NC Renegades

The United States will temporarily shut down its embassies and consulates around the world Sunday — including those in Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt — as a precautionary measure over terror-related concerns, State Department officials said.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf did not say how long the international installations would stay closed — only that the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting.” Officials would not describe the nature of the threat.

Sunday is a normal workday in many Arab and Middle Eastern countries, meaning that is where the closures will have an impact. Embassies in Europe and Latin America would be shuttered that day anyway.

“We have instructed all U.S. embassies and consulates that would have normally been open on Sunday to suspend operations, specifically on August 4,” a senior State Department official said Thursday night. “It is possible we may have additional days of closing as well.”

Other U.S. officials said the threat was specifically in the Muslim world.

More…

h/t Randy D

President Barack Obama on Thursday told lawmakers he is open to changing controversial surveillance programs in order to restore public confidence and provide assurance the government is not violating citizens’ privacy, participants at the meeting said.

“We understand the American people really do need to know what’s going on now and what’s going on in the past and get the right kind of assurances that their privacy has not been breached,” said Senator Saxby Chambliss, who attended the meeting.

“We’ve got to figure out ways to make the program more transparent,” he said.

More…

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”

Benjamin Franklin

I would imagine that most people reading this particular article on this site are familiar with this quote. Consider this quote from the Bible:

Jeremiah 5:21

Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see.

Do we really see? It is obvious that our country’s government has stolen our essential Liberty given to us by the Lord under natural law. Our apathy has been a factor in this theft but when will we discern what our eyes see? Our safety is at risk from domestic enemies in the federal government. Any attempts to expose more tyranny has been effectively stopped by Obama’s decrees to spy on your fellow employees and the murder of Michael Hastings.

Benjamin Franklin was correct: we do not deserve Liberty or safety. Until we are able to discern the truth, we also will not take the first step to remove tyranny. Discernment leads to fear. Fear leads to tyranny. Tyranny leads to revolution. Eventually.

David DeGerolamo