The Border & Illegal Aliens, And What We Are Doing About It.

[Bullheaded Texan]

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

“We are not going to let this country be invaded!

We will not be stampeded!

We will not capitulate to lawlessness!

This is NOT business as usual.

This is the Trump era!," the Attorney General said.
 

[Landel Cathcart]

BREAKING: Sarah Sanders RESIGNS
BREAKING: Sarah Sanders RESIGNS.
What's next?
President Donald Trump announced that White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders will leave the White House at the end of June with plans to return to Arkansas.
Trump announced the news on Twitter.
“After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas,” he wrote.
President Trump praised Sanders for her service at the White House.
“She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job!”
Trump also recommended a future job for Sanders.
“I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas – she would be fantastic,” he wrote. “Sarah, thank you for a job well done!”















Image : Washington Examiner

[Landel Cathcart]

VIDEO: ‘First large group’ from AFRICA wades across Rio Grande into US.

 6/2/19

A group of illegals from Angola, Cameroon and Congo waded across the Rio Grande River and into the United States, video from Customs and Border Protection shows.

The video shows male and female adults walking through the water and into Texas, several with children on their shoulders.  https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1134581031162515456/pu/img...

 U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to Del Rio Sector apprehended a large group of 116 individuals—from Angola, Cameroon and Congo—after they illegally crossed the Rio Grande River into the U.S. on Thursday. Our southern border is now a magnet for illegal immigration from all over the world. It's time for Democrats to help close the loopholes!

 The White House tweeted additional video:

https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1134588617345646597/pu/img...

‘He always brings them up’:

 

Fisher Industries workers prepare land on private property in Sunland Park, New Mexico, near El Paso, on Wednesday, feet from where International Boundary Monument No. 1 sits in the foreground.

 Trump tries to steer border wall deal to North Dakota firm.

President Trump has personally and repeatedly urged the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to award a border wall contract to a North Dakota construction firm whose top executive is a GOP donor and frequent guest on Fox News, according to four administration officials.

 In phone calls, White House meetings and conversations aboard Air Force One during the past several months, Trump has aggressively pushed Dickinson, N.D.-based Fisher Industries to Department of Homeland Security leaders and Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the commanding general of the Army Corps, according to the administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal discussions. The push for a specific company has alarmed military commanders and DHS officials.

 Semonite was summoned to the White House again Thursday, after the president’s aides told Pentagon officials — including Gen. Mark Milley, the Army’s chief of staff — that the president wanted to discuss the border barrier. According to an administration official with knowledge of the Oval Office meeting, Trump immediately brought up Fisher, a company that sued the U.S. government last month after the Army Corps did not accept its bid to install barriers along the southern border, a contract potentially worth billions of dollars.

 Trump has latched on to the company’s public claims that a new weathered steel design and innovative construction method would vastly speed up the project — and deliver it at far less cost to taxpayers. White House officials said Trump wants to go with the best and most cost-effective option to build the wall quickly.

 “The President is one of the country’s most successful builders and knows better than anyone how to negotiate the best deals,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in an email. “He wants to make sure we get the job done under budget and ahead of schedule.”

 Fisher’s chief executive, Tommy Fisher, has gone on conservative television and radio, claiming that his company could build more than 200 miles of barrier in less than a year. And he has courted Washington directly, meeting in congressional offices and inviting officials to the Southwest desert to see barrier prototypes.

 

Even as Trump pushes for his firm, Fisher already has started building a section of fencing in Sunland Park, N.M. We Build the Wall, a nonprofit that includes prominent conservatives who support the president — its associates and advisory board include former White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon, Blackwater USA founder Erik Prince, ex-congressman Tom Tancredo and former Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach — has guided an effort to build portions of the border barrier on private land with private funds.

 The first section is expected to be unveiled soon. Fisher-branded equipment and workers were visible this week preparing the site outside El Paso, within feet of the International Boundary Monument No. 1, placed in 1855 at the beginning of the effort to delineate the Mexican border. The stretch, part of which is on private land owned by a brick company, is the only area in the region without a barrier, in part because it crosses rugged terrain.

 Scott Sleight, an attorney for Fisher, said in a statement Thursday that Fisher Industries is committed to working with the federal government to secure the border and has developed a patent-pending installation system that allows the company to build fencing “faster than any contractor using common construction methods.”

