Chattanooga…to the shores of Tripoli

A country legend, rock and roll icon, and a true southern gentleman with credentials, Charlie Daniels once immortalized those words “the Devil went down to Georgia.”
To play on that theme:

Well, this week a Devil went to Chattanooga with very much the same thing on his mind: he was looking for souls to steal. Not just any but proud American ones. Ones who, in the prime of their lives, had something to offer America and more than the will to serve it, giving it. Yes, a devil sneaked in there to snatch someone up and all he got was their vain assassin for the trouble.

Instead, the shooter got what he bargained for, the devil’s cauldron stew. His due for the purchase was what he meant for others, paid in full. But it cost him his soul that day, all he had — or thought he had. He played the game and got snake eyes. The men who lost their lives had something so precious he couldn’t even have dreamed of: freedom, honor and dignity, and a country who appreciated them. But the shooter met his match. No paradise of which he wrote. No glory for his cause. Just another lost, stolen and used up soul on a wasted effort. He bartered it all and lost it all that day.

He got his name in the press, the name he claimed caused security alerts. But in the end, it was not his name that caused all the damage. We know what it was. So now that name will cause nothing but grief. He staked out his lot and his plot staked him. But there was no respect and glory in what he did. Nothing in return. A failed bid to make a failed stand. Instead of hope, he got the short straw. Five lives were lost, but their immortal souls were gained, five more for the trumpet to sound. A pity the shooter will never know that honor and glory he tried to cheat. Just another wasted soul, on the road from Tripoli.

RIP now five Chattanooga heroes.

 ~~~~~~

Now for a President who always lectures on the importance of context — or the context of important matters — what Obama did after should be seen then in the light of the terrorist attack in Chattanooga and the questions it raised.

The White House released a statement later in the day to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan.

As Muslim Americans celebrate Eid across America, the holiday is a reminder to every American of the importance of respecting those of all faiths and beliefs.

Michelle and I hope today brings joy to all of your homes, both here in the U.S. and around the world. From my family to yours, Eid Mubarak!

As an article at Western Journalism framed the context, for the preoccupied White House:

“Chattanooga killings reality: The morning of Eid was marked with the sound of gunfire echoing through quiet neighborhoods across a peaceful Tennessee city forever scarred by the attacks.”

“It is a heartbreaking circumstance”, according to Obama’s WH statement:

“It is a heartbreaking circumstance for these individuals who served our country with great valor to be killed in this fashion.” He added in his statement that “we take all shootings seriously.”

(except when the shooter is an illegal in a sanctuary city, already deported 5 times.)

I couldn’t tell if that was Obama making that statement or Deepak Chopra. Apparently “heartbreaking circumstance” are the new code words for domestic terrorism.

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