History – Page 2 – Smoke Signals

The 1st Amendment for liberals (dummies)

It seems that we have an entire segment of the U.S. adult population who needs to go back to High School Government class, as they keep suing everyone and anyone but the U.S. Government for “violating the First Amendment.” Well, once again, I’m going to try to explain this in as succinct a way as I can so you might understand the point of the First Amendment is not to protect you from witnessing others exercising their faith, but to protect all Americans from the Government ruling that you can’t do that at all.

The full text reads as follow.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Looking only at the first two clauses, Congress is prohibited from passing any law which elevates one faith over others, and also prohibited from passing any law that restricts the right of every American to openly practice their faith. This does not mean that a school teacher cannot choose to join already praying students, or that a school must tell a Bible study they can’t meet on school grounds, it means two very concrete things. First, CONGRESS cannot pass a law that respects one faith over others, and second, that CONGRESS cannot pass a law that restricts the rights of all Americans to exercise their faith. Period!

While Congress is now busy arguing over which party gets to lie about Trump next time, however, we have high prices attorneys threatening small town schools where a Coach decided to join his students in prayer, not force them to, not even suggest it, he wants to join them! They pray before a game, and he wants to as well! This must stop, and sadly, at this point, litigation may be the only way. We need to counter all attempts to silence Christians with counter-suits using the same Amendment they are to attack us. They claim that praying is respecting an establishment of religion, we need to counter with two simple questions. First, which LAW did CONGRESS pass requiring that prayer be spoken? Second, are you trying to prohibit the free exercise thereof?

These cowards are well aware that they are wrong, and are censoring and silencing those they don’t agree with, but they’ve had free reign for decades, and two Presidencies where the White House was behind them. They ignore Muslims blocking traffic and the streets of NYC to pray, forcing New Yorkers to watch and hear Muslim prayers. They ignore companies and schools being forced to stop everything to allow Muslim prayer, or teachers forced to lead classes in those same prayers, all in the name of diversity.

We, at least those of us who have studied the book of Revelation, know that these are signs of the end of days, and while we can’t stop that, we are to never stop working to further His kingdom. We don’t know if the end of days is days, weeks, months, years or even centuries away, but we know it’s coming. Now more than ever we should be fighting for our God given human freedom to worship who and as we choose, if for nothing more than our call to spread the Gospel to the world.

Will you be cowed and silent, or will you brave the lions’ den? How do you wish to be able to answer what you’ve done for His Kingdom when you finally meet him? I know my answer, to all the above questions, and to what I will do when told I must hide my faith. I would rather die for Christ than dishonor all He has done for me, what about you?

Smokey

Is it really still morning in America?

For many years, we’ve heard the loud protests from “gun control” advocates that they aren’t pushing for confiscation and forcibly disarming the American public, but Oregon’s Governor just signed bill which allows the confiscation of weapons from those “deemed to be an imminent threat to themselves or others. Here’s the problem, who decides that simply owning a weapon isn’t an “imminent threat?” Say you’re an outspoken critic of this Governor, and she just decides that since you constantly post about her in “less than complimentary terms,” that she “feels threatened” by you, so now you’re disarmed. What about people who are very public figures? Dana Loesch has had to move, again, because of threats to her and her family, because she is a very outspoken supporter of the Second Amendment and the NRA. She’s quick to let you know how she feels, but has never been a friend to the liberals crying over every death after someone who has a weapon on them, illegally, is killed. Say this law was federal, what’s to stop some liberal judge from declaring that anyone who supports the NRA is an “imminent threat” to themselves or those around them? This is the slippery slope that conservatives have talked about every time “common sense gun control” is brought up.

Another example of the idiocy we’re expected to ignore from our elected officials, this bill that supposedly would ban bump stocks/automatic weapons, but if you read it, it bans EVERYTHING that can “increase the rate of fire” of a semi-automatic weapon. Now, I made more than my fair share of jokes and comments about Shannon Watts saying that no rifle should fire 10 rounds a minute (yes, 1 every six seconds, which I can beat with a bolt action rifle where I have to load every shell,) but this bill is just moronic and why is very simple. Every human is born with a “rate increaser,” it’s your finger! The faster you pull the trigger, or if you don’t seat the rifle against your shoulder tightly enough, it will bump fire without a bump stock. Here’s the idiocy about this though, faster fire is actually far less accurate than slower fire. Notice in the movies though, the weapon doesn’t move much when the “machine gun” fires. This is false, the barrel is going to rise and move, so you’re not going to be able to just “mow down” your target. I’ve fired in competition for a few years, and I tend to use every second I’m given, ensuring my accuracy is the best it can be. But, as always, the “scary thing” is so evil it must be possessed by Beelzebub himself, so must be taken by force from all who have it.

With the Oregon law, and the low chance that any judge on the bench now other than those now being appointed by President Trump, would side with the Constitution, we must act and act fast. We have the 2018 mid-term elections in just over a year, and the primaries in half that time. Read your Constitution, and only vote for those who will honor their oath of office and stand up to bullies like Oregon who would declare anyone an “imminent threat” and disarm the with no hearing or charges. That’s a violation of not only the 2nd, but also the 4th Amendment, as it’s definitely unreasonable search and seizure. Stand up to idiots who would say they want to ban “machine guns” but then say that ANYTHING that can increase the rate of fire is illegal, as they know perfectly well that simply being semi-automatic means the simple trigger can do that, as they are working to disarm all Americans.

Make no mistake, they know that if they ever disarm the citizenry, the criminals will still be armed, and they want that, as they want a police state. They want total control over ALL ASPECTS of your daily life. First they’ll disarm and declare Martial Law “to protect us.” Next certain cars aren’t “environmentally sound” so they’re taken, then certain speech is “hateful” so banned. I’ve studied End Times Prophecy for over 25 years, and this is the world that will come to pass when Satan installs his puppet, and then rules. Which side are you on? Do you stand up for your own rights, or will you bow when told you have no rights?

Open letter to Congress

In the last several months, the U.S. has seen a segment of the population rioting and assaulting people over election results. There are sitting Representatives and Senators who have openly called for an election to be voided and a candidate simply be given the Oval Office. Anyone defending the Electoral College is called a sexist or racist, and accused of trying to impose fascism, while those very people use the ultimate in fascist tactics to silence all dissent.

