Veterans Day Parade

A few excerpts of the Veterans Day Parade in Vancouver, Washington at the historic Vancouver Barracks

To all of my fellow Veterans, Welcome Home, thank you for stepping up when needed.

A Divided America

As readers might have noticed, I have been posting on how divided we in America are. I have done so because our divisions are not improving, but seemingly getting worse, much worse. And we don’t have to be so divided.

I have no desire to see the country slide once again into a civil war and pray we never get to that point.

To that end, I was honored to be included in a project led by the Wall Street Journal as they crisscrossed the country speaking with citizens from across the political spectrum on the division and how each of us are dealing with it.

I’m a Fish Out of Water

The project in its entirety can be viewed at Voices From a Divided America

Remember, we don’t have to continue down this road to civil war. We must learn again how to be civil and listen to each other.

I don’t believe we are quite past the point of no return, but we are getting closer every day.

Will it Matter What Party a Tyrant is in?

Tyrant, a word that has been thrown around quite a bit over the years with too few understanding the exact meaning of it. Yes, all understand the dictionary meaning to be a cruel and oppressive ruler, but too often it is attached solely on the basis of disagreeing values and views.

Contrary to the claims of some, neither President Trump nor former President Obama were “tyrants,” in spite of far different views and governance style.

Understand too, we are embroiled in the midst of a somewhat cold civil war. Not shooting and imprisoning each other just yet, but an escalating war of ideals led by factions of fringe far left and far right, both of whom desire one party rule under their personal views.

It’s largely forgotten, or never learned that our founding fathers held differing views at the founding of our country and had some fairly harsh arguments while writing our constitution and Bill of Rights.

But they were able to rise above those differing views and write a constitution that has stood the test of time and served all of us very well as the founders wrote into the constitution the means to amend it to rectify issues and even denials of constitutional rights withheld to some citizens over the years.

And that area is where we are headed for trouble as left and right factions are ‘taking it to the streets’ and battling each other, both claiming to stand for law & order, but both violating our laws on peaceful assembly and protest, to the point of attacking each other physically.


And of course, each side blames the other for the escalation in violence while absolving themselves even though both show up prepared to do battle.

Too often spineless politicians sit back and ignore the violence, some even hampering the Police in controlling the mobs as we recently saw in Portland, Oregon when Antifa took over an intersection, harassing drivers while Police sat back.


This is not the America I grew up in nor is the America I served to defend in the U.S. Army, but it’s what we have become. And it’s getting worse.

More and more we hear cries of a country divided as feuding factions refuse to work together or seek common ground to resolve issues facing the nation. Any that suggest moderation are quickly shouted down with ridicule or smears, regardless of side.

And therein lies the big problem with both sides of this warming civil war the country is facing.

Should either side win they will want to hold on to their power, but to do so they would have to squelch any opposition as the other side will want to become the prevailing power, just as they are doing now and have shown their willingness to battle for control.

Neither side would be willing to peacefully submit to the other.

So to what lengths would the fringe far right or left resort to in order to maintain control and squelch resistance and revolution to take over?

Maybe that was the wisdom behind General Grant’s decision after the first civil war to allow the defeated Confederates to return to their homes with their dignity intact “with an individual parole pass certifying that the men would not take up arms against the United States” instead of being arrested and imprisoned.

Do you think either faction today would offer such a “parole” or whether the paroled side would honor it? I don’t envision either side offering or abiding by any offers of benevolence from the other.

Given the ever increasing violent militancy we have all seen across the nation by fringe factions, peaceful coexistence seems to be a goal neither are interested in.

So where does that leave the rest of us caught in the middle of these militant demonstrations and riots as spineless politicians sit idly by or are more interested in taking verbal pot shots at each other instead of resolving the issues affecting the country?

Should either of these fringe factions ever gain control over the country we all would be subject to whatever restrictions they would place on liberty’s to prevent the other fringe faction from usurping their power. Be it disarmament, ending voting or restricting who may run for office, it would affect us all as leaders became more and more despotic to retain their power.

Fortunately, we are not in any immediate danger of that happening, even with the recent mailings of what is supposed to be bombs sent to prominent Democrats. Bombs so ridiculous looking many have said they should be stamped ACME on the side as one more of Wil E. Coyote’s hair brained efforts to catch the Road Runner.

UPDATE: The Authorities have arrested a suspect in the attempted bombings and as expected, instead of breathing a sigh of relief, many have reverted to using the arrest to further inflame the rhetoric and accuse Republicans.

Fortunately, none went off. It’s uncertain yet if any could have detonated, but it does show how far out of the norm we are allowing things to get whether this was a false flag or dry run for possible future attacks.

For the first two centuries of our country’s existence, we were capable to coexisting and in spite of our differences and at times bickering over political views, we could work through them and make corrections where needed.

We didn’t need to riot in the streets and battle each other to get a point across.

No, we were somehow able to reach a consensus and advance the nation in the best means for as many as possible.

Where and just how we lost that ability is a matter of opinion as I have no doubt the fringe factions today would do battle over that as well, accusing the other of being at fault.

We have to reject the politics of fear and character assassination currently promoted by too many candidates more interested in partisan power over resolving issues facing us.

We must reject these militant factions and call on local leaders to unleash our law enforcement upon them when they get out of hand and demand the courts hold them responsible.

Above all, we must remember we are all Americans and realize moderating demands does not equal mediocrity or cowardice.

If the many generations before us could have meetings of the minds to grant us the greatest amount of freedom and liberties ever, why can’t we today?

Yes, Truth and Integrity Matter

Since she first announced vying for Southwest Washington’s 3rd Congressional District seat occupied currently by Herrera Beutler, the Lazy C and even the local Democrat party largely ignored other Democrats running, Democrats that actually have deep, established roots in Southwest Washington in favor of Long, who somehow seems to have had a swift and sudden revelation that she should abandon her husband and daughter to quickly move from Salem, Oregon to Clark County Washington just in the nick of time to qualify for residency status to run.

Just what this swift and sudden revelation was is never really said, other than Trump won in 2016. The only connection we are told she has to Southwest Washington is 22 years employment teaching at the Clark County campus of WSU, but until July 2017 scurrying back home every evening and weekend to Salem, Oregon.

Disconcerting is her efforts to imply many years of residency in Washington State, claiming she grew up on the “Northwest Coast” instead of the Oregon Coast she actually did grow up on as well as her canard to CVTV of “moving to Oregon” to go to college when she actually was already living in Oregon at the time.

The Lazy C has joined Democrats in downplaying her extensive lifelong ties to Oregon as do supporters who repeatedly grant her bona fides as “she taught at WSU for 22 years.”

She claims, “political polarization is why there is incivility in political discourse” but in most forums launches into her opponent with claims of how she tells “multiple lies.”

Long’s campaign emails, contrary to her claim of “people over politics” are straight party line, demeaning her opponent and at times, the current president.

Long claimed in the past that people should be “willing to listen to understand, not just respond. You should even try to question the position on which you stand.” But has she actually practiced any of that herself? No!

She has made many claims of her efforts to promote civility in politics, but openly despises the president duly elected by voters and our constitution and in my impression, speaks down to audiences as if she were teaching young students, not speaking to adults concerned about issues.

Concerning civility, I emailed her campaign last December asking if she approves of the extreme incivility from her party directed towards Trump and Republicans in general. To date, I have received no answer.

And we must ask, is it “civil” or even combating political polarization to join with other Democrats unable to accept that in 2016, they lost the election and want above all to impeach the sitting president due solely to his winning?