“Fisher has invited officials of many agencies and members of Congress to demonstrate what we believe are vastly superior construction methods and capabilities,” Sleight said. “Consistent with the goals President Trump has also outlined, Fisher’s goal is to, as expeditiously as possible, provide the best quality border protection at the best price for the American people at our Nation’s border.”

Fisher Industries works on the grounds of American Eagle Brick Co., along the U.S.-Mexico border.

 Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, has joined in the campaign for Fisher Industries, along with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), an ardent promoter of the company and the recipient of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Fisher and his family members, according to campaign finance records. Cramer, in an interview Thursday, said the Trump administration has shown a great deal of interest in his constituent’s company.

 Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, has joined in the campaign for Fisher Industries, along with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), an ardent promoter of the company and the recipient of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Fisher and his family members, according to campaign finance records. Cramer, in an interview Thursday, said the Trump administration has shown a great deal of interest in his constituent’s company.

 “He always brings them up,” Cramer said, noting that he spoke with Trump about Fisher twice — once in February and again on Thursday. Each time, Trump said he wanted Fisher to build some of the barrier, Cramer said. He also said Trump likes Fisher because he had seen him on television advocating for his version of the barrier: “He’s been very aggressive on TV,” Cramer said of the CEO.

 “You know who else watches Fox News?” Cramer asked.

Tommy Fisher, president of Fisher Industries, has made repeated appearances in conservative media insisting he can build the wall faster and for less money. (The Washington Post)

 Trump’s repeated attempts to influence the Army Corps’ contracting decisions show the degree to which the president is willing to insert himself into what is normally a staid legal and regulatory process designed to protect the U.S. government from accusations of favoritism. They also show how a private company can appeal to the president using well-placed publicity and personal connections to his allies — and the president’s willingness to dive into the minutiae of specific projects.

 But Trump’s personal intervention risks the perception of improper influence on decades-old procurement rules that require government agencies to seek competitive bids, free of political interference.

 A senior White House official explained Trump’s advocacy for Fisher Industries by saying the president was told the company was cheaper than others and could build the wall faster. The official said that Trump would prefer another company if he learned it could do the work cheaper and faster than Fisher has promised.

 The official also said Trump had not told Semonite he must award the contract to the them but had repeatedly brought up Fisher Industries as an option because he sees the process as too expensive and too slow. Trump wants to see hundreds of miles of border barrier completed within the next two years.

 Trump has taken an intense interest in the border barrier project, expressing frustration with the pace of progress on a structure he views as key to his reelection campaign. Several administration officials have said the president requires frequent briefings from his staff and has given specific but shifting instructions to Semonite and DHS leaders on his preferred tastes and design specifications.

 Most recently, the president has insisted the structure be painted black and topped with spikes, while grumbling to aides that the Army Corps contracting process is holding back his ambitions.

 At the White House meeting Thursday, he said he doesn’t like the current design for the wall’s gates, suggesting that instead of the hydraulic sliding gate design, the Army Corps should consider an alternative, according to an administration official: “Why not French doors?” the president asked.

 Trump also dismissed concerns about cost increases and maintenance needs associated with applying paint to the structure, insisting the barrier be black, the administration official said. He also wants the flat steel panels removed from the upper part of the fence, which he considers unsightly, preferring sharpened tips at the end of the steel bollards.

 The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.

The Army Corps, with a reputation for rectitude, discipline and impartiality, is the designated contracting authority for the border barrier project, developing specifications, awarding contracts and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.

Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, chief of engineers and the commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers goes to great lengths to ensure the integrity of our contracting process,” said Raini W. Brunson, a spokesperson for the Army Corps, who referred questions about Trump’s conversations with Semonite to the White House.

The president ordered the reassignment of defense funds to the barrier project after Democrats denied his request for $5 billion. Instead, the agreement to end the government shutdown included $1.4 billion for the barrier.

 Since then, with Trump promising to build 400 miles of fencing by next year, the Pentagon has pledged to provide at least $2.5 billion more.

 Fisher Industries was one of the six companies that built border wall prototypes outside San Diego in 2017, but the company’s concrete design did not afford the see-through visibility that DHS officials wanted. While many of the companies declined to discuss their prototypes with reporters, Tommy Fisher was an eager booster for his plan, criticizing the steel bollard design and professing that a more expensive concrete version would be better.

