First Amendment Rights v Responsibility: Bollea v Gawker

 I watched a show on Netflix last night on how the lawsuit Bollea v Gawker was an attack on the First Amendment. I actually got through most of it before I had to shut it off. I know that Netflix is a far-left mouthpiece just like every other form of entertainment franchise but I didn't realize that it was as bad as it is.

If you don't know the court case of Bollea v Gawker, it was about a scandal rag posting a Hulk Hogan sex tape and Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan) said that it damaged his personal, and professional, life. It did, actually, because the WWE canceled his contract thus ending his long career as Hulk Hogan, mega-star of wrestling.

What Gawker said is that it was journalism and Bollea/Hogan going after them was just trying to silence the truth in reporting news. It didn't matter that it was a bloody sex tape that had nothing to do with anything but them trying to destroy his career under the guise of reporting the truth.

In the end, our hero, Hulk Hogan, won his case and a whopping 140 million dollars in damages. It also bankrupted Gawker, its owner, and several of its high-up employees and reporters.

Why am I on the side of Terry Bollea on this instead of the side of the media? After all, the First Amendment states quite clearly that we have the freedom of the press and free speech. Gawker was just exercising their rights to print what they felt needed to be printed. I am a proponent of keeping the Constitution intact no matter what.

The problem with this court case is this: where do you draw the line between free press and the right to privacy? What is the criteria for 'news' that is acceptable and not? What is actual 'journalism' and what is just rag-talk and gossip? Gawker posted a lot of controversial articles that humiliated a lot of high-powered people. Even the National Enquirer doesn't go as far as this online rag did.

Do people want to read about celebrities, athletes, billionaires, etc. short-comings and humiliating actions? Of course, they do. Gossip is exiting! Gossip is hearing how someone bigger than life is actually human. Gossip can bring those untouchables into reach. If you don't believe me, just think about how many people followed the Johnny Depp/Amber Hurd trials.

I, myself, don't care about such trivialities. Such things as the Depp/Hurt trial, who had sex with whom stories, who said what about whom, even whether some celebrity used a racial/ethnic slur don't mean anything to me or my daily life. It's all gossip and not worth my time.

The fact that people actually refer to this as journalism is what concerns me. To me, journalism is where a reporter goes out and writes about something newsworthy. For years journalism has become a joke. This Netflix documentary showed just how far left they have gone by interviewing several so-called reporters, editors, attorneys, etc. that all parroted the same thing: The First Amendment is under fire be the right and powerful conservatives are using the courts to destroy anyone that reports against them and their right to a free press.

There were a lot of references to Trump calling out the fake news. Of course, he did. What did the so-called journalists and news sources do for over four years? Reported nothing but lies about him, his family, and his administration. What have journalists and the news sources said about QuidProChinaJoe? Nothing but lies about how great he is. They covered up the Hunter Biden laptop before the election. They have done all they can to silence conservatives and conservative reporting.

Who, then, is trying to destroy the First Amendment and the rights to free speech and press? Hypocrisy was once something to be feared in politics. Now it's a badge of honor to say one thing and do the opposite.

I stand by the Constitution, as written and intended. I will never waver from that. You can say, or write, whatever you want. What I am against is a 'news outlet' that reports lies, gossip, propaganda, etc. and calling it journalism, the news, and worse, the truth. CNN, MSNBC, the NYT, WaPo, etc. have all claimed their propaganda, lies, and gossip where truthful reporting of the news. Journalists from these rags have claimed their reporting was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. As it turns out, it wasn't but they won't admit that.

This is all nothing that you haven't already figured out for yourselves. It is obvious what Hollywood, professional sports, mainstream media, social media, and even the government will only tell you what they want you to hear and that, my friends, is nothing but far-left propaganda and anti-American rhetoric to change this country into a socialist state with only one party in control.

It isn't rocket science and it doesn't take a Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein to see what is going on. When you have charismatic politicians like William Jefferson Clinton or Barack Hussein Obama casting their spell over the people, it doesn't take long for the majority to become enchanted with those empty words. “Just words, just speeches,” as Barry said over and over during his campaign.

So, is journalism free from scrutiny over what is reported? If the mainstream media states something as news, as truth, does it have to make sure that it is actually true? Trump called them out and they didn't like it. What did they do? They lied and reported gossip and rumor as truth, as news. This is not journalism and it sure as hell doesn't fall under the protection of the First Amendment. Yes, every last citizen, no matter what their profession, has the right to free speech and the press. You don't have to be a 'journalist' to fall under these protections. Bloggers, such as myself, and anyone that writes anything that is made public fall under the right to a free press. BUT, if you are a blogger like me, you make sure that you don't say that your 'reporting' truth as news.

My blog states on the homepage that what I write is opinion. I don't claim that what I write here is news or even truth. Do I research? Yes, I do. Is due diligence involved when what I write I claim as truth? Of course. Am I a journalist? Oh, hell, no! I am a writer of blogs and books. I am a truck driver by trade. I am as truthful as I can be when I am writing anything about the 'news.' I do research to make sure that what I say is a close to the truth as possible. If not, I clearly state that it is my opinion.