She made no bones in a KGW TV Straight Talk interview on Aug 11, 2018 where she claimed, “then there was the election of Donald Trump and Congresses inability to check him, just sort of rubber stamping everything he does, I started thinking about how it’s more dire than I realized” that she run.

But, he aim also seems to be taking back the House with Democrats, possibly why she left her family for some time in Salem and moved into Clark County instead of seeking office in her native Oregon, there not being a Republican to oppose.

I ponder with that revelation whether Southwest Washington has any appeal to her at all or if the goal is solely to serve the party and Southwest Washington be damned, Oregon would be given one of our Congressional seats.

I’ve already shown how she plays on words with her sleight of hand trick on Oregon’s tolling both I-5 and I-205, where she claims to oppose the tolling, but prefers the decision be entirely left in the hands of the so-called professionals on commissions. She just doesn’t mention they are who are actually promoting and working towards tolling us, that little point not mattering since the money will end up with Oregon for projects away from those corridors.

We now see the Lazy C and other left leaning media fawning all over Long as if she were some sort of second coming instead of the partisan she actually is. None delve very deep into her Oregon history and stress time and again how she grew up in the Northwest and taught at WSU as her qualifications.

All oppose the president as well; still unable to accept he did in fact win.

Referring back to Long’s claims of how dire it is she run for office to oppose Trump, recall she says Congress just rubber stamps him. But if you hear any words from the far right factions of the Republican party, they too oppose Jaime claiming she does not vote with Trump.

Obviously, unlike Carolyn Long, Jaime Herrera Beutler actually is the very moderate we have long said we prefer and not the extreme partisan Democrat Carolyn Long that seems to desire a return to grid lock with nothing getting done other than partisan barbs shot across the aisle at each other, even more so than is thrown now.

I made no bones in 2010 of opposing Herrera Beutler and still believe David Castillo would have been the better person in office. But he lost and Jaime won and is who we have representing us, not Oregon or California or any other area.

I remain unimpressed with Trump as well, but too can accept he did win and is legally entitled to govern and matters in the country are improving and getting better, unemployment being the lowest in many years, wages being up, taxes being fairer, etc.

Yes, the deficit and debt increase is concerning, but didn’t Obama and the Democrats continually add to our debt, Obama nearly doubling it in 8 years?

Where was Carolyn Long complaining about that? Like so many others, the debt and deficit didn’t matter until Republicans were the majority.

As readers know, in years past I was very involved in covering and promoting events in support of the Veterans Therapeutic Court and have been attending many Veteran events. I often saw Jaime Herrera Beutler present and supporting Veterans.

I never saw Carolyn Long at a single one!

In fact, no one has answered me yet on what involvement or participation has she ever exhibited in any rally, public event, campaign, commission or council meeting or anything in our community? I have never seen her at a single one in all of the years I have lived in Clark County.

But we’re supposed to believe that now; she is the “great white hope” for Southwest Washington?

I’m not buying it and have no doubt that should she lose the race, her move back to Salem, Oregon won’t make any news at all.

In my opinion, in spite of faults, Jaime Herrera Beutler remains the best bet and deserves to be reelected over Oregon’s Carolyn Long.

Okay, Who Left the Safe Spaces Doors Open?

After weeks of contentious bickering, last minutes sexual allegations no one could corroborate and much wailing and gnashing of teeth, Brett Kavanaugh was finally confirmed to be our latest Associate Justice to the Supreme Court by a narrow 50 to 48 vote, largely along party lines.

I have to state that in all of my 70 years, this was the most pathetic display of underhanded, unnecessary and outrageous conduct on the part of Democrats I can recall.

It’s no secret that Democrats fear a Supreme Court aligning itself more along the lines of a traditional interpretation of our constitution. They have time and again shown the constitution falls well behind their agenda of Socialism for all and Justices such as Clarence Thomas and the late Antonin Scalia and now, Brett Kavanaugh threatens to usurp their decade’s long effort to push the United States more and more leftward.

We heard calls of “believe women” after accuser Christine Ford was outed by some Democrat over her desires to remain anonymous, but somehow that “believe women” didn’t fully extend to the four women she named as witnesses that would not corroborate her allegation from 36 years ago.

Many women saw Kavanaugh as unfairly accused, could be ‘our husbands, our sons’

After multiple interruptions by Democrats on the committee trying to interfere and adjourn the process failed early on, we saw a slate of protesters invited in to the hall disrupting the hearings, such conduct also seen on Saturday, Oct 6 as the Senate conducted a floor vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Kavanaugh Foes Fill Senate Gallery With Sounds of the Insane

We heard of Senators confronted in an elevator by protesters to change their vote. We heard of Senators families receiving threats that sadly seemed to come from hotheads from both sides of the matter to the opposite side.

GOP senator says wife received video of beheading after Kavanaugh vote

After confirmation yesterday, we saw protesters run up the steps of the Supreme Court building pounding on the doors and trying to get in to disrupt Kavanaugh being sworn in as his took the Oath of Office.

Protesters pound the doors of the Supreme Court following Kavanaugh confirmation

We saw protesters lying down in the streets in protest as if citizens could do anything to change the vote.

It seems as if the country’s safe spaces emptied themselves yesterday to let every leftwing kook out to run amuck and wail and cry as if we had suffered a major tragedy. Maybe to them far left it was, but let’s face it, Kavanaugh is only one vote on the bench.

Any expectation of reasonable decorum from elected officials and political groups was dashed as almost immediately the emails began filling my inbox.

Senator Patty Murray (D Wa) sent at 1:17 PM, “Today, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. I know so many of you are heartbroken right now and wondering what comes next.”

VoteVets.org, a leftwing group claiming to promote Veterans sent at 1:25 PM, “Mitch McConnell has stolen another Supreme Court seat and with Brett Kavanaugh has moved the court in an ultra right-wing direction.”

Representative Adam Schiff (D Ca) sent at 1:33 PM, “At the end of the day, the truth just didn’t matter to the Republican members of the U.S. Senate. It didn’t matter that their nominee may have committed sexual assault or repeatedly lied during his confirmation hearing.”

“Getting another arch-conservative Justice on the bench was all they cared about.”

Not to be out done, fringe leftist MoveOn sent at 2:08 PM, “A partisan warrior accused by multiple women of sexual assault who spews conspiracy theories against the left and lied his way through his confirmation now sits atop our justice system.”

Kamala Harris (D Ca) sent at 2:29 PM, “Despite serious allegations, a record as a partisan operative and a lack of honesty under oath, a majority of the Senate just voted to place Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.”

Nancy Pelosi (D Ca) sent at 3:03 PM “I’ve never been angrier.”

“I just watched in horror as Senate Republicans confirmed accused sexual abuser, Brett Kavanaugh, to the Supreme Court.”

All prime examples of how the left has decided the cornerstone of our legal system, the presumption of innocence does not apply any longer as long as it is a conservative being accused. That alone ought to send chills down the spine of any of you with a husband, brother or father as they are now subject to condemnation with no possible means at defending themselves based upon any accusation from any time in their past.

Without thinking, they don’t realize removing the presumption of innocence would also strip women of the presumption, leaving them more vulnerable than ever in the workplace or schools.

Just today, MoveOn Political Action sent an email titled, “Make them pay on Election Day” stating, “Outraged. That's just one word to describe how I feel about Brett Kavanaugh's lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court despite the courageous and inspiring protests that have riveted the nation for weeks.”

