Definitions

Tax Break (for the rich) n. money that the government allows someone to keep from what he has earned.

Entitlement n. a right granted by law or contract, especially to financial benefits from the government (particularly when the beneficiary has been playing for the contract for 50 years) .

Contribution(FICA,Medicare,…) n. Taxes. As of the 2012 Election Campaign, Democrats have finally owned up to the fact that what they had sold as payroll contributions are really nothing more than taxes.

Fine or Mandate (for not having health insurance) n. Administration convinced SCOTUS that the fine or mandate in the un"Affordable Healthcare Act" was a tax, making the law constitutional under the 16th Amendment.

Truth n. a snippet of a comment from an opposing candidates comments out of context that forwards a candidates agenda.

Investment n. Additional Tax mainly on the middle class where government gets 75% and object mentioned get 25%.

Share v. Take from someone that has and give to somebody that supports the party in power. (e.g like from investors in General Motors to union members)

Level the playing field. see share.

Proof of Identity. Document required to drive an automobile, pay or receive Social Security, get a job, get into Democratic National Convention, be buried, join the Armed Forces …, but not to vote.

Birther /börthör/ n. 1. A person who exhibits the audacity to read the U.S. Constitution, and then demands that his/her government actually obeys it. 2. A derogatory term developed and used by Leftists and Neo-Cons in a lame attempt to marginalize those who harbor the silly notions that Truth matters, and that Republics perish who refuse to uphold the Rule of Law.

Suggested Rules to Follow

If you don't follow these rules, you may be considered a myrmidon.

Ignore all ads, articles, emails, and videos that do not show the complete quotation of any person.
Listen to targets response to the attack.
Use fact-check sources, both pro and con, to see if they shed light on the truth.
Determine, based on past history and context where the truth lies.
Measure the comments by your own rules of morality.

June 14, 2022June 14, 2022

Government of the workers, By the Esquires, For the elite

The title says it all.

But for clarification, the workers are the real producers of wealth. They are the farmers who till the fields, the carpenters, bricklayers and architects who build the homes, the factory workers and engineers build the machines to make our lives more comfortable, the modern day hunters who raise livestock, the scientists that discover more about our environment, doctors and other health workers to increase our life span, and the entrepreneurs who have ideas and invest in their realization.

The esquires are an upper class in the United States. Even though the Constitution prohibits titles, the legal profession who have rights not granted to other citizens are granted that title.

The elite are the real power brokers. Since they have somehow reached a point that they are no longer concerned with their wealth, they now believe that they should control the lives of the rest of the citizens. They finance esquires to attain positions in government to make laws and administer the national resources for their benefit. They finance organizations to influence the citizens, control the news, and do whatever is necessary, illegally if required, to accomplish their objectives.

Why this opinion?

Up until now, this writer has rejected this argument that has been posed by so many others, including my own Dad, God rest his soul. Although he did not express his opinions in the same terms, he did believe that there was some sort of class structure in the United States, and that he was part of the worker class. In fact he did not trust his own relative who was a lawyer based on that conviction. Several events have convinced me that there must some truth in these arguments and that the least we should do is recognize that our beloved United States is drifting in that direction.

Firstly, last November, I saw a man elected President of the United States who has less experience than I have running a corporation. He also exhibits a lack of understanding the operation of the capitalistic system and its benefits or he is opposed to it. He seems to believe that profit is evil and that the government can better manage the economy and our lives. He is one of the esquires, and has not yet explained how, a poor college student and community organizer, has been able to accumulate so much wealth in so short a time. One suspects, and there are connections to some of the identified elite, that he is being funded by the elite for their purposes.

Secondly, a man who tortured dogs unmercifully, by mistake, (he claims) has been released from prison and landed a contract for $1 million + to continue his career in football. Someone, somewhere, has pulled the string to authorize that kind of expenditure, in spite of the American culture that considers his crimes beyond the pale morally. Only the elite would have that kind of money, and that kind of control.

Thirdly, we see a Company, General Electric, funding news casts on their own station that support the so-called health-care reform bill. And who is one of the largest beneficiaries of this plan? Have you ever noticed the name on the side of imaging systems, particularly MRIs?

Is this Communism?

Even though there are a lot of similarities to Communism as practiced by the Soviet Union, that is "a family of economic and political ideas and social movements related to the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, or stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general, as well as the name given to such a society", there are a number of differences.

There are still two parties. Obviously, we now face the danger of one party overwhelming the other.
Our society is, at the moment, based on private ownership of property and the means of production. Government ownership of even a portion, and a large portion at that, of parts of the banking segment, the production of automobiles, and the control of the real estate segment via a powerful congressional committee is certainly a remarkable challenge to the private ownership idea which is necessary in a free society.

That we are moving toward a communistic model is undeniable. The efforts underway to control the whole of the medical care is an assumption that the government, the elite, can better make decisions about medical care than the market. The current debate about the "public option" is noise and does not address the concern that the governments has yet to efficiently manage any enterprise, ( the house of ill repute in Nevada, the post office, medicare)

Is this an Oligarchy?

Could be. If so, it is a silent oligarchy where the few or the elite as described above do not necessarily publicize their role. By the way, an oligarchy is "A form of government in which the supreme power is placed in the hands of a few persons; also, those who form the ruling few." Often, as in the case of the Soviet Union, the public government takes a form such as a socialistic one party system. It is this authors opinion that a one party system is easier to control by the elite and for that reason a government evolving toward a one party system, as is the U.S. Government, is suspect.

How do we tell? Follow the money. Who benefits? A government run healthcare system benefits owners of corporations that sell equipment into those companies. General Electric sells the most expensive equipment into the medical complex. A component of the proposals on the floor is savings by better record keeping. Computers? Microsoft? Does that ring a bell? Who do the major stockholders support?

What has sustained this form?

We have exchanged freedom for security. We fell for the promise that if we contributed only 1% (2% including our employers' contribution) of our income to the government Social Security program, we would be able to retire with an adequate income. Now that 2% has become 12.4% with the promise that it will go bankrupt in less than 20 years. Then came Medicare. That started with 0.7% in 1966, now 2.9%. Now we are to believe that we can put our medical care into the hands of the government that has failed so miserably to estimate the cost of Social Security and Medicare and all it will cost increase our debt $10,000,000,000 by 2020.

Was this what our founders intended?

Anyone who has read and understand the implications of the Declaration of Independence should understand that our founders valued freedom above all else.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created\nequal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable\nrights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of\nhappiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted\namong men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.\nThat whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends,\nit is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to\ninstitute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and\norganizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely\nto effect their safety and happiness."

What many do not remember is the second and third sentences of this paragraph. However, our founders realized that governments can stray from those truths. That it may be necessary to change the form if it does not observe the truths. One should remember that the constitution built our government with those truths in mind. Only when we ignore those truths and the constitution can we stray from its original intent.

What, if anything, can we do now?

We must act now to avoid leaving a bankrupt country, one that literally enslaves its citizens, to our children. We must impress upon our representatives that they are employees of the citizens. We must remove the arrogant Representatives and Senators that tell their employers that the employers are not going to tell them how they are going to run their offices.

We must insist on visibility. And we must examine every proposal with an eye on what it will cost, both in cash, and in freedom.

We must make our opinions known to our representatives, then work to get rid of them if they are not doing their job, part of which is reading and understanding every law, and every part of every law, that they vote for.