I believe that if a person identifies as a journalist, it is their responsibility to ensure the accuracy of what they report. If not, then state, clearly and concisely, that it is their opinion of what the news is. Freedom of the press is like freedom of speech. Yes, we all have the right to say what we want, when we want, where we want. That is unless it is seditious, can harm another, invades personal privacy, or is in a place that is inappropriate. Oh, and we cannot say anything close to harming a sitting President, Vice President, or Congressman. Unless you are a far-left radical and threatening a conservative. That's okay as proven when Kathy Gifford posted that picture of her holding the head of Donald Trump, when Madonna stated that she wanted to bomb the White House, or when Johnny Depp asked, rhetorically, when the last time was that an actor shot a President.

Our freedoms. Guaranteed, not granted, by the Constitution of the United States of American are a fragile thing. They are also a two-edged sword. As has been said by many people over the years, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The press has great power. Now, I believe, it's time they showed us they also have great responsibility to state truth instead of rumor and gossip. Bollea v Gawker was a case where, even though it could be said otherwise, our freedoms were protected. The media doesn't have a right to invade our privacy, no matter who we are. They don't have a right to destroy a person just because that person said, or did, something humiliating or off-color. We are all human and we all make mistakes.

Paula Deen said the n-word years ago and her career is destroyed. Hulk Hogan says the n-word, in private, and his career is ended. It isn't like Hunter Biden who made home movies of him doing crack and having intimate relations with minors then giving that computer to someone else to work on and inspect.

Our freedoms are our lives. This is the ONLY country in the world that has our God-given rights guaranteed by law. With great power comes great responsibility. Our freedoms are our power. With that, we have great responsibility to uphold those rights and to ensure that those rights are used responsibly. Especially when those rights are being used to enlighten the country on things like Watergate, WhiteWater, the Clinton emails, war overseas, riots here at home, etc.

I, for one, cannot fathom how people can so glibly endorse political rhetoric and call it truth; how lies become truth because they are repeated over and over; how anyone could want our rights taken away from us, any of us.

The Seven Deadly Sins

 The seven deadly sins. Sounds ominous, doesn't it? What, exactly, are they? In Roman Catholic theology, they are the seven vices that spur humanity onto other sins and immoral behavior. They were first enumerated by Pope Gregory I sometime in the 6^th Century and elaborated on by St Thomas Aquinas in the 13^th Century. (Encyclopedia Britannica online).

Here's the list:

1. Pride

2. Greed, or covetousness

3. Lust, or inordinate or illicit sexual desire

4. Envy

5. Gluttony, usually understood to include drunkeness

6. Wrath, or anger

7. Sloth

What are these, though? What did the Roman Catholics mean? I'll give you what the Online Encyclopedia Britannica gives as definitions.

Pride: 1.a. A feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by others. b. A feeling that you are more important or better than other people. 2.a. A feeling of happiness that you get when you, or someone you know, does something good, difficult, etc. b. A person or thing that makes you feel proud.

Greed: a selfish desire to have more of something (especially money)

Lust: 1. a strong feeling of sexual desire. 2. a strong desire for something

Envy: 1. the feeling of wanting to have what someone else has.

Gluttony: The act or habit of eating or drinking too much

Wrath: extreme anger

Sloth: the quality or state of being lazy

Hmmmm. Seems to me that most of America is guilty of most of these cardinal, or deadly, sins. Some people more than others.

Think about it. Why is it a sin to want to keep what you've worked for but not to have that taken from you and given to someone that didn't earn it? Is that greed? If it is, on whose part? If, in the course of human events, you've just knocked out a 60 hour work week, gotten paid regular time for 40 and time and a half for 20. Let's say you make $10/hour for simplicity. That would be $400 regular time and $300 overtime. A whopping $700! What a payday!

Now, since John Q Liberal over there didn't want to work because he was too busy marching against capitalism while living in his parent's basement and playing video games. He didn't earn a thing. Not one stinking penny. Is it greed that you should want to keep what you worked your arse off for and not give the poor socialist anything? Or is it greed that the poor socialist wants part of what you worked for because you have so much more than he does?

How about this? Is it envy that he feels towards you because you own your home, a car, nice clothes, etc. and all he has is his parent's basement that they allow him to live in, a few rags that he's had for the last 10 years, and for transportation he has his Chevrolegs (one person power)? How about we take it a step further and ask, does he lust after your money? He is definitely slothful because he doesn't want to work. He's damn proud of the fact that he stands up for social equity (not equality because that would mean he would have to put in some effort), and he's extremely angry that you have more than he.

This blog isn't about shaming anyone or disenfranchising anyone. There are those out there that are not able to work and need assistance. There are some that aren't educated enough to get a really good paying job and need a little help. These people aren't greedy, lusting after anyone or anything, slothful, angry, or envious. All they need and want is a little help to survive. Then, there are those like I described in the above paragraph. What I am attempting to do here is to get at least one person to open their eyes to the perversity of liberalism, socialism, Communism, and the general anti-capitalist agenda being forced down the throats of America.

I'm also trying to show how, even though there are a lot people that are not Christian, most of us are guilty of most, if not all, of the seven deadly sins. We all feel pride. We all feel envious at one time or another. I'd say that most of us have lusted after someone at least once in our lifetimes. We've all had our bouts with anger, greed, and laziness. The worst part is, if you look around, there are a lot (as Peanut would say: a LOOOOTTTTT) of gluttony going around the country. Does this make us bad people?