Democrats went on a full display of hypocrisy as they rejected the very FBI probe they demanded as a “sham” and a “cover-up” when it didn’t go as they wanted.

Truth be damned.

Democrats now vow that if voters return to them the majority in the House, they will investigate and impeach Kavanaugh. On what grounds isn’t said as every allegation they have thrown out remains uncorroborated. But as we have seen, truth no longer matters, just grabbing back control of the country and the courts to do their bidding when they fail to pass laws or policies through legislation.

Although I have not been very impressed with Republicans over the years, we absolutely must not allow these unhinged Democrats to regain control of the country and rip it apart even more than it already is.

They are now showing very clearly that they have no interest in bipartisanship, their only interest being to establish one-party tyranny under Democrats.

This confirmation process has shown how far they are willing to go to disrupt and dissolve the very foundations our country was built on that has served us well over the decades.

Stephen Colbert ‘Late Show’ writer: “I’m just glad we ruined Brett Kavanaugh's life”

And we see supporters, many young that have not had the quality of education we older citizens have in history especially, dutifully leaving their safe spaces to do their bidding to disrupt, disparage and tear down.

We are indeed at a crossroads.

The election weeks from now just may determine whether we remain a free people or fall back into the leftist slide toward Socialism.

Will Our Deep Divide Doom America?

It seems everywhere we look today we see signs of the deep division we have allowed to foster in our country. It’s near inescapable as time and again we see counter protesters step in to prevent rallies by people with views different than theirs.

They claim to be “anti-Fascists” but rely on the tenets of fascism to break up rallies supporting free speech.

Although in Canada, recently a woman suffered a roundhouse kick on a public street simply for not agreeing with a person’s point of view.

For the past few weeks we have witnessed what can only be described as a circus over the nomination of D.C. Court of Appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the seat on the U.S. Supreme Court being vacated by retiring Justice Kennedy, several Kavanaugh protesters being arrested for their egregious activities aimed at elected officials offices as Georgia Senator David Perdue urges Republicans to “fight back against paid protesters.”

Differing points of view is not new to us in the United States, our constitution was the result of some real knockdown, drag out fights that as I have read, threatened to derail the founding of our country. But the founders were able to compromise to create the country we know today that has granted more freedom and liberty to citizens than any before it.

But the division seen today borders on pure hatred of fellow citizens for disagreeing with ones views on any number of matters and has resulted in violence at times.

President Abraham Lincoln, two years prior to the outbreak of our Civil War quoted from the Bible, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” words that stand as true today as back then as history records the bloody conflict that saw “brother against brother” as families chose sides only to be ripped apart by the fighting.

Likewise, asked about what form of government the founding fathers settled on, Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, “A republic, if you can keep it,” essentially indicating it would be up to future generations to keep and protect the government and country they established for us.

To this end we see many political pundits and media personalities proclaiming the country is either just as divided or even more divided then during the time of the Vietnam War as the country was embroiled in riots and college protests.

Whether we are or not isn’t as important as those promoting that same view are all too often also the very ones driving the wedge between the people in the country as left or right, people are once again choosing up sides.

We see a willing media praising one side, but condemning the other when they do pretty much the same thing.

As we saw after the 2000 election, once again the media seem dead set in unseating the winner of the presidential election with biased reporting, which Trump freely accommodates by feeding them all of the ammunition necessary to trash him on a daily basis, unlike their coverage of the previous occupant of the Oval Office, Barack Obama.

We see it from academia as too often conservative thought is ridiculed and conservative speakers shunned or even banned on campus, too many professors teaching what to think instead of how to think as minority groups seem to prefer returning to segregation on campus with their “safe zones” where contrary words or thought isn’t permitted.

This when education is paramount to keeping the Republic given us by our founders, Thomas Jefferson warning, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was-and never will be.”

Accurate history and civics courses seem to take a back seat today to social issues and indoctrination of our youth as some have no idea of why previous generations fought Fascism, Nazism and even Communism across the globe, when the Civil War was fought or even who the current leaders of the country are.

The very Berkeley campus that saw the birth of the ‘free speech movement’ in the 1960’s today faces demands of inclusion of views considered offensive by today’s students and many faculty.

Yes, we definitely are a “house divided against itself” as left or right, factions fight to have their views prominent over the other while a large number of us are stuck somewhere in the middle and others just pull the covers up over their heads hoping it all goes away someday.

Will we ever be able to overcome this deep divide before our country self destructs?

If so, how?

Frankly, I don’t know. What I do know is that neither side has all of the answers, never did, never will. The fringe factions from either side can only provide us with tyranny as each would struggle to maintain their control if they ever took complete control of the country, the goal of each side I believe, to be the prominent power in the country and keep it however they had to.

Over the past year I did make a small attempt at bridging the divide by a small facebook group that invited both sides in to discuss issues and seek some middle ground. Sad to day, that effort seems to have fallen by the wayside as it seems there is little interest in meeting towards the middle currently.

I also participated in a national interview pertaining to our deep divide last October that I had assumed also fell by the wayside, but was recently told will be broadcast online sometime in the middle of this October.

The project is interviews across the country of ordinary people from both sides on our views of this division and how we each handle it and hopes for an end to the deep division.

One point I remember expressing was while leaders of both parties struggle and fight for partisan control, there is a whole country falling apart out here.

It should be upon them to break this deep division, but as we see with the Kavanaugh debacle, they are only interested in deepening the divide for partisan control, the hell with the citizens and our well-being.

So it falls upon us, you and me to fight the divide and return to the days of respectful disagreement and where possible, compromise for the good of all, not just one party.

The United States of America is a precious gift bestowed upon us. No, it’s not perfect, but it is our home and we should appreciate this gift by pulling together to save it from falling apart

“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” - John F. Kennedy

The Ritualistic Lynching of Brett Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

How odd that in Democrats historical opposition to Brett Kavanaugh from when he was first nominated by president George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on July 25, 2003, even though drug out nearly three years by Democrats then, there were no allegations of sexual impropriety.

For example, Democrats accused him of being “too partisan.” Sen. Chuck Schumer stating, “Mr. Kavanaugh would probably win first prize as the hard-right’s political lawyer” and “Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the D.C. Circuit is not just a drop of salt in the partisan wounds, it is the whole shaker.”

Senator Dick Durbin calling him the “Forrest Gump of Republican politics.”

Even though the American Bar Association rated Kavanaugh as “well qualified” in 2003, Democrats pressured them to lower the rating to only “qualified” by 2006.

The far left People for the American Way strongly opposed his nomination to the Appeals Court in a 15 page “report” filled with partisan hyperbole, blasting both former President George W. Bush and Clinton era Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr.

In 2007, after finally being confirmed to the Court, two Democrats, Patrick Leahy and Dick Durbin accused him of “misleading” the Senate Judiciary Committee during the nomination process.

Bear in mind this was around the time Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer was first vowing to stop the nomination of any conservative judge to the Supreme Court by whatever means needed and Judge Kavanaugh had been thoroughly investigated by the FBI and DOJ no less than six times.

Yet, in all of the opposition to Kavanaugh, there was not one hint of any sexual impropriety of any nature until the 11th hour and 59th minute of the current Supreme Court nomination process when all other tricks deployed by Democrats had failed to undermine his nomination.

And of those ‘allegations,’ every witness claimed as being present at the alleged assaults denies any recollection or knowledge of any such event ever happening.

At best, now four people signed statements claiming only they were “told” of the allegations some years later by the accuser.

Yet another came forward with even more salacious allegations of ‘gang rape,’ stopping short of accusing Kavanaugh of actually raping her, but admitting she attended several High School parties with him.

