Z is moving!

I am now on WordPress.   Please come visit me HERE and sign in and we'll be off and running.

I'm looking forward to continuing our talks, encouraging each other, avoiding the nastiness and hate from some who've commented here and feeling a LOT better!

Thanks, folks.....I think GeeeeZ is about 9 years old and I want to thank Elmer's Brother for helping me put it together back then and giving me so many  years of pleasure (Mr. Z enjoyed it so much, too.).  Thank you, Elbro.

I want to thank Mustang for the technical help and encouragement for the new Geeez Blog, and I want to thank Kid for his constant encouragement and help, too.  Mustang, I could not have done it without you. 

God bless you all. 

See you soon.

Z

Sunday Faith Blog

 

A Hymn by G. K. Chesterton

O God of earth and altar,
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches,
From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches
That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation
Of honour and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation,
Deliver us, good Lord.

Tie in a living tether
The prince and priest and thrall,
Bind all our lives together,
Smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation
Aflame with faith, and free,
Lift up a living nation,
A single sword to thee.

What an amazing Hymn that fits America today so well.   I hope you find this as uplifting and hopeful as I do.

Have a wonderful Sunday,

Z 

Bergdahl is worth how many terrorists?

I find it sad to start my piece mentioning how elated I am that, after FIVE YEARS, we finally did enough to get Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl freed.   I say "sad" because it shouldn't be necessary to say  except that it's my experience that the first thing our libs here will say is "you and the Republicans didn't want a soldier out? I thought you loved soldiers?" :-)  

 

I think the article below, by Karen Tumulty (who did another fair job considering it's for the Washington Post) needs discussion.  I'm curious if any of you feel we've just equated one of our soldier's worth to that of five terrorists.  I'm perfectly open to disagreement on that but want to hear why. 

Amid jubilation Saturday over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from captivity by the Taliban, senior they were troubled by the means by which it was accomplished, which was a deal to release five Afghan detainees from the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
 

“Trading five senior Taliban leaders from detention in Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl’s release may have consequences for the rest of our forces and all Americans. Our terrorist adversaries now have a strong incentive to capture Americans. That incentive will put our forces in Afghanistan and around the world at even greater risk,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. McKeon (R-Calif.) and the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, James M. Inhofe (Okla.), said in a joint statement.

Lawmakers were not notified of the Guantanamo detainees’ transfer until after it occurred.
The law requires the defense secretary to notify relevant congressional committees at least 30 days before making any transfers of prisoners, to explain the reason and to provide assurances that those released would not be in a position to reengage in activities that could threaten the United States or its interests.

Before the current law was enacted at the end of last year, the conditions were even more stringent. However, the administration and some Democrats had pressed for them to be loosened, in part to give them more flexibility to negotiate for Bergdahl’s release.

A senior administration official, agreeing to speak on the condition of anonymity to explain the timing of the congressional notification, acknowledged that the law was not followed. When he signed the law last year, Obama issued a signing statement contending that the notification requirement was an unconstitutional infringement on his powers as commander in chief and that he therefore could override it.   *Z:  This stunned me.  He can just sign a statement and do away with the law?   On everything?

“Due to a near-term opportunity to save Sergeant Bergdahl’s life, we moved as quickly as possible,” the official said. “The administration determined that given these unique and exigent circumstances, such a transfer should go forward notwithstanding the notice requirement.”

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said that the detainees transferred from Guantanamo to Qatar, where they are to stay for at least a year, “are hardened terrorists who have the blood of Americans and countless Afghans on their hands. I am eager to learn what precise steps are being taken to ensure that these vicious and violent Taliban extremists never return to the fight against the United States and our partners or engage in any activities that can threaten the prospects for peace and security in Afghanistan.”   
Beyond this individual instance, some raised the larger question of whether it is sound policy for the United States to have, in the words of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), “negotiated with terrorists.”
Rogers said the action marked a “fundamental shift in U.S. policy.”- Karen Tumulty

So, particularly our military vets;  please let me know what you think.   Also, there appears to be some question about what he was doing when taken, does anybody know for sure?   
I hope we can carry on a good, informative, friendly exchange of ideas.  Thanks.

Z

 

Sunday Faith Blog

Today, it occurred to me to say that I am so grateful that our blogs provide us with a place where old and new 'friends'  support us in our love of the Constitution and the importance of following it, in our pride in America as we celebrate her great achievements and as we work toward making her even better, who admire and support our military, believe in true religious freedom, who support the idea that helping others should come from our hearts and not from secular laws, who believe we were all better off when there was a healthy respect for morality and life, who believe in strong and God-inspired families.

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."  Proverbs 27:17 ESV

Have a terrific Sunday.......find a whole bunch of stuff to be grateful for.  I'm sure they're there!

Thanks, everybody,

z