Is It Really 'Fake News?'

Team Trump is constantly calling the mainstream media ‘fake news.’ Why? He calls it fake news because media outlets such as CNN, the Washington Post, MSNBC, etc., are so left leaning that they report rumor as news before fact checking. There have been several items that the media has reported as fact that, in time, has been proven to be false. To be honest, even Fox News is biased and has been known to report rumor as news that later was found to be false.

When I was a kid, way back in the Stone Age, news programs were on the television at 6:00 PM, ran for half an hour and reported local, national, and international news (news, not opinions, rumors or unsubstantiated reports), local weather and the sports. Newspapers reported local, national and international news articles without bias, weather, sports and the comics page; opinions were printed in the editorial column only and everyone knew those articles were opinion only.

When Watergate was being investigated and Nixon was undergoing impeachment, the TV stations carried the hearings so that the American public could witness democracy at its worst. An American president being thrown to the wolves for having his people break into the Watergate Hotel’s Democratic Convention headquarters. President Richard Millhouse Nixon had broken the law and was being punished for it. Senator Sam Erwin was the presiding chairman of the hearings and he, and the several other Congressmen on the committee, questioned the numerous people involved. Several of these people were sent to Federal Prison (affectionately called Club Fed). Nixon, in disgrace, resigned and handed over the nation to his Vice-President, Gerald R. Ford.

Flash forward to William Jefferson Clinton. A very charismatic President, he could talk an Eskimo into buying an ice machine for his igloo. The Republican Party investigated him for months and months because of rumors of illegality. What did they come up with? Those Republicans that just knew that the President had done something illegal because of Whitewater, came up with an intern that had been having sex with him in the Oval Office. President Clinton’s response to her allegations was, to say the least, ambiguous. When questioned by the Chairman whether he had had sex with Ms. Lewinsky, he simply said, “Could you define the word sex?”

Even though Clinton had been impeached, and found guilty of lying to the American people while under oath, he remained in office to finish out his term as the Commander-In-Chief; quite a difference in the course of a few years as to what was expected of the leader of the free world. One President impeached and resigned in disgrace and the next stayed in office and was not harmed at all politically.

Let’s flash forward a few more years to the Obama Administration. President Barack Hussein Obama, the first multi-racial president, was so vague about his history, his origins, that the American public wasn’t even sure if he was a natural born citizen as required by the Constitution. He was the son of an American woman and Kenyan man. Purportedly born in Hawaii, he spent his early childhood in Africa, came to the United States as an early preteen, enrolled in college as a foreign student, associated with Muslim, anti-American people, became a community organizer in the city of Chicago, ran for Illinois State Senate and won, and before his first term was over, ran for President of the United States and won that coveted role.

During his campaign, he consistently spoke about ‘fundamentally’ changing the face of the nation. His speeches about hope and changed showed just how charismatic this man was. He won the hearts and souls of the majority of counties and states regardless of questions about his heritage. The liberal rhetoric that came out of his mouth scared the crap out of conservatives across the country but liberalism won out. Even his wife, Michelle, stated that she could ‘finally be proud of’ her country, even though her country had given her a college education and a legal career.

During the election, every black organization got involved. The Black Panthers were reportedly trolling the polls telling people that they had better ‘vote for the black man.’ This, of course, is only a rumor that I have not investigated too thoroughly. Through it all, it was intimated that if you didn’t vote for Obama, you were a racist; an epithet that was used over and over for the next eight years when it came to the policies and demands of President Barack Obama. The liberal left would say anyone was racist if they disagreed with anything the President said or if anyone questioned anything about him, especially his heritage which he never really successfully proved. (He did produce a certificate of live birth from the State of Hawaii but that state denied issuing it according to the report of Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona.)

During the Obama years, the President consistently used Executive Orders to legislate law, a job solely confined to the Congress. His policies were socialistic and, in some cases, so anti-American as to be unconstitutional. Also, during the eight years he was in office, Mr. Obama repeatedly turned his back on our allies while embracing our enemies. The Islamic threat, terrorism that has started on September 11, 2001 with the attack on the World Trade Center, increased exponentially, yet Mr. Obama would never utter the words ‘Radical Islamic Terrorists,’ nor would he concede that the threat was very real by constantly calling the terrorists the ‘JV Team.’ Mass killings, terrorist attacks, and violence by immigrants were seen as never before. Still, Barack Hussein Obama was loved by the media and the liberal left (as well as most Muslim countries and our enemies).

During the eight years that Obama was in office, respect for law enforcement declined to the point where people were attacking and killing officers of the law with impunity. Riots erupted over police shootings of black criminals under the guise of police brutality and racism against blacks. Were all the shootings called for or needed? No. Unfortunately there remain those that hate all that are not of the same color, creed, religion, sexual orientation or nation of origin. Racism, like schoolyard bullying, will never completely be done away with. Government cannot legislate against thought processes.

