2020, What a Year

What a year 2020 has been. Political divisions have deepened, people are more at each other’s throats than ever before in my life and we again elected a President half the country deems a fraud, with good reason.

Black Lives Matter and Antifa are rioting across the country and vandalizing businesses, creating mayhem everywhere they can, denying others free travel and endangering people’s lives in city after city.

Covid-19 came in and government has overreacted immensely by locking us down, causing lay-offs, bankruptcy’s, businesses going out of business, unemployment increasing again, long lines outside of some stores of shoppers eagerly waiting to enter only to find many shelves empty as hoarders got there first to fill their baskets, depriving others, especially senior citizens without necessities.

Just when we think it might be getting better, here it comes again with a fresh assault on freedoms from the Democrat governor “ordering” people to forego Thanksgiving gatherings even into Christmas.

Medical offices and dental services are restricted to emergent care only, even though even left leaning so called “fact checkers” openly admit the virus has a high recovery rate.

This being an election year saw an unprecedented amount of censorship on social media for right leaning commenter’s and posters as left leaning writers were given carte blanche on claims and campaigning. Reference my earlier statement on half the country sees the declared winner as a fraud as allegation of election fraud run rampant, quickly denied or deleted by social media controllers.

The campaign itself doesn’t make much sense as the winner barely campaigned and when he did come out of the basement, barely drew enough people to half fill a small parking lot.

But we’re told he received millions more vote than any presidential candidate in history, millions more than even Barack Obama, the one they want us to believe to be the most popular president ever to hold office *cough, cough*

In ways, I am glad that I know I won’t be alive for too many more years to witness the countries continued slide down into socialism.

That fact has been made clearer to me than ever before as 2020, the year I celebrated my 72nd birthday is also the year I found out I am at stage four chronic kidney disease with about 25% of function remaining, likely brought on my diabetes type 2. The Doctor estimates I may require dialysis in the next one to two years.

In the meantime I will be researching and seeking ways to update my diet and activities to better maintain and sustain the disease where it is at to postpone requiring dialysis as long as possible.

I’d dare comment what else can go wrong this year, but also realize it is foolhardy to challenge “worse” as no matter what, things can and often do get worse.

So I hope y’all forgive me for not getting too wrapped up and excited in this fiasco of an election, or of the mayhem going on.

I do have “friends” ready should any and rioters ever try to cause harm to me or my household. But otherwise will not waste a minute of what time there is left seeking to counter or confront any of them.

That is now passed on to you younger generations to step up and reclaim the country or submit to slavery of socialist Democrats as they piece by piece dismantle the Bill of Rights, close Churches, Synagogues and Mosques crying “COVID” while letting liquor stores, pot shops, strip clubs and abortion mills thrive.

We of the older generations have tried to warn you all for decades this was coming. But far too often it fell on deaf ears.

So it is now up to you to take a stand or not. Your choice.

Choose wisely because 2021 doesn’t look to be much better than this one. By all appearances, 2021 early on has said, "here, hold my beer." 

Are We Too Late?

 

Very crafty of Democrats to raise the alarm on Covid again, especially at this time. The first round of lock-down greatly harmed our economy, but President Trump was making steady progress rebuilding and improving the economy leading into the recent election.

Mysteriously, just as the election happens, we are somehow seeing implementation of the exact same steps that were implemented earlier this year and decimated the economy along with calls to not gather and forgo both Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, due to claims of “surge” in Covid cases.

No one seems to have any ability to confirm there actually is a surge, just trust Government. If Biden manages to pull off this win, we will hear endlessly that he inherited a failing economy and that will justify whatever impositions Democrats decide must be imposed to “repair” the filing economy; tax increases, raise minimum wage, stricter regulation on housing and landlords, etc, etc.

All Trumps’ fault, of course. 

If Biden ends up losing, it is all still Trump’s fault and will be a campaign issue in 2022 to swarm in even more Democrat party control in the Senate and House, claims of Trump and his Republican loyalists destroyed the economy and only Democrats can run to the rescue now.

