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Civil Disobedience Starts as Citizens Storm ‘Barrycades’
Townhall.com ^ | October 7, 2013 | John Ransom

Posted on 10/07/2013 3:47:01 AM PDT by Kaslin

The Greatest Generation came through again.

Faced with a weak, childish and irresponsible tyranny, with some of them in wheelchairs, the old soldiers went over Obama’s Barrycades with the easy nonchalance of people who have been there before.

It was a group of Mississippi gulf-coast World War II veterans, outraged by administration contempt on closing the World War II monument, who were flown up via the Honor Flight Network, a private organization that they say was “created solely to honor America's veterans for all their sacrifices. We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials.”

Their memorials, we should always emphasize.

It's something politicians in D.C. forgot too long ago, with the possible exception of Barack Obama, who never knew it to begin with.

Obama’s idea of sacrifice is sitting down with other duly-elected officials and hammering out a budget that works for everyone.

Or perhaps his idea of sacrifice is giving a speech about the shutdown without a teleprompter.

It certainly is a sacrifice for the rest of us, with or without a teleprompter.

Obama Against Strikes

“They fought a war and flew in at dawn from Mississippi,” writes the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, “so a few barricades provoked little more than shrugs from the 91 World War II veterans who crossed political lines Tuesday to walk and wheel around their memorial on the historic National Mall.”

The Republican National Committee offered to pay expenses to “keep the monument open.”

That offer was promptly rejected by the president.

If you’ve never been there, you might not know that the World War II Memorial stands on the National Mall, midway between the Lincoln Memorial and Congress. It was built primarily with private donations.

Not since president Herbert Hoover expelled the Bonus Marchers from government land in July of 1932 on his way to being defeated by Franklin Roosevelt has a government looked so ungrateful to veterans.

There is no gate to go through, no way to “close” it, except by erecting barricades. Like all the monuments on the mall, it was designed to encourage people to wonder through it without hindrance, kind of in line with that crazy American idea called “freedom.”

But that didn’t stop the administration from trying to strengthen the defenses.

Because the next brilliant chess move for Obama administration was to kick about 60 families out of the Lake Mead National Recreation area who have homes there. These families made the terrible mistake of leasing land from the government.

When you and I lease land, we have to stick to the lease. When the government does it, apparently they can kick you out when they want.

“I wouldn’t call it a government shutdown,” Bob Hitchcock, 71, a homeowner who leases land from the government told the Las Vegas Review-Tribune. “I’d call it a government meltdown. If my kids ever acted like these politicians are acting — it’s probably not politically correct to say this anymore — but I’d beat the crap out of them, then send them to their rooms.”

Hancock points out that during the last government shutdown, in 1995 under Clinton, leaseholders weren’t asked to leave federal land.

Boaters, families and others from the community plan on protesting the move with a boat parade down the Las Vegas Strip.

“Lake Mead is closed during the shutdown,” reports local KTNV TV, “and boaters are preparing for a different type of protest. Dozens of people will be towing their boats down the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday night to stage a protest against Lake Mead being closed. They said there is no reason for the government to close the lake since tax dollars, park permits and registration fees have already paid to keep the place open.”

But that didn't stop Obama from trying to close the ocean too.

As our own Michael Schaus wrote on Sunday:

Over 1,100 square miles of ocean has been declared off limits to the public in the Florida Bay. Apparently, unknown to most Americans, allowing boats to meander into open water is a cost that has proven to be unsustainable in the event of a government shutdown. Well. . . At least that’s according to the National Park Service.

Earlier this week, Jon Stewart, the sometimes comedian and full time flack for the progressives called the government shutdown a “catastrophe%$.”

And it has been for Obama so far.

“It’s a cheap way to deal with the situation,” an angry Park Service ranger in Washington told the Washington Times of the administration harassment. “We’ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting.”

Obama’s has forgotten what no president ought to forget: The chief executive is the most recognized figure in any political crisis. He’s expected to lead, not pout. In any battle with Congress that has a negative impact on citizens, the president who does not lead risks looking childish.

