Category Archives: Government

Military Bases Breached: Are Pokémon Go Players Going too Far?

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July 19, 2016

Pokémon Go, a mobile phone app, has taken the world by storm but are players taking it too far?

The role-playing game uses your phone’s GPS and uses your location and augmented reality to impose Pokémon characters on your screen and overlay them on top of what you see directly in front of you. “The game is centered on the concept of the Pokémon battle, similar to that of the video games,” according to Wikia. “The object of the game is to knock out six of the opponent’s Pokémon.”

The game has taken players from inside their homes and into the streets in huge numbers, all in the name of fun. But some people aren’t laughing or having fun at all with this new game phenomenon. In fact, the phenomenon is creating public safety fears including pedestrians being severely distracted and trespassing that can lead to arrests or worse.

For many gamers there seem to be no personal boundaries as to how far they will go, or onto who’s property they will tread to acquire their next fictional Pokémon character. While playing Pokémon Go a Frenchmen trespassed onto an Indonesian military base and was detained.

The 27 year old, Romain Pierre, was arrested and later let go, when authorities realized he had unintentionally trespassed unto the military base while hunting down Pokémon.

Although many believe the game could boost tourism to the city, according to The Guardian, security officials are very concerned that Pokémon could induce real security threats.

The United States is having their own issues with Pokémon Go. Safety warnings from the U.S. Military Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, Washington, have been released after the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum saw its fair share of Pokémon Go trespassers.

“DO NOT chase Pokémon into controlled or restricted areas, office buildings, or homes on base.”

As of now, no plans by the Department of Defense have been made to impose game guidelines around the Pentagon but they are asking players to be mindful when crossing roads and parking lots saying, “It’s a good idea to look up, away from your phone and both ways before crossing streets.”

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Wow, did the Defense Department have to remind adults to be mindful of their surroundings? A new game has suddenly seemed to make the world lose their senses.

At some point the Defense Department may step in to protect its boundaries, and others, from the carelessness actions of Pokémon players if public and military concerns continue.

It will then be Pokémon Gone, game over, in many public areas.

By Lorra B.

President Putin’s Ban of Religious Freedom, Should American’s Be Concerned?

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July 18, 2016

Silent Soldier: By Lorra B.

Many American’s are aware, and should be concerned, that President Vladimir Putin recently placed severe restrictions on religious freedoms in Russia making any evangelism or religious speech outside of churches forbidden. Any Christian wishing to share their faith outside of a designated worship center will be breaking the law.

This so-called anti-terrorism legislation not only attacks religious liberty, it demolishes free-speak and makes it a crime. “This new situation,” according to Dr. Haukka, President of Great Commission Media Ministries, “resembles the Soviet Union in 1929. At that time confession of faith was permitted only in church. Practically speaking, we are back in the same situation. These anti-terrorist laws are some of the most restrictive laws in post-Soviet history.”

Suppressing the rights of assembly, speech and the press, to name a few, seem routine in Moscow but many believe this has gone too far. This new legislation strikes fear among Christian Russians believing that unregistered congregations and house groups will be targeted and persecuted, according to Christian Today.

“According to Forum 18, which monitors religious freedom in Russia and former Soviet republics, the amendments to the Religion Law restrict those who can share beliefs to people with permission from members of state-registered religious groups and organizations…They also prohibit even the informal sharing of beliefs, for example responding to questions or comments.”

Any breach of this new law, effective July 20, will lead to substantial monetary penalties.

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) wrote an article at The Daily Signal stating the new law is “an affront to free people everywhere.”

“We need to begin telling the truth about an increasingly aggressive actor in global affairs,” he said. “This Russian law would be an affront to free people everywhere—at home and abroad—who believe that rights of conscience—the rights to free speech and to freedom of religion—are pre-political.”

As of yet “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

—U.S. Constitution, First Amendment

Suppressing speech and the media, not to mention Political Correctness, seems to be the growing trend in America. Should American’s have reason for concern that this “anti-terrorist” law someday be our reality?

By Lorra B.

 

 

 

 

 

Watch: Wounded Warriors Compete In The Triumph Games

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Triumph Games Warriors Snapshot Credit http://www.2015triumphgames.com/

Triumph Games Warriors
Snapshot Credit http://www.2015triumphgames.com/

September 4, 2015

By Lorra B.