 When Fisher began promoting a steel version of the barrier that he said could be installed faster and cheaper, the Army Corps said the design did not meet its requirements and lacked regulatory approvals.

 “The system he is proposing does not meet the operational requirements of U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” an official said. DHS officials also told the Army Corps in March that Fisher’s work on a barrier project in San Diego came in late and over budget.

 Fisher Industries has alleged improprieties with the border wall procurement process and sued the government on April 25. And Fisher has made repeat appearances in conservative media including Fox News, touting his plan and denouncing “bureaucracy” for holding back construction progress. His pitch has become something of a conservative cause celebre, and in April, Fisher hosted a demonstration of his construction techniques in Arizona with lawmakers including Cramer, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), as well as Kobach, the immigration hard-liner whom the president had been considering as a possible DHS secretary.

President Trump steps off Air Force One with then-Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, center, and Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) for a campaign rally in June 2018, in Fargo, N.D.

.Fisher this week told radio listeners in North Dakota that he was using private donations to build a section of border wall to show off his superior construction methods, which involve using heavy equipment to hold steel panels in place as they are anchored into the ground. He said he knows Trump will be impressed.

 “The Corps said it couldn’t be done, but now the Border Patrol has seen it,” Fisher said of his construction project in an interview Wednesday on “The Flag,” a show on North Dakota’s WZFG News. “They’ve been out each day, and the proof’s in the pudding, and after that, it’s going to open up a whole new narrative about how border security should be handled, who should construct it, and the border agents will finally get what they deserve. And we’ll prove it in a half-mile stretch where they said it couldn’t be done.”

 Collecting private donations, "We Build the Wall" has raised $22 million for the cause. The group has announced a raffle for a “wall reveal ceremony” it said will be attended by its “MAGA All Star board of advisors.”

 “Witness history made on completion of the first privately funded section of the border wall!” it says. Cramer said Fisher is working with We Build the Wall. The group did not respond to a request for comment.

 Trump has repeatedly brought up Fisher Industries after hearing about the company in early 2019, administration officials said.

 In an earlier meeting with military and DHS officials in the Oval Office, Trump said that the government was getting ripped off by current contractors — and that Fisher could do it for less than half the price and with concrete. “The president got very spun up about it,” said one person with direct knowledge of the meeting.

 Officials from the Army Corps and DHS then met with Kushner several times to explain why Fisher wasn’t the best deal. Kushner was intimately interested in the cost of the wall and why other companies were being chosen over Fisher, administration officials said. Trump repeatedly told advisers that Fisher should be the company, administration officials said, and he has remained focused on the cost of the wall and how slow its progress has been.

Excavators work on land that abuts the Mexican border in Sunland Park, N.M., where private money is being used to build border barriers on private land.

  Army Corps of Engineers officials evaluated Fisher’s proposal and said that it didn’t meet the requirements of the project — and that the proposal was cheaper because it wasn’t as high-quality, or as sophisticated, in their view.

Finally, officials, including then-DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, went into the Oval Office this spring and explained that Fisher could bid but that the company’s proposal needed to change.

 Nielsen and Semonite separately explained that the president could not just pick a company. Nielsen did not respond to a request for comment.

 Trump remained frustrated, saying that Fisher said it could build the barrier cheaper and faster. “He said these other guys were full of s---,” an official said.

 Fisher was added to a pool of competitors after the Army Corps came under pressure from the White House, administration officials said.

 On Tuesday, after Semonite was called to a meeting with Cramer on Capitol Hill, the senator posted a photograph of the encounter to Twitter, saying he had “discussed border wall construction” with Army Corps leaders. Cramer said he was glad the president is so involved in the process. Trump was elected to cut through Washington’s entrenched bureaucracy, he said.

 “Good for him. It’s why he is the president of the United States. He knows a thing or two about building big projects,” Cramer said. “This is why he’s president.”

 Cramer said that he has long known the Fisher family and that he is not advocating for the company because its ownership has donated money to his campaigns.

 “I was doing it before they were a financial contributor,” he said. “For no other reason than the fact that he’s a constituent of mine.”