The human race, in general, is a race bent on the destruction of everyone and everything around us. We tear down mountains to build a couple more. We uproot our forests to built those mountains. We pollute our rivers and oceans. We set off nuclear bombs. We kill for greed, envy, pride, or for no reason at all. We steal from each other. We lie and cheat. This is humanity. Like it or not. We are the bane of Mother Earth. And the seven deadly sins are our lifestyle.

Is America the only country in the world like this? Not by a long shot! Every country is guilty of destruction. Every country is guilty of most of the cardinal sins. The only difference is we in America have a political party that screams at the top of their lungs just how bad we are. In a lot of other countries, they don't have that God-given, Constitutionally protected right to free speech.

So, in a word, yes. We are very bad people. Even the saintliest of us have been guilty of a few of those sins, not to mention a few of the Ten Commandments were broken along the way. According to the Bible, there has only been one person that was free from sin of any kind. Hate to tell ya, Buttercup, it ain't you.

All these social warriors lamenting the downfalls of America seem to forget that their riots, looting, arson, assault, lying, cheating, double-speak; all of it, is acting just as badly as what they are protesting against. You can't tell them that, though. They don't have the capacity to understand anything but their own feelings. Their arrogance and hedonistic tendencies get in the way of logic and common sense. If they were so bent on wealth redistribution like they say they are, they would be giving up their own millions of dollars instead of stealing yours to give away. They are the most heinous of criminals. The seven deadly sins are their mantra, their very way of life.

Do we need to change the way we live? Most of us should. We could all be a little kinder, less envious, less lazy at times, definitely less lustful for a lot of people (especially those that are on a first name basis at the abortion clinic). All in all, though, we are what we are and we do what we do. Most of us can't change because it is all we know. We are only human, after all.

One Voice Can Make a Difference

 They say that one voice can change history. Donald Trump was one voice that did. It took 57 signers of the Declaration of Independence to change the course of the Colonies and to form a new nation. It has taken the mainstream media, social media, hundreds of celebrities, most of Congress, a former President, and decades of indoctrination to reverse the course of our freedoms back into the tyranny our Founding Fathers fought against.

In November of 2020 there were five highly contested state election polls. Ballots showed up in the middle of night, opposing party members were not allowed close oversight of ballot counting, and voting machines that were not allowed to be examined. When a handful of Congressmen wanted to investigate that election, they were beat down and ridiculed. If anyone questioned that election, they were called 'election deniers,' told they were destroying our 'democracy,' and then labeled domestic terrorists.

During the campaign season, affectionately referred to as The Summer of Love, BLM and Antifa engaged in rioting, looting, arson, and assault. They firebombed the Federal Courthouse in Portland, Oregon for three months. The people involved were not arrested. If they were, they had people at the highest levels of government helping them to regain their freedom. While thousands of innocent business owners lost everything, these terrorists gained.

On January 6, 2021, while Congress was in session to certify the votes of the election, Donald Trump held a rally a mile away from the Capitol Complex. He spoke about the freedom to peacefully protest. He called for then Vice President Mike Pence to not certify the results and said that the people had the right to question the election and march on the Capitol. Several thousand did.

The problem about that march wasn't that Donald Trump called for a peaceful protest. It was that prior to his call to march, others had already arrived to wreak havoc, breach the House Chambers and engage in vandalism. Capitol police and guards allowed these people into the building and some were even escorted around. Once Trump was done talking, all hell broke loose.

The Democrats are calling this an armed, violent insurrection. No one protesting, either inside or outside, the building were armed. No weapons were found anywhere belonging to any protester. The only people harmed were one guard that had a heart attack and one Airman that was shot, and killed, by a guard.

Donald Trump had asked that National Guard be called to enforce the law. Nancy Pelosi refused to call them and she was the only one that could. No one knows why she refused and no one will ask her. The chaos created within the hallowed halls of Congress were not committed by MAGA people. The government had been warned days before that there could be problems. Nothing was done to keep anything from happening.

Today, there are still over 500 patriotic Americans sitting in Washington, DC jails without being charged with a crime, access to legal counsel, and refused bail. Why? Because they are MAGA. While BLM and Antifa rioters remain free, peaceful protesters are incarcerated for no reason.

Was this all planned by the Democrat Party? They had done everything they could to get rid of Donald Trump. The day that he announced his candidacy they started screaming impeachment. They investigated him his entire tenure. They are still investigating him. They don't want him to be allowed to run again and they sure don't want him in the White House.

What is it about Donald Trump the Democrats don't like? My opinion is this: Donald J Trump stands for America, American values, American freedoms, American citizens, energy independence, a secure border, fair trade deals, and everyone pay their fair share around the world. Most of all, he stands for a government that is not corrupt. That, my friends, is why the Democrats, and a lot of Republicans, don't like him, don't want him around, and sure don't want him back in the White House. He exposed their corruption and deceit. That will not do.

So, if it's Donald Trump they don't like, why is it they are going after American citizens full force? It isn't all American citizens, it's only the ones that believe in the Constitution, our rights and freedoms, secure borders, energy independence, and getting rid of the corruption of Congress. Donald Trump is just the man that incited this patriotism.

Trump supporters don't necessarily like the man. I don't. To me, he is a petulant, egotistical, self-centered child. He always wants his way and he demands that people bend to his wishes and give him unfaltering loyalty. Are those good qualities for a President? Not really. Did it work for America? Yes it did. Trump supporters don't support Trump, himself. They support his policies of American freedoms, American jobs, a secure border against the illegal invasion now occurring, fair trade deals with foreign nations, an end to the endless wars, jobs for all American citizens, and end to the race baiting, morals and values, but most of all, AMERICA FIRST.

