You are spending Christmas in a nation slipping into darkness. I went to my sister's home about 14 miles from here where everyone but my eldest sister was last night. She is in Florida spending her first Christmas as a widow. Her husband, a Combat Pilot and Two War Full Colonel passed away one year ago tonight. He sleeps forever now in Arlington National Cemetery.
Christmas Eve this year was odd. Many of my family, except the ones who've retired, have lost their jobs or are hanging on day by day. The "Merriment" was muted by "The Troubles" as my friend "Shamus' " Irish ancestors might call what's being done to our economic and political liberty by our Narcissist in Chief, and his cabal of would be Feudal Lord's from Chicago's Marxist cesspool.
We all ended eventually up in a room, and the talk slowly drifted into politics. Most of my family are Christian Conservatives with rare exception. Everyone was stunned at how far we've been taken down the road to Tyranny in nine months. Our President's "Approval ratings" in that room hovered at Zero.
Nation's dangerous new course set by Obama and his Communist Czars
Oddly it was our family's women who were the most angered by the Nation's dangerous new course set by Obama and his Communist Czars. Women tend to like "stability" and that's hard to hang on to when your husband just lost his job..... permanently.
My brother and I were discussing our days as soldiers and his grandson's, now 16 and 18, were interested in American History. They began asking questions about The American Revolution, and how it was fought.
We told them how the American Colonists first used "York County" Pennsylvania Long Rifles (Improperly now called "Kentucky Rifles" ) made by German Riflemakers to take out the British officers and decapitate their Command.
A tactic which the Crown's Generals disdained as not the acts of a civilized people. These same British General Officers, however, saw nothing uncivil by packing thousands of American prisoners of war into horrific Prison Barges and letting them starve.
When I went home I began looking through my West Point Atlas of American Wars by Col. Vincent Esposito and thought of that titanic struggle that my ancestors undertook to win their Freedom from their own then British Government that had come to view Colonial Liberty as an Inconvenience. I looked out upon the cold, snowy field.
Then I thought of Christmas 1776 and The Miracle of "The Crossing." Washington's army had been run out of Boston, Philadelphia and New York, and chased across the Delaware into Pennsylvania. Washington's Army was now a shrinking collection of cold, starving men low on all manner of supplies. Enlistments were expiring, and men were deserting.
The fledgling American Army was so close to defeat that the British didn't even bother to pursue them and finish them off. Howe and Cornwallis likely thought the winter would do it for them.
These are times that try men's Souls
The Lord God and General Washington had other plans. At Keith House around December 15th Washington and his staff planned an unthinkably bold strategy:
ATTACK. Attack In the dead of winter, in a blizzard against a vastly numerically superior enemy encamped at Trenton, the Garrison manned by Professional Hessian Mercenaries. It was either an insane fantasy birthed in the mind of a madman.......Or Divinely Inspired. Washington is reported to have been seen kneeling in the snow in Prayer. On Dec. 16th copies of Thomas Paine' s "The American Crisis" had arrived. Paine's eloquence could not have arrived at a more important moment:
"These are times that try mens' Souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that Stand it Now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. TYRANNY, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more Glorious the Triumph."
On Christmas day 1776, Washington's force assembled and were issued a Password: "Victory or Death." EVERYTHING began to go wrong. The loading of the boats began at midnight, later than planned. Washington's Advance Party of Virginians crossed first. The conditions were so bad General Ewing's men couldn't make the Crossing. Colonel Cadwalader couldn't get his artillery across the river. Washington might now have only Small Arms to attack a warm, well fed, and well rested enemy.
At 4:00 AM Washington's "Army" marched on Trenton. Henry Knox, a bookseller by trade, had manged to get some artillery and horses across the river. Rall, The Hessian Commander at Trenton, had arrogantly refused to build fortifications in the town of Trenton from which his Infantry would have cover.
Washington led the assault ordering Edward Hand's Pennsylvania Riflemen and a Battalion of German-speaking American Infantry to block the road leading from Princeton ( to block Enemy reinforcements ) and then they attacked the Hessian outpost.
