

Military
Lest We Forget
This column is the text of a Memorial Day address I was asked to give at the Field of Valor in Moorpark, California. May it again inspire us all to never forget.
War is hell. Sadly, war at times is necessary. Men and women die is those wars, and on days like today, we remember those who gave up all their tomorrows to keep us free to have so many more.
What must one say in a Memorial Day speech or any day of remembrance? President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was only 272 words long, and yet it has been treasured for over a century as one of the best speeches ever given.
Even now, our debt to the heroic men and valiant women who died in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our enduring gratitude. This is not Veterans Day, it’s not a celebration, it is a day of solemn contemplation over the cost of freedom and those who bore that cost.
I never served in the military. I was born at the end of World War II when my father was quartermaster of Tyndall field in Panama City, Florida. He was a major in the army air corp. My son and one of my grandsons have both served in the US Army. Thankfully, none of them gave up their lives in service to our land, but that may not be the case for some of you here today. it’s been said that as citizens of this great country, we need to regard all of our soldiers as our children, so that as our own beloved sons and daughters, we might feel deeply the loss of every last one of those who have died in service to our nation.
We not only remember; we honor them for their valor. In the words of General George S. Patton: “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived.” I think we must do both.
So many mothers and wives, husbands and fathers, extended family and friends go about life every day remembering loved one no longer with us. They are reminded by pictures on mantels and mementos of a life not fully lived. At some level they understand that their soldier chose a life of service and understood the potential of their own death. So today, we also honor you, the families of those who lost loved ones, for you bear a burden that only you can comprehend. We are grateful for the love and support you gave your soldier.
General Norman Schwarzkopf once observed: “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” With that in mind, may we not only remember those we honor today at this ceremony, but may we keep our soldiers who are deployed defending our freedom, and their families, in our thoughts and prayers.
There is no more fitting way to end this than with the treasured final words of Lincoln on the fields of Gettysburg in November of 1863. “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
Let us echo the line from Lee Greenwood’s patriotic tribute: “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” It’s been said that our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.
God bless our great nation. God bless and embrace those who gave their all and the families who pay the continuing cost for that sacrifice. Finally, God bless each of you for taking the time to remember.
Consider purchasing Dr. Paulson’s newly released ”Joy Comes with the Morning” course today! Get ready to enjoy the 31 short, recorded messages on your computer or smart phone. Each message is designed to expand and enhance your joy-filled faith experience whenever you need or want it. Visit tomeapp.com/joy to start bringing more Christian joy to your morning today. Contact him at [email protected].
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American Freedom Tour
Meet the Man Who Has Memorized Every Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
Ron White decided to memorize every single US service member killed in Afghanistan.
Ron White is a former naval intelligence officer. He also happens to be a two-time US memory champion. Yes, they actually hold championships for memory. You can hand Ron a completely randomly shuffled deck of 52 cards and after he looks at them for one minute, he can set them back down on the table and tell you the order of those cards both frontwards and backwards. That’s the kind of memory he has. As the founder of America’s Memory (check him out here), Ron decided to use that memory to honor our fallen heroes. Having served in Afghanistan himself, Ron decided to memorize every single US service member killed in Afghanistan. His story and his dedication to remembering his fallen brothers and sisters is incredible and he tells us all about it on the latest episode of the American Freedom Tour Podcast (which you can subscribe to here). Watch the video below.
Military
Biden is Soft on Putin; Trump was Tough on Putin
Trump enacted more than 50 sanctions or policy actions on Russia, many being severe
Joe Biden thoroughly fears Vladimir Putin, and so Ukraine and the world suffers. Donald Trump did not fear Putin, and so Russia did not gain one extra inch of Ukrainian territory from 2017 to 2020.
Leftist Lies
In May 2017, the ultra-obnoxious late night TV show host Stephen Colbert apparently delighted his legions of ignorant fans by repugnantly joking that, “The only thing [Trump’s] mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c–k holster.” Amazingly, Colbert is still singing the same tune.
Along with Colbert, Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Chuck Schumer, and the ‘mainstream’ media continue their non-stop, massive lies about Donald Trump being ‘soft’ on Russia. On June 28, 2020 Pelosi blabbed, “I don’t know what the Russians have on the president,” referring to the “Russian bounty”’ hoax.
Trending on PolitiCrossing.com: Where Do You Draw the Line on Medically Enhanced Competitors?
The media machine fervently wants you to believe that Russia/Putin “have something on Trump,” which impeded him from taking aggressive action to curtail Putin’s excesses. Concurrently, no U.S. president in recent history was tougher on Russia than Donald Trump.
Let’s Look at the Record
What did President Trump do in relation to Russia during his time in office? Here are only a handful of examples:
* Imposed sanctions on Russian companies and Russian entities, blocking at least $3 billion worth of deals from going into Russian coffers.
* Placed harsh economic restrictions on a group of Russian oligarchs which effectively puts more pressure on Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader has illegally amassed enormous wealth – exceeding $25 billion – in the last two decades, but he can’t hold all that wealth in his own name, so he appointed oligarch cronies to be his trustees. Putting his oligarchs on sanctions hurts Putin big time.
* Levied considerable financial sanctions and travel restrictions on 50-plus individuals who have been accused of human-rights abuses and corruption under both the Magnitsky Act and the Global Magnitsky Act.
* Criticized NATO allies for not spending enough on defense (and was accused by the lamestream media of encouraging Russia to test alliance resolve). NATO allies, however, have taken steps to pay more, and NATO appears stronger than before, which is decidedly not the outcome Putin wanted.
* Authorized the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats from the U.S. in the wake of nerve agent attack on British soil, allegedly at the hands of the Kremlin.
* Approved the export of lethal weapons, including American-made Javelin antitank missiles, to help Ukraine shore up its eastern defenses against separatists backed by Moscow. More defense cooperation with Ukraine, as well as weapons sales are on the near horizon.
* Killed more than 200 Russian soldiers in Syria – U.S. troops are present as in Syria as much to limit Russian and Iranian influence on the country’s future as to fight the remnants of the Islamic State.
* Facilitated U.S. sales of more coal to energy-strapped Ukraine, while weakening Russia’s hold on oil exports.
* Ramped up militarily to pressure the Russian Federation as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Defense Secretary work to strengthen alliances and military cooperation with Baltic states that share borders with Russia.
* Offered a proposal to Poland to host a permanent contingent of U.S. troops, in the way that Germany and Italy have done since World War II, to help secure Poland’s 180-mile long border with Russia.
* Discussed with Ukraine’s president the enhancement of cooperation in security and defense sectors, and the importance of keeping tight sanctions on Russia – to Putin a most unwelcome development.
* Pressured Germany over its status as the largest buyer of Russian natural gas, and as a huge buyer of Russia coal and mineral oil.
* Sanctioned four Russian entities and seven individuals in response to a 2018 attempt to interfere in U.S. midterm elections, including Russian financier Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a wealthy loyalist nicknamed “Putin’s chef” who has his mitts in many pies.
* Suspended its obligations under the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty because Russia was not complying with it.
No Kid Gloves
In all, as a Brookings Institute analysis revealed, the Trump administration enacted more than 50 sanctions or policy actions on Russia, many being severe, from May 15, 2017 – four months after Trump took office – to 2020. Even half of what Trump had done is massive and thoroughly refutes the orchestrated, perpetual Democrat lies about Trump being soft on Russia and Trump somehow colluding with Russia.
The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Left, in general, would much prefer that you remain ignorant about these actions. Indeed, they make their living from it.
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