As a history major who has studied the Revolutionary War and the Second World War in detail, I can tell you that the “anti-fascists” are the only fascists in the United States. Fascism is the brutal subjugation of all who don’t follow the ruling party. The “antifa” are using actual logos from the Nazi party of World War II, while demanding that we accept their saying that they are fighting fascism. The videos of violence over speakers merely being invited, hearing about college professors swinging a bicycle lock at someone’s head, tell me that the very people claiming to be anti-fascism are dedicated to the violent suppression of all dissent and subjugation of a country.

Now, we hear of their calls for monuments to be defaced and destroyed on a national holiday, and worse, plans to openly kill all they can who are not on their side, and I cannot be silent any longer. I live in the State of Texas, where we’ve seen antifa fail in their attempts to assault those who disagree, is something to me, but we know they are massing their numbers, and are funded by a billionaire who has openly said his goal is the destruction of the United States, while the Democratic Party protects him from any action by the government.

2016 showed that a vast majority of the country voted for the now sitting President, while enclaves of liberals voted for the other, resulting in what they claim is an invalid election, based on very few cities going blue, while the rest of the country went red. They scream about being silenced while wanting a majority of U.S. states silenced. We saw a mild version of this in 2000, when President Bush won over Al Gore, although by September of 2001, the country had united after the 9/11 attacks. Now, we are seeing more attacks happen, yet the media and Hollywood are openly claiming that the attacks are deserved for the country electing President Trump.

The next move is very dangerous, as if the left openly starts attacking and killing, we will see martial law declared and people will be killed, resulting in the media denouncing the people protecting the majority from the minority, and defending those calling for the murder of those who don’t completely give up all rights. In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting, once again, liberal officials are calling for “common sense gun control” while ignoring that the weapons used were illegal, or in some cases, not regulated due to the Obama Administration and Clinton Dept. of State deciding to not regulate bump stocks. Nancy Sinatra has openly called for the members of the NRA to be shot, while the NRA is calling for bump stocks to be regulated, which would mean it’s much harder to get them.

The answer, while simple to say, is not easy to implement. Governors need to tell their Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to not tolerate violence as we’ve seen from the cowards in masks. They must demand the laws of the land be enforced, not sign a bill stating their entire state will flout U.S. immigration law, thus harboring all who say they’re undocumented, allowing crime to become the norm. When, not if, these criminals show up to murder all who didn’t vote as the cowards want, they must be met with people unwilling to allow murder, and state officials must back those who act to defend themselves and others. We have seen examples of people who shoot intruders inside their home, being charged with murder, and the media screaming about an “innocent child killed by racists” while ignoring that the “child” was trying to harm another.

Sadly, I don’t see this happening in the states where it’s needed most. As an example, California has shown their unwillingness to stop violent attacks on those who simply do not share beliefs with criminals, while in states like Texas, the criminals are stopped in their tracks, only to have the person who didn’t take being attacked being attacked by the media and lawyers. Common Sense must return, and that means that the Constitution is respected and upheld, the other laws on the books must be enforced. Those who enter the country illegally must be returned to their country, those who rape/assault/murder must be removed from society, and those who demand laws be ignored or Constitutional rights be removed, must be told a firm no!

I hold hope for the country, but that hope is dwindling as our elected officials allow an unconstitutional “investigation” which has yielded nothing, yet it continues. We see elected officials openly calling for the President to denounce this group or that, while ignoring the violence from their own constituency. I implore our Congress to return to their actual job, representing the country honestly. We are a year from the 2018 mid-term election, and we are seeing calls for many to be replaced. Will we see that, or will we see those in office actually do what we need them to do? Only time will tell.

What happened in Charlottesville and what’s still happening?

We’ve heard the mantra from the left for years, that they want peace, love and tolerance. But, they are the most intolerant of all, as they will happily scream at you that you’re a hateful bigot for suggesting something isn’t right. From homosexuality, to politics, to immigration, they will make sure you’re told, repeatedly and at high volume, that you’re wrong, they’re right, and if you don’t agree, they will claim you just shot them.

Looking back at Charlottesville this last weekend, this is the same as we’ve seen in other places, just a different reason set things off. This time it was the left demanding all vestiges of the past, in this case Civil War memorials, that they don’t like be destroyed. To them, a state memorializing dead soldiers is the same as bringing back slavery. I’m very proud to be a Southerner, proud of my Texan roots, while also knowing Texas was a slave state. That does not mean I believe slavery was in any way not repugnant, it does not mean I want it back, it means I love my home, period. The monuments, however, are not there to glorify a horrible time in our history, they’re there to remind us of that time, so we never repeat it. Americans fought against, and killed, their fellow Americans, over something no sane person should ever defend, and all because of pride. We must remember that, we must teach our children that, so that when someone even considers suggesting a return to those ways, it’s shot down before it even leaves their lips.

But that’s the problem, the left doesn’t want to teach true history, just as they don’t want actual tolerance or diversity. You see, if they taught real history, they’d have to admit that the Democratic Party stood against abolition, that the NRA was instrumental in protecting the rights of the newly freed slaves to own firearms, that it was the Republican party that fought to give women and freed slaves the right to vote. True diversity would mean that they would have to allow those who disagree to speak and be heard. They wouldn’t be able to stop speech that offends them. They would have to stop insulting and accusing those who speak out against their pet projects of “crimes.” All of these things are what conservatives actually stand for, and what liberals stand against, because true tolerance and diversity means they can’t control the world around them, which is their true goal. As long as they control academia, they control the direction students go at graduation.

A mere 25 years ago this month, I was entering High School, and while there were bullies and cliques, it was a far cry from what we have today. Yes, I had bullies try to intimidate me, but they were all doing that because of their brutish size, not politics, and were easy to shut down. Even at 16, I was already very conservative, having grown up under Reagan’s administration, yet, when I met someone who was liberal, we didn’t hate each other. The most outwardly “flaming” homosexual I’ve ever met was only a year ahead of me and was one of the nicest and kindest people I’ve ever met. He knew my beliefs, and we still sat to lunch together, helped each other with assignments and so on. Every Thursday I was dressed either in Air Force blues or fatigues, and other than a few people sniggering at the “wannabe soldiers” all over campus, no one cared.

None of that would be possible today, because of the people who are responsible for what happened in Charlottesville. The very people screaming for tolerance demand you do as they do, and if you don’t, you’re attacked. Charlottesville’s Mayor and Virginia’s Governor are both Democrats, and one or both of them ordered the Police to stand down, just as Berkeley’s Mayor did when the riots over Milo being invited to speak happened. Regardless of who gave the order, the Mayor or Governor should have said NO to that, told the Police to stand their ground, then the Governor should have called in the National Guard to aid the Police. Who gave that order is only relevant as far as who is arrested for putting lives at risk.

