Where is the truth squad?

"Hey media - the truth is out there. You just need to put on your big boy (or big girl) pants and go find it. Until then, shut the hell up."

Okay. I have had just about enough now on this "dust up" over the executive order from hell. Yes, I am talking about the one which orders a temporary ban on refugees and more deeply vets travelers coming in from those seven countries in and around the middle east. Why am I fed up? Because this entire issue is bathed in hypocrisy, and once again the media has shown what (forgive me for using this term) whores they really are.

I did hear a glimmer of truth this morning however, on Morning Joe. Scarborough about had it when Obama joined in on the scrum. Scarborough once again pointed out that these seven countries were first identified during the Obama Administration. The first four in 2015 and the other three in 2016. Period. These countries were not original thinking by the Trump Administration. 

Also, in 2011, Obama's State Department (yes, that would be the one under Hillary), stopped processing Iraqi refugee requests for six months. Not three months like Trump's order states. And, unlike Trump's order which was put out in the light of day, Obama's order was kept secret.

As I see it, the Trump team made two errors with this executive order. First - even though the order says nothing about targeting Muslims, on the campaign trail Trump did talk about a Muslim ban. I along with many others, heard him say it. Second - the way the order was rolled out could have been handled better. It was clumsy. But here is the "but" in that statement. 

Chuck "crying in the rain" Schumer is holding up most of President Trump's cabinet picks. Gosh, do you think the Mexican issue as well as the immigration issue might have been handled more smoothly if quarterback Trump had his entire offensive line intact? So I am going to spread the blame on the clumsy roll out to both the Administration as well as the bozos in the Senate who call themselves Democrats.

One more thing that Scarborough brought up this morning. And this is what many of us on the right side of the street have been complaining about for years. Because of President Bystander (that be Obama), drawing the "red line" in Syria and then doing nothing, prolonged the Syrian civil war. Because of Obama's inaction all over the region, we have the size of the refugee issue we have now. He should have been creating "safe zones" in the region so those people did not have to become uprooted and leave their homeland.

No - I have had it with the dishonest press. I have had it with the lemmings who only protest Republicans and not Democrats for similar issues. I have had it with ideologues like the acting AG who Trump had to fire yesterday for insubordination. I have had it with "fake tears" Schumer. And I have had it with our community organizer former President who cannot keep his yap shut.

Hey media - the truth is out there. You just need to put on your big boy (or big girl) pants and go find it. Until then, shut the hell up.

The Holocaust Kerfuffle

"However even a bigger crime is this - in some respect the Holocaust victims as well as the victims of other genocides have died in vain. How? Why? Because we don't learn."

Well, we are now ready to start our second full week of the Trump Administration. Anyone who is bored from the activities during week one might need to be drug tested. And before I get into the topic de jour for today, one afterthought about my article yesterday on Betting on Deep Vetting. 

This morning one of the talking heads on a news show said something interesting. "You know, this vetting thing probably should have been run through the State Department before it was released." Yes, Mr. Talking Head - it should have been. Too bad the State Department is an empty house right now due to Schumer's parlor games in the Senate. 

On January 27, 1945, the Auschwitz Prison Camp was liberated by the Soviet Army. That was 72 years ago. Every year, there is a remembrance for the estimated 6,000,000 Jews who died under Hitler in World War II. In the flurry of activity last week, the message from the White House for this event was somewhat cryptic. It recognized all kinds of different people from different groups who have died. But it did not mention the Jews specifically. Immediately, the Left made the accusation the White House was full of "Holocaust Deniers". 

I said when Trump first office, if he ever "stepped in it" (in my opinion), I would call him on it. Not recognizing the six million Jews who were murdered last week was a miss. He stepped in it. But now I will address the other side of the story. As many of us know, the Holocaust was not the first genocide, nor was it the last. And that is a huge problem for humanity.

Just a few decades before the Holocaust was an event which has come to be known as "the forgotten genocide". I am talking about the Armenian genocide from 1915 to 1917. Just as the Holocaust was masked by World War II, the Armenian genocide was masked by World War I. Once the world found out about the massacre of 1,500,000 Christians by the Turkish government, the cry of "Never again!" went up from the masses. And that "Never again!" lasted until World War II.

Bottom line? And it hurts me to say this. We as a species, tolerate our self culling through mass murder and genocide. One would think after the Armenian genocide and then the Holocaust, that would be it. Seriously - never again.

But then we had Pol Pot, the Communist leader of Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. We did nothing to stop him. He killed hundreds of thousands of his own people. Then the Rwandan genocide of 1994. That claimed 800,000 lives. We knew all about it as it was happening. We saw it live and in color on our television sets, while people were massacred or tortured.

Finally, how about what has been happening in Syria and Iraq? Christians, Muslims of the wrong type, homosexuals, the disabled and so on have been exterminated by the Islamic State. Just like with Rwanda, we saw it live and in color on our televisions. Plus, since it is modern times, we could see the uncensored atrocities on the internet.

Was there a miss by not mentioning the Jewish Holocaust specially last week? Absolutely. That was a crime against humanity of unimaginable proportion. However even a bigger crime is this - in some respect the Holocaust victims as well as the victims of other genocides have died in vain. How? Why? Because we don't learn.

A motto from the Jewish Holocaust is "never forget". Unfortunately, the world seems to have a short memory.   

Betting on Deep Vetting

"First, it is not a 'Muslim quarantine' as some believe. It affects certain countries where the Islamic State is the most active. It affects areas where bad actors can slip inside western countries with the refugees."

