Protectors turned into killers

"If you have young kids or grand kids, give them an extra hug this week. They are the lucky ones. They made it out of the womb when adults were still their protectors. Soon, getting out of the womb alive will like surviving a gauntlet. Pray for America. Pray this evil be stopped."  

I had a nightmare last night. Our country had taken a turn for the worse - the very worse. We  had lost our moral compass. We were no better than zombies. The dream was so weird, so frightening, I struggled to wake up - but I could not. In this dystopian dream, I was trapped. How bad was this nightmare? It was worse than Bird Box. More chilling. We were eating our seed corn. In other words, we started to kill our own children.

I finally woke up, drenched in sweat. I stumbled downstairs to grab some coffee and turn on the news. When the news came on, it hit me - it was not a dream. We really are passing laws which make it legal to kill our own kids. The Democrats have finally dragged us down this muddy path to perdition. Up to seven blue states now have laws or are trying to pass laws which make it legal to kill your child just seconds before delivery. God have mercy on us all!

This is the most evil thing I have ever heard our country doing. Worse than slavery. Worse than the Trail of Tears. Worse than anything. To get around the ban on partial birth abortion, sinister forces in the Democrat Party have come up with a scheme. Just so long as the baby is not yet born, it can be killed. The abortionist can just reach up the birth canal (even during labor), and inject some poison in the baby's skull. The mother then gives birth to a dead child. Easy peasy. No more kid. After all, this is a woman's "choice".

Roe v Wade started us down this very slippery slope. It really was a trail of no return. Once you drink the potion which changes your thinking of what a fetus or baby really is, you have been corrupted. We have now gone from a first trimester removal of "a clump of cells" to all out infanticide. In just about 50 years. What will be next? Killing the old folk? The infirmed? The mentally challenged? Where is the line? Is there still a line?

In the past, be it the parent or any other adult, we were the protectors of the young. We would lay down our lives to protect our youth. They were our future. No longer. They are just a nuisance to the Left. They get in the way of hedonistic pleasure and selfishness. So they have to go. If there was a way to take abortion out to post birth (legally), I am sure they would be looking at that also.

By the way - where is the church when all of this is going on? The silence in deafening. The Catholic Church should excommunicate each one of the Democrats who are behind this act of evil. Period. These people do not belong in the church. Lutheran pastors are no better. This should be the focus of every sermon, every Sunday until this war on the unborn is stopped. 

If you have young kids or grand kids, give them an extra hug this week. They are the lucky ones. They made it out of the womb when adults were still their protectors. Soon, getting out of the womb alive will like surviving a gauntlet. Pray for America. Pray this evil be stopped.  

A war ends? A war starts?

"Venezuela is worth keeping an eye on. If something is going to happen, it will happen sooner rather than later. I just hope President Trump looks at the lessons we learned from getting involved in long term wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

With all the breaking news this month (and it was a news rich month!), the news about the "maybe" brokered peace with the Taliban in Afghanistan almost fell off the bottom of page 15 of the paper. And it should have been front page headlines. Our longest war, might be coming to an end. After over 17 years of fighting in this most unforgiving land, the end might be in sight. Victory? Hardly. Defeat? No. A brokered peace, which may or may not last. 

BUT (and there is always a but) - the ink is not on the paper as yet. Officially, as this is penned this frigid morning, we are still at war in Afghanistan. For now, our troops are still in harm's way. After spending over $2.4T in executing this war, our financial spigot over there might be close to being turned off. Was it worth it? All that American blood and treasure to fight to a draw? I don't know - maybe we can ask the Russians.

So, now that the President has declared we are winding down in Syria, and Afghanistan might be coming to a close, are we getting closer to world peace? Maybe not. Some international experts are seeing a new proxy war developing in oil rich Venezuela. A country being torn apart, and on the brink of a civil war. Only in this civil war, the sides have already been fortified. The United States is backing the people's favorite Juan Guaido (who is not in power) and Russia is backing the very unpopular, Nicolas Maduro (who is in power). 

During a presser this week, John Bolton was asked what our strategic interest is in Venezuela. Bolton gave some of the usual canned answers about free trade and freedom from authoritarian rule. In reality it is our friend once again - oil. Despite the fact Venezuela is broke and starving (thanks in large measure to trying socialism as a form of government), they are still dripping with oil. If for some reason, the oil flow from Venezuela stops, the shock to the international oil market will be felt by everyone. And with a world economy fighting off a cold, that cold could soon turn into pneumonia. 

Rumor (heavy on the word "rumor"), has it the United States is ready to send 5,000 troops to Columbia to boost up Guaido just in case push comes to shove. And if the Russians also get involved by trying to boost up Maduro, Venezuela could soon become Syria on steroids.

Already the trail of refugees trying to escape Venezuela into Columbia is almost endless. The irony? Not too many years ago, my wife and I visited Columbia. Some of the locals we chatted with told us they would drive across the border into Venezuela to buy gasoline. Why? Gas was so cheap over there, it was next to free. 

Venezuela is worth keeping an eye on. If something is going to happen, it will happen sooner rather than later. I just hope President Trump looks at the lessons we learned from getting involved in long term wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Me? Not a fan of any more wars for quite a while.  

Cold, growing old, not so bold...