And, most importantly, we must make sure that our children are educated and not indoctrinated. We must, as citizens, understand and teach our children history, particularly about our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We must understand why capitalism works in a free society and that profit is not an evil thing and again teach our children what we know. We must try to educate others and we MUST take a stand.

"Lethargy [is] the forerunner of death to the public liberty." --Thomas Jefferson
"The patriot, like the Christian, must learn that to bear reviling and persecutions is a part of his duty; and in proportion as the trial is severe, firmness under it becomes more requisite and praiseworthy. It requires, indeed, self-command. But that will be fortified in proportion as the calls for its exercise are repeated." --Thomas Jefferson

What did our founders do before 1776?

Thomas Jefferson achieved distinction as, among other things, a
horticulturist, statesman, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist,
inventor…

John Adams was a Puritan and a lawyer.

George Washington was a surveyor, planter, which historians defined as those who held 20 or more slaves, and a major in the Virginia at the age of 20.

Benjamin Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, soldier, and diplomat.

June 14, 2022June 27, 2022

Mary Ann Purgason

Maryann Purgason has been entertaining many of us with her emails for the last several years. This column recounts some of the best that I have on record. If any of you have some that I have missed, please email them to me and I will post them. And... If someone will send a later picture ... I will replace this one.

2/12/2010 At the Library Again

So. It turns out that there were 18 people on our road who were having the same trouble with their ATT internet service that we were. How do I know? I stopped and asked the linemen at the end of the road. When you want to know something, ask somebody who really knows and is on the scene, not some dude with a script in Pakistan.. Now our desktop works, but they had Dan disconnect the wireless setup and he\'s looking at Dawg Nation, so I\'m here, b/c my laptop is wireless. I\'d like to thank all of you who sent all those funny, funny emails, since I can\'t laugh out loud here. Don\'t worry, I have the library ladies e-addresses and I sent the emails to them. We\'re supposed to have snow. Must be global warming.

2/20/2010 Godzilla Died

Godzilla died. For those who may not know, Godzilla was Dan\'s huge greeeeeen big mans\' recliner than dominated the living room until I convinced him a year ago to build its own room. Now, I like green; it\'s my favorite color, but this green was so out of style that I couldn't find anything to go with it, except to get lucky at yard sales. Some of you may even know that Godzilla was locally famous, having been chosen for an article I wrote for the Lagrange News on Father's Day a few years back. The really neat thing is that it was big enough for Dan and several grands to eat watermelon and old enough that they could, without recriminations. Our puppies chewed on the handle. We began to notice creakiness after a spring broke and could not be replaced, because they no longer make either the chair or the spring. There was a huge recliner sale at Father's Day and Dan bought a tan microfiber suede recliner that went perfectly with the rattan porch furniture. I had a lovely room of tans, creams, and turquoise, absolutely up to the minute style and I loved it. Dan hated it. Suede gave him the creeps and it wasn't big enough for him and the dogs, so, I got the new recliner and Dan dragged Godzilla out of the garage. We kept looking. We saw some wonderful chairs that had everything. They rocked. They heated. They massaged. They had storage. None measured up. We drove to other states so he could sit in them or see the swatches. Finally, he ordered a tan plush catnapper cloud 9 rocker recliner for delivery in six weeks. Saturday afternoon, he got stuck in Godzilla. It absolutely would not fold and he had to fight his way up. The phone rang and it was the truckers with the new chair, four weeks early. Kismet. Now, Dan wouldn\'t pay extra to have the thing placed in our house, so they unloaded it onto our pickup and he drove it around to the sunroom door. We removed Godzilla\'s body and commenced unloading the thing. Now, excuse me, but I am 63 years old and a female and I can pick up my side of the recliner, but the 3 inch shipping staple in my hand was a little too much. When I let go, the chair hit Dan in the head and we all went down in a heap and we\'re not even in the door yet. We yelled at each other for awhile, which is our nature, and then stopped the bleeding. Finally, we got it in. It\'s bigger than Godzilla. Dan and the dogs took a nap. Godzilla is back in the garage. Should I have it bronzed?

2/26/2010 The Purgason Ballerina

No. It wasn\'t me. It was Sugar, the Bulldog, who thinks she's Hogansville's answer to Pavlova's Dying Swan. More like Dead Duck. She did a swan dive off the new recliner, which is higher than the old one and went splat on the laminate floor that covers the old concrete patio. She was stunned for about half a minute, couldn't get up for trying for a minute more and then limped to me with her paw held out, whimpering. She continued to limp for a couple of hours before we could get her in to see the vet. She's mainly bummed up, but he weighed her while we were there. She weighs 60 pounds! At nine months old! .

3/11/2010 No Good Deed...

So. Let\'s go back to when we built the house and decided to put in the new kind of septic system that is kinder to the environment. It was 1996 and green wasn't cool, but we did it anyway, wanting to be responsible people who make the right choices. You may have heard of the times (I lost count) there was ankle deep sewage in the house that had to be pumped out. After we replaced the carpet with laminate floors, we had a few good years there during the drought, but it happened again after the ice storm and again during the Atlanta floods last fall. Whenever it rains, it backs up. We got 2 inches of rain yesterday. Closed doors didn't help, so I lit candles all over the house. Damn if the fire alarm didn't go off. Scared the dogs, scared us. The dogs got loose in the house and inside of 2 minutes, the boys had marked everything in the living room and Sugar had stolen a tube of who-knows-what from the bathroom trash where I had discarded outdated cosmetics. She ran like the wind to get outside thru the doggie door, with me in pursuit and when I\'d go out the people door, she\'d snatch it and come inside, and when I\'d go inside, she\'d snatch it and go out. With the candles out and the fire alarm off, Dan came to man the doggie door and we trapped her, getting the tube, along with one of my missing sox and five chewed paintbrushes. I also picked up something else on my shoe, so then I had to clean the floor of that, plus the boys gifts and wash my shoes all because of that septic system. Now, Dan is trying to replace the carpet Sugar chewed off the sunroom step and she\'s helping by standing right beside him, pulling the carpet off. He\'s only almost fallen twice. SweartoGod, I\'m not making this up. No good deed goes unpunished.

3/22/2010 Rules of Laundry

Today, Murphy\'s Law of Laundry: Part 1: if it fits and looks great and you love it, it will shrink. Doesn't matter how careful you are--cold water, hang it up--it's gonna shrink. Part 2: If you love it and it looks great but it's too big, it won't shrink. No amount of hot water and hot dryer tumbling will make it. Part 3: It will, however, fade.

4/6/2010 More Laundry

Tried a getup for Sugar that came undone in the wee hours. I was too sleepy to do much about it; so am washing bed linens AGAIN. I'm going to get something smaller, with ruffles on it for her. We'll have to go through this twice more before we can breed her. Everyday, I want puppies less and less. Have been plowing through half a dreadful book, about a bunch of seniors at Princeton writing their senior theses--my first mistake was listening to the critics who loved it. To engender my interest, I skipped to the end to see what happened and still didn\'t care. Decided to bail. I hope you are thoroughly enjoying sunny skies.

4/6/2010 P.S.

After I applied for my passport, I stopped at the Troup County Rec Center to join for their Cardio room and the pool. This morning, I realized that if it is to augment my new healthy lifestyle, I\'ll actually have to go and work out or swim. Darn.