The end result, whether now or in the near future is Democrats are imposing a socialist system upon us in plain sight and far too many are not questioning or pushing back as step by step, brick by brick our freedoms are being attacked and dismantled.

Can the United States of America and our freedoms be saved?

Or is too late and its already circling the drain as we speak?

Antifa is UnAmerican, Must be Defeated

This must be said.

As a U.S. Army Veteran, I and millions like me over the years have served in the various branches of the Military, some in war losing friends, but all to secure individual rights to vote and support whomever one chooses for office.

Groups like Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Ku Klux Klan or any others have no right whatsoever to intimidate or physically assault people that support a candidate they oppose.

No one has any right whatsoever to vandalize, destroy property, threaten or chase people supporting the current President out of any town and no one should fear for their safety and well being walking down a street while Antifa is given a pass to instill fear and intimidate citizens.

Any elected official allowing such intimidation in their city is not worthy of office and should be voted out.

Veterans have paid a high price for all to feel secure in those rights and anyone opposing the free exercise of those freedoms and rights, as Antifa is currently doing, makes them domestic terrorists and tyrants.

This is the United States of America, may freedom continue to ring

Crazy Liberal ‘Karen’

I had a mask on

The following is what happened today, July 20, 2020 checking out from my local Walmart.

Getting in line, ‘Crazy Liberal ‘Karen’ was ahead of me in the checkout with a buggy full of merchandise. I had my own buggy with less stuff, but patiently waited for my turn to checkout.

There was some guy walking through another checkout that had taken his mask off and speaking very loudly against the mask requirement our governor has mandated on us. For me, it is his right to speak out and if he draws attention, so be it.

I just want to check out and go home before the day gets much hotter.

Crazy Liberal ‘Karen’ turns around to me and comments to the effect, “they’re everywhere now,” regarding the other loud shopper. I replied I mostly agree with his point, but will play the game up until the time they tell me to get into the boxcar.

Crazy Liberal Karen did not like that at all and her eyes showed it. She mumbled something at me from behind her mask and I leaned forward slightly and asked her to repeat it. I asked twice and she replied “nothing!” I said, “that’s what I figured.”

As she continued placing her many items on the conveyor, she kept looking back at me, glaring each time. I ignored her.

This was a woman, maybe 50ish who apparently believes she is entitled.

I say that as when her merchandise was well down the conveyor, I began placing mine on the rear most portion, maintaining a decent interval between hers and mine since the store does not offer those bars to place between items now.

This woman went absolutely NUTs over that, began yelling at me, grabbing my items to throw back in my buggy because some of hers were still being scanned and she had not fully cleared the conveyor.

I rather impolitely informed her to get her hands off of my items and the ‘F-bombs” flowed from her mouth.

I began adding my own as loudly as I could as she continued berating me for “getting into her space,” “giving her a virus” even though she was who continued walking back towards me.

It didn’t take long before the manger came over and got between us as she continued yelling for her to make me move back.

Both me and the manager reminded her that she was who kept stepping back towards me.

I will admit that I was not polite at all, but felt my blood pressure rising and began calming down, since another heart attack is not something I want.

Crazy Liberal Karen continued her barrage of foul language, calling me a crazy old white man, going to infect her with the virus (although it was her touching my items, not me touching hers) and I believe I recall her mentioning something about white privilege, which is funny since she had skin as white as mine.

Those of you that know me personally know that whenever I venture outdoors, I wear my Vietnam Veteran cap and Crazy Liberal Karen could have cared less, only that according to her, I was invading her space by placing my items on the back of the checkout conveyor before every last single one of her items was bagged and in her cart.

After she finally left, the manager and at least two other cashiers apologized to me for what happened. But it was not their fault as I understand this is the atmosphere created by Governor Jay Inslee, empowering Crazy Liberal Karen’s and other Mask Nazi’s.