"Today, we call off school when we get 2 - 6 inches of snow in the metro. We call off school for two days when a "polar vortex" drops in. When I was a lad, we did neither. To earn a snow day, snow would have to be measured in the feet instead of the inches. And a "cold day"? Never happened."

Here we are. Ground zero for the latest assault by Mother Nature. This thing called a "polar vortex" or something. As a kid, we would just call this weather "bone chilling" cold. In the Navy, we called it "Brass Monkey" cold (if you don't know what this means, please don't ask). Today, we have meteorologist terms like "polar vortex". ALGORE still calls type of cold, "climate change". All I know is this - the smart ones have gotten the heck out of Dodge, long before this one hit.

Today, we call off school when we get 2 - 6 inches of snow in the metro. We call off school for two days when a "polar vortex" drops in. When I was a lad, we did neither. To earn a snow day, snow would have to be measured in the feet instead of the inches. And a "cold day"? Never happened.

Since kids are off of school for three days straight this week, what do you think they will be doing? TV, video games, social media, playing games. Homework? Some districts have programs when a child is not in school, there are home assignments to complete. Kind of like being a work from home parent. I dare say the districts who have such programs are in the minority instead of majority. Another one of those game changing improvements to education which the cabal of teacher unions and government fight not to implement. 

A woman I worked with many years ago, transferred to Minneapolis from Sunnyvale, California. About halfway through her first winter, she came into my office and sat down. She had a disgusted look on her face. I guess all the excitement about coming to the Twin Cities had worn off. She said, "In Minnesota, you only grow three things. Older, colder and fatter." And then she got up and left. I guess some venting helped her.

But - as cold as it will get tonight and tomorrow night, the end is near. In a bit over two weeks, early spring will start. Yes, I believe there to be eight seasons in Minnesota instead of four. Early spring starts on February 15th and goes until March 31st. On April 1st, late spring starts and goes until May 14th. On May 15th early summer starts. You get the picture. Instead of 90 days long, the seasons are 45 days long.  

There is however, one more bit of good news about this "historic" cold snap. It might just prove too cold for some of the Emerald Ash Borer larvae to survive. Shame. It might also reduce the amount of blood suckers we have next summer. Their larvae might also take a hit. Again, shame. 

What am I going to do to survive this latest polar vortex? Not much. Make an all day fire. Read. Write. Organize stuff. By Friday it will be close to 30, and I will be outside once again, doing stuff and going places. Plus we have grandparent duty that day. It's all good. Time to cocoon. Stay warm out there folks. 

The war on Christianity

"But there is a tipping point which will be reached. Where God's blessing on this land will ebb, and then end. When that happens, it will be the end of America. Some can see the danger signs already."

Who in the world would have thought it could come to this? Where being a Christian is looked upon as a negative. In this country. A country which was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. And it is not just the incoming Muslims who are doing it. It is being done by a whole lot of young, white, Angelo-sexton types. 

This has been coming on for years. We have seen it in the war on Christmas. "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" instead of Merry Christmas. President Obama declared a few years ago we are "no longer a Christian country". We have seen a crucifix in a jar of urine, and then calling it art. There is a statue of Ronald McDonald, hanging on a cross - again, art. Oh, we are way past blasphemy right now. We passed that curve miles ago. 

The war on Christianity, or the war on God, comes mostly from the Left. Why? They don't like the fact that God has dominion over us. Like, how dare He? So the Left has determined we don't need God anymore. Just a fairy tale anyway. But Gaia? That is real. It is okay to worship Mother Earth. It is real. We can touch it, and see it. But God? Never seen Him.

Our social mores are starting reflect our changing view of God. We can see it in how we look at cohabitation before marriage. We can see it in the ever growing number of genders. We see it in who can marry whom, or what. "Love is love", we keep hearing from the Left. With marriage, now anything goes. Dare we forget how we now treat the unborn? No longer the most innocent, just inconvenient tissue.

We also can see it in how we treat each other. Hate is replacing love in many personal relationships. Forgiveness has become an antiquated term. Basically, when we take our Christian faith out of our lives, our lives become a secular maze. No purpose, no direction. 

Here is the good news. For many in this country who have shunned, ridiculed or even hated God, you are not going to be struck by lightening. God wants you back. Unlike other counterfeit religions, a relationship with God, through the Risen Christ, is the only way to true peace, joy and comfort. In other words, the only path to God. Even though many hate or have hated God, He returns that hate with love. Agape love.

But there is a tipping point which will be reached. Where God's blessing on this land will ebb, and then will cease. When that happens, it will be the end of America. Some of us can see the danger signs already. Our war on Christianity really becomes a war on ourselves. Once we totally toss God out of our country, our country will be no more.

We are in dangerous times. We are on thin ice. If ever there was a time to turn to God, it is now. If ever there was a worse time to hate or shun God, it is also now. If you are part of the war on Christianity, now is time to come back - and soon.

This is spiritual warfare on a national scale, on a global scale. The question will not be which side God is on - it will be who is on God's side. And those days are coming sooner rather than later.    

The war on us - and why...

"The Holy Bible will save us. Our Constitution will save us. Without allegiance to those two timeless documents, our only hope is to start prepping. And then get ready to play out the end game."    

Years ago, I penned an article called "Why we hate each other". The funny thing about that article is this - as bad as I thought the discourse was in this country at the time I wrote it, it is an order of magnitude worse today. We really do hate each other. Not a little bit - a lotta bit. A deep visceral hatred for the other side. Fellow Americans. Hating each other. Wishing the other side would just pack up and leave - or worse.