Why would any female not report such a ‘gang rape’ or continue going to parties where she knew all of her alleged rapists were going to be in attendance?

Even the much touted polygraph results of Christine Ford seem to be on shaky ground and coming under scrutiny.

This is nothing more than far left attacks on the right in an effort to keep courts leaning left by seating only left leaning activist judges that will legislate from the bench what Democrats cannot pass in Congress.


This is an outright assault upon the constitutional process of presidents nominating judges to the high court by Democrats when the president is not a Democrat. Already Democrats are fundraising by labeling him a “Serial Sexual Assaulter.”

Where did due process go as Sen. Chuck Schumer declared “There's No Presumption of Innocence for Kavanaugh?” How are we at the point that an uncorroborated, salacious allegation is all it takes to destroy a person’s reputation and launch all out attacks on their family and children and the basic tenet of our justice system is thrown into a garbage pail by Democrats?

It’s little more than part of a larger coup d’état to undo the 2016 election that Democrats were convinced they deserved to and were going to win, but lost.

And in spite of their admonitions to conservatives to just accept the outcome prior to the election, they have shown once again, it is they unable to come to grips with the loss of an election, but much worse this time than after George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in 2000.

But I must note this is a new low, even for leftist Democrats to keep parading woman after woman, each with a more salacious allegation than the last, just as a previous accuser’s story is coming unraveled due to no corroboration

And now, after complaints that it will be a “bunch of old white guys” questioning the accuser and Congressional Republicans enlisted a respected female prosecutor well versed in sexual assault cases to question Ms. Ford, she is coming under attacks by leftist pinheads.

It must not be forgotten that back in the latter 1990’s as women were coming forward accusing then President Bill Clinton of sexual assault and sexual impropriety, it was some of the same Democrats today demanding Judge Kavanaugh be withdrawn and investigated that circled the wagons around Clinton, even denigrating and demeaning the women accusing him.

Such is the double standard we continually see coming out of the left

Where and how this will end up is unknown at this point. Some have posited it very well may cost Democrats in the coming mid-term elections.

I for one cannot imagine a more fitting outcome for this ritualistic lynching of a well respected Federal Judge.

UPDATE:

Nothing shows the depravity sunk to by Democrats than the words of Senator Lindsey Graham spoken on Sept 27, 2018


How correct Judge Kavanaugh was when he stated, "advise and consent has been replaced by search and destroy."

Oregon Shouldn’t be Given Washington’s 3rd Congressional Seat

Carolyn Long

It’s no secret that Oregon, Portland primarily has for many years tried to control Clark County Washington while looking down upon us as “Vantucky” and essentially backwater, inbred interlopers muddying their version of Nirvana with our gasoline powered monster cars.

Okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but yes, we all know Portland looks down on Clark County, never hiding their disdain for us, but has shown in the past how much they would love to tap into our revenues on this side of the Columbia River to fund projects and policies they have overextended themselves on.

Think Millions of dollars in income taxes Clark County residents employed in Portland must pay each year while not being given any degree of voice in Oregon’s political scene or think of the failed Columbia River Crossing and the Millions wasted as they worked diligently to force Clark County to accept and fund their light rail a short distance into the community with the promise of a new bridge to replace the aging Interstate 5 Bridges. Remember “No light rail, no bridge, no kidding” from then Governor Kitzhaber?

Suffice it to say Oregon has long felt they should have a say in how we operate north of the Columbia River, even though we are not in Oregon and live under different state laws. And unfortunately, by all appearance Democrats are showing a propensity to again cave to Oregon by electing a lifelong Oregon resident to Washington State’s 3rd Congressional District seat currently occupied by Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler, born and raised right here in Clark County Washington first elected back in 2010 to the seat.

Jaime Herrera Beutler

Very soon after taking the oath of office in 2011, far leftist organization Moveon began their assaults on Jaime at a rally attended and taped by this blogger castigating her actions less than two months in office.

Democrats have failed in every election to unseat her and they have had some pretty good Washington State Democrats up against her that just couldn’t pull it off. Even this year we saw three other actual residents of Washington State throw their hats in the ring only to be slighted by their party and local media, the Columbian aka “The Lazy C” in favor of Lifelong Oregon resident, Carolyn Long.

Ms Long’s claim to Washington is her teaching a class in politics at Washington State University from some 22 years. No doubt an expert when it comes to leftism, Liberalism and Progressivism, but who hopped in her car every night to head back home in Salem, Oregon.

That is, until purchasing a condo on this side of the river in July 2017, just getting in under the wire to establish legal residency to qualify for running. In the meantime her family remained behind in Salem, “awaiting a job transfer” we are told.

Long is very crafty in her bio claiming she “grew up in a rural community on the coast,” “Working at her father’s store at the age of 12,” and “working at Safeway to earn the money to pay her way through the University of Oregon.” Other than the UofO, she makes no mention that her history was all within Oregon, other than Rutgers University.

Email campaign endorsements also use crafty language to give the impression of roots in Washington State with claims of her 22 years teaching at WSU, followed by claims of “deep involvement in her community,” again giving the impression she has been involved in issues and matters of concern to the district over the years.

I have held the belief that an elected Representative should have roots within the district, that they have supported the needs of the district, been involved in interests of the district, paid taxes and voted in the district.

Other than co-hosting a couple election night broadcasts on CVTV, I've never seen her participate in council meetings, campaign for any candidate, attend any political rally for either party and never participated in a single Veterans event I have attended on this side of the river nor participate in any Washington State election. Of course she’s much too smart to have voted since she would have violated voting laws by being an out of state resident.

But now, all of a sudden, she is the “Great White Hope” for Democrats in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District?

Or are they hoping she gets in and grants Oregon one of Washington State’s Congressional seats and vote how Oregon desires?

I was recently told in a facebook discussion that any vote she took would be AS a Washington State Representative, but there is no indication in her history that any vote would be FOR Washington State’s 3rd Congressional District over Oregon.

Is holding a job in Clark County really establishing roots and being involved in the community, when every night and weekends for 22 years was involved in her home in Oregon?

Bear in mind that Oregon already has their full allotment of Congressional Seats, so why should they be given one in Washington, especially in Southwest Washington where we have seen many times over the years efforts to tap into revenues from our community to be used and spent south of us in Oregon?

I also note her slogan of “People over Politics.”

Nice sounding words and heard often by politicians that carry no real meaning once in office. Just as her call for more “civility” and “respect” for the other side.

To this end I emailed her campaign back in December 2017 asking for her view on her party’s incivility shown towards President Trump. To date there has been no response of any kind, none, nada, zip.

I have received dozens of campaign emails from her campaign, every last single one of them straight party line, even to condemnations and slinging mud towards the incumbent and Brett Kavanaugh for Supreme Court Justice BEFORE the hearings on his nomination even began. It has to be recalled that the House doesn’t vote in confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justices, the Senate does.

Carolyn Long makes claims of the type of Representation we deserve in Southwest Washington and making the district better somehow. But she has absolutely no relevant history of any involvement whatsoever in Southwest Washington, never voted, campaigned, spoken before any council, held even the smallest of office, just teaching leftwing politics at WSU for 22 years and scurrying back across the Columbia River to get home to Oregon.

It must be noted here that Jaime has been under constant fire from the left and Democrats claiming she “votes lock-step with Trump.”

She’s also been under fire from the more radical far-right fringe that has been trying to highjack the Republican Party and conservatism for “not voting with Trump.”

