US Political Life 2021: Lessons Learned from 5 Roman Emperors

Unlocking the Bible,
 by Pastor Colin Smith
A study of Romans 12 during these troubling, uncertain political times.

"Overcoming Evil with Good"




5 Roman Emperors:
(spans approx. 70 years after Christ's birth)

1.  Emperor Augustus  ( 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14)
     Reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (Luke 2:1)

2. Emperor Tiberius (6 November 42 BC – 16 March 37 AD)

   Year 29 AD: the start of Jesus' ministry.
    Reigned from 14 AD to 37 AD

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene ... (Luke 3)

3.  Emperor Caligula (31 August 12 – 24 January 41 AD)
     Reigned as emperor from AD 37 to AD 41.  
    4 traumatic years

He had an illness that affected him deeply and turned him into a tyrant, thus increasingly losing his mind.  Ordered an altar built for himself.  Believed he was a god.  
Roman secular historian, SUETONIUS wrote that Caligula ordered all statues of gods from around the Roman empire should be brought back to Rome.  Heads cut off, images on faces and new heads s/b of Caligula.  A golden statue in the temple had to be dressed like him daily.  There were excesses, indulgences, orgies.  Caligula spent all of the assets/money of the state passed on by Emperor Tiberius.  

 A man ought to be either a good economist, or an Emperor - - Caligula

Four years later, Emperor Caligula was assassinated by 2 members of his Guards

4.  Emperor Claudius (1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54)
reigned as Emperor  from AD 41 to 54

Gave edict regarding Jews -- that all Jews depart from Rome.  Yet, there was somewhat of a relief after Emperor Caligula.  Priscilla & Aquila had moved to Corinth because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart Rome.

 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. (Acts 18:1,2)

5.  Emperor Nero (15 December 37 – 9 June 68 AD)
The year was 54 AD.  His Uncle was Emperor Claudius.  Nero ruled for 15 years.  He committed suicide at age 32.  

•  Nero had a good singing voice.  Historian, Suetonius, wrote that spectators even pretended to be dead in order to be carried out of Nero's ego-filled shows
• Nero was a man of extraordinary cruelty.  He arranged for the murder of his first wife, his aunt, and of his mother.
• Nero married 5x ... to 3 women ... and to 2 men ... over the course of 15 years.

"The whole of [Nero's] life was one continual scene of lewdness, sensuality, cruelty and folly." -- Suetonius

What were the CHRISTIANS up to?

At 33 AD the Church was "born".  The next 30 years, as recorded in the Book of Acts, were years during the reign of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.

The Book of Romans, was written by the Apostle Paul in Corinth during Winter of year 56-57 AD.  Romans 12 was written when Nero was Emperor - - wow!!  Apostle Paul wrote Believers to submit to governing authorities (during the reign of Nero!). 

Shortly after the Book of Romans was written, false charges were brought against the Apostle Paul in Caesarea and he was arrested.  But Paul was a Roman citizen.  Any Roman citizen charged with a crime had the Right of Appeal to be tried in Rome itself, rather than in a conquered province.  See Acts 25:11 

"... I appeal unto Caesar." 

Two years after AD 60-61, the Apostle Peter was in Rome.  While he was there, he wrote 1 Peter.  Moved by the Holy Spirit, Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:12 (AD 63)

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Peter was prophetically speaking about the great fire of Rome which happened in AD 64 -- one year later.

Tacitus, Roman historian, wrote that only 4 of the 14 Roman precincts were unaffected by the fire.  As Rome burned, Nero sang.  Thus, the famous saying,  "Fiddling while Rome burned."

People knew that Nero was behind the fire.  Thus, Nero needed a scapegoat -- Christians!

Tacitus:  To scotch the rumour, Nero punished with utmost cruelty, a class of men whom the crowd styled, "Christians".  Christians were arrested ...  vast majority convicted ... for hatred of the human race.

Their death was made a matter of sport... Hence there arose a feeling of pity toward Christians.  Their death was to satisfy the savagery of one man ...

This was only 6 years after Paul's appeal to the Emperor.

Christians have been here in these evil, uncertain times before.  

