The BATFE needs to go away. Much like 98% of labor unions, they have outlived their usefulness and purpose. There needs to be a serious discussion on how the senior leadership of most governmental agencies are selected and maintained. Also, they should only be allowed to ENFORCE not MAKE regulation.
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Came across an interesting quote from Cardinal Francis George from 2010:
"I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history."
When I read this quote, I was immediately reminded of the excellent novel by Walter Miller, "A Canticle for Leibowitz." I first encountered this novel after reading some of the behind the scene
notes for the Babylon 5 episode "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars", in which J. Michael Straczynski included an homage to the novel with a scene in the episode. Regardless of many people's opinions on the Catholic Church, more often than not, it has been the one institution that kept the light of civilization lit during dark times.
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I have been watching the TNT 2005 mini-series "Into the West" on Youtube. In scope it reminds me a bit of the earlier longer mini-series Centennial. One of the things that has stood out to me was the character who started a school for native american children, to make them "civilized." Certain pieces of dialogue were said that could have been said today in the progressive arguments concerning conservative thought. Progressivism has been around a long time under other names and guises.
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Again, there will be light to no posting between now and right before Easter. My unit is still doing major field time and training. Needless to say there are some very tired soldiers running around.