Was President Obama ever brought before an impeachment hearing? Were his actions ever questioned by the majority party? Not once. How far we have fallen from the days of yesteryear when the President of the United States was held to a higher standard and made to follow the laws of the country he leads. The left will still say that conservatives disliked him because he was black. That is so far from truth to be hilarious. Conservatives disliked his policies that were anti-American, they disliked the fact that he was legislating with Executive Orders thus circumventing Congress; they disliked his anti-American attitude. It had absolutely nothing to do with his skin color. Only the liberal left seem to have to play the race card every time they feel threatened.

Now, let’s come to the present, to the time of President Donald J. Trump. Here is a man that is not a politician in any respect. He is a businessman, a billionaire. During his campaign he promised a lot of things, the least of which was to ‘drain the swamp’ of corruption in Washington, DC. Since the election the liberal left has been screaming to impeach him, he is colluding with the Russians in hacking into the DNC computers, he is out to destroy America, he is going to undo the civil liberties of gays and blacks; his is an administration of destruction of all things liberal. The funny thing about this is that, since he was inaugurated into the position of President, he has fulfilled a lot of his campaign promises and he continues to strive to keep doing it.

What has Donald Trump promised? He has promised to secure our borders, even to the extent of building a border wall between the US and Mexico to help curtail illegal border crossing; he has promised to ‘drain the swamp’ of corruption in Washington DC; he has promised to repeal and replace the failing ObamaCare healthcare mandate; he’s promised to defund Planned Parenthood and their abortion clinics; he has promised to bring the UN under control. What irritates the liberal left so much is that he is actually doing his best to fulfill his campaign promises, something that no other presidential candidate has ever done.

What does all this have to do with ‘fake news?’ The fact that the media is crucifying the conservative right every way they can by reporting false news stories about collusion, corruption, and illegality in the Trump administration, even before it started but refuse to report the news about the liberal left’s illegalities and corruption. The First Amendment guarantees the right of freedom of the press, an essential element of keeping government honest, has turned into a free for all in the media and they hide behind that right to report falsehoods to undermine a presidential administration to the point of making it a mockery.

To be honest, Trump can make a fool of himself quite easily without the help of the media. He is not a politician so he doesn’t speak like one. He speaks like a businessman who expects things to go his way. This is not the way that politics works. In the political world there are committees, hearings, investigations, bureaucracy.  The President can’t just tell the board of directors what is going to happen and then, poof, it’s done. Mr. Trump will have to learn that if he wants to keep his chair in the Oval Office. He will have to learn some tact in his tirades. Then again, maybe the way he talks is just what is needed in the corrupt, career laded, halls of political Washington. Maybe that is what it will take to ‘drain the swamp.’ If only he could do as he did on his reality TV show, The Apprentice, when someone failed to be successful enough. Maybe he just has to say, “You’re fired.”

Let the left leaning media have that to run with. I can see the headlines now: President Trump tries to fire Congressmen; subtitle: Who does he think he is telling Congress they’re fired for being corrupt and not doing their jobs.

So much for one more tirade from a twisted mind. Food for thought or just another rant about politics? You decide. 

Capitalism versus Socialism

Capitalism versus Socialism - that is the big debate these days. Here it is, 2017 and we have to debate the pros and cons of two different economic platforms? Hasn’t history taught us anything? First of all, we need to know what the definitions of these are so let’s go to my favorite dictionary, The Oxford American Dictionary.

Capitalism: n. a system in which a county’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit. Synonyms: private enterprise, free enterprise, the free market, private ownership. Antonyms: communism.

Socialism: n. the theory that a country’s land, transport, industries, etc., should be owned or controlled by the community as a whole. There are no synonyms or antonyms listed.

Since the antonym of Capitalism is communism, I’ll put the definition of it here also.

Communism: n. 1 a political system in which all property is owned by the community. 2 a system of this kind based on Marxism.

Marxism: n. the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, which formed the basis for communism.

So, as you can see, Capitalism is a free trade system which promotes economic growth and Socialism stagnates growth. If you don’t believe that, you’ve been living under a rock for the last hundred years. The American economic system is set up on Capitalism, one of the reasons why this country has become the world power that it is. We have created more wealth for private individuals than any other country in history. Take a look at John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Joseph Kennedy, and a host of others that built great fortunes through capitalism. If the government had controlled their industries do you really think they would have built such empires? No.

Now, let’s take a look at other countries such as Russia, China, Korea, etc. The economies of these countries, Russia before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the separation of the Russian states, are government controlled. The people are extremely poor, underfed, worked jobs that paid little and the economy suffers. People cannot speak out against the government and, in the case of China and North Korea, communication is censored. The people cannot access social media or interact with other countries. Why? Because they would learn of the freedoms that capitalism and a free enterprise system has. They would rebel against government control, as happened during the Bolshevik Revolution and then when President Ronald Regan made that famous statement, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

The liberal left in America today wants a more socialistic system put in place. They want government controlled healthcare, government controlled industry, government controlled thought (political correctness is government control of your thought processes), government control of whether you can own a firearm, etc. The left would love to see the government in control of every aspect of our lives. They will, of course, deny this claim. If you think about it, honestly, what is their platform? Political correctness, gender neutrality, open borders, anti-religion, anti-Semitic, dependence on government in the form of welfare, pro-choice, labels on people of differing lifestyles, color, national origin, and many other socialistic programs. They protest against capitalism and free enterprise, freedom of expression (except of their own ideals), protecting our borders, illegal acts being punished (in the case of illegal immigration even rewarded with money and the same rights and privileges given to legal immigrants and natural citizens), etc.