Christians are here today, but the ROMAN EMPIRE is not -- Pastor Colin Smith

Tertullian (c. 155 – c. 240 AD), Christian writer, was the first to call Nero the first persecutor of Christians.

"Examine your records.  There you will find that Nero was the first that persecuted this doctrine." (Tertullian, wikipedia).

Emperor Augustus

Emperor Tiberius

Emperor Caligula

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus

Emperor Claudius

Emperor Nero

Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus

***

Will an Impeachment of POTUS Trump Succeed?

pc: wikipedia

The impeachment of a sitting  US President is a 2-step process:
Step 1: Formal charges are brought by the US House of Representatives.  It must be by simple majority for charges to stick.  
Examples of impeachable offences, per wikipedia, are "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" (as defined by Congress). 

 Step 2:  After formal articles of impeachment,  the US Senate will hold a trial, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (currently, the Honorable John Roberts) presides.  To convict the POTUS and remove him from office, 2/3 majority of the Senators must vote and say Yes/Okay.

The problem of numbers glares at you from the get-go. President Trump's current tenure has both the House and Senate under Republican control. Mr Trump's removal from office via impeachment -- even when you consider the few RINOs in cahoots with the Democrats -- looks unlikely to succeed:

Want proof?
(a) "Case in point was President  Bill Clinton . Everyone knows that he lied under oath regarding his affair with Monica Lewinsky. He was impeached in Congress by a simple majority vote. However, for the impeachment to hold, it needed 67% of the Senators. With the Democrats in control of the Senate at that time, that did not happen".

(b) "The other case was President Barack Hussein Obama II. The Republicans during his second term controlled both Houses of Congress. Many Republicans loathed Mr Obama and yet they could not impeach him because of this 67% rule".  -- WP

If the Democrats still manage to succeed and impeach President Trump, they need to know and consider the chart below:

pc: The Federalist Papers

links:  
Why Impeaching is a Total Fail for Dems


  What are RINOs?

Refugees Index of Welcome Mats

How does your country rank?

Survey Results:

The Refugees Welcome Index ranks 27 countries across all continents based on people’s willingness to let refugees live in their countries, towns, neighbourhoods and homes. By Amnesty International, Year 2016

More here ...  REFUGEES WELCOME SURVEY 2016

Another Arab Spring?

Here is a warning of the possibility of a second wave of Anti- Government protests in the Arab World.  President Trump's travel ban will surely add "fire" to the feelings of entrapment and hopelessness among young Muslims. 

pc: wikipedia

A new report released this week by the United Nations warns of the possibility of a second “Arab Spring” that may well have implications for Israeli safety and security. 

Called the Arab Development Report, the paper focuses on the future of young Arabs aged 19 to 26, who are battling poverty, joblessness, “marginalization” — and desperately seeking a voice for their concerns. 

It warns that the failure of Arab nations to help young men and women succeed academically, vocationally, and economically could lead to another wave of deadly protests across the region, similar to the popular uprising six years ago that became known as the Arab Spring. 

Few jobs, lack of upward mobility and widespread disillusionment 

Joblessness is a major problem all across the Middle East—much higher than the world average. Youth unemployment, at 30 percent throughout the region, is more than twice the world’s 14-percent average. What’s more, almost half of young Arab women looking for jobs can’t find work. 

The paper noted that young Arabs 15 to 29 now make up nearly a third of the region’s population. Another third are under 15. If they don’t attain what the report characterizes as “full social and economic inclusion,” they’ll be increasingly inclined to turn to violence. And that violence could be directed at Israel. 

The eight-chapter report calls on Arab states to invest in their youth and equip them to share in economic growth. 

Soft-peddling the root causes of Arab rage 

In an opinion piece carried by the Jerusalem Post, Benjamin Weinthal, a Fellow at the Foundation for Defensive Democracies, criticizes the report for “tiptoeing” around the root causes of trouble in the region—genocide, the oppression of women, political corruption, and the rise of radical Islam—by not naming the oppressive leaders who cause these evils, such as Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. 

He said corrupt Arab leaders should be called out, but instead are given a pass through the report’s frequent use of evasive “boilerplate United Nations diplomatic” language. 

