That wonderful Gadsden Flag

"Pay close attention what is going on in Washington and St. Paul. Our liberties are very fragile, and the corrosive power of the Left is trying to weaken them." 

Oh, that wonderful flag! Most kids today would not have a clue on what you were talking about, should you mention the Gadsden flag to them. Many in fact, might even ask what country it is from.

I love this flag. It says to much, using so little symbolism. As most know, the roots of this flag go back to the beginning of our country. When Marines formed in Philadelphia, they carried drums painted yellow. Yellow with a picture of a rattlesnake, with 13 rattles. Thirteen rattles for the thirteen colonies. And the message from this coiled snake was, "Don't tread on me!"

A group in Alabama is trying to get a license plate with the Gadsden flag on it. Why? Some patriots in that state feel so strongly about the message of the flag, they want it proudly displayed on their cars. Many Tea Party groups also use the Gadsden Flag as their motto. Yes, it means that much to so many liberty lovers.

I wonder what the Minutemen from yesteryear would think of today's progressives. Like are these progressives really a part of the American fabric? How the progressives are trying to diminish the hard fought liberties the minutemen and the militia were trying to earn. Ben Franklin said his famous quote back then - "Join or die". Yes everyone, put everything on all the line. Either they were going to become a free country, or they were probably going to die by the British noose or firing squad.

When I was a young lad, I loved reading stories about our early history. I loved reading about Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. I loved the story of Paul Revere, Nathan Hale, and of course, General Washington. Then once the war was won, and all of a sudden we had this brand new country, this blank slate, how our Framers developed the great American Experiment. We have so much to be grateful for. These brave men and women in the early days of our country gave us the greatest gift possible.

Since the schools no longer do it, we must. Teach young people about the Gadsden flag. Then teach them about the liberty flag - otherwise known as the Moultrie flag. Then the story of Betsy Ross. The friend of George Washington who is credited with sewing the first American flag. Why is this important? Because there were more than one flag flown during the war. More than just the Gadsden and the Moultrie flags.

Pay close attention what is going on in Washington and St. Paul. Our liberties are very fragile, and the corrosive power of the Left is trying to weaken them. Stay strong. Stay resolute. And remember the motto of the Gadsden Flag - "Don't tread on me!" Or better yet, "Don't you DARE tread on me!"   

Stockpiling Ammo

"We are all of us, need to be like the Little Dutch Boy with his finger in the dike. They are coming for our freedoms folks, and this is not a joke." 

There is talk going around the circuit, one of the ideas being floated is to monitor how much ammo a citizen buys. Like, does this person have too much for target practice or hunting? What gives? Or is it the worst thing possible - hoarding? We can't let citizens hoard ammo. Anyone knows that the average person with a long gun, pistol or revolver only needs about 25 to 50 rounds every month. Right? WRONG!

How much ammo a citizen buys every week, every month, or every year is frankly - irrelevant. I don't give a rat's butt if a person buys one box of shells, two boxes, a hundred boxes, or none. That is up to the individual. I have a small stash of various rounds. At one time, I thought I was fixed up just fine. Then I started chatting with some of my gun friends. What I have found out is this - I have peanuts compared to what they have. Did I think what they did in obtaining this much ammo was illegal or immoral? Nope - I was just jealous.

However, speaking of hoarding, I do have interest in how and why someone is hoarding. Who? Our government - who is supposed to work for us. For example, during the Obama Administration, many departments (especially DHS), bought an amazing amount of ammo. How much for DHS? Try 1.5 billion rounds. Is that enough? Enough for our military to fight a "hot war" for 20 years. One problem however - DHS is not our military.

It gets worse. It has also been reported that the USPS has bought ammo to stockpile - as well as NOAA. NOAA? You have got to be kidding me! And much of the ammo which has been procured by the government under Obama was "hollow point". Much more expensive, and much more deadly than standard ammo.

So, if the government ever comes a knocking at my door asking to see what I have stockpiled, I will respond this way - you show me yours, and then I MIGHT show you mine! How could I be that disrespectful to our government agents? Easy - because they work for us, not visa versa. PLUS - they have no DAMN RIGHT to even ask us that question!

Stay strong folks. The gun grabbers have no time for "powers reserved". They will assume power which they do not have. It will be implicit without a shred of Constitution to back them up. We are all of us, need to be like the Little Dutch Boy with his finger in the dike. They are coming for our freedoms folks, and this is not a joke. 

The biggest irony...

"Once our freedoms are gone, we will have then made the transition from citizen to subjects. At that point, we might as well get rid of our President and choose a King or Queen." 

Wow. If this does not say it all. I am hoping this is the influence of "bots" and not the result of the non-existent education in civics are kids are getting today. Anyhow, it does not matter at this point in time. Young people want to eviscerate the Second Amendment. Take all the guns away from the citizenry. ""Kill the NRA". Really?

I heard one young girl express total displeasure with the Second Amendment. "Why do we have that stupid amendment anyhow? That is so dumb. We should just get rid of it!". That is somewhat understandable, as she is young and VERY under-educated. However, there are now major companies, who are trying to distance themselves from the NRA. They should know better. And just as a small reminder, the NRA had NOTHING to do with the Florida shootings. 

Constitutional scholars of good repute will tell you the same thing. The Second Amendment was put in the Bill of Rights for only one reason. Hunting? Target practice? No, and no again. It was to ensure the OTHER Amendments would stand throughout time. Many call it the "checks and balances" amendment.  Without the Second Amendment, we are always one inch away from tyranny.