"Protests erupt after President Trump signs the deep vetting executive order!" There is a headline which belongs right next to "snow is cold", or "rain is wet", or "sun sets in the west". Most of us knew when candidate Trump talked about this issue before the election, it would be the hottest wire of all. However, all one needs to do is look at some of the countries in Europe who have eschewed the deep vetting process - or any vetting at all. They have a (excuse the pun) holy mess on their hands.

Here are some facts about Trump's executive order. First, it is not a "Muslim quarantine" as some believe. It affects certain countries where the Islamic State is the most active. It affects areas where bad actors can slip into western countries, hidden by the refugees. Other large Muslim countries without an active Islamic State terror issue are not affected.

It is also true that Christians from those countries will be given a higher priority. Why? They were the first targeted by the Islamic State and continue to be targeted to this date. The treatment of Christians in Syria and Iraq has been tantamount to genocide. And yet the United Nations has done nothing to stop it. The United States under the Obama Administration did nothing to stop it. President Trump will.

I am now going to take a dangerous turn in this article. It is something I have talked about since the 9/11 attacks. We need to know who is in this country. I have said we need to play a game of "Who's who". Only to play that game, we all need to put our cards on the table. Yes, this is where the Libertarians will want to take me out back and spank me with a 2 by 4. Proving who you are means you need to produce papers (like a birth certificate and social security card). Once you have been vetted, and prove you are who you say you are, you become bonafide.

Because I am retired military, and for my entire military career I had a very high level clearance, I have been stripped naked by vetting. My initial background check took six months. By the time it was over, the government knew every place I had lived, who the neighbors were, who my friends were, every school went to, and what I had for breakfast most mornings. It was that thorough. 

Now I am taking my dangerous turn. This is probably the reason I am not all tied up in knots about Real ID. After all, the Real ID program has been around for a while - since the Bush Administration. And the reason was to tighten up security a bit more for those who like to fly. Truthfully (and no hate mail please!), I don't think Real ID goes far enough. I would have liked to have seen more bio-metrics included. Driver's licences are too easy to forge - even the new ones with Real ID.

If we want to use a country as an example where citizens can be relatively safe while sitting in the middle of a war zone, we just need to look no further than Israel. Israeli citizens are routinely deep vetted by their own government, and there are no protests. Why not? People in Israel want to play "Who's who". They want to make sure the person sitting next to them on a bus is not going to shoot, stab, or blow anyone up.

Get ready for more of this folks. We are in a new era and have a new sheriff in town. The ride will be bumpy and there will be lots of squawking by some. But President Trump is convinced this needs to be done to keep us safer. 

A horse of a different color

"And the press? They will continue to excoriate Trump and his entire staff. But as Steve Bannon put earlier this week, the press, the lap dog media, the group who was once known as the 'Fourth Estate', have turned into the opposition. Not the Democrats - the media."

For those who love Trump, this past week was like no other week in memory. It was fantastic! For those who hate Trump, this past week was nails on the chalkboard. And for those who were neutral on Donald Trump, they are probably experiencing a combination of dizziness and confusion. Since I fall into the first camp, I am well pleased with how President Trump's first term is going so far.

The biggest shocker to many people is simply this - we are not used to a President who does not renege on campaign promises. Nope - not this guy (so far). He told us what he was going to do, and now he is signing executive orders as fast as his hand can write to make his promises happen. 

Many of us can remember the whopper that Bill Clinton told us. On the campaign trail, Slick Willie promised over and over and over again to give the middle class a much needed tax break. He was only going to go after the "big cigars" in society. Well, not too long after he was sworn in, a somber looking President Clinton looked into the camera and said (and I will paraphrase), "The economy I inherited from President Bush (41) is much worse than I thought. As much as I would love to, I can't give any tax relief to the middle class."

And then we have our latest former President, who left office with sky high approval ratings (don't ask me why). How did his campaign promises do? Just about every one was broken. And the campaign promises alone for the Un-Affordable Care Act are legion. Keeping you own doctor, to having a $2,500 per year premium reduction, and on and on and on. But even after seriously mucking up our nation's health care system, we sent him out of here with hugs and kisses. Go figure.

In the coming weeks, all I can see ahead is more of the same. Our "horse of a different color" will be out in front, trailblazing with (as Obama put it), "pen and phone" in hand. And the press? They will continue to excoriate Trump and his entire staff. But as Steve Bannon put earlier this week, the press, the lap dog media, the group who was once known as the "Fourth Estate", has turned into the opposition. Not the Democrats - the media.

My only counsel I would give President Trump is to keep it up. Everyone - the press, the Democrats and the protesters, are way behind the pack trying to catch up. And at this pace, they are also getting very dizzy.

Trade war?

"Part of the problem we have right now rests with the Minority Leader in Congress. While he enjoys playing parlor games to stretch out the approval process for President Trump's cabinet, life is going on."

Well it sure did not take long for this to happen. The dogs of war are about to be unleashed. Not a shooting war - a trade war. Like I say, it sure did not take long. Less than a week by my book. And Mexico is still trying to shake off the cobwebs to figure out what just happened. They are so used to dealing with a "Caspar Milquetoast" type of President, this week has been a rude awakening. This President does not fire warning shots. Either play ball or pay the price.

Here is a news flash for President Pena Nieto. The best way to deal with our new President (who by the way, is a deal maker), was to make him a counter offer. Not to walk away from the table. Now hardball might ensue. A 20% import tariff. And Mr. Pena Nieto, I think you know this. A trade war would hurt the United States just a bit, but it would be a killer to Mexico. It would be a war with no winners. However, a tariff would pay for the wall.