Conservatives can joke that we love diversity, then say we have multiple weapons, or like different cuts of beef, but when it comes down to it, Conservatives are the only group actually working toward diversity, by fighting for everyone to actually be treated the same. So, the question is fairly simple, how much worse will it get before we finally act to stop the madness? Personally, I pray something happens very soon, as if it gets much worse, we’ll see martial law start happening, and no one wants that, no matter who’s in office.

When 140 characters isn’t enough

So, I got into a twitter back and forth about the EPA earlier. To be clear, I am not supporting the destruction of the EPA, then doing nothing, rather, destroy what’s in place and build what we truly need. I cite one example, Alaska, for this premise. You see, it’s not just cold, but cold to the point of freezing to death in a matter of hours, in the winter there. What this means is that liquid or gas fuels freeze and become useless at those temperatures, leaving you with solid fuels. Coal is incredibly expensive for homes, as you’d use bags of the stuff in a night, so most people there burn wood, seeing as, you know, you just cut down trees, which Alaska has several of. Well, the EPA decided burning wood was ruining the air, and told Alaska residents to stop. Naturally, these folks chose staying alive over dying, and next the EPA fined them. Yes, the EPA fined Alaskan citizens for daring to choose to not die of hypothermia.

Well, this brings up the point of my conversation, the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Accords. Both of these target the US harshly, and in some cases, only. Tokyo and Bejing for example, have such bad air, that people have to wear a mask to go outside, but the U.S. was targeted with harsher restrictions. If you look at this list you’ll see another amazing thing, the U.S. isn’t on the list! When Macedonia makes the list but the U.S. doesn’t, that tells me we aren’t the horrible monster polluter the world is screaming that we are. Yes, pollution is bad, and yes, it should be addressed, but in a way that doesn’t look at a country’s GDP and target them over worse polluters, not in a way that tells people they fuel they have is bad and they’ll be fined, but ignores that fuel is the only option other than death.

We’ve been told for eight years that the U.S. is the most horrible country ever, that we’re racists for not blindly praising Obama, that we’re sexists for not praising the bitter diatribes of “feminists” calling for men to be killed, or we’re “homophobic” for suggesting that at a basic, biological level, homosexuality isn’t normal, simply because two men or two women cannot, on their own, create a child. I hold a degree in history, have heavily studied political science, and am certified to teach high school Social Studies (Government, Economics, History, Geography, etc) so I feel I know a thing or two about politics and such. In this instance, I argue that a government office, charged with protecting the environment, for the good of the people in the country that pays them, to tell citizens that they will be fined for using the only fuel that works, so they you know, don’t die over night, should be demolished and replaced. Much like the joke in Day After Tomorrow, when loading up books to burn to stay warm “Hey guys, there’s a whole section on tax law we can burn,” indicating a disdain for the IRS, any government agency that does not put the lives of U.S. citizens at the forefront of their thoughts when acting, should not be in place.

Yes, I want clean air and water, as I enjoy living and not having to stay inside, but I also want a government to be responsible and intelligent in how this is achieved. De Blasio saying that he’ll do all he can to ensure NYC stays compliant with the Paris Agreements is a political play, his way of saying “While Trump destroys the environment, I’m amazing and wonderful since I’m doing what he isn’t.” This is the crux of the matter, growing up and actually thinking, rather than just playing it up for the media. The Mayor of NYC should care more than my small town TX mayor about pollution, because it’s worse there, but if the Paris Agreement is the perfect fix, why is it that the list above isn’t the order in which countries are told to act? If the Kyoto Accords were so amazing, why did it focus so much on how much money the U.S. would end up paying out? It all comes back to attitudes and egos, no politician so far, who has presented any solution for air/water quality has done so for any reason other than to look good on the world stage. Now, with Trump in office, the world has decided his policy of America First is evil, because he’s actually putting America first, and not their countries. He’s calling on them to do the same thing though, to pay their NATO agreed amounts, which will help defend them, and to make their own countries better, he’s just not going to continue the policy of apologizing for America. His move on the EPA is the first step, but trust me, he’s not going to remove the EPA, then just say “Good luck staying alive now America,” there will be something that comes after, he’s just not saying what it will be, which is driving the media mad, because they can’t complain endlessly about his plans, but hey, lets keep focusing on non-existent collusion with Russia (there is absolutely no evidence of anything,) let’s ignore the DNC very likely having a man killed, and lets harp on minor things, rather than doing what Obama’s spokespeople said for 8 years “the election is over, it’s time we come together and work together for a better future.”

Terror attack, multiple victims die, but let’s attack those who don’t vote for our ideas

Before the rubble is clear or the victims buried, CNN “journalist” David Andelman took to his keyboard to blame the politically “far right” for “using the Berlin truck attack” for their own ends. What’s funny is I only see Merkel and the left leaning publications putting anything out about this so as to attack the other party. It’s no secret that the left wants unfettered access to every country, at least every country with something they can say is a “right” and thus, demand be given to them for free. We’ve seen attacks in France, the U.S., and now Germany, carried out by “refugees” who were allowed entry with very little vetting, only to vanish until they attack. Quickly after the attack, we see three things. We see a solidarity movement, the “Je Suis Charlie” hashtag after Charlie Hebdo was attacked, the countless people trying to get some publicity by “standing with” those at OSU, although those there, who were almost killed, were criticizing the Police for shooting the attacker, rather than trying to “subdue him.” How long until we see someone claim that German Police shouldn’t have been so quick to kill the murderous idiot behind the wheel? Next, we see a call not to blame all muslims for this one person’s actions, despite ZERO condemnation from the muslim community who claims to be “moderate” or not support terrorism, while groups like ISIS or another claiming they were responsible. Finally, we see the ultimate politics, the “this is just fueling the fires of fear, we must not let this happen, we must not abandon our values” despite the “values” letting people into a country, just to see those people start destroying it. Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and the other leaders who have allowed these animals free access via being “refugees” have blood on their hands, and will never admit it, or face any consequences for it.

