Democrats Made This Stuff Up

    It is often said, "You can't make this stuff up".  In this election year it is heard more frequently than ever as it pertains to the two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.  There are many reasons why voters may not vote for either candidate in particular, or for any of them in general.  Mrs. Clinton, however, has the most reasons by far, and they are of her own doing.
    Mrs Clinton is a notorious liar.  She has been a proven liar in matters involving the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2011, and concerning her use of a private email server.
    She has also be involved in many scandals going back to her days as a young attorney, wife of a governor, First Lady of the USA, Secretary of State, and now, nominee for President.  If elected, given her propensity for lying, the lengthy list of scandals would surely continue to grow.
    All of the email related lies and scandal could have been avoided if she had simply followed the law and used a government provided and supported email server.  But even using the private server, she could have avoided this if she had complied with FOIA requests and subpoenas by turning over the server and contents.  Why would you not do those things?   We'll find out what was being hidden from view eventually.  And by the surprising lengths she went to in order to avoid exposure, it is more likely than not criminal in nature, and also likely to place national security at risk.
    I include Democrats in this brew for the following reasons.
    First, the Department of Justice, with AG Loretta Lynch in control, has provided at least an appearance of impropriety, by meeting with former President Clinton, husband of the candidate under investigation at the time.  That meeting at an airport in Arizona raised suspicion since it came shortly before FBI Director Comey presented his case at a press conference.  During the presser he basically indicted Mrs. Clinton for several violations of national security law, then said he would not recommend indictment.  That was a total miscarriage of justice.
    Second, now that another stash of an estimated 650,000 email messages have been found on the personal computer of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, AG Lynch refuses to allow the FBI to read through those and determine if they present any legal problems for the previously closed investigation concerning Mrs. Clinton's email issues.
    Third, many Democrat operatives and politicians are now making the news show circuit to explain away Mrs. Clinton's problems with email in a not so transparent way.  When the FBI Directory told us he would not recommend indictment after providing multiple reasons to indict, these Democrats praised the director and claimed he exonerated her.  Now they are accusing the same director of a political hit job on her.  You can't have it both ways.
    Fourth, the way Democrats join ranks to protect their candidate is especially troubling.  It creates a closed minded, group think, go along to get along, mentality.  It makes one wonder if they all really believe what they are saying, or are they that much afraid to be different and stand on principle.
    While Donald Trump is a flawed candidate personally, he does not present the kind of risk that having Hillary Clinton as our president would.  Neither candidate is especially highly thought of,  but only one carries the scandalous baggage that could truly be harmful to the country.
    You can't make this stuff up.  Can't say that anymore.

Without Evidence

The Left and the Masses: Part I, Part II, Part III
    Dr. Thomas Sowell, PhD. Economics, wrote a series of columns explaining that those on the left claim to have great compassion for the poor and downtrodden, have implemented policies and programs to deal with that, but fail to deliver.  A good summary quote from those columns would be as follows:
"The political left in general has been able to claim that they have more compassion for the less     fortunate, and to depict their opponents as lacking in compassion for others. For none of these assertions have they felt a need to offer hard evidence."
    The left is quick to claim their good intentions as justification fro all sorts of government intervention into our daily lives, but those polices simply fail to deliver on those intentions.  And if you dispute the need for or benefits of such policies and programs, then you are a hater.

Rule of Law Cannot Survive Hillary

Rule of Law Cannot Survive Hillary
    The rule of law no longer exists when people are not held to the law.  When some are and some are not, the rules fail us even more.  Hillary Clinton has demonstrated she is above the law by repeatedly breaking laws, and the people in government responsible for enforcement do nothing.
    Matt Walsh covers this in his article linked above. 

Collusion, Corruption and Lies, Oh My!

    The Democrat National Committee and the Democrat Party have lost it all.  By their unwavering support of Hillary Clinton for President, they have allowed the end to justify the means.

    We have seen all of the following from democrats during this election cycle:

• Collusion with the press
• Collusion between super pacs, the DNC, and the Hillary campaign
• Contracting for violence at Trump political rallies
• Collusion between the State Department, the Department of Justice, the FBI Director, and the Hillary campaign concerning the investigation of her email server and classified information
• Lies about the emails
• Destruction of evidence in that investigation
• Destruction of documents under subpoena by the US Congress
• Obfuscation by blaming the revelations in WikiLeaks on the Russians

    It has reached a point of willful ignorance and disbelief, to accept this series of events as anything other than illegal, immoral, unethical and criminal.
    Is this really what Americans want for the next 4 years minimum?  A vote for Hillary will dump this on America and scandal after scandal will ensue. 

Hillary Not Qualified to Hold Any Office

US Code

    Reading this section 2017(b) of the US Code clearly states that Hillary Clinton is not qualified to hold any office in the United States.  This is because, despite lack of charges being filed against her, she did, or ordered others to, destroy email messages and mobile devices and laptops, which were used while she was the Secretary of State.

    It is rather obvious that Attorney General Lynch and the FBI failed to indict Secretary Clinton in order to keep her campaign for president alive and well.  It was also likely supported by President Obama.  If she were charged, tried and convicted she would forever be ineligible for the office she wanted so badly.  Badly enough to cheat and lie for.

    In case there are doubts about intent to do so, this will assure you of intent.  Legally speaking, proving intent is done using evidence since the accused rarely admits intent.  So ask yourself a couple questions.

1. Did she accidentally and unintentionally, or purposefully, buy and install an email server in her home?
2. Did she accidentally and unintentionally, or purposefully, read, write, send and receive email messages, on said server, related to her position as Secretary of State?
3. Did she accidentally and unintentionally, or purposefully, delete, from said server, official business related email messages?
4. Did she accidentally and unintentionally, or purposefully, smash and destroy mobile devises used in transacting email messages related to official business?
5. Can official email message be described as follows:
   ...any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing,...
6. Can deleting email messages or smashing or destroying those devices be described as follows:
   ...conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys...

Vote for Trump

    Donald Trump says mean things.  But then, Hillary is a liar and a generally mean person.  So let's let those two things cancel each other out in the discussion of this election, shall we?

    The reasons I will vote for Trump are listed here:

1. Donald Trump wants to lower my taxes while Hillary Clinton wants to raise them
2. Trump wants to eliminate regulations to allow businesses to grow.  Hillary wants to keep and/or increase regulations to keep business stagnant.
3. Trump wants to increase border security to prevent illegal immigration.  Hillary wants open borders.
4. Trump wants to appoint judges who will honor and respect the constitution.  Hillary wants to change the constitution from the bench by judicial fiat.
5. Trump will repeal Obamacare.  Hillary will morph Obamacare into a single payer system and destroy healthcare altogether.
6. Hillary will try to bankrupt gun manufacturers by allowing victims of gun crimes to sue the company that made the gun.  This would be like suing Ford if you're hit by a drunk driver in an Taurus.  Trump would not do that, and he fully supports your constitutional right to bear arms.
7. Trump may not have any foreign policy experience, but neither did the previous 43 presidents.  Hillary's experience has been dreadfully inept, resulting in what we currently see in the Middle East and with Russia.

    All things being equal in the personality comparison, I prefer the candidate who best represents my thoughts and opinions on the matters above.  I suggest we all get past the bickering on who said what mean things to whom, and look at policy proposals.

Stop Debating

Mark Steyn on O'Reilly Factor

   Mark Steyn makes the case that liberals don't want to win the debate on any subject.  They want to stop the debate.  Because your position differs from theirs, and their intentions are pure, you must be evil, and not worthy of debating.
    Proof of this is contained in Hillary Clinton's campaigning when she said Trump supporters are a basket of deplorables.  You support the other guy, so you're evil.