President Pena Nieto also needs to understand this immutable fact. President Trump cannot stand having a trade deficit with any country. To him, it means the playing field is not level. We are losing jobs to other countries. And we do have a trade deficit with Mexico. About $60B.

There is nothing I would like better than to have a free, open and prosperous Mexico. A country where people love to live and work in. A country which has put an end to the drug cartels. But that is not the case.. Right now, Mexico is corrupt. Out of control. As are many Central American countries. That is why the people want to come to America. Even with sky high risks, they will take the journey all the way to our boarder.

Here is where reality needs to be brought into the picture. The wall will take just about forever to build. The last time we addressed the southern border, it took six years to put up 700 miles of fences. To build a concrete wall that would stretch the 2,000 miles would take (according to one expert), sixteen years of all out effort.

Part of the problem we have right now rests with the Minority Leader in Congress. While he enjoys playing parlor games to stretch out the approval process for President Trump's cabinet, life is going on. Secretary of State Tillerson is experienced in dealing with Mexico. Methinks if he was a part of the mix right now, the trade war issue might not be an issue any longer.  

The real story behind the "Wall"

"As time went on, border security again became lax, the drugs flowed into our country, and millions of illegals came as well."

Most people would look at this most current dust up between Mexico and the United States and shake their heads. What in the heck is the big deal? Other than of course, the fact we would like Mexico to pay for the wall. But here is the secret. Even if President Trump called President Pena Nieto and told him we would pay for the wall, Mexico would still not be happy. And I believe I know what the reason for that is.

September 11, 2001. None could ever forget that day. Because we were sucker punched so effectively, we did not have a clue as to what was coming next. It could have been a wide spread attack using bio agents, nerve agents, truck bombs, suicide vests, or even a small nuke. We simply did not know. So we "cocooned" the nation. No flights in or out. No normal border crossing from either border.

Some border crossings were closed completely. Others remained open, but the security and thoroughness of inspection were off the chart tight. What happened next was when a suspicion many had saw the light of day. Drugs.

As most of us know, the majority of our drugs come through the southern border. Not the only place they come from, but that is where the bulk of them enter the nation. In the week following the attack, the "mule train" of drugs coming up from South America, Central America and Mexico, hit a road block. Getting drugs across the border into the United States became almost impossible. Then two things happened. There was an immediate shortage of drugs in the United States, and a glut of drugs in Mexico. Drugs were being sold in Mexico for practically nothing. All of a sudden, Mexico had a big problem. 

As time went on, border security again became lax, drugs flowed into our country, and millions of illegals came as well. Everybody south of the border was happy. But - if President Trump has his way, and a huge wall is built with an additional 5,000 border guards, the same problems from 2001 could return. And that would be a problem for Mexico.

Here is how President Trump sees the southern border. Currently, it is a bad deal for the United States. We do not have Americans sneaking into Mexico, but we sure have Mexicans sneaking into our country. Trump wants a strong and proud Mexico. Where people can live and prosper. He will work with the Mexico to help make that happen. But first Mexico must work with us.

But then we get to first things first. It must be America first. Right now we have so much black tar heroin in this country, first responders need to carry around narcan. We have young kids putting holes in their brains from Meth, others dying from heroin, and some becoming zombie like from the super strong weed coming into the country. Plus, the drug trade is one of the major reasons for the continuing warfare in some of the neighborhoods in Chicago. This has got to stop! 

President Pena Nieto - if you want to play hardball on this issue, you have picked the wrong cowboy to play with. This President plays hardball before breakfast. He knows how to get things done both the easy way and the hard way. But he does get them done.

The wall will be built sir - get used to it. And if you don't get the "mule train" under control in your own country, that is going to end up being its last stop. Change is coming. Be part of the team, not part of the resistance. Trust me, you don't want that.   

Shaking it up or burning it down?

"Yesterday President Trump caught many napping with one of his executive orders. This was the ying to Obama's yang. Our new Administration might be considering reviving rendition."

The roller coaster week continues. Even members of the GOP in Congress are starting to get dizzy. Nobody who is serving today, has ever seen anything like this. Some in the past have referred to Donald Trump as a megalomaniac. That is open for discussion and debate. However one thing there would probably be total consensus on is - the man is a workaholic. He does not drink. He does not use drugs. He gets his high off of work.

It has been said by some that one of Donald Trump's closest advisers, Steve Bannon, is the true iconoclast within the group. His vision goes beyond shaking things up a bit - he wants to "burn it down" and start fresh. I think that may be stretching things just a bit. But here is what I find interesting. Many people do feel that Washington is broken. That parts of it has become a "swamp". So we hired a guy to fix it. And he in turn hired Bannon. Now for a change, we get someone who is much more of a doer than a talker. 

Yesterday, President Trump caught many napping with one of his executive orders. This one really is the ying to Obama's yang. Our new Administration might be considering reviving rendition. Gasp! What about world opinion? What about the UN?

The bottom line is this - and this is only my opinion. Instead of ignoring the War on Terror (like Obama did), instead of never saying the term ISLAMIC TERRORISTS (like Obama would not), Donald Trump is coming back down the same street, going the other way, traveling 100 mph.