Those fifty-seven men that signed the Declaration risked everything. The pledged everything. If the Colonies had lost the War of Independence, they would have been tried for treason against the Crown and hung. Most didn't survive the war. Those that did lost a lot because of it. That was what they signed onto. That was what they believed in. That is what they fought for. This is what we gained. A new nation, conceived in liberty. Liberty not just for a few but for all.

It took decades to get that liberty for some. It took another war to gain freedom from slavery. It took protests and marches to gain the right to vote for women. It took riots, protests, and marches to put into law civil rights. Our history is not pretty. Then again, history, in and of itself, is not pretty. Chaos, strife, hardships, slavery, death and destruction have been a part of every nation throughout the entirety of history. Not just here in America. Rome conquered most of the known world thousands of years ago through war and invasion. The Norse, the Celts, the English, the Greeks, Romans, Africans, Ottomans, etc. all gained through war and invasion. History is not pretty.

The Democrats, and a lot of Republicans would like rewrite our history and make it out that America is bad and needs to pay for its sins. Reparations to blacks for slavery is one way that America needs to pay. I'm sorry. I have never owned a slave and I don't believe that any black person alive today ever was indentured. The first slave owner in America was black. The tribes of Africa sold slave traders a lot of the people that came here. Hate to say it but, there were Irish slaves, Chinese slaves, white slaves, child slaves, etc. The slave trade did not discriminate. The far-left don't tell you that.

Now that we have a far-left radical in the White House, even though he is a mentally challenged geriatric, all of what Trump accomplished has been wiped out and anti-American policy is the word of the day. Corruption reigns supreme. Socialism, which is the first stage of Communism, is being pushed through Congress daily.

The worst part of all this? With the corruption and fraud that got Biden installed as President in 2020 has overlapped to the mid-term election of 2022. They got by with it once and they will continue with it. Our nation is lost and that one voice isn't making much of a difference anymore.

How I Research and What is Just Opinion

 For those of you who know me, you know that I try to research what I rant about. At least enough to have a working knowledge. There is a myriad of ways to do research. One is to go online and use Google, which is a liberal owned search engine. There is Bing, also liberal owned. There is going to Wikipedia, which no self-respecting researcher would ever use for facts. When I went to college, I used just about any source that ended in .edu. Those, unfortunately, are also biased toward the left.

Those are the online ways. What about a library? Yes, excellent sources for hard copy research sources, if you want to go through reams of pages of outdated encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other research material. I don't normally want to spend that much time on things unless it is researching history of some sort. The library does have something that I use a lot of, though. Books. I have an extensive library of my own that contains such rubbish as: The Constitution of the United States and the Amendments, The Federalist Papers, The Anti-Federalist Papers, The Federalist Farmer, Madison's notes on the Continental debates, and other such rot.

There is also things such as mass media news sources. You know, the liberal sources such as CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, FoxNews, OAN, NewsMax, etc. All of which have their own bias. Along with these there are the (shudder, shudder) talk show hosts like Mark Levin, Andrew Wilkow, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, etc. These, too, have their own bias, albeit more trustworthy than Chris Cuomo, Jimmy Kimmel, Jake Tapper, etc. I have quoted some of these when I believed them to be spot on.

Lastly, there are people that I talk to that seem to know what's happening. People like immigrants that came from Ukraine, El Salvador, Cuba, Mexico, Korea, Germany, Israel, Palestine, etc. (Yes, I have spoken directly with people from each of these countries.) The ones that make the most sense are those that have lived through what we only hear about from our 'news' sources, and, at times, they tell a much different story than what we hear.

There are also those people that have researched on their own. I know quite a few that if they say it, I believe it without question. Others, I do a little looking on my own. You always have to take hear-say with a little salt. So far, I haven't been steered too far from the truth.

Then, there are the (shudder, shudder) conspiracy theorist types. I know, I am one of those, right? If you look at my record, more than 90% of my 'conspiracy theories' have been proven to be truth. So, I do listen to each one of these people to have an idea of what others are thinking. Right now, no one is thinking good things. About anything. The economy is going to go into a deep, deep recession or even a depression that rivals 1929. Is this this actually theory after all that our fearful leader, the mentally challenged geriatric in the White House, has done over the last 18 to 20 months? I can see it. I've been told that one of the biggest investors that will tell you to always buy is now selling off his stocks. Doesn't sound good.

The theory that intrigues me the most, though, is this: the super-volcano that we know and love, Yellowstone, is going to erupt. Not sometime but soon. How soon? How about December 25, 2022, at 7:08 (I would guess AM because most of the world uses a 24-hour clock). Why does he think this? Life, at its core, is math. Everything comes down to numbers. Numerology has been used for centuries for everything. Math is used in everything from cyphers to molecules to DNA.

What does this have to do with Yellowstone blowing up half the United States and covering over half the world in ash? Numbers. I've listened to this man spout off his theories over the last seven and half years and he hasn't been too far off on most of what he has told me. I don't know how it works. I haven't studied numerology at all. I've always put it down with things like the horrorscope and Ouija board or Tarot cards. (Although, I have dabbled in Runes and have been remarkably accurate on a lot of things.)