That tells me that Jaime is the centrist Representative both sides have long called for.

We deserve someone actually rooted in the district. Someone that has a history of working for constituents in some manner or involvement with citizens in the community in issues and matters concerning the district.

We don’t need Oregon slipping in and taking over our Congressional District seat by fooling voters into voting for Oregon’s Carolyn Long.

I-1639 Must Be Defeated!

I-1639, the most egregious and intrusive anti-gun effort we have seen to date has been approved for the ballot this election. It goes without saying that those of us who appreciate our constitutional right to defend our homes from bad guys must band together to ensure it is defeated.

To that end, the National Rifle Association has joined the effort to see it go down in flame with their website, Initiative1639.org

In announcing the website the NRA said,

“ ‘Law -abiding gun owners in Washington State need to understand the impact I-1639 will have on their Second Amendment right to self-defense,’ said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “The NRA’s new website, Initiative1639.org provides the facts on how this gun-control initiative will infringe on law-abiding citizens’ constitutional rights and make it more difficult to protect themselves and their families’.”

Make no mistake, this is but another effort by anti-gunners to completely strip us of our right to privately own a firearm for any reason. Yes, they claim they don't want to confiscate our guns and only want “common sense” gun restrictions, but we are never told just what they mean by “common sense” restrictions or at what point they will be satisfied in restricting our right to a firearm.

It is obvious to me that since they succeeded with I-594, this Alliance for Gun Responsibility has returned nearly every election with yet another effort to further restrict our right to firearm ownership.

After I-594 passed on the ballot in the 2014 election, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, in an email titled “We’re Not Done Yet” stated,

“Moving forward, we here at The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility will be working closely with the Center for Gun Responsibility to continue educating the public and helping pass commonsense gun laws that will make us all safer.”

Efforts since then have seen degrading and demonizing words directed at the NRA, labeled “the gun lobby” in an apparent effort to paint the NRA as some lobbying arm for firearm manufacturers with no regard to safe operation of firearms.

Any NRA member can attest that claim is bogus.

Of late we saw how signature gatherers thumbed their noses at laws governing petition signature gathering, leading a judge to disqualify the initiative for the ballot, only to see his ruling shot down by one of the most liberal leaning state Supreme Courts in the country.

So it is up to us, law-abiding citizens that appreciate and enjoy having rights other countries do not enjoy that must turn out this November and defeat this aggressive assault on our most basic right. Not only do we need to vote no, we must educate our friends and neighbors and other voters to defeat his monstrous gun grabbing effort.

If not, we may find ourselves facing the same despair as did Venezuela when they allowed themselves to be disarmed for their own safety and well-being.

 Links to articles below

If you think it could never happen here, Venezuelans likely thought the same thing when they surrendered their right to protect themselves.

Consider too an article recycled at left-leaning Vox.com that states,

“America’s attention to gun control often focuses on a few specific measures: universal background checks, restrictions on people with mental illnesses buying firearms, and an assault weapons ban, for example. It is rare that American politicians, even on the left, go much further than that. Something like Australia’s law — which amounts to a confiscation program — is never seriously considered.” (emphasis added)

And;

“What America likely needs, then, is something more like Australia’s mandatory buyback program — essentially, a gun confiscation scheme — paired with a serious ban on specific firearms (including, potentially, all semiautomatic weapons).” (emphasis added)

Banning is ludicrous and accomplishes little but further bans as see proposed in London, England where guns have been banned, then knives as bad guys began using them to perpetrate criminal acts to now proposing banning of cars where other bad guys have used them to run down innocent people.

We must push back on this incremental steps aimed at disarming us too.

If we allow one right to be taken away, what stops them from taking away other rights too?

Venezuela bans private gun ownership

Venezuela: Lethal violence, a state policy to strangle dissent

Updated: Did Pre-Paid Postage Increase Voter Turnout?

Elections officials and political party leaders have long been concerned over what at times is an abysmal turnout of voters on our elections, especially in midterm or off-year elections. By all appearances it seems that unless a president is being elected, the majority of registered voters can’t be bothered to cast their vote.

In my opinion that is a deadly position to take as it is during those non-presidential elections when most local officials are elected, mayors, city council, county council or commissioners, each with more direct effect on citizens than any president.

An experiment was tried this year in Clark County of sending out postage pre-paid envelopes to entice voters to send in their ballots, since we are all mail-in voting. Did it improve anything?

Just days before the actual election date, the local newspaper of record, the Lazy C (aka the Columbian) ran an article, Ballot returns way ahead of a year ago where County Auditor Greg Kimsey is quoted saying, “it’s hard to say at this point if the bump in returns is due to prepaid postage or an increase in voter participation. We’re also seeing a reduction in the number of returns to ballot drop sites.”

While pre-paid postage no doubt had some voters drop ballots in the mail over driving to a drop box to drop off their ballot, it isn’t exactly a fair representation to equate this year’s election, a midterm election, to the off year election a year ago.

Reason is traditional turnout is highest during presidential election years, followed by midterm elections, those half way through a president’s term and the elections of in between, or off-year seeing the lowest returns of all.

To get a better view of this year’s midterm election to past years I did a little research in election archives to compare. As of this date, Aug 11, 2018 we are so far seeing a ballot return of 35.38% which will increase slightly once the election certified and all ballots are counted. I would guess we will see around 37%.

So how does that stack up with past midterm elections?

Looking through the archives I found 2002: 37.15% 2006: 35.74% 2010: 38.99% 2014: 28.61% in midterm primary turnout.

Turnout for off-year election during the same period was; 2001: 21.45% 2003: 25.45% 2005: 43.91% 2007: 30.23% 2009: 23.29% 2011: 21.82% 2013: 19.56% 2015: 25.88% 2017: 16.16%.

As can be seen, turnout for off-year elections is poor, much lower each and every year.

For midterm elections, while better than seen in 2014, it falls right in line with previous midterm elections, but accomplished little to overcome voter apathy.

And of course, this was an experiment, a try me if you will, to see if voters would be more inclined to mark and return their ballots and I highly doubt one election would be enough to determine the overall effectiveness.

The down side of course, taxpayers are again footing the bill.

In my personal opinion, voter apathy is a multifaceted problem and has no simple solution.

What it will take to wake up the masses in between presidential elections is a mystery to me. Reasons each registered voter does not vote are likely as varied as the voters themselves.

But I’ll also add the internal battles of local political parties and the deep ideological divide and extreme incivility between partisans with their ongoing vitriolic and demeaning jabs at each other isn’t helping.

I have said to others, while the partisan battles for power and control rage on, there is a whole country out here falling apart.

Voter apathy seems to be more a symptom of a much larger problem facing us.

UPDATE: County sees drop in mailed ballots even with postage paid

“Only 63.4 percent of ballots for this year’s primary election were returned through the U.S. Postal Service, according to Clark County Elections Office, which certified the Aug. 7 election results Tuesday. Last year, the return rate by mail was 66.4 percent. In the last midterm primary, 2016, returns via the post office were 58.7 percent.”

Lazy C, Against Guns but for Socialism?

This blog has never shied away from stating how the Lazy C, aka the Columbian newspaper, fails the very community it claims to serve with its bias and ignoring allegations of wrongdoing when it comes to Democrats.

Where they lack in deep investigative journalism locally, they make up by promoting whatever the latest agenda of the left may be.

Case in point, two editorials in the Sunday, Aug 5, 2018 edition, In Our View: Printing Guns a Dire Danger and Fear of socialism distorting nation’s political discourse.