How did we get to this point? The ying and yang. The black and white. The Republican and Democrat. Now, the conservative and socialist democrat. How? Is it money? Is it whose ox will be gored? Is it a boundary issue? Philosophy? Or is it just plain everything?

Right now this country is in a civil war. Please don't scoff - we really are. Our hatred for the other side has boiled to the point we cannot stand talking to each other. Zero discourse. Practically ungovernable.

We are in uncharted and very dangerous waters right now. How so? This cold war which we have found ourselves in, could turn hot at any moment. When that happens, it will be Katie bar the door. Blood will flow in the streets. American blood. In America. It will be our Civil War, deja vu. Only this time it will not be about territory or slavery. It will be much more complicated.

These are the days our Founders hoped would never come. The end of days for the Great American Experiment. Oh, the Experiment worked very well thank you, for a couple hundred plus years. But then many of us lost the cook book. ,m The cook book? Yes, our Constitution. It is our Constitution which is the tie that binds. When one side eschews that wonderful document, and decides to go rogue, we become a nation of tribes. Then bad things can happen quickly.

So this article does not sound too gloomy and doomy, I will offer a ray of hope for this great land. Just like it has since the 18th century, our Constitution can once again save us. When all sides of the spectrum recognize that founding document is what has in the past, and will in the future, make us great. Without the ageless guidance of our Constitution, we will become tribal are warring. 

Al Gore wants us to think the biggest threat to the American people is man made global warming. Some want to think it is the Russians. Others, aliens from outer space. If the truth be known, our biggest threat to ourselves - is ourselves.

We will ruin this country through hatred. The Holy Bible will save us. Our Constitution will save us. Without allegiance to those two timeless documents, our only hope is to start prepping. And then get ready to play out the end game.    

The Left's war on the Second Amendment

"This war on our Second Amendment simply cannot be lost. Our republic is riding on it. That is not histrionics - it is pure fact."  

This never seems to stop. It goes on and on and on. The Left sometimes refers to the Second Amendment as the "mistake" our Founders made. To them, it makes no sense. It just allows grown men (and now more and more women)  to act like little kids, just shooting off their guns. Plus, guns are very dangerous. Every once in a while, one of these "gun nuts" goes off the rail and shoots up the joint. Sometimes a school. These guns are just killing machines. Thus speaks the Loons on the Left.

In more and more states right now, commies, socialists and other Lefties are trying to make guns obsolete. Especially to the general public. What is their best play right now? "Red Flag" laws. Theses are very, very dangerous for a free republic. Anyone, can "drop a dime" on anyone else simply by telling authorities the person they are ratting out is a danger to the community. There does not have to be one shred of truth in it. That would give the Sheriff and the courts the right to come to a person's house, and confiscate their firearms. Talk like this is even being bandied about in Minnesota this session.

Because of the dumbing down of our public education, along with the refusal of government schools to teach proper American History and Civics, young people for years have grown up not knowing a wit about why we have the Second Amendment. That is one of the biggest travesties of our broken education system. If the education planners would have studied our history when they were in school, they would have learned some things which were way beyond meaningful.

Many of our Founders were students of history. They had to be - most, if not all, came to this country from Europe. The Second Amendment was put in our Bill of Rights not by happenstance - it was very deliberate. Our Founders knew the danger of any government. That at any time, even the most carefully crafted government, could turn. It could turn citizens into subjects - or worse. It could turn citizens into slaves. That is what tyranny does.

So the Founders put a fail safe in our Bill of Rights. It was very short, very simple. And it had unique language. The only Right in the Bill which had the words "shall not be infringed". And why would they do that? For times like these. When ignorant gun grabbers, try to take the one thing away from citizens which really keeps us free - our guns. 

But the Left in their naivete, does not look at government the same as citizens and patriots do. Government is their god. It is omnipotent. The same thing many conquered people in world history have also believed. To the Left, to fix this long festering wound in our country, all guns must go. To the patriots, they would rather give up just about anything but their guns. Yes, the ownership of firearms is that important. 

If ever there would ever be a spark which would take our nations civil war from cold to red hot, it would be the over reach of the gun grabbers. When Charlton Heston said his gun would need to be pried from his "cold, dead fingers", he was speaking for many of us. This war on our Second Amendment simply cannot be lost. Our republic is riding on it. That is not histrionics - it is pure fact.  

  

Why is there a war on the unborn?

"Each and every church in our country should be decrying this mass murder every Sunday. People who favor the killing of the unborn should not be finding favor with the rest of us." 

By now many of us have heard about the sickening law which was recently passed in New York. It took Roe v Wade to a new low. For those who do not know about it as yet, let me give you the Cliff Notes version. In New York, you may now kill your baby up until one day prior to delivery. One day. That is all that separates legal abortion from infanticide in New York. Of course, most of us on the pro-life side, think any abortion is a form of infanticide. 

On the other hand, many Republicans in various states have introduced "Fetal Heartbeat Laws". That is where it will be illegal to abort a fetus once a heartbeat is detected. Why? Contrary to popular belief on the Left side of the street, tumors do not have heartbeats. In the eyes of many Christians, that is when life starts. Other Christians believe life starts at conception.