The left scream that people that have worked hard for their money don’t deserve that money and should give it to the poor; some even say the poor deserve it because those rich bastards stole it from them. Is there corporate greed? Of course there is. Should people be paid an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s labor? Of course. What isn’t said in all these tirades is that those people getting paid those low wages can’t even count change; they are uneducated and have no motivation to progress in life in any way, shape or form. They live their little lives doing drugs, drinking, and getting tattoos without thought of where the rent or utility bill money is going to come from; after all, society OWES them a living so they wait for the welfare check.

Are there those that do try to improve their lives, are just stuck in a rut that they can’t get out of? Yes, in a way. There are more opportunities open in this country to improve a person’s life than anywhere else in the world. A person just has to have the motivation to seek them out. Dr. Ben Carson is a fantastic example of this. A boy raised in poverty that rises above his environment and becomes one of the world’s finest neural surgeons. You can’t tell me there aren’t more pros than cons in a capitalistic society.

The liberal left won’t claim victories like Dr. Carson. They would rather scream racism, homophobia, xenophobia, white privilege, etc. The left promote victimhood, not triumph against all odds. The labels they put on people are symbolic of socialism. It fuels the flame toward that stagnation and destruction of growth and wealth. If they can keep people divided and fighting against each other, sooner or later, capitalism will be overcome by socialism and then, finally, communism. If you were paying attention to the definitions you will see the opposite of capitalism is communism and, by definition, socialism ultimately will become communism.

Do the liberals have some good ideas? Of course they do. In the 1960’s it was the liberals that stood up against racism (I never have understood that term…after all, we are all ONE race – the human race). Since that time, racism (which will never disappear any more than school bullying will) has been almost done away with. Well, unless you listen to the liberals. They need things like racism to keep their agenda going. Gay rights is another good example. The problem with all these things is that if it weren’t for the liberals screaming ‘special people’ there wouldn’t be any problems in today’s world. Everyone, regardless of color or orientation or national origin, have the same rights and privileges as anyone else. Are there those that disagree with this? Yes, but they are the minority. Are there laws against same sex marriage? No. In fact, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional.

What about climate change and/or use of renewable energy? Climate change is a big debate today. Is it because of humanity or just the cyclic nature of the Earth, itself? My opinion is the latter but the liberals seem to want to blame humans. As for renewable energy, this should have been started long ago. Wind, solar, water energy is renewable and doesn’t damage the Earth in any way. Why industry waited so long to start to explore this is totally unknown to me other than it went against big business (oil and coal) and would cut into those corporate profits. (Yes, I am very liberal on that. I believe in capitalism but not greed.) The problem isn’t that liberals have bad ideas; they have bad ways of promoting those ideas. They demand a government controlled way of doing it through legislation instead of a private way of doing it where people will actually grow and make money. Socialism/communism versus capitalism.

The United States of America, a country not yet 250 years old, set up a government that was for, by, and of the people. We were a country that developed an experimental government. Now, because of liberalism, that government has grown and grown until we now have a government that has a country. We are no better than any other country. Socialism is on the rise. Our Democratic Republic is fast becoming a Marxist society. The liberals seem to think that the Constitution of the United States was written as a guideline instead of as the Law of the Land. The only time the Constitution is right is if it is in their favor. I honestly believe that left to their ideals, the Constitution would be done away with and the Communist Manifesto or Mein Kampf would become the new law. The left absolutely hates capitalism and whole-heartedly embraces socialism. Without it, they would not exist.

I, for one, will rely on capitalism to continue to make this country great. I will fight the liberal agenda toward socialism/communism every step of the way. I will stand up for America and the rights and freedoms that my forefathers fought and died for. 

The Red Cap of Castle Glen

It was a dark and stormy night, the wing howling through the trees like the dreaded beansidhe and the rain falling in torrents making it difficult to see anything. Holding his hand up to his face, trying to keep the rain out of his eyes, Ben trudged on toward his destination. A destination that he feared more than the night creatures that kept watch over him. The words of his father kept going through his mind, “Fear does not exist. Danger is real but fear is a choice.”

Fear was all he felt this night. It wasn’t a choice. It was overwhelming. The old man in the village had told him to make this journey, this night, or his family would die a torturous death. Only the creature that lived here in the Black Forest could change their fate. This creature that no one ever survived seeing, much less bargaining with.