The Americans quickly exploited the unsuspecting Hessians who ( depending upon which historian one believes ) may have been a tad groggy from Christmas Eve revelry. Knox's Artillery began a Bombardment. Rall and his Hessians were stunned and disorganized, for in the 18th Century European Armies did not fight in winter conditions..... this was something new that Washington had done in a desperate gamble to rally his Army's spirit. Hessian formations faltered, broke and scattered in the face of withering American Musketfire. Rall was mortally wounded.
The American's took Trenton. Washington's raid was an unthinkable success. The Hessians lost 22 KIA, 83 seriously wounded and 896 captured. The Americans suffered two killed, and five injured. A professional force of European soldiers were severely defeated by a numerically inferior collection of very fierce and determined band of citizen soldiers, clothed in rags.
Washington got his Army back across the Delaware into Pennsylvania where the British couldn't safely give pursuit. The winter did not defeat the Americans. The American's used the brutal winter to lull the enemy into complacency and as cover for Washington's attack.
The American people and their Liberty is again under assault again from its own government. One which should know better given it's history born in Revolution, and in its Founding Documents, The Declaration of Independance Bill of Rights. Both of which are now apparently considered null and void by our President and Democrat Congress.
Hopefully the people who now believe that they "Rule" ( Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarret's own words ) and no longer "Govern" the United States, can be shown the error of their ways or The Door leading out of The Capital and White House, in 2010 and 2012 barring some unforseen and convenient "Crisis" which Rahm Emanuel would not let go to waste.
We must all pray that Obama will not take the same tyrannical tack that King George 3rd took against his own "Subjects" by sending an Army against a once free American people wanting no parts of his plans for a Police State, Sovietized America and the repression which will be necessary to make us comply with his Progressive, Utopian vision.
For that what was done to ensure compliance everywhere Marxist / Socialist systems have been forced upon a people in every instance.
Freedom must be defended every generation or so or it will be lost forever
Fines and even prison for refusing to buy Obamacare? Have these people taken leave of their senses? Be forced to buy Gov't. Healthcare or go to jail? If that is not Tyranny then what IS?
Americans must remember their history and the Miracle of The Crossing which enabled us to become the most Free People on Earth. That Freedom must be defended every generation or so or it will be lost forever. The Victory at Trenton was only a beginning. America was at risk for losing the war many times.
But by the Grace of God we did prevail. The Founders gave us a Republic "if you can keep it" as Dr. Franklin observed.
What remains to be seen is if WE still have any of the Courage or Commitment to Liberty that Washington and his men exhibited on that dark and foreboding Christmas Day 1776. Dark times have again been brought to us this time again by those who Swore an Oath to defend the Rule of Law.
Instead of guarding our Liberty, they usurp it with unaccountable Marxist "Czars," and Un-Constitutional, draconian takeovers of our free markets by tweedy headed Marxist academics appointed as Government bureaucrats.
Marxists, who hate capitalism and never so much as managed a Lemonade Stand, want to now manage every aspect of our lives as they have convinced themselves that they are the "elite" and entitled to do so.
We are faced with a choice as our liberty is under assault on all sides. We can sit back and be "comfortable" in our ever growing cocoon of tyranny. Or become the Patriots who gave our nation The Miracle of the Crossing.
There is still time to save American Liberty without open conflict, but that time slips with each new government Takeover, Bailout, and Powergrab. If Americans continue to just sit back and watch, all they will witness will be the chains being forged for them.
JB Williams has suggested that the Republicans in both Houses should just walk out in disgust. Now there's an idea. Non-Violent Political Insurrection. They have no say anymore, why continue the charade? We have One Party Rule. The Republicans should walk out, and not be a party to Tyranny's Rise.
The American Colonists had no chance of "Winning" against the greatest Superpower of the time. Yet they DID. They dragged themselves starving in the dead of winter numerous times. And won their freedom. "The Crossing" that Christmas day in 1776 WAS a Miracle. America itself is a Miracle which by any standard should never have even happened.
We can now let that slip into the corroding fingers of Tyrants, or begin acting like the people who gave us, and preserved our Liberty from April 1775 at Lexington Green and Concord Bridge until today.
Is any of that Resilience and Willingness to Sacrifice still left in us?
America needs another Miracle and right quick. Please pray today for The Lord Thy God to change the hearts of the people who wish to control us. And pray for the strength to resist them if they will not change their plans for our eventual, utter enslavement into 21st century Feudalism.
