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REQUIEM

Below are the two final essays to be posted on Allegiance and Duty Betrayed. The first one is written by a friend -- screen name 'Euro-American Scum' -- who, over the past four years, has been the most faithful essayist here. He has written about everything from his pilgrimage to Normandy in 2004 to take part in the 60th–year commemoration of the invasion, to his memories of his tour in Vietnam. His dedication to America’s founding principles ... and those who have sacrificed to preserve them over the past 200+ years ... is unequaled. Thank you, E-A-S. It has been a privilege to include your writing here, and it is a privilege to call you my friend.

The second essay is my own farewell. And with it I thank all of the many regular visitors, and those who may have only dropped in occasionally, for coming here. I hope you learned something. I hope a seed or two was planted. But, even if not, I thank you for stopping by ... 25 March, 2010

12/10/2007

A Hero Among Us

Jeanne Assam.jpg

Since the tragic shootings yesterday at the two churches in Colorado I have been intrigued by the story of Jeanne Assam, the volunteer civilian security guard who took down the shooter at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

I watched an online interview with her this afternoon – her first interview since the shootings – and came away with the knowledge that standing before me was a genuine modern American hero ... and a true soldier of God.

Many in the media will downplay her heroism, for reasons that are obvious to those of us who are schooled in their anti-liberty, anti-Second Amendment, anti-Christian bias. But be not mistaken: Jeanne Assam is indeed an American hero.

Assam, and the other dozen or so civilian security personnel at New Life Church, are all members of the New Life congregation, about half of whom are armed, and all of whom have undergone background checks, have successfully completed gun safety courses, and are licensed to carry. They all volunteer because, as worshippers, they have a 'sense of ownership' at New Life. It is as if they are protecting their own home and family from intruders.

Senior Pastor at New Life, Brady Boyd, stated that Assam came to his office at 7:30 Sunday morning and informed him about the earlier shooting incident in Arvada. She strongly suggested additional security for the day’s services at New Life. Pastor Boyd credits Assam for the heightened security, and for thus preventing significantly more bloodshed.

When twenty-three-year-old Matthew Murray began shooting in the parking lot of the New Life Church a few hours later, all chaos broke loose. Two sisters, Stephanie Works, 18, and Rachael Works, 16, were killed as they were getting into their van following the early service. Their father, David Works, 51, suffered two gunshot wounds -- one to the abdomen and one to the groin -- and is listed in fair condition at a local hospital.

Murray wore body armor, and was reportedly equipped with sufficient firepower to bring down hundreds of people (some accounts report that he was carrying as many as five hundred rounds). For those who may believe that this estimate is inflated, consider the fact that reports indicate that approximately seven thousand people were tightly packed within and just outside the church at the time, and each round of Murray’s rifle ammo, if properly placed, might certainly have been capable of taking down several people. The potentiality of hundreds of victims was not at all out of the realm of possibility.

During her interview today, Jeanne Assam stated that she attends one of the morning services and then volunteers as a guard during a later service. She has had previous law enforcement experience, has had to draw her weapon countless times in tense situations related to her law enforcement experience, but has never shot anyone before.

I was deeply impressed by her humility, her quiet intelligence, and her humble Christian outlook. At the outset of her comments she stated, 'I want to extend my sympathy to the families of the victims, and of the gunman. And I mean that very sincerely.'

In describing yesterday’s sequence of events at New Life Church she reflected:

The shots were so loud that I thought he was inside. But he wasn’t even inside yet, he was just entering the church. There was chaos as the parishioners ran in all directions.

I just knew what I had to do. It seemed like it was me, the gunman, and God.

I saw him coming through the doors and I took cover. I came out of cover and identified myself, engaged him and took him down. I knew that I could not let this man harm any more people. I said, ‘God, this is you.’ I asked Him to be with me and He never left my side.

I want to do His will and not my will. Where I was weak, God made me strong. He filled me, He guided me, He protected me, and many other people.


Assam fired off about a dozen shots, three of which managed to circumvent his body armor, and all of which were fired while he was moving in her direction.

When she was asked whether the previous day’s tragedy had prevented her from getting a good night’s sleep on Sunday night, she replied that she hadn’t slept a wink.

