Well we have a new Speaker of the House. Sadly, based on his voting record, he is very similar to the old Speaker but it could have been worse. Time will tell if he is just another establishment system first hack or if he will move the party towards a more Constitutional footing.

Well another mentally ill person has shot and killed a bunch of people in Maine. First lets pray for the individuals and their families who have been killed or injured. Now it’s just a matter of time before we start hearing politicians wanting to take our guns again. It is reported that this individual is an ex-military firearms instructor who is mentally ill and was recently institutionalized. This is not a gun issue. It is a mental illness issue and a law enforcement issue. There is no way this individual could have legally acquired a firearm.

I got a call yesterday from an old friend from my Air Force days in Alaska. During the call the discussion briefly turned to leadership or the lack of leadership in many if not most civilian organizations. I am a member of several organizations and the only one that doesn’t suffer from a lack of leadership on some level, as far as I can tell, is the American Legion.

Leadership can be summed up in three words. Service before self. If you volunteered for or were elected to a leadership position you are obligated to be the example to others. If the organization has a function you should be there unless work or illness prevent it. Everyone needs or think they need a vacation. Just don’t schedule it over the organizations activities. You’re the face of the organization. You also don’t allow self interest to alter the direction of the organization. The organizations wellbeing comes before your likes and wants.

Organizations struggle to keep active members. Part of the reason is that the “leadership” is not leading. If they skip the organizations activities the rank and file members see no reason to show up either. The members are not children and “do as I say not as I do” doesn’t work. If you show a lack of commitment the membership will too. It’s that simple.

What is currently playing out is a fight between the status quo and some trying to force Republicans to live up to their platform.

Republicans get elected by preaching small government and traditional family values. When they get to DC they fold like napkins and become institutionalized swamp creatures. In general they just go with the flow to keep their cushy tax payer funded gravy train.

We have an opportunity to make a huge step towards upholding the platform if not the Constitution with Jim Jordan. There are a few who just want to keep the status quo and a few who have gotten their feelings hurt by the way things have played out. Both need to step up and put the country ahead of their personal feelings and ambitions. Sadly that is not likely to happen unless their constituents make their phones ring.

The Bible tells us of a time just like this. Is this the beginning of the end or just another act of evil? God only knows. I sure don’t.

What I do know is, what HAMAS has done is an atrocity. Not an act of war. The civilians killed were not collateral damage. They were the primary targets. Including the butchering of children and babies. This is very similar to the savage massacre of Jews in Bagdad in 1941 known as The FarHud.

Some have inaccurately compared this to our 9/11. It is much much worst. Just numbers alone. 9/11 would have had to have been about 25 times worse. Can you imagine if we lost 75,000 to a terrorist attack?

Israel should level and then reacquire the Gaza strip. Then allow or disallow access the same way they do the rest of the country.