To go further into his prophecy. Yellowstone has had some major natural crises the last year or so. This is leading up to a sudden, and unexpected, eruption of the largest volcano on Earth. What happens then? Since it will happen after the election but before the new Congress takes power, the radicals in charge will declare a national emergency, which it most definitely will be. In doing this, they will suspend the Constitution and martial law will take over, the new Congress will not be convened, and the mentally challenged geriatric will be taken out of office due to his ineptitude. That will leave Kameltoe, the Hoe, in charge. We all know she doesn't have the sense of a rock so she will be replaced. Is Nancy up to it? That drunken has-been will be taken out somehow. Who does that leave? Care to take a guess?

How about our old friend, the Great Pretender, himself: Barack Hussein Obama. We all have an idea that he's actually the one running the show, anyway. He'll come back to make things right. And America will welcome him with open arms just as they did when he ran the first time. It doesn't matter that he's a fake, a charlatan, an impostor. He has charm, charisma, power, and, of course, he's multi-racial. People will say he's black but having only one parent that is black doesn't make you that. Don't forget, his mother what whiter than the new fallen snow. Numerology says that Barry is the Anti-Christ. That he will rise up out of nowhere and become the false messiah and lead the world into the Apocalypse.

Because of the ash in the air, the sun won't be able to warm the Earth. Food will become scarce. Then, again, is that any surprise? After all, we have a food shortage now because of the Biden Anti-American policies enacted. America will become a battleground. We will be invaded by our enemies with little resistance from our weakened military. UN forces will become a common sight. Resistance fighters will do what they can but, hunting rifles, carbines with limited mags, small arms, etc. will be no match for UN, Russian, Chinese, North Korean, and Middle Eastern arms and maintenance. America will fall into chaos then into oblivion. The New World Order will take over. The end.

Sounds pretty far-fetched, doesn't it? Or does it? This is exactly what the far-left radicals want. They don't want a free America. They want an enslaved, impoverished, beaten down, taken-down-a-notch-or-three America. We will suffer more than ever before for the sins of our fathers if the left has anything to do about it. They don't realize that they, too, are guilty, if not more so. They, too, will suffer. They may even be the first to be gotten rid of by the invaders. Traitors are not well thought of in any regime. If a person is willing to sell out their country of birth, their brothers and sisters, what will keep them from betraying the enemies of that country? Once a person is known as to betray, they are never trusted by anyone with any sense.

So, it's up to you, my dear readers, to believe it not. I am not saying that the above scenario is what will come to be, only giving one person's thoughts on what they believe may happen. Nothing is written in stone. Well, the Ten Commandments were but we all know what the left did with that. History is done and cannot be changed but the future is what we make it. Will it be a bright and sunny day, or will all hell break loose and a dystopian world the likes of which no fiction writer could even imagine come into play?

We are Americans. We have fought tyranny around the globe (across the flat earth for all you flat earthers out there). We have been through hell and back and made it, thrived, and helped the world, even after devastating circumstances of our own. A revolution, a war to keep our independence, wars to gain land, wars to end tyranny, wars to get to a bargaining table, wars for oil, wars against terrorism. We've endured internal strife with a civil war, for civil rights, gang wars, terrorism on our own soil, riots. We have endured and still survive. We can overcome anything. As long as we fight TOGETHER. The old cliché, united we stand, divided we fall, stands true. If we can re-unite, become one country again, we will overcome the darkness ahead of us. But WE MUST UNITE. As Sir William Wallace said to Robert Bruce before he was betrayed by him, “Unite us. Only you can rule Scotland. But you MUST UNITE US.”

The left has no intention of doing this. It is their everything that we stay divided. As long as we are fighting amongst ourselves, they still have control. We must come together. We must become that One Nation, Under God, Indivisible. We must! If we are to endure, if we are to survive what is coming (whatever that is), if we are to continue to be that one last beacon of freedom, we have to do it together. All of us.

Crime in Government and Our Diminishing Rights

Governmental overreach. This is something that the Constitution of the United States is supposed to keep from happening. The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to that Constitution, were put into place to secure the most basic of human rights and guarantee that they would not be taken from us by a tyrannical government.

What has happened over many decades is exactly what the Founding Fathers feared would happen and tried to prevent. The elected officials of this great nation have become so powerful, so embedded into the system, that they have no fear of repercussions of their crimes against the country and the citizens of the country. At one point these crimes were concealed from view, committed discreetly behind closed doors. Today, it is open for all to see but lied about and claimed to be committed by the opposition party. This is done by BOTH of the major parties, not just one.

What is happening to make me say such things? Open your eyes and see, my fellow Americans. A hundred and fifty years ago we could hunt and fish without needing a permit/license; we could build a shed, a barn, a house, without permits or governmental oversight; we could start and run a business without permits and taxes; we weren't taxed into poverty. Rules, regulations, and laws that we, the people, are controlled by are the sole responsibility of the Congress. It seems as though that has gone by the wayside as agencies such as the EPA, DNR, Commerce Department, etc. institute new rules and regulations on a daily basis without Congressional debate, vote, or approval. Well, obviously they approve but there are countless 'laws' on the books that Congress has not debated or voted on. These are NOT laws. Only CONGRESS has the power to legislate. Yet, here we are, forced to follow mandates, edicts, rules, regulations, etc. that have not gone through the legislative process.