Suddenly the woods opened up and the old castle ruins came into sight. No one ever came here, especially at night. There was a stillness in the air now. No wind whistling, even the rain had stopped. Moonlight shone down upon the ruins almost like a spotlight on a celebrated actor on stage. The shadows, deep around the battlements and portcullis, almost formed an evil face on the façade; a face that threatened anyone that would dare venture near. Ben looked upon the sight with more trepidation than he had ever felt before. Thinking only of his family’s safety, he started across the overgrown garden.

Closing the distance between the safety of the forest and the portcullis of the castle, Ben slowly gained some semblance of courage. The creature that resided here would surely kill him on sight but if that was the price he had to pay, he would pay it gladly. Mary, his wife, and Angus, his baby boy, would survive if he could strike a bargain with the Red Cap. The old man had told him that reciting Scripture or showing a cross would make the creature disappear but that is not what he wanted. He needed help. The old crone had placed a curse on his family, one that would kill them slowly and painfully. Magick is a strange thing. The old man had told him only a Red Cap could reverse the spell she had used. The only problem with that is Red Caps hated humans and would kill them on sight.

He didn’t understand what it was about this night, at this time, that would keep the Red Cap from killing him, least of all, get him to help. Ben had never heard of a Red Cap that could do magick but the old man was adamant about this. The moon was full, true, and that was a magickal time and it was during Samhain, the time when the veil between worlds was thinnest. Hopefully, these things would protect him and bring him victory.

Entering through the massive, broken oak doors of the main hall, Ben straighten his posture and called on courage he had not known he had. Looking left and right then up the grand stair, he called out, “Red Cap! I come for your help. Show yourself to me.”

From the darkest corners came an echoing reply, “Why should I not kill you? A human, walking into my home is fair game. If I show myself, I shall surely tear your innards out of your body.”

“I do not believe you will. I come to bargain. The crone has cursed my family. The old man told me you were the only one that could help. Show yourself so that we may discuss the terms.”

“Terms? Are you mad? There are no ‘terms’ and there are no bargains. The old man lied and the crone must have had good reason. Why should I help you? You are nothing to me.” The voice was behind him and much closer than before.

Fear, once again, set upon Ben. With shaking knees and wavering voice, he turned to face the evilness that lived here. Out of the darkness the creature emerged. It was then that the young man knew that he, indeed, had been tricked. The hairless old man that came forward from the shadows smiled. His razor sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight and his claws clacking together were not near as frightening as the executioner’s axe that he dragged along the floor behind him.

Raising the axe and laying it upon his shoulder, the Red Cap stared at the frightened young man. He knew the boy was terrified, just as all humans were when they saw him. Smiling he spoke again, “I frighten you and yet you stand there. Why do you not run?”

“I have no reason to live if you do not help me. My family will die. Without them, I have nothing.”

“Even so. I should tear you apart and scatter your guts around the room. Yet, you intrigue me.” Uncharacteristically, the creature stood back and, scratching his chin, pondered why he had not killed this human already.

Samhain, the time of year when the veil between worlds is thinnest and creatures enter our world from the other side, is a magickal time. When the moon is full during the season it is especially so. The old man had not tricked the boy, he knew that this night, of all nights, was the only time in a thousand years that a Red Cap was incapable of killing. This night, at this time, midnight on All Hallows Eve with a full moon made the most evil creature to haunt the Scottish countryside unable to rend any victim. The only night that Ben would be able to barter for his family’s lives.

“What do you have to bargain for?”

“I have gold, livestock, food. Whatever you desire, I will find it.”

“I have no need of anything. I live, I kill. That is all. What would I do with riches or livestock? Food I can get. Is there nothing that you will give to me, willingly, to save your loved ones?” Looking at Ben with menacing eyes, belying the horror beneath his words, the small, evil creature continued, “There is only one thing that I desire in this world and that is to kill.”

Understanding finally came to Ben. The Red Cap wanted him to willingly give up his life to save his loved ones. Fear, guilt, shame all came at once. He was afraid to die and felt guilty that he was not brave enough to give his life for someone else. The shame of his cowardice overwhelmed him. Turning to flee from this wretched creature and crumbling ruin, he stopped at the broken oak door.

Turning slowly, Ben smiled. “I will not bargain my life. Without me my family will die anyways. But, I will bargain with yours. You will cast your magick and save their lives or I will take yours from you.”

Never before had anyone ever lived through an encounter with a Red Cap. Even if they survived by running away they would still die within twenty four hours. Now, this boy was threatening the life of this evil sprite, one of the vilest of creatures. Was he mad?

“Nae! Ah willnae dae it. Ye cannae make me.” The small creature belied his uncertainty, glancing around the dark room.

With a speed and strength he had never known he possessed, Ben was across the room and had the small creature on the floor, knife across his throat. “I will.”

The night was drawing to an end. Soon it would be dawn and the veil would close, the magick lost. Pushing harder against the Red Cap’s throat, Ben demanded, “Do it! Do it now or die!”

With blood starting to trickle down out of the blade’s cut, the Red Cap relented. Closing his eyes he mumbled in ancient Celtic, so low that Ben could barely hear, the spell to break the curse. Opening his eyes, all he said was, “It is done.”

