As Nero (Obama) fiddles (plays golf)

Upon taking the oath of office, the President of the United States voluntarily accepts enormous responsibility, not only domestically but internationally.  This responsibility, again, is accepted voluntarily.  It is not forced upon the individual.

Failure to act appropriately in serving this enormous responsibility can lead to equally enormous negative consequences.  Sadly, many presidents from both major political parties haven't been up to the task, failing the nation ways small and large.  In relatively current times, whether it was Nixon's hubris, deceit, and lawlessness, or Clinton's renting out rooms in the White House, lying to the nation, and sexual misbehavior, failing to accept and act with due regard in recognition of the enormous responsibility placed in the person holding the office has diminished the office and office holder.

Today we experience a new low in failing to recognize the responsibility and act accordingly.  As Nero (Obama) fiddles (plays golf).

We're familiar with the story that as Rome burned, Nero played the fiddle.  That's very much like what is occurring today, as our current POTUS fails to act according to the enormous responsibility he accepted upon taking the oath of office.  And this is not a new phenomena.  Our POTUS has been flying off to fundraise, rather than leading the senior levels of government to find out what occurred in Benghazi.  As issue after issue, domestically and internationally arise, he's more apt to jet off to Florida for a round of golf than to convene his senior advisors to examine, analyze, plan, and act.  Prone to pontification, he'd rather campaign and blame than lead and manage.

We need to just look at current events to understand the depth and breadth of the problem.  Iraq is falling apart, so POTUS flies to California to play golf.  The southern borders are being inundated with tens of thousands of illegal immigrants, while POTUS gives a university commencement speech in which he exhorts the graduates to rally for climate change, just as he did at the United States Military Academy.  An alleged deserter is exchanged for five Taliban senior leaders, but POTUS can't call the President of Mexico to get our Marine released.  The IRS suddenly can't find two years of emails from Lois Lerner, while POTUS takes a walk in DC with Joe Biden.

Being President of the United States is exceptionally demanding, as befitting the enormous responsibility granted by the American voting populace.  Some rise and meet the demand, others evade it.  Our current office holder evades it, preferring perpetual campaigning and faculty lounge worthy hyperbole to actual management and leadership.  Our current office holder prefers golf to the hard task of leading.

So as problems of enormous significance multiply and the dangers to the nation escalate, Nero (Obama) fiddles (plays golf).       

May God help us

Much is said and written by secularists who "demand" removal of all things religious from the military.  Various extreme organizations with progressive inspired names, as well as the ACLU, complain about crosses erected by members of the Armed Forces to commemorate the loss of their brothers on foreign battlefields from World War I to World War II to Vietnam to OIF/OEF.  Most notably, these folks have never put on a uniform and served in our Armed Forces, let alone gone into harm's way.

I've got news for them, the men and women of our Armed Forces have deeply held religious beliefs, from all varieties of organized religions.  As a commanding officer, I've personally seen my assigned chaplains, Catholic and Southern Baptist, minister to the Marines and sailors in my command.  Likewise, I have watched my Marines and sailors gravitate to their chaplains, regardless of faith.  From prayers at changes of command and military funerals for the fallen, I have taken encouragement and solace.  From the kind words of a chaplain, I have been able to endure challenging and difficult times.

To those ignorant radicals who have never put their lives on the line, I offer the below picture, of a Marine Lance Corporal from Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.  He is reading his bible before heading out on a combat mission in Afghanistan.   The picture was recently published in the on-line version of the San Diego Union Tribune, complete with a description of how he reads the bible before every mission, like the one his unit was about to undertake to search for Taliban leaders.

May our nation NEVER reach a point where our warriors are denied access to chaplains, to a point where the chaplains can't go into combat with their Marines and sailors, to a point where the secularists rule, to a point where belief in and praying to God in the military are forbidden, to a point where I can't kneel and pray at the military funeral for a fallen comrade.  Sadly, angrily I can report that the nation is well on its way to such a point.

May God help us. 

Military matters and issues

Of recent, much has been written, discussed, "tweeted," blogged, and broadcast about current events pertaining to the military and armed forces.  Most certainly, anyone is free to offer an opinion about any matter or issue of their choosing, though having personal knowledge abut the matter or issue under review.  However, and perhaps due to personal sensitivity, it seems a wide swatch of our population assumes qualification to opine about uniquely military matters an issues. 

Sharing opinions in a public forum is a tricky business, because the thoughts are open to review and criticism from multiple angles, including technical accuracy, political leaning, sufficiency of research, quality of analysis, ad validity of the conclusions.  Therefore it is important to be comprehensive and accurate when deliberately sharing one's opinion.  It doesn't really matter if others disagree with a shared opinion, but it does matter that such an opinion is based on solid ground, so to speak.

It is with this point that I take issue with all too many opinions recently launched into the public square concerning military matters and issues.  Far too many of the opinions are offered from deficient positions and levels of knowledge.  Some of the opinions are being offered without any experience or relevant expertise in matters military.  It is very clear, in some cases, that the commentator is woefully ignorant of the topic on which they offer their views.  While free to do so, it takes away from the substance of the view they seek to present.  So their views contribute to misinformation ad confusion, rather than to informed debate.  It is really no different than offering uninformed medical opinions.  

Thank about it the next time you read or listen to a self appointed "expert" on military matters and issues.  Does the individual have reasonable standing, experience, or expertise on the topic?  If not, discount the offered views.