President Trump wants this War on Terror over ASAP. He has instructed General Mattis to come up with a plan within 30 days to finish the Islamic State. Now that he has Mike Pompeo in at Langley, he wants the CIA to revisit reopening "black sites" overseas. Why? For the purpose of rendition. That is the practice some call torture. Oh, I almost forgot - Trump wants to keep Gitmo open also.

This was only one order that our new President has signed this week. But this was a huge one. He is putting his marker down. Our very impatient President is highly impatient with our decades old War on Terror. He wants it over. We have bigger fish to fry. And he will pull out all stops to get it done quickly. That includes some of the ugly stuff that had to be done during the Bush Administration.

I told one of my friends the other day that having Donald Trump as President is a blogger's paradise. No shortage of material for sure. The only problem is narrowing down what to address for the day. For a writer, this truly is a target rich environment.                                                                                               

A man with no fear

"Those who doubted what he said or promised, are now eating their words."

Maybe this is just what we needed. After eight long years of having someone in the big chair who was filled with lots of fear and trepidation, we now have just the opposite. When I was having my monthly neuropathy treatment today, my doctor engaged me in conversation about our new President. After we chatted for a while he said something profound. "I think he will succeed because he just does not care what other people think of him. He has been there, and done it with just about everything. He is married to a beautiful woman, has great kids, is a multi-billionaire, and does not need to prove anything to anybody. In short, he is a man with no fear."

This week President Trump has been shooting out executive orders faster than the Road Runner could say "beep, beep". The protesters who want to protest Trump are about three days behind what to protest. And we are not over yet. The blizzard of executive orders are expected to continue for the rest of the week.

I say this with no disrespect to our last two Republican Presidents. Both very fine men. One had a motto of a "thousand points of light". His son had the motto of being a "compassionate conservative". Neither motto really meant anything. However, "Making America great again!" has some teeth. And everything candidate Trump, or President Elect Trump said is coming to fruition under President Trump. Those who doubted what he said or promised, are now eating their words.

When I was a young man, the only person I feared was someone who had nothing to lose. That person had no fear. Our former President would fear his constituent voters. Our new President has no constituent voters. He is owned by nobody. If he succeeds or fails, his wealth remains the same. He is a 70 year old man who wants to make a final mark on his country. He is not myopic - he sees things for what they are. Bottom line - he is a typical male. He sees things which are broken and wants to fix them.

I say bravo President Trump! I am loving this week! I have seen more to happen this week than in the last twelve years. Keep it up sir, and history will have you in the same neighborhood as Reagan.

The Crackdown

"We need more people of courage like Nick Zerwas representing us."

Welcome to 2017 folks. There is a new sheriff in town in Washington, and new Republican majorities all over the country. The former days of turning a deaf ear or a blind eye to mischief makers might, jut might, be coming to an end. And believe it or not, I am even talking about our blue state of Minnesota. 

My good friend Representative Nick Zerwas (R) 30A - Elk River, has introduced a bill in the Minnesota House which really has some teeth. Nick, like other lawmakers, have gotten an earful from people who have been inconvenienced by protesters blocking traffic on city streets and highways. And when the police are called out, where there are extra expenses as well as overtime, who picks up the bill? The taxpayers.

Those days might be coming to an end. With a Republican House and Senate, this bill hopefully will make it to the Governor's desk. And then what? If the Governor vetoes it, he alone will have to try and explain to the taxpayers why millions need to be spent to babysit lawbreakers. No, Nick's bill is the right idea. We need to let protesters know if they highly inconvenience innocent people trying to get home from work, there will be a heavy cost for them.

On a national scale, the demonstrators (I mean rioters) who were caught the night of the inauguration, face felony charges. They are not going to get the "Oh,kids will be kids" hand slap they received under that prior Administration. Nope. I believe they will (and should) get the book thrown at them. Should they be convicted of a felony, there should be some time and a fine. Plus after they are released, good luck voting. Most states do not allow felons to vote.

We need more people of courage like Nick Zerwas representing us. Nick is getting a whole lot of blow back from the statists and the progressives in St. Paul. Nick knew it would be coming. He is up for the challenge. Why? Because his bill is the right thing to do. Enough is enough. If we let protesters continue to run amok on our highways, it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt or killed by a car.

The crackdown is coming. I am hoping that more "broken windows" policing is coming also. I am all for First Amendment rights - trust me I am. But I am also for law abiding citizens, and the rights of the innocents. Bravo Nick. As a taxpayer, thank you for your wisdom and courage.  

Chess and Checkers

"In other words Senator Schumer, President Trump is playing chess while you and your ilk are playing checkers."

I have a confession to make. I am old enough to remember the Reagan days. I voted for him (twice). And I remember why he was so successful in getting elected by large margins. Even though portrayed as a novice, a "B" grade actor, the road to his success was littered with those who doubted him. I believe the same will be true for President Trump.

Here is a news flash for our new Congress. Our new President has not been trained in the art of "Washington stall". He has however, paid attention to the news. He learned all about the "pen and the phone". He had taken that bid and raised it. It is now, "the pen, the phone and the Twitter." 

Chuck Schumer, who has spend most of his adult life sucking off the taxpayers by working in government, is going apoplectic. This new guy Trump, is not supposed to be acting like this! What do you mean five executive orders a day? Well Chuck - in the real world, in the world of profit and loss, those who move slowly, lose. President Trump has come out of that world. And he does not like to lose.

So Senator Schumer, you can continue to play Washington parlor games. President Trump does not understand those games. Not only does he does not understand them, he does mind he does not understand them. Senator, if you screw with his cabinet picks, that is on you. And while you are wrapped up in Senate rules, the pen, the phone, and the Twitter on the President's desk are going crazy. In other words Senator Schumer, President Trump is playing chess while you and your ilk are playing checkers.