 Cramer said he had gone down to the border to see Fisher’s “show and tell” demonstration. The senator said he has discussed the company with Semonite, acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan, White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and others.

 Tommy Fisher and his wife gave more than $10,000 — the maximum allowable contribution — to Cramer in 2018 as he ran for Senate, campaign finance records show. Fisher was Cramer’s guest at Trump’s State of the Union speech in February that year, and the CEO said he shook the president’s hand afterward.

 Trump backed Cramer last year in his campaign to unseat Democrat Heidi Heitkamp. During his Senate run, Cramer appeared in a social media video at Fisher headquarters in North Dakota, driving an excavator.

“Here at Fisher Industries in Dickinson ND, I tested just how easy it is to install a panel of wall myself,” Cramer wrote on Twitter.

The grounds of American Eagle Brick Co., in Sunland Park, N.M.

 

 

[Landel Cathcart]

Virginia’s racist governor could tear down historical statues over something insane.

 5/5/19

Radical Leftists want to destroy every piece of American history they can get their hands on.

 They believe that America’s past is racist, and therefore should be completely forgotten.

And now, Virginia’s racist Governor could tear down historic statues over something insane.

 Virginia Governor Ralph Northam got smacked with the biggest political scandal of his career earlier this year.

The Democrat Governor was exposed having pictures of himself either in blackface, or wearing Ku Klux Klan robes in his medical school yearbook.

 Since the release of the picture, he has refused to resign and continues to struggle with admitting if he is actually in the picture that appears on his yearbook page.

But now, he is trying to prove he isn’t racist, and radical Leftists are trying to capitalize on that to remove Confederate statues in the state’s capital of Richmond.

 Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy, and holds a lot of historical significance!

So it understandably holds statues honoring Confederate leaders and those who were killed or fought in the War Between the States.

 That’s why a group of Left-wing protesters rallied to call for the removal of the statues over the weekend.

CBS 6 News reports:

 A group of racial justice advocates held a rally on Monument Avenue Saturday in protest of Richmond’s Confederate monuments.

 The organizers called on Gov. Ralph Northam to remove the statues because they say the monuments, especially the statue of Robert E. Lee, are magnets for who they call “white supremacists.”

 The rally ran counter to scheduled another rally organized by the Tennessee-based New Confederate States of America, which comes to Richmond from time to time to support the statues.

 They are calling on Governor Northam to act because he is desperate to prove he isn’t racist.

Protesters are telling him that the only way to do that is to remove monuments of American history.

 Right now they are targeting Confederate monuments, but will certainly move on to any historical figure that they disagree with.

Do you think monuments to American history should remain in place?

 **** I DAMN SHORE DO!!**** Bull

[Landel Cathcart]

****************THE POWER OF WE THE THE PEOPLE****************

INSANE: Cartel Gunmen Reportedly Brandish Rifles, Intimidate Border Wall Construction Crew.

Wall construction workers received a reported intimidation attempt from cartel gunmen last night.

 5/31/19 By Tom Pappert

Brian Kolfage, the veteran who started the viral We Build The Wall organization, revealed that cartel gunmen approached border wall construction crews brandishing rifles last night, seeking to intimidate them and prevent them from continuing the border wall construction.

 Brian Kolfage, the triple-amputee Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient who started the viral We Build The Wall campaign on GoFundMe, posted a tweet earlier today revealing that “15 armed cartel members with rifles dressed in camo approached our border wall last night intimidating construction crews”, and suggested his organization’s security was able to thwart the intimidation attempt.

 This report comes only one day after President Donald Trump posted a video to Twitter, showing over 1,000 illegal aliens crossing the United States-Mexico border illegally where the border wall has not been completed.  They were then apprehended by authorities, in what represents the single largest apprehension in United States history.

Big League Politics reported:

 A stream of illegal aliens can be seen in the video pouring through an opening in what appears to be a chain link fence. The group can then be seen marching together in the same direction.

 The post comes amid reports that Trump is set to make a serious announcement regarding border security, but so far, those reports are varied. A Thursday morning POLITICO report said that Trump was going to announce a ban on asylum for Central Americans. A Thursday afternoon report in The Washington Post said that Trump plans to threaten Mexico with more tariffs if they do not work to secure the border.