Not Deplorable on the Right

    Hillary Clinton's now famous line about half of Trump's supporters belonging in a 'basket of deplorables' is fast becoming a badge of honor among those so-called deplorable people.
    Many on the left make claims of racism, sexism, and varied phobias when they disagree with those on the right on various topics.  For example:

• If you disagree with abortion, you must hate women, and you must want pregnant women to die in back alley abortion clinics
• If you disagree with gun control, you want to see school children die at their desks
• If you disagree with Obamacare
• you must be racist since Obama is black
• you must hate grandma and want to throw her off of a cliff
• If you dislike illegal immigration you must hate immigrants, particularly Mexican immigrants
• If you want to vet Muslim refugees you are Islamophobic
• If you disagree with same sex marriage you must hate gays, and therefore are homophobic

    You see, you cannot have a reasonable discussion with those leftists.  There is no room for discussion or negotiation.  There is no logic or reason on the left.  We think the left is wrong, and we can argue that position on all the above topics.  But the left thinks we are not wrong, but evil.

People vs. Pundits

    Following the first presidential debate of 2016, between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, polling who won the debate has been somewhat misleading, and the people are suffering for it.
    According to 10 snap polls conducted immediately following the debates, each by a different online media provider, there may be a huge difference in what the people and the pundits think.  What makes them interesting is the online polls are very different from what many of pundit class want you to think about the debate.
    Below is a list of ten sites which snap polled to see who people thought won the debate.  By a large margin, in election terms anyway, Donald Trump was seen as the clear winner.  The average margin of polling in Trump's favor was 62.9% to Hillary Clinton's  35.1%.  Nine of 10 polls had Trump head by no less than 9.1%, and the 10th poll was a 50-50 tie.  Clinton did not poll as winner in any of these polls.

Poll	Hillary	Trump	Margin
CNBC	38.0	62.0	24.0
Washington Times	24.0	70.0	46.0
Drudge Report	19.4	80.6	61.2
Breitbart	24.3	75.8	51.5
Variety	45.5	54.5	9.1
NJ.com	39.0	56.7	17.7
The Hill	36.0	59.0	23.0
Fox 5 (NY)	34.3	60.9	26.6
CBS New York	40.8	59.2	18.4
TIME	50.0	50.0	0.0
Average	35.1	62.9	27.7

    Following the debate nearly all news outlets, on cable and broadcast TV, had so-called experts of the news, political pundits, and commentators declare Hillary the debate winner.
    We can probably all agree that the polls above are not scientific, and probably have high margin for error.  As a single poll we never accept the results as accurate with any degree of certainty.  However, as a group, they do indicate that the convincing declarations of Clinton winning this debate can be, and should be, carefully reconsidered. 
    These sites are not all left or right leaning, so you can assume some level of confidence in the sum of the polls.  Doesn't it make you a little bit curious why there is such a discrepancy between the political punditry and the citizens?

Dear Liberal

Dear Liberal - Here's why I'm so hostile!


This column was shared with me and I felt the need to share it and preserve it here.
"In conclusion, just know that the harder you push to enact your agenda, the more hostile I will become – the harder I will fight you.  It’s nothing personal, necessarily.  If you want to become a slave to an all-powerful central government, be my guest.  But if you are planning to take me and my family down with you, as we say down here in the South, I will stomp a mud-hole in your chest and walk it dry."

Hillary Clinton Does Not Deserve Your Vote

    It has become quite clear in the last year, if not the years prior, that Mrs. Clinton is not only a liar, but a corrupt, careless, and mean-spirited woman.
    Hillary has lied to the American people over and over about many things.  She has repeated lies, and compounded her lies with more lies.  She has called people talking truth to and about her liars.  Hillary wouldn't know the truth if it slapped her in the face.
    Hillary, we now know, ran the State Department as a private enterprise, selling access and favors, and laundering the cash through the Clinton family's charitable foundation, and lining her personal coffers in the process.  We also know that foundation actually spent about 10% on actual charity, and 90% on salaries, travel and other expenses.
    Hillary told the world the Benghazi attacks were the result of a YouTube video.  She told the parents of the deceased the same thing.  When those families shared that with media, Hillary accused them of lying.  Sidebar: If that was a lie, then why are there two different stories about this? 
    Hillary, by accounts told by former Secret Service agents in the know, is a mean woman, who treats those around her with disdain.  She was reportedly verbally abusive to many agents, servants in the White House, and others, on many occasions. 
    This all adds up to Hillary being a contemptuous human being with little or no regard for anything we Americans hold near and dear to our hearts.  Hillary should not get your vote, and should not become our next President.

Gender Fluidity Not Supported by Science

The New Atlantis - Questions Related to Gender and Sexuality


    This paper goes into lengthy details about gender, sex and sexuality, and leads to the conclusion that gender identity is not arbitrary.  In other words, deciding you are man born in a woman's body, or woman born in a man's body, is not supported by scientific data.
    Science is something many people are not willing to spend time on, but are more than willing to make scientific declarations.  Along with climate change theory, gender identity theory says you can be whichever gender you choose, regardless of your genetics.
    This is a very interesting read, published by highly regarded and documented scientists.

Dan Rather is Laughable

Rather Tells Media to Shame Trump Supporters
    Yes, that Dan Rather.  The same Dan Rather disgraced out of a job for inventing a lie about George W. Bush. 
    Our TV News outlets today have become so biased to one side or the other it is becoming laughable.   Mostly the media lean left.  Journalists are no longer people who report just the facts, but embed opinions into news reporting in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
    Many people I know accuse Fox News of being too conservative.  While that may be true, it only noticed because all the rest of the media is so far to the left.
    For a former journalist to suggest the media's job is the propagandize about presidential nominees goes well beyond reasonable and logical.  Journalists should be neutral in their reporting of news, and opinion pieced should be clearly identified as just that.
    Ask yourself, what is the job of journalists and news media.  Then ask if they deliver on that.
    Even the NY Times offered this piece, which tells you how far thins have moved to the left.
Liberal News Media Bias Has a Serious Effect

Government Incompetence

The Department of Health isn't telling the whole truth about Zika funding
    This demonstrates perfectly how incompetent out government machine is at providing for the general welfare of the citizens.  While claiming they need more funding for fighting the Zika virus, they waste money on other pet projects and projects of much lesser importance.
    It is very hard to justify the spending on the following list of projects when faced with a critical situation such as te spread of the Zika virus:

• Exercise programs for refugees
• Anti-smoking video games (This one is downright funny.)
• Weight-loss programs for truckers
• Gay hookup apps
• Teaching 11 year old Kenyan boys how to use condoms
• How do drunk men look at women?
• Anti-obesity rap songs
• Study the "freshman 15" (a reference to weight gains by college freshman)

    This demonstrates perfectly, to the tune of $49.5 million, how bureaucrats in DC are incapable of wisely choosing how to spend the tax dollars we all work so hard to earn and have forcibly taken from us by the IRS.
    Which would you rather the pinheads in DC spend your money on?