4/6/2010 Swimming

Ok, so I drove 10 or 15 minutes, peeled out of my cutsie dress designed to go over my swimsuit and stashed my keys, glasses, Rec Center card, towel and sandals in a locker and about froze myself to death getting into the pool. The Troup County Sharks are still competing and they like the water frigid. It certainly keeps you moving once you get past the 4th step. It\'s move or die. I did my slow laps for 20 minutes as instructed, thinking that it was hardly worth the bother to drive to Lagrange for 20 minutes. Then I tried to get out of the pool. Forget the ladder, I had to go over to the kiddie steps and pull myself out among the little minnows and their grandad who said he had better sense than to swim laps. He found me to be amusing. I found him to be a jerk. I think it\'s stupid that you have to drive to a pool dressed, go into the locker room and change, then change back to go home. It\'s a pool for pete\'s sake, why not wear a swimsuit? But I am a Southern woman and I go by the code, though it is antiquated and I\'m about to fall over. They don\'t like for you to squish through the lobby, but why? It\'s a pool! Wouldn\'t you expect water? We do that at the beach too. We walk 50 yards to the sand and we wear clothes that we must peel off and then wear them back full of sand. Maybe it\'s just me...but it seems like a lot of bother. I\"m not going to the Olympics, not even the Senior ones. I\'ll be happy to feel better and maybe even get out of the pool on the ladder. Someday.

4/17/2010 The right way, the wrong way, and the Purgason way

So. I packed the car Thursday night to alleviate as much last minute running around as possible and was ready to leave at 8a. m., having aimed for 9. Agatha called a few minutes later to say that she was ready, so I said , \"Let\'s go.\" I drove over to the gas station to fill the Santa Fe in the meantime. She arrived, spoke to her kid, Dan, and we left a few minutes before 9. She was meeting friends for a long weekend in Dahlonega and I was going to keep the dog for a quiet weekend and the kids for a week and a weekend while John met his fiancee Claudia in Germany. We made it to John's house in an hour and a half, from 35 minutes from ATL airport, through downtown Atlanta, to Gillsville. This is from the farthest Southwest suburb to the farthest Northeast suburb of metro Atlanta. Nifty trip. No stops, no stalls, no accidents, although the traffic was heavy, on a Friday. This is momentous. The S*** Fairy, however, was waiting for us at John's. Anticipating a ten hour flight to Germany, he had ridden his racing bike for 25 miles and had arrived home to find that his flight had been cancelled due to the volcano in Iceland. He was beside himself. I don't know what Agatha said, but suddenly he burst out, "It IS a big deal. It's a great big deal. It's a bigger deal than y'all (he's a Southern boy) know. We are going to get married while we are over there." Bless their hearts, they planned 2 weddings: the Catholic one in Garmisch for her family and the Protestant one here, for us. Each one would have a ceremony with family. Silence. To be honest, I was relieved, since the only one I knew about was the one where John\'s family would be and none of Claudia's. We love her dearly, but it's not the same as her having her family there. I would love to be in Germany, but hey, it's their wedding, they should have what THEY want. The best wedding I ever went to, everybody was barefoot on the beach at sunrise, had a wedding breakfast at the beach house and partied all day. "When is it?" I asked. \"I don't know, " he answered, "Some time next week. I'm just gonna show up and do what they tell me. Okay, I said, "We have time to regroup." After much planning and many phone calls, we threw our luggage into the carport, threw his in, and all piled into the car, headed to meet a ride to ATL airport. Agatha was in the back with the dog, who had escaped and run to the car. She proceeded to shed all over Agatha's pretty navy blue sweater set. We met Scott, who was headed back south, switched the luggage, hugged quickly, and they went. Agatha and I hadn't eaten anything so we stopped for lunch. I would have taken her to meet her friends, but she had left her purse at John's house. We went back. She called and they came to the house. In the meantime, Agatha carefully cleaned the dog hair off her sweaters, but as soon as she sat down, the dog jumped into her lap. The the meter guy came to install the new meter for the house addition. The TV went off; all the channels are locked; I don't know the code. After Agatha escaped with her friends I watched one of those Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which I hadn't seen yet. Just as Orlando Bloom came out of the maelstrom, healed of the wound to his heart, the phone rang. "Mooooom?" John had stood in line for four hours and had a flight for Rome on Monday. Claudia will ride the train from Bavaria to Rome. (Yes!) He rode the train to Doraville MARTA station and I headed out again. I couldn't find it and couldn't speak Korean or Spanish, but finally found someone who spoke English and knew where it was. John hadn't eaten all day. This is the kid who I never got between and the refrigerator when he got off the bus after school, so I took him to the nearest Chili's. He bought us a nice dinner and expressed a desire to go to Rex's baseball game. So I took him and came home. My stuff was still in the carport. I'll go back on Monday. I know if I'd had the kind of day he had, I would want to spend the weekend alone. And I brought the dog, which he requested, so I have 4 for the weekend. That's about it, except for Spaghetti Junction at rush hour coming back from the train and the hole in my passenger side floor from John's braking.

4/22/2010 A Done Deal

They did it! John and Claudia eloped while in Germany--just went off by themselves to get married. No family, no friends, just them. I thought it was wonderfully romantic. They did what they wanted. Imagine, the bride and groom had the wedding they wanted. What a concept! I wish I'd run off to Germany.

5/04/2010 Sugar the Bulldog

So. She\'s loose in the house when she is supposed to be in the sunroom or the yard, but she followed Dan, who cannot resist a pretty face, and then she found one of my NEW sandals, but I chased her down before it got any teeth marks. I barred the closet door, which will keep all of the a/c in the closet, so I\'ll move in there. We are doing our best to keep her on a diet, but she likes the boys' food best and they like hers best, so it's a huge deal to get them separated, running back and forth, capturing escapees twice a day. Then, she won\'t eat unless Dan feeds her by hand and we both have to stand right beside her while she eats, \"Because, " he says, "She has separation anxiety." We're standing there quietly, not moving, in the kitchen when this prescient flash hits me.--" This dog is spoiled." (ya think?) The good news is that my brain still works and we exercise by chasing them around.

5/8/2010 Maryannie\'s Big Weekend

Time for Dan\'s semi-annual golf trip and I have celebrated by making a huge mess in the house. For whatever reason, when I deep clean I make things worse for awhile. It has something to do with the way I think, which is global, but I do have a method here: fire up, mess up, clean up. Oh, yeah, and it's okay for me to end a sentence with a preposition, and misplace my modifiers, 'cause I'm Southern and I write like I talk. I fired up Thursday by running errands to collect the cleaning supplies I needed and the tchotchkis I had purchased and left in the store until I needed them. I thought that was inspired, as I have been known to lose things that I put up until later or where I will know exactly where they are. I messed up Friday by moving furniture and vacuuming, dusting, and finding things like Dani's Binky. Dani's six, but it WAS squashed between the bed and the wall and would have only been found when the bed was moved. I could have said it was Zane's as he's younger, but it was pink. I have found that it's much easier to be truthful about myself, as it's too much trouble to keep up with stories. Besides, the goofy way I do things makes it much more interesting. The whole process would have been quicker and easier had I simply put the furniture back in the same place, but what\'s the fun in that? I'll clean up later today, like right when I press send, except that it\'s really already clean, just messy or rather, " in disarray". Happy Mother's Day!