These companies, who want to distance themselves from the NRA, who have flourished because to our liberties - are ready to "deep six" the one group, the NRA, who protects the Second Amendment. "Get rid of the NRA, get rid of that STUPID Second Amendment!", clamors the uneducated, uninformed, and brainwashed lemmings who live in "La La Land". 

The Russians, the Chinese, the North Koreans, the terrorists are in the LMAO mode. Here we are as country, once again, at each other's throats. Acting tribal instead of living the e pluribus unum mantra. People of the ilk I come from can shout from the rooftops day after day that GUNS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, and it is like shouting into an empty box. 

The knee jerk reactions will continue until we whittle away at all our freedoms. To many progressives want us to cede out liberties and freedoms to an over reaching government. Once our freedoms are gone, we will have then made the transition from citizen to subjects. At that point, we might as well get rid of our President and choose a King or Queen. 

To dream the impossible dream...

"Before we can dream the impossible dream to fix this unfixable foe, we must first identify what the problem is. Why do kids shoot other kids today? Like I said, that did not happen when I was a lad."

Here it is folks. And no - I am not trying to plagiarize nor rip off lyrics from a wonderful song. What is the impossible dream after all? Bottom line - keeping our American dream alive by keeping our children safe. And how do we do that? By thinking outside the box. The current thinking has been proven to be archaic and outdated.

Elon Musk, like I have said before, is a hero of mine. This young man, who at 46 (and looks like 26) is young enough to be my son. But what a visionary! He is going to take this world places it has not been before! Why do I say that? Musk dreams the impossible dream. Like what? He said before he launched Space X, he was told by many learned experts and other space professionals, his chances of success were 20% at best. He was told this space venture was an excellent opportunity to turn his large fortune into a much smaller one. As we can see, to date Space X is doing very, very well.

To fix this problem, this problem with kids shooting other kids in schools, some good suggestions have been put forth. Suggestions like arming some of the teachers (like in Israel, only in Israel, most are armed). The suggestion by Governor Rick Scott, in having an armed guard in every school. Or someone else said we need medal detectors in every school.

Then of course there are the usual suggestions - raising the age to buy an AR-15 type of long gun (I am good with this one), better background checks (don't need them - already have them), shallower magazines (useless - mags are very easy to reload today), and blah, blah, blah.  

Gun control is not dreaming. It is not thinking outside the box. Israel has armed teachers to shoot PLO types who want to commit carnage on students in schools. We don't have that problem (yet). This is us. We have our own unique problem.

When I was young, they taught gun safety in schools. Up north, kids drove to school with their hunting rifles in their pick up trucks. My high school class had over 800 kids. Nobody got shot. Nobody got killed. We never had "active shooter" alerts. What is going on today?

Before we can dream the impossible dream to fix this unfixable foe, we must first identify what the problem is. Why do kids shoot other kids today? Like I said, that did not happen when I was a lad. Let's have an honest discussion to find out the "Why" before we come up with wrong solutions. And by the way - we need to do this NOW.

A BIG Plan

"Tomorrow, millions of kids are going back to school. Will they be safer? Not really. Whose fault is it? Ours for letting 'soft targets' remain 'soft'." 

Driving home across four states and what seemed like a zillion miles, we listened to a lot of talk radio (mostly Fox) on our Sirius Radio. Many topics were discussed (yes, in full disclosure, I even listened to an hour of CNN - almost drove off the road!). But the main topic was the school shooting in Florida. On the Chris Wallace show (which is replayed on FNC at 1 pm on Sundays), Wallace had a father on who had lost his daughter in the Florida shootings.

As the father of two girls, I could not imagine the bravery of this man in coming on the television. And then, talking as cogent as he did about this very recent tragedy. Me? I would have still been a pile of mush in some corner of some room. Anyhow, through his grief, this man had the most profound things to say. No, he is not looking backward to blame Sheriff Israel, his deputies, the FBI, or even the much vilified NRA. 

Really? Then what did the father have to say? How do we prevent something like this from EVER happening again. He went on to say, "Don't give me politics which divide us, give us solutions which can ensure our schools are safe". And that is when it hit me. It is time for a big - no a really BIG plan.

President Trump said he is tired of all this talk and politics on this issue. Amen to that sir! He wants action this time around. Once again, amen to that sir! However, there are many (dare I say a majority) of folks who after seeing the "nothing burger" which resulted from Newtown, are getting ready to call BS? Why? Based on history (as well as good intentions), NOTHING EVER GETS DONE!

So, what is the plan, man (as the counter culture once said)? I will tell you what the plan is. What I think the President should do. And this might put him in an esteemed place (maybe even on Mt. Rushmore), in our history books. This weekend, issue an Executive Order which would mandate classes in every school across the nation, cancelled. That is, until each school can prove (and verify), their students are safe to learn there.

Bird! Are you nuts??? Do you know what kind of chaos that would cause? Yes, I do. And we need it. Do you want action? "Necessity is the mother of invention". Millions of working mothers or fathers, force to take time off work, clamoring to their school boards to GET THIS FIXED! All of a sudden, you would see these "broke" districts come up with the funds to have a single point of entry entrance, metal detectors, and a full time (trained) armed (yet concealed), guard.

What would happen then? Unless the bad guy (or gal) was Seal Team 6 trained, he or she could not get into the school and commit carnage. Problem solved? Maybe not totally, but almost.