Change is coming - change is happening. Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is draining the swamp, changing the landscape. Congress can be an anchor or not. Trump is acting at light speed and Congress is in a race with themselves, being both the turtle and the snail.

The education question

"The Republicans control the House and the Senate. Now is the time for real change. Talk time is over. Change time is here."

Last night at the State of the State Address, before the Governor had a health issue, the topic of education came up. Specifically, what he would like to see happen in this current session. It came as no surprise to anyone that he wants more money for education. This is page one from the DFL playbook. We have seen this movie so many times that he had NOT asked for more money, that would have been the headlines for the evening.

It has often been said the great divide in education is the Democrats always ask for more money (there never seems to be enough), and the Republicans always ask for better results. It is like a salesman at a company going in to see his boss. "Boss, I need a raise. I need more money." The boss looks up at him and says, "But your sales are slipping, I need you to do better." The salesman responds, "If you gave me more money, I could do better." And finally the boss responds, "You told me that last year, so I gave you a raise. Your sales did not do any better."

Actually, the entire universe of education is starting to change. Like from life before kindergarten to after high school. Some colleges are starting to rid themselves of worthless degrees (finally!). And the entire value of having everyone go to college is being questioned. That does not mean we need to "dumb down" our youth - not a bit. Some of the brightest people I know do not have a college degree. They are self taught. And these days, in the era of Google, if you cannot learn, you simply don't want to.

I have always liked the idea of every youth performing some kind of national service once high school is done. It would be for a period of three years. I remember what I was like at 17 or 18. I was a butt-head. I did not have any direction. I went to college for a while and played. Then at 19 when I went in the Navy, I grew up. I found direction. When I got out, I was ready for college.

National service would only pay a stipend. Not much at all. However, part of the service would be learning how the world works. How an organization works. The value of work. And the prize would be having a chunk of trade school or college paid for once the three years was up. Kind of like the former G.I. bill. That worked very well in helping kids go to college. It sure worked for me.

Back to the state. We take in way too much money for education. We need school choice. We need a better formula. We need to untangle Education Minnesota from the Department of Ed. Bottom line - we need much better results all over the state, especially in the inner cities. 

If we keep up our current trajectory, we will continue to create an underclass of people in this state. With graduation rates at less than 40% in some city high schools, what future do these kids have? None. 

The Republicans control the House and the Senate. Now is the time for real change. Talk time is over. Change time is here. Look what President Trump is doing in Washington. No more talk. No more money. Change the system. Save our kids.

The toxic sixties...

"Sorry friends - some families of the sixties learned that this was the normal way of doing things. Moral or immoral - it did not matter."

Now that I have been unfollowed by one high school classmate, and this afternoon unfriended by another high school classmate (I am coming up on my 50th), I have concluded one thing I have been very suspicious of - the sixties. Yes friends, it was the decade of love which has turned into the decade of hate. It is ruining this country.

I know, I know. It was the Viet Nam war which was the catalyst. But only the catalyst. The 1960's changed just about everything for everyone. The "year of love" in Haight Asbury, to burning draft cards, to burning bras. It was the season of love, flowers and sunshine. It was also the time of forgetting what was needed to be done. And those children of the sixties (the Hippies or Yippies, or whatever you want to call them), are now the adults running or ruining the world. 

What happened? Today we have a battle between those who did not buy into the sixties against the oldies who did. Plus now we have their offspring. In addition, the offspring of their offspring. On Saturday after the inauguration, we saw them all, live and in color. One might say, "Wait a second - it was never like that when I was growing up! Or, "My parents taught me better." Sorry friends - some families of the sixties learned that this was the normal way of doing things. Moral or immoral - it did not matter.

It has been thought by many that the Great Society has many things in America. It ruined the black family in America. The stats on that are clear - the once strong black family in America has become a single parent stronghold. And most sociologists (who are honest) will tell you this - the quickest way into poverty is the single parent household. Not all the time, but most of the time.

But back to this past weekend. Some parents brought their kids this "march" carrying signs with the most terrible invective. Why? Do they not know what they are doing to these kids? We have taken God out of the classrooms, out of the home, out of everything. And in the vacuum, we have the evil which fills it. And evil will shine up lies to look like truth - but it is still a lie. With no God centered moral compass in our lives, we are all vulnerable to these lies.

Wake up people. If these are the last days, we need to make them count. If they are not the last days, we also need to make them count. We need to take our country back from entropy. From hedonism. From apathy. This country was blessed by God for a reason. And dressing up like a vagina is not one of them.  

One Messy Weekend

"Between the riots on Friday and the vulgarity heard and seen during the Saturday march, it was America at her worst. I was embarrassed for all of us."

What a weekend. Frankly, I don't think in my lifetime I have seen one like it before. Starting on Friday, with the swearing in of our 45th President, to the march against everything on Saturday, to the aftermath of the two events on Sunday. If ever anyone was wondering if we did in fact live in two separate Americas, this past weekend was exhibit # 1. It reminded me of what someone said not too long ago - "America is two separate countries living on the same continent."

Issue 1 this weekend - Continuity. When Donald Trump was on the campaign trail, he promised to come in this job with guns blazing (so to speak). To hit the ground running. After all, he is used to running huge complex corporations. However, and most who study government will agree with this - taking the reigns of this country is unlike running any company in the world. As one international expert said this weekend, the "inbox" of our country is already overflowing with problems. And the "inbox" is fuller and more complex than it was eight years ago at this time.