The Triumph Games is a new show being aired in October on the NBC Sports Network and will featuring competitions by wounded warriors. These Triumph games will test these soldiers both mentally and physically.

“Many people would be destroyed by the burdens veterans have to carry, and especially our wounded vets,” reports Rare. “Yet, they’re able to rise above and not only lead fulfilling lives, they’re able to lead extraordinary ones. For the Triumph Games, 12 veterans and athletes were chosen to battle through three rounds of competition: a triathlon, a live-streaming gaming competition, and motorsports. Called the “Terrific 12”, the founders of the Triumph Games believe they are role models who serve as an inspiration. And while all of the competitors are amazing athletes, only one can go “from war to winning”, and become the 2015 Triumph Games Champion.”

The Triumph Games should prove to not only be a great show, it will be a great inspiration to many Americans knowing that if these contestants could find the strength to aspire to greatness then they can too.

Good luck to you all and we will be watching soon!

By Lorra B.

“We Don’t Need A Department Of Veteran Affairs.” That’s What Presidential Hopeful Ben Carson Says

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Ben Carson on the Dave Ramsey Show Snapshot Credit, YouTube

Ben Carson on the Dave Ramsey Show
Snapshot Credit, YouTube

September 4, 2015

By Lorra B. 

“We don’t need a department of Veteran Affairs,” according to Presidential hopeful and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson.

“The size of government has to be reduced significantly,” Carson told the Dave Ramsey Show. “There’s a lot of stuff that we’re doing that doesn’t make sense. We don’t need a Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs should be in under the Department of Defense, and it should be a smooth transition,” stated Carson.

It is the belief of Mr. Carson that the problems with the VA system are a huge deterrent for attracting new military recruits.

“We need to be looking at the way that we take care of soldiers,” Carson Stated. “You know 14 percent down recruitment for our voluntary Army right now. Why? Because they’re looking at what we’re doing to our veterans.”

What Carson is suggesting is a health savings account instead of the current system. A health savings account would allow veterans to obtain treatment at any medical facility instead of restricting them to government-run hospitals. The VA would then be turned into a specialty hospital to care for traumatic injuries such as loss of limb or severe brain injuries.

Not everyone is happy with Carson’s suggestions.

According to Military Times, it wasn’t long before some veterans were outraged by Carson’s remarks. The Veterans of Foreign War ripped apart Carson’s plans for veteran health care indicating they would be damaging and certainly not helpful.

Veterans of foreign Wars National Commander John Biedrzyck made a statement, “To suggest that disabled veterans could be sent out into the economy with a health savings account card overlooks the fact that civilian health care has waiting lists of their own…and presupposes that civilian doctors have the same skill sets as VA doctors, who see veterans of every age and malady every day. It provides an irreplaceable service to the nations wounded, ill and injured veterans and my organization will not let any candidate for any office suggest anything otherwise.”

Even Former Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland threw his displeasure with Carson’s proposal into the ring and tweeted “Apparently @RealBenCarson didn’t talk to vets for his vets plan. We should fight for vets, not cut care.”

O’Malley further tweeted, “Unlike @RealBenCarson, I am working with vets across the country on a plan that is worthy of their service and sacrifice.” Now, to be fair to Carson, not all vets are in agreement that we need the VA system either and I have added a couple of those comments as well.

After the Twitter War, O’Malley publicized his plan to bring veterans to full employment. In his ‘National Service’ plan, he will also help find work for anyone who, for medical reasons, is unable to join the military.

Also not happy with Carson’s VA plan is retired Army major general Paul D. Eaton. “Rather than think of ways to nickel and dime our veterans, Dr. Carson should be thinking of other areas of fat in government — particularly in defense contracts — that can be cut, so we can hire more doctors and caregivers, to provide returning veterans with the kind of care they earned.”

There are problems in the VA system, there can be no doubt. The country has been distressed by the waiting lists and horrified by the number of veterans who have died waiting for their health needs to be met.

Yes, the VA is a mess and in need of serious repair. No matter which side of the fence you are on, wanting a ‘do-over’ for the VA or dismantling the VA, one thing is certain…Perhaps Ben Carson is doing the VA a good service by bringing it further into the light.

By Lorra B.