Do we still have the right to free speech, to worship as we please, to PEACEFULLY protest, and does the honest press still have the right to report the truth? It seems that these guaranteed rights only belong to those that follow the agenda of the far-left. There are still over 500 people, American citizens, that are being held in DC jails without bail or access to legal counsel simply because they attended a Trump rally. They haven't even been charged with a crime. They peacefully protested outside the Capitol Complex. The rioters, looters, arsonists, and those that committed assault on innocent bystanders and police, are still free. Christianity has become ostracized and Islam is protected, and only far-left agenda stories are allowed to be printed as proven by the Hunter Biden laptop story being kept from the American people to insure the installation of a mentally challenged geriatric into the White House.

Do we still have the right to keep and bear arms as is expressly guaranteed by the Second Amendment? There were no constraints written into that amendment. None. It doesn't say anything about only if you carry so many rounds, only if you aren't a felon, only if you are a perfect citizen, only if it looks a certain way. It says: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This has become a big debate across the nation. Why do people need guns when the police have them? Why do you need 30 rounds to go deer hunting? Why do you need a scary looking rifle? My answer to that is: why do you care? When the Founders stated 'a well regulated Militia' you have to take into account just WHO that Militia was at the time. It wasn't a government owned and operated organization. It was the PEOPLE of the colonies and the newly formed free country. That is why the last part of this amendment is so important and why it is the most repeated: the right of the PEOPLE... The Founders had just fought a war against a tyrannical dominion and wanted to insure that it would not happened again.

Do I want violent criminals to be able to carry concealed weapons? Do I want terrorists to be able to do the same? Let me ask you this: do you want one Constitutionally guaranteed right limited for a false sense of security or do you want to keep those rights protected for real liberty? It doesn't matter how many laws are enacted. It doesn't matter that government and police are armed to the teeth. Criminals don't care about laws. Terrorists don't care about laws. Crime still happens; as does terrorism. Chicago, the most anti-gun city in the country has the most gun violence. Statistically, every city and state that has the strictest gun laws are the most violent. Why is that? Maybe because the people aren't allowed to protect themselves and the police are hamstrung because of leftist rules and anti-law enforcement rhetoric.

How about protection from illegal search and seizure? Writ of habeus corpus? The right to legal counsel? Better yet: how about the rule of law? In most criminal cases there is a crime with, or without, a known perpetrator. In the case of Donald J Trump, and a lot of his followers, the government has a ton of perpetrators without a crime. Our elected officials are desperately searching for something, anything, to charge Donald Trump with. They tried Russian collusion and only found that it was the Clinton campaign, the DNC, and, possibly, Hilary Clinton, herself, that were the perpetrators. They impeached Trump twice just to find that he was innocent of all charges. I know, the left will swear that he was guilty and was let go but that isn't what happened. Has Trump been allowed equal protection under the law? Has he been presumed innocent until proven guilty? Not by a long shot! The left and the rest of those career politicians that are at risk of losing their power and wealth have gone after him with a vengeance. Only one other American President was persecuted to this extent and that pales in comparison.

Trump supporters, MAGA people, patriotic Americans that believe in the Constitution and our rights and freedoms have been declared domestic terrorists by the POTUS, a man whose own son sold access to for our enemies and other foreign powers. Joseph R Biden, Jr has proven over and over, since 21 Jan. 2021 that he has no interest in America. He shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline almost before the inauguration was over. He opened the southern border to millions of illegals to enter unencumbered. He has destroyed our economy. Where Trump had made us energy independent, Biden has put us back under the thumb of OPEC, our enemies. The list goes on but the gist of it is that the one person that had made America great again, has been persecuted while those that are doing the persecution are the ones actually destroying our country.

The far-left scream daily how conservatives, the MAGA people, and Republicans (if there were any actual Republicans) are destroying our 'democracy.' Hate to tell you but this country is not, nor ever has been, a democracy. Democracies fail, miserably just as Socialism and Communism do. We are a Constitutional Republic. Our representatives are democratically elected by popular vote. Our President is elected by the Electoral College which ensures that the WHOLE of the nation, not just a small, highly populated area is represented. Our 'democracy' is in no way being destroyed or in any danger of being destroyed by the conservatives and patriotic Americans that believe in the Constitution, as written and intended, and the Bill of Rights.

As I've stated, our rights and freedoms are being taken away, little by little, by people that are not elected and are not hurt in any way by their decisions. Even Congress has no vested interest in the laws they enact. They aren't forced to use ObamaCare, they have their own healthcare provided by the taxpayers. They don't care whether there is any social security left in the Treasury, they have their own retirement paid for by the taxpayer. They really don't care what kind of violence they incite by their speeches because they are protected by their position. They build their walls around their homes and the Capitol Complex to protect themselves yet leave the southern border wide open leaving we, the people, powerless to protect ourselves.

Think about this, while Congress is saying that it is the humanitarian thing to do to let all these illegals in and let them go where they may because they are such great assets to our country, when they end up in the midst of the elite, as Ron DeSantis made sure by sending 50 to Martha's Vineyard, those illegals become problems and can't be taken care of. Only the 'Red States,' the conservative centers, are able to handle the millions of invaders. Nancy Pelosi had several arrested that breached the walls around her home. No, the elites don't care one iota about the people.