5/13/2010 Confirmation

So. Dan takes the long walk out to the mailbox at the road every day. I didn't go while he was on his golf trip, since I was otherwise occupied in the back bedroom rakeout. When he got back, he collected the exciting missives. His comment was, "We must be old." He laid the letters next to my computer and I looked to see what he meant:

Letter #1: The Scooter Store

Letter #2: AARP membership renewal

Letter#3: Insurance for final expenses (I love that--\"final expenses.\" Isn\'t that sweet?)

I am reminded of my Mother\'s aunt, Lolly, who lived alone and drove in the city of St Louis until she was 100, the Big Ten -o.. One December, while in her nineties, she had a heart attack and didn't tell anybody cause she didn't want to ruin Christmas. The following March she decided to depart for the Trans-Canada Mystery Train. "Oh, Lolly," I protested, "Do you really think that's a good idea?" "Well," she said, "I thought about it and I've already paid for it. I can't get my money back. I decided that, if I die, it's not my problem."

5/19/2010 Roses x 9 = Pain

Happy Mother's Day to me. I planted those babies in pots, which almost killed me. Thank goodness I didn't have to dig holes or I would still be in bed, unable to move. Dan was most helpful. He went to Home Depot for ten 40 pound bags of soil and left his truck so I could use the tailgate for a potting bench while he went to his mother's to sit on his bum for the afternoon. I\'m not complaining

June 14, 2022June 14, 2022

What I Believe

This article was written to make it easier for my readers to understand some of my opinions. I will add to it as questions arise from discussions.

Fundamental

My most fundamental beliefs are inculcated in the Nicene Creed most often said in Christian churches.

"I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."

This is belief. That I cannot prove God I decided long ago. But then his existence cannot be disproved either. And this belief has been help in my life and it is hard not to believe.

Libertarian

Even though I am not a member of the party, I do subscribe to the fundamental libertarian beliefs.

1. committed to the belief that individuals, and not states or groups of any other kind, are both ontologically and normatively primary;

2. that individuals have rights against certain kinds of forcible interference on the part of others;

3. that liberty, understood as non-interference, is the only thing that can be legitimately demanded of others as a matter of legal or political right;

4. that robust property rights and the economic liberty that follows from their consistent recognition are of central importance in respecting individual liberty;

5. that social order is not at odds with but develops out of individual liberty;

6. that the only proper use of coercion is defensive or to rectify an error;

7. that governments are bound by essentially the same moral principles as individuals;

8. and that most existing and historical governments have acted improperly insofar as they have utilized coercion for plunder, aggression, redistribution, and other purposes beyond the protection of individual liberty.

Priesthood

I believe in the \"priesthood of all believers\", that my relationship with God requires no intervening person.

The Bible

I believe the Bible is inspired by God. In it the writers have given us guidance, often very serious, as to how we should live our lives. Because the writers and translators are human we must carefully consider what we read.

Creation

I have included this here only because a reader has made incorrect assumptions about my belief. My belief can best be described as Intelligent Design. There is plenty of scientific evidence that the literal reading of the creation in Genesis cannot be accurate. Where evolution is a widely accepted theory, there are existing scientific problems with that as a theory. Since I wasn\'t there, as well as many who want to debate, I confess I have not studied the subject in detail.

June 13, 2022January 17, 2024

Abortions

You may get tired of me saying this, but I had a dream last night that God was telling me to post on this subject. So I am! Our politicians and most of us are upset enough after the school shooting in Texas that we really want to find a solution. Understood. But I have a couple of questions.

The shooter entered an entrance that was propped open.

How did he know which one was so configured?
Did he have an accomplice?

More importantly, are we pouring resources into the wrong problem? I did a little research and found that from 2009-2018 we had an average of 11.4 deaths from school shootings a year. Not good! But I also found that we had 885000 murders (to slaughter wantonly) of children before they were born. That accounts for 97.84% of deaths. Government funded Planned Parenthood accounts for about 39.14% of the deaths where school shootings only account for about 0.01%.

Please pray with me to have our government at least work on that problem.


Cause of Death	Total	per year	Per week	Per day	Percent of total abortions	Percent of total deaths

Abortions		885000	17019	2,424.66		97.84%
Planned Parenthood		354000	6808	969.86	40.00%	39.14%
Death by Gun		19384	373	53.11		2.14%
Death in School Shooting(10 year average 2009-2018)		114	2	0.31		0.01%
Total Deaths (excluding Planned Parenthood)		904498	17394	2,478.08		84.00%



School Shooting Deaths

2009	5
2010	4
2011	3
2012	31
2013	6
2014	12
2015	3
2016	5
2017	8
2018	37
	114

June 12, 2022September 26, 2023

2nd Amendment

This post was inspired by the number of instances I have responded to questions and posts advocating gun control. I have organized this article so that the reader may use an index of sorts to refer to for comments and questions. I encourage all readers to post corrections to facts in the article and their arguments.

The 2nd Amendment
“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.”

1.1 What Founders Say

1.1.1 George Washington

1.1.2 Federalist Papers - James Madison

James Madison was in his 20s when he contributed articles to what is now called the Federalist Papers.:  One paper, No 46, by James Madison discusses the rights of citizens to possess arms. The discussion starts in the final quarter of the paper. “This will not only lessen the call for military establishments, but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens.”

1.2 My Opinion

The current gun laws in view of the founders view and the 2nd Amendment IMHO are not Constitutional. That the laws either have not been challenged, or the SCOTUS has ruled them constitutional, permit them to be in force is OK with me. I am opposed to new more restrictive laws on arms like what many are calling “Assault Weapons”. Knowledgeable self defense proponents say that the AR-15 is one of the best home defense weapons because of its accuracy and reliability. I am not opposed to background checks except I am concerned that the government may deny possession of a firearm unreasonably, like prior military service. As we have found with the no-fly list, it could deny ownership with little or mistaken reason.  I am convinced the ownership of firearms prevent more crimes than they cause. Many cite Australia’s experience with gun laws as a reason to extend our own. What they don’t mention is the increase in all the other crime statistics. Personally, I credit the absence of a crime that could seriously injured or killed three people (two relatives) to the presence of a weapon and a person that could use it.

2.0 Positive Use of Arms

"I am a Smith & Wesson 357. Before I retired to GA I was owned by a physician in Detroit. I was called on three times to perform my function. The first time I was removed from the physician's purse to confront a rather large man approaching the physician. On recognizing me, the large man left. The second time, several thugs approached the physician. It was dark and the thugs either did not recognize me or did not believe the physician would pull the trigger. The physician did. The muzzle flash was so bright the thugs were blinded and the physician and I were able to get in her car and leave. The third incident occurred when a thug approached the physician. It was daylight so my muzzle flash was not so bright. The thug continued. I think the second shot hit the assailant, but he left, and so did we."

The Smith & Wesson now belongs to a family where arms are kept, loaded and unlocked. Another two crimes were prevented when an intruder entered the house. Two girls heard the intruder break into a basement door. One went to the phone and dialed 911. The other took a bolt action shotgun from its place and proceeded to meet the intruder coming up the steps. As she approached the stairs, she chambered a shell. The intruder apparently recognized the sound and left the same way he had come. It was over 25 minutes before the police reached the house.   After the incident with the girls, alone in the house, the owners posted a sign on the basement door with a picture of the business end of the 357 saying "We don't call 911 first!" There were no incidents after that sign was posted even though there were reports that there were other break-ins.   Certainly, five crimes were prevented by these weapons, any one of which could have caused injury or death of the physician or the girls. How many lives were affected? How many lives were saved (the physician is still working)?