Convention of States Action

Article V Convention of States Action

    Article V of the US Constitution allows for the use of a convention of states to vote on proposed amendments to that constitution.  Article V is included here:

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

   

    The following are examples of amendment topics that could be discussed at a convention of states:

• A balanced budget amendment
• A redefinition of the General Welfare Clause (the original view was the federal government could not spend money on any topic within the jurisdiction of the states)
• A redefinition of the Commerce Clause (the original view was that Congress was granted a narrow and exclusive power to regulate shipments across state lines–not all the economic activity of the nation)
• A prohibition of using international treaties and law to govern the domestic law of the United States
• A limitation on using Executive Orders and federal regulations to enact laws (since Congress is supposed to be the exclusive agency to enact laws)
• Imposing term limits on Congress and the Supreme Court
• Placing an upper limit on federal taxation
• Requiring the sunset of all existing federal taxes and a super-majority vote to replace them with new, fairer taxes

    Of course, these are merely examples of what would be up for discussion. The convention of states itself would determine which ideas deserve serious consideration, and it will take a majority of votes from the states to formally propose any amendments.
    The Founders gave us a legitimate path to save our liberty by using our state governments to impose binding restraints on the federal government. We must use the power granted to the states in the Constitution.

Stop Digging This Hole

Hillary's Planned Tax Hikes

    The old adage goes "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging".  Well, Hillary Clinton, Democrat Nominee for President, wants to give everyone a shovel and orders to keep digging.
    Mrs. Clinton's tax plans for her presidency, should she win, includes many tax increases, both business and personal.  She needs this, she thinks, in order to pay for her marvelous gifts she is bestowing on Americans.  Gifts such as universal health care and debt free tuition for college students.  I'm still scratching my head on the debt free tuition.  Are you to borrow money to pay for college and not pay it back?
    Businesses need money to pay the bills, while trying to expand and grow business and hire more workers.  But Hillary wants to take that money, because she and her democrat pals think they can spend it better.  The problem is government cannot spend our money wisely, and there are countless examples of government waste.
    What Hillary and democrats fail to learn is that lower tax rates leads to more tax revenue.  Lower rates lead to growth of the economy, and wealth of all, not just the 1%.  In fact, by laying blame at the feet of, and targeting the incomes of, the top 1%, they are driving  a wedge of class-ism into our people.
    Even if you taxed the top 1% at a 100% rate, you would not come even close to funding the government programs for a year, or making a dent in the national debt.
    John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, all knew that lowering tax rates leads to higher tax revenues.  All three enacted tax cuts and saw the economy grow and revenue into the treasury grow.
    The moose on the table is that growing government even bigger than it is today, is not going to solve our economic woes.  We need to shrink government in both size and scope, and allow the private sector to grow and move this country forward.  In other words, we're in a hole and we need to stop digging.

You've Got Mail

    This week we learned that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been conspiring to nominate Hillary Clinton as their presidential candidate at the expense of another candidate, Bernie Sanders.   There was a Wikileaks email message dump that had much to demonstrate the unethical, and possibly illegal, activities of the DNC.
    The email dump included emails and contents that show the DNC:

1. used spies within the Sanders campaign to alert Clinton campaign staff of planned activities
2. used groups to protest at Donald Trump campaign events
3. maintained a list of donors and possible positions within the future Clinton administration
4. challenged the religious beliefs of Sanders, who is Jewish
5. conspired with members of news media to plan interview questions
6. conspired with media to approve opinion pieces before appearing online or on TV

    This was only weeks after we finally heard the FBI declare Hillary Clinton a liar regarding her own abuse of email and national intelligence information on her personal email server.  It used to be you followed the money trail to find criminals.  Now you follow the email to catch democrat cheaters.
    The news made such headlines and caused such problems for the DNC that the chairperson, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), to resign he post the day before the national convention.  Worry not for her as she was immediately hired as the honorary chairperson of the Clinton campaign.  Let's just say Clinton and Wasserman-Schultz are continuing their combined efforts to return a Clinton to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
    Democrats are an amazing study of hypocrisy.  Nothing to see here, as they say.
    

More Unsettling of Science

A Guide to Understanding Global Temperature Data
by Roy W. Spencer, Ph.D.
Dr. Spencer explains in this article that the science is anything but settled.  I love this quote from Spencer.
“Besides, if global warming is settled science, like gravity or the Earth not being flat, why isn’t the agreement 100 percent?” Spencer asked. “And since when is science settled by a survey or a poll? The hallmark of a good scientific theory is its ability to make good predictions.”

Divided Americans - Liberals Hate Conservatives

As long as liberals hate conservatives for darn near everything they believe in, there will never be unity in America.

• Disagree on voter id laws and you hate blacks.  You want to reinstate Jim Crow.
• Disagree on Obamacare and you hate grandmothers.  You want them to die for lack of proper health care.
• Disagree on abortion and you hate women.  You want to deny them their reproductive rights.  Note: Abortion is not reproductive.
• Disagree on minimum wage and you hate poor people.  You want families to starve in poverty.
• Disagree on gay marriage and you hate the LGBT people.  You are homophobic.  Note: Phobia is irrational fear of something.
• Disagree on education policy and you hate children.  You oppose the choice of people going to better schools.
• Disagree on immigration policy and you hate immigrants.  You oppose all legal immigrants also.
• Disagree on Syrian refugee policy and you hate all Muslims. 
• Disagree on global warming and you hate the planet and animals.  You want to poison the air and water.
• Disagree on unions and you hate working people.
• Disagree on taxes and you hate 99% of the people.
• Disagree on Social Security and you hate the elderly.
• Disagree on gun control and you hate school children who may die in the next mass shooting.
• Disagree on mortgage policy and you hate blacks trying to move to a better neighborhood.
• Disagree on affirmative action and you hate minorities, women and disabled people.

    There is no room for gray area in their thinking. With so much hate you have no option but to hate.  I, for one, could never associate with the liberal left or I would be required to hate so many people.  Conservatives are so much more optimistic about America and Americans than liberals.  Liberals repeat the narrative that conservatives are fearmongerers, racists, bigots, Fascists and Nazis.

Liberals have good intentions and they think that is enough.  If they mean well, then everything they do is good.  Results do not matter. 

• So what if 60 years of the welfare state have failed to lift so many out of poverty. 
• So what if abortion kills millions of babies. 
• So what if higher minimum wages result in lower employment. 
• So what if Obamacare raised costs and lowered availability and quality. 
• So what if we cannot keep illegal immigrants from taking jobs of citizens. 
• So what if we cannot distinguish between peace loving Muslims and jihadists.
• So what if we're deeper in debt than ever.
• So what if schools are overburdened with the task of parenting and teaching students.
• So what if non registered people vote in elections.
• So what if tariffs cause costs of products to go up while jobs go down.
• So what if higher tax rates take money from entrepreneurs who could otherwise hire employees.
• So what if gun free zones become target rich for mass murderers.