Thankfully, people are waking up. I’ve seen comments about the Berlin attack along the lines of “America has spoken with their election of Donald Trump,” and that is true. Americans are tired of being told they’re horrible for not “tolerating” certain “lifestyle choices” although we’re told they’re not choices. We’re tired of being told that we must give trigger warnings, or that there is “rape culture,” and that students need “safe spaces” where they aren’t “assaulted” by conflicting points of view. We’re tired of being told that to be good, we must give up rights, and more and more each day. Hillary Clinton promised more of the same, and the country said no. Yes, people cried and moaned about the electoral college being out dated, and how she won the popular vote, and on and on, but that is precisely why the Electoral College was created as it was. Without it, a handful of cities (NYC, Chicago, LA, San Fransisco) could swing an election, but with the Electoral college, it doesn’t matter if all of Cali, NY and IL go blue, they’re limited to their E.C. votes, so that the other 47 states aren’t ignored. Despite the tears and tantrums, the left also face the obstacle that Barack Obama has moaned about since he took office. He’s on record that the Founders set up a system that’s hard to work around, for which those who don’t like him are grateful. I’m not familiar with the German setup, but the people there are getting fed up too, so I’d be surprised to see Merkel still in office after the next election.

Simply put, just because you want something doesn’t mean you’ll get it, nor should you. I know that there are women and children who are not terrorists, and never will be terrorists willingly, in the countries refugees are coming from, but sadly, they’re not the only ones coming. With them are hidden agents, sent as refugees to carry out attacks. They can’t bring in bombs or guns, so we see knife attacks and trucks running through markets, but those are just as bad, as people still die. The world watched in shock as the American people elected Trump just over 6 weeks ago, then again yesterday as the Electoral College did their job and made it official. Many are crying that he’ll send the U.S. back in time, China is hopping mad that he answered a call from the President of Taiwan, simply because China wants Taiwan, but can’t get them, so they tell the world it’s theirs anyway, and no to legitimize them, only for Trump to refuse to bow to pressure. Yes, there will be more screaming as the southern U.S. border will get a barrier in some places if not all, and there will be changes to immigration, stopping the deluge of “refugees” who aren’t being vetted well enough (if at all.) There will be deportations and imprisonments, and just as Trump said, it won’t be mothers and children, but rapists, murderers, drug dealers and the like. Trust me, as I see only one to two years before this country is well on it’s way to being, once again, a true leader in the international community.

But enough from me, what do you think?

It wouldn’t be a Monday without wanting to slap people

To start off, it seems that SNL is dead set to follow Hillary into obscurity. After the election, and while countless liberals run for their safe spaces, tweet their disbelief, or demand America just give them what they want, SNL had Kate McKinnon singing the late Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and crying. I never knew much about Cohen, but from the response, I’d guess he wouldn’t like his music associated with a criminal not getting what she wants. I remember growing up in the 1980’s and loving SNL. Even as the shift to the left started, and we saw far more raunchy jokes, digs at the GOP outweigh even an unkind word about the DNC, it was still funny. Now though, it’s just like the rest of NBC, CNN and so many other networks, an open shill for Hillary and the rest of the DNC. While I can hope their ratings will show that people don’t agree, I’m not holding my breath, as I really don’t want to see SNL end, just go back to comedy for comedy’s sake, and leave politics to the news pundits.

Moving on, if you thought we were rid of Michael Dukakis in 1988, you’d be wrong. Now, he’s declaring war on the Electoral College. Unlike many of the others doing this, at least he’s demanding it be undone legally, rather than the many people tweeting or just screaming for the Electors to go against the results and just hand the White House to Hillary. Funny isn’t it, that when their candidate wins, it’s “they won, it’s how the system works” but when they lose, it’s time to demand people just do as they say, change everything, tear down the “broken system.” I’m not going to try to claim I didn’t take to my blog, or Facebook, or another medium to express my “displeasure” with either of Obama’s wins, as I firmly believe the man to be seeking the destruction of the United States. Ignoring that I believe him to not be a Natural Born citizen, we have quotes from him that he wants to “fundamentally change” the country, while Michelle is on record as saying that during his time in office was the first time she was proud of America. She’s not a young girl, so that literally means that until she became First Lady, she was never proud to be an American. I’m not going to even suggest that Trump is perfect or blameless in his life, but he is far more American that Obama will ever be. As for the Electoral College, I’m going to give you a short description of this institution. Most people see the map showing the states and see that California went blue, but it didn’t. LA and San Fransisco, and the very few other cities that are extremely densely populated turned the state blue. Yes, a handful of cities/counties are able to control the rest of the state’s vote. What this means, is that if you look at the map by county, the country is far more red than blue. Yes, there are more people that voted for Hillary, but this is the point of the Electoral College, it prevents a population center from controlling more than their state. Yes, there are writings from the founders that hint that they didn’t trust the average voter, and set up the E.C., and yes, it may be time to end that institution, but do it legally. This would be a change to the Constitution, which requires a Constitutional Convention. This, like the Second Amendment, can’t “just be changed” because someone doesn’t like them. This is one of the reasons Hillary did so horribly in some states, as people are very much going to protect their rights, and she flat out said she’d use an Executive Order with regards to the Second Amendment. In layman’s terms, she said she’d just issue an order to make owning guns far more difficult, if not illegal, for private citizens. Let’s put that another way. Let’s say that a candidate said they’d use Executive Orders to “fix” the First Amendment. Would you be upset that they want to remove your right to free speech, or assembly, or to force the press to report as the government dictates (openly, as opposed to CNN and the others that march to the DNC’s tune?) So, put that way, much like the Second, it can’t “just be changed” or done away with. If you are that serious about it, call for a Constitutional Convention, get the States there, and DO IT RIGHT!

Finally, is anyone surprised that Sweden is blaming gender equality for a massive SNAFU after their first big snow of the year. Recently, a policy (law?) requires sidewalks to be cleared before roads, to allow for “gender equality” because women walk more, and men are “over represented” among drivers. Naturally, this caused a massive problem, as no one could drive, so businesses and schools were closed, greatly impacting everyone. Naturally, it’s not because the roads were to be cleared last, it’s “a lack of gender-equality” in snow clearing that caused it. Now, I’m all for treating women and men equally, but I have to call this what it is, an act of complete idiocy. If a snow storm is bad enough that, when the roads aren’t cleared, no one can drive, is anyone really going to go out other than in their car? I realize I’m just a dumb Texan, and our “cold” is a warm summer day to someone in Stockholm in the winter, but this just seems to make sense. First clear the roads, and if you must, send out the walkway clearing crews right behind them, because guess what, THEY HAVE TO GET THEIR TO CLEAR THEM! Yes, I know the world isn’t perfect, and yes, discrimination still happens, be it based on race, sex, or any of a number of things people are biased about. But, to institute policies like this is just insane! We’ve seen this in other places, where policies are put in place to “ensure equality” only to have them cause far more problems, or be attacked just as vehemently. The true solution is to just ignore the whiners until they go away or grow up. A good example of this is a company I worked for in 2003/2004, and their hiring policy. The application has no mention of sex, gender, race, religion, etc, and any applicant that lists any of those items anywhere else is summarily rejected. The next two rounds (interviews) are entirely automated, and not only don’t mention race/sex/gender/religion/etc, in these, it’s impossible to list them as the “interviews” are done via a touch tone phone. Only in round 4 (application, interview, interview, round 4) are your race/gender/sex known, as only then do you meet someone in person. Even with this in place, they’ve been sued for not hiring someone because they’re black, or female, or gay, or what have you. Granted, they win each time, because they can show that those people were never interviewed by a person, but filtered out by the automated system. Much like the people in Missouri screaming that the Fire Department test is racist because they failed it, ignoring that very few people pass that test. I’m sorry, but we have to stop pandering to these people and doing stupid stuff like Sweden did, or we’re just going to see the world collapse and anarchy will take over. But, what do I know, I’m only a History Teacher from Texas, I didn’t get a Masters in Women’s Studies from Berkley, so I don’t know anything about politics, do I?