 Only last month, heavily armed men wielding what appear to be auto...

 The armed men exited a truck and escorted the woman and child across a section of border protected only by a small log fence. One of the smugglers accompanied the woman and child between an opening in the fence, onto U.S. soil, and two others remained on the Mexican side of the fence. After walking with the woman and child for several yards, the third man walked back through the fence to Mexico.

 The smugglers can be seen traversing the border with ease, almost nonchalantly, highlighting the lack of border security at the U.S. southern border.

 Kolfage’s wall project has already defied expectations and broken ground, as the veteran-turned-wall builder revealed in a viral video on Twitter that shows at least a half mile of the civilian-funded wall constructed along the border.

 WE MADE HISTORY! The first crowdsource funded international border wall! Paid for with donations from our @gofundme DONATE TODAY!

[Landel Cathcart]

Hello my Patriot Friends. Here are some Excellent Questions! Bull

[Landel Cathcart]

Louisiana Legislators Make Strong Stance In Defense Of Second Amendment.

 2:00 pm 5/24/19 by Tom Knighton 

 Louisiana has a lot of guns. They also have a lot of homicides, unfortunately.

These two facts aren’t necessarily related, but anti-gunners routinely conflate them as if correlation automatically equals causation. Still, it’s brought up by Louisianan anti-gunners as evidence that more gun control is needed in the state.

 Luckily, lawmakers aren’t buying it. Instead, they’re heading in another direction.

The Louisiana House on Tuesday passed proposals that would expand the state’s reach over local regulation of gun control and boost existing “stand your ground” laws, indicating a momentum of gun legislation in the state.

The House voted 68-30 to support a bill by Rep. Blake Miguez, R-Erath, which would eliminate the authority of local governments to prohibit the possession of firearms in certain businesses and public buildings.

On the House floor, Miguez contended that the current law is “a patchwork of regulations that confuse those trying to follow the law.” Gun law should be consistent around the state,

 “A good guy with a gun always stops a bad guy with a gun,” Miguez said.

Indeed.

 If there’s a pro-gun criticism to be made, it’s that the new law doesn’t go far enough. While it does bar local governments from creating new gun-free zones, it stops well short of preemption of local laws. For example, there’s still a mandatory reporting law in New Orleans. That’s something that can trip up a recently arrived resident of the Big Easy.

 The flip side is for folks like me to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. These draconian anti-gun laws didn’t spring up overnight. It’ll take time to remove them all.

 Further, some people are uncomfortable with what has been done. Doing more might well have jeopardized the effort completely. Once these new laws are in place–assuming it passes in the Senate–and the homicide rate does anything short of increasing, it’ll be far easier to pass additional repeals of draconian gun control regulations or outright preemption.

 That’s clearly what’s motivating this effort. The truth is, no amount of money being spent on law enforcement will combat a high homicide rate, but what will is empowering ordinary citizens to act in both their own self-defense and in defense of others. Bolstering the state’s Stand Your Ground law is another good thing being accomplished here.  Louisiana residents have a right to want safety. The problem is that the government can’t provide it. They’ve tried for decades and failed. Now, it’s time for the government to get the hell out of the way and empower the citizens to take care of themselves. That’s likely to be far more effective.

 Bad guys know to avoid police uniforms. It’s harder to avoid ordinary citizens who are bound and determined to be neither a victim nor a statistic. They’re willing to fight rather than capitulate to the demands of a thug. Empower that and the criminals can’t account for it. They’ll start reevaluating their life choices…assuming they aren’t the types that have to learn the hard way.

[Landel Cathcart]

Texas Approves Disaster Carry Measure, Houston Chief Angry.

**** DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS **** Bull :)

12:00 pm on 5/28/19 by Tom Knighton

 In the wake of a disaster, life can be tense.

It wasn’t all that long ago when my hometown was devastated by Hurricane Michael. We went days without power or telephones. While our cellphones worked, charging them could be challenging. There was no way to call for help if we needed it. What’s more, the bad guys in the area knew it as well.

 The state of Texas has had its own experience with such disasters, having dealt with Hurricane Harvey which caused horrific devastation. Texas got hit a whole lot worse than we did, as we all know.