Weinthal quotes a former veteran Israeli diplomat as saying, “There is almost no free market, no hi-tech (though many study it), and most important, corruption rages. These are the ingredients which will continue fueling the situation for the foreseeable future.” 

The diplomat warned of a “total implosion.” 

The real troublemakers 

Even as the report blames social disparity, corruption, and lack of opportunity as the drivers of young Arab angst, it cites Israel 29 times and claims: “The cause of the Palestinians remains the largest and most serious” threat to the region. 

Incredibly, the study makes just one mention of radical Islamic organizations, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, that continue to cause violence, instability, and incalculable damage all across the Middle East. There are no dire warnings of the grave threat the Brotherhood, ISIS, and other Jihad-driven movements present to not only Israel, but other nations in the region and worldwide. 

You and I know this is delusion. 

Arab Spring, Part 2? 

On December 17, many peace-seeking Arabs will observe the 6th anniversary of the self-immolation—suicide in the name of a deeply held belief—of Mohamed Bouazizi. He was the Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire in protest of government corruption. Bouazizi is widely recognized as the catalyst for the wider Arab Spring. 

But if this report is any indication, influential organizations like the UN still do not understand the real problem. By ignoring the need for worldwide repudiation and action to neutralize Jihad-driven governments that are the direct cause of Arab disillusionment, we only prolong the violence and magnify the eventual, terrible consequences. 

You can be sure that Bouazizi will not be the last young Arab to take extreme action in protest of the incompetence, oppression, and corruption that characterize the Arab world under radical Muslim control. We will see more violent revolution. Unfortunately, the entire region—and likely Israel—will suffer as a result. 

How should we respond? 

As always, I ask for your prayers. Chaos and upheaval are opportunities for God to bring peace. I believe these developments are clear indications God is at work in the Middle East. That’s our prompt to pray earnestly for His protection on the Jewish people during these Last Days. 

Yes, pray for peace. But pray also for redemption—not only for the Jewish people we love so much, but also for young Arabs who find only disillusionment and hopelessness in the Islamic faith. It’s true: our primarily mission is salvation for the Jewish people. But the entire Kingdom of God will be blessed by the millions of Muslims I am convinced will come to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) during this era of growing darkness. 

It’s a blessed irony: Muslims finding true salvation in the Jewish Messiah! 

source:   © Jewish Voice Ministries International.

P.O. Box 81439 - Phoenix, AZ 85069-1439 

Ph# 1-800-299-9374 

December 2016

US General Elections 2016: About last night ...

via AOL

Clinton did not "pull back", if she is as smart as many allege she pulled back for only one reason: she knew that any attack leveled would result in further, much more egregious attacks from Trump.

A prime example of this is when she responded to Trump's assertion concerning the 33,000 emails she deleted, and that she was basically useless as a Senator and as Secretary of State, she responded with, "I'm very proud of what I achieved...we brought awareness to women's rights, etc, etc:  in general a demonstrably vacuous response.

Her failures and missteps clearly outweigh and overshadow any victories during her tenure in politics. Everyone knows this, as does she...obviously. One of the 'undecided' participants said it best at the analysis after the debate, when asked what he thought of Hillary's performance he responded with, "Same-o, same-o".

In my opinion this preoccupation with something vulgar that Trump said over a decade ago was nothing more than propagandist tripe intended to apply pressure in the hopes that Trump would drop out of the race. CNN's premature ejaculation that Pence had dropped out is another example of this. And concerning the conversation with his, "locker room banter"; is this the best they can do? I think it may have had the opposite effect.

Anyone who thinks that this type of 'banter' doesn't take place amongst men on a general and regular basis suffers from a general delusion: that we are NOT imperfect beings, that we HAVE evolved beyond the constraints of our physicality (genetic and predispositions inculcated by a liberal society and educational system), and that anyone who engages in this type of banter is somehow less-human, in spite of the fact that the expression is never acted out (as Trump asserted when Cooper asked if he had ever done those things: "No I have not"). Generally speaking most men (and women) can identify with that. Go to a male-revue (Chippendales anyone?) and survey the women there ("size doesn't matter"?).