Reaction Without Thought

    For many years our society and culture have produced more things in less time than previously dreamt of.  We started with mass production of products through machines and automation.  Improved technology meant higher technological gains in automation, robotics, and logistics.
    Meanwhile, our lives were constantly improving and speeding up.  Technology in the home improved with microwave ovens, garage door openers, and more devices being enabled for online wireless use.  Telephones became mobile and were detached from the wall or desk.  Shopping became something you could do from home.  The world became faster and faster paced.
    As a result, our habits acclimated to the speed of our machines.  We withdrew from our neighborhoods into our homes and stopped spending time sitting on the porch in the summertime watching our kids play in the yards.
    Our socializing also automated and went online in the form as social media.  This step has produced many negative results.  The speed with which we react to news is lightning quick, and many times without thought.  Many people rush to pick up their mobile device to share a reaction with millions of others rushing to their mobile devices to record events.  Many of the recorded events are mundane and boring.  Many, however, are of much more importance and require thought and analysis.
    Birthday parties, vacations at the beach, or dinner with friends are items of interest only to a few, and even then they rank low on the importance scale.  Paying attention to those things that "go viral" will cause you wonder about the lives of some people that make such things to be viewed by so many, and commented on. 
    Videos of police interactions with citizens, or the aftermath of a crime scene, require a bit more thought.  I recall seeing a video of people at an airport rushing toward the sounds of gunfire with their smart phones in video mode trying to capture the scene, probably in a desire to be first online with the live action, but not realizing the danger they are placing themselves directly into.
    Most of us recall watching legal dramas on TV or in movies, and so have a somewhat informed view of what goes on during a trial.  Witnesses, evidence, testimony, lawyers, judge and jury all play a role in determining truth and fact, before deciding guilt or innocence.  Yet in our desire to be first and fastest, we boil a trial down into a 3 minute video from a smart phone, and determine guilt or innocence in a flash.  Justice?  Not even close.
    My wish for civilization is that we begin to think more and react less on matters of such importance.  We need to be more critical of ourselves and what we decide to share with our friends and family, but understand online these things will live forever and be viewed and reacted to by a large number of people.   Therefore we should be a bit more methodical in what we choose to share and how quickly we share it.  A casual review of various social media feeds will provide many items which would better be kept private, at least for a little while.
    A good rule of thumb would be to ask yourself if you would share such thoughts with the people you were commenting on to their face.   Then and only then click submit.

Too Much To Say on Facebook

    Where to begin?  Well, the title says a lot.  There are so many things I want to say about current events that simply do not play well on social media sites.  Not enough space and too little time in view.  So here goes.
    Recent events around the black lives matter events, police office shootings, and other related events give me much pause.  I pray for all of the people involved who died, survived and now must find a way to move forward in life.  I cannot make sense of the senseless.
    Shooting 12 police officers from a sniper's nest is just plain wrong under any circumstances I can imagine.  This act of violence does not make right any wrong doing by any police officer anywhere.  It is vigilante justice and cold blooded murder.  It cannot be repeated, justified, or explained away.
    We live in a free society, and as such, people are free to pretty much do as they please, as long as they do not infringe on others' rights to the same.  That goes for police, citizens and visitors in our country.  We must assume a certain amount of risk that there are bad people making bad decisions in this life, and we may suffer the consequences of those actions.  We can only deal with a majority of crimes, we cannot eliminate them.  Laws do not prevent crimes.  Laws make punishing criminals possible.  Hence, there will always be criminals.
    Social media, including the news media, has been reduced to sound bites and short video clips.  We have developed a sense of decision making based on quick bursts of partial amounts of data and information.  We tend to make rash decisions as a result.  We do not stop and think.  We do not think critically enough at times.  This hurts us a nation and as people.
    We spend more time finding blame than solutions.  Dialogue is needed, but that means listening and speaking.  I probably do not listen well enough often enough, but I get better as I grow older.  I have strong opinions that I can support with facts and expert opinions.  Others have as well.  That does not mean we are always right.
    I believe our country was founded on the best possible principles for any group of people to live under.  Our constitution is a great document which we are abandoning piece by piece.  We were once a principled, united nation, but now we are becoming a selfish, splintered one.  We have changed from 'e pluribus unum' to groups of aggrieved persons constantly finding fault with one another.  For a while after 9/11 we joined together, but it lasted only a brief time.
    Our country is great but not without a history of doing wrong to people.  Though we treated some groups with hatred and distrust, we always worked toward improving ourselves.  We fought wars to free people around the world, and in our own country.  Groups of people battled to gain the equality they deserved.  They met resistance, but then they won over large numbers of people to their cause.
    This is still the greatest nation ever devised on earth, but it must be maintained and continually improved.  Any actions we take, or words we speak, must be for the greater good of all. 
    I am never going to agree with all people always on some issues, but I think we can all agree that the United States of America deserves our best efforts to peacefully find solutions and to value each other as flawed human beings.
   I wrote this in rather general terms, as my blog posts contain my positions on specific matters.  More will be added over time on various topics.

Willful Ignorance

Washington Obsessed with Punishing Secrecy Violations


    Glenn Greenwald, of the The Intercept, published this piece about how obsessed Washington DC is with protecting secrets.  Following the FBI director's refusal to recommend indictment of Hillary Clinton after detailing her assorted crimes against the USA by violating secrecy.
    If you heard Director Comey, or read the transcript of his remarks, you cannot think there is no "there" there.  He detailed her many violations of the proper handling of classified and secret information based on her personal email server and procedures.  In so doing, he highlighted her many lies, repeated many times over, to all of us.  Several websites and news agencies have detailed the many lies perpetrated on us by Mrs. Clinton.  If any prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich, this case presents a smorgasbord of possible criminal activity.
    Yet already I have heard the democrat water carriers out in full force claiming Mrs. Clinton was exonerated by the FBI probe.  Au contraire!  Refusal to recommend charges is not exoneration.
    Mrs. Clinton has been exposed as a liar, a mean and vindictive woman, and an unscrupulous politician, who should never be allowed near the Oval Office.  She simply cannot be trusted by the American people.
    Greenwald's piece indicates there are two very different standards.  One for most Americans and another for highly places politicians, like Hillary.  If anyone thinks there is no justice in America, they tend to lean toward the political left, and blame the political right.  This example of injustice should server as a warning to us all, that injustice serves no one, right or left.
    You may think Hillary's opponent in the fall election is unfit for office, and you may be right.  But we know much more about Hillary's lack of judgment, integrity, honesty and fitness.  She should not be elected president.

I Could Not Agree More

What Are We Celebrating

   Dr. Thomas Sowell explains what is at the heart of my concerns about the future of the United States.  As we approach yet another 'most important' presidential election, I see trouble on the horizon for our country.
   I have fear for the continuation of our freedom and our exceptional existence as the most powerful and most free country in the history of mankind.
   Dr. Sowell puts my concerns into powerful words which I wholeheartedly agree with.

Highway Drivers

   After just returning from a vacation in which we drove aver 1500 miles of highway in a week, I have much to say about drivers I encountered along the way.  Most drivers are good and safe behind the wheel, but many are not so.  Here are some things to consider while highway driving.

1. Find a safe speed and maintain it.  Keep the vehicle in one lane as much as possible, only changing lanes to pass, then get back into your cruising lane.  Too many people think driving slow in the middle or left lanes is okay to avoid the big trucks, campers and boats.  If you're driving out there, keep pace with traffic around you, or move back to the right.  If someone faster comes along, move right and let them pass if possible.
2. Pay attention to the road and other vehicles, and not your smart phone, navigation system, food and drinks,  or music.  Get a hands free devise for your phone if possible.
3. If you have cruise control, use it.  Speeding up and slowing down only causes problems for other drivers.
4. Driving 5-10 MPH faster than other drivers is just as dangerous as 5-10 MPH slower.  Let's pick a speed and go.  If you really want to drive down the highway flashing your lights so others will get out of your way, then become a policeman.
5. When you pull off the highway for gas, be courteous to others also getting gas.  I pulled into a busy station and waited behind a car at the pump for a few minutes.  After a brief wait, a woman returned to the car from the store, with coffee in hand, before pumping her gas.  Gas pumps are for gas filling, not for parking.  Park someplace else while shopping, eating or using the facilities.
6. To be safe it is recommended to maintain a safe driving distance between your car and the one in front of you.  That space helps avoid accidents when traffic suddenly slows or stops.  When you change lanes you should account for that same safe distance.  
7. When driving in rain do not use your emergency flasher lights.  Turn on your headlights, and your tail lights come on with them.  Emergency flashers indicate an emergency situation has been encountered.  Rain is not necessarily an emergency, so just turn on the lights, not the flashers.  If you're not comfortable driving in rain, exit the highway and wait for it to stop raining before resuming your trip.
8. Anticipate exits, curves and hills and plan ahead for them.  You'll be in the correct lane for your exists, and you'll cause few problems for other drivers around you.  Last second lane changes to make you exit is risky driving.  Risky driving at high speed is potentially deadly.
9. Secure your packages, luggage and gear on trailers, in truck beds, and boats.  I've seen cooler and container lids flying off at 70 MPH, causing other drivers to avoid such objects flying or on the roadway.  Use cargo straps and netting for any items not packed inside the vehicle.