The sudden irrational fear of 3D printed guns doesn’t come as a surprise. The media has long been against private citizens owning firearms and fearmongering on easily printed out guns they claim are untraceable is par for the course.

While we usually see an onslaught of calls for gun bans and more intrusive background checks right after a mass shooting, now we see it as news has come out of plans being available to just print out a plastic gun on a 3D printer.

They claim, “Making blueprints available would provide a loophole in gun laws to be exploited by criminals ranging from terrorists to street gangs.”

What seems left on the editors floor is how inefficient such plastic guns would be as well as the extreme expense of creating one, 3D printers capable being excessively expensive and the several days required to have one come out of the printer.

Also ignored is criminals and terrorists could obtain real firearms quicker and cheaper from illegal arms dealers or even assemble them from discarded materials found in dumpsters behind machine shops or hardware stores.

The Lazy C does approach some honest journalism, though, but don’t quite get there when they state, “Americans must focus on the sickness that is our obsession with guns. That sickness is rotting us from the inside; 3D weapons are merely a symptom.”

The “obsession” isn’t in owning a gun as much as it is wanting to defend ourselves and our families from those obsessed with doing us harm in some manner.

The real “obsession” is the severely mentally ill not receiving adequate treatment or their illness not being included in background check data that should prevent them from purchasing a firearm legally.

Also in play is the “obsession” of some communities today wanting to blame and prosecute ‘victims’ of theft should a firearm they own be stolen and used in committing a crime.

In other words, the Lazy C along with many in the leftist media laying blame on everything for shootings, except the one pulling the trigger!

You can read more at Five things to know about 3D printed guns

Fear of Socialism

It’s almost laughable to see the Lazy C expressing a deep fear of plastic guns the same day they claim some nefarious “fear of socialism” distorts national political discourse. Especially considering the unreasonable and ongoing vitriol exhibited towards the duly elected president, Donald Trump. (Disclaimer: I remain no fan of Trump, but accept he was duly elected and entitled to govern within the constitution and laws of the United States)

Where the paper gets it wrong is that we “fear” socialism. It isn’t fear motivating those of us opposing it, but “knowledge” of what socialism is and where it leads.

The failures of Socialism are clearly seen where once prosperous and wealthy Venezuela languishes in poverty and unrest today: Socialism Has Destroyed Venezuela; Venezuela, a rich country ruined by socialist dictators.

Socialist Democrats like Senator Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who recently defeated an incumbent Democrat in New York’s 14th congressional district primary quickly point to Scandinavian State Socialism as a counter.

In typical fashion, the increasing angst of those countries is ignored or glossed over: No, Bernie Sanders, Scandinavia is not a socialist utopia; Look at What’s Going to Happen to Sweden’s Fabled Welfare State.

Should we ever slide into so-called “Democratic Socialism,” would get to the point where a woman is Shamed for being a stay-at-home mum and as reported in a Wall Street Journal article (behind a paywall), “The Swedish government … promotes the false idea that mothers are not uniquely important to babies. Women who prefer to stay home with very young children are stigmatized as regressive and antifeminist. The Feminist Initiative, a radical political party, touts [Government funded] day care as a way to ‘liberate women from their maternal instincts’.”

This barely scratches the surface of what harm Socialism has done to human beings over the years.

I cannot imagine working hard every day just to be forced to pay between 60% and 70% or more of my paycheck to pay for those doing less than I do.

And that is the main failure of Socialism. In spite of grand claims and promises of “free stuff,” someone must pay for it, whatever it is. When those working the hardest see the rewards of their labor going to those who do little, they lose the initiative to work harder, seeing no reward to it.

That is when society begins crumble with fewer and fewer working hard to make society succeed and prosper.

Again I’ll state, no it is not a “fear of Socialism,” but knowledge and awareness of just what Socialism is and what harm it always leads to.

A Word on #WalkAway

Readers have no doubt seen or heard of the #WalkAway campaign where citizens lay claim to having been a Democrat for some time and for various reasons grew tired of the party and “walked away” from it to join the Republican Party.

As with many things where politics are concerned, we also see claims that the campaign is fake or not representative of how people actually feel. There is even been effort to sully the campaign by the use of stock photos of models, denied by the originator of course.

Regardless of whether or not the campaign used the stock photos or has given honest accounts of people fed up and walking away from the party, I can verify that people are in fact walking away. But is it all that unusual for people to be disillusioned and switch parties?

No, not really.

I have said many times in the past that I too was a Democrat at one time, born and raised in a staunchly Southern Democrat family in South Florida that viewed supporting or voting for a Republican tantamount to high treason.

And no, my family wasn’t of the failed Dixiecrat movement, although by and large they were ambivalent towards Civil Rights in the 1960’s, wrongly believing that the segregation then was “just the way things were.”

Growing up I heard much praise for President Harry Truman, elected just months after I was born in 1948, where the famous image of him holding the newspaper with the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman” was recorded for history.

They didn’t think much of President Dwight D. Eisenhower during his two terms and in 1960 were quite conflicted in the race between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, Eisenhower’s Vice President, due to Kennedy being Catholic and fears of the Pope in Rome directing his decisions.

As we know, Kennedy won the election only to be cut down by an assassin’s bullet in 1963 in Dallas, Texas, elevating his Vice President, Lyndon Baines Johnson into the Presidency.

In 1964 Johnson won the election in part by promoting Civil Rights for Black people and drawing more of them to Democrats.

By 1968 I was grown and had moved out of my parents home and was supporting myself, but facing an unpopular war, Vietnam. Johnson had already declined to run and the race again saw Richard Nixon running as a Republican against Johnson’s Vice President, Hubert Humphrey.

Humphrey ran on claims of continuing Johnson’s war on poverty and Civil Rights while Nixon campaigned on restoring law and order to the country after the tumultuous years of the late 1960’s and to offer new leadership in ending the war in Vietnam, declared a “stalemate” by Walter Cronkite earlier in the year.

This was perhaps the first time I gave sincere consideration to a Republican over his claims on Vietnam as well as likely some rebellion on my part against by staunch Democrat parents.

Nixon won by a very slim margin in the popular vote, 43.42% to Humphrey’s 42.72%, but received a significant Electoral College victory, 301 to 191.

Days after Nixon was inaugurated I received my Draft Notice and enlisted in the U.S. Army rather than be drafted.

When the 1972 election rolled around I had completed an extended tour in Vietnam and was now married and stationed in Germany, still supportive of Nixon and missing out on much of the Watergate shenanigans that dominated the news in the U.S.

By my return to the U.S. in March 1974, Vice President Spiro Agnew had already resigned and been replaced by then Speaker of the House, Gerald Ford who went on to become President when Nixon also resigned in August 1974.

Again, I felt conflicted, sold out by the Republicans I moved towards while remaining a Democrat. We had a President that had not been elected in the regular election, but appointed and awarded the office by default.

So I guess it was no surprise that in 1976 I once again backed the Democrat, Jimmy Carter, the former Governor of the State of Georgia.

Now stationed in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina I vividly recall the ads promoting Carter with, “will you let the North whip us again?” As a Southerner this only broadened my support to see a true Southerner back in the Presidency.

Carter won by a small margin against Ford, 50.1% to 48% and an Electoral Vote of 297 to 240. I eagerly waited for Carter to be inaugurated and continue the process of restoring the country still reeling from the tumultuous 60’s.

However, that did not happen. No, Carter became the biggest sell out ever when his first official act in office was to declare amnesty to Draft Dodgers that fled the country to avoid serving in Vietnam.