Enough from me, what do you think?

Hump day news

I’ve not watched TV news or listened to it on the radio (save the blurbs on whatever station I’ve got going in the car) for quite a few years now. All sides in the “main stream” media are now so biased, I won’t be shocked when it literally becomes a cheer leading session with “you’re side stinks” as the tag line. The left has been screaming about Fox News being nothing but a GOP front for years, and for a while, I defended them as they seemed to show the failings of both parties, even if they were a bit happier to do so when the DNC fell or stumbled. Today however, they almost are just a GOP cheer squad, and we’ve seen how “fair” CNN has been in helping Hillary with her bid for the White House. Well, today is no different in how “fair” things are today, despite the screams from some that their “rights” are being denied, the world seems happy to do that very thing to others, as long as they’re the ones who are currently “evil racist and sexist bigots,” which of course is something the vast unwashed minority tells them about people, and thus, who to attack. Today’s stories prove that the inmates are running the asylum, and are now armed and unwilling to go back to their rooms.

First, The NY Times needs to learn what hypocrisy is, and how to spot it in their stories. When reporting about a pool policy in Toronto, wherein only muslim women and girls are allowed to swim, due to the requirement they dress very modestly around men they are not related or married to, it’s all sunshine and daisies. The pool and city are “inclusive” for helping a group that otherwise could not enjoy the public pool do just that. In New York, when a public pool does the very same thing for orthodox Jews, well, let’s just say being compared to concentration camp operators wouldn’t be much further from the story. It’s “unfortunate” and only a step away from the a return to the days of the Sanhedrin and people being forced to worship in a Synagogue. The saddest part is that were you to show these stories, side by side with the faith and location redacted, the Times would likely “stand behind their reporters.” You could even swap the locations and faiths, and they’d attack you for “islamophobia” and “working to let the Jews force people into their religion.” There was a time when the NYT was a viable and respected publication, but today they are little more than a mouthpiece for the ultra-liberals in society, and they not only don’t care, they don’t even see it.

Next, we have the government blatantly acting to force religious institutions to violate their faith. I can guarantee if there were a muslim college, they wouldn’t even be required to offer insurance, as they “object on religious grounds” When it’s a Catholic run college, and thus, run by “evil, bigoted Christians, who just want to subjugate the world and force conversion by saying God Bless, or Merry Christmas, or wearing a cross pendant,” well, they need to respect the law and comply. It’s not only Catholics that object to being forced to fund abortion, Judaism, Islam, and non-Catholic Christians also believe abortion is wrong. So far, it’s only California that’s doing this, but it won’t be long before the Feds begin ordering people to not question them, and we’ve already seen an elected official calmly tell the people she is supposed to represent that in order to find out what’s in a law, it has to be passed first. Sorry Nancy, but you’re completely backward there, and you know it. The left, for years, has demanded to know every little snippet in laws proposed by conservatives, but when their exalted leader decides that he is going to not only force the country to spend more money for less, but also refuses to even consider anything else until that’s done, “we have to pass it to find out what’s in it,” and no one in the media saw anything wrong with someone elected to pass laws saying we aren’t allowed to know what it says until it’s law.

Finally, societal changes are hitting more and more rapidly, and most are in the form of “shut up, you’re offending me” and then cries for all but public flogging and crucifixion for said “crime.” First in this section is this story where protesters, who by all reports, were peaceful, being kicked off the University of Southern Missouri campus, for the horrid act of having the Missouri state flag. This is just the latest in pandering to those who whine loudest, as that flag does have a small version of the Confederate Battle Flag in it’s design. Several colleges have already stated they will not fly their own state flag, including University of Missouri, presumably to avoid cries of “racist” and so on. While this happens, in other states, students swarm flagpoles to take the U.S. flag down and fly a foreign country’s flag, or all but attack students wearing U.S. flag designs, but no, we just ensure no one can claim racism where it doesn’t exist. Naturally, after police forced a group exercising their right to peacefully assemble off of a public university campus, the school stated that the police were mistaken and the flag isn’t banned. Sorry folks, Police aren’t stupid, they wouldn’t have acted unless they had been told to, and would not have told people that the state flag of Missouri was banned on campuses IN MISSOURI. This is the same as saying “we’re sorry, it shouldn’t have happened, now run along and don’t sue, or tell anyone.” The college is backpedaling and trying to save face, but I for one hope it backfires and they see students leaving in droves, or at least story after story about how colleges are banning their own state flag. While this is going on, another form of silencing anyone who disagrees is happening on the White House Facebook page. Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that when I find a post I like, I share it and like it, just as I vote up videos I like on youtube, so they are seen as popular and more likely to be seen by others. This however, is a very extreme form of that, as only about 250 profiles are posting repeatedly, and in doing so, making sure that only positive things are visible on the WH Facebook while their messiah is in office. Were this to happen when GW Bush was in office, it would be “rabid redneck conservatives are silencing people trying to show the evil that is Bush” but when it’s Obama, it’s just short of being part of the choir of angels and only helping others see the great man.

I’ve said it before, and I will continue to do so as long as I’m breathing. We are headed to hell in a rocket powered hand cart, and we lost our brakes long ago. The world is so focused on not offending this group or that, that we offend large groups and tell them it’s in the name of progress. We have schools telling elementary students that simply praying silently is a violation of the Constitution, while a U.S. Judge tells a religious institution they can’t opt out of covering abortion, or a city mayor telling pastors they must submit their sermons or be arrested. While screaming about separation of Church and State (which is not anywhere in the Constitution, Bill of Rights or Declaration of Independence) they interfere with Church matters right and left. While screaming about freedom of speech on Twitter or Facebook, they tell people that the Second Amendment only applies to firearms that existed in 1776, not seeing the idiocy of that statement. I’ve actually told someone who said that, that if that’s true, the First Amendment only applies to hand written letters and newspapers printed the same way as in 1776, only to be called an idiot and told to go back to school. They honestly cannot see that saying “the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” only applies to muskets and other firearms available in 1776 is the exact same as saying that freedom of speech and the press is only spoken word, letters or newspapers. If we don’t do something to turn this back to what we were only 30 years ago, when the government was small and functioned, we will see the end of the U.S. in my lifetime.