The voters liked the fact that Trump was coming to Washington to drain the swamp. To get rid of a lot of Washington insiders. But right now the White House is basically devoid of anyone who has been there before. Plus, only two of the cabinet picks have been approved and sworn in. Bottom line - the government right now is running with only a fraction of the management needed. Trump needs an inner circle which is complete and can counsel him on a myriad of issues. Right now, much of the management which is in place - are rookies. The rest of the cabinet needs to be sworn in, some staff augmentation needed in the White House, and all that needs to happen early this week - like today.

Issue 2 this weekend - The March. This march on Saturday followed up the violent rioting on Friday night. Between the riots on Friday and the vulgarity heard and seen during the Saturday march, it was America at her worst. I was embarrassed for all of us. None of this happened when we voted in the first mixed race President - twice. None of this happened when we voted in a womanizing philanderer - twice. None of this has happened since the 1960's. And I lived through that time. The coarseness, the invective, the threats on Saturday were much worse than decades past. 

Where do we go from here? Are we truly sliding towards Gomorrah, or is this going to be the start of another "morning in America". Those who know me on social media and this blog know I very seldom if ever use coarse language. This weekend I needed to post some vulgar pictures of the march. Why? To shine the light of truth on what much of Saturday was really about. It was like Saul Alinsky himself orchestrated the march and painted up the signs.

One final thing I would like to say about this weekend. During the campaign when Donald Trump would occasionally get wrapped around the axle sparing with someone, he got some sage advice from one of his closest confidants. He told Trump he can either win the argument, or win the Presidency. In other words, don't sweat the small stuff. Don't waste political capital on things like crowd size. Not important. 

My advice going forward into this week is we all first hit the "reset" button, and then the "do better" button. We do all of us, owe this country much, much better.     

Taking sides...

"The haters can continue to march, brainwash the children, and use language which is 3 degrees beyond coarse. Hollywood can say they want to blow up the White House and others can make up lies about our new President." 

Wow! It has only been since Friday, and the battle lines already seemed to have formed. We have a brand new President, the ink still drying on his new business cards, and the haters were out in force yesterday. Again, and I have said this before, they were excoriating our new Chief for not what he has done, but what they think (or hope) he will do. Ladies and gentlemen - I give you Obama's America. We now have one country split in two. Kind of like North and South Korea.

On one of the news shows last night, a family who marched with the haters was interviewed. It did not take long to realize the kids had been freshly brainwashed by their parents. One of the youths was asked why he was marching. "Because Trump hates immigrants." The other youth also had baseless accusations leveled at their new President. Well, here is a news flash for parents who brainwash their kids. You are not doing them any favors. Trump is not "anti-immigrant". He is anti open border. He wants to finish the southern border wall (it has been authorized by Congress now for about 10 years) because our southern border is nothing more than a minor inconvenience for border hoppers.

Some have asked why is there so much animus towards Donald Trump and nothing was said about Bill Clinton. It is sad to say, but the answer can be summed up in one word - abortion. Clinton sullied women all over the place, from Arkansas to Washington D.C. And yet the woman's movement and code pink developed laryngitis. Why? Because good old Bill, the country bumpkin, favored abortion. Oh yes - he was also a Democrat.

And then there is health care. Anyone with an IQ over 50 knows the ACA is not working. It needs either major repair or replacement. Heck, the Governor of Minnesota, a well known statist said "The ACA is no longer affordable." Duh! So what has Trump said he wants to do? Take insurance away from millions of needy people and then throw them out on the street? Nope. His words - he wants 100% of the population to have health insurance, AND it wants it affordable. That is what he is willing to sign off on. 

Right now we have a big game of Rugby going on. And it is time to pile on the scrum. The haters have serious financial backing from the abortionists. That helps with the numbers. Plus the lap dog media - they are always in the mix. Or should I say, what used to be known as the media. Plus we cannot forget the Hollywood elite. But there is someone else in this scrum who has yet to be identified. The puppet master. Normally it is a guy like George Soros. Trying to ruin and rot the country from the inside out.

One final thing about taking sides. I learned this a long time ago from my political mentor, Tom. We are harder on our own who stray than we are with the loyal opposition. In other words, if Donald Trump cannot produce, or does some things which I consider tawdry, I will be first in line to have him voted out next term (should he run). But he has not done anything wrong as yet. In fact, he really has not had the chance to do anything at all.

The haters may continue to march, brainwash the children, and use language which is 3 degrees beyond coarse. Hollywood can say they want to blow up the White House and others can make up falsehoods about our new President. I get that. That is the way they roll. But truth and facts are stubborn things. They can always ruin a good narrative. Trust me, they always do.

Abortion - Commission or Omission?

"When I hold my grandson and he cuddles up in my arms, I could not imagine life without him. Already in his two year old life has developed his quirks, his personality, and his love for parents and grandparents."

A wise man of the cloth I knew years ago would tell me there is not a hair's difference between the commission of an evil act and the omission not to stop it if you could. I have thought of that many times in the recent years, especially when it comes to protecting the unborn. Somehow along the way, the term abortion has become toxic to the Left. In fact, in their world of synonymy, they have come up with catch phrases such as, "reproductive rights" and a "woman's health care issue", or my favorite, "My body, my choice!"

