Welcome To The Philly DMZ!

The Nutter out front should have told ya.

The Pope is in Philadelphia this weekend and we are staying as far away from the city as possible. While we did venture out today driving down to the main line, that is as close as we were going to get to the urban militarized zone. However, even though we remained a good distance from the commotion, the impact of the Papal visit reached far beyond the boundaries of the city. While this could have seriously impacted and frustrated our travels, thankfully we took notice of the warning that has been flashing across the television and social media all week and made sure to avoid the major arteries.

It is rather astounding when you really stop to think about the whole situation. While I understand the importance that this man hold in his faith and in the world in general, the fact still remains that his presence put a complete halt to everyday life within and outside of the city. Not only were those who live within the concrete boundaries forced to change their weekend routine, accommodate the masses, or get the heck out but those of us that live on the other side of the horizon from the skyscrapers had to adjust to the new rules that were in place throughout the greater Philadelphia area.

It has been interesting watching the constant coverage streaming across all major networks since he first set foot in the United States. It has been even more intriguing hearing his statements on various issues and his opinions on some aspects of our society. Of course, that is nothing new for this Pope who has been quite outspoken since the day he dawned the vestments and took his place as an idol of the Catholic faithful. Personally, while I appreciate his honesty on various matters, there are times when I get tired of his lectures.

As the news coverage continued throughout the day and I watched as throngs of people were herded from place to place across the city packing the streets usually filled with cars, I kept on thinking about the businesses that were forced to close for the event and the people who left their homes for the weekend ceding the city to those now filling every inch of grass, asphalt, and concrete. While the boost in tourism will certainly be promoted, it seems as though the people of the city are the ones who will be forgotten when all is said and done. The people who made this the place the Pope wanted to visit are the ones that have been marginalized during his time in the city and forced to accept the quarantine like atmosphere.

It is great that the faithful had the chance to see their idol but it is a shame that the people and businesses of Philadelphia were forced to put up with the limitations, inconveniences, and limitations on their personal freedom and way of life. I agree that this Papal visit is, in many ways, something that needed to happen but it could have been handled in a completely different, less restrictive and militarized way. Faith and freedom should go hand in hand rather than presented in an either/or fashion.

So you say you live over there... sorry, still can't let you in. 

Firearms Friday: Really Joe?

With the Pope coming to the United States this week, his visit was the topic of discussion in pretty much every corner of the media and public life. The visit also prompted questions regarding an individual’s faith as well as their political views and how the two influence one another. It should be no surprise, given both the Pope’s visit and the recent videos from Planned Parenthood, that the subject of abortion was one of the primary topics of discussion, debate, and, as in the case of the Vice President, confusion.

Biden, a practicing Catholic, was recently interviewed by America Magazine when he openly talked about the Papal visit, his faith, and his political views. Most notably, he is quoted as saying the following:

“Abortion is always wrong… All the principles of my faith, [which] I make no excuse for attempting to live up to — I don’t all the time. But I’m not prepared to impose doctrine that I’m prepared to accept on the rest of [the country].”

While the “pro-choice” crowd has been up in arms about his statements, I find it a little disturbing for a completely different reason which is why this is being posted on Friday.

As he states above, he is “not prepared to impose doctrine”. While this may be true regarding his faith it by no means applies to the rest of his views as he has made it very clear during his time in public office that he will do everything in his power to impose the doctrine of the Democratic Party on the people. This has been evident during his time as Vice President when he, along with President Obama and the party in general, has tried to strip us of our second amendment rights.

Time and again, gun owners have been attacked for exercising their right of ownership and to defend themselves and their family. However, this does not fit into the doctrine of the Democratic Party so Joe “Double Barrel” Biden and the rest of the party members have made every effort to vilify those who don’t subscribe to their world view. Of course, most of the world and the media in general don’t pay attention to this but what if he acted the same way with regard to his view on abortion?

So, in the end, the Vice President has admitted in this interview that he refuses to impose his religious beliefs on the country but his actions have clearly demonstrated that he is willing, if not eager, to impose his political beliefs on every single man, woman, and child in this country. I guess, according to Biden, people are only allowed to have certain rights so long as he agrees with them. And just think, some people want him to run for President.