Rising from the floor and releasing him, Ben wiped the blood from his knife. “If you have tricked me, if my family still dies, I will return and fight you.”

“You will lose. No one ever survives me. I have not tricked you, they will live. And you and I will meet again. Soon. I will exact my revenge on you.” With that, he disappeared just as the sun shone through the empty windows; laughter echoing through the ruins.

What Exactly Is a Conservative, Liberal or Libertarian?

What does it mean to be a conservative? What does it mean to be a liberal? How about a libertarian? I mean, we all claim to be something politically, emotionally, socially, etc. So, what does that mean, exactly? To figure that out, we need to know the definition of each. Let’s go to my favorite dictionary, the Oxford American Dictionary, Third Edition.

Conservative: adj. 1 opposed to change and holding traditional values. 2 (in politics) favoring free enterprise and private ownership. [Synonyms: 1 right-wing, reactionary, traditionalist, old-fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool, hidebound, unadventurous, set in your ways. 2 conventional, sober, modest, sensible, restrained. Antonyms: socialist, radical.]

Liberal: adj. 1 willing to respect and accept behavior or opinions different from your won. 2 (in politics) supporting the freedom of individuals and in favor of political and social reform. 3 generous in applying or adding something. 4 not strictly literal or exact. [Synonyms: tolerant, unprejudiced, broad-minded, open-minded, enlightened, permissive, free (and easy), easygoing, libertarian, indulgent, lenient. 2 a liberal social agenda, progressive, advanced, modern, forward-looking, forward-thinking, enlightened, reformist, radical. Antonyms: reactionary, strict.]

Libertarian: n. 1 a person who believes in libertarianism. 2 a person who argues for civil liberty. Libertarianism: n. a political philosophy arguing for very limited state intervention in the lives of citizens.

So, where do we all stand, politically and socially? As for me, a conservative, I believe in less government, self-reliance and self-responsibility, strong defense, secure borders, semi-isolationism, literal meaning of the Constitution, keeping personal freedoms and respecting others opinions even if they differ from mine. So, what am I really? According to the definitions above I am actually part conservative, part liberal and part libertarian.

Where do my liberal friends stand? Seems to me like they are just a bit liberal and libertarian; no conservatism there at all. Funny how the antonyms of conservative is “socialist and radical” and how those two terms seem to fit the liberals behavior since the election of November 8, 2016. (Especially the ‘radical’ part.)

This is not going to be me downgrading the liberals. Not this time. For one reason, I have not a clue as to why my liberal friends do what they do or think what they think. I did hear someone, I simply do not recall the guy’s name, title, job description or political party, explain that liberals, since the early 1960’s and the race problems of the time, have identified with being on the moral high ground. After all, they stand up and fight for the minorities of the world thus placing them above everyone else, especially conservatives, in this politically correct world. Is this how they really think? They would disagree, I believe. I really don’t know since I am not a liberal.

I am a conservative, with a little liberal and libertarian thrown in for good measure. I don’t like change and I will grab on to those traditional values with a death grip. Free enterprise and private ownership (capitalism for those of you from Chariton, Iowa and Rio Linda, California), are what brings about competition and wealth building. I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and their right to voice those opinions, even if they differ from my own. I believe in individual freedoms as long as those freedoms do not interfere or do away with my own. I will fight for everyone’s civil liberties (which, to me, are individual freedoms).

I try to be tolerant of other people’s lifestyles, religions, ethnicity and cultures. I am as far from prejudiced as you can get as far as racism, religion and orientation. Open-minded, yes (I have actually been known to change my mind if given facts that I didn’t know before). As for permissive, indulgent and lenient? Nah, too much of that and people become ‘entitled’ and that is not a good thing. I would like to think that I am forward-thinking, advanced and modern (as much as my old school brain can manage).

What strikes me most about liberals, as for synonyms, is radical, permissive, indulgent, and lenient. If a parent is permissive, indulgent and lenient with a child, what happens to that child? They become brats that think they deserve everything without giving anything or working for things. REALLY? And where is America today? We have a bunch of ‘entitled’ children that are brats, have no respect for anyone or anything (including law enforcement and government), and believe the world owes them a living and don’t want to work for anything.

I have not known any liberal to actually tolerate, indulge, or be willing to respect and accept opinions of anyone other than those that think the way they do. Try to have a debate with a liberal. You can’t. You cannot use logic, common sense or facts if any of those things go against what they believe. I have been called some of the most heinous of things because I don’t agree with the liberal way of thinking on a lot of subjects. When I state facts, they are said to be ‘alternative facts’ or lies or unsubstantiated reports. Doesn’t matter if those facts are from reputable sources or even their own officials.

I am not insulting any liberal or, at least, I’m not trying to. All I am doing is stating facts as I have seen and heard through personal experience. Am I just as hard-headed as some liberals? Of course I am on some subjects; on other subjects, not so much. Prove to me where I am wrong and I will most likely change my view. But I must have facts from reputable sources, eye witnesses, and incontrovertible evidence. Call me Trey Gowdy, Jr.

