Our growing drug problem

 

 

"Call it heroin, call it 'horse', or call it what it really is - poison..."

This posting might end up where I have a different opinion than some of my most ardent Libertarian friends. It is about drugs, and what they are doing to our society. What they are doing to our young people. What they are doing to our moral fabric. This is a vexing problem which is only getting worse every year.

It is all over the metro area now. Nobody, or no area, seems to be immune. How bad is it? Just in Hennepin County, heroin overdoses have gone from 8 deaths in 2010 to 54 this past year. In the very safe confine of Anoka County, heroine is suspected of causing 21 fatal overdoses last year, up from two in 2008. Just this morning in the paper, there was on obit for a 19 year old kid who died of an "accidental overdose".

What can we do? Here are some thoughts:

• Anoka County is having three open meetings at three different locations within the county to address this problem. Bravo for that! We need more however, and in every county.
• Change the drug laws. If you get caught using a Class A drug like heroin, you get no jail time, but mandatory "in patient" treatment.
• If you get caught selling a Class A drug like heroin, it is 10 years (no parole) for the first offense, 20 for second, life for third. Selling a lethal drug is no better than attempted murder.
• Let us face facts. Regardless of where it is grown, the vast majority of heroin comes up through Mexico, and then across our southern border. If you get caught smuggling heroine into this country, you get 20 years in a Federal pen with no parole. Period - no exceptions.
• Finally, we need to control our borders. They continue to be a mess, and only a fraction of illegal immigrants or drugs are caught at the border. We need to starve the beast.

We can continue to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to this problem. Or we can do something. Kids with addictive personalities are particularly susceptible to this poison. I am sick and tired of seeing evil win costly battles in our war on drugs. We need better prevention, better treatment, and a cessation of punishing the victims. The only time a drug user should see incarceration is if he or she refuses treatment. At that point in time, that person would be incarcerated for their own good.

There is a huge difference between recreational use of marijuana and being a slave to a Class A drug like heroin. We need to use common sense in how we handle our drug issue. I really don't give a rat's behind if we legalize pot or not. I do however, care deeply about getting all other drugs out of our country. Our kids are our seed corn. Lets help the ones who need it. Let us help them fight this beast.

Healthcare woes....

 

 

 

"I am sorry - the doctor is not in. In fact, he will never be in again..."

I almost, I need to repeat the word "almost", feel sorry for the Obama Administration on how the crown jewel of his presidency is coming along. Back when I talked like a sailor, I would say this thing was a cluster something or other. Today, I will just say it is a hot mess.

The true believers on the Left had high, high hopes that by the 2014 midterms, ticker tape parades would be held for any Democrat running for re-election. Instead, the only running is the sprinting many Democrats are doing trying to get away from ObamaCare. Rather than a life preserver, it is an anvil.

The latest bombshell was the CBO report. It seems the CBO's reputation vacillates between guru (if they say something favorable about the Administration) to pariah (if they tell the truth about the Administration). Part of the selling package for ObamaCare was the 4 million jobs it would create, many of those immediately. Instead, the CBO is forecasting 2.5 million FTE (full time equivalent) jobs will go away. In a land awash with temporary and part time workers, we sure don't need more of them.

In addition, everyone is waiting with baited breath for the employer mandate to take effect. Many are expecting this to be the straw which will break ObamaCare. That is, unless the paucity of enrollments by the young healthy group continues. That will kill the ACA even faster. Oh, and please don't forget the web portal. It is far from being fixed, with more good money being poured into fixing the back end problems. How much money? You will never hear how much from the lap dog media. I will tell you however, Accenture's rates are not cheap.

In Minnesota, we have our own kettle of fish with MNSure. We are now hiring temps to staff the help desk phones. Why? So far MNSure has been a classic fail. We can no longer blame good old April, since she has now moved on to greener pastures. We can however, blame her boss. And how about all that bonus money paid for this mess? NOBODY it seems, has the stones to go after the people who received this money and retrieve it.

One final word about ObamaCare. I heard another study recently which stated the number of uninsured after total implementation of this thing could be the same as before we started. Huh? The only difference is the people who will be uninsured are different than the ones before the program started. The only thing that will change is the people. Is this the change we have been promised and voted for?

Oil, once again...

 

 

"We have been given the gift of abundant energy when the world is starting to run out. Yet we don't know how to receive this gift..."