Before I go into the puts and takes if the government should be involved in an abortion decision, I will first say this. People fall into one of three camps concerning abortion. The first is totally a woman's choice. It is not a baby being eliminated, it is just a hunk of unwanted tissue. The second is the laissez faire person. That person neither condones nor condemns the practice of abortion. The last category is the person who feels there is no difference, none, between having an abortion and infanticide. Most especially in late term abortions.

Some churches (not the Catholics or Bible believing churches) have been very silent on this issue. And that is a big, big problem. I say this for one reason mostly - more than a legal issue, abortion is a moral one. Whether it is your baby or the baby of a complete stranger, to have an instrument stuck into the mother's womb and then have the babies brains sucked out is beyond subhuman. 

And here is where the rubber meets the road. What kind of a person are you? I know this is a very tough question, and an uncomfortable one. My litmus test is only this - whenever an unborn's life is terminated by an abortionist, does Jesus smile or weep? My guess is that He does not smile.

Today thousands of women marched today for many issues, including reproductive rights. In other words, the continuation of executing our innocent unborn. Yes, those are tough words, but true. Going into a woman's womb and killing and unborn (in my opinion), is no different than shooting someone in the back of the head. And think about this for a minute. In this country alone, 50 million (legal) abortions have been performed since 1973.

When I hold my grandson, and he cuddles up in my arms, I could not imagine life without him. Already in his two year old life, he has developed quirks, his personality has developed, and his love for his parents and grandparents has deepened.

Yet, there are so many people who by no fault of their own cannot have children, would love to adopt these unwanted kids. I have friends who have adopted in the past, and they love their adopted children as fiercely as they would have loved biological ones. Why? They are all gifts from God.

This is tough subject, and I know it. But I am firm on it. Abortion is not a form of birth control. I don't give a rat's butt if someone get pregnant by forgetting the pill, a one night stand, rape, incest, or whatever - that child is a gift from God. Killing that child via abortion is NEVER an option. 

Commission or omission. As far as abortion is concerned, neither is acceptable. For the 200+million who are of the faith, consider this article. Consider what my friend who was of the cloth said. And most of all, remember this - taking the high road is not always the easy road, but the right road.

The Occam's Razor Man

"People are going to have to get used to two immutable facts with our President. First, he is no Barack Obama. And, he no Ronald Reagan either. In my lifetime, I have never seen a President quite like Donald Trump."

Okay America. We now have our 45th President. And it certainly did not take long for the lame street press to fire off their first criticism of our new Commander in Chief. "Oh, that inauguration speech! So dour. So nationalistic. So not Barack!" And on and on the ranting went. Well, I heard the speech two times (plus snippets) of it last night. There was nothing in the speech which was not true, nor what he has not said before.

People are going to have to get used to two immutable facts concerning our new President. First, he is no Barack Obama. And, he no Ronald Reagan either. In my lifetime, I have never seen a President quite like Donald Trump. He sees things differently than others. He sure sees things differently than President Obama. In my view, President Trump does not get all tangled up in analysis paralysis like Obama did. President Trump likes to practice Occam's Razor when making decisions.

Occam's Razor is the art of taking the more simple path when confronted by a decision. Some say people who practice this art are simplistic. They shoot from the hip. But this President is 70 years old. He has been around the block a few times. And his kind of decision making has made him very successful and a multi-billionaire.

I have read that people who know Donald Trump very well say these things about him. He is impatient in getting things done. Once he plots a course in his mind, it is full steam ahead. He holds people accountable. If you are on his team, you better not just be "drift wood". If you can't be a proven performer, you will be gone. Finally, one would think this guy would be the biggest jerk in the world to work for. On the contrary - most people who have worked for him or dealt with him say he is kind and fair.

People are just going to have to get used to this new style of leadership. Things will happen at a much faster pace that they have in the past. Good. They need to. Also there is no Saul Alinsky, no Jeremiah Wright, no Cloward, no Piven, no Bill Ayers in Trump's background. No, when Donald Trump says he loves America, he means it.

I am excited about the first 100 days of this President. I think we all will see stuff get done which has taken years to do in the past. I might be mistaken - and if I am I will be the first to admit it. But I think I am right on this one.    

Deplorables, Snowflakes and Quitters

"Despite what the snowflakes and quitters say, America is exceptional. And it is poised to once again be that bright, shining city on a hill."  

Today is the day! Finally! Even though things got kicked off last night, today is the day the hand goes on the Bible. Today is the day that the nation bestows the imprimatur of President on to Donald Trump. And today is the day that Barack Hussein Obama flies off into the sunset - literally. Rumor has it he and the family are headed for the golf courses in Palm Springs.

Last evening was the pre-inauguration concert by the reflecting pond and the Lincoln Memorial. There were thousands of excited Trump supporters - otherwise known as the deplorables. The music was provided by Toby Keith, the group Three Doors Down, and of course Lee Greenwood. The weather was dead perfect, the music fantastic or better, and the crowd loved it - as did our President Elect. That was the good part of the evening.

Of course, as the evening wore on the miscreants, who were intermingled with the snowflakes, took over. Replete with gutter language, masks, googles, and yes, even some gas masks, they took to the streets. What were they trying to do? Ruin the night for those who were there to celebrate this long held American tradition. Of course, these malcontents were not citizens. Real American citizens would not act that way. 

One six year old boy, there with his proud parents, lit something on fire in the street. When questioned by a news reporter why he did it, the boy replied, "Because I felt like it". Then the reporter asked why he was out there in the middle of the mayhem. The boy replied something to the effect of, "I don't like the new f**king President!" I was thinking how proud his parents must have felt at that moment. The boys probable future? A life sentence in "Loserville".

