Soldiers Angels

Hey everyone! Hope you all have had a great week! I don't know about everyone else but it's definitely starting to feel like winter here in Missouri. Yesterday, I found an awesome website posted by a Facebook friend that I feel is worth sharing, especially with Christmas coming up: www.soldiersangels.org. This organization allows you to directly support and communicate with our dedicated men and women in uniform overseas. You can sign up to send a one-time care package, or adopt a soldier and commit to sending at least one letter a week and at least one care package a month. Several years ago I adopted a soldier and it was one of the most rewarding experiences to know that the things I wrote and sent to the Middle East were helping a soldier risking everything for my sake and the sake of my country. I just adopted a soldier from Soldiers Angels yesterday...consider taking part in this. It is a way to say thank you to those who won't be able to be home this Christmas. Regardless if you're for or against the war, we cannot ignore the sacrifices our armed forces make on a daily basis in the name of freedom.

Also, for my fellow Missourians, I was reading the Lake Saint Louis Journal and came across a rather interesting story. The ACLU is filing a lawsuit against St. Charles County challenging a law restricting picketing/protesting at funerals. The legislation passed with a vote of 6-0 from the St. Charles County Council and, from the Newstime article...

"...defines 'picketing of a funeral' as 'protest activities engaged in by a person or persons located within 300 feet of the premises of a cemetary, mortuary, church or other place of worship or other location during, and which target or disrupt a funeral.' A person who commits unlawful picketing of a funeral 'during a period from one hour prior to the commencement of any funeral through one hour following the cessation of any funeral'...if convicted, would be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined in an amount not exceeding $1,000.'"

This is aimed at individuals that feel it necessary to gather at the funerals of American soldiers to sling horrible insults and obnoxiously protest (*cough* Westboro Baptist Church *cough*), which I think is absolutely disgusting. (There are many, many much more respectful ways to get your point across). The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church is being represented by the ACLU in the case, and claims that it violates free speech. (Westboro Baptist protests at funerals holding anti-gay signs, protesting the "nation's tolerance of gays.") Now I cannot say that I approve of that sexual orientation, but a fallen American soldiers funeral is no place to voice that opinion. This is an interesting case and I am wondering what others think of it... it could be said that this legislation is not in accordance with the First Amendment's definition of freedom of speech (as the ACLU claims).

Here's the First Amendment... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Personally I do not see it as affecting the freedom of speech at all; this law is not shutting up these protestors or outlawing their opinions, it is providing a time frame for when such action is not lawful. The folks of Westboro Baptist Church are free to protest to their little hearts content, as long as it's three hundred feet away. It could be said, also, this challenges the right of the people to "peaceably assemble"...but, one must ask, are those of Westboro Baptist Church being peaceable? And simply, is there any respect for the families of the fallen left in our country? It is sad to say, but obviously not.

Further, ACLU confuses me. Many, many times in the past they have fought for equality for gays in the military, such as this particular story regarding salaries. http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/aclu_challenges_another_milita.html However, now they defend a group who is unquestionably anti-homosexuality. Hmmm. I think profit speaks much louder than principle with the ACLU.

I encourage my County to stand by this ordinance, and agree with County Executive Steve Ehlmann who is quoted in the LSL Journal in saying, "...we think it's[the ordinance] the right thing to do to protect the rights of family members to memorialize their loved ones without outside disruption or disturbance. You'd think in this country we wouldn't have to pass laws like this because people would have the common decency not to disturb families who are grieving the loss of a loved one. But, unfortunately, this is necessary."

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stcharles/article_64ab695c-fd91-11df-99c9-0017a4a78c22.html

Well that is all for today...I will try to post again soon, until then remember to sign up for Soldiers Angels if you want to make a real difference in someone's life, and ponder this...

‎"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us
tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second
will not become the legalized version of the first." - Thomas Jefferson