the portfolio of
our missions," Rear Adm. Charles Wurster, district commander, told the
civilians.
Group members got demonstrations of two of the Coast Guard's primary missions:
its historic search-and-rescue mission and the homeland-security mission that
has become increasingly important since Sept. 11, 2001.
"Our role in national defense has broadened on national and international
fronts," Wurster said, pointing out that the Coast Guard is helping fight the
war on terror not only in U.S. waters, but also in Iraq and elsewhere in the
world.
Capt. Chad Cooper, operations officer for the Maritime Safety and Security Team
deployed here from Los Angeles, said the Coast Guard has experienced "a very
marked increase in security duties" since the terrorist attacks on the United
States.
But in addition to responding to security threats and conducting search-and-
rescue missions throughout the Pacific, Wurster said the 14th Coast Guard
District remains committed to its other missions. These, he said, range from
responding to environmental disasters to maintaining aids to navigation to
enforcing maritime law.
Wurster said he was excited about the opportunity to show civilian leaders what
today's Coast Guard is doing. "The Joint Civilian Orientation Conference is a
great way for us to communicate the capabilities and responsibilities of your
Coast Guard," he said.
"The Coast Guard has a long tradition of honor, respect and devotion to duty,"
he said. "Our people serve because they want to make a difference, . and they
are keeping a vigilant watch."
Billie & the Mayor. Thank you. read most mondays, but rarely post. Always appreciate the tribute to vets. I should get "someone" my pix. I was Navy 67-69
LBGA's daughter.. here is anohter daily thread, if you know about Pings. Your brother is one of the pictures at the beginning of the thread today.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1221163/posts
all, if you missed it, LBGA's daughter posted a thread the other day
LBGA's daughter (LBGA did the photo album before her death last year)
Here is the thread she posted at:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1220409/posts?page=1
((((LORI))))!
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 163 To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 7, 2003
Mr. RANGEL (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. STARK, and Mr. ABERCROMBIE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
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They, of course, will eventually spread the myth that The President and V-P Cheney and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld are responsible for this travesty, "aimed at derailing all our kids from getting into and through college, etc..." - just become cannon fodder/slave labor for their ambitions...
(Hahaha - then the dems can clain the pubbies did this to them, and we dems will back the then new disadvantaged for getting reparations, insuring dem votes for another generation!)
(And oh yeah - this will give all the slackers/lowlifes an immediate income.)
Inevitable Consequences
Can you imagine the effect of some of the dregs of society who thus would be placed in positions to contaminate our structure in a profoundly negative way??!!
It would be the death of America as we desire it to be - -
Got so upset this morning watching Kerry trash yet another war that I had to stop watching. Have never seen anything like that man in the history of this country.
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