I thought for today, I would just do some fact checking on our nation's oil supply and transportation thereof:

• Fact One - Whether we like it or not, a nation's prosperity runs on energy. If a nation has to import most of its energy, it becomes a slave to the country that provides it. Without energy security, a nation will never truly be secure.
• Fact Two - Wind energy will never be viable - ever. It is only good for killing our precious birds and bats. Solar will, but only to a degree. However, that is still decades off. Everyone knows we are in the "twilight" of our fossil fuel energy. However, we can't "fact forward" the clock - it is our main source right now.
• Fact Three - The Bakken Fields of North Dakota continues to surpass expectations. As our technology continues to develop, it is estimated that this amazing find could yield up to 24 billion barrels! In anybody's book, that is "a lot of cheddar!"
• Fact Four - Our Administration continues to live in a state of fear of some "greenies" on the Loony Left. As such, much safer oil delivery methods, such as Keystone XL, sit on the shelf gathering dust.
• Fact Five - Oil transportation by rail is up 400% over the past few years. With very few major pipelines coming, that number can only go up. There was an article in the paper today about many states preparing for more environmental catastrophes from increased oil car accidents. Duh! Build the dang pipeline then!
• Fact Six - Failure to plan is nothing more than planning to fail. Just ask the tens of thousands of propane customers nationwide. This has been a shortage which did not have to happen.
• Fact Seven - We are becoming the new Saudi Arabia, despite the best efforts of our own government to stop it. We have more natural gas than ANYWHERE. Our heating bills should be dirt cheap, despite the severity of the winters. We will soon be an oil and gas exporter.

We march forward into 2014 without a comprehensive energy policy. Market forces alone have taken us this far. With the help of a cooperative government, we could truly be an energy powerhouse right now. Before too many years, our grandkids will only know of fossil fuels from what they read in the history books. Today however, this wonderful fuel is our lifeblood.

Voting with eyes wide open (or shut)...

 

 

 

"This time, are we voting to get a pig in a poke, or the 'real deal'?"

Here it is folks. The first shot across the bow. The number one thing to do as we kick off the Election 2014 season. Yes, it is caucus night. A chance to meet and greet, hear and be heard, see and be seen. In the land of grass roots politics, it does not get much "grassier" than caucus night in Minnesota.

I am fascinated by voting. In particular, why people continue to vote for the same type of candidate which has led to a broken or dysfunctional system. I don't mean to gang up on the Democrats, since both parties do it. I will however, address the "Yellow Dog" Democrat. A "Yellow Dog" is an old term which means that someone is so loyal to the party, they would vote for a "Yellow Dog" if that who was on the ticket. Blind loyalty, low information, eyes wide shut.

One of the big changes we have had in our country (and our state), is more and more adults once again believe in Santa Clause. Yes, he does exist - only not in the North Pole. People will soon be hearing a slick candidate tell them he or she needs their vote. The candidate will promise to level the playing field, punish the rich, give them free health care, and so on. Lots of promise, very little substance. For today's low information voter (who believes in Santa Clause), that is all they need to hear. They can't get to the voting booth fast enough. The result has been stunning. We have a government transforming our country, our society into paper machete rather than bricks and mortar.

My advice to all this evening is to think, ask, and keep your eyes wide open. Know the smell of snake oil, and how to avoid it. There are some "true believers" in our midst - however, there are many more who are only posers. It has been said we only get the government we deserve. When you look at the metrics of our economy right now, that statement rings true. We re-elected a guy who registered off the scale on the "classic fail" meter. What did we get in return? More of the same. Eyes wide shut.

Tonight, candidates who offer real change, real hope, will get my vote. Not just anyone who is a big talker. I have been around the block enough times to know the difference between wheat and shaft. This time around I want more wheat as I am tired of being shafted. 

The Tragedy of Hollywood

 

 

"Hollywood, our one time dream factory, has turned into a nightmare of garbage and filth..."

Last summer, Cory Monteith died at the age of 31. He was a rising star from Glee and had the world at his finger tips. However, drugs and alcohol took control of his life. In the end, the drugs won, and Cory lost.

Yesterday, instead of focusing on a football game, two Hollywood events stole the headlines. First, Phillip Hoffman died at the age of 46 from a heroin overdose - the same drug that killed Cory Monteith. The other story was a new allegation from Woody Allen's daughter, that Woody molested her as a child.

It sickens me and saddens me to see what Hollywood has become. Many movies Harvey Weinstein have made are excellent examples. Gratuitous sex, mindless violence, gutter language, blasphemy, you name it. Movies are a witches brew of filth and depravity. We now go to movies to see he worst of us portrayed, not the best. Directors who want to make good wholesome movies with family or Christian values, are almost run out of town.

James Lipton is the head of the Actor's Studio. A few years ago while channel surfing, I stumbled upon this show. One of the actor's asked Lipton what his favorite line was from a show. His response was numbing. Lipton said it was the way an actor said one short line, which was the name of our Savior. It was not said in a reverent or respectful way - quite the contrary. My thought was this - with all the lines uttered in Hollywood, this was the best? It should have been the worst. However, in a town that spews out garbage, taking the Lord's name in vain is par for the course.

No actor that dies an untimely death from drugs, alcohol or suicide gives me any pleasure. On the contrary, they all sadden me. For they are victims of our newest Sin City.
And who is to blame? We are. First, we refuse to control our southern border. Fact - that is where most of the illegal drug traffic comes from. Fact - we continue to patronize garbage movies. The result is the beast is fed, and then takes that money to make more crap to poison our souls. However, if we starve the beast, he will change. Change or die.