I also appreciate the half dozen or so other shoppers that made a point to pat me on the shoulder and also apologize for the actions of Crazy Liberal Karen and to thank me for my service.

To the rest of you Crazy Liberal Karen’s that feel Inslee has granted you the right to get in our faces and force us to bend to your whims, think again.

We ain’t backing down!

First They Came

Amazing how those who applauded and gave approval of Confederate statues and Memorials being torn down are now alarmed seeing all other Statues and Memorials targeted for destruction as well.

Y'all opened the door for this and approved of it, that is, until it was something that you revered.

It fits perfectly with the tone of Martin Niemöller's poem,

First, they revised history and painted the South as evil and I accepted it.

Then they banned the Confederate flag, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Southerner.

Then they tore down the Confederate Statues and Memorials, and I did not speak out— because I was afraid of being labeled a racist.

Then they began tearing down statues of the founding fathers, and I cried out forgive their sins, but was ignored.

Then they burned the constitution and enslaved us under Socialism and now, I am forbidden to speak.

Return to “New Normal”

Does the recent talk of a “new normal” give you an uneasy feeling deep in the pit of your stomach? Well, it should since through most of the 8 years of the Obama administration we were continually told how higher unemployment, fewer jobs, stagnant economic growth and of course, increased dependency on government for our day to day survival was to be accepted as “the New Normal.”

But it didn’t happen as the left expected. No, over the last three years our country thrived with the highest stock market gains ever, lowest unemployment in decades, astronomical job growth and fewer people relying on government assistance.

That is, until claiming the need to stop the spread of this Coronavirus, governors across the country declared emergencies, issued ‘stay at home orders’ closing many businesses deemed “non-essential,’ closed parks, issued “social distancing orders,” and again forcing people back to reliance on government programs and payments to feed and care for their families.

Once again, we’re right back to “the New Normal,” even to proclaiming it such by the media and others. They didn’t even bother to rename it, just once again claim it as this “New Normal” that was rejected and countered with the election of Donald Trump in 2016.

To be up front, I did not support Trump in 2016, but didn’t support his opponent, Hillary Clinton. In fact, my claim at the time was “the two worst candidates in our history.” Unlike others, though, I didn’t feel the need to ‘flip out’ over the results and since Trump won, admitted he was entitled to govern, succeeding or falling on his face, as all before him were granted.

Admittedly my assessment wasn’t accurate and even though I still have issues with the man, we were heading towards a much improved country, even though there was little to no cooperation from Democrats as all they could do was seek impeachment to have him ousted from office. As we know, they succeeded in a highly partisan impeachment passed that was rejected in the Senate.

Things were looking really good for the U.S. and even the world, up until the Coronavirus hit and maximum effort resulted in a near complete shut-down of the country, pushing us right back towards economic uncertainty of the Obama years.

A Sept. 29, 2012 New York Times article informed us, “a slim majority of Americans now say they define getting ahead as not falling behind — not losing ground or falling into debt — rather than the more traditional definition of enjoying steady increases in pay and income.”

A June 12, 2014 American Economic Institute article quoted Obama Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew saying, “the US GDP growth rate, adjusted for inflation, is now projected to run a little above 2% a year. That would be a significant downshift from the 3.4% average growth rate from the end of World War II until 2007.”

Forbes let us know, in an Jan 14, 2014 article titled Obama's Unemployment 'New Normal' Foretells A 'Lost Decade', pertaining to an effort to paint a rosy picture of the then lagging economy, “A quick look at the BLS Household Survey showed that, rather than being bad, December was actually a better-than-average month in President Obama’s ‘new normal’ economy. This is not a huge accomplishment, given that ‘Obama’s new normal’ comprises slow GDP growth, a stagnant jobs market, and falling real household incomes.” (Emphasis added)

In the waning days of the Obama administration, a July 8, 2016 Washington Post column, Is anemic growth the new normal? quoted James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, “The grim news is not that the economy continues to resist returning to normal. Rather, it is that this ‘current equilibrium’ is the new normal. If 2 percent growth is ‘the most likely scenario’ for the foreseeable future, the nation faces a second consecutive lost decade — one without a year of 3 percent growth.”