The media seldom reports on like incidents or cases where an armed officer in a school prevents mass murders like the one in Maryland, or the armed teacher that took down an shooter before he had time to do any damage. And there is no way to count the times a perpetrator avoid a house or business because he knows or suspects there are arms on the premises.

3.0 Information vs Misinformation

3.1 “Assault Rifle” vs “Assault Weapon”

3.1.1 An automatic weapon is one that fires continuously until the trigger is released or it runs out of ammunition.

3.1.2 A semi automatic weapon requires the trigger to be depressed for each cartridge to be fired. The automatic function refers to the characteristic of the weapon that after a shot is fired the mechanism re-chambers a new round to be fired.

3.1.3 “selective fire” means that a weapon can be used as an automatic or semiautomatic weapon.

3.1.4 “bump stock” is a device that can be used that makes a semi automatic act like an automatic.

3.1.5 The definition of an Assault Rifle used here and all my posts is from the US Army definition:

It must be capable of selective fire
It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle, such as the 7.92×33mm Kurz, the 7.62x39mm and the 5.56x45mm NATO.
Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable box magazine.[5]
It must have an effective range of at least 300 metres (330 yards).
And it must have all of the above characteristics

3.1.6 The definition of an Assault Weapon varies depends on the state. For our purposes we will use the following criteria.:

Semi-automatic firearm capable of accepting a detachable magazine
Folding or telescoping (collapsible) stock, which reduces the overall length of the firearm
A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon
Bayonet lug, which allows the mounting of a bayonet
Threaded barrel, which can accept devices such as a flash suppressor, Suppressor, compensator or muzzle brake
Grenade launcher
Barrel shroud, which prevents burning of shooter's arm or hand as a safety device.
Must have one or more of above characteristics.

Note that the above definition includes semi-automatic handguns because they have detachable magazines, leaving only revolvers, double barrel shotguns, and long guns with internal magazines as weapons not classified as assault weapons.

3.2 An AR-15 is NOT an “assault rifle” as many allege. Under the above definition it can be classified as an “assault weapon”.

3.3 “Laws are needed to restrict ownership of assault rifles”. The National Firearms Act of 1938 regulates the sale of assault rifles.

3.4 I tend to agree with Mark Twain,

“Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable. It is the mark of a truly intelligent person to be moved by statistics. There are lies, damned lies and statistics. Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not illumination.”

Statistics too often are used to prove a point by the person rather than used as pure research. Regarding gun control you need to look at the source. You can certainly expect charts produced by the liberal media to support their objectives for more gun control. Data is not readily available for me to produce my own charts. If the reader has access to this data I would be glad to produce statics that are more complete. The data required for 2007-2017 are:

Gun Deaths by Year by State,
Gun Purchases by Year by State,
Population by Year by State,
Gun Deaths by by Year by cause (suicide, accident, mass, violence) by Youth Age Bracket (0-15, 16-24, over 24 any brackets are acceptable including those listed here)
Gun Deaths by Year by cause.

I will continue gathering the data but will accept the any help. I can accept data in .csv format. The best source is CDC.

4.0 Limited Resources

Conservatives recognize that our government, in fact our culture of freedom, has limited resources. Acting on that knowledge, they automatically think of problems whose seriousness and magnitude require some of those limited resources. A good corporate manager, including the president, considers those limits in every decision.

All families face the same issue. However there are many, including the recipients of welfare, some of very rich, and many educators who either believe resources are unlimited or that the resources can be managed better by the government than by individuals.

By either knowingly or accidentally using techniques described by Saul Alinsky to further their objectives of gaining more and more control over the citizens, they use emotionally charged issues like “gun control” and fund activities like “March for Our Lives”. YES, I AM AS CONCERNED ABOUT CHILDREN BEING MURDERED AS THE WELL MEANING YOUNG ADULTS. However, it must be considered along with other problems we face as a free culture with limited resources.

Here are some of those issues:

Atomic armed North Korea with ability to bomb cities in the United States, the top responsibility of the Federal Government is to protect the citizens of the United States from foreign invasion.
Atomic armed Iran.
Illegal Immigration which demands expenditures in education, permits criminals to injure U.S. Citizens and formits the drug trade.
Russian expansion activities.
Automobile deaths of about 3300 a day.
The opioid crisis, and other drug problems that are taking 1000 lives a day.
Care of our veterans.
Government funding of murder of 300000+ unborn babies. Even though the Supreme Court has ruled, Roe vs Wade, that abortions are legal, it is contrary to the First Amendment to force taxpayers to fund them.
School shootings. Even though one student death is too many, we must recognize that the trend of such incidents is down even though one, based on media coverage, might reasonably conclude it was up. Prevention of those attacks can best be handled by the states, as Florida did.

The order is my opinion of the order of importance. Even so, considering our limited resources, it is difficult for me to justify placing “School Shootings” and the associated push for limiting the right of self protection high in the list, and, on a personal level, sacrificing the lives of the three people I know on the altar of well meaning gun control advocates.

5.0 Young Adult Participation

I am encouraged that our youth are taking an interest in solving problems. I am concerned that, because of the increasing influence of progressives in our education system they are being used.

All who support demonstrations and particularly those who support legislation to restrict freedoms regardless of your good intentions, need to remember the words posted below and their source. You also need to review “Rules for Radicals”, a review of which is at http://politico-cat.com/wp/wordpress/2023/09/17/review-rules-for-radicals/

If you at all concerned with the direction our country is taking.   Whether you are a member of Black Lives Matter or March for Our Lives, understand that you are restricting someone else’s freedom when you leave trash in your wake and block their ability to travel. Hopefully you will not impede a person or persons ability to get essential healthcare by your actions. Is your organization prepared to pay the cost incurred because of extra police and garbage pickup required by your demonstration? Are you? If not, then you are stealing from your fellow taxpayer.

8.0 How would I reduce gun related crime?

Thanks to the reader that put my foot to the fire and asked that question.

Glad you asked.

Given that criminals:

don’t follow the law;
That the majority of gun deaths are from commission of related crimes;
That mass shootings are by mentally deranged perpetrators.

I would:

Increase penalties for crimes by a factor of 10 for crimes in which a firearm is used by the perpetrator with no opportunity for parole. Mandatory life sentence if someone is injured. Require purchaser to attend a class in gun safety.
Voluntarily remove “gun free” zones. Campaign for locations where more than a few people gather to remove signs that they are gun free. Recommend that if they are concerned about guns on the premises, they provide ways to check people attending for arms.
Establish a privately run gun owner list publicly accessible to advise weapons sellers as to restrictions of persons to own a weapon. Such a list can be funded by its users. Such a list would include whether the person listed has successfully completed a gun handling and safety course. HIPAA regulations specify that medical records of a person may not be released without that person's permission. That the managers cannot get the records would be a red flag to the seller as to the buyer’s fitness to have a weapon.

June 12, 2022September 17, 2023

Before You Vote

For Your Children

Even though this article was written before the last election, it is still applicable!

This article is dedicated to my and your children and grandchildren.

I implore you to read it for their sake and to honor the men and women who have risked and oft died preserving the United States and its freedoms.