I am very interested, and more so concerned, in how we got to this point. I have addressed this many times before - the history of abortion in our land. To keep abortion out of the back allies and performed with metal coat hangers, the "humane" thing to do was to legalize it. Not by the states - but by the Supreme Court. And just like that in 1973, the killing of innocent life became legal and Constitutional (that is, in the eyes of seven out of nine black robed jurists). Since 1973, 61,000,000 innocent souls have been ripped out of their mother's womb, sucked out of her uterus, poisoned, or whatever. And that 61M murders is only in this country. Worldwide, the number of abortions since 1980 is estimated to be over 1.5B. 

Somehow along the road since 1973, abortion rights have become the mantra of the Left. By doing so, they have become the Party of Death. In fact, abortion rights are so sacrosanct with the Loony Left, it made a mockery out of the last Supreme Court nomination. Even though the nominee NEVER said a word about overturning Roe v Wade. Just the thought, because of his Christian faith, might cause him to change his mind at some time, was enough to turn the proceedings into a three ringed circus.

The issue of abortion is one of the wedge issues which is ripping our country apart. Some have asked, "Why can't we find middle ground?" Like the middle ground between black and white? That is gray. Where in pray tell then, is the middle ground between life and death? Hint: there is none. So we continue to be governed by Republicans, notoriously pro-life, and Democrats, notoriously pro-death. And meanwhile, the body count keeps going up. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade. 

One day, we will all of us, be held accountable for this genocide. On Judgement Day. Passivity will be no excuse. The bottom line is simply this - 61,000,000 innocents have lost their lives on our watch. In our country. Judged okay be our laws. 

Each and every church in our country should be decrying this mass murder every Sunday. People who favor the killing of the unborn should not be finding favor with the rest of us. Why is there this continual war on the unborn? Don't ask me. Ask Nancy Pelosi, or any of her ilk. To me, abortion is just murder. Murder of our most precious. 

Can we win the War on Poverty?

"Very few, if any, had poverty or homelessness in their life's plan. Generational poverty traps many. What am I saying? Even though we will never 'win' the War on Poverty in this country, we can continue to make progress."

In the first part of Mark 14:7, Jesus tells us that the "poor will be with us always". That was not a statement which allowed us to ignore the poor - it was rather just a fact. And history has proven Jesus correct. In the past two thousand years since Jesus was with us, we have always had poor people.

Fifty-five years ago in January of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson saw that our national poverty rate was nineteen percent. To him, that was beyond unacceptable. He decided we needed legislation and a massive program to fix it. Under Johnson's Great Society Program, he convinced Congress to pass the Economic Opportunity Act. This allowed the full force of the federal government, using the newly created Office of Economic Opportunity, to go to war against poverty in the United States. 

Yesterday, when addressing our War on Drugs, it was disclosed we have spent over a trillion dollars since 1974 fighting this losing battle against drugs. Turns out that is chump change compared to the War on Poverty. Since 1964, this nation has spent over 15 trillion dollars on poverty programs! And what did we get in return for spending all that money? Turns out, very little until 2016. We did knock our poverty level down from 19% to 15% prior to 2016. However, in the two short years of the Trump Administration, the poverty rate has come down to under 13%.

Even though we have people in this country who still quality as "poor", what does that really mean? First off, poor is a relative term. Poor in this country is really not poor on a world stage. For example, according to a 2014 Brookings Institution report, the War on Poverty has been fought and won. Huh? If we put our poor against all the people on Earth, there is no poverty in America. We are all doing just fine, thank you. 

However, according to the nation's loudest and most obnoxious self appointed socialist (that would be AOC), she thinks the difference between rich and poor in this country is horrible. So much so, our billionaires are "immoral". We need to even out the playing field by using a hyper progressive tax rate of 70%. That will fix the disparity between rich and poor. Heck, it did so in Venezuela. Now everyone in that country is poor. And many are hungry, some starving. 

Back to the question at hand. Can we win the War on Poverty? With a poverty level of slightly under 13%, this might be as good as it gets. So we reduced our poverty level from 19% to 13%. And it only cost this nation 15 trillion dollars. With a population of 325,000,000, that equates to about $45,000 for every man, woman and child in this country. Was it worth it?

One final word about poverty, so I don't get hate mail. My wife and I have dealt with people who are impoverished, as well as people who are homeless. Very few, if any, had poverty or homelessness in their life's plan. It just happened. Also, generational poverty traps many. What am I saying? Even though we will never "win" the War on Poverty in this country, we can continue to make progress. To ameliorate some of the suffering. 

Giving to organizations like the Union Gospel Mission can change lives. It is a great charity with an excellent track record. However, giving to an organization like World Vision can save lives. Yes, poor people in this world still die from starvation, dehydration, and preventable diseases. The opportunities to help reduce poverty, both near and far, are endless.    

Losing the War on Drugs

"Solutions? Anyone? More prison time? Close the southern border? Or is rampant drug usage going to be a fact of life in our country? A symptom of a nihilistic population."

Many people think the two wars we have fought which we have lost the most in, have been the War on Drugs and the War on Poverty. Both have been dismal failures. In fact, one of the reasons (certainly not the only one), we have such a problem on our southern border is due to the drug trade. And we have the drug trade because so many people in this country use drugs. Hard, cold fact.