So, how do you look at yourself? Are you conventional, sensible, restrained, and a traditionalist or are you socialist, radical, easygoing, indulgent, lenient, reformist? Only you know the answer to this question. The bigger question is where do you want our country to go? We were founded on those fundamentally traditionalist, right-wing, old-fashioned, sensible, restrained ideals with individual freedoms and liberties guaranteed by our Constitution. That is what America is. We are not a country without borders, without respect for government and law enforcement, where everyone gets their way regardless of how others feel, where government controls every aspect of our lives and everyone is entitled to everything without working for it.

Free enterprise is what built this nation. Individual freedom is what has brought millions and millions of immigrants here (legally). Radical ideas of a new form of government, never tried before in history, is what got us those things. You can’t reinvent the wheel and make it better. It still has to be round to move that vehicle. A country without borders is not a country. National security is more important than open arms to anyone. Free everything will kill our economy. Wealth redistribution will not make anyone wealthy. The biggest problem with socialism is that sooner or later you will run out of other people’s money. Traditional values, you know - self-reliance and self-responsibility, are what will keep us going forward.

Dressing up as vaginas and protesting for ‘women’s rights’ will not gain anything; especially since those doing that are not actually protesting for women’s rights, only the right to kill unborn children. Women have equal rights and in a lot of cases have more rights. Minorities have the same rights as those so-called white-privileged people. If not, then why are there so many minorities that have risen to great heights? People like Barack Obama, Ben Carson, Colin Powell, Condaleeza Rice, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Jackie Robinson, etc. are all far above a lot of white-privilege people. So don’t tell me that just because a person is white they are better off than those that are not. Don’t tell me that homosexuals are worse off than heterosexuals when Hollywood is filled with extremely rich and powerful homosexuals. Don’t tell me that immigrants can’t become great statesmen/women, businessmen/women, athletes, etc. when you see it all the time.

As soon as you stop empowering that victim ideology to people and start empowering the fact that anyone can achieve their dreams then this country, actually the world, will become a better place for everyone.

Sorry, got a little off topic didn’t I? Not really when you consider that all the racism, victim ideology and radical protests are coming from the liberal left and the conservative right is out here wondering why they are doing it.

Decide for yourself what you are and what you want. As Smokey the Bear said, “Only You can prevent the downfall of America.”

Are We Still One Nation Conceived in Liberty? Meaning of the Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago…. Well, maybe a little longer than that. It was on Nov 19, 1863 that Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech, even though he said the world would not remember it, which is remembered and will be for a long time.

What is the point I am trying to make? Maybe, if you have read, or heard, the Gettysburg Address you would somehow come to the answer. Do you know what Abraham Lincoln said that day? Let’s remember that speech together. Here is the Bliss copy:

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

What, exactly, is Lincoln saying here? Why was the Civil War even fought that the President of the United States of America should give such a speech? What happened because of the Lincoln Administration and his policies? First of all, you have to understand that, as far as I know, Abraham Lincoln was the first President to shred the Constitution. You see, the Civil War was not fought because of slavery. In fact, the North had just as many slaves as the South. No, the war was fought over States Rights. The right to secede in particular.

So, what does this speech actually mean? In it, Lincoln states that 87 years before, the Founding Fathers brought forth a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the ideal that everyone is created equal. That is part of the Constitution now. Everyone has the same rights, privileges and freedoms. Funny that it was said over 143 years ago and today there are those that are still arguing about it.

The Civil War tested our nation. It tested our resolve to stay one nation and not divide ourselves. He further states that those that died for that cause, the ability to stay one great nation, were heros and the living were not worthy to even dedicate the ground those men died upon. Going further he said that we, the living, had to finish the work those brave men started so that they did not die in vain. We are one nation, under God and that the government is of, by, and for the people and that it should not perish.

So, what is the point of this? Let’s see, today we have the liberals that are doing everything they can to destroy the Republican Party and the Trump Administration. They seem to believe that Donald J. Trump, the current President of the United States, is out to destroy our country. How? According to the Democratic Party, Mr. Trump is going to bankrupt the nation, pollute our air and water to the point of not being able to use it, do away with all social programs that the liberals have set up to support able-bodied people that refuse to work, do away with programs set up to kill unborn children because said children have no rights and are an inconvenience to the mother, undo all legislation pertaining to equal rights for minorities (even though those rights are guaranteed by the Constitution), increase racism and downgrade women.

It seems to me that the Democratic Party, the liberals (or progressives as they like to call themselves) are trying to further divide this country than it is since the advent of the Obama Administration in 2008. All that this nation has gone through in the last 240 years, all the progress we have made in civil rights, freedoms for all, lessening racism, increasing coexistence with other nations, losing thousands of young men to several wars, several of which were not our own, etc. has been set back 50 years in the last eight. What those men died for on that battlefield at Gettysburg were in vain if the liberals, progressives, could have their way.

