Iran

People do things for more than one reason. Currently, President Donald Trump is trying to negotiate an agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran to achieve certain goals without having to resort to military action. He is being criticized by some for moving too slow, while the people of Iran suffer under the brutal totalitarian theocracy by which they are governed. 

Wisely, President Trump has usually left the planning and execution of military operations to our military commanders. Of course, as commander-in-chief he reserves the right to make the final decisions about our military actions. 

It seems clear to most observers that the Ayatollahs in Tehran have no intention of abandoning their nuclear ambitions, ceasing to sponsor terrorism around the world, and the horrible slaughter of their own people. Some commentators view military action to be inevitable. They make the valid point that the theocratic regime in Iran has never been and weaker, and that the opportunity has never been better topple the regime. 

So, what is President Trump waiting for? To retain the moral high ground, it is clear that the United States needs to exhaust every available opportunity to resolve this matter peacefully, and that by delaying military action we are making a good faith effort toward achieving a peaceful resolution. The delay also gives our military the time it needs to mass sufficient forces in the area of operation to be able to apply overwhelming force when the stubbornness of the Ayatollahs ultimately makes it necessary. 

The task before our military is achievable, but they will need to destroy Iran’s offensive missile capability immediately to keep our forces in the region and the people of Israel safe from attack. To achieve meaningful change in the governance of Iran, our military will also need to destroy their air defense capability, command and control systems, nuclear program, and the military forces and infrastructure that support the regime. These and other military objectives are achievable, but the use of ground forces may become necessary. 

The need for the use of our ground forces will depend on whether the Ayatollahs, and other oppressors in Iran are willing to step down from their positions of authority and seek asylum in other countries. Should they refuse, the use of ground forces may be necessary to remove them. They are criminals, and they should stand trial for crimes against humanity. However, removing them from power should be our first priority. 

As always, Lamp in a Corner will support military action only if it will result in the complete destruction of the enemies’ ability and will to resist. In our opinion, while it may not be a legal requirement, the Trump Administration should seek the approval of Congress before such military action takes place. This approval can be in the form of a general approval, and it does not need to involve itself with specifics like dates, times, and methods. We do not want American lives to be put at risk unless our military actions are backed by the majority of our elected government, and without a firm commitment to the complete destruction of the enemies' will and ability to resist. 

Delay will result in the further suffering for the Iranian people. This is regrettable, but necessary. Although not all of the Iranian people are our enemies, they have not shown themselves to be loyal friends either. There are calls from the Iranian resistance for American help. We feel for the plight of the people in Iran, and we have humanitarian concerns for their welfare. We want to do what we can to help. However, we are under no obligation to allow their pleas for help to direct our management of the situation. Whatever we do should be in the interests of the United States, and our success should not be jeopardized by precipitous action.

Don't be Afraid

Jesus taught us:

 

“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master.  Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! 

“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.  What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! 

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. 

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.  But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”                        (Matthew 10:24-33 NLT) [1]

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nlt/matthew/10.htm

 

Tim "Temerity" Walz

There was a segment on Fox News today showing a public statement by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.  Gov. Walz had the temerity (couldn’t resist the pun) to demand that the federal government pay reparations for alleged damaged caused by ICE and other federal agents, during operations they were conducting to apprehend illegal migrants.  Please consider this: 

Any damages that were done were caused by violent demonstrators who were incited by Gov. Walz and other Democrat officials in Minnesota.  There is evidence that many of the most vehement demonstrators were paid agent provocateurs, many of whom were not residents of Minnesota.  In addition to taking responsibility himself, maybe Gov. Walz should be going after their backers for the alleged damages instead of the federal government. 

Under Gov. Walz’ watch, billions of dollars were fraudulently obtained from programs intended to help the poor of Minnesota.  His level of complicity is under investigation.  At a minimum, he has command responsibility.   He has no moral or ethical ground to stand on when accusing others of costing the public money.  His statement was the zenith of hypocrisy. 