I will try to organize it so I make the important points first so that if you disagree on later points you may opt out.

Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your site, my Lord and my Redeemer.”

What You Should Do

Some time ago, I read the book “Rules for Radicals” by Saul Alinsky which details what community organizers need to do to accomplish political goals. I have reviewed it at

Review-Rules for Radicals

You will find a recommendation to read either the book or the review later in this article. For now, I will just list the points I made in the conclusion.

So How Does One Avoid Being Used in an Organization?

Be suspicious. Be sure you understand the meaning of the words/expressions you hear. Avoid Zohnerisms, like banning dihydrogen monoxide. If you don’t know what a zohnerism is, do a search on the web.
Be Particularly suspicious of news that elicits emotional response
Decide what your objectives are for a better future.
Because we essentially have only 4 parties, read the platforms of all. Select the one which best matches your objectives and conforms to your morality.
Listen to the speeches of your candidate, preferably to the complete speech so that you understand the context. If available, read the speeches.
Check the integrity of the candidate. Particularly their past.
DO NOT pay attention to what the talking heads say, even though they broadcast through your favorite news media. The host of Fox News Sunday has been observed playing a segment by a candidate and then posing a question misstating what the segment just played revealed. Often on this program and others, journalist ask the same question over and over obviously hoping the answer is the one they want.
Expand your sources of news. CNN, MSNBC, CBS, New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR are considered left regarding their reporting history (eg, 90+ % of their stories about Donald Trump are negative). Fox News claims to be fair and balanced. Hannity, and the Ingram Angle are definitely pro-Trump where other programs like the “Five”, “Outnumbered” have at least one person representing the left. OANN, if available, along with Reuters usually present unvarnished, and, to some degree boring reporting. NewsMax, a late comer to network news, is more "right" in there reporting. Many shows also invite left representatives to participate and you can see positions presented side by side.
Ignore TV-Radio “negative” adds, those that tell why you shouldn’t vote for a candidate. Remember that a bill may contain something more objectionable than its title or what is a desirable element.
Once a presentation mentions “source”, “source in the White House”, “source in the Congress”, and “unnamed source”, flag that presentation as highly suspect. Remember, those in the news media also have their agenda.
Be very careful with Social Media postings. Where links are provided, make sure they are reputable sources. Also realize that the label of a link is designed to get you to click on the link and is not necessarily true.
If you search the internet for information, I suggest you use the “Brave” browser or DuckDuckGo. Google, Microsoft, and others have been found to “guide” searches.
Hopefully you know that Facebook and Twitter are known to censor conservative posts and will “jail” users who post conservative messages that do not conform to their rules.
Vote! Regardless of the party, the weather, your physical condition, or conditions at your poling place. Vote at a poling place unless you have an acceptable reason to use absentee voting. If your locality accepts mail-in votes, to assure your vote is counted deposit it in a USPS mail box or at the Post Office. If you don’t receive a ballot, or receive more than one, notify BOTH a Democratic and Republican voting official.

Steps 2-5, 14 are particularly important.

If you have gotten this far, I hope you will come back because I will be updating the article.

To further educate yourself as to how you may be used to further an objective that you may not wish to further, read the Saul Alinsky book “Rules for Radicals” or at least read my review at the link I provided above.

My Opinion

Certainly you can opine that all of this paper is my opinion. I have tried to direct the above to all American citizens. It is my sincere hope that all find my comments useful. If you do, you may consider my comments below useful.

Confession

When I voted for Donald Trump I was voting against Hillary Clinton. I was voting against a person who watched our Ambassador and American Marines being attacked without responding with troops from nearby bases and claimed they wouldn’t get there in time. I was voting against a person who denied security to an Ambassador who had requested it. I was voting against a person who lied to the parents of one the Marines, blaming a video, even though she knew at the time it was a lie. I voted against the party based on what I read in their platform and what I heard directly from the candidates. I could go on and on but it would be boring.

The Platforms

I suggest you use the notes you used in step 3 above in conjunction with your reading the platforms. If you are not clear, or satisfied with them, I suggest you rate the elements based on the amount of individual freedom they promise.

I may not present notes on the Green or Libertarian parties because, even though I may like one more than the dominant two parties, they have not yet garnered enough support to be a factor in the election. However, if you cannot bring yourself to vote for either party, I recommend you vote for the Libertarian party. It offers more individual freedom than the other three.

Democratic

The following link is to the previous platform and may serve as the basis of the 2020 platform. It is reported that the so-called ultra socialist “squad” has already voted against the platform.

https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/

In reviewing this document, I scanned this article to see what applied. I may revise it after campaign gets underway.

There is also a document “Biden-Saunders Unity Platform” in which you will you may find some of what is intended to be in the platform. I tried to find a link to that document with no luck. The following link on the Donald J Trump claims to list the points in the document.

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/biden-sanders-unity-platform-cements-radical-agenda/

Notes

Democratic Party Platform

I will post notes as soon as the platform becomes available.

Biden-Saunders Unity Platform

The following notes are based on what I have found published about the Biden-Sanders Unity Platform. Note that I could not find the actual text and the quotes are from the Donald J Trump site which is presumably quoting the document. Their posting, however, is supported by articles from other sources including the New York Times and NPR.

Important points:

The following was copied from the Donald Trump website, The page numbers at the end of the quotations specify where in the document the quotation is found.

1) ABOLISH BORDERS

Abolish immigration detention

“End the use of for-profit detention facilities and use detention as a last resort.” p. 106

“Democrats will prioritize investments in more effective and cost-efficient community-based alternatives to detention.” p.40

Stop all deportations

“Enact a 100-day moratorium on deportations of people already in the United States while conducting a full-scale study on current practices to develop recommendations for transforming enforcement policies and practices at ICE and CBP.” p. 103

End prosecution of illegal border crossers

“...end indiscriminate prosecutions, including of asylum seekers. End mass prosecutions of individuals who cross the border...” p. 103

Support Sanctuary Cities

“Direct DOJ to drop funding restrictions (and related litigation) relating to state and local decisions regarding their role in enforcement of federal immigration law.” p. 106

Incentivize illegal alien child smuggling

“End use of the unaccompanied minors program as an enforcement trap against family sponsors, including where such a trap is facilitated by the use of information sharing between ICE and ORR.” p. 106

Expand asylum for all new illegal aliens

“...expand the existing asylum system and other humanitarian protections, including provisions in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and the Flores Settlement Agreement for arriving unaccompanied minors.” p. 107

“Reverse policies that prevent victims of gang and domestic violence, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community, from being eligible to apply for asylum.” p. 107

Cancel all Asylum Cooperation Agreements in the Western Hemisphere

“End the Asylum Cooperative Agreements the U.S. has signed with Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.” p. 103

“End the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) also known as “Remain in Mexico” and other policies that effectively deny protection and due process to asylum seekers.”p. 103

Taxpayer-funded lawyers for illegal aliens

“Ensure access to counsel and establish federal funding to provide representation and ensure that individuals in DHS custody have meaningful opportunities to secure counsel.” p. 106

Abolish immigration enforcement against illegal workers

“Enforcement should sanction employers, not workers. End workplace raids and ensure that I-9 audits do not undermine workers’ ability to organize and assert their rights.” p. 108

Grant work permits to illegal aliens

“Reverse changes made by the Trump Administration to restrict work authorization for asylum seekers and others under ERO supervision.” p. 108