Typically these types have suppressed the fact that they contain the same physicality and predispositions but instead cling to the notion (based on a false piety) that they are somehow "better" than others simply because they scoff and degrade those that recognize their inalienable right to be flawed (aren't we all?). They are moral busybodies who actually / sincerely believe that they know better how people should be, think, and feel, and that they have the solution on how to make these 'lesser' people think, feel, and act the way they do. All the while rationalizing their own failures (just as Hillary did: "it was a mistake").

This is antithetical to the concept of 'diversity', and it is how 'sheeple' are created. It is how tyrannies are created. It is how populations are subjugated. We are already too far down that road now. What any politician "says" is irrelevant, it is exactly this ideology that has resulted in (fundamentally) our current caste system with politicians as the ruling elite for a handful of puppet masters intent on maintaining their personal power and wealth, and still desiring yet more. If nothing else; Trump's rhetoric demonstrates this: I am 'owned' by nobody. Hence his appeal.

Look at the response of Hillary to the muslim's woman's concern: "We need to welcome our Muslim friends, this is not a war on Islam." Really?

This comment has the superficial well intentioned meaning of tolerance towards those who are different. Yet it completely ignores the lessons of history. Muslims have been fighting holy wars for Islam for the past ~1500 years. It. Is. Their. Way.

Under their rule infidels were murdered, children raped, women tortured, arabic only was spoken, sharia law usurps any and all local laws, only infidels pay taxes, and only muslims were allowed to bear arms (historical fact). If we are being attacked (and we are) on our own soil Trumps response was the ONLY reasonable response: a ban on immigration until a viable solution is found for robust vetting and verification. It may not be PC, and it may not be the 'best' solution, but at least it makes sense.

I think that most people believe Trump may well be our last hope at turning the corner back to the America we have all envisioned: globally respected, prosperous, united, and the land of opportunity. Past administrations (blue & red) have brought us to the brink. We can make America great again with the right leadership. The way this will be accomplished will not be by Trump as president, but through Trump placing competent leaders in positions to affect positive change, in the direction that most Americans (red & blue) actually want to go. I believe he will do THAT.

Cheers!

I copied this comment from a guy named Lonnie. He was commenting on last night's debate. Very eloquently put. I could not state it in any other way - WP




**

545 People Control the USA

  By Charlie Reese, Journalist

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget.  The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.  In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority.  They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.

 I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.

 The politician has the power to accept or reject it.  No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he/she votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault.  They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.  No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.... 

The President can only propose a budget.  He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.  House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want.  If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace

545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility.  I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red .

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them
 in IRAQ.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.  Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power..

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

updated 2018

 Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it........  Is up to you.



15.8.17.18

Amazing message for US citizens

Hard to believe that America was once ruled by common sense!

">

Health Care Reform: Why punish the majority of Americans, indeed!!!

Does Socialism work?

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class.

That class had insisted that Obama's socialism (or Socialism in general) worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich -- a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan".

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.


The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.
As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

 The second test average was a D!
 No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.
The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

 All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed .

 Could not be any simpler than that.

 Remember, there is a mid-term election in Year 2010!





After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B.

Allen West on Fort Hood Massacre

The following is a statement released by Retired Lt. Col. Allen West:

This past Thursday 13 American Soldiers were killed and another 30 wounded at a horrific mass shooting at US Army installation, Ft Hood Texas . As I watched in horror and then anger I recalled my two years of final service in the Army as a Battalion Commander at Ft Hood, 2002-2004.

My wife and two daughters were stunned at the incident having lived on the post in family housing.

A military installation, whether it is Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, or Coast Guard, is supposed to be a safe sanctuary for our Warriors and their families. It is intended to provide a home whereby our “Band of Brothers and Sisters” can find solace and bond beyond just the foxhole but as family units.

A military installation is supposed to be a place where our Warriors train for war, to serve and protect our Nation.

On Thursday, 5 November 2009 Ft Hood became a part of the battlefield in the war against Islamic totalitarianism and state sponsored terrorism.

There may be those who feel threatened by my words and would even recommend they not be uttered. To those individuals I say step aside because now is not the time for cowardice. Our Country has become so paralyzed by political correctness that we have allowed a vile and determined enemy to breach what should be the safest place in America , an Army post.