Suffice it to say, we saw through the efforts to convince us how much better off we were under the economic oppression offered by Obama’s “New Normal”

However, even though a serious outbreak, this COVID-19 virus appears to be being used to stall out our economic progress, plunging us right back to the misery we escaped from by the 2016 election.

With “stay at home orders” issued by governors, citizens arrested for playing tee ball with their child or taking them to a park or just being alone outdoors at the beach. Paychecks drying up as businesses are closed, not meeting the government’s level of what they deem “essential,” and forcing people onto government assistance in order to care for themselves and their families.

While it might be nice to receive a check from the government, never forget that the money was first taken away from someone else. And with so many businesses closures and rapidly increasing unemployment, government is receiving far less revenue, forcing them to borrow even more from somewhere or somebody in order to continue sending out those checks.

And now, as eastern and central states are easing up on their restrictions, west coast governors are extending their orders of stay at home, even though several citizens have formed rallies in protest around the state and at the capital.

Make no mistake, “New Normal” is nothing more than government dependence and oppression in the long run and is not what we need.

What we really need is for government to get out of our way and let us work and restore the nation to what it has always been destined to be, a Great Country with a free people.

After all, it wasn’t government that built this nation, but the people embracing their freedom to create, grow and thrive.

Let’s not throw it all away due to fearmongering by government.

I’m a Hero, You’re a Hero, Wouldn’t You Like to be a Hero Too?

Outside an Assisted Living facility

My apologies to Dr. Pepper for highjacking their old lingo, but during this so-called crisis we’re enduring, it appears like everybody has suddenly been declared a hero for simply doing their jobs. The jobs they were hired to do.

While we should be appreciative and show gratitude for those workers stocking grocery shelves or cleaning stores and fixtures, truck drivers for delivering our goods, even those hired to deliver pizza we may order or deliver our mail to our mailboxes, is it really heroics?

Four definitions given by Merriam-Webster dictionary are: a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; b: an illustrious warrior; c: a person admired for achievements and noble qualities; d: one who shows great courage.

An Ohio group claims the dictionary definition is “far too stuffy” in their “Tell us about your 'Daily Hero'” effort.

Their idea of a “daily hero?”

”Maybe someone delivered food to your door. Maybe someone called to re-connect with you, to brighten your day and to make sure you're doing OK. Maybe someone just held a door open for you (while maintaining proper social distancing, of course).”

Locally, KOIN 6 asks, “Know someone who is working to help others right now in this time of crisis? Maybe your cousin is a nurse, your sibling is a doctor, your child is a grocery store worker or your loved one is a sanitation services employee” on their Salute page.

It seems everywhere we turn we hear of “hero hours” at stores, a “Hero Fund” for what is now considered “essential workers” as our unemployment rate rises into double digits again, Numerous images have begun appearing on the internet proclaiming, “be a hero, stay home.”

We have endured many crises throughout our history, wars, pandemics, economic depressions, the great Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. These were truly hard times for people where sacrifices had to be made in order to keep the country going.

Just about everybody pitched in, doing what they were able to do without being labeled “heroes” or even expecting to be.

With so many declarations of hero today, it appears to be little more than participation trophies for everybody.

Is this part of the hoped for New World Order or “New Normal” we keep hearing about?

Cry Virus, place restrictions never seen before on the people, while declaring them all heroes to mask or make them feel better as they are being corralled?

We do have real heroes among us and recorded in our history. Washington D.C. and several communities have memorialized them on monuments, memorials and statues.

We see doctors and nurses going above and beyond in critical situations.

Likewise, Police Officers and Firefighters too will be called upon to risk their lives to save others lives.

Our Military is placed in harm’s way to protect our freedoms and way of life with some making the ultimate sacrifice of trading their life for the lives of others.