2) PROVIDE TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES AND WELFARE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS AND NEW IMMIGRANTS

Government healthcare for Illegal Aliens

“ [T]he Task Force recommends extending Affordable Care Act coverage to DACA recipients, [and] allowing undocumented immigrants to purchase unsubsidized coverage in the ACA marketplaces...” p. 108

Federal student aid and free community college for illegal aliens

“Ensure dreamers are eligible for federal student aid and included in proposals to access community colleges without debt, including those who transfer to a four-year HBCU, TCU, or MSI from a tuition free community college.” p. 108

Sign new immigrants up for welfare immediately

“...lift the five-year waiting period for low-income lawfully present immigrants for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility.” p. 91

End requirement for immigrant self-sufficiency and maximize welfare

“Immediately halt enforcement of and rescind the Trump administration’s new public charge regulations... [Ensure] that the public charge determination is not used to deter access to essential public benefits, healthcare services and other key resources.”p. 103

3) MASSIVELY EXPAND IMMIGRATION DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, TAKING JOBS FROM UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS

End all travel bans, including from jihadist regions

“Immediately terminate the Trump Administration's discriminatory travel and immigration bans that have had disproportionate impact on Muslim and African people, and invite visa reapplication for individuals from these countries.” p. 38

Grant Mass Amnesty

“Create a roadmap to citizenship for the nearly 11 million people who have been living in and strengthening our country for years. Eliminate unfair barriers to naturalization and reduce the citizenship backlog; reject unreasonable application fees, which make it impossible for families to stay together.” p. 104

Vastly expand low-skilled immigration to the U.S.

“Support legislation to provide legal status and fast-track access to green cards, with an eventual path to citizenship, to agricultural workers based on prior agricultural work history.” p. 104

Increase refugee admissions 700 percent

“Increase the annual global refugee admissions cap to 125,000 in the first year and seek to raise it over time. Support passage of the Guaranteed Refugee Admissions Ceiling Enhancement (GRACE) Act, and commit to complying with statutory requirements to consult with Congress prior to issuing refugee determinations.” p. 107

4) ABOLISH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WE KNOW IT

End Cash Bail, releasing dangerous criminals onto the streets

“Democrats support eliminating the use of cash bail...” “End Cash Bail: Withhold funding from states that continue to use cash bail...” p. 9, 59

Abolish death penalty

“Abolish the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.” p. 59

Appoint social justice prosecutors to free violent criminals

“Appoint people committed to criminal justice reform to key prosecutorial positions, including AG, DAG, and U.S. Attorneys...” “Support Progressive Prosecutors.” p. 58

End mandatory minimums

“Empower judges to determine appropriate sentences, by fighting to repeal mandatory minimums at the federal level and give states incentives to repeal their mandatory minimums.” p. 59

Incentivize prison closure

“Incentivize jail and prison closures as populations decline. Ensure the resources saved are invested directly into those communities that have been most impacted by mass incarceration.” p. 60

End solitary confinement

“End solitary confinement in all but rare, exceptional cases.” p. 60

Free federal housing for former inmates

“[W]e will ensure that 100 percent of returning citizens have access to transitional housing upon reentry from jail or prison.” p. 18

5) ABOLISH ENERGY

Rejoin Paris Climate Accord & seek even higher level of restrictions

“We will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and, on Day One, seek higher ambition from nations around the world, putting the United States back in the position of global leadership where we belong.” p. 1

Mandate net-zero carbon emissions for HOMES, OFFICES, and ALL new buildings by 2030

“Net-zero emissions for all new buildings by 2030, on the pathway to a 100% clean building sector.” p. 3

Mandate zero carbon emissions from power plants by 2035

“Eliminate carbon pollution from power plants by 2035 through technology-neutral standards for clean energy and energy efficiency.” p. 47

Mandate net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

“We agree with scientists and public health experts that the United States—and the world—must achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, and no later than 2050.” p. 2

Mandate all 500,000 school buses and all 3 million government vehicles be changed to zero-emission vehicles within five years

“...transitioning the entire fleet of 500,000 school buses to American-made, zero- emission alternatives within five years..transitioning the 3 million vehicles in the federal, state, and local fleets to zero-emission vehicles.” p. 3

Install 500,000 taxpayer-funded charging stations nationwide for electric cars

“Support private adoption of affordable low-pollution and zero-emission vehicles by partnering with state and local governments to install at least 500,000 public charging stations from coast to coast. Make charging infrastructure accessible, with strong labor, training and installation standards, through federal grants to states and localities.” p. 3

6) ABOLISH SCHOOL CHOICE

End School Choice

“Democrats oppose private school vouchers and other policies that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from the public school system.” p. 24

End Tax-Credit Scholarships serving disadvantaged students in 26 states; Oppose 14 million Americans with Education Savings Accounts

“Oppose any and all voucher and neo-voucher programs such as Education Savings Accounts and Tax-credit Scholarship programs” p. 83

Eliminate school choice in DC

“Discontinue funding of the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act. This voucher program authorizes the diversion of $20 million annually to private schools in the District of Columbia...” p. 83

7) ABOLISH CHARTER SCHOOLS

Abolish for profit charter schools

“Ban for-profit charter schools.” p. 82

Ban funding for charter schools in poor neighborhoods

“Require that federal funding for charter schools in any district be conditioned on a district's review of the financial and academic impact of a new charter school or a charter school that wants to expand on that district or neighborhood. The Department of Education would have the ability to deny federal funding for charter(s) if the district’s analysis shows that it is (1) financially distressed or (2) the charter would systematically under-serve the neediest students.” p. 82-83

8) ABOLISH EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS

End standardized tests

“Eliminate high-stakes standardized tests that unfairly label students.” p.83

9) ABOLISH SUBURBS

Enforce Obama-Biden’s radical AFFH regulation that threatens to strip localities of federal affordable housing funds unless they change their zoning laws to fit the federal government’s demands.

“Implement the Obama-Biden Administration’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule requiring communities receiving certain federal funding to proactively examine housing patterns and identify and address policies that have discriminatory effects.” p. 64

This is the end of the section copied from the Donald J Trump website.

Green

https://www.gp.org/platform

Libertarian

Platform

Republican

Note that this the 2016 platform. The platform committee has voted to retain it for 2020. President Trump has requested that a new one be developed, so there is a possibility it will be changed.

https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/static/home/data/platform.pdf

Notes

If you, for some reason, choose not to read the platform, ask me, and I will research and make appropriate text available to you.