Tomorrow, millions of kids are going back to school. Will they be safer? Not really. Whose fault is it? Ours for letting "soft targets" remain "soft". If the President would cancel schools until all "soft targets" become "hardened", then we would be getting some place. Until then, the father of his slain daughter was right - this is just talk with no action. 

Hating on, or from the Left

"Since hate is the battery acid of the soul, haters will only be hurting themselves. The NRA wants positive solutions while protecting our kids, as well as protecting our freedoms. The Hateful Left  on the other hand, just want a crisis which can divide us more. Sometimes, I wish the Left wing haters would all just move to California before we sell it back to Mexico."

Every time you think you have seen it all from the Hateful Left, these people of "peace", these offspring of the "love generation", will do something like what happened today. And when that pops up, all you can do is shake your head in amazement.

One of my good friends who serves in the Minnesota House, brought his young son to see the sights and sounds of what a legislation session looks like a few days before it was gaveled in. Not unusual, as many others have done it in the past. I personally think it is kind of cool when parents do that.

Then for no reason what-so-ever, some mutt, some Left wing hate-monger, some nut ball,  posted on my friends wall that he ( I will paraphrase just a small bit), hoped his young son would be murdered by a school shooter if my friend did not (this is only my guess) sponsor legislation to ban all guns.

When my wife and I pulled into our hotel and saw that on social media, my "red factor" reached a new level. After I calmed a bit, I had this cogent thought - what the hell is wrong with these people? The people on the Loony Left? Why do they HATE??? And I mean HATE so much??? Have they never stepped into a church?

By the way, we have had a batch of school shootings since Columbine. Some on the Hateful Left believe that maybe we should ban assault weapons like the AR-15 so we do not have any more Columbine type shootings. Here come the stubborn facts. These are the facts that the HATEFUL Left, really hates to hear and read.

Due to Diane Feinstein, AR-15 type semi-automatic guns were made temporarily illegal during the year of the Columbine shooting. The ban did not prevent that horrible tragedy. Why? If you want to kill, there are a million ways in which to do it. 

Secondly, as most people of average intellect know, the AR-15 is NOT an assault weapon! It is (like many other long guns and pistols today), a semi-automatic weapon. Did this POS who insulted my friend think we should make all of those guns illegal? Doe he want us to go back to muskets and sling-shots? Does this uneducated idiot not understand what the Second Amendment is all about? It is to bad he did not finish high school, so he could have taken civics.

The other night Dana Loesch was on the unwatchable CNN. Why? To participate in the sham town meeting on school shootings. The crowd, full of gun grabbing Hateful Lefties, started to chant "burn her, burn her". Great hate speech. It was just like the Salem Witch Trials. And how had was it? She feared for her life. She said if she did not have her security detail with her, she wondered if she would get away from there unharmed. 

Thank God we now have a President who does not get "rolled" by the PC loving Loony Left Media. He is coming up with real solutions for real problems. Haters on the other hand, can only hate.

Since hate is the battery acid of the soul, haters will only be hurting themselves. The NRA wants positive solutions while protecting our kids, as well as protecting our freedoms. The Hateful Left  on the other hand, just want a crisis which can divide us more. Sometimes, I wish the Left wing haters would all just move to California before we sell it back to Mexico.

The last generation...

"Hang on to your guns folks. This great experiment called America might be coming to an end. Ronald Reagan warned us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extension. I am afraid the Gipper might have been right with this coming generation." 

My parents were part of the greatest generation. My dad served in the Army during World War II. He was going through artillery officer training in Aberdeen, MD when he contracted a debilitating lung infection. His dream was to join the fight - be part of the solution to the world wide threat of tyranny. He was not able to live that dream as the lung infection made him unfit for duty. He was medically discharged and sent home.

My parents were always proud of being in the greatest generation. They had friends and relatives who were able to join the fight in either Europe or the Pacific. It was an epic battle to confront tyranny in its most brutal form. The allies finally won the day at a great cost. Our freedoms, as well as the free world, were saved. The brave men and women who fought the enemy of freedom, came back home, got married, found jobs, and produced the next generation - the one I am a part of.

Last night when I was channel surfing, I came across a town hall meeting on CNN. It was a large gathering of folks of all ages. They came to have their voices heard. It was suppose to be about finding solutions to gun violence in schools. Instead it was every gun grabbing organization in the area coming out to bash the NRA. After watching some of this theater, it hit me like a brick. I may be a slow learner, but the message finally got through.

Our rights, defined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, mean quite a bit to many in my generation. Why? We took history in high school and college. We also studied civics. We continue to study civics. Our generation is the last generation to learn true history. To learn about the Framer's intention in drafting our founding documents. In short, we learned that freedom is not free.

Listening to the young people yesterday as well as last night, a clear message was sent. They don't give a damn about Second Amendment rights. Not only do they not give a damn, they don't understand a damn thing why the Framer's insisted on having it in the Bill. Why some scholars say it is our most important right. For without that right, all our other rights become very vulnerable.

Young people today stand ready to cede as many of our natural rights as possible over to a growing and intrusive government. Their only solution to the rash of school shootings since Columbine, is to disarm everyone and disband the NRA. Problem solved.

Life members of the NRA (like myself) are looked upon by youth of today as nothing more than Troglodytes. We, not the shooters, are the real problem. The fact that 99% of the tens of millions of legal gun owners in this country are responsible and trained, has nothing to do with the price of tea in China. The fact that nobody wants these idiots who shoot innocents stopped more than the NRA, is irrelevant.