 Now, Texas has passed a law allowing open and concealed carry without a permit for a week after a disaster area is declared. The measure will allow people who may not have a permit to carry a firearm as needed to protect life and property in the chaotic aftermath of something like another hurricane.

 It seems that not everyone is thrilled with the development.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Monday blasted a bill that would allow people without a handgun license to carry pistols in public — openly or concealed — for a week after a disaster is declared.

  “We experienced one of the worst disasters in Texas history during Harvey,” Acevedo wrote. “This bill wasn’t needed then and isn’t needed now. This will embolden 20,000+ gang members & will not help law enforcement. Let’s hope it isn’t signed.” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo

 Gun control advocates and several lawmakers have raised similar concerns about House Bill 1177, which is headed to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for approval after narrowly passing in the Texas Senate on Sunday.

 Of course, Acevedo is hardly anyone worth listening to when it comes to firearms, it should be noted that Acevedo isn’t a friend of the Second Amendment. Earlier this year, Acevedo lashed out at elected officials after four Houston police officers were shot. He wanted the state to pass gun control and, of course, it won’t.

 The truth of the matter is, those 20,000 plus gang members Acevedo is worried about? They’re going to be carrying guns either way. They’re carrying guns now without a permit, so how would a disaster change that? Those up to no good will continue to be up to no good regardless of the rules in place.

 I agree that it won’t necessarily help law enforcement. It’s not meant to. It’s meant to help people who have no way to contact law enforcement. It’s intended to help people who are knee-deep in a disaster who don’t have time for law enforcement to arrive. Response times can be slowed significantly in a community where trees may be covering roads. Even in the best of times, the police are only guaranteed to get there in time to draw chalk around your body, and we’re not talking about the best of times here.

 So no, this isn’t about helping law enforcement. It’s about helping everyone else during a time when they damn sure can’t count on law enforcement saving them, despite those individual officers’ best hopes and wishes.

 Acevedo can be upset, but Abbot needs to sign the bill if he hasn’t already by the time you’re reading this. A bill like this can help a whole lot of people, people who Acevedo would rather see hurt.

[Landel Cathcart]

American flag etiquette and the U.S. Flag Code. Here is a list of rules and guidelines for displaying the American flag and treating it with proper respect.

 

Honoring the Flag Code

On June 22, 1942, Congress passed a joint resolution, later amended on December 22, 1942, that encompassed what has come to be known as the U.S. Flag Code. 

Perhaps the most important guideline involves how citizens should behave around the Stars and Stripes: The flag of the United States is the emblem of our identity as a sovereign nation, which the United States of America has been for more than 200 years.

Therefore, members of the armed services and veterans are asked to stand at attention and salute when their flag is passing in a parade or being hoisted or lowered; civilians should place their right hand over their heart.

When to Display the American Flag

The flag is a symbol of respect, honor, and patriotism. It may be displayed on any day of the year according to the following guidelines:

• The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement.

• The custom is to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on flagstaffs in the open, but it may be displayed at night—if illuminated—to produce a patriotic effect.

• The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on:

      New Year’s Day, January 1
      Inauguration Day, January 20
      Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, third Monday in January
      Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12
      Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February
      Easter Sunday (variable)
      Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May
      Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May
      Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May
      Flag Day, June 14
      Father’s Day, third Sunday in June
      Independence Day, July 4
      Labor Day, first Monday in September
      Constitution Day, September 17
      Columbus Day, second Monday in October
      Navy Day, October 27
      Veterans Day, November 11
      Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November
      Christmas Day, December 25
      and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States
      the birthdays of States (date of admission)
      and on State holidays.

• The flag should be displayed at every public institution and in or near every polling place on election days, and at schoolhouses during school days.

How to Properly Display the American Flag

As a symbol of the country and its people, the flag should be treated with respect and be honored when on display. In order to treat the flag with the dignity it deserves, the following display guidelines are recommended.

General Guidelines for Displaying the Flag:

• When the flag is hung vertically on a wall, window, or door, the Union (blue section) should be to the observer’s left. When the flag is hung either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the Union should be to the observer’s left.

• In a procession, the American flag should be to the right of any other flag or, if in a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

• When displayed from a staff projecting from a building, the union should be at the peak of the staff.

• When the flag is displayed otherwise than by being flown from a staff, it should be displayed flat, whether indoors or out; or so suspended that its folds fall as freely as though the flag were staffed.

