quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

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Didn't JFK try something similar a while back?

LOL... He did it all his life... but Kennedy grew up thinking everyone loved him and that he was "untouchable".

Lincoln Continental with a detachable bubble-top that was seldom used and not bullet-proof.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com...get/article15543696/

I've forgotten my history. Who is the guy in the fancy uniform? Generalissimo Francisco Franco ?

Wow wanting the Pope to die, that's a head scratcher there... Not a fan of the Pope - although I kind of like this one.

But if he wants to drive around without a bullet proof car, who gives a rats ass?

Kennedy simply didn't understand the nature of the threat. No president since then (and, I'm sure, in the future) will ever drive ANYWHERE in public in a convertible again.

As far as the pope, I'm not catholic, but here's my take on the subject.

He is a fool.

I believe in living by faith, but God also gave us a brain, and I believe He expects us to use it. For this reason, I underwent surgery for thyroid cancer (instead of just waiting for God to miracle it out of me), I wear my seatbelt, I have a firm belief in the right and *responsibility* of American citizens to exercise their 2A rights, etc etc etc.

I don't know what the popes' intentions are. I don't know if he seriously thinks he can truly 'mend ties with islam,' or if he's just trying to show off. I do know that radical islam has no intention whatsoever of mending ties with the rest of us.

My only real concern for this trip is with the people (driver, security, etc) who may get killed WITH the pope if/when an RPG tears into a 'normal' car and shreds all its occupants.

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Originally posted by DonDraper:
Not a fan of the Pope - although I kind of like this one.

This makes no sense to me: you're not a fan of him, but you kinda like him? Or you're not a fan of there being a Pope, but you like this one? May I ask what it is about this one that you kinda like?

I believe the man is Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia.

Ironically, I stood directly behind him during President Kennedy's interment at Arlington Cemetery. Standing directly next to Selassie was Charles DeGaulle. The difference in the stature of the two men would have been comical under different circumstances, as DeGaulle stood well over 6", while Selassie was about 5'4" with lifts in his boots.

I was stationed at Ft Lee, VA at the time, and three of us had driven to Washington, DC to pay our respects to the President. We were all dressed in our Class A uniforms. It was the only time during my enlistment that I experienced preferential treatment as a uniformed serviceman... We were pulled out of the 4 abreast line of people waiting to enter the Capitol Rotunda by the main entrance.

Out of the surrounding shrubs, a uniformed security man appeared and motioned us to follow him... he led us up a curving staircase which climbed two stories to a hidden entrance in the wall of the Rotunda itself. He lowered the red velvet rope across the entrance and told us to approach the guard at the front of the main line, where he held the main line momentarily to allow us to approach the catafalque upon which the President lay in state in a flag wrapped plain coffin.

We presented arms on my signal, executed a Left Face, and were led back down the same curving staircase to the outside once again. I think we did pretty well for three medical corpsmen!

We found an all night diner to have a quick bite to eat, then drove across the bridge to Arlington where we obtained the 'lay of the land' so to speak from an on-duty sentry. He showed us where the ceremony would be taking place that morning and showed us the restraining red velvet rope on stanchions that delineated the public standing area from that reserved for dignitaries... We established our positions just behind the rope in the center of the arc and spent the rest of the night talking quietly among ourselves until people began to arrive en-mass about 5am or so.

I must say that it was one of the most significant and touching times of my life. After the ceremony I walked over the hill to the next vale and paid my respects to a cousin of mine, Jared R. Krohn, 2Lt, USMC, who was killed by enemy fire at the Inchon Reservoir battle during the Korean "Conflict".

I was stunned by the discourtesy shown by some members of the public who found nothing wrong with standing on the headstones at the graves surrounding the protected area where the President was buried... What is wrong with folks??

Sorry to be so long-winded! The simple question of yours opened the memory floodgates for me.

Don

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Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

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Originally posted by DonDraper:
Not a fan of the Pope - although I kind of like this one.