I took this as the ultimate betrayal from someone I supported in large part to how we were treated by the country upon our return after our tours were finished in Vietnam. Those of us lucky enough to return, that is. To me it was direct slap in the face, the equivalent of declaring those who ran as ‘heroes’ over those of us obeying the law and serving.

It was to me, a breach to never be repaired and in 1980 I proudly voted for the Republican again, Ronald Reagan, primarily to see Carter ousted, as he was.

I now considered myself a full on Republican, lending my support and voted down the line for many years, until after becoming directly involved in the Clark County Republican Party, I saw and was a target from party leaders because I supported a Republican over their chosen one in the 2010 election.

Again, feeling sold out by party, I continued to support most Republicans and not trusting too many Democrats. I even allowed myself to be talked into supporting Republicans I disliked personally and felt should not be elected, all for “party unity.”

Even that was to end in 2014 as a more rabid group of partisans took over control of the Clark County Republican Party and began even more unethical and underhanded means to see their questionable candidates and people elected. Few have been.

I again became the target of an even more aggressive campaign of pure hate for exposing their unethical, dark tactics that now sees me no longer publicly supporting candidates or involving myself in campaigns.

Now I vote according to how I perceive the quality of the candidate, regardless of party and avoid candidates appearing to be hard partisans.

I realize this has been lengthy and apologize for dragging on, but I guess the real moral of it all is simply, I wouldn’t make too much of this #WalkAway campaign.

As you see, we voters have long walked away from both parties and will continue to do so as long as they give us such lousy candidates to vote for and utilize questionable campaign tactics.

While the partisan hacks from both parties bicker back and forth and fight each other or political power, the country continues to fall apart. We deserve candidates that actually care about restoring America and not promoting partisan power for either party!

Being Old Doesn’t Make You a Danger

There is little doubt left today that we do have a significant number in our society that wants to disarm citizens, one initiative at a time here in Washington State.

Since initially proposing I-594, Universal Background Checks on Gun Purchases, the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility has become one of the more notable anti-gun groups as year after year they return with more initiatives, incrementally moving us towards total disarmament in little baby steps, all while claiming they respect the second amendment.

Balderdash!

There is little doubt in this bloggers mind that if they could get away with it they would confiscate every single privately owned firearm in the state right now.

But they can’t and they know the backlash against such an action as total confiscation all at once would be immense.

So they utilize baby steps, much as we were led into legalizing homosexual marriage over the years and how we saw elements in Vancouver succeed in banning the private use of fireworks to celebrate our Independence on Independence Day.

Along those lines we have our own Lazy C (the Columbian) and other larger media and newspapers engaging in demonizing guns and the NRA every chance they come across.

In the Lazy C we find editorials such as New Era in Gun Debate and Support Walkouts where are urged to heed the “sage advice” presented to us by a group of attention seeking, immature teenagers calling upon us to end gun violence by passing what they proclaim is “common sense gun control,” but never bothering to explain just what that is or means.

But, we are urged to follow their lead on gun control, even though it is also being claimed the self appointed spokesman for the group has been spotted with ‘armed security guards’ walking around New York hawking some book the hastily threw together.

Not to be outdone, the much larger newspaper to the north, the Seattle Times treats us to Dementia and guns: In Washington state and elsewhere, weapons remain in homes where we are told, “An analysis found that about 54,000 of the state’s more than 1 million residents 65 and older say they have worsening memory and confusion — and access to weapons.”

Suddenly, we seniors are being promoted as too dangerous for us to retain our firearms in our homes? Age related lapses of memory means we need to be disarmed?

The article cherry picked a handful of heart wrenching stories of seniors accidentally shooting loved ones telling us, “From news reports, court records, hospital data and public death records, KHN found 15 homicides and more than 95 suicides since 2012, although there are likely many more. The shooters often acted during bouts of confusion, paranoia, delusion or aggression — common symptoms of dementia.”

15 homicides over a six year period barely amount to one weekend in Chicago by comparison. And Chicago homicides are predominantly by younger people, not senior citizens.

And yes, it is commonly known that suicide by gun is the predominant method those choosing suicide use. But Psychologists note, “Statistics do not support a connection between gun control and US suicide rates.”

Then too, if people are really worried about suicide, why did they fight for and get assisted suicide passed in our state years ago?

No one I know of advocates severely unstable and mentally ill people to have a gun and I believe many families placing loved ones in facilities to care for or treat those patients ensures no gun goes in with them, not that I imagine any care facility approves of guns in the hands of such patients.

However, many seniors do not suffer from Dementia or Alzheimer’s. No, they’re just older now and not as strong or flexible as they were years ago, likely making criminals sense they are easier targets for home invasion to steal what valuables or cash they have.

Left out of this article trying to lead people to envision seniors with a gun as dangerous is any account of seniors that have had to defend themselves with their firearm against criminals, even though there are numerous articles over the years of just that;

Disabled Senior Citizen Shoots Home Invader in Self Defense

Armed Senior Citizen Defends Himself Against a Home Invader

Senior Citizen Fires Fatal Shot At Home Invader With A Gun That Sat Around For 30 Years

Senior Citizen Successfully Uses Gun To Defend Himself From Home Invaders in Miami

The above articles are but a small sample of the dozens of articles found within a 5-minute web search. Obviously, seniors needed to defend themselves many times in several separate incidents that gun-grabbers would have denied them if they continue chipping away at our second amendment right to self defense.

No one, just because they have grown older should be denied their rights or due process, as the anti-gun crowd desires to do.

Overly restrictive gun laws must be defeated, even when they are labeled “common sense.”

Another short web search reveals a number of unarmed senior citizens killed in home invasion robberies.

Stealing words from actor James Garner in the 1966 movie Duel at Diablo, “Death comes soon enough. Anyone who hurries it is a damn fool.”

I would only add any who forces others to be unarmed and easy prey to stronger criminals is not only a fool, but borders on a sadistic cretin with little regard for others.

Are We Ready to Scrap Capitalism for Socialism?

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” – Margaret Thatcher

Democratic Socialists of America

It seems many from the left have forgotten the lessons taught to us by history in regards to the old theory of a government based upon Socialism. Socialism is described by a dictionary definition as, “a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.”

The wording actually sounds fairly nice and manageable, but the reality is what has been intended since long ago by Karl Marx and the Marxist theory is, “a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism.”

Those advocating socialism often lecture us as to how fair it is, how we are all equal and we have equality in prosperity and life, escaping the bondage of capitalism where they claim only the wealthy ever prosper from the labors of the poorer workers.

Since I am not a historian I don’t intend to dwell much on the history of the theory here, readers can easily find many articles describing the onset of Socialism and the usual sad outcomes it on reputable sites.

In fact, we need only look at news articles from media sources often advocating socialism on how it is failing to provide the peace, prosperity or security for the masses advocates claim it does.

Fading democracy in Venezuela demonstrates failure of socialism

Swedish Economist Schools Sanders on the Ravages of Socialism

Cuba’s Lessons after 55 Years of Socialism

Some advocates quickly counter claiming they don’t advocate full on socialism, just a portion of it, labeling themselves Democratic Socialists, leading to media struggle to define just what it is.

Advocates roll out example after example of what they label “Democratic Socialism,” roads and freeways, Social Security (I guess they have already forgotten the many years of struggles of those on it), Police, and Firefighters and on they go trying to sell us on the idea of how wonderful life could be if only we succumbed to some form of Socialism.