• When displayed over a street, the flag should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street, or to the east in a north and south street.

• On a platform, the flag should be above and behind the speaker, with the union uppermost and to the observer’s left.

• When displayed from a staff in a church or auditorium, the flag should occupy the position of honor and be placed at the speaker’s right as he faces the audience.

• When the flag is used to cover a casket, the union should be at the head and over the left shoulder.

Hoisting and Lowering the Flag:

• The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

• When flown at half-staff, the flag should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to half-staff position. It should again be raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. Half-staff is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff. The flag must be flown at half-staff on all buildings on the death of any officer listed below, for the period indicated:

  • For the President or a former President: 30 days from the date of death.
  • For the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives: 10 days from the day of death.
  • For an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former Vice President, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives: From the day of death until interment.
  • For a United States Senator, Representative, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico: the flag should be flown in the metropolitan area of the District of Columbia, on the day of death and on the following day; in the state, congressional district, territory, or commonwealth of such Senator, Representative, Delegate, or Commissioner, from the day of death until interment.
  • For a Governor: Within the state, territory, or possession, from the day of death until interment.

Displaying the American Flag on a Vehicle:

• The flag should not be displayed on a float except from a staff, nor draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle.

• When the flag is displayed on a vehicle, the staff should be fixed firmly to the chassis.

Displaying the American Flag Alongside Other Flags:

• In the United States, no other flag should be placed above the American flag or, if they are to be placed on the same level, to the right of the American flag.

• The United Nations flag may not be displayed above or in a position of superior prominence to the United States flag except at United Nations Headquarters.

• The flag, when displayed with another against a wall—both from crossed staffs—should be on the right (the flag’s own right), and its staff should be in front of the other staff.

• The American flag should be at the center and the highest point when displayed with a group of state flags.

• When flags of states, cities, etc., are flown on the same halyard, the American flag should be at the peak.

• When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height, and the American flag should be hoisted first and lowered last.

How Not to Display the American Flag

The flag and its likeness should be treated with respect. Its image should not be cheapened or tarnished by improper use.

• The flag should not be dipped to any person or thing, including government officials—even the President.

• The flag should never be displayed with the union (stars) down, unless as a signal of dire distress.

• The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

• The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

• The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored so that it might be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

• The flag should never be used as covering for a ceiling.

• The flag should never have anything placed on it.

• The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose, nor embroidered on cushions or handkerchiefs, printed on paper napkins or boxes, nor used as any portion of a costume.

How to Properly Dispose of an American Flag

• When the flag is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem, it should be destroyed in a dignified and ceremonious fashion, preferably by burning.

• Most American Legion posts will conduct an annual ceremony, often on Flag Day (June 14) to retire old or worn flags; contact your local chapter if you are not able to dispose of the flag yourself. You could also ask your local Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts troops about retiring your flag.

[Landel Cathcart]

The Real Meaning of Memorial Day. 55% of Americans Don’t Know.
Do you know the real meaning of Memorial Day (and how it’s different than Veteran’s Day)?

  

 This U.S. federal holiday is observed on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military.

What’s the Difference Between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

 On both Memorial Day and Veterans Day, it’s customary to spend time remembering and honoring the countless veterans who have served the United States throughout the country’s history.

  However, there is a distinction between the two holidays:  

Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  We spend time remembering those who lost their lives and could not come home, reflecting on their service and why we have the luxury and freedom that we enjoy today. We might consider how we can support and safeguard their grieving families and loved ones who are left behind.

 Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL who served—in wartime or peacetime—regardless of whether they died or survived. Veterans Day is always observed officially on November 11, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. Read more about Veterans Day.

Remember: Raise the flag with honor and respect! See guidelines for flying the American Flag.

Memorial Day Facts and History

 Traditionally, on Memorial Day (U.S.), people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries.  A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.

 The custom of honoring ancestors by cleaning cemeteries and decorating graves is an ancient and worldwide tradition, but the specific origin of Memorial Day—or Decoration Day, as it was first known—is unclear.

 In early rural America, this duty was usually performed in late summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics. After the Civil War, America’s need for a secular, patriotic ceremony to honor its military dead became prominent, as monuments to fallen soldiers were erected and dedicated, and ceremonies centering on the decoration of soldiers’ graves were held in towns and cities throughout the nation.