We are a divided nation. This time it isn’t the northern states against the southern. It is one political party against the other. It is neighbors against neighbors, and it has escalated exponentially over the last year. Why just over the last year? The only reason that I have been able to comprehend is that the Democratic Party needed their candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to win the election so that she could finish the job that Barack Hussein Obama started. Since she did not win and Donald J Trump did, they are not happy.

Trump has started to fulfil all his campaign promises, which is unique for a political candidate. Most will promise the stars but only deliver mud. Trump started fulfilling his promises the day he was inaugurated. The thing the liberals don’t like is that his biggest promise was to undo as much of what Obama had done as he legally could. This is, in my humble opinion, the biggest reason the liberals are dividing our country as much as they can with violent protests, cries of ‘Not my President,” and the most ludicrous of all: “Impeach Trump!” That last one was being screamed by the liberals everywhere in the country, including the Congress.

Yeah. Those soldiers that fought to keep our country together died in vain. The men that fought against the English in 1776 died in vain. Our servicemen and women who have fought in two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and now all over the Middle East have all fought and died in vain.

The Founding Fathers set up an experimental government, one that had never been tried before; a democratic republic where the people were the owners of government, not the other way around. It was a government that was of, by and for the people. Could this type of governing endure the test of time and survive throughout the centuries? They hoped so. The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to debate what kind of Constitution should be written, what to put in it, what rights, freedoms, responsibilities should be guaranteed and set as the Law of the Land. It took months to get it down on parchment so that everyone would be happy, albeit with a lot of compromise. Some representatives wanted to keep the tyrannical rule they had just fought to overcome while others wanted too much free rein.

In the end, after much debate, those men had down by ‘iron pen’ the Law of the Land and the 13 colonies agreed to it, thus creating the greatest nation on Earth. Now, 240 years later, because of the differences between parties, this once great nation is divided again. Only this time there is no debates, no compromising. All we have is divisiveness, hatred, intolerance and a lack of moral code. Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech has become nothing more than a bunch of words that were spoken over 143 years ago and the liberals don’t think it applies anymore any more than they believe the Constitution is set in stone instead of a ‘living document meant to adhere to the political ideology of whatever time period it is.”

I, for one, believe that it is time to go back to our roots of a common goal. The common goals of one nation, under God, indivisible, dedicated to freedom and equality of every citizen that resides within our borders and call themselves American. The common goal of patriotism, pride in being American, respect for our flag and all it stands for, gratitude to the men and women who have fought for, and in more cases than should be, died for our freedoms. To once again be that nation that is conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. The common goal of a country that cannot be defeated by any enemy, foreign or domestic, respected and feared by all other nations. To be America.

We Are Bent On Our Own Destruction

I’ve been thinking lately. I know, like that never happens. But, with all that is going on in the world, what with global terrorism, three or four wars going on (I’ve actually lost count), countries in debt up to their collective eyebrows to the 13 wealthiest families, working citizens taxed into poverty to support the non-working people that can but refuse to work, and political parties trying to destroy each other, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best thing that could happen is a world-wide catastrophe that wipes out the entire human race.

That seems a bit extreme doesn’t it? After all, humanity is God’s gift to the planet. The great, omniscient being that supposedly created the entire universe and all that resides here, gave dominion of this one tiny rock to humankind to do with as we pleased. Look what we’ve done. We have overpopulated the world because we don’t know how to keep our hedonistic hormones in check. We’ve polluted the air, water and land with garbage, radioactivity, noxious gases, and toxic waste with no end in sight. We tear down mountains to build a few more just so we can house the ever increasing population. We continue to take the natural resources from Mother Earth just to keep our lives going when there are better, less destructive means. All this because corrupt, greedy corporations and politicians can make more and more money that they will never be able to spend in several lifetimes.

People, in all their cumulative knowledge and wisdom over several millennia of existence, have not yet learned how not to take from others, live in peace and tolerance, not force their way of thinking on others, share their knowledge and wisdom with those without, put others before themselves, or even consider that someone else might have a better idea if they would only listen with an open mind. I, myself, have been known to try to get people to change their minds about something without taking their point of view into consideration. That is not the way to live. That is not the way to peace and harmony. That is not a way to keep the human race from destroying itself.

When people are so entrenched, so adamant, about their philosophy, their ideology, that they cannot even entertain the thought of another way, it becomes a one way ticket to total annihilation. We cannot exist without compromise; without open minds; without being able to dismiss prejudice and intolerance. Unless we can learn to dismiss the old ways of thinking that there is only one way to do things, we will never progress above where we are now.

I know, a lot of you will say, “But, you, yourself, retain that old way of thinking. You won’t change your mind on certain things.” This is true. I am pretty well set in a certain way of thinking and believing when it comes to societal behavior, fiscal responsibility, personal responsibility, and rights and freedoms. There is such a thing as common sense, responsibility, and the unalienable rights and freedoms that all people have, or should have. Does this make me one of the dinosaurs that should be eliminated from the equation because of my steadfast beliefs? Some would say so. Others would say not.