Some important points made in the document:

“Government cannot create prosperity, though government can limit or destroy it. Prosperity is the product of self-discipline, enterprise, saving and in- vestment by individuals, but it is not an end in itself.
Republicans consider the establishment of a pro-growth tax code a moral imperative.
We oppose retroactive taxation.
We condemn attempts by activist judges at any level of government to seize the power of the purse from the people’s elected representatives by ordering higher taxes.
We oppose tax policies that deliberately divide Americans or promote class warfare.
Because of the vital role of religious organizations, charities, and fraternal benevolent societies in fostering generosity and patriotism, they should not be subject to taxation and donations to them should remain deductible.
International trade is crucial for all sectors of America’s economy. Massive trade deficits are not. We envision a worldwide multilateral agreement among nations committed to the principles of open markets, what has been called a “Reagan Economic Zone,” in which free trade will truly be fair trade for all concerned.
We need better negotiated trade agreements that put America first. When trade agreements have been carefully negotiated with friendly democracies, they have resulted in millions of new jobs here at home supported by our exports. When those agreements do not adequately protect U.S. interests, U.S. sovereignty, or when they are violated with impunity, they must be rejected.
The Republican vision for American banking calls for establishing transparent, efficient markets where consumers can obtain loans they need at reasonable rates based on market conditions.
We envision government at all levels as a partner with individuals and industries in technological progress, not a meddlesome monitor.
We are the party of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The Declaration sets forth the fundamental precepts of American government: That God bestows certain inalienable rights on every individual, thus producing human equality; that government exists first and foremost to protect those inalienable rights; that man-made law must be consistent with God-given, natural rights; and that if God-given, natural, inalienable rights come in conflict with government, court, or human-granted rights, God-given, natural, inalienable rights always prevail; that there is a moral law recognized as “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”; and that American government is to operate with the consent of the governed.”
There is also a discussion about every one of the first ten Amendments known as the “Bill of Rights”.
“We oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and any other scheme to abolish or distort the procedures of the Electoral College.
Honest elections are the foundation of representative government. We pledge to protect the voting rights of every citizen, as well as their rights of conscience when they are harassed or denied a job because of their contributions to a candidate or a cause.
We are the party of America’s growers, producers, farmers, ranchers, foresters, miners, commercial fishermen, and all those who bring from the earth the crops, minerals, energy, and the bounties of our seas that are the lifeblood of our economy. Their labor and ingenuity, their determination in bad times and love of the land at all times, powers our economy, creates millions of jobs, and feeds billions of people around the world.
We support the development of all forms of energy that are marketable in a free economy without subsidies, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, and hydropower.
We support options for learning, including home-schooling, career and technical education, private or parochial schools, magnet schools, charter schools, online learning, and early-college high schools. We especially support the innovative financing mechanisms that make options available to all children: education savings accounts (ESAs), vouchers, and tuition tax credits

Promises Made, Promises Kept

I confess I didn’t listen to many of the Trump promises because my decision had been made based on opposition to Democratic Party and its candidate.

It took a while for it to dawn on me, but having spent some time as a Real Estate Associate, I recognized a technique called “puffing”. Often President Trump puffs the accomplishments of his administration as his own. As the leader of that group of people that he assembled, he has that right.

Some Observations

I was most . impressed while watching a little reported on meeting Donald Trump had with a group of back ministers in Detroit. Sure, one could conclude that it was to attract the black vote. However, at the end of the meeting, the ministers gathered around him, performed the familiar Christian ritual “laying on of hands”. Those that have participated as the subject of that ritual as I have will testify that something happens during it that is greater than the act. For me, it was a realization that I was expected to be a part of something greater than myself. Was Donald Trump affected that way? I believe he was.

I am also impressed by the people he chose and serve or served in his administration. At the top of the list is Dr. Ben Carson, the person I voted for in the primary. Another is Sarah Huckabee Saunders who represented the President at very contentious news conferences. Even though Michael Flynn’s name has and is being dragged through the mud and maybe made some bad decisions during his prosecution, I have to respect him for his service to our country. K.T. McFarland is another.

The Trump Administration Accomplishments

Most of these accomplishments were made before the Covid-19 pandemic and are included to show what the administration can do absent a disaster that Covid-19 brought on.

I tend to, and recommend all, to measure a person by his or her accomplishments

Almost 4 million jobs created since election.
More Americans are now employed than ever recorded before in our history.
We have created more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs since my election.
Manufacturing jobs growing at the fastest rate in more than THREE DECADES.
Economic growth last quarter hit 4.2 percent.
New unemployment claims recently hit a 49-year low.
Median household income has hit highest level ever recorded.
African-American unemployment has recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
Hispanic-American unemployment is at the lowest rate ever recorded.
Asian-American unemployment recently achieved the lowest rate ever recorded.
Women’s unemployment recently reached the lowest rate in 65 years.
Youth unemployment has recently hit the lowest rate in nearly half a century.
Lowest unemployment rate ever recorded for Americans without a high school diploma.
Under my Administration, veterans’ unemployment recently reached its lowest rate in nearly 20 years.
Almost 3.9 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps since the election.
The Pledge to America’s Workers has resulted in employers committing to train more than 4 million Americans. We are committed to VOCATIONAL education.
95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future—the highest ever.
Retail sales surged last month, up another 6 percent over last year.
Signed the biggest package of tax cuts and reforms in history. After tax cuts, over $300 billion poured back in to the U.S. in the first quarter alone.
As a result of our tax bill, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.
Helped win U.S. bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Helped win U.S.-Mexico-Canada’s united bid for 2026 World Cup.
Opened ANWR and approved Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines.
Record number of regulations eliminated.
Enacted regulatory relief for community banks and credit unions.
Obamacare individual mandate penalty GONE.
My Administration is providing more affordable healthcare options for Americans through association health plans and short-term duration plans.
Last month, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs than ever before in history. And thanks to our efforts, many drug companies are freezing or reversing planned price increases.
We reformed the Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors on their drugs—saving seniors hundreds of millions of dollars this year alone.
Signed Right-To-Try legislation.
Secured $6 billion in NEW funding to fight the opioid epidemic.
We have reduced high-dose opioid prescriptions by 16 percent during my first year in office.
Signed VA Choice Act and VA Accountability Act, expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care.
Increased our coal exports by 60 percent; U.S. oil production recently reached all-time high.
United States is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.
Withdrew the United States from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord.
Cancelled the illegal, anti-coal, so-called Clean Power Plan.
Secured record $700 billion in military funding; $716 billion next year.
NATO allies are spending $69 billion more on defense since 2016.
Process has begun to make the Space Force the 6th branch of the Armed Forces.
Confirmed more circuit court judges than any other new administration.
Confirmed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Withdrew from the horrible, one-sided Iran Deal.
Moved U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
Protecting Americans from terrorists with the Travel Ban, upheld by Supreme Court.
Issued Executive Order to keep open Guantanamo Bay.
Concluded a historic U.S.-Mexico Trade Deal to replace NAFTA. And negotiations with Canada are underway as we speak.
Reached a breakthrough agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports.
Imposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to protect our national security.
Imposed tariffs on China in response to China’s forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and their chronically abusive trade practices.
Net exports are on track to increase by $59 billion this year.
Improved vetting and screening for refugees, and switched focus to overseas resettlement.
Built almost 300 miles of border wall.

Conclusion

I have given you all the reasons that I will vote for the Republicans in November. Admittedly, I have had more time to watch hearings, the Conventions, and the candidates. You, my readers have a decision to make that is the most important in my lifetime. That decision is whether you want your children to live in a socialist country like Venezuela, Cuba, or China and give up freedoms for which so many fought for or in the country, imperfect as it may be, that our founders established for us. It is that simple.

Personalities of the leadership and their past deeds, where they are important, do not necessarily indicate what the will accomplish if tapped by God. For example, Christians recognize the contributions of Paul, who persecuted early Christians, or Peter who denied he knew Christ, or Thomas who doubted Christ, or so many others.

So, while making your decision, look to the future. We know that, in the past parties have not lived up to their promises in their platforms. But the platform at least gives you a hint of what they considered. Not only that, they tell you what kind of voter they are trying to attract.

June 10, 2022June 13, 2022