Assam is unmarried, and currently works for Messenger International, a Christian ministry organization. In connection with her affiliation there, she has found herself at a crossroads in her life and has been seeking to know God’s will for her ... asking Him to provide future direction for her. In an effort to clear her mind in that endeavor, she had been fasting for three days, with the support of other members of the ministry. Sunday was the third day of that fast, and she was in a somewhat weakened state as a result.

Toward the end of the interview, she was asked, ‘What was in your mind when he went down?’ and she responded,

How awesome and powerful God is.

She continued ... ‘I’ve had some quiet time with God and have had a lot of people pray with me. I’m even more in awe of Him than I was before.

It is people like Jeanne Assam – armed, law-abiding citizens in all walks of life -- church members, teachers, students, pilots, factory workers, white-collar workers, etc. -- who will prevent such future shedding of innocent blood. Law enforcement generally arrives long after such tragedies occur – such as occurred in the recent shooting at the Omaha mall, where the killer accomplished his mission in less than five minutes, and the police didn’t arrive until the mall was awash in innocent blood.

The Second Amendment proved its value this weekend when a legally armed, courageous, cool-headed American citizen saved the lives of many of her countrymen.

God preserve the Second Amendment. And God bless Jeanne Assam.

~ joanie

43 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an awesome woman!

Anonymous said...

Her story should be headline news on every major news network. That it isn't is just evidence of the extreme bias we already know. It's sick.

Anonymous said...

Psalm 27

Triumphant Song of Confidence
Of David.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strongholda of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh--
my adversaries and foes--
they shall stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.

4 One thing I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.

6 Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!

Anonymous said...

I watched the whole news video online. God bless this humble lady who rose to the occasion to risk her own life to save so many others. How inspiring ...

Anonymous said...

My wife and I had heard that she was the heroine who stopped the idiot bastard who killed innocent Christians...and as a Christian we thought that she must feel the pain of having to kill another human being, even though she knew that if she did not, many others would surely die.

God's people, the Jews, in Israel have learned after centuries of persecution that even though God would have us act in peace as true believers in Him, we must protect ourselves from evil.

This female security guard is one of God's angels!

If she had been at Virginia Tech, instead of the liberal morons in charge of VT and the liberal morons in the Virginia Legislature, who would have prevented her kind of security, over 30 people would be alive today instead of being dead at the hands of liberalism.

It is incredible that a Christian church has to have an armed guard when our borders are flooded with more and more murderous criminals, while Congress spends its valuable time doing nothing more than trying to outmaneuver each other for control of the power of politics.

Anonymous said...

According to Thomas Aquinas defending your neighbor against unjust violence is an act of Christian charity. No question that this was the right thing to do.

Anonymous said...

What a gal! Annie Oakley and Joan of Arc all rolled into one pretty package!

Anonymous said...

Had this occurred at a "gun-free" school, hundreds would be dead.

How long before Bush calls her a "vigilante"?

Anonymous said...

Michelle Malkin posts a lot more details.

Anonymous said...

I have passed your narrative and quotes along by email list Joanie.

God is showing us through this woman...is testifying to each and every one who hears this story that:

1. HE is aware of us and is involved in our lives, and
2. That there is a way to address and face the terros of the day when they manifest themselves in this manner...the same way that He inspired our foundersto enumerate to us.

Anonymous said...

Thank you joanie.

We may never know what will be accomplished by any that this lady saved.

Cops can’t be everywhere; it’s the nature of a force that can only be RE-active (not to mention ‘handcuffed’ by left wing mentality). It’s more than high time that we take back our neighborhoods and cities. The scum may think twice if they think they are facing a population willing to defend itself.

I preach this and live it: Arm yourselves and be ready to USE your level of force. Remember that some people only improve the society with their absence.

Anonymous said...

The media have not given Jeanne Assam the credit she is due. But she's is not a liberal lesbian welfare mom. She doesn't fit the media's profile of "hero".

Anonymous said...

Well stated!

John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he (she) lay down his life for his (her) friends."

Although, thankfully, she survived the attack, she was willing to die to save her friends. What a courageous young woman!

I have no doubt that her days of praying and fasting, though making her physically weak, strengthened her spiritually to acconplish the task that God had assigned to her.

Anonymous said...

She's going to be receiving many serious marriage proposals now. Where do I direct mine? ;)

joanie said...