Common sense has become an almost extinct quality in today’s world. Especially here in the United States of America. True, this is not the 19^th or 20^th centuries where puritan values are embraced. But, there are some things that should not be changed. In today’s world, if you are not a heterosexual you are believed to be a minority that deserves to force your way of life onto the heterosexual majority. Most people, not all but most, really don’t care about anyone else’s sexual orientation; most don’t even think about it. What the homosexual, bisexual, transgender, transvestite, lesbian, etc. set want is more rights and freedoms it seems. They already have the same freedoms as anyone else. They can sleep together, live together, eat together, go out, party, take walks, whatever, just as anyone else can do; even get married and adopt children in a lot of cases. That isn’t enough. They want to force their lifestyle onto everyone and pass laws that say regardless of their sex they should be able to use whatever restroom they ‘identify’ with. Common sense says, if you have a penis, you use the boy’s room and if not, you use the girl’s. There is a reason for this. A five year old girl doesn’t need to see a 50 year old man’s junk in the bathroom.

Should gays be able to get married, adopt children, live as they please just as the heterosexual community does? Sure. Why not? Two people in love are two people in love and it doesn’t matter if they are opposite or the same sex. Is that the way it is? In a lot of cases but not all. Are homosexuals harassed and persecuted? For the most part, no. If a homosexual throws his/her sexual orientation into the faces of the hetero world, chances are they will be harassed. I’m not saying that gays should go back into the closet. All I’m saying is that I don’t throw my sexuality in the faces of anyone, no one should do it to me. It’s like having a penis. It’s nice to have, you should be proud of it but you should not take it out and force it onto to others. That goes for both ways of living; heterosexuals shouldn’t do it, either. Leave the PDA at home.

Religion is another good example. Like the illustration above, like the penis, don’t take it out and force it on anyone else. I believe the way I believe just as you do. I won’t force my heathenism onto you so don’t force your religion on me.

When you envy someone for what they have and you don’t, then greed and lustfulness takes over. Just because someone has worked hard for something and you haven’t doesn’t mean that you need to take that from them. Maybe you have worked hard your whole life and still have nothing to show for it. Maybe you should stop and ask yourself why instead of thinking, “that somnabitch has more than me and I deserve it more than he does.” Maybe that person did without a lot of luxuries and maybe even some necessities to get where he’s at. Maybe he went to college and got a better education so he could get a better paying job. Maybe you just wasted a ton of money on things that you didn’t need like wine, women and song. Maybe you spent a month’s pay on that old Chevy truck you wanted that you had to repair before you could even drive it. Maybe you partied the nights away at the bar instead of staying home watching TV and having a beer. Whatever the reasons, that person has more than you and there is no reason good enough that makes the argument in your favor. Be happy for them. They succeeded for whatever reason and you didn’t for whatever reason. What they worked so hard for does not belong to you and you do not deserve it.

It took a lot of centuries for the human race to develop into what we call a civilized race. It took many more just to become industrialized. In the last 70 years we have advanced exponentially technologically. Is this a good thing? Not really. With all the technology advancements we have lost touch with our humanity, with our instincts, with our world. We don’t talk to one another, we text (even from the next room). We don’t use our hands to do things, we use machines. We use up our natural resources and throw the waste into our water, air and all over the landscape. We take mountains and dig holes for the resources to save other resources. What we don’t do is use renewable energy for things. We don’t use solar power, wind power, water power. We have to use coal, oil, uranium, lithium, etc.; all things that are not renewable and destroys our planet. That is progress. That is our destruction.

We tear down forests for the lumber and to plant fields; all the while not caring that those trees are what gives us oxygen and keeps the wind from blowing away that precious topsoil that is needed. We fill our atmosphere with noxious gases from exhaust so that we can drive to work instead of using mass transit or even walking. We take toxic waste and dump it into our rivers and streams thus polluting our water supply and, eventually, the oceans; all so that we can pretend that we are making a better life for ourselves. What are we actually doing? It may surprise you that all this is not by our choice as a whole. We are told from childhood on that this is the way it has to be. It is humankind’s destiny to destroy itself by believing that we are doing what is right. It is not right at all.

We are destroying ourselves at a high rate of speed and we don’t even care. Yes, it is extreme to think that a catastrophe eliminating the human race is what is needed. It is also extreme to think that one way of thinking is the only way to think. It is extreme to believe that yours is the only belief that is correct. It is extreme to kill unborn children, let the homeless be homeless, let the starving starve and go to war over greed or religion. It is especially extreme to kill the one thing that gives us life: Mother Earth. So which is the worst case of extremism? Let the radical Islamic terrorists kill everyone and then find out those 72 virgins are a myth, or actually 12 year old boys or some form of animal so they kill themselves off. Let the T virus loose. Use the nukes. Let humanity kill itself off so that Mother Earth can repair herself and return to the pure beauty and pristine condition she was in before we evolved into the ‘civilized’ system we are.

It would take approximately 500 years to get rid of any trace that man ever existed. It has actually only taken approximately 150 years to get to where we are in destructiveness. Since the beginning of time we have been bent on our own destruction. Let it happen. Let mankind disappear. The world would be a better place for it.