American‘s are reacting as adults are supposed to react to a child's temper tantrum.

We’re ignoring it.

And here’s a rule no patriot ought not forget: When the chief executive tries to enforce rules no one will follow, and everyone protests, he looks not just weak, but wrong as well.

Take courage from our soldiers, storm the barrycades, return to your homes, and sail on the ocean.

The government's overreaction is the very thing that will save our country.

There is only one answer to this weak, childish tyranny: Disobedience.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: barrycades; governmentshutdown; govtshutdown; lakemead; nationalparkservice; worldwarllmemorial; wwiimemorial
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To: Aevery_Freeman
What a truly insipid, stupid and ridiculous response. Hardly worthy of a free man.
61 posted on 10/07/2013 6:27:07 AM PDT by Roccus
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To: Kaslin
Perhaps Obama, with Michelle by his side, should give an address to the nation from the balcony of the White House...


62 posted on 10/07/2013 6:30:21 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (I'm a Christian, pro-life, pro-gun, Reaganite. The GOP hates me. Why should I vote for them?)
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To: M Kehoe

It makes you wonder just what other orders they’d follow without question.


The standard Nuremberg defense, “I only did what I was told.”


63 posted on 10/07/2013 6:32:52 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple
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To: AD from SpringBay

it’s scary how easily some people will obey orders without question.

Just following orders is a great way to not think about what you’re doing.


How does the song go, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.” We are rapidly approaching that point. I can’t prove it but I think our founding fathers were at that point of nothing left to lose.


64 posted on 10/07/2013 6:35:48 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple
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To: Kaslin
"Thanks to the partial government shutdown, Acadia National Park is closed.

But try telling that to the crowds of people — tourists and locals alike — who took advantage of Saturday’s beautiful weather to bike on the carriage trails and hike the park’s mountains anyway.

'It’s perfect weather, and there’s a zillion people out there, walking around the barricades,” said a Chicago woman who declined to give her name.

She and her husband had just biked around Eagle Lake on their first, long-planned visit to the park, and were looking for ideas for a short hike to do next.

'People aren’t going to let the government get in the way of what our tax dollars are paying for,” she said. “We drove all this way — we’re not going to sit on the outside and look."

Visitors determined to enjoy closed Acadia National Park a real problem for rangers

65 posted on 10/07/2013 6:37:28 AM PDT by Madame Dufarge
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To: Kaslin

They are reversing the roles of the 1960’s, where normal people are now being painted as the radical, violent anti govt. crowd, and the radical left is the peaceful, new normal pro govt crowd.

When the left is out of power they will orchestrate violence in order to make the claim the govt is becoming a dictatorship when the govt takes steps to stop the violence.

When the left is in power they will orchestrate violence as an excuse of using the govt to take away your right as necessary to stop the violence.


66 posted on 10/07/2013 6:43:06 AM PDT by IMR 4350
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To: Ann Archy
Brown Shirts, sound familiar anyone? Heil Obama!
67 posted on 10/07/2013 6:46:27 AM PDT by ABN 505
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To: Madame Dufarge
Visitors determined to enjoy closed Acadia National Park a real problem for rangers

The irony of this statement is really amazing. The park is closed but the rangers are on duty to make sure no one uses it. This is a problem for the rangers. The NPS rangers are just another bunch of armed federal bureaucrats.

68 posted on 10/07/2013 6:46:33 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: fatnotlazy

Crissy Mathews and Ed Schultz would be the 2 most likely to say that.


69 posted on 10/07/2013 6:59:18 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist
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To: Nervous Tick

The problem is with that photo is that the WWII troops are headed in the wrong direction to the WWII memorial.


70 posted on 10/07/2013 7:01:19 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist
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To: from occupied ga
The NPS rangers are just another bunch of armed federal bureaucrats.

Yup, too bad their cover's been blown.

71 posted on 10/07/2013 7:07:50 AM PDT by Madame Dufarge
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To: Aevery_Freeman

“While I understand your points, please have some compassion for the poor slobs caught in the middle.”