It was June of 1971. I was getting ready to rotate off of Okinawa and come home for the first time in 18 months. President Nixon, alarmed by the nation's increasing drug usage, declared drugs to be "public enemy number one". This started our never ending War on Drugs. Yes, this "war" has been going on that long.

So how is the war going? Buckle up for this one. Since 1971, we have spent over $1T fighting the war on drugs. In addition, in 2000, we lost about 20,000 people to overdoses. Last year, we lost over 60,000. We are going nowhere fast. As states like Minnesota grapple with the legalization of marijuana, many more hard core drugs, like heroin and fentanyl, are coming in the back door. These drugs are so powerful, they can stop a human heart in an instant.

How powerful is fentanyl? First off, much of it is manufactured in China, and then smuggled into our country via the mail or air freight. Recently, there was a bust where enough fentanyl was recovered to kill every man, woman and child in this country. Black tar heroin, much of which is coming over the southern border, is almost as dangerous. 

Solutions? Anyone? More prison time? Close the southern border? Or is rampant drug usage going to be a fact of life in our country? A symptom of a nihilistic population. Many times I have been told when I ask too many questions about addiction - that I don't understand. I guess I don't. How someone could take drugs so powerful, the high will take them within inches from death, is beyond my understanding. To me, it is an Icarus way our young people tempt the gods of fate. Not just once - but many times over.

Answers? I have none. I conclude this article with more questions than answers. All I know is this. Drugs are tearing the foundation out of our country. The financial as well as emotional cost is enormous. Who is to blame? You? Me? Everyone? No one? Like I say, more questions than answers. 

Is orange our new black?

"To honor Martin Luther King on this day, I think the best way to do it is to remember that credo he taught us. Look past the pigmentation of someone's skin, and focus on something much deeper - that being a person's character. Period. It really is as simple as that."  

As most of us know, today is Martin Luther King Day. It is a day we celebrate one of our greatest Americans. A man who because of some deranged nut ball, died way too young. As a child of the 60's, I remember Dr. King when he was alive. Heard him speak many times on TV. I took to heart what he said about skin color. To him, skin color did not mean as much as much as the content of a person's character did. Many of us growing up during that period not only remembered it, but also lived it.

Our last President was half black, and was raised by a white mother. The Left, as well as the media, made a BIG deal out of the color of his skin - more so than the content of his character. In fact, between President Obama and his first AG (who was also half black), race was all we seemed to hear about. In fact, I remember his AG accusing the American people of being "cowards" for not discussing race more often. I guess that "content of the character" thing really flew out the window during that period.

Our current President is also a person of color (sort of). He has an orange tint. Many on the Left call him the "Orange Man" (among worse things). Can you imagine if during the past administration, people on the right had referred to the President as that "Black Man"? But they did not. If they had, man, oh man! The ship would have really hit the sand!

David Webb, a black conservative radio host, was debating a black liberal woman on the radio recently. They did not know each other. All of a sudden, she accused him of having "white privilege". Needless to say, she was somewhat flummoxed and taken aback when she found out Webb was black.

When asked about it once the debate was over, Webb shrugged it off. "My skin is only an organ of my body. It does not think, it does not reason. It is just an organ." Bingo! That was a MLK moment! David Webb was taking about content of character, NOT color of skin.

To honor Martin Luther King on this day, I think the best way to do it is to remember that credo he taught us. Look past the pigmentation of someone's skin, and focus on something much deeper - that being a person's character. Period. It really is as simple as that.  

And then there is crazy!

"And then there is crazy. The America haters. The iconoclasts of our republic. Without a strong President like Donald Trump, all would be lost right now."

I have said this before, I will say it again. When the Democrats won the House last November, we went from a partially ungovernable nation, to totally ungovernable. Why? We are dealing with crazy people. Certifiable lunatics. Utterly out of their minds. Led by the Queen of Crazy herself - Madam Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Rumor has it when you take Botox for 30 years, it affects your brain. Your common sense. Your reasoning power. I think what we have been seeing of late, validates that theory. 

Yesterday on national TV, the President laid out a common sense solution to this very long government shutdown. It touched all the bases. However - Democrats rejected it before the speech even began. Why? They don't want a southern border solution. They just want the government back open. Their precious government. So -what is the real story right now? The President's only job, SHOULD BE to wait for a common sense security fix to hit his desk for signature. In absence of that that, of Congress doing its job, President Trump needed to get involved.

This mess makes our government look like it is being run by buffoons. Trying to get Republicans and Democrats to work together, is harder than herding cats. Well, at least we are at the bottom of the well right now. Things can't get any worse. Or can they?

Last week it was reported a group, a polar opposite group to the Tea Party, has sprung up in the confines of the DNC. They want to get rid of moderate Democrats prior to 2020. They seem to like this new socialist democrat philosophy. Think about that for a minute. If this party of loons get much closer to the cliff, Ms. Nancy might get the boot for being too "normal". Huh? The Queen of Crazy being too normal? That might be where we are headed.

Where are we, as we are knee deep in MLK weekend? Other than the government shutdown, and our southern border still being a sieve, we are still progressing as a nation. The economy is still strong, unemployment still historically low, more talks with North Korea are coming up, and the trade war with China might be coming to an end. 

And then there is crazy. The America haters. The iconoclasts of our republic. Without a strong President like Donald Trump, all would be lost right now. As for me, I am going to melt into my easy chair and watch football on this frigid morning. And that is not crazy.   