My Thoughts on Gun Control

There are my own thoughts on the subject of gun control.
When people say "gun control" it means different things to different people.  To some it means you want to take away their guns.  To others it means proper sale of and handling of guns.  And yet others, it means they really want to take your guns away.
I seldom hear politicians say what law they think needs to be passed when they speak on gun control.  They tend to speak in generalities such as "common sense gun regulations".  Please be specific.
We have many gun laws on the books already, but some people just don't seem to understand, and are led to believe America is still the wild, wild west.
If gun laws worked to prevent crimes, then why are so many people killed with guns in Chicago, Paris, Brussels, or 'fill in the blank'?  France has very strict gun laws, and even their police were not carrying weapons before the most recent attacks.  During the month of May 2016 there were over 400 shootings in Chicago.  400! In one month!  Talk about mass shooting!  What did those gun control advocates have to say about Chicago in spring time?  Yeah, still waiting for that comment.
Prisons are full of law breakers.  Why do you think more gun laws will stop gun violence?  Laws don't stop criminals.  Rather laws make it possible to charge, try and convict them of those crimes.
President Obama's administration is responsible for allowing thousands of guns into the hands of drug cartels.  Why do you suppose someone so opposed to gun violence would do that?  I think so he could then say how bad the problem is and force the legislation through congress.
We protect our banks with guns.  Politicians and celebrities with guns.  Judges and courtrooms with guns.  But then we put up signs that say "Gun Free Zone" where are children go to school.
Since 1950 all but three scenes of mass shootings were in gun free zones.  The Aurora Colorado movie theater shooter passed up other theaters that were not designated as such to get to one that was gun free.  Why?  Because shooters don't want potential victims shooting back at them.  Simple.
People generally agree on the horrors of gun violence.  But the violence is a result of what is in the heart of the shooter, not the weapon.
Then you hear about only certain types of guns, which mostly includes semi-automatic weapons.  Are you any less wounded or dead if your shot with a shotgun or handgun?
We often hear that "If it saves even one life, we should ban ...".  But they don't say that when discussing hammers, knives, cars, fireworks, or swimming pools, or space heaters, or countless other devices that kill people.
People who settled America came here to be free of tyranny, both religious and political.  They wrote a great document detailing the freedoms we all have that come from our creator, not from a king, or some government official.  That includes the right to bear arms.  Arms not for hunting and sport, but for protection from all sorts of evil.
A right is something you have that does not come at some cost to another.  You do not have a right to free tuition because that would come at the cost of others.  The same with health insurance.  But your right to defend yourself with arms does not cost anyone else anything.
There are millions of law abiding gun owners who never shoot anyone.  There are also many victims of crime who fought back and killed their assailants with guns.  The FBI statistics show from 2008 to 2012 there were 1108 such justified shootings of felons during the commission of a crime by the intended victim. (Source: Violence Policy Center)
Evil people are creative.  Who would have thought of using a rental truck and fertilizer to blow up a building?  Guns are a weapon, or a tool, like a truck and fertilizer.
The reason we have a right to bear arms is because our creator wants us to be free from said tyranny.  Since the Constitution was written there are several examples of tyrannical governments taking away weapons from the citizens, thus enslaving them.  Russia, Germany, China, Venezuela and North Korea all come to mind.  Which of those countries would you choose to live in today if you left the USA?
We are free men and women.  Free to choose to follow the rule of law or not.  Suffer the consequences of your choices.  But be free.
You are not free if you cannot defend yourself and your loved ones.

Take It A Step Further Please

Elitist Arrogance Part II


    Dr. Williams, in this article, tells us the elitists who proclaim the need for a $15 minimum wage know better than everyone, when it comes to what to pay for labor.  As we know, labor is a cost of doing business.  Like paying the utility company, rent, buying materials, and more, labor has a price.
    Williams explains how the business might change their normal operations to economize so as to remain profitable.  But those advocating higher wages never seem to understand how a business must remain profitable and will adjust to a changing business environment.
    No one seems to misunderstand how a business reacts to competition.  The owner will work harder to improve quality and efficiency, offer special price promotions, change hours of operations, or reduce costs so he can offer a better deal to customers who would then choose doing business with him instead of the competition.  The same options apply to rising labor costs.   
    Proponents of $15/hour minimum wage also say it is not possible to raise a family on less.  I say you should not have a family if you make minimum wages.  Minimum wage jobs are entry level jobs by design.  They are to be a way for low skilled, uneducated workers to gain experience working, developing a work history, so the worker can begin to progress upward in skills and wages.
    If raising the price of unskilled labor is the correct thing to do, then raising the prices of gasoline, milk, bread, shoes and eye glasses, etc., would be even better, would it not?

The Thin Blue Line

    This line refers to the police standing between criminals and law abiding citizens.  Investigating crimes, standing guard against criminals, and general protecting and serving the general peace of society.  As we have seen in recent years this line is being erased by politicians, mayors, governors, President Obama, and many others.
    Let's go back to the Ferguson riots following the shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Wilson.  Protestors quickly escalated their actions into lawlessness: damaging cars and buildings, burning and looting businesses, stopping traffic on highways, and much more.  The governor of Missouri failed his state by not quickly and forcefully calling out the national guard to quell such lawlessness.  Statements by politicians that implied, or outright stated, that police were to blame for the riots.  And the media repeatedly called the rioters protestors.
    In the case of Cambridge, MA professor William Gates, who was arrested without identification trying to break into his home after locking himself out, President Obama said the police acted stupidly.  Mind you, Gates could not identify himself as the owner of the home he was obviously breaking into.
    More recently, the Mayor of San Jose, CA said the lack of police action during riots against Donald Trump supporters following a political rally, was commendable.
    Is it any wonder we have anyone wishing to become a police officer at all anymore?  Especially in light of what transpired in Baltimore, MD, after the arrest of 6 officers following the death of a suspect in their custody?  I am speaking of the riots which followed, lasting for days following the orders from the mayor for police to give them room to riot.
    If police are to do their jobs maintaining order and taking criminals off of the streets, they must have the support of the elected political class.  This does not mean all cops are always good guys.  It does not mean some cops don't behave badly or criminally, or make mistakes in actions or judgments.  But it should mean that in general our politicians and society support police in their duty to society.  Making broad brush statements condemning police departments does not serve the peaceful coexistence of citizens.  Rather it makes people distrust police and emboldens criminals to commit more crimes or more violent and costly crimes.
    Giving lip service to police is not enough either.  We must support police with active encouragement and not assuming the worst in a group when one goes awry.  Sending administration officials to the funeral of criminals and ignoring funerals of police killed in the line of duty sends a terrible message to both police and community.
    We want people to trust police, feel safe going to police, and follow the orders of police in carrying out their sworn duty to protect and serve.