This makes no sense to me: you're not a fan of him, but you kinda like him? Or you're not a fan of there being a Pope, but you like this one? May I ask what it is about this one that you kinda like?

The "Pope" means nothing to me. It's like being the queen of England, doesn't amount to much. This one seems to go out of his way to be humble. He looks like a genuine person. Some others from my past haven't really come off that way. Does that clear it up for you? I hope so.

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Originally posted by DonDraper:

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Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

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Originally posted by DonDraper:
Not a fan of the Pope - although I kind of like this one.

This makes no sense to me: you're not a fan of him, but you kinda like him? Or you're not a fan of there being a Pope, but you like this one? May I ask what it is about this one that you kinda like?

The "Pope" means nothing to me. It's like being the queen of England, doesn't amount to much. This one seems to go out of his way to be humble. He looks like a genuine person.

Kind of like Bernie. You don't have to support anything he says or does, but you kind of have to respect the man for being principled and living by his word.

And, for the record, I sincerely hope that the effort to recall him is successful.

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Originally posted by TXJIM:

I never understood the whole bullet proof pope mobile thing. Why would be need it? Is he not in his place at God's will to remain in that place to fulfill God's plan? I often hear "it's God's plan" and other such declarations when people die or disasters happen. Wouldn't the Pope's fate lie in God's plan and wouldn't God protect the Pope from harm until that plan is fulfilled?

How do we know it's not God's plan to create a vacancy at the Vatican pretty soon? Maybe God wants him to go to Egypt.

People like him that ignore history and actual current events are dangerous to the rest of us. I don't know what he gets out of being so blindly stupid, did he not have some sort of history class to make it to be a pope. I am not a catholic so this guy doesn't mean much to me. Whatever the pope is supposed to represent - this guy isn't helping it. He seems to be just a simple leftist useful idiot.

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I must say that it was one of the most significant and touching times of my life. After the ceremony I walked over the hill to the next vale and paid my respects to a cousin of mine, Jared R. Krohn, 2Lt, USMC, who was killed by enemy fire at the Inchon Reservoir battle during the Korean "Conflict".

I was stunned by the discourtesy shown by some members of the public who found nothing wrong with standing on the headstones at the graves surrounding the protected area where the President was buried... What is wrong with folks??

Sorry to be so long-winded! The simple question of yours opened the memory floodgates for me.

Don

Thank you for posting this memory of yours.

And church-folk wonder why people are leaving the religions in droves, either to agnostic / aethiest lives or to some of the more modern feel good places that call themselves a church.

Not that I would wish it, but it does offer the possibility that we might get a new Pope that isn't a ditz.

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Originally posted by Bigboreshooter:

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Originally posted by TXJIM:

I never understood the whole bullet proof pope mobile thing. Why would be need it? Is he not in his place at God's will to remain in that place to fulfill God's plan? I often hear "it's God's plan" and other such declarations when people die or disasters happen. Wouldn't the Pope's fate lie in God's plan and wouldn't God protect the Pope from harm until that plan is fulfilled?

How do we know it's not God's plan to create a vacancy at the Vatican pretty soon? Maybe God wants him to go to Egypt.

Exactly why he should never use the Pope mobile...let God's plan run its course

How long before this Pope decides Christianity is actually Islam and Christ and Mohammed are the same? Well Pontiff can't beat the mullahs join them. Slowly but surely the world will embrace Islam or die, this Pope is just the start and those of us willing to fight this villaniy will be crushed by political correctness and horse shit. Let's face facts the WWII generation is all but gone, very few left of Korea and Vietnam era vets, most are 68 or older, Gulf I and II vets are smaller numbers, millenials and snow flakes are a large percentage of the upcoming decision making population. These are people who need safe spaces and to be accepted, they will conform to Allah or be destroyed.

This generation coming up believes the Barry O hype and wants socialism.

God save us all.

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Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
And church-folk wonder why people are leaving the religions in droves, either to agnostic / aethiest lives or to some of the more modern feel good places that call themselves a church.

I don't know what that has to do with this trip to Egypt.