This morning, one of the tools on CNN told a Republican Representative from Florida that basically he did not know what he was talking about when explaining the Second Amendment. She tried to school him by saying that "The Framers, when they wanted a well regulated militia, had no idea that mags holding a hundred rounds would be legal." The Representative shot back at her  when the First Amendment was penned, the Framers also had no idea we would end up with something like CNN. Touche'!

Our kids are so brainwashed these days by the "touchy-feely" Left, it would do no good to tell them the truth about our rights - and how easy it will be to lose them. No - we have done this to ourselves by allowing  socialists to take over education. Allowing them to teach revisionist history. Allowing them to refer to the Holy Bible and Constitution as "dated historical documents". Suggesting those two great documents should be replaced with something which is living and breathing. Why? The teaching of "Originalism" went out with the dinosaurs. 

Hang on to your guns folks. This great experiment called America might be coming to an end. Ronald Reagan warned us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extension. I am afraid the Gipper might have been right with this coming generation. 

The mysterious and affable nature of the deep south

"How to people in the south do it? How have they been able to nail this so easily? I don't know. Maybe it is in the water - or not." 

Yes, certain elites from the northeast love to denigrate the good people who dwell in the south-land. Some of the names I have heard in the past have been hayseeds, banjo players (as in the movie Deliverance), the wrong number of chromosome crowd, or just plain hicks. News flash to the very blue, and very smarmy northeast - I have been stationed down south. I have traveled down south. I have been on business trips down here. I have had a close family member who has lived in Pensacola. 

There are areas I have been in the south where I have met some of the nicest, and most genuine people in America. During my travels in the northeast, I have met or worked with just about every flavor of personage. Yes, some have been real jerks. I know that seems to be a cruel stereotype, but I believe it has some validity. Yes, I have met some nice folks from the northeast, but they are not as common as the nice folks down south.

I am not letting Minnesota off the hook either. There is some truth in the phrase "Minnesota Nice". Yet, there is also some fable in that term. Some visitors I have met, who expected to be surrounded by "Minnesota Nice" when the arrived here, only found "Minnesota Ice". They left after their visit feeling disillusioned and disappointed. 

Here is what we notice every time we visit Florida. Nice, nice folks. Helpful. Welcoming. Affable. Friendly. We make it a practice to strike up a conversation with most folks we meet down here. Still waiting for that first encounter where the very common southern hospitality is absent. When folks down here find out you are a visitor, it is like they work part time at the Chamber of Commerce, or the Department of Tourism. Nothing phony, just genuine people being themselves.

Unabashedly unafraid to talk about their faith in God and the Bible. We have worshiped at a Baptist church down here. No PC babble like what has happened so some northern churches - just the unvarnished truth preached from the Bible. People are also unabashedly unafraid to be demonstrably patriotic. Again, nothing phony, just genuine people being themselves.

If we truly want to change our national discourse, we first need to change ourselves. It needs to happen one person at a time. And the first step is treating people the way we all want to be treated. You know - that old "Golden Rule" thing. We need to listen better, laugh more, and practice basic civility with everyone. 

How to people in the south do it? How have they been able to nail this so easily? I don't know. Maybe it is in the water - or not. All I know is this - being nice, being friendly are traits down here which seem to have no boundaries. Think this is all a bunch of hooey? Plan a trip down here in the near future. And be ready to be treated like you are a long time friend - from just about everyone you meet.  

Trying not to hate the haters...

"It seems like with Soros, Steyer and the Russians, we have foreign and domestic enemies of this country all operating on the same team. Do I hate them? These haters of America? My faith tells me not to. I really am trying not to hate the haters. God help me."

I have been fuming most of the day. Why? That our kids are being used. They are being used as tools. By whom? Who would do such a thing? The usual suspects. Soros, Steyer, and of course, the Russians. Send the kids to Tallahassee on buses. Cause disruption. Ignore and obfuscate the real issues. Tell the lawmakers to get rid of the guns.

Our country is in the midst of a crisis which we are all trying to figure out. The easy and incorrect answer is of course, just to delete the Second Amendment. Take away all the guns. That would work, right? Yes it would. It would disarm all the law abiding citizens. The outlaws? The whole country would then become easy pickings - a gun free zone. Outlaws, who love to live outside of the law, would be in seventh heaven. 

But the greater damage would be what our Framers warned us about. Why they did not want this Second Amendment "infringed" upon. We would all be at the mercy of a government which could merciless at any point in time. For those who don't know or can't remember, that is the main reason for the Second Amendment in the first place. Semi-Americans like the two "gentlemen" I mentioned above, don't give a crap about the Second Amendment - or this country. 

Why would anyone want to turn this into a hate issue? Only people who really hate this country. They are not the ones who want to solve this problem. I am taking about the ones who want to take this country down - and out. George Soros, Tom Steyer, and of course Vladimir Putin and friends. These people would like nothing better than to see our country crumble from within. And every chance they have to pour gas on the fire, they will do so.

Get used to this folks. The Russians will be sowing seeds of discontent from now until the cows come home. Messing with our elections, sowing the seeds of doubt in our political system, this is right up their ally. And Soros and Steyer? Those two haters of Trump and the Right? They are exactly in line with those Russian "enemies of the state".

My view? As a 21 year retired Navy veteran, I still dearly love this country. I still consider myself to be under my oath - I want to protect our country from ALL enemies, foreign and domestic.

It seems like with Soros, Steyer and the Russians, we have foreign and domestic enemies of this country all operating on the same team. Do I hate them? These haters of America? My faith tells me not to. I really am trying not to hate the haters. God help me.