Lets see - I have addressed the deplorables and the snowflakes. I must now address the quitters.  This group of almost 70 Congressmen are setting the worst example that I could think of for our youth. Their animus towards our President Elect is so strong, so vile, they will never accept him. Well here is a news flash for those has beens and left overs from the 60's. You don't matter. If you were my Congressman or woman, I would work 24 X 7 to get rid of you. The funny thing is this. Hillary called Trump supporters deplorable. The quitters are worse than deplorable. They are hypocrites.

Well on to our big day. A celebration shall be had! Our new President is a blank canvas, just waiting to make his first mark. I am optimistic that good things are ahead for our country. Despite what the snowflakes and quitters say, America is exceptional. And it is poised to once again be that bright, shining city on a hill.  

Singing the Minnesota Blues

"Not all of us think the same. Heck, not even the conservatives think alike on some issues. We need to get over the fact that when some feel different, they are not the enemy." 

Well I have learned my lesson. Not another peep about Real ID. Sheesh! There are some short fuses out there on this issue! But here is the thing (and then I will get into this afternoon's musings) - the average person in this state does not give a tinker's dam about state's rights. Or have no understanding of the 10th Amendment. What? And why? 1) They were never taught civics in our government schools and 2) Like it or not, Minnesota is still a "blue" state. Not quite as blue as a few years ago, but still blue. 

Now to my musings. In 2017, I have made it my goal to focus on two things. Thing one is to help our elected representatives succeed. In other words, help them stay on task. When they stray, help them find the path back. The second is more daunting. I want to spend less time with "like minded individuals", and more time with folks who are center and left of center. Why? Because right now we are like the Tower of Babel. Our language has become so diffuse that nobody understands anyone else. To win the day, we need to fix that. We need to teach others "our language".

The Democrats got whipped this past election. Not only nationwide, but also in Minnesota. Right now the Republicans hold a razor thin majority in the State House and Senate. But the Governor is still a donkey. Fixing that will come in about two years.

So here is my beef. We are better mannered than the other side is. It irks me to no end when I hear our side say, "we won, you lost." We are better than that. And that is zero sum politics, and I hate it. To win the day, is to show the other side there is a better way. And showing them as a friend, not as an enemy combatant. 

Not all of us think the same. Heck, not even the conservatives think alike on some issues. We need to get over the fact when some feel different, they are the enemy. They are not. When we think different, is where we get into the free discussions of ideas. But I am no fool. I know that most on the other side whom I will talk to will not initially change their minds. And that is okay. The point is this - we not to be insular. We are to be ambassadors. Ambassadors to our way of thinking. We know the pros and cons of the discussion well enough so we can convince just about anyone. Our way is the right way.

In any event, onward and upward. Tomorrow starts this weekend. The snowflakes will have their marches. And still the inaugural ball will go on. But then we move on. In order to heal the divisions that Obama has left us, we need healers. We need people to reach out to the other side. Not to compromise, but to convince.

Why? Because at the end of the day, we are all wearing the same uniform. We may think different on some things, but we are after all basically the same. We are Americans. 

Dressed down, not dressed up

"My only counsel to my true believing friends on the Right side of the street is this - is this a hill worth dying for?"

For those who know me, ever since I have retired I have a different dress code. After wearing suits for years, and then business casual after that, I now prefer to wear sweat pants and vests. I guess one could say that is my uniform of the day. Okay, so I don't dress up very often. That being said, I am somewhat unaccustomed to getting dressed down. And yesterday, I got dressed down a bit.

Who would dress down a kindly old Bird like myself? A couple of fiends who happened to be at the Real ID hearings in St. Paul. I made a comment on social media, somewhat tongue in cheek, that we should not even consider passing Real ID unless we have it hooked to Voter ID legislation. Why would I say such an insipid thing like that? Because I am still smarting after Voter ID being voted down. I still believe that Voter ID is a MUST in Minnesota to prevent voter fraud.

In any event, my two friends did not think I understood the nuances of the Real ID issue. Trust me, I do - and have for quite a while. Now a bit of disclosure. Real ID does not affect me. Not because I will never visit an airport again. As retired military, my wife and I have federal IDs which work the same way Real ID does. That being said, I also understand the state's rights issue on not having this federal mandate in Minnesota.

I was one of the voices crying for nullification on the health premium fix. Rather than a band aide approach of giving a bunch of people $300M in insurance premium rebates, my vote was just to no longer participate in this unconstitutional health plan. As we know, constitutional minded folks understand the battle cry of "Nullification!" quite well. Real ID is the same thing. Just don't play. Drop it. If it means you will be turned down at airports without one, either don't fly, or get a passport. 

Once again to conflate the Real ID and Voter ID issues. The Left hated Voter ID as it would lead to "voter suppression".  I know, I called BS on that one also. Part of the voter suppression argument was it cost money to get an ID. Even though the bill's sponsors were willing to make ID's free to those who could not afford them. Well, guess what? A Real ID cost an additional $15. Are we going to get help to pay for that? I really doubt it.

My only counsel to my true believing friends on the Right side of the street is this - is this a hill worth dying for? How much political capital are we willing to spend on this one issue? There are bigger fish in this stream, and I worry that Sunday liquor and Real ID are going to use up all our bait this session. 

Please - no hate mail on this one. Remember, I am just an old retired guy trotting around the house in sweat pants.