The Tolerant Left?

Recent campaign events for Donald Trump have become more violent and less protestation than ever.  In San Jose this week a woman was pelted with eggs, spat upon, and otherwise threatened.  The people doing these things to her were 'protesting' in opposition to Donald Trump, candidate for the office of President of the United States.


As Trump is a Republican, and those protestors supporters of Bernie Sanders, Democrat, it seems obvious the political left is becoming less and less tolerant of the right.


In recent years the left has been less tolerant of police, Christians, whites, and heterosexuals.  They like to state how we must be more tolerant, and yet they are less so.


I am amazed that protestors who throw rocks and bottles at police, eggs at lone women, burn cars, break into store fronts, and yell threats at citizens attending political rallies, are still called protestors and not rioters.


Those demanding more tolerance from others must believe they live on a one-way street.

Obama, Trump and Ignorance

Obama Commencement Speech to Rutgers

President Obama told the Rutgers graduates that "ignorance is not a virtue", which was directed at Donald Trump.  Obama was implying that Donald Trump is ignorant, mostly because he is a republican running to succeed Obama in the White House, and because he disagrees with many positions taken by the candidate.

Taking a position different from a candidate is perfectly legitimate and President Obama has his own opinions.  But to lecture people on anti-intellectualism is quite dishonest as Obama applied the test.

The president has taken many positions which have been proven incorrect over time, such as:

• Giving hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to green energy companies such as  Solyndra
• Attempting to validate the nearly $1T stimulus package as actually helping turn the economy around
• Shovel ready jobs which were not so shovel ready, and laughing about it
• Monthly overestimating jobs created, leading to restating actual jobs a month later
• Telling Americans they can keep their doctor and their insurance plan if they like it
• The climate change science is a settled matter
• Sending administration officials to the funeral of Michael Brown, who we later learned actually assaulted the police officer who shot back in self-defense
• Calling Cambridge, MA. police stupid for arresting a man without identification breaking into a home
• Campaigning in all 57 states
• Claiming ISIS is the JV team, yet unable to defeat them, while claiming we are defeating them
• Not understanding basic math by spending trillions more then the government collects in taxes, doubling the national debt
• Accepting tens of thousands of Muslim refugees from Syria despite the inability to adequately screen out the terrorists among them 
• Unconstitutionally changing laws passed by congress, and losing cases in the Supreme Court for doing so

So I ask, who is being intellectually dishonest?

Joe to Replace Hillary - How This Will Work

How Joe Biden Gets Democrat Nomination

A while ago I wrote the above blog entry, predicting Joe Biden will be the actual democrat nominee for President of the United States.  Some have asked me to explain how that could come to be.  Here is the language of the democrat party that will allow for this.

Democrat National Committee By-Laws

Article 3., Section 1. c. reads:

The Democratic National Committee shall have general responsibility for the affairs of the Democratic Party between National Conventions, subject to the provisions of this Charter and to the resolutions or other actions of the National Convention. This responsibility shall include:
c.  filling vacancies in the nominations for the office of President and Vice President;

So, once Hillary Clinton is nominated at the convention and the convention closes, the committee can step in.  Following an indictment of Mrs. Clinton for her mishandling of top secret email messages, a violation of law, she will have no choice but to step down as the nominee.  Then the committee can nominate any person of their choosing.

The committee will nominate Vice-President Joe Biden and President Obama will pardon Mrs. Clinton to spare the country the ordeal of a trial, just as Ford pardoned Nixon.

Illegal Immigration on the Rise

KRGV News: Consistent Surge of People Crossing Illegally

If you do not see illegal immigration in large numbers as a problem, you are not in favor of the United States of America continuing to exist as we know it.  Maybe that is by design.  Maybe It is a case of indifference.  Either way, it is dangerous.

Some politicians want you to think this is normal, or acceptable, or not real.  Some even think is it a good thing that is necessary.  Most are simply misguided or have ulterior motives.

Legal immigration can be good if laws are created to meet the needs of America and Americans.  But illegal immigration is not only wrong, but a violation of laws.

Building a wall may or may not be a solution, but something needs to be done.

Exclusion by Inclusion

  I have taken a position which I believe is reasonable and logical, but others disagree.  After multiple conversations in various online forums, I have tried to explain my position to some of those people.    Eventually I was called several unfavorable things, and accused of unsavory acts.  Then those people, who seek to include, decided I was not worthy of inclusion, and excluded me.
  It concerns me that so many people in this world are incapable of having a disagreeable point of view on a topic, and allow that disagreement to be the cause for terminating a relationship.  If you cannot speak to someone who disagrees with you, you have a real problem.
  No problem in this world can be resolved if we cannot speak to each other.

Definition of Dilemma

So far a few states, have passed laws affirming the right of religion is a perfectly acceptable reason to not do business with the LGBTQ community, or gender identity is not fluid enough to allow people to use the restroom or locker room for the opposite sex. 

A person's right to express their religious belief includes the right to refuse to photograph, bake a cake for, or perform music, at gay wedding ceremonies.

Deciding that you may have a penis, but consider yourself a woman, is not a reason to enter the women's room.

These laws have been found to be problematic for some entertainers, including Bruce Springsteen, Tracy Morgan, and a few others.  Some corporations also have objected to these laws also.

Therefore these corporations, and entertainers have refused to do business with people in states that have objectionable laws, or have threatened to do so, pending yet to be voted on legislation.

So I have a few questions for those who object to such laws, and threaten or have carried out their own private boycotts.

1. Do you get to decide what is right for everyone?  If so, who died and made you king?
2. Does your right to object to Christian beliefs override my right to believe what Christ teaches?
3. Mr. Springsteen, how is your right to not perform music in North Carolina differ from a baker's right to not bake a gay wedding cake?
4. Mr. Morgan, when did your rights supersede the people of Mississippi?
5. Do you not see the dilemma you present?  The hypocrisy?

Want Better Pay? Get Better Job!

Matt Walsh Blog Entry

Matt Walsh says this pretty well in his column, and you should read it.  I do have something to add though.

A common complaint about minimum wage at the current level is that you can't afford to raise a family on $8 per hour.  Excuse me?  Raise a family?  If you're making $8 per hour at your job, you have no business having a family.

Poverty in this country is so much better than anywhere else in the world, but you can avoid it by doing the following things:

1. Graduate from high school before having a baby.
2. Get a job before having a baby.
3. Have a baby only after 1 and 2 above.

 I understand people lose jobs and have to do what they can, but no minimum wage job is ever designed to pay enough to raise a family.  Those jobs are for young, inexperienced, unskilled workers, and are designed to provide those workers with the experience and training needed to advance their careers by promotion or job change.  Then, and only then, can you expect to get paid a higher wage.