The March for Life vs. the Party of Death

"A righteous country would not be a part of this genocide. We need to get back on the path of righteousness - and soon." 

Yesterday was the annual March for Life. It was reported that although the crowds are somewhat smaller than they have been in the past, there seemed to be more young people involved. The March for Life - seldom attended by those who belong to the Party of Death (that be the political party which uses abortion as a credo). And so the question is often asked, just who are these people who go out and march for the unborn in often times frigid temperatures?

They are mostly middle America. Mostly white, mostly people of faith. They are people who for the most part, have not had an abortion. But some have, and are now regretting it. It is amazing when you think of the number of aborted humans in this country alone, since the obscene court ruling in 1973 known as Roe v. Wade. Over 50 million innocents have been ripped out of their mother's uterus by abortionists. Legally. It is nothing more than infanticide which have been given blessings by the state. 

If you ever want to bring a lively discussion to a stand still, try this. We have some friends who are Catholic. Catholics who attend weekly mass, often hear about the sanctity of life on a regular basis. Some of our friends are strong Democrats (Party of Death) as well as Catholic. When asked how they can condone the taking of innocent life by abortion, and be a Democrat - well, that will take the life out of the the most lively of conversations. 

Some of us have seen bumper stickers which say, "You can't be Catholic and also believe in abortion". I love those! However, I would change one word. I would replace Catholic with Christian. No offense to Catholics, but EVERYONE who proclaims the Gospel should be dead set against abortion. No, they are not okay - unless there is an extreme and very rare circumstance. Other than that, abortions are not okay - EVER.

Back to the 50+M innocent babies which have been killed since 1973. That number is greater than the populations of MN, SD, ND, IA, WI, MI, NE, KA, Il and few other midwestern states combined. Think of the possibilities that some of those babies would have had growing up. Doctors, scientists, astronomers, heck - one might have even found a cure for cancer. But we will never know, because they were killed before they could take their first breath.

Bless those people who were out there in the March for Life. Bless those who belong to anti-abortion and post abortion counseling organizations. Bless those who pray for the end to this madness. A righteous country would not be a part of this genocide. We need to get back on the path of righteousness - and soon. 

All dressed up and nowhere to go...

"Ms. Nancy can keep this game of tit for tat going on all winter. And if she does, the only people who will be hurt will be the furloughed government workers." 

I think I can stop crying long enough to write this article. I have tears running down my cheeks. Okay - maybe not from crying. Tears of laughter instead. What happened yesterday was simply a classic. A bus full of bureaucrats, all packed for a week long boondoggle, driving around in circles. Seems the manager of the airline they wanted to take (that would be the Commander in Chief), pulled the plug on this trip. As he should have.

Ms. Nancy is the lead negotiator on the other side. President Trump is the lead negotiator on his side. To have Pelosi travel on an all expense paid trip halfway around the world when we have yet another caravan on the way to our southern border, is ludicrous. Stupid. So Donald Trump called her out. Cancelled her flight, along with a hundred of so other statists who wanted to go on a all expenses paid vacation. Boo hoo, wah, wah. 

Of all the things that Donald Trump has done in the past two years which have delighted his base, this was close to the top. It was a classic. It was a way of telling Ms. Nancy to "stick it", without having to say anything. The added bonus was when some of the Dems got off the bus, they were so mad, they were sputtering. Calling the President every childhood name they could remember. Oh well - sticks and stones.

Hopefully, the Democrats are starting to get the message. Mr. "Art of the Deal" is in the driver's seat right now, and he is not budging. No, he does not want to take the coward's way out and split the difference. He needs every cent of the $5B to get this thing going. Some have asked why he has not just declared an emergency and done it that way. My feeling? He really wants Congress to do its job (for a change). 

Ms. Nancy can keep this game of tit for tat going on all winter. And if she does, the only people who will be hurt will be the furloughed government workers. Plus - guess what Madam Speaker? Every bill you sent up to the President's desk might just die there. It would make sense to you to bury the hatchet with the President, and soon.

Border security is not a joke. It is about as serious as it gets. The Democrats need to fund what is needed. The President is right on this issue. The American people expect (and demand) security. As Larry the Cable Guy would say - "Let's get er' done!"

No way to run a railroad - or a country

"We continue in the winter of discontent. Now Pelosi is trying to cancel the State of the Union address. What? How much worse could Washington get? Stay tuned - it can always get worse. As Franklin said - 'We have a republic, if we can keep it'. These days, I am wondering if we can keep it."

I have been appalled to learn that one of our military forces, who by law, just happens to be stuck under Homeland Security rather than the DOD, is going without pay during the shutdown. I am talking about the Coast Guard. Now true, I have some limited empathy for most government workers who are not getting paid right now. Why? First off, I have worked with many government employees in my career. Some were value added, many were not. The fact our federal government is bloated and inefficient comes as no surprise to most. Many furloughed employees should be put out to pasture or told to look for different opportunities in the private sector.

But the Coast Guard? That is a horse of a different color. These men and women do not make a lot of money, as most service people do not. They work long hours, and often have to deal with some very dangerous and unsavory characters. So then, why are they not getting paid? Because being a part of Homeland Security, that funding is being held up as a bargaining chip. A chip in the biggest game of chicken being played on Planet Earth. I am sure if Ms. Nancy peeled off some funding which would only pay the "Coasties", and send it up to the President, he would sign it. But so far, that has not been done.