  

Behold, our Carpetbagger...

"What am I trying to say? Go back to the swamp Tim. We got this one covered, thank you."

Oh, boy. He just stepped one inch closer to doing something very unfortunate. In the paper this morning, is a sad tale of carpetbagging. Not just a little bit of a carpetbagger - no, this is major league. Who is it? Our former two term Governor, who when he decided not to run for a third term, put his hip waders on, and waded pell mell into the swamp.

The paper said T Paw recently had a soiree for a whole bunch of "big cigars". In other jargon, the "donor class". No drinks, no food, not even a hanger to hang up a coat. Why? A technicality. Since our former Governor turned carpetbagger has not officially "announced" as yet, he could not offer any kind of amenity. Not until he is officially in the race. 

The donor class has not told T Paw one very unfortunate fact of life. If he jumps in the race, if he goes right to the primary rather than fighting for the endorsement, much of the base will not support him. What is even worse, because he went into the deepest and murkiest part of the swamp by being a lobbyist for Wall Street, the Democrats will fillet him like a 18" Walleye. Then it will be "Hello, Governor Walz!"

What would I, a citizen of this state, and former T Paw voter (twice) expect? I would expect him to be a team player. He could have kept his $2.8M salary on Wall Street, and supported the endorsed candidate from afar. He could have been a cheerleader for Jeff Johnson, rallying the donor class to his campaign. Many of the party faithful might have even forgiven T Paw for the Legacy Amendment, the clean energy crap which gave us sky high electric costs, and the growth of government under his watch. But being a team player is antithetical to being a carpetbagger. Carpetbaggers only support three people - me, myself and I.

I have been very optimistic about our chances this year. I really have. Ever since a year ago last November when Jeff and I first sat down for coffee, I knew 2018 was going to be his year. Minnesota has not had a true conservative for many a decade, and Jeff could fix much of what has been broken. T Paw had his chance to fix stuff in Minnesota, and ended up getting played by the Democrats. Rather than fighting Democrats on keystone issues, he ended up siding with them. And then after 8 years of state government growth, the swamp offered him the deal of a lifetime - so he left for Wall Street. 

One more minor issue. Okay, not minor. Whereas Jeff was on-board with our President right after Trump was endorsed, T Paw has spoken out against the President. If T Paw became our Governor, President Trump would give T Paw the same deference he now gives Governor Goofy - in other words, not much.

But that will never happen, as T Paw is un-electable. President Trump will then have to try and deal with Governor Walz. 

So thanks Tim - thanks for nothing. For the first time in forever, we have a real shot to put a conservative in St. Paul. To kill the Met Council (that's right - you did nothing about them, did you?). To fix our taxes, rather than to raise them and come up with a butt load of hidden taxes called "fees". 

What am I trying to say? Go back to the swamp Tim. We got this one covered, thank you.

"Hating on" the Olympics

"I will paraphrase Laura once again - 'Just shut up and play'. Or better yet, 'Just shut up!'"  

What a weird year for the Olympics! NBC is doing simply a terrible job, the ratings are tanking, we have the sister of a mass murderer being treated like royalty, terrible things are being said about our President and Vice President, and - the United States, a perennial super power in the winter games, is not doing spit. Did I leave anything out?

Yes, I guess I did. After Lindsey Vonn said some impolitic things about our President, she finished 6th in the Super "G" - a race she was favored to medal in. Immediately after the race, she went to twitter and complained. (Her words), it was because she was first down the hill - supposedly a disadvantage (well, someone has to be first). Immediately there was a flurry of responding tweets from supporters of the President. Let me just say they went from the mild to wild in berating this past Olympic star. The press of course, said the Trumpsters were "hating on" poor old Lindsey.

Years ago, Laura Ingraham penned a book called "Shut Up & Sing". Bet you can't guess what that book was about! This book could also be applicable for this year's Olympics. Hey Lindsey, just shut up and ski! If you don't like our President, keep your pie hole shut. Why? First off, he is YOUR President, as he is ours. Secondly, your job is to go out on the slopes and bring home some medals. This country spent a lot of money training you to do so.

And then there are our two openly gay athletes who were "hating on" our Vice President. For what? Mike Pence is one of the kindest, truest people we have in government. Ah - but he is a strong Christian. You know, "mentally ill" like the unlikable Joy Behar recently said. So let me get this straight. If you are gay, and an Olympic athlete, it is okay to hate Christians? Even if one is the Vice President of the United States? News flash to these two nitwits - this country contains a whole bunch of people who are followers of the Cross and voted for Trump/Pence. Treating our Vice President with that much disrespect due to his strong faith goes over like "gas in church" with millions of us Americans.

And then of course, was the NBC fawning all over the Minister of Propaganda from North Korea (that would be "rocket man's" sister). All they could do on opening night is praise her and deride VP Pence. Hey NBC - whose side are you on, anyhow? Are you aware of this brutal regime to the North (of which, little sister is part of) has tortured and/or killed millions of people? Did you forget that "rocket man" is going full speed ahead in building an ICBM, which can destroy an American city? How about if one of his ICBMs lands on "30 Rock" - your corporate HQ in NYC?

For most of us, these Olympics can not be over soon enough. The irony is this - my wife and I are huge fans of the Winter Olympics. We watch them every four years. This year - not so much. Why? Did we get our "hate on" for the games or certain members of our team? Nope. Just disgust. I will paraphrase Laura once again - "Just shut up and play". Or better yet, "Just shut up!"    