One main area they have been striving for years to place under socialist ideals is healthcare. We need only look to the New York Times to see the failure of socialized medicine in Venezuela.

But one main area advocates fall back on to describe the “wonderful” nature of socialism that always amazes me is our Military, as seen in today’s Lazy C (the Columbian) editorial by Greg Jayne, You think government is useless? Then hit the road.

It strikes me that Mr. Jayne never served in the Military as he wrote, “For those who quiver at the mention of the word ‘socialism,’ we have some news: The U.S. military is an example of socialism. And we should be thankful for it.”

He doesn’t actually go into just why we should be thankful for the Military being, as he claims, “Socialist,” but if he had actually served any length of time in any of the branches he would realize as a glowing example of a socialist society, the Military would be an abject failure.

Ask any Veteran and you quickly learn you are not free to do what you desire when you desire.

You are under orders to do as told and the pay is among the lowest with little opportunity to increase your pay, other than regular promotions that could take several years to attain.

You are given clothing you must wear and are instructed on how you must act and show respect for a higher rank than you, regardless of what you think of that person.

You are not free to just walk in and resign and if you did just up and walk away, you are subject to federal prosecution.

It must also be noted that since ending the draft in 1973, those now serving do not do so by requirement or for any gain, financial or personal, but out of a sense of duty to protect and defend the nation in a job that must be done, freely giving up certain liberties on behalf of the country.

And in spite of what those who never served claim, our Military functions best in spite of itself. By that I mean Generals design some plan for a mission to accomplish a goal and send it down the ranks. By the time it is ready for implementation, it is the enlisted and NCO’s that often ignore the plan and do what they must in order to accomplish the mission.

Or, as Winston Churchill once quipped about warfare, “In war as in life, it is often necessary when some cherished scheme has failed, to take up the best alternative open, and if so, it is folly not to work for it with all your might.”

In his words of how thankful we ought to be that the Military is Socialist, Jayne also seems to have forgotten that in World War Two we and the allied forces fought and defeated National Socialism, aka Nazis.

In Korea and Vietnam we opposed Communist forces, the very system Socialism invariably leads to.

And in December of 1991 the world witnessed the long overdue Fall of The Soviet Union giving millions freedom for the first time in their lives and allowing countries to choose their own destiny as the failure of Communism and its claims collapsed.

Jayne and others advocating more of a socialist society seem to think that only sticking our toes into a vat of boiling acid would be of benefit if we could then pay a little less for a pair of shoes.

You may think I have wandered afar from what Jayne’s editorial is about and perhaps I have somewhat, since he seems to think those opposed to socialism prefer all government functions be privatized. But he’s wrong there.

Most of us do realize we need government. But we also realize we don’t need government ruling and mandating every inch of our lives, controlling us and deciding for us what is best for us while demanding we pay for their programs and policies with ever increasing taxes on our paychecks.

In spite of efforts by Progressives to deny it, we need only look back to the writings of the Plymouth Colony’s first Governor, William Bradford to see how such a ‘communal arrangement’ failed the early Pilgrims.

Winston Churchill again left us words of wisdom Jayne and others should reflect on, “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”

Sorry, but there is no such thing as just a little poison.

Climate of Vitriol?

It shouldn’t be surprising to see our local newspaper, the Lazy C aka the Columbian, using the tragic murders of five staff members at The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Md. This past Thursday, June 28, 2018. It is what they do, following the admonition set years ago by leftwing Rahm Emanuel, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste.”

Following that line, we see Opinion Editor Greg Jayne pen Deadly attack on newspaper terrifying – and inspiring where he editorializes on the shooting, pointing out how within hours of the attack, the newspaper in Maryland published their paper in spite of the tragedy.

I have to agree that getting their paper out in spite of such a tragedy, losing five colleagues and undergoing the criminal investigation of the event is a display of dedication on their part.

But then Jayne had to go off on how essential a free press is and pointing fingers about the “Climate of Vitriol” the country is currently embroiled in.

Of course, his finger points only to the right as he mentions a “conservative provocateur” sending a threatening text, mentions a video blasting journalists and naturally, Donald Trump’s anti-media comments.

What Jayne completely ignores is the media’s own culpability in this “Climate of Vitriol” he bemoans.

While I remain no fan of who occupies the Oval Office currently, how does he miss the media’s ongoing slurs and belittling of Trump every day since he was inaugurated?

While President George W. Bush received similar treatment during his terms, culminating on Dan Rather’s now famous memo dubbed “fake but accurate,” we saw no such effort against either Presidents Clinton or Obama throughout their terms in office.

We have even seen what many consider “mainstream media” heavily condemning fellow journalists working for Fox News as they proclaim “we report, you decide.”

Years ago many of us realized how this mainstream media was spoon feeding to us what they wanted us to hear, tainting news reports with leftwing opinion over actual objectivity.

Nowhere has this been more evident than right here in Southwest Washington with our own print media, the Columbian, leading this blogger to dub them the Lazy C for displaying obvious bias in their coverage of two sex scandals, one against a Republican that saw several articles blasting him within a week and another a Democrat that essentially saw appeals to respect his family’s privacy.

But if vitriol is really a concern of Jayne’s, where has the Lazy C ever apologized for former editorial page editor John Laird’s many labels of citizens as “the Hounds of Whinerville,” “NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard),” “CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything)” “Ankle Biters” and “Cockroaches” in his weekly editorials over many years due to the majority of citizens opposing forcing light rail a short distance into our community from Portland, Oregon, a project the paper supported?

How does Jayne ignore former managing editor, now editor emeritus Lou Brancaccio attacking the ones he labeled “the M&M Boys” in nearly half of his Press Talk editorials over four years?

Yet these same editors were silent when it came to elected Democrats slapping heavier taxes on citizens or pushing unpopular positions on us from Puget Sound.

There is little doubt that here locally and nationally we are embroiled in a “Climate of Vitriol” that grows every day with groups like Occupy and Antifa deciding they have the absolute right to takeover whatever they wish, physically attack peaceful rallies with a different position than theirs.

We have seen lawsuits against bakers and florists because they declined to participate in homosexual ceremonies over religious objections applauded by the media, but little condemnation of an employee of the Trump administration ousted from an eatery, then followed elsewhere and faced with an impromptu protest.

We see the media applauding violators of our immigration laws, promoting them as welcome guests and immigrant citizens while belittling most conservative or Republican citizens supporting enforcing our laws.

We see the media time and again speak out against gun violence without a clue how a firearm actually works, blindly throwing support behind any effort to disarm law-abiding citizens, but never editorializing on how to disarm criminals.

Falsely labeling any semi-automatic firearm as “a weapon of war” is only fearmongering and trying to scare voters to support anti-gun legislation.

In the case of the Lazy C, we see bias even in their policy regarding comments left on their site as conservatives are held to standard liberals apparently are not as many conservatives are banned from commenting on their site while liberals post some really vitriolic comments left unchecked.

A “free press” is indeed an essential part of our Republic, but such a free press absolutely must be objective, leaving personal opinion out of news reports, relegate them to editorials and give fair and balanced reporting on all issues, regardless of which side.

First though, maybe we should demand media begin admitting their own culpability in creating this “climate of vitriol” they now complain about.

Vote NO on Washington I-1639

Don't allow the deceptive practices of paid signature gatherers fool you, I-1639 is only about further infringing on your right to self defense.

I-1639 - An Attack on Every Firearm Owner

West Coast Plutocrats Target Washington State Gun Owners… Again