90 Reasons, and Counting, to Not Miss Obama

I recently saw an online post about missing Obama after his term ends.  I responded by saying I could think of 90 reasons why I would not miss him.  Here are those reasons.
Reasons To Not Miss President Obama

1.  Can't call Islamic terror by its name
2.  Comments negatively about police in Cambridge MA
3.  Disrespects Israeli PM.
4.  Interjects into criminal matter before knowing the facts  (Cambridge, Ferguson)
5.  Leads from behind
6.  Always late for his own press conferences
7.  Calls out Supreme Court justices in front of entire nation
8.  Bad judgment on making tee times following terror attacks and beheadings
9.  Cost of family vacations
10.  Mocks people
11.  You can keep your doctor
12.  You can keep your plan
13.  ACA will reduce costs
14.  Pass it to find out what is in it
15.  Selfie at Mandela funeral
16.  Sends people to attend funerals of criminals
17.  Does not send people to cop funerals
18.  Did not attend Scalia funeral
19.  Sends copies of his own speeches as gift to Queen of England
20.  Returns gift to England, Churchill bust
21.  Listened to republican ideas at health care meeting, then said they had no ideas
22.  Russian reset
23.  ISIS is the JV team
24.  Did not attend unity event in Paris after Charlie Hebdo attack
25.  Extremely long winded lectures in response to press questions
26.  Spends too much time on ESPN picking the NCAA tournament winners
27.  Lied about Benghazi attacks
28.  Needed an assist for Benghazi lie from CNN moderator during debate with Romney
29.  The arrogance of the acceptance speech in Denver
30.  Apology tour, Cairo, Berlin
31.  Effectively eliminating NASA space programs
32.  Bergdahl swap
33.  Portrayal of Bergdahl as a hero
34.  19 books, either about him, or by him, before even being elected president
35.  Nobel prize was premature and political, not justified
36.  The demeaning way he talks down to people
37.  Arrogance
38.  Fundamentally changing America
39.  Michelle Obama' food programs
40.  Downsizing military in time of war
41.  IRS scrutiny of conservative groups
42.  VA handling of wait lists
43.  Fast and furious gun running program
44.  Misguided support for green energy companies like Solyndra
45.  Failure to protect borders form illegal immigrants
46.  Fighting against states trying to protect the borders by suing
47.  Federal government has not had a budget for most of Obama's terms
48.  Deficit spending
49.  National debt grew more than ever
50.  Blames guns for deaths instead of criminals using the guns
51.  Blames 'bitter clingers' for perceived wrongs in America
52.  Anyone who disagrees with Obama policies is racist.
53.  War on coal
54.  Global warming causes terrorism
55.  Beer summit
56.  Cops are bad
57.  Critical of Christians at prayer breakfast
58.  Pro abortion
59.  Called NBA player on phone to congratulate him for coming out
60.  Frequently comments on police shootings, but never when a cop gets shot
61.  The manner in which Obama sort of jogs up steps just looks like he's trying to impress people
62.  Failure to salute Marine escorts at helipad
63.  Pro gay marriage
64.  Thinks men entering women's restrooms and lockers is a right
65.  Demagogue
66.  Attends funerals of people in mass killings to emphasize gun control, for purely political reasons (Sandy Hook, Charleston, Phoenix)
67.  Eric Holder as Attorney General
68.  Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State
69.  John Kerry as Secretary of State
70.  #BringBackOurGirls - Hashtag diplomacy, seriously?
71.  Conducts an interview with a woman who baths in breakfast cereal
72.  Conducts an interview with a man who talks to ferns
73.  Hates Fox News
74.  Bashes people with opposing views to his own
75.  Allies no longer able to rely on USA
76.  Enemies no longer fearful of USA
77.  Quantitative Easing
78.  QE sets stage for Wall Street surge, then Obama blames rich people for making money on Wall Street
79.  Blame Bush
80.  Unconstitutional changes to Obamacare legislation
81.  Unconstitutional immigration policy executive orders
82.  Exceptions to Obamacare
83.  Gibson Guitars raid
84.  Shovel Ready jobs
85.  Stimulus package
86.  Las Vegas fund raiser the day after Benghazi attack
87.  Don't go to Las Vegas
88.  "You didn't build that"
89.  Wealth redistribution
90.  "Focused like a laser"
91.  Red lines in the sand
92.  Russian reset
93.  Russian fighters buzzing our navy with no response
94. 

Settled Science?

Democrat AG's Go To Court Over Climate Change

If the science were indeed settled, there would be no dispute for any court to settle.  Since there are so many scientists disputing the science claimed to have been settled, it must obviously not be settled.  So on the left, the next solution is to settle science in a court of law?  Imagine had Newton gone to court to prove gravity causes the apple to fall to Earth?

The scientific method is how you prove scientific theory, not by suing for judgement.

Cincinnati Streetcar Finances

Council Set to Approve Funding


According to this article, the city council of Cincinnati is going to vote on funding the streetcar operations for 1 year.  The expected operational cost is $4.2 million, and the funding totals $2.3 million.  My math tells me this is not so fuzzy, underfunded by nearly $2 million.  And then there is next year's operations to fund.


But not to worry, the supporters of the boondoggle that the city cannot afford claim expanding to phase 2 will be on the table next.  They can't afford phase 1 and now want to build phase 2.


Think about this.  They are funding the streetcar operations by taking revenue from parking.  If people ride the streetcar as they expect, won't parking revenues go down?


Just who is voting for these council people anyway?

College of Pediatricians Says Transgender Ideology is Child Abuse

Transgender Ideology is Child Abuse

 I can truly sympathize with any person who suffers from gender dysphoria.  I am quite sure it causes much pain and anxiety for the person and his or her family and close friends.

Some time ago a young man, who thought he should be a girl, and dressed and acted the part, stepped into traffic on an interstate in Ohio, and was killed by a tractor trailer.  The tragic event made this topic front page news for some time, with many people adding to the conversation.  Many were quite sympathetic about the young man's plight.  But, according to the American College of Pediatricians (ACP), many other were advocating child abuse as a solution.

This article states just how harmful that solution is.  But there is something else that was missed in this discussion.  While many people were saddened by the desire to commit suicide, no one mentioned the plight of the truck driver behind the wheel that night.  No offers of support for the man who surely feels horrible about the incident, no matter how innocent he is.

The truck driver is a victim of this young man's actions that night, and all many people want to talk about is how the wrong solution could have helped this person.

Statement from ACP

College Students: Grow Up!

Emory Students Afraid of Chalk


We have reached a point where college students needs to be told to put their toys away, brush their teeth and go to bed.  Stop crying, whining and complaining, and eat your vegetables.  College students today are behaving like small children instead of adults, and this will only lead to failure in their future, and ours.


This childish behavior has been seen at schools in PAC12, Ivy League, SEC, and pretty much everywhere to some extent.  Safe zones, and complains about free speech being a hate crime.  At the University of Missouri a journalism professor tried to stop a journalist from covering a protest on campus.


Colleges have gone off the deep end.  For more than a decade every politician under the sun has told young people they must go to college.  Why?  Colleges no longer value freedom of thought and open dialogue of opposing points of view.  I would argue that no one should go to college as long the campuses are this sheltering and naïve. 


Many students will graduate without ever hearing the opposite opinion or seeing writing or art that is provocative.  Many will be forever ill-equipped to deal with the challenges that life presents daily to all of us.  If our college students do not learn about life's challenges in a semi-controlled environment, however will they cope after graduation?


Mamas, don't let your babies go to college unless they have thicker skin.

Black and White, Left and Right - Dr. Thomas Sowell

Black and White, Left and Right

Dr. Sowell authored this column to highlight that actions speak louder than words.  You should not be fooled by words, rather judge by actions.  Dr Martin Luther King Jr. famously said people should be judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin.  King and Sowell are giving us the same advice.  King's 'content of character' is a different way of saying 'a person's actions'.

Conservative News

Is Fox News conservative? 
Are there other conservative news outlets on your TV?
Are the others - CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC - liberal?
Isn't that a 5:1 ratio?
Do we need more conservative new outlets?
Without Fox News wouldn't we be missing out on a lot of the news?

