King Obama

from obamacartoon.blogspot.com

Well I promised to go find some funny or happy shit to post but I just can't get past this whole Obama drone thing...so it's time to rant.  Given my position as a member of the US Armed Forces, I'm treading into some delicate territory, so I should make a few things clear right now.

This blog represents my personal opinions, and my opinions only.  They do not represent the opinions of the US Army or any branch of the military, nor any members thereof.  Hell they don't represent my wife's opinions half the time, but that's ok. 

I should also point out for the record that I am by no means anti-government.  I am, however, very pro-Constitution and can't sit idly by while it is shit all over upon by our government officials on both sides of the aisle.  We have a Constitution for a reason, and that Constitution also contains provisions to amend it if we find it no longer suits our needs.  What it doesn't provide for is the President or anyone else simply ignoring it or circumventing it every time he finds some provision in it inconvenient.

Basically, Obama has declared that he can order the killing of anyone, including American citizens, wherever he wants to and whenever he wants to.  This is fucking chilling, and I am not exaggerating one bit.  So if Obama decides that you are a terrorist, you can be assassinated without any trial or due process.

Yeah, this is kind of old news, except that now we finally know the Presidents reasoning for proclaiming this right.  A memo leaked to NBC claims that (quoting Judge Napolitano here):  the law reposes into the hands of any unnamed “high-level official,” not necessarily the president, the lawful power to decide when to suspend constitutional protections guaranteed to all persons and kill them without any due process whatsoever.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/02/07/obama-gives-himself-permission-to-kill/#ixzz2KHkdFEBv

Oh but Rick, it's not like he's going to send a drone over to your house for writing this blog post.  You're overreacting.  No, I'm not worried about Obama sending a drone over to kill me, or anyone I know, I'm not even worried about him using this self-proclaimed authority in a haphazard way.  But what I am really worried about is the precedent this sets. 

But hell, this isn't even a precedent.  Bush snubbed his nose at the Constitution also with the so called "Patriot Act".  You know, the one that says the government can spy on your phone calls, emails, what web pages you visit, library records, and all that shit without a warrant.  So the government has no need for warrants anymore, and apparently now it has no need for evidence or due process either.

The Constitution may not be perfect in bringing guilty people to justice.  The fact that people like Ray Lewis and Casey Anthony and OJ are walking free are proof of that.  (Well ok, technically OJ is in jail but not for the murder he committed).  But the Constitution is intended to protect the rights of citizens, and deliberately makes it difficult for the government to convict them and sets specific processes for convictions.  Just because the President finds the Constitution to be a fucking nuisance doesn't give him the right to circumvent it. 

Forgiving Ray Lewis...

Earlier this week I promised to rip Ray Lewis a new asshole on Super Bowl Sunday.  But honestly, I'm just not feeling it.  I really thought I hated they guy.  I thought that because every time I see him worshiped and glorified in the media I want to puke, cry, scream and yell, punch shit.  But I realized that it's not him that makes me so sick and pissed off, it's the media and you Ray Lewis lovers that do.  Does this country really not give one tiny fuck about what this guy did?  Is football so important that even if a guy is involved in a double homicide as long as he's a beast on Sunday on the football field it's all good? 

And make no mistake, he was involved.  That much is fact.  We can sit and argue whether he actually killed anyone or helped kill anyone or at what level he was involved, but he sure as shit was involved.  So let's establish that first and foremost.  Blood in his limo.  A disappearing white suit that he wore that night.  How the fuck do you lose a suit?  I lose shit all the time, ask my wife.  I've spent 10 minutes looking for a cell phone that I was holding in my hand, but I've never once lost an entire suit.  That right there is all I need to know to know Lewis must have had some role.  And it doesn't matter to me what role it was, because to me there's no difference if he actually stabbed those guys himself or if he saw it and didn't say shit about it.

But all that's been hashed through enough.  This rant isn't about proving he's guilty or what he's guilty of.  It's not even about how much I hate the guy, because like I said I thought I did but I don't.  I don't like him, but it's not him I'm mad at either.

He has gone on to live out a life that few of us could even begin to dream about.  He's made millions off of everyone who goes to his games, buys his jerseys and the products he endorses.  He's done all that when his ass should have been in jail and long forgotten.  He's done all that while two people are dead, two families devastated while their loved ones' murders have gone unpunished.  That's what pisses me off.

So when you fawn all over this guy, you spit in the face of those families.  When you talk about what a hero he is, you piss on those people's graves. 

It's one thing to forgive someone.  Even a murderer.  He didn't kill me or anyone I knew, so in a way it would be arrogant of me to even say I forgive him, because he doesn't owe me shit as far as an apology or remorse or restitution.  But what the hell is forgiveness, anyway?

Forgiveness is a weird thing.  Most religions preach it.  Some even require it.  And if you look up the definition of forgiveness it means "to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt".  But what the hell exactly does that mean?  Act like it never happened?  Hell no.  Never hold the offense against the person?  If that's the case then some offenses are not totally forgivable.  Maybe there comes a time when you can say ok, you've paid enough of a price.  But that doesn't mean it's forgotten.  Doesn't mean I can't still hold it against you and say you are not a hero.  You sure as shit aren't a role model.  You damn sure don't deserve the fame and fortune and adoration of millions.  So if I'm in any position to forgive Ray Lewis, then I don't forgive him, and I wont.  But I don't hate him either, at least not anymore.

I hope people will stop and think about all this shit for a minute before they start congratulating him on such a great career today.  Fuck that, it's a career he never should have had.  There should be no tribute, no grand retrospective on Ray Lewis today.  Don't make him a hero.  He's not a hero, he's not someone to look up to, I don't give a shit what he's done in the years since.  Forgiveness doesn't mean justifying the act, and by making Ray Lewis out to be a hero that's exactly what you do.  Go find a real hero, they are all around you.  Go find a fireman or policeman (or woman, I just think that fireperson or policeperson sounds stupid as hell).  But anyway find one of them, who go to work every single day knowing they might not come home that night, because they might have to give their life to save another.  Find better heroes in sports, you know, maybe somebody who has done all the wonderful things Ray Lewis has for people and kids and hasn't been involved in a double-homicide.

OK, I'm done, now go watch the Super Bowl.  Oh and do me one favor...either watch the damn game or leave the people alone who want to watch the game.  Don't shush me so you can hear some stupid ass commercial and then be all loud as fuck talking about the stupid ass commercial while I'm trying to watch the game.  That totally pisses me off.  But if you do, I'll forgive you...