America's toughest converstation

"If I knew the Second Amendment had outlived it's usefulness, I would be on the bandwagon. But it has not."

This topic comes up after every mass murder, be it in a school, or otherwise. That is, if the mass murder was perpetrated by some kind of gun. Then the cries of change come from all spectrum's of the political divide. WHY? WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN??? Since nobody seems to have a logical answer, the emotional solutions come forth in spades. BAN ALL GUNS!! THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS THE SUICIDE NOTE FOR AMERICA!! And then we are off to the races.

First, not to trod on ground already covered, let me (as our Southern Baptist pastor would say), back up, and run over this snake one more time. There are not any people on this planet, who grieve more for the innocent loss of life than members of the NRA do. True fact. They want ALL guns to be used for the proper and appropriate reasons. They constantly walk the tightrope between protecting our liberties and the protection of the innocents. 

Here is the rub, and I am not going to be gentle when I report on this. It is the ignorance of parts of our population, particularly those under 50, which I believe is due to the refusal of our school systems to teach proper American history. This causes much of this needless angst.

The NRA is like the little Dutch Boy, having his finger in the dyke. Without the NRA, reminding us of WHY WE HAVE THE SECOND AMENDMENT in the first place, the progressives would have killed it years ago.

I know this is not as good as watching NASCAR or March Madness, but time spent researching why in the world we have this unique amendment in our Bill of Rights might be a good use of time. This Second Amendment is unique for this reason. It was the safeguard, the parking brake, the governor on an engine, the checks and balance - to keep our government from becoming too much like King George. It was so important, so vital to our framers, it remains the only one which has the phrase, "Shall not be infringed" included in it. 

Why have there been so many school shootings in the past 30 years? Is it due to the Second Amendment? No. That has been with us since the get-go. So what is it? THAT - IS WHY WE NEED A TRUE, UNBIASED NATIONAL DISCUSSION. If it is not because of the Second Amendment or the NRA, what is it? I don't know. But let's talk.

I don't know if it is broken families, a broken education system, taking God out of the equation, psychotropic drugs, video games, Hollywood, or whatever. We need to talk. However, if the conversation is going to revolve around screwing around with our Constitutional rights, it is worth our time. 

Sorry, it you are disappointed. If I knew the Second Amendment had outlived it's usefulness, I would be on the bandwagon to get rid of it. But it has not. I am however, willing to be a part of the conversation to end this carnage. As is most of the gun toting folks I know. We need this to work for all of us. Like it always has in the past. Murder is against the law - owning a gun should not be.  

"FBI - Do your job!"

"In the meantime, while the lap dog media, the Democrats, the Deep State, and the Swamp Dwellers continue to harass this President, Donald Trump stays undeterred. Undeterred in doing what he can to make America great again."

Let me first start off by saying I have had my days with the FBI. Am I a career criminal? Nope - not hardly. My record is a clean as a whistle. Only one minor traffic violation (not even speeding) in over 50 years of driving. But I have been hauled downtown by the FBI, read my Miranda Rights, and then "sweated" for close to two hours. It happened for a second time, but by then, I knew what was going on, and "lawyered up".

How did I get in trouble so fast with the feds? It was a perfect example of "no good deed goes unpunished". It all started with during the proposal phase of a multi-million dollar negotiation with the Navy. The proposal team came up with an idea on how to save the Navy scads of money, and the company a whole lot of scrap. Our Navy customer liked it, so we went forward with the plan. The deal was inked, and worked commenced using this new, common sense way of manufacturing.

The fly in the ointment was a weasel looking DCAA (Defense Contract Audit Agency) guy who did not like the deal. He just knew there was something nefarious going on in the background. I could explain the complexities of how this deal worked, but it would take six pages. In any event, he used the 'whistle blower" law to refer this issue to the DOJ and the rest is history. The FBI, US Attorney, and finally a Grand Jury was in the mix. After over a year and tens of thousands of dollars in attorney's fees, the case was dropped. I bought a frame to hold the letter of apology from the FBI for putting me through all that agony in their interrogation room. And another frame for the letter of apology from the US Attorney for hauling me in front of a Grand Jury. To date, those frames still sit empty.

After the FBI really blew the mission on the Florida school shooting, the President laid into them via his tweets. He berated them for letting the shooter slip through their cracks (especially when they had so many clues) and instead focusing on the made up "Russian Collusion" probe. At the end of the tweet, he told the FBI to do their jobs. Amen to that! 

The Governor of Florida recently called on Christopher Wray to step down from being the FBI's Director. I could not agree more. Wray might be a fine man, but he is in the wrong spot at the wrong time. We need an outsider to the FBI who can be in the right spot at the right time. Someone like Sheriff David Clarke. Someone who is experienced in law enforcement, but is a novice in being a swamp dweller. That is what the FBI needs more than anything else. Someone who is not corrupted by cronyism or the swamp.

In the meantime, while the lap dog media, the Democrats, the Deep State, and the Swamp Dwellers continue to harass this President, Donald Trump stays undeterred. Undeterred in doing what he can to make America great again. And the citizens and patriots responded to their President by saying in a loud and clear voice, "MAGA!" Oh yes - and to the FBI? "DO YOUR JOB!"

The humor behind Russian meddling

"Remember the old saying - we may have started it, but Putin is going to finish it. That is, unless we give him a mea culpa for our past sins against him."   