3 Things About Knives and Guns

Stabbings Stump NYPD


1.  Why aren't the same people who want to see the government ban guns also asking to ban knives?  One argument they make about gun bans is "If it saves a life, its worth it".


2.  Why aren't those people who blame guns for gun deaths also blaming knives for stabbings?  Of course we know inanimate objects can't act on their own, but that does not stop the 'ban the guns' crowd.


3.  Did anyone notice the article claims gun violence is decreasing while these stabbings are increasing?  Did we already ban guns or not? 

Dropping a Little Truth

In response to something I read on Facebook posted by someone named LaMonte Fowler, whom I do not know.  My responses to each paragraph are indented.

I feel the need to drop a little truth on y'all. So buckle up...I'm about to be politically incorrect.
RJS>> Your political incorrectness is in question to a degree,  Read on.

We don't need to take America back. No one stole it. It's right here...you're sitting in it. Chillax.
RJS>> It's a slogan, like Black Lives Matter.   It rallies people who believe our government is not doing us right.  Relax.

Mexico isn't going to pay for the wall and we're not going to deport millions of people and break up families. If you think either one is a good idea, you're not smart and probably not a person I want to hang out with.
RJS>> Of course they won't write a check, but they will pay for it by forfeiting all the revenue they are seeing coming back inot Mexico as a result of illegal immigrants sending money back to their home country.  And yes, they do.

We don't live in a democracy. Technically we are a Federal Republic. But in reality we are ruled by an oligarchy. If you don't know what that is, look it up. Reading will do you good. You probably need to do more of it.
RJS>> Agree 100%.

FoxNews, CNN, and MSNBC have an agenda and are not "fair and balanced" or in any way unbiased. I'll reiterate...read more. Read newspapers (even online ones). Read lots of opinions and sources and then (stay with me here), THINK! Form your own opinion based on as many facts as your can brain can tolerate.
RJS>> Agree.  However,  why do so many people claim Fox is so conservative?  Could it be the rest are so liberal that by comparison Fox appears so far to the right?  In your words, think about it.

Speaking of facts...there actually is a difference between facts, opinions, and propaganda. You should learn the difference. (Another opportunity to show off your mad reading skills.)
RJS>> Agree.

Science is real. We know things because of science. Don't be afraid of it. You have an iPhone and Facebook because of science. It's your friend.
RJS>> Agree.

Global warming or "climate change" as the cool kids call it IS REAL. Anyone who tells you it's not real is not a smart person and probably should not be dressing themselves or caring for children.
RJS>> Disagree.  The science is not settled as Obama, Gore and DiCaprio want us to think.  There are many scientists that dispute this conclusion.  Climate changes to be sure.  As for the cause and the solution, that is quite debatable.  The 97% of scientists who are to have agreed actually do not agree.  This was concocted by a man with an objective other than scientific discovery.  http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/#1553a38c7187

Racism exists. And you are probably a little racist and should work on that. Seriously.
RJS>> Yes it does exist, but you should not judge others.

American Christians are not under attack. We are not being persecuted. We wield so much power in this country that politicians pretend to be Christian just so we will vote for them. No one is trying to take your bible away from you. The gay people are not destroying our families—we don't need any help from them, thank you. We do a fine job of that by ourselves. So stop saying we are persecuted. You sound stupid.
RJS>> Christians in America are being persecuted for their opposition to gay marriage.  Fined until their businesses close doors is persecution.  People who want tolerance should tolerate.  Its a two-way street.

Poor people need help. If you're not helping them but complaining about how the government helps them with your money you are not a nice person.
RJS>> Poor people need help, but what kind of help should they receive?  Many are capable of producing and living well above their current station.  Others need our care and support.  Some just need encouragement to get out and try something.

Be nice to the people who teach your children. Don't send them nasty emails or yell at them. Their job is 10,000 times harder than your stupid job. You are not a professional educator so just shut your mouth and be thankful someone is willing to teach your offspring.
RJS>> Teachers are not generally a problem, but the education establishment is in many cases.  Schools are not nearly as effective as they once were.

You don't know what Common Core is. You think you do, but you don't unless you're a teacher. So stop complaining about math problem memes on Facebook. You can't do the math anyway.
RJS>> I do know what common core is and I do not like and will fight against it.   Standards are a good thing, but common core isn't that kind of standard.

ISIS is not an existential threat to the United States. We do not need to rebuild our military. Our military is the strongest, scariest, most badass killing machine the world has ever seen. So stop being afraid and stop letting politicians and pundits scare you.
RJS>> Disagree.  ISIS is a threat and it will grow if we don nothing.  Our military is big and bad, but it is shrinking both in terms of size and scope, as well as image.  We must project strength or others will continually test us.  Peace through strength is a valid strategy.

Guns do in fact kill people. That's what they are designed to do. If you feel you need a gun to protect yourself in America, you are probably living in the wrong neighborhood and should move before you go out and buy a gun. There are like a billion places to live where you won't need a gun, or even need to lock your front door.
RJS>> Not a valid reason to say I should not have a gun.  The US Constitution says I have the right, and its in there to protect against tyranny of government gone bad, in addition to home invaders and armed robbers.

If you do own a gun, then make sure you know how to use it really, really, really well. Seriously...get some training because you still don't know how to record stuff with your DVR. Go to the gun range and shoot the thing a lot. Learn how to clean it properly and be able to disassemble it and reassemble it with your eyes closed. It's a freaking gun and it deserves that level of care, proficiency and respect. And for God's sake, keep it locked up and away from your kids.
RJS>> Good idea.

If you are even a little bit crazy, sad, or pissed off...you shouldn't have a gun. And the Founding Fathers would totally agree with me.
RJS>> No argument here.

Stop being suspicious of American Muslims. I guarantee the guy sitting next to you in the cubicle at work is probably more of a threat to you than any Muslim. He has to listen to your uninformed ranting day after day and has probably already imagined very colorful and creative ways to end you.
RJS>> Since 9/11 there have been 89 Americans killed in the US by Muslims in 48 separate terrorist acts.  Admittedly, that is far less than blacks killed by other blacks in Chicago in one year.

Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and all the rest are ENTERTAINERS! Stop getting your opinions from them. (Here's where that reading thing can really be an advantage.)
RJS>> I'm glad you find talk show hosts entertaining.  I tend to find them informative and entertaining.  Why are no liberal or left leaning hosts included in your list?

Stop sharing Facebook memes that tell me to share or else Jesus won't bless me with a laundry basket full of cash. That's not how prayer works. And I don't want money delivered (even from God) in a laundry basket. Nobody ever washes those things out and they just keep putting nasty dirty clothes in them. Yuck!
RJS>> I agree and I never do this.  I also do not respond to these.

We are the United States of America and we can afford to house every homeless veteran, feed every child, and take in every refugee and still have money left over for Starbucks and a bucket of KFC.
RJS>> You do realize we are $19T in debt with $80T in unfunded liabilities, and our economy is not keeping pace with illegal immigration?

Unless you can trace your family line back to someone who made deerskin pants look stylish and could field dress a buffalo, you are a descendant of an immigrant. Please stop saying that immigrants are ruining our country. Such comments are like a giant verbal burrito stuffed with historical ignorance, latent racism, and xenophobia all wrapped in a fascist tortilla.
RJS>> Immigrants are not ruining this country.  Illegal immigrants and liberals, who think illegally crossing the border is immigration, are ruining this country.

That's all for now. I feel better.
RJS>> Agree.