Unless he has recanted, Gov. Walz has said that he will not be a candidate for reelection to the office of governor.  Does he have other ambitions?  He certainly has shown that he can do the “political sidestep” by trying to make himself appear to be the heroic defender of freedom against tyranny.  Is it to deflect attention from his welfare fraud scandal, or does he have delusions of greater grandeur – like running for national office?  Fellow Americans, I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t follow Tim Walz across the street. 

Sometimes in my prayers I thank God for His mercy that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz lost in 2024.  That is the truth.  It is not a figure of speech.  Please pray that they will be relegated to the political sidelines.  America doesn’t need the likes of those two anymore.

Remaining Humble

The Lord loves a humble and contrite person. 

 

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:  “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!  I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 

 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’  I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”     (Luke 18:9-14 NLT) [1]

  

“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.”                     (Matthew 5:5 NLT) [2]

 

 “The greatest among you must be a servant.  But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12 NLT) [3]

  

Oh God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nlt/luke/18.htm

[2] https://biblehub.com/nlt/matthew/5.htm

[3] https://biblehub.com/nlt/matthew/23.htm

 

Made for Each Other

This is what God intended for us.  From the beginning God has joined men and women together to help each other through life.  So, men and women are united in marriage and become as one. 

“Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 

So God created human beings in his own image.

In the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them. 

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26-28 NLT) [1]

  

“This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. 

Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. 

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.  But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” 

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”  So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.  He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. 

So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening.  Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.” 

 “At last!” the man exclaimed.

“This one is bone from my bone,

and flesh from my flesh!

She will be called ‘woman,’

because she was taken from ‘man.’”

 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.”                (Genesis 2:4, 7-25 NLT) [2]

 

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nlt/genesis/1.htm

[2] https://biblehub.com/nlt/genesis/2.htm

Who was That Masked Man?

When I was a young boy before we had television, my mom used to let me listen to the adventures of The Lone Ranger on the radio.  I watched The Lone Ranger on TV later, after we finally got one.  (My folks didn’t have a lot of money.) 

The Lone Ranger and his friend, Tonto, roamed around the Old West righting wrongs and bringing the bad guys to justice. Every program would begin with The Lone Ranger’s horse rearing up on its hind legs while he yelled “Hi ho Silver away.” and with the William Tell overture. 

The Lone Ranger wore a mask, and he was always mistaken for a bandit by the townspeople. They realized that he was a good guy by the end of each episode. Then somebody would ask “Who was that masked man?” 

The press and the liberal politicians are making a big deal out of federal agents wearing masks while apprehending criminal illegal migrants. The level of ignorance these people are displaying is really aggravating.  The masks are a precaution against retribution against the officers and their families.  They also protect the American public from these lawbreakers gaining control of our social order the way they have in countries South of the border. 

Aljazeera recently did a story about mass graves in Brazil near the border with Venezuela that the Brazilian authorities we're attributing to Tren de Aragua. [1]  It is well known, or it should be, that a common modus operandi (normal method of operation) of criminal gangs and cartels is to render the police, local officials, and even state and national officials in Mexico, Central America, and South America ineffective by threatening to kill them and their families – and they follow through.  They have frequently kidnapped people and held them hostage to get what they want.  Even those criminal illegal migrants who are not affiliated with gangs or cartels often have serious criminal histories. 

As employees of a state department of corrections, we were discouraged from having identifying items on our persons or in our offices.  Cell phones were not allowed in the facility, and we were discouraged from bringing in check books, credit cards, or driver's licenses.  We had picture ID’s, but without addresses, phone numbers, etc. If an employee lost their ID or keys, the facility was locked down, and a thorough search was conducted. Furthermore, the legal offenders we were dealing with were already incarcerated and were (theoretically) sober and unarmed.  We worked in a risky environment, but it was usually safer than the one ICE and CBP are operating in … and it was still wise to take precautions. 