So the great and powerful Oz (that be Robert Mueller) dropped the bomb on a handful of Russians this week. Said he had the goods on them for what they tried to do to our last elections. In fact, some of this meddling goes back to 2014, long before Donald Trump announced. That's okay. Why? It seems that turn about is fair play. And why in the world would I say that? If you don't want to get bit, you don't stick your hand into the Bear's cage. And that is exactly what Hillary did to Putin in 2011.

We have been far from "lily white" on this whole foreign election thing. It is alleged that during the 2011 Russian election, there was some behind the curtain shenanigans going on. The infamous "reset button" that Clinton gave to the Russians turned out to be nothing but a ruse. The real plan was regime change in Russia. Work with Putin's opposition. This thinly veiled attempt to oust Putin, put Hillary Clinton as # 1 on Putin's enemy list. He even complained to Obama about Hillary's misdeeds. Putin still won re-election, but his memory of the event stayed intact. If he could hurt Hillary in any way, he would. To hurt her in her bid for the Presidency, all the better. 

Hey - Obama was no saint either. He had the same antipathy for Bebe Netanyahu as Hillary had for Putin. Obama stuck his fingers in the goo during the last Israeli election. This disdain our President at that time had for our strongest ally in the Middle East was epic. Obama saw Bebe as a roadblock to his highly valued "two state" solution. So he funded an organization called "One Voice" (with taxpayer money, mind you), to spread hate and discontent about Bebe prior to the last election. Again, it was thinly veiled, so everyone and his brother (or sister) knew about it.

The funniest thing about this whole canard of Trump's Russian collusion is simply this. The word on the street is Putin does not have a lot of time for Trump either. There is no "bromance" between these two guys. However, Putin's hatred and desire to get even with Hillary (excuse the expression), "trumped" everything else. 

In any event, this past election has been a HUGE win for Putin. Not because Trump got in - that Hillary did not. And the big, thick gooey frosting on the cake is this - because of this "false flag" that he was the puppet master behind Hillary's defeat, it landed a huge bonus. This entire issue has the Americans at each other's throats, as well as spending scads of time and money investigating a box canyon.

Are there things which should be investigated from this past election? As we say in Minnesota, "you betcha!" Things like Uranium One. Influence peddling at the State Department. Unlawful FISA warrants. Ease dropping (wire tapping) done by a sitting President on a Presidential candidate. The list goes on and on. But this whole Russian thing? Maybe if we sent Rex Tillerson over to Moscow to personally apologize for the sins of Hillary and Kerry, we can move on. 

If not, get ready for more shenanigans in the upcoming mid-terms. Remember the old saying - we may have started it, but Putin is going to finish it. That is, unless we give him a mea culpa for our past sins against him.   

A new age of majority?

"Like I said, I am just trying to think of solutions to a bad problem that we can all agree on. Gun grabbing - is not that solution." 

When I think back on my life, I would guess that 95% of all the dumb and foolish things I have done, I did between between the ages of 0 and 25. My guess is most folks might agree with that statement. In fact, how I made it through that period as unscathed as I did, is still a mystery to me. With horrific events in Florida this week, I am struggling to find common sense solutions which both sides of the aisle can agree on.

I would like to propose the age of majority be raised to 25. Not 18, not 20, and not 21. 25. I am talking about being legally able to smoke, drink alcohol, get a tattoo, vote, join the military or (here it comes), buy a gun. The age spread between 20 and 25 is huge in our development. Mostly in our judgement. Being allowed to do adult things when a person is 18 is foolishness. And I hate to say it as this will sound very curmudgeonly - a person who is 25 years old is still considered a "pup".

The young man who legally bought the AR rifle which snuffed out 17 innocent lives is only 19. Forget the fact for a minute he probably was mentally imparred. If the legal age to buy a gun was 25, he could not have come by it legally. Would that have stopped the carnage? Maybe. It might have. If you look at the age of many of the school shootings over the years, having a different age of majority might have made a difference.

We do our young people no favor by telling them it is okay to drink and smoke when they are either teenagers, or just slightly older than a teen. Their bodies are still developing. Many get into drugs when they are in their teens. And tragically, some young people die in their teens due to bad choices and bad decisions.

This is just an idea. Not an original one however. Obama had it first. He said in the disastrous ObamaCare law, that you are a kid until you are 26. You could stay on your parents insurance policy. Truthfully - many of the kids I know of today who are in their early 20's are not ready for prime time. And they sure are not discerning enough to vote.

I know the military one might be raising some eyebrows. A young person in his or her mid-twenties will do better in the military. I know - I have seen it. I have lived it. I did some foolish things early in my military career. Many other might also admit to that. A person could go in at 25, serve for 20 years, and retire at 45 - still considered to be a very young person these days.

Let me know what you think. If I am all wet, or maybe on to something. Like I said, I am just trying to think of solutions to a bad problem that we can all agree on. Gun grabbing - is not that solution. 

This endless issue of violence

"The Florida AG has already said she wants to seek the death penalty. Big deal. That will not bring back 17 souls, many of which were students."

This past year we needed to get a glitch fixed in my wife's Tricare insurance. While we were jumping through the wickets to get this thing fixed, my wife was asked for her Social Security card. She had lost it many years ago, and now it really does not matter as she is retired and drawing Social Security. But to the Navy, it did matter. She needed to go down to the Social Security office and apply for a replacement card.

I had been down there before helping a friend, so I knew the drill. The security to get in the office, was similar to the TSA in getting on a flight. Everything was checked. You had to go through a metal detector. Three armed security guards were present. At a Social Security office. I wondered what they were afraid of. No money is kept there. Just government bureaucrats trying to help some folks out.