So to Mr. Hoffman, we say goodbye. It is too bad you will not be with us to act in more roles. You will be missed by many. However, others will soon take your place, take the roles you would have won. And Hollywood will continue to ruin people and taint our silver screens. When we wonder what has happened to the soul of our youth as well as ourselves, we need to look no further than the movie screens, the television, and the video games.

Mysterious Love

 

 

"February is the home of Valentine's Day - but do we really understand love?"

This "love" the New Testament teaches us, is very hard to understand. Some say it is a mystery. Love your neighbor? How do we do that if your neighbor is a jerk? Love your enemy? Really? Loving others the way you love yourself? Have you seen "others" lately"? Good grief.

However, this is what happens when the "New Adam" (Jesus) replaces the "Old Adam" within us. We learn the true meaning of love - the cornerstone of the world. As much as we try to understand scriptural love, we can't. Love, as described by God, is an order of magnitude, times forever, beyond what we can understand.

It is by no accident that Bible does not instruct us to love each other the way God loves us. It would be impossible. God's love is Agape Love - true unconditional love with no boundaries what so ever. Human love, as defined by the "Old Adam", is conditional. It is in our nature. That is why the Bible tells us to love within our capabilities. To love each other the way in which we love ourselves.

For most of us, this love thing is as hard as it is mysterious. I struggle with it each and every day. God does not however. His love is the same today it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. No change. Unconditional and without boundaries.

To me, the biggest mystery of Agape Love is this forgiveness thing that is mixed in with the love. Our former pastor would always tell us there is nothing so good we can do which would cause God to love us more, and nothing so bad which would cause God to love us less. What this means to me is this - no matter how far you have strayed from God, no matter how heinous your behavior, Father Abba is always waiting for your return with outstretched arms. Wow! That type of love is as mind blowing as it is mysterious.

So this Valentine's Day, when you tell someone you love them, think about the word love as it pertains to the Bible. Love is a very powerful four lettered word. So powerful, it can change the world. So powerful, that 2,000 years ago, it did.

Disclosure

 

 

"Truthfully, I don't know what they are. I just know they are something."

This is going to be a tough one to write this morning. I have been wrestling with doing this since last fall. However, today is the day. Before you call the "funny farm", or think I might have taken a long walk off a short pier, please hear me out.

Many countries around the world are beginning the process of disclosure. In other words, they are opening up, and declassifying records and files that have to do with UFOs. Many think that the United States might soon join the disclosure. I am not so sure they will.

Most people in this country have seen "something", know someone who has, or heard of someone who has. My son-in-law and I saw "something" about five years ago; my sister, her husband and neighbors saw a "something' glide over their lake in Brainerd, chased by two helicopters, about 20 years ago; I have talked to two or three other credible people who have had "something" type experiences.

For two weeks in July of 1952, our nation's capital was inundated with numerous UFO sightings. Not seen by a few, but by thousands in the DC area. They were tracked on radar, visible from the ground, and seen by some of the Air Force jets who chased them. They flew at unheard of speeds and made impossible maneuvers. There is still film of them (in formation) over the nation's capital building. It is available on Google or You Tube. The event is fully documented. To this day, this still remains a mystery.

In March of 1997, we had the famous "Phoenix Lights" event. It was witnessed by thousands across the state of Arizona, including Governor Fife Symington. The government said the lights were just flares dropped in a training exercise by A-10 Warthogs. People on the ground however, tell a different story. "Something", as big as an aircraft carrier, glided over part of the city of Phoenix. It made no sound, and when it passed overhead, it blocked out the stars. What was it? Still a mystery.

It seems like more and more credible people are coming forward with stories of "something". Radar operators from civilian life and the service have tracked things on functioning radars going at speeds up to Mach 20. Airline pilots have reported being followed or have had to dodge a "something". Some say that over 15 million American's have seen "something" unexplainable. Others say the number is much higher than that - worldwide it is estimated to be over 100 million.

Some think the reason our government is not disclosing the truth about UFOs is it will turn our society upside down. Others think it will destroy the world's religions. When I worked at Control Data, I worked with a lady who was a Nuclear Physicist. She was a highly educated woman as well as a person of deep faith. She knew in her heart we were not alone in the universe. She also knew that God was in control. In her mind, there was no dissonance with us sharing the cosmos and still knowing that God created everything. None what-so-ever. I happen to share that viewpoint.

So what are these things that more and more people keep seeing? I don't have the answer. I don't believe they are all mass hallucinations, swamp gas, weather balloons, or Venus - although I do believe many are totally explainable. I do know this much - many are "something" unexplained. I believe our government knows much more than they are letting on to. All I want is the truth. I, along with most of us, can handle the truth. Is the truth out there? I believe it is. I also believe it is in Washington, just waiting to be disclosed.