Watch Paralyzed Veterans Left Unattended For Hours! Will Veteran’s Affairs EVER get it right?

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Memphis VA Hospital (Snapshot Credit, YouTube)

Memphis VA Hospital
(Snapshot Credit, YouTube)

August 28, 2015

By Lorra B.

According to recently released footage from a former VA employee, veterans were left in a Memphis VA hospital unattended for hours.

The footage shows that hospital staff attended meetings and left patients alone in the spinal injury ward which is against hospital policy. Hospital policy is clear and states that in case of an emergency a nurse should always be present at the nurse’s station.

That, however, did not happen at this Memphis VA hospital. Shot by an unidentified patient, the video shows empty halls. The patient videographer is heard stating, “If there is an emergency, we’re screwed.”

What would have happened in an emergency can only be speculated but to leave patients unattended is not only careless, it’s criminal.

This VA hospital is known for having not only some of the poorest care among the VA hospitals but also the longest wait times, according to CDN.

There is a second video that shows a patient in the isolation ward and being fed without the employee wearing suitable attire or gloves. If that isn’t bad enough, and with great disgust, she eats a helping of his food and then continues to feed him as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

This video shows veterans left for hours and staff helping themselves to patients food:

According to Rare, it was Sean Higgins that brought this issue to the medias attention and indicated that he is a repeat whistleblower, “including reporting to the Joint Commission that dialysis machines were not being cleaned properly, and believes that he was fired in retaliation.”

Memphis VA has awarded well over a million dollars in bonuses even though they had been cited for long wait times and closed needed equipment down because they claimed they did not have the funds to fix them. Does this seem right?

Unbelievably, instead of getting right on the problems of the VA hospital itself, and according to Higgins, when this issue came to light a VA hospital official reprimanded him at his bedside for filming the incident, which is against hospital policy.

Higgins said, “She was more concerned that the guy violated hospital policy, than what he was filming.”

Veteran Affairs gave a statement on the issue:

Caring for our Veterans is our highest priority. Often times when staff are working at the bedside with patients, it might appear that no one is at the nurses’ station.  We have technology in all patient wards in the spinal cord injury unit, which includes the assistive call button at the bedside for patient use to alert staff if the need for assistance arises. Activating the call button triggers a sound alert throughout the spinal cord unit and a light over the patient’s doorway. Nursing staff in rooms caring for patients are nearby and are able to respond to calls for assistance.  At no time should our Veterans be left unattended or without access to trained medical staff.

The VA knows the scrutiny they are under yet somehow still seems to find ways to miss the mark of excellence. My questions remains, when will the VA get it right? No, caring for the ill is no cake walk but making sure that the staff has the true interest of the patient at heart should be of the utmost of importance. Not wearing appropriate gear, eating the patients food and leaving them unattended is clearly not a mark of excellence.

By Lorra B.

Watch As Hillary Clinton Unbelievably Compare Republican Americans To “Terrorist Groups”

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imageedit_2_4679910797August 27, 2015

By Lorra B.

At a campaign event on Thursday Hillary Clinton took the opportunity to bash Republicans by comparing them to “some terrorist groups” with “extreme views about women.” Her strong words were in response to the Republican Party searching for different avenues to discontinue federal funding of Planned Parenthood’s abortion clinics.

Clinton Stated, “I would like these Republican candidates to look the mom in the eye who caught her breast cancer early because she was able to get a screening for cancer, or the teenager who didn’t get pregnant because she had access to contraception, or anyone who’s ever been protected by an HIV test. Now, extreme views about women? We expect that from some of the terrorist groups. We expect that from people who don’t want to live in the modern world, but it’s a little hard to take coming from Republicans who want to be the president of the United States, yet they espouse out-of-date and out-of-touch policies. They are dead wrong for 21st-century America. We’re going forward. We’re not going back.”

As of yet, I have found no evidence to support her absurd accusation. I have not heard or read about any Republican using terrorism in the pursuit of political aims. Not once have I heard or read that any candidate has used violence or threats to intimidate or coerce women nor selling women as sex slaves or asking them to be accompanied by a male chaperon at all times. These, of course, are just a couple examples of a terrorist.

But Hillary, if I do hear one of your opponents using terrorist methods against women I’ll be the first to apologize to you for doubting your judgment.

By Lorra B.