An actress approaching 40 years of age and letting her hair go gray in “solidarity with front-line workers” is neither brave nor heroic. Its normal aging as well as trying to draw the spotlight upon yourself and make yourself appear relevant.

There’s nothing heroic in government creating bread lines for us to be required to stand in outside of grocery stores, waiting to enter in hopes finding the food we seek on partially empty selves.

It’s very reminiscent of images smuggled out of Eastern Bloc nations under Communist rule.

So why this sudden everybody is a hero scheme? Is it part of the push towards Socialism with their false cry of making everybody equal?

Is it worthwhile to be broke and struggle to feed our families, all for a hollow title of “hero?”

I really can’t answer for you, but it feels uncomfortable to suddenly see such cries of heroics directed at everyday activities during this time.

It does smack of “never let a crisis go to waste.”

I talked to a man today

Shared from a facebook post, original author unknown

I talked with a man today, an 80+ year old man. I asked him if there was anything I can get him while this Coronavirus scare was gripping America.

He simply smiled, looked away and said:

"Let me tell you what I need! I need to believe, at some point, this country my generation fought for... I need to believe this nation we handed safely to our children and their children...

I need to know this generation will quit being a bunch of sissies...that they respect what they've been given...that they've earned what others sacrificed for."

I wasn't sure where the conversation was going or if it was going anywhere at all. So, I sat there, quietly observing.

"You know, I was a little boy during WWII. Those were scary days. We didn't know if we were going to be speaking English, German or Japanese at the end of the war. There was no certainty, no guarantees like Americans enjoy today.

And no home went without sacrifice or loss. Every house, up and down every street, had someone in harm's way. Maybe their Daddy was a soldier, maybe their son was a sailor, maybe it was an uncle. Sometimes it was the whole damn family...fathers, sons, uncles...

Having someone, you love, sent off to war...it wasn't less frightening than it is today. It was scary as Hell. If anything, it was more frightening. We didn't have battle front news. We didn't have email or cellphones. You sent them away and you hoped...you prayed. You may not hear from them for months, if ever. Sometimes a mother was getting her son's letters the same day Dad was comforting her over their child's death.

And we sacrificed. You couldn't buy things. Everything was rationed. You were only allowed so much milk per month, only so much bread, toilet paper. EVERYTHING was restricted for the war effort. And what you weren't using, what you didn't need, things you threw away, they were saved and sorted for the war effort. My generation was the original recycling movement in America.

And we had viruses back then...serious viruses. Things like polio, measles, and such. It was nothing to walk to school and pass a house or two that was quarantined. We didn't shut down our schools. We didn't shut down our cities. We carried on, without masks, without hand sanitizer. And do you know what? We persevered. We overcame. We didn't attack our President, we came together. We rallied around the flag for the war. Thick or thin, we were in it to win. And we would lose more boys in an hour of combat than we lose in entire wars today."

He slowly looked away again. Maybe I saw a small tear in the corner of his eye. Then he continued:

"Today's kids don't know sacrifice. They think a sacrifice is not having coverage on their phone while they freely drive across the country. Today's kids are selfish and spoiled. In my generation, we looked out for our elders. We helped out with single moms who's husbands were either at war or dead from war. Today's kids rush the store, buying everything they can...no concern for anyone but themselves. It's shameful the way Americans behave these days. None of them deserve the sacrifices their granddads made.

So, no I don't need anything. I appreciate your offer but, I know I've been through worse things than this virus. But maybe I should be asking you, what can I do to help you? Do you have enough pop to get through this, enough steak? Will you be able to survive with 113 channels on your tv?"

I smiled, fighting back a tear of my own...now humbled by a man in his 80's. All I could do was thank him for the history lesson, leave my number for emergency and leave with my ego firmly tucked in my rear.

I talked to a man today. A real man. An American man from an era long gone and forgotten. We will never understand the sacrifices. We will never fully earn their sacrifices. But we should work harder to learn about them..learn from them...to respect them.