The Founders knew that this would be attempted and did everything they could to prevent it. The Constitution was written as it was because of months of debate and public opinion. The newly formed nation wanted to make sure that they, and future generations, weren't subjected to the tyranny that they had been under the rule of King George. Now, because of decades of indoctrination and anti-American rhetoric in our government run schools, we elect that tyranny into office and keep it there. We vote to have our rights and freedoms taken away from us. We allow the Constitution to be shredded on a daily basis and used as a weapon against us.

The Constitution of the United States was written to protect the CITIZENS of the United States. It was never intended to protect illegals, foreign terrorists, foreign nations, etc. It is BY, FOR, and OF the People of the United States. Because of our complacency and lack of knowledge and understanding of our founding documents, we have allowed a tyrannical dominion to overtake our land. The sad part is that there are millions of citizens that believe in the tyranny, that support the tyranny, and embrace the tyranny. Why? Because they have been indoctrinated into believing that only government knows best how we should live our lives.

Hitler did not invade Austria. He was ELECTED into office. It took the Austrians five years to actually see what kind of monster the man was. Once the damage is done, it is almost impossible to repair. Can Venezuela regain its wealth and prosperity? It will take decades, if not centuries to do so. How about North Korea? Vietnam? China? Russia? Can the millions of citizens of those countries that were murdered come back? The millions of Jews and Germans that Hitler slaughtered simply because of their heritage, their religion, their belief in freedoms, can never be brought back. Socialism is the first step to Communism. Communism is tyranny and complete government control. If you think that American socialism will be any different than any other time in history because Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can 'do it right,' then you, my friend, are completely indoctrinated and fully brainwashed. There is no 'right' way to do socialism. It always becomes tyranny with death, destruction, and chaos. You can vote it in but you have to fight your way out. Ask any Venezuelan. Ask an Austrian that survived Hitler. Ask any Chinese that survived Mao. Talk to any Russian immigrant that grew up under the Soviet Union's rule. There are still people out there that know what happens. All you have to do is ask.

I have talked with WWII survivors from Germany. I have talked to Koreans. I have talked to Russians that grew up in Soviet Russia. I have talked to people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Palestine, Israel. I have studied history, true history, of the Soviet Revolution, American Revolution, Custer's last stand, the Trail of Tears, the Vietnam Conflict, the Korean Police Action. There is never a completely good guy and a completely bad guy. There are only the two sides of the equation. The good, the bad, and the indifferent are all co-conspirators in a battle for power. Was the American government the good, or bad, guy while taking the land from the Indians? Was Custer on the right side or were the Indians? Who were the righteous ones in Vietnam and Korea?

The American government has singularly decided, over many decades, just who is right and who is wrong throughout the world. Was Hitler bad? He was a murderous maniac. Was Mao just trying to unify his country? Were the white Europeans really just trying to help the red Indians become 'civilized' and have a better life? It's all up for a long debate over a bottle of Scotch. That is unless you are a conspiracy theorist that believes there is a secret society that actually runs the governments of the world, controls the world monetary system, incites wars and decides who will win and who will lose.

Our rights, guaranteed, not granted, by the Constitution are fast diminishing. A hundred and fifty years ago there were no restrictions on how we lived, what we did to survive, support, and protect our families. Today, everything we do is taxed, regulated, controlled, permitted, etc. by the government. Who, exactly, gave the government this power over us? Who said, “OK, big government, I want you to make me buy a permit to hunt and fish so that you can profit off my family's survival?” Who said, “OK, big government, I want you to tell me how to build my home?” Who said, “OK, big government, I want you to regulate everything I do?”

It wasn't any red-blooded, patriotic American citizen now was it? Yes, it was. Every person who has been eligible to vote in the last 150 years is guilty. But... but.... but... I wasn't even alive that long ago! It wasn't me that did that! Yes, it was. Not then, but now. When was the last time an American citizen, either Democrat or Republican, voted against an incumbent? It doesn't matter if it is the President of the United States or the dog catcher of your home town? When was the last time you researched the voting record of your US Congressman or even your State Legislator? Do you even know what they voted for or against? Or, do you, as as proud, responsible, dedicated Democrat/Republican just vote “D” or “R” or just against someone you don't like or vote for because of the color of their skin?

Oh, yeah! I went there. How many people voted for Barack Hussein Obama simply because he was multi-racial? Far too many. I've talked to plenty of black folks that said they voted for him because he is black. They didn't care what he campaigned on, what he promised to do, what he did... no, all they cared about was that he was black. Oprah Winfrey, god bless her little pea-pickin' heart, never openly supported any candidate until Barry Sotoero. Why? She supported him because he is 'black.' Barry is half white. His mother is/was (I don't know if she is still alive or not) white. His father was a Kenyon, a foreign national. That makes Barry multi-racial, not black.

To go further into this: Barry enlisted into college as a FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT in at least one college. To all you Obama supporters, I don't recall where I saw it but I believe it was found out by our favorite Arizona sheriff. Barry, also, never legally changed his name to Barack Hussein Obama after he decided that Barry Sotoero wasn't African enough. His mentors were, as was his father, anti-American Muslims. Do you remember when he stood at the podium and said, “If you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims?” How about- if you attack one American you attack all Americans? Barry Sotoero was the greatest farce perpetrated on the American people, until Joe Biden.

Barry destroyed more of our rights and freedoms, blatantly put targets on the backs of law enforcement, incited racism to a point far exceeding that of the 1950's and 60's, weakened America's military, embraced our enemies and spat in the face of our allies, bowed to a foreign power, aided and abetted our enemies by giving Iran billions in cash and weapons, and most heinously, embedded Islamic terrorists into American society in the guise of refugees and gave them citizenship so they could run for political office, which they have.