'Anonymous' -- I suspect that Jeanne Assam is familiar with Psalm 27. Her actions suggest that she must have been reflecting on every word when she did what she did. :)

Thanks for the gentle reminder.

~ joanie

joanie said...

Beautiful words, stayfree.

joanie said...

I have no doubt that her days of praying and fasting, though making her physically weak, strengthened her spiritually to acconplish the task that God had assigned to her.

Not something I had taken away from reading about her fast, and I'm ashamed to have missed that particular interpretation. Thank you for pointing it out so beautifully!

~ joanie

joanie said...

13Sisters76 --

We may never know what will be accomplished by any that this lady saved.

That wonderful comment beautifully reflects the 'ripple effect' of Assam's actions.

Hopefully, those who read about what she did will be inspired to incorporate a portion of her courage into their own lives. But, even more importantly, those whose lives she may have saved through her heroism must now dedicated to God, who worked through her to keep them here with us. Only He knows what those spared lives can now accomplish, and the conceivable ripple effect their actions can have on our nation and our world.

Thank you so much for pointing that out.

Anonymous said...

A beautiful story, made even more so because it is true.

Anonymous said...

God bless this dear Christian woman!

Anonymous said...

Well, let none of us forget MSM Rule #673 - "All Christian Heros Must Be Trashed".
The trashing has begun in earnest. The AP is now reporting that Jeanne Assam was fired from the Mpls Police Dept for lying. She was handling an incident on a bus and lost patience with the driver, swearing at him. The driver filed a complaint. She said that she had not sworn at the driver. Bus surveillance tapes proved that she had. So she was fired for lying.

Don't worry Jeanne. This story has not tarnished my admiration for you! It has, however, tarnished the reputation of the Mpls PD from my point of view. How many of us have said things in the middle of an angry moment that we failed to correctly remember hours or days (or in my case, sometimes even minutes!) afterwards? Firing her for that seems kind of extreme.

Minnesota's loss is Colorado's gain!

Anonymous said...

cardcarryingmember...

Rush commented on the MSM treatment of Jeanne Assam just a bit ago. He coined a new phrase for what they are going to do:

Newsboarding

As you pointed out, it's already started. Now they are saying that the guy shot himself.

Well, maybe that will turn out to be true, but Miss Assam was the one who put the idea in his head.

Also, the killer was the son of a Neurologist. Wasn't one of the Kolumbine Kids the son of a doctor, too?

Anonymous said...

Joanie, thank you for culling all of this information together. I am hearing only bits and pieces of this on the news and it's nice to get the whole story in one place--makes for an informed perspective.

Anonymous said...

Yep, as predicted the MSM is already feverishly trying to dig up dirt on Assam.

Minneapolis police Sgt. Jesse Garcia says Assam was fired from the Minneapolis force in 1997 for lying during an internal investigation. Sgt. John Delmonico, president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, said police were investigating a complaint that Assam swore at a bus driver while she was handling an incident on a city bus.

The MSM can't allow an armed Christian to bee seen as a hero for very long.

Anonymous said...

The media is fighting back hard against the story of the armed lady who saved so many lives with her GUN.

Here are their offerings:

1---She was fired from the Mineapolis Police Dept for lying when she was investigated for SWEARING at a truck driver.

2---The shooter now "shot himself."

I certainly hope she didn't SWEAR at the killer before she shot at him.

(Then she would be in real trouble)

joanie said...

Someone wrote to me, ‘I guess they [the mainstream media] will never forgive her for stopping what could have been the most news-worthy bloodbath in history! They were probably orgasmic over the thought of hundreds of Christians gunned down in church in America.

As much as we'd like to believe it isn't so, I think there is more than a grain of truth in what he said.

The media are reporting now that Murray supposedly committed suicide. And this report is receiving exponentially more coverage than any previous reports of the details of Amass’ heroics.

Murray was a man who has been quoted as 'hating Christians', who entered a church armed to the teeth, with several weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and grenades, presumably in order to take out as many believers as possible. He was confronted by an armed, determined woman, who shot and hit him multiple times, and he still had the ammo, and the ability, to return fire ... and yet turned his weapon on himself? A media-created, agenda-driven fairy tale, if I ever heard one.