When your cause is so weak you have to invent enemies, you need to stop.

We’ve seen the screaming mobs protesting against “Police racism” when a thug is shot by an officer who was legitimately in fear for his life, the screams and tears as Obama said if he’d had a son, the child would have been like Trayvon, who got high and attacked a man, and was ultimately shot. But when it’s violence aimed at whites, it’s ignored. Most recently, a student Kean University left a protest, created an anonymous Twitter account, posted threats to anyone who is black, then went back to the protest to report this. Story Link I can’t say if we’ve found a judge with a working brain, or if we just are being treated to a single event going as it should, but the student has been fined $82,000 and will spend 90 days in jail.

I hate having to clarify points like this, but I must do so more and more every day. I do not support threats or violence against anyone, save when used in defense of life. I will be the first to stand against anyone threatening to kill people because of their skin color, but because I’m white, I’m crippled socially, since it’s now apparently “fact” that simply being born white means I’m a bigot who wants to go back to pre-Civil War days and start buying slaves.

The point of this is simple, we need to stop the BS about racism where there is no racism. It’s not racist to argue that $15 an hour for a McDonald’s line cook is not fiscally sound. It’s not racist to hire based on qualifications. It’s not racist to defend your life when attacked. It is racist to run around chanting that some lives matter, rather than simply “life matters.” It is racist to point at one race and hate them based on their skin. Oddly enough, it’s the DNC both then and now spurring on the racial hate. The DNC enacted Jim Crow laws and fought for equal rights in the 1960’s and they’re fanning the flames of hatred still today.

So, what are we going to do about it?

Two for today

It seems that I am not commenting as much on actual news and politics any more, as I am on people who fully expect the world to do as they demand, while they do as they please, and no one is allowed to question them on it.

The first for today, is once again something from DC, in this case, Harry Reid responding to someone pointing out that he blatantly lied about Mitt Romney during the 2012 elections. During a speech in the summer of 2012 Reid said “Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn’t.” referring to Romney, accusing him of never paying taxes. Romney, of course, responded, and I believe, made his returns available. Now, having been proven to have lied, and never responded when Romney called him on his statement, his only responses is “Well, they can call it whatever they want. Romney didn’t win, did he?” after being called a “McCartheyite” (referring to Senator McCarthey from the 1950’s). I’m sorry, had a Republican accused Obama of never paying taxes, only to have Obama prove he had, there would have been calls for all but public hanging, yet Reid jokes about ruining a man’s election run, and nothing is done?

I believe there are good people in the House and Senate, but they are in an extreme minority, their voices silenced. Sadly, there is little to be done, as to impose term limits, or have any legal action when our “illustrious leaders” break the very laws they pass, must be put in place by those same people. We are left with but one option, vote someone else into their office. I personally worked on a campaign in Tyler, TX in the 2004 election, where an incumbent Democrat was defeated. For those who don’t know, that area is a largely Democrat part of Texas, and Mr. Sandlin was the incumbent, which in a national election means you normally need to work very little to be re-elected, but he was defeated. So, the question here is simple, is it worth enough to you to work to oust those simply working to keep a cushy job and power, or not?

Next, we move to more of a societal issue, that being the attitude of (most) atheists today. Like any group, it’s not 100% of them believe or act as this next bit demonstrates, but sadly, those who simply want to live their lives are lumped in with the bad apples, and most of the “not bad apples” do little to nothing to correct the view of their group. In a great display of irony, these are the very people who trumpet the “not all XXX are bad” line regarding groups where horrible things are done in group XXX’s name. They say nothing about those members of the group who do those things, just “they’re not all bad, so stop complaining,” but when it comes to a lone Christian making a comment, or a lone wacko doing something terrible who might have been Christian, they jump all over “Christianity did this” completely ignoring their previous mantra of “it was a small percentage of the group” and so on.

In this case, it was an article postulating the possible discovery of the childhood home of Jesus of Nazareth. Note, from the author’s words, no claim that “this is Jesus’ house” was ever made. The question was asked, the evidence presented, and theories presented, that’s it. From there, the “Friendly Atheist” begins to liken this article’s theory to pure lunacy. Yes, I can say that while there is no proof that X happened in my home 100 years ago, there’s no proof it didn’t, so it may have, about anything, and as you can’t prove the negative, well, that’s the point. However, this “friendly” post about the article ridicules Christians and the entire article, all but saying “Jesus is a myth, so to find his home is impossible,” while comments simply spiral out of control attacking the mere fact that there are people who are Christians.

I have personally been called stupid, ignorant, and worse, simply because I am a Christian (also for being a Republican, a Conservative, and simply for being from the American south, but those are topics for a different day) as if this ends all discussion. So, my question is this, why is this even tolerated? The very people screaming that I, as a Christian, must “tolerate” people who believe differently than I do, or who’s “lifestyle choice” (and it’s not a choice either) is not in accordance with my beliefs, but for me to point out the childishness of their words is “attacking them on a personal level.”

Yes, I am a Christian, and no, I am not a scientist, so I can’t, and thus, won’t speak on the science behind the origins of life on this planet, or how humans have gotten to the place we are today, based on historical evidence of physical and mental changes. I don’t argue for or against the “big bang” for two reasons, there will never be fool proof evidence without time travel, and as I point out regularly, the physical act of creation could very well have been exactly what is called the big bang, simply caused by God commanding it to happen. I don’t question that humans have changed, or evolved, over time, because we are now on average taller, less hairy, smarter, and so much more, but I do question abiogenisis and the “we just evolved, there is no God” argument. When I do, I often get the “no one alive today was there? Great argument idiot” response, no reasoned discourse, but animosity and hateful attacks.

In a nutshell, you want respect, you earn it, you don’t demand it. I respect the Office of President of the U.S., just not the man in it right now. Second, to claim that “life just appeared and evolved to where we are today,” in my mind, is to boil human life, and all life on the planet, down to a “cosmic accident,” which to me, is just wrong, and often leaves me wanting to slap the living daylights out of the person refusing to act like an adult, then simply say “you’re an accident of the cosmos, so I choose to slap accidents of the cosmos” to simply get them away from me, but I then choose to remain an adult, and let them show themselves for the intellectual infants they are.