Right now, I am so riled up, so fed up, with all these two faced Democrats, I would like to have them all locked up in Gitmo. Why? What is the number one obligation of the federal government? Hint: it is not to supply food stamps to the minions. It is to KEEP THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY SAFE. That would be the job of the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. One is funded, the other is not. One has responsibility for border security - like putting a barrier on our southern border. To make that wall, or fence, or barrier, or whatever you want to call it, a pawn in this game, is treasonous.

As a citizen, as a tax payer, I will say this. BUILD THE DAMN WALL! PAY THE COAST GUARD! Good flipping grief people! This is no way to run a railroad, or a government. This is why so many people "check out" when it comes to politics. Our government is so very hosed up, they simply no longer care. So we are stuck with lunatics like Pelosi, Schumer and Cortez who could not screw in a light bulb the right way.

We continue in the winter of discontent. Now Pelosi is trying to cancel the State of the Union address. What? How much worse could Washington get? Stay tuned - it can always get worse. As Franklin said - "We have a republic, if we can keep it". These days, I am wondering if we can keep it.

Who is the enemy of our state?

"At one time, we would look at Democrats as the loyal opposition. No longer. As long as they want to hurt this wonderful country, they are nothing more than enemy combatants. Plain and simple. I can put it no other way." 

This is a tough one. For the Loony Left, there really is only one enemy of the state. The person they hate with a pink, purple passion. That would be our President. But for the normal people in this country, the patriots, we know there are enemies of the state. Oh yes - there are many more than one. But who are they? I have complied a list to choose from. There are so many candidates, I have probably left some out. I am sure I will be reminded if I did so.

Here is what I have so far:

• The Washington Post
• The (Failing) New York Times
• Time (magazine)
• Sanctuary cities
• Sanctuary states
• MSNBC
• CNN
• George Soros
• Tom Steyer
• Mike Bloomberg
• Nancy Pelosi
• Tom Perez
• Bill de Blasio
• Gavin Newsom
• Chuck Schumer
• Maxine Waters
• Jerrold Nadler
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Bernie Sanders
• Elizabeth Warren
• Freddie Wilson
• Al Green

That is it for now. I had to stop. Otherwise, this article would look more like a short story. What do all these people/organizations have in common? They all want to see America, as it exists today, fail. Even though many of the names I have put here are "fat cats" with more money than they know what to do with, they want to see America fundamentally changed. So much so, I classify them to be enemies of our state.

Donald Trump is anything but an enemy of our state. He is an America lover. America has been good to him - made him rich and famous. He knows that, and now he wants to fix what is broken so America can move forward. He is a patriot. And he is brave and resolute. 

Someone would have to get up pretty darned early in the morning to convince me the nay-sayers against border protection are good for this country. Open borders = no country. And yet, Donald Trump is like the little Dutch boy with his fingers in the dike. The entire Democrat party seems to be against him. The Democrat party? Enemies, all of them. 

At one time, we would look at Democrats as the loyal opposition. No longer. As long as they want to hurt this wonderful country, they are nothing more than enemy combatants. Plain and simple. I can put it no other way. 

I know it is a tough one today, but I have about had it with these socialists. I really have. They like Sweden better than here? Go move. We won't stop you. However, if you want to fix your thinking, and help this great American Experiment succeed - you are then welcome to stay. Otherwise leave, and leave quickly. You will not be missed.

Asking the wrong question at the right time

"If ever you get into a discussion with a liberal about how well government works, here is a way you can win the government in short order. If the liberal is from Minnesota, just say MNLARS. If the liberal is from anywhere in this country, just say Secure Fence Act of 2006. That is all. Case closed." 

Anybody else getting tired of this stork dance in Washington? If you are, please raise your hands. The government is shut down and Trump is getting the blame. WHAT? Republicans get the blame for a government shut down? That is about as shocking as finding out it is cold in January in Minnesota. But the problem is (in my book), President Trump is asking the wrong question at the right time. Forget the $5+B for the wall. Ask what the heck happened to the all the bipartisan support which existed in 2006 when the Secure Fence Act was passed. And the $50B of funding which was promised.

I know, I know. As one of my good friends reminded me this morning, as time has gone on, both sides have had a chance to really muck this thing up. This Secure Fence Act, which was to construct a fairly stout, double sided fence (barrier) along our southern border, never really happened. Well - a small part of it did, even though President Obama (during his term) told the minions "the fence was done."

So what should the President be doing right now? In my opinion, he should be demanding  Congress live up to the spirit and intent of building the wall (or fence). Even though back in the day, Janet Napolitano said, "Show me a 50 foot fence, and I will show you a 51 foot ladder." What does that mean Janet? Forget the whole thing? Let the drugs, traffickers, gangs and so forth continue to pour over our southern border? PEOPLE! PEOPLE! Use you flipping heads! Other countries can secure their borders. Are you telling me we don't have the where-with-all to do it here? Bull crap!

By the way, this issue is flying somewhat under the radar. The Democrats have funding documents ready for the President to sign. Enough to open up the government. That is, all except DHS funding. The funding they will present to the President is loaded up with all kinds of crap which Republicans and the President resist. Like the funding of Planned Parenthood. I hope the President is not cowed to signed these things without first using his line item veto.