We have become so politically correct that our media is more concerned about the stress of the shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan. The misplaced benevolence intending to portray him as a victim is despicable. The fact that there are some who have now created an entire new classification called; “pre-virtual vicarious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” is unconscionable.

This is not a “man caused disaster”. It is what it is, an Islamic jihadist attack.

We have seen this before in 2003 when a SGT Hasan of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) threw hand grenades and opened fire into his Commanding Officer’s tent in Kuwait . We have seen the foiled attempt of Albanian Muslims who sought to attack Ft Dix, NJ. Recently we saw a young convert to Islam named Carlos Bledsoe travel to Yemen, receive terrorist training, and return to gun down two US Soldiers at a Little Rock, Arkansas Army recruiting station. We thwarted another Islamic terrorist plot in North Carolina which had US Marine Corps Base, Quantico as a target.

What have we done with all these prevalent trends? Nothing.

What we see are recalcitrant leaders who are refusing to confront the issue, Islamic terrorist infiltration into America , and possibly further into our Armed Services. Instead we have a multiculturalism and diversity syndrome on steroids.

Major Hasan should have never been transferred to Ft Hood, matter of fact he should have been Chaptered from the Army. His previous statements, poor evaluation reports, and the fact that the FBI had him under investigation for jihadist website posting should have been proof positive.

However, what we have is a typical liberal approach to find a victim, not the 13 and 30 Soldiers and Civilian, but rather the poor shooter. A shooter who we are told was a great American, who loved the Army and serving his Nation and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) stating that his actions had nothing to do with religious belief.

We know that Major Hasan deliberately planned this episode; he did give away his possessions. He stood atop a table in the confined space of the Soldier Readiness Center shouting “Allahu Akhbar”, same chant as the 9-11 terrorists and those we fight against overseas in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operation.

No one in leadership seems willing to sound the alarm for the American people; they are therefore complicit in any future attacks. Our Congress should suspend the insidious action to vote on a preposterous and unconstitutional healthcare bill and resolve the issue of “protecting the American people”.

The recent incidents in Dearborn Michigan , Boston Massachusetts , Dallas Texas , and Chicago Illinois should bear witness to the fact that we have an Islamic terrorism issue in America . And don’t have CAIR call me and try to issue a vanilla press statement; they are an illegitimate terrorist associated organization which should be disbanded.

We have Saudi Arabia funding close to 80% of the mosques in the United States , one right here in South Florida, Pompano Beach . Are we building churches and synagogues in Saudi Arabia ? Are “Kaffirs” and “Infidels” allowed travel to Mecca ?

So much for peaceful coexistence.

Saudi Arabia is sponsoring radical Imams who enter into our prisons and convert young men into a virulent Wahabbist ideology….one resulting in four individuals wanting to destroy synagogues in New York with plastic explosives. Thank God the explosives were dummy. They are sponsoring textbooks which present Islamic centric revisionist history in our schools.

We must recognize that there is an urgent need to separate the theo-political radical Islamic ideology out of our American society. We must begin to demand surveillance of suspected Imams and mosques that are spreading hate and preaching the overthrow of our Constitutional Republic……that speech is not protected under First Amendment, it is sedition and if done by an American treason. There should not be some 30 Islamic terrorist training camps in America that has nothing to do with First Amendment, Freedom of Religion. The Saudis are not our friends and any American political figure who believes such is delusional.

When tolerance becomes a one way street it certainly leads to cultural suicide. We are on that street. Liberals cannot be trusted to defend our Republic, because their sympathies obviously lie with their perceived victim, Major Nidal Malik Hasan.

I make no apologies for these words, and anyone angered by them, please, go to Ft Hood and look into the eyes of the real victims. The tragedy at Ft Hood Texas did not have to happen. Consider now the feelings of those there and on every military installation in the world. Consider the feelings of the Warriors deployed into combat zones who now are concerned that their loved ones at home are in a combat zone.

Ft Hood suffered an Islamic jihadist attack, stop the denial, and realize a simple point.

The reality of your enemy must become your own.

Steadfast and Loyal,
Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Ret)