I am an educated and, I like to think, intelligent man, and I welcome civil and reasoned debate. However, when you stoop to name calling and emotional attacks on someone, you not only prove to be that same intellectual infant, you take all credibility away from your argument. Research, bring facts, use logic, and remain respectful. You’ll find more often than not, while you and the person you’re arguing with, or debating, but you will be able to part amicably, and continue your debates. Who knows, you both may just learn something, even if neither of you ever convinces the other.

Smokey out

Welcome to the ADD News!

First on the list, budget proposals by the self declared emperor Obama. Is it any wonder that a budget that, primarily is “more taxes and more spending” with little substance outside of that is rejected? We can only expect Obama to begin decrying the House and Senate for “taking food from babies” or “denying help to those who need it” while those he speaks of helping are those who WON’T WORK not those who can’t, as we’ve all seen his ignoring of our Veterans who WANT TO WORK, but can’t, and still get nothing from his administration.

Next on the block, an idiot who didn’t learn fast enough. It seems a man who had a six figure salary with a seven figure stock package decided to attack Chic Fil A many times. He went through the drive through multiple times, only ever getting a free cup of water, only to then video his berating of the poor person at the window. He told her she was working for a hateful company, told her he wanted to slow down the line, wanted to take money, wanted to hurt the company, because he felt they were hateful. The girl in the video? She was courteous and gracious, and even accepted his apology. He was, however, fired from his job after the video he tried to delete went viral, then fired again when his new employer found out who he was. Now? Well, he’s in an RV on food stamps trying to sell his memoirs. Seems to me he came off as the hateful jerk, and Chic Fil A the company just trying to serve their customers.

Moving on, a child is forced to shave his head due to a “distracting” hair cut that HONORS HIS MILITARY FAMILY! Yes, a child is forced to shave his head or be suspended because he had a “high and tight” hair cut. I’m sorry, but I’ve worn this cut for more than a decade! I also watched as students in my graduating class (20 years ago, yes) had hair cuts that wouldn’t pass at even the most lenient of jobs. I can’t help but ask, had he braided his hair with pink ribbons to support gay rights, would they have done the same? Also, notice the district throwing the school under the bus, and the too late apology, as the CHILD WAS FORCED TO SHAVE HIS HEAD before they acted.

This one’s just for a link. It seems Ted Cruz is signing up for Obamacare. I can’t help wonder what his campaign speeches will be like.

This one needs no introduction, other than, what did we expect? It seems a passenger was BEATEN for not blindly praising Michael Brown. According to this story, a passenger on a bus was asked about the Brown case, and when he responded that he hadn’t thought about it much, he was BEATEN by the questioner. Yes, we now live in a world where someone can ask you about a case where someone tried to take a Police Officer’s weapon, and was subsequently shot, and when you don’t side with the CRIMINAL THUG, you are beaten. Notice the photo, they’re smiling! I can’t help but wonder, if I was ATTACKED AND HAD GUNS PULLED ON ME, only to react to save my life, would I be jailed based on my attacker’s race? Apparently, we must ask this now.

Not much to say on this one. It seems that while schools FORCE Christians to hide their faith, they also FORCE children to read the quran. This one is about a US Veteran finding his grand-daughter was being forced to learn islam, and his reaction. Personally, since so many people sue for less, I’d have demanded the ISD pay for a private school education for my child or grand-child.

Finally, we explore the idiocy of the left. It seems Kroger has publicly said they will simply follow the laws of the states their stores are in, but that isn’t enough for some. In open carry states, Kroger refuses to deny those who embrace their rights entry into the stores, so “Moms demand action” is putting out ads comparing someone with an assault rifle (which no open carry advocate carries, only those trying to make 2nd Amendment supporters does) to a child eating ice cream. They cite incidents at Kroger stores where guns were used to kill, ignoring that the people who killed others should not have been free at all. But beyond all of that, they scream about “rights” when it comes to gays or something else the majority of a state doesn’t want, then scream to stop something the majority does. It’s very simple folks. If your state has a law you don’t like, vote against it and/or those in power supporting it. If you lose, accept that you are in the minority or move away. If a company does something you don’t like, don’t shop there, and encourage others not to. If the company does well, accept that you are in the minority or act like a toddler denied candy, and hurt your argument/side.

I don’t expect anyone to comment other than in agreement or to say how ignorant or bigoted I am. If the latter, remember that by not engaging in reasoned, civil and logical debate, you only prove yourself a mental 2 year old, but after all, calling me names is all you have, right?

Smokey out

“Tolerance” today

Southpark mocked the tolerance push years ago by showing a situation where Mr. Garrison, a very out homosexual got worse and worse, while the children upset by this were sent to “tolerance camp,” run as a concentration camp. In the end, it was actually Garrison who flipped, saying he wanted to be called out so he could sue and get rich, but also pointed out that there are limits to what we should be forced to tolerate.

I have had many friends from all walks of life in my 37 years, and while there are some I don’t discuss certain topics with, I don’t judge or hate them for something I disagree with or believe wrong. There are also parts of the current push that I actually agree with. Sexual orientation, gender, race, none of these should be used when hiring, save the very few jobs where you will work for a religious organization. Yes, a Church can refuse to hire you if you are gay, and it’s against their beliefs. Likewise, they can hire only those who are of the same faith, or even more, only those who attend that specific church, and it’s legal. Likewise, a private business can turn away any customer they choose, yet we have seen a bakery forced to close completely because the owner simply stood up for what he believed in.

I’m going to make this as clear as I can. The First Ammendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Yes, it goes on to address freedom of speech, the press, and more, but that’s the ONLY mention of religion. If I choose to not take your money for services I provide, because I believe you are living an immoral life, that is NOT ILLEGAL! It’s a business choice, and could cause me to go out of business due to lack of customers, but it is NOT a reason for the business to be driven out by the government. Likewise, it is not a violation of the First Amendment to have a cross, or nativity scene, or menorah, or star of David, on public land. Simply put, the First Amendment states that the US Government cannot give preference to one faith over others, nor can they in any way restrict anyone from fully embracing their faith, PERIOD!

Today, sadly, there is a push for “tolerance” from groups such as Code Pink and their ilk. They want to silence all dissenting voices, even trying (and they may have succeeded) to have Christians arrested for simply speaking NEAR (not at) a rally they organized. In the base meaning of the word, to tolerate literally means to endure. You tolerate an unruly or obnoxious child at the supermarket only as long as it takes to get away. You do more than that when it’s your child.