To the loud mouths in the press, and to the liberal politicians making political hay at the expense of brave law officers: Let’s see you go out and try it.

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[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx8bcirDccg

 

Scapegoating

You can say it several different ways, but when something goes wrong there is often an effort to fix the blame on one person, or group, to deflect the responsibility from an organization, or the leader of the organization. You probably have heard some of these before. However, we'll provide a few of them here. 

Sometimes, it is said that someone is getting, “thrown under the bus.” Another way of putting it is that someone is “being made the scapegoat.” In the same way it is said that someone is “a sacrificial lamb.” There are others, but we think you get the idea. 

In fairness, President Trump appears to be supporting ICE, CBP, and Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, in connection with the deaths of two demonstrators in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  We hope the President will continue to handle things fairly, especially since Congress and the press are not. 

We all grieve when a person dies. It is worse when they die at a young age. We grieve for the decedent’s family, friends, and community. Two of our fellow Americans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, have died while protesting our government’s deportation operations in Minneapolis.  It hurts to see things come to this. It was predictable, due to the volatility of the situation, but let us pray for the peace that only God can give. 

Grandma used to say that “When you point a finger at someone, three fingers are pointed back at you.” There is certainly enough blame to go around for the tragedy in Minneapolis.  It would be a mistake to blame just one or two people for the totality of the situation that resulted in the death of American citizens. 

Before we play the blame game, it might be useful to consider a widely quoted Japanese saying, “Fix the problem, not to blame.” The responsibility for the loss of life in Minneapolis may fall on the shoulders of a number of people. We are not advocating that those responsible should not be held accountable. One thing we learned investigating cases of child abuse, however, is that it is a mistake to rush to judgement. Another way of putting it is that we ought not to jump to conclusions. We must let the investigations into the recent tragic deaths of the two demonstrators  proceed for a reasonable amount of time, until more facts are known. 

That said, events often will not wait. The situation in Minneapolis needs to be defused to avoid more death and injury.  The responsibility for that rests upon both sides. 

One principle that we have learned over 25 years of management and supervisory experience is that it is often a mistake to change personnel and policy on the basis of an isolated incident(s).  Further, when an incident happens in Minneapolis, it may not be necessary to make changes nationwide, nor should we abandon the goal of deporting all persons who have illegally entered and remained in the United States. 

Therefore, it is distressing to see people in Congress and in the press jump on a bandwagon - demanding that the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, resign, be dismissed, or be impeached. The tactics of ICE and CBP can be reviewed and changed. People funding the violent demonstrations can be held accountable. It is a mistake to make Secretary Noem a scapegoat and then expect the problem to get fixed by doing so. 

Secretary Noem apparently made public statements that were premature about the incident. We must keep her overall situation in mind before we accuse her of wrongdoing.  She may have been given erroneous information.  We won’t know until all the facts are available.  Remember, also, that she has agents on the ground doing a dangerous and difficult job, and it is important that they feel supported. It is understandable that she may have been trying to demonstrate to all federal agents that she “has their back.” 

Although the standard, “I cannot comment while an active investigation is in progress,” would have been preferable, it does not necessarily mean that what she said was disingenuous.  It may mean that she should have waited until she had a better understanding of the situation before she spoke publicly about it.  We are sure that at some level she should have known that her political enemies would use anything she might say against her. 

It's probably wishful thinking to expect that we would see a little more restraint from Congress and the press, before they call for Kristi Noem to resign or be fired – and especially before they talk about impeaching her.  She has done a good job so far, and the loss of Kristi Noem’s leadership would be a great loss the country.  People should try and remember that in November. 

The Democrats are threatening to defund Homeland Security and blocking funding of the government – again. That is why we absolutely must elect a clear majority of Republicans or conservatives to the US Senate and House of Representatives in November, and why President Trump must not reduce that majority by appointing legislators to work in his administration. 

Please pray that God will heal our land.