So here we are in a colossal SNAFU. The only good part of where we are right now, is most are guilty in getting us here. This was not the fight that Donald Trump should be having right now. The wall, the fence, the whatever, should have been completed a decade ago. There are so many good things happening right now (like China is about to agree to a new trade agreement, ending the China "trade war"), nothing is making the press except this canard, know as a government shut down.

If ever you get into a discussion with a liberal about how well government works, here is a way you can win the argument in short order. If the liberal is from Minnesota, just say MNLARS. If the liberal is from anywhere in this country, just say the Secure Fence Act of 2006. That is all. Case closed. 

  

Once upon a time in Mexico...

"The continual breaching of our southern border represents a clear and present danger to our country. Period. No argument - just fact. Democrats who are obstructionists with our border security should be tried for sedition or treason. And - Trump should immediately declare an emergency and BUILD THE WALL!" 

Anybody else notice the change going on south of our border? It really is hard to miss. This fine land, steeped in heritage, rich in resources, is becoming a modern day version of the wild, wild west. The only difference is with our history out west, disputes were handled with a Colt .45, or a noose. In today's Mexico, if you get sideways of the wrong cartel, you could lose your head, your family, and then end up incinerated. And all that mayhem keeps moving further north towards our porous southern border.

Buckle up when you hear this sorry statistic. According to a Frontline article, during the period of 2007 thru 2014, more people died from the drug wars in Mexico than died in Afghanistan and Iraq combined. Let that sink in for just a minute. That means Mexico is a war zone, and it is right on our southern border. Your know - the border with very limited fencing or wall protection. 

Of course, the Democrats continue to be of no help on this issue. A good chunk of them went down (using lobbyist money) to PR for a fun in the sun break. The ones who stayed home in snowy Washington have come up with a new mantra - "Trump's vanity wall". Give me a flipping break.

Here is the long and the short of it. The United States has proven to be a rich feeding ground for the cartels. The human traffickers. Gangs. Just about everything we DON'T want in our country, comes here via the southern border. The people who live in the border states are sick of this. They, as well as our Border Patrol, are at the tip of the spear on this issue. The fat cats in Washington could give a wit about the southern border. They are not in danger. They have walls around their estates. Security personnel armed with GUNS. They just hate the President so much, they will put this citizens of this country in jeopardy just to jab at him.

Here is the long and the short of it. If President Trump and Vice President Pence both threw their badges on the desk and quit tomorrow, this issue would remain. The issue has NOTHING to do with our current administration. It is not a Republican issue, not a Democrat issue. It is an American issue. Keeping America safe issue. 

The continual breaching of our southern border represents a clear and present danger to our country. Period. No argument - just fact. Democrats who are obstructionists with our border security should be tried for sedition or treason. And - Trump should immediately declare an emergency and BUILD THE WALL! 

The news reported this morning a new caravan has formed and is headed north. And why not? News of all this infighting over our southern border is spreading like wildfire. Those who voted Democrat during the last election, this is what you voted for. Happy? I'm sure not!     

Bad habits...

"As we limp through January with a wounded government, we are reminded of one thing. This shut down is a self inflicted wound. Who is at fault? Everyone who works in Washington."

Spitting on the sidewalk is a bad habit. Smoking is a bad habit. Chewing snuff is a bad habit. Using foul language, especially in mixed company, is a bad habit. Being flatulent on an elevator full of people is a bad habit. Get the picture? We all know what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. To act inappropriate is a bad habit. But the worst habit of all, is perpetuated year after year by our federal government. And this year is no exception.

I am talking about the dreaded CR's, which are signed into law by whomever is sitting in the White House. CR = Continuing Resolution. A huge miscarriage of justice, we do to our Constitution each and every year. And why is that? For starters, they are much less work. It is like jaywalking instead of walking a half a block to the crosswalk (another bad habit). Sometimes the entire government fiscal year is covered only by a series of CR's from the year before. It is sloppy way to run an organization, no matter what the size.

Right now, the federal government is shut down. GOOD! It should be. In fact, it should have been shut down on October 1st when there was no authorized budget. That is the way it is supposed to work. No candy, no play. Or - no money, no work. Most people think the government is shut down because of the wall issue - including the President. President Trump should use this month as a teachable moment. Yes, the government is shut down due to a wall issue. But primarily it is shut down as there is no budget.

Here is one of the consequences resulting from the bad habit of having no budget. After using stop gaps to get through the current fiscal year using numerous CR's, soon everyone grows weary of them. So the rest of the funding documents are put together in a flurry of activity. At the end of the day, they resemble a bloated omnibus bill, with everything included but the kitchen sink. Nobody is happy with the bill, but everyone is glad just to have it over with. The net result is we now have a $22T debt problem.

Each year, every year, we hear our government leaders sounding like Carry Nation, swearing off booze. "No more CR's - ever!" is the cry coming from Emerald City on the Potomac. Yeah, right. With the schedules each Congress keeps, it is no wonder why they never seem to get their work done. And the contested wall on the southern border? Another good example of the Congress not getting their work done a decade ago. Remember? When all the naysayers on the wall were once for it? 

As we limp through January with a wounded government, we are reminded of one thing. This shut down is a self inflicted wound. Who is at fault? Everyone who works in Washington. Everyone who voted for those who work in Washington. In other words - time to look in the mirror, gang.