As for our hero having been fired from the Minneapolis police department for lying about the fact that she had sworn at a bus driver while in the process of handling an incident on a city bus ... the Minneapolis P.D. appears to follow the kind of politically correct dictates that handcuff their officers and allow criminals to call the shots. Thank God the pastor at New Life Church doesn't share their law enforcement philosophy.

Let the mainstream media dig up … or fabricate … or magnify all out of proportion … all the 'dirt' they like on this woman. To rational, informed Americans, such tactics simply serve to demean their credibility yet again. If it weren't for the fact that they are still capable of swaying the uninformed American couch potatoes among us, their obsessive, single-minded rantings would be laughable.

~ joanie

Anonymous said...

Even if he did commit suicide (which isn't likely), this woman was still instrumental in bring about his demise earlier than he planned, so she's still a hero in my book.

Anonymous said...

Excellent post. Excellent responses. Nothing to add but kudos.

Anonymous said...

I certainly hope she didn't SWEAR at the killer before she shot at him. (Then she would be in real trouble)

That would be funny if it weren't so true.

Anonymous said...

Nice work, Joanie.

Anonymous said...

These recent shootings have taught me something: at some point, the shooter may hesitate- got a jam, or spent all shells, time for a new magazine. How much time will it take to re-arm? 4,5,6 seconds?

In High School I ran 40 yards in 4.1 seconds. Nearly 40 yrs. later, it'd probably take a couple more seconds, but that only means I'd have to be closer. But, I'm bigger since high school and when I get to you, it'll hurt more. You and me both.

This 'window' of opportunity will present itself if the perp is trying to clear a jam or changing a mag. Look for it.

Throw a purse, throw anything you can get your hands on at the perp during this time, if that's all you can do, for if nothing else you'll give someone a few more seconds to take him down.

Anonymous said...

So little has been reported about Assam's belief that God pulled her through this. I wonder why. < /sarc >

Anonymous said...

This woman is every bit as much of a hero as most purple heart recipients.

Anonymous said...

The purple heart is given to those wounded by the enemy.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, like John Kerry (LOL)

Anonymous said...

I didn't say she deserved the Purple Heart (for being wounded). I just said she's as much of a hero as those who receive it.

Anonymous said...

On a scale of 1 to 10, if Jeanne Assam's courage is an 8, John Kerry's (and most politicians) is a -37.

Anonymous said...

Smithy,

Where do rate Kerry on the Traitor Scale?

Anonymous said...

Boss site! Thanks for this!

Anonymous said...

I am so glad and proud that Jeanne took this guy out. Her clear thinking and fast action saved dozens of lives (maybe more), and I think she deserves a huge amount of praise for her guts and her brains. What a great job!

I, too, have firearms and would not hesitate to use them if the threat were considerable, as it certainly was in Jeanne’s case. I applaud her sharp and definitive resolution to this situation. She deserves an award from the community. She’s a real treasure.

Anonymous said...

According to this source, Assam wasn't fired but was given a 24-hour suspension from the Minneapolis P.D., for use of "derogatory language."

http://www.charityadvantage.com/CUAPB/JeanneAssam.asp

Anonymous said...

The first attack Sunday took place at Youth With a Mission, a training center for missionaries in the Denver suburb of Arvada; the other occurred about 12 hours later at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Officials said revenge was one apparent motive for the attacks. Police said Murray had sent hate mail to the Youth With a Mission center in the last few weeks after being removed from the program years ago.

In a statement, the training center said health problems kept Murray from finishing the program, but elaborated little. Murray did not complete the lecture phase or a field assignment as part of a 12-week program, Youth With a Mission said.

Authorities also believe he authored an anti-Christian diatribe online that closely repeated a rant by one of the Columbine killers, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The most recent post to the site, a forum for people who have left evangelical religious groups, was Sunday morning in the hours between his attacks in Arvada and Colorado Springs, according to KUSA-TV in Denver, which first reported on the writings.

"You Christians brought this on yourselves," Murray wrote, according to the station, which did not identify the site. "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."

The language in the post is almost identical to the text of a manifesto written by Eric Harris, one of the teens who carried out the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, The Denver Post reported.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8TFEJO00&show_article=1

Anonymous said...

Joanie, did you see that 3 Congressmen have asked for a probe into the FDA denial of DNDN's Provenge back in April?

The stock is surging.