As we all know by now, yesterday we had yet another one of these horrific school shootings. At some troubled school in a sketchy neighborhood? Nope. Marco Rubio was on the news this morning and said the area this high school is located in is one of the safest in Florida. In fact, many move there for just that reason. So how do we prevent something like this from happening again? No offense gun grabbers - it is not more gun control.

• Metal Detectors in the school - It pains me to say this, as I really, really detest these things. But this kid yesterday walked into the school, wearing a gas mask, and carrying some kind of AR rifle. Really?
• Community Service Officers in schools - My wife's school had one for a while. An armed sheriff's deputy on station. At an elementary school. After a while, the program at her school went away. Why? Costs. Having a cop on station yesterday would have undoubtedly saved lives.
• Having armed staff - Yes, having some on the staff who are licensed and trained. It does not have to be advertised which staff carry weapons. It all goes back to that saying, "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Yesterday, these high school kids were like ducks in a shooting gallery. 
• See something, say something - This kid was known to many to be a loose canon. He had been expelled from that school. He posted threats against others on social media. Some kids thought the shooter was so unhinged, before yesterday they joked about him becoming a mass murderer. The kid had recently dropped out of therapy. His adoptive parents had recently died. One shrink who was on the news today, said this kid was a "perfect storm" to commit violence. And he did.
• Pull your kids out of school - Seriously. Some people are considering it. Putting their kids in a private school, or even home schooling them. Why? Most parents feel their number one duty to their kids is to keep them safe. Our schools today, are not safe. If this could happen at this school, it can happen anywhere.

This is for the gun grabbers. Or we can disarm the legal, law abiding, trained citizenry. Which by the way, would only punish the innocent. Want to do a back ground check on me? Been there - done it. Twice. Once in MN and once in FL. Plus, after having a very high level clearance for over two decades, I have been stripped naked. My life, my past, is an open book.

The Florida AG has already said she wants to seek the death penalty. Big deal. That will not bring back 17 souls, many of which were students. We need common sense solutions, and we need them now. I am scared to death to have my grandson start elementary school in a few years. Too young? Remember Sandy Hook? I shouldn't be afraid. Shouldn't have to be. But I am.

If we can't fix what is wrong in our society, where people don't feel safe in a church, a school, a shopping area, a sports venue, or wherever - get ready. Our country will start looking like a very large version of Tombstone, AZ in the 1800's. And that is not the direction this country needs to go in.

Why do progressives hate guns?

"Yes, we fully understand what "shall not be infringed" really means. It means freedom. Freedom from tyranny."

Every time I publish an article about guns, I get push back from some of my left of center (or just plain Leftist) friends. Many have an antipathy for guns. The hate the gun rights we have. Actually, many hate the Second Amendment itself. I have heard such things in the past as, "Why do we need that archaic amendment anyhow? We have police to protect us. Plus, we don't need to hunt anymore. We have Cub Foods to go to."

The other day we were out and about, and I saw a bumper sticker I had never seen before - "I carry my Glock only because a cop is too heavy to carry." It gave me pause to think. Why do so many patriots today love the fact we can carry? For starters, just for the same reason that bumper sticker states. Sometimes, when serious trouble comes, there is not time to get on your cell phone and call 911. Sometimes, when you life is in danger, having a firearm is the difference between being a survivor and a statistic.

But the real reason patriots love and cherish our natural and God given right to bear arms, has nothing to do with hunting or target practice. Those items were never the intent of the Framers. And that is where the great divide lies between progressives and patriots. Whereas, patriots believe in a limited government, and any power the government has have been granted to it by the citizens, progressives are willing to cede ALL rights to a massive and unchecked government. The Framers, fearing this might happen, penned the Second Amendment. It is our check and balance against a government run amok.

One of my favorite things I hear from the progressives goes something like this: "If only we could ALL give up our guns, we would live in a much safer world." As Mayor Joe of Garage Logic would say, "Only if we had a giant magnet which could take all the guns away, especially those belonging to crooks." Why would Joe say that? Because OUTLAWS, who by their evil nature, live outside the law, will NEVER give up their guns.

Many progressives believe in a Nirvana more than a free America. They reject the saying that "Freedom is not free". They have no time for our military. Just the other day, a progressive school teacher in California said something like (I paraphrase) "only dolts go in the military".

Progressives hate guns - it does not matter if they are in the hands of private citizens, the police, or our military. Obama type progressives would rather see military as a small self defense force, unarmed Bobbies for cops, and of course, an unarmed population. Our Framers however, did not see it that way.

"Shall not be infringed". Gotta love those four words. It is like the Framers wanted to say, "don't you DARE screw with this right!". But, they came up with more eloquent words instead. Yes, I am a legal gun owner. I have more than one gun. I vigorously support the police who protect us. And I am a retired vet. I cannot say enough GOOD things about the brave men and women to serve to protect us. 

Maybe we do need to let California go. They can become their own country. Moonbeam can be their emperor. Let California be the land of dope smoking, sanctuary for illegals, and a gun free zone - that is, except for criminals. Then all the progressives in the other states can move to the nation of California, and establish their version of Nirvana.

The rest of us however, will keep living in this Great Experiment called America. This great nation which was given to us by our Founders. It continues to be the land of the free, and home of the brave. Yes, we fully understand what "shall not be infringed" really means. It means freedom. Freedom from tyranny.