Wreaths Across America Ceremonies to Honor More Than 500,000 Fallen Service Men and Women on Saturday, December 13

More than 500,000 graves of fallen American service men and women, in all 50 states, will be decorated by Wreaths Across America this Saturday, December 13.

The mission of Wreaths Across America is to Remember, Honor, Teach.  The organization also coordinates a week of events including international veteran’s tributes, ceremonies at State Houses and a week-long “Veteran’s Parade” between Maine and Virginia where they stop along the way to spread a message about the importance of remembering our fallen heroes, honoring those who serve, and teaching children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms.

This week of events is made possible by thousands of volunteers who organize local ceremonies, raise funds to sponsor wreaths, and participate in the events.  The cost of  the programs is paid by individual wreaths sponsors, corporate donors and volunteer truckers.

Those wishing to sponsor a wreath or help with wreath laying can find additional information at Wreaths Across America.

Alberta, the Freest Place in North America

From Sun News Editorial

 

FLAG OF ALBERTA

Credits: FILE PHOTO/Codie McLachlan/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency

Alberta is the freest place in North America. So says the latest edition of Economic Freedom of North America, a report the Fraser Institute has produced for the past decade based on data going back 30 years.

The authors looked at jurisdictions through Canada, the United States and Mexico and graded them on a scale from 1 to 10.

Alberta received the highest score, with 8.2. Saskatchewan came in second with 8.0. And Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia and Texas all tied for third with 7.7.

Someone's going to have to break it to our friends south of the border that they're no longer the land of the free! We'll take that prize, thank you very much!

But what does all of this mean?

The report explains: "The freest economies operate with minimal government interference, relying upon personal choice and markets to answer basic economic questions such as what is to be produced, how it is to be produced, how much is produced, and for whom production is intended."

Critics might chortle a little here. "Hey, you're just talking about zero regulation for big industry, aren't you? What about the little guy?"

Actually, the report finds that's not the case. The more free an economy, the more everyone can share in the spoils.

"This research has found that economic freedom is positively correlated with per-capita income, economic growth, greater life expectancy, lower child mortality, the development of democratic institutions, civil and political freedoms, and other desirable social and economic outcomes," the report says.

Here's an example: the least-free 25% of North American jurisdictions included in the study have an average GDP per capita of $9,979. The top 25%? They're raking in $56,697.

When innovative people are left to their own devices, they create systems where we can all win.

So what do we do now? The sad news from this report is that economic freedom is actually on the decline in North America.

Since 2000, the average score of all the Canadian provinces has fallen from 7.8 to 7.6. It's worse down south - where American states fell from 8.2 to 7.5.

In other words, freedom still needs defending. Without it, our quality of life suffers.

Pope Francis: Demotion of Burke Not ‘Punishment’

American Cardinal Raymond Burke was removed by Pope Francis from a top Vatican post in November. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, File/2012)

Pope Francis has denied that removing American Cardinal Raymond Burke as head of the Vatican’s highest court was a “punishment” for his outspokenly conservative views at a recent summit of bishops, saying instead he wanted a “smart American” to serve as patron of the Order of Malta.

“It is not true that I removed him because of how he had behaved in the synod,” Francis said.

The pontiff said that the move was part of a broader restructuring of the Vatican bureaucracy that had been decided well before the October 5-19 synod of bishops on the family. The reason he waited until after the synod to make it official, he said, was so that Burke could still participate in the meeting as the head of a Vatican department.

Read more at Crux >>

USAF Christmas Flash Mob at the Smithsonian

Only half-way into the Advent season, this seems a bit early to us.  We celebrate the Christmas season that BEGINS on December 25, but for those whose calendar is determined by the department store chains, here's a wonderful Christmas Flash Mob that was recently performed at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Southwell Minster Choir - "On Jordan's Bank"

Second Sunday of Advent

"On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
awake and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings.

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
make straight the way for God within,
prepare we in our hearts a home
where such a mighty Guest may come.

For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.

To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,
and bid the fallen sinner stand;
shine forth and let thy light restore
earth's own true loveliness once more.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent doth thy people free;
whom with the Father we adore
and Holy Ghost for evermore."

Oath Keepers Reject Orders, Refuse to Stand Down, Remain on Ferguson Rooftops

Armed Oath Keepers have advised St. Louis County Police through their attorney that they have every right to guard rooftops of Ferguson businesses that want them there, and have refused to stand down.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

From Examiner.com

By David Codrea

Members of Oath Keepers, a national group that includes current and retired military and law enforcement personnel, have rejected orders from St. Louis County Police to abandon posts on top of private businesses that invited their protection, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday. The order to stand down was issued under presumed authority of a county ordinance prohibiting unlicensed security personnel.

“Once we read the statute, we laughed at it,” local Oath Keepers leader Sam Andrews commented, explaining the ordinance applies to employed security personnel. “Then, the next night, we were there.”

The committed presence of Oath Keepers could renew confrontation dangers, as group founder Stewart Rhodes had earlier cited a report of members being targeted, presumably by a federal law enforcement sniper team. Per Rhodes, such teams had not communicated with local law enforcement, let alone coordinated activities with them.

Confirming the Post-Dispatch report is an update from Rhodes sent to members and supporters Wednesday, explaining that, contrary to some reports, the group did not abandon their posts. The alert also included a letter from an Oath Keepers attorney.

“As retired police officer and Missouri police academy instructor John Karriman said, we will not, and did not, stop protecting the buildings and people we had promised to protect,” Rhodes insisted. “We were there the very next night after being told to stop, and we have been there every night since. And we will continue to be there until calm is restored and we are no longer needed.”

“A review of the applicable statutes and regulations makes clear that the Oath Keepers do not fall under the provisions of St. Louis County Code ... as suggested by your officers,” attorney Matthew H. Hearne advised St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar. “To assert that the property owners of Ferguson do not have the right to invite the Oath Keepers to assist them would be tantamount to telling an individual that they do not have the right to assist a neighbor in need. Additionally the property owners and Oath Keepers have numerous other Rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution including the right to freely assemble which may not be restricted by any County Ordinance or State Statute.”

What will happen next, and if the official response will be through attorneys or through initiation of force aimed at removing volunteers from businesses they have been gratefully welcomed to protect, is unknown at this writing. The one certainty at this time is that no businesses being guarded by armed guest volunteers actualizing the motto "Not on our watch" have been attacked or burned while they were standing guard.

Cardinal Burke: Church Teaching on Sexuality Must Be Clarified, and Only Pope Francis Can Do It

Cardinal Raymond Burke

In an interview with Ireland’s state broadcaster, RTE, one of the Catholic hierarchy’s most outspoken defenders of life and family and the Church’s sexual moral teachings again indicated Pope Francis needs to “clarify” that divorced and remarried Catholics, and active homosexuals, cannot be admitted to the sacraments.

As he did during the course of the contentious Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in Rome last month, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke told RTE in a video interview, “I believe very strongly that – I’m not the pope, and I’m not in the business of telling him what to do – but in my judgment this needs to be clarified, and there’s only one person who can clarify it at this point.”

The possibility of the Church in any way accepting sexual immorality, whether in the form of divorce, “second marriages” or homosexual acts, he said, must be taken “off the table” for next year’s Synod in a definitive way that only the pope can accomplish.

The cardinal denied that this was an instance of “defying” the pope’s authority, saying that Pope Francis would agree that Church teaching is immutable. But he added that he cannot see how the Church’s teaching is being clarified by the Synod process of protracted discussion and debate. He said that he has heard from lay people that “there’s really just a growing confusion about what the Church really teaches, and we’re not coming to any clarity.

Read more at LifeSiteNews >>