 After World War I, the day expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars.

A Lasting Legacy

No less than 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, and states observed the holiday on different dates. In 1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress; it is now celebrated annually on the last Monday in May.

Since it all started with the Civil War, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of this event by visiting the Library of Congress Civil War collection, which includes more than a thousand photographs from the time.

Why is The Poppy A Symbol of Memorial Day?

In the war-torn battlefields of Europe, the common red field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) was one of the first plants to reappear. Its seeds scattered in the wind and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground was disturbed—as it was by the very brutal fighting of World War 1.

 John McCrae, a Canadian soldier and physician, witnessed the war first hand and was inspired to write the now-famous poem “In Flanders Fields” in 1915.  He saw the poppies scattered throughout the battlefield surrounding his artillery position in Belgium. (See below for the poem.)

The Poppy Lady:

In November 1918, days before the official end of the war, an American professor named Moina Michael wrote her own poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith,” which was inspired by McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields.” In her poem (also shown below), she mentioned wearing the “poppy red” to honor the dead, and with that, the tradition of adorning one’s clothing with a single red poppy in remembrance of those killed in the Great War was born. Moina herself came to be known—and honored—as “The Poppy Lady.”

The Symbol Spreads Abroad:

 The wearing of the poppy was traditionally done on Memorial Day in the United States, but the symbolism has evolved to encompass all veterans living and deceased, so poppies may be worn on Veterans Day as well. Not long after the custom began, it was adopted by other Allied nations, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, where it is still popular today. In these countries, the poppy is worn on Remembrance Day (November 11).

 Today, poppies are not only a symbol of loss of life, but also of recovery and new life, especially in support of the servicemen who survived the war but suffered from physical and psychological injuries long after it ended. 

Text of both poems below:  inspiration for the poppy here.

“In Flanders Fields”  by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

“We Shall Keep the Faith”  by Moina Michael, November 1918

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

 

[Landel Cathcart]

Hello My Fellow Patriot Friends; A MEMORIAL Day Reminder.  Bull

    "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners,                       Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 

MEMORIAL DAY

 To some, it is merely the beginning of summer, and to others, it is a solemn day to remember those who have passed from this life. However, to the war veteran and to the families of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day carries significance, so deep that words cannot express their hearts.
  When we look into the eyes of those who still mourn these once vibrant men and women, we often sense their loneliness and pain. We hear them choke back tears as they simply say the ranks and names of their military brothers and sisters at a Memorial Day service. White gloves, dress uniforms, rigid posture, and perfectly precision salutes represent the reverence and respect flowing from within. Those who have been personally affected by war understand and appreciate this day of remembrance.
 What should we say to those who sincerely honor this day? "Happy Memorial Day" doesn't seem fitting. "I'm sorry for your loss" may be closer to appropriate. What would the fallen soldier want from their comrades and the rest of the country on this day?
 In an often quoted Memorial Day speech given in 1884 by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the speaker ended his address with these words, “Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death -- of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen, the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will.”
 The American soldier who gave his or her life for U.S. citizens to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, won’t be telling us how to observe the holiday. But we believe that Holmes’ proposition to “think of life, not death” would honor the fallen soldier. Their sacrifice follows the example of Jesus laying down His life for our freedom. It's selfless love for others – not so others can mourn forever, but live!
 “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
 Notice that in scripture and in military service, the willingness to give up one’s life is not dependent on the worthiness of the people who benefit from the honorable act. In a perfect world, all who receive freedom and grace would be worthy of such a sacrifice and full of gratitude. But that’s not the way it is anywhere on Earth or in Heaven.
 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
 We are blessed to be living in a free society. May we honor our American soldiers for the liberty we have in this country. May we also give thanks to God for the freedom we have to spend eternity with Him because of God’s gift of forgiveness through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

My Prayer...

 Heavenly Father, I am so blessed to be living in the freedom of knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and the freedom of living in a free society.

 We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are blessed beyond measure.

  As we remember, Jesus sacrifice on the cross for our freedom and the brave soldiers that gave their lives, we say thank You, Father, for our great heritage and our blessings. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.