Now, on to what prompted this little rant. I have seen this before, and likely will again, but the image below circulates, and never fails to get people talking, often with those who believe the “activists” throwing items and screaming at the Priest are in the wrong shouted down.

In that image you see a Priest sitting and enduring an assault on his person by “tolerant” gay activists who are, in fact, breaking the law. Why are they not arrested? Because to do so would be “wrong” or an “attempt to silence them” or “deny them their rights.” We’ve been told this for so long that today, when the homosexual community wants the “right” to marry, people believe it’s a right for others already, and it’s not. I do not have a “right” to get married, why do they get that right put into law? Now that it’s there? While many will say I’m trying to stir up unrest or worse, we WILL see a Church sued, and likely have their 501C-3 status revoked for refusing to perform a gay wedding. This is not about freedom, it’s about doing what many claim others want to do, forcing beliefs on others.

I could care less what you do in the privacy of your own home, but when you tell me I’m not allowed to even think it’s wrong, you are nearing nazi brownshirt levels of ignorance and hate. I am a Christian, and I believe that homosexuality is wrong. I’m also a college graduate, and I know that, biologicaly, two men or two women cannot, without the use of technology, and something from a member of the opposite sex, reproduce. Yes, the act of sex is physically enjoyable, but it’s sole purpose is procreation! So, how is something that completely prohibits reproduction, without the help of others from the gender you don’t find attractive, not wrong? Answer? Ask that of any “activist” and they’ll point out frogs that change gender, or how animals all over the world have homosexuals in their ranks, or the fallacy of Greek pedophilia and homosexuality (rant for another time), or they’ll just start screaming at you for being ignorant.

We need to reclaim civil society people. Be who you want, I will believe what I believe, and you won’t do anything to change that by attacking and insulting me. Will I let my beliefs influence me in hiring/firing? Only if I work for a religious organization and I’m told to. If I’m in a situation where I’m hiring for a secular company, my sole concern is can you do the job, and can you do it better than others applying, THAT’S IT!

All of this said, remember one point. All of the examples of “gays striking back at their oppressors” are aimed at Christians, period. They refuse to discuss that Christianity preaches that homosexuality is wrong, but that we are not to hate them, while ignoring that shariah law still demands homosexuals be BURIED UP TO THEIR NECK IN THE STREET AND STONED UNTIL DEAD! Why is this? Could it be that they know Christians won’t attack them, and often will just walk away, while islam will KILL THEM? That is exactly it, as well as our current government and the “main stream” media screaming that islam is peaceful and all but saying Christians are doing everything and rigging it to blam islam.

Smokey out

An open letter to Congress, the Supreme Court, and all of America

I have recently found myself in debates more and more often regarding the Constitution which forms the backbone of our government, and sadly, all too often, people will adamantly defend that their version is the only correct version. Having studied history, which includes a good deal of political science, and I am disheartened when I hear more and more people argue that a word that has been in place for over 200 years now means something different. We have focused on education for more than a decade, but it seems we need to do more.

The latest debate I was in regards the first amendment. The text in question, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” is very specific and was done deliberately. When read as it’s written, simply put, it means that a law cannot be passed by Congress giving favor to one religious group, or restricting a citizen’s ability to exercise their faith. This does not apply to a city park allowing a nativity scene or menorah or any other religious display, yet this has been done more and more in recent history.

While I will agree that it’s not right for a city to target one or more faiths and exclude them, such as only allowing protestant Christian faiths permits, but that would not be an issue of the 1st amendment, as it is still not Congress passing a law. The authors of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights specifically used language that is as direct as possible, so as to not only limit the power of a federal government, but also to stand the test of time, rather than changes in society making it moot.

We are now in a position to either watch our country turn back to what we were only a short time ago, or to watch as it crumbles and falls apart. I have lived in this country my entire life, and I love everything that makes us the country we are, and what went into building this country, but if we don’t stop the pointless arguments about who has what rights, we will be the generation to see this country fall. The bill of rights is there for everyone, no matter race, creed, faith, gender, only citizenship has any bearing on the rights listed. Yet today we have groups demanding the “right” to marry, which is only given to them as a result, making it a privilege, not a right. We have then seen those groups sue businesses when their owners stand by their faith, yet a business asked to bake a pro-traditional marriage cake, when those owners say no and that they don’t believe in that, nothing is done. We have people who want to display their atheism and shout out how smart they are, who then want to demand silence from those who have religious views. We have children being told they cannot pray during free time, while schools require students to observe Muslim prayer time, with some even having the girls wear the hijab or burkha. When did this become acceptable? When did the 1st Amendment mean that Christians must stay silent and hide their faith, while others are not only allowed this right, but schools also help them by making others act as they do?

We stand at a crossroads, with one path leading to destruction and the other to restoration. What happens next depends not only on those who are in power, but also on those they represent. We must stand up and be counted, saying that I will not be silent and I will not hide my faith, but for that to work, we need our leaders to stand with us, and support us when we embrace the rights we do have. When Congress stands behind us, we will then be able to not only embrace our rights, but educate those demanding we stop.

We also need Congress to stand with us when it comes to our borders and laws. We are bordered by two countries that strictly enforce their border laws, yet we don’t. Mexico has ridiculed us for years when the issue of a fence on the US/Mexico border is discussed, yet they have a fence guarded by the Mexican military on their southern border. Why is any foreign country allowed to dictate our policy? We have people crossing the border illegally, but we are told not to mention that crime. When those same people rape, murder, steal, or commit any crime, we’re told we can’t expect them to know it was wrong because they come from a different culture, while a U.S. Marine, who all but begged to be allowed to turn back, was left in a Mexican jail when he had no choice but to cross the border into Mexico.

What this all boils down to is this. We must take our country back, and we must start now. Our legal system is broken, but not in the way the media would have us believe. Yes, racism is an issue, but we must only address the actual instances of it, rather than the National Bar Association and the DOJ deciding a Grand Jury was wrong. We must simplify many laws, while eliminating others, and we must return to the government our founding fathers built. If we choose to remain on this path, if we choose not to work to return our country to being that shining light on the hill, we will see more violence, more death, and we will see the United States cease to exist, save perhaps the name, within our lives, and that is something I pray that I don’t see, nor do I want even my great-great-great-grandchildren to see it.

I hope this hasn’t fallen on deaf ears, and I hope that you will truly consider what needs to be done.

Smokey out