This is just one example of how we, the people, are guilty of allowing the destruction of the Constitution and our rights and freedoms. We have voted for, not against, corruption by re-electing incumbents regardless of what they've done, or not done. By pushing the “D” or “R” without researching what each candidate really stands for, we are guilty. By voting for the other guy because Orange Man Bad, we are guilty. By continuing to vote for representatives simply because we already know what they are and know nothing about the new guy, we are allowing bills to be passed with so much pork, add-ons, and things that wouldn't make it through the process without putting it in something that is needed. Not holding our representatives accountable to our wishes is the greatest crime.

The taxpayers of this country spend trillions of dollars on foreign nations, frivolous projects, etc. and we don't even know anything about it. Why? Because those bills are thousands of pages long, written in Congressional legalese so as not to be easily understood. All we know is what they want us to know about those bills. And, sometimes, what we're told isn't even a fraction of what the whole bill is about. Yet, we keep voting for the corruption, the deception, the loss of our rights and freedoms, and our own enslavement to the system. All the while, those elected elites live high off the hog, unencumbered by the very laws they pass to enslave us. All at the expense of us, the American taxpayer. It's so easy to spend other people's money and take away what they don't even know they have.

Time to wake up, America. Time to start the reconstruction of the greatest nation on the planet. Time to get rid of the corruption and deception. Time to get rid of career politicians and replace them with people that can be held accountable. Time for those career criminals to be brought to justice. How about treating them the way those 500+ patriots have been treated for almost two years in DC jails? Held without bail, access to legal counsel, or accused of a crime. Just because those elected officials are just that, it doesn't mean they are better than the rest of us. In fact, you have to understand that they are OUR employees. We pay them to represent OUR wants, needs, and wishes; not their own power and wealth. They are nothing but public servants and we, the people, are their rightful masters. When the country finally gets that through its head, then, and only then, will we become what the Founders created.

I know that I sound like a record that keeps repeating itself. I have found over the years that repetition is the only way to get people to understand anything. The far-left understands this. That is why, day after day, all day long, for over four years you heard Orange Man Bad, Donald Trump is a criminal, we need to impeach DJT, and Trump Derangement Syndrome was pushed down our throats. They know that if they repeat something enough the country will believe it, understand it, and never forget it. Even now, two years after he left office, the left is still doing it. They are still persecuting Trump and the indoctrinated believe in them. It is still being pushed down our throats that Orange Man Bad. Why? My opinion? Because he is the only person that actually stood up to them and brought their corruption into the light. Not just of the left but of the right, also.

Yes, I said it. There are plenty of so-called Republicans that are just as corrupt. Mitch McConnell is one of them. Did you know that his in-laws own the major shipping company in China? Yep! That shipping company is basically owned by the Communist Chinese government. How long has that geriatric been in office? He has so much power over the people of Kentucky that he doesn't have to worry about not getting re-elected. He'll just buy the office as he's done over the past few election cycles. After all, the Chinese need to control our representatives and he is one of the most powerful. Way to go, Kentucky! Keep voting that compromised asshole into office.

There are a handful, a small handful, of people in Congress that actually want what is right for America and Americans. You could probably count them on one hand with fingers left over. Josh Hawley, Jim Jordan, and Dan Crenshaw come to mind. Trey Gowdy was good when he was in his investigations but as a Representative he was a little wishy-washy. Lindsay Graham is the same. He goes whichever way is best for him. How about Iowa's Chuck Grassley? He puts on a good show and works hard for Iowa but, when it comes to what is best for the nation, well, his record isn't exactly untarnished.

There are even a few Democrats that work for the good of the country. Tulsi Gabbard, and Joe Manchin are a couple of them. Yes, they are liberal but not to the extent of the far-left radicals. I would have no problem voting for either of them if the Republican candidate showed signs of extremism, either left or right. Moderate is where a candidate has to be. My representative has to know what is best for the country, not just my state, but not go overboard on any legislation. Gabbard and Manchin do that. Yes, they vote liberal but also know when to go against Nancy & Co. and their anti-American policies.

Do you see what I'm trying to get across? Research the candidates. Know how they vote. Get an understanding of where they are politically, socially, economically. If they aren't pro-America, they shouldn't be elected to office. When that happens we get people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Aiyanna Pressely, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, Cory Booker, Adam Schitt, etc. What's worse, we end up with a Commander in Chief like what was installed on Jan 21, 2021.

You have to remember that these people believe that they are above us, the common folk, the citizens. They are not! They need to be reminded of that every two/six years. There should never be a political race that isn't up for grabs to the best candidate. Incumbents become powerful. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is sorely evident in our Congress today. Too many have been there far too long and become far too powerful.

I believe I have rambled long enough. I tend to repeat myself far too much and get off topic far too easily. That is why I titled my blog Rants and Ravings from a Twisted Mind. My beliefs are out there and vocalized often. I am a Constitutional Conservative with Libertarian tendencies. I do my best to think for myself and not go along with the mob. I have changed my mind on a few subjects after debating with others but it is not as often as they would like. All you have to do is prove to me that my way of thinking is wrong. Most cannot do it. As Andrew Wilkow likes to say, “The arguments on this show cannot be broken.”