Huh? These “poor slobs” are picking their miserable paychecks over the Constitution of this country. I hope ultimately, that they all starve to death! This is nothing less than the Nazi’s at Nuremberg who “were only following orders.” These bastards had a choice, and they decided that their paychecks trumped their Constitutional Duty not to enforce illegal orders. The one thing everyone is seeing by this nonsense is just how much of our freedom is controlled by the Federal Government. Change will happen as a result! EFF all of them!


72 posted on 10/07/2013 8:27:06 AM PDT by vette6387 (i)
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To: Kaslin

The Obozo and his thugs in the outhouse and park service need to realize that if they create/cause a Kent State incident with our vets. All hell on earth will descend on them and the rats in congress for the next decade!

73 posted on 10/07/2013 9:05:16 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ( Boycott Reno & Las Vegas until those in control there, remove Reid from the senate!)
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To: vette6387
Oh for crying out loud!

I'm sick of all you keyboard warriors shrieking because I offered a little tolerance for Park Rangers (you know, Biology majors who love the outdoors). These are the lowest level government employees, many with families to feed - not war criminals.

Personally, I am watching for MY opportunity to practice a little civil disobedience because I have the money to bail my own ass out.

I humbly suggest we all do the same and leave these kids alone as they try their best to NOT enforce the decrees from the evil halfrican.

You want to pick a fight, go stand up to the state troopers preventing people from viewing Mt. Rushmore.

74 posted on 10/07/2013 9:18:51 AM PDT by Aevery_Freeman (Tried to tell 'em Affirmative Action was a bad idea...Now look what happened!)
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To: bert
Just doing my part...


75 posted on 10/07/2013 9:38:19 AM PDT by Rodamala
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To: Aevery_Freeman

“You want to pick a fight, go stand up to the state troopers preventing people from viewing Mt. Rushmore.”

Where did you get the idea that it was the State Troopers that were blocking access to the viewing pullouts at Mt. Rushmore?

You might want to read this: http://dakotawarcollege.com/federal-government-park-service-blocking-view-of-mt-rushmore-from-highway-with-tim-johnsons-support/

As far as my being a “keyboard warrior,” at least I understand that these
“federal employees” are in violation of the Constitution, and I don’t give a rat’s a$$ about their “communing with nature” as a reason for taking these jobs. When you raid the whorehouse, you take the piano player too.


76 posted on 10/07/2013 9:40:47 AM PDT by vette6387 (i)
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To: Aevery_Freeman

And how about this?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/07/lawmakers-probe-reports-property-owners-kicked-off-federal-land-amid-partial/

These “rangers” are nothing more than government-paid thugs who need to be arrested.


77 posted on 10/07/2013 9:46:20 AM PDT by vette6387 (i)
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To: Aevery_Freeman

I once quit a job when I found my manager lying to my customer behind my back. I’m a Scoutmaster who is leading my entire troop to Trail Life USA in defiance of BSA’s intransigence. It’s not the smart thing to do, but it is absolutely the right thing to do.


78 posted on 10/07/2013 9:49:43 AM PDT by cyclotic (Hey BSA-I'm gone. Walk Worthy-traillifeusa.com)
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To: vette6387
If you will notice, when things got tough, they had to send in police.

Just who do you want to do the arresting or are you going to issue a citizens arrest?

Blaming the underlings is more than misguided. We need to make government officials issuing the orders answer for their orders.

I will always give Americans the benefit of the doubt but not Kenyans, Muslims, Marxists or any combination of the aforementioned.

79 posted on 10/07/2013 10:06:33 AM PDT by Aevery_Freeman (Tried to tell 'em Affirmative Action was a bad idea...Now look what happened!)
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To: Aevery_Freeman

“Blaming the underlings is more than misguided. We need to make government officials issuing the orders answer for their orders.”

I guess we will simply have to disagree. When you have lawlessness, it is implemented by the low-level people. But they are physically present to do the enforcement. They need to either refuse to obey the unlawful orders they have been given, or suffer the consequences.


80 posted on 10/07/2013 10:12:47 AM PDT by vette6387 (i)
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