Try not to kill anyone…

The year is ending and a new one’s just around the corner.  Tennyson touched on the topic, Ring Out, Loud Bells, the passing of moments, change and hope all rolled into a cautiously cadenced hymn.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

You’ve likely seen infomercials warning folks not to drink and drive, images of police painted to blend in with their surroundings as inebriated individuals stagger down the sidewalk on the way to the parking lot without care. 

A few moments later the irresponsible individual is driving down the road, crossing the double yellow stripe into on coming traffic and weaving back at the last moment, the lights and siren bring the warning home as the driver is placed in the back of a police cruiser in handcuffs.  Don’t let this be you.

While working night shift as a police officer I had my share of DWI arrests.  The tell tale signs would present themselves; trouble holding the vehicle in one lane, poor reactions or inappropriate reactions alerted me to follow and observe a little longer. 

One fellow was driving well below the speed limit down the main lanes of Interstate 10 from downtown.  He caught my attention when he began braking for traffic lights that were on the service road.  He’d stop and wait for the light to turn green prior to continuing down the freeway as other drivers figured out how to get past without tangling fenders.   Thank goodness it was four in the morning and traffic was very thin. 

Then there was a rare ‘foot chase’ DWI; not making this up, stopped a DWI on foot.  The suspect was bouncing from one curb line to the other all the way down Kempwood in an industrial area; but headed for a residential area.   My rookie was on his 2^nd week of night shift so he’d earned the opportunity to actually drive the police unit.  He wasn’t sure what to do as we followed the DWI suspect at speeds reaching between 3 to 5 miles an hour; but wouldn’t stop.

The red lights and siren hadn’t gotten his attention so I stepped out of the police car and ran along side the suspect, tapping on his window to get his attention.  The look on his face was priceless as he came to a stop; believing his vehicle had been traveling at posted speed he must have thought he’d been arrested by Superman.  He was actually relieved as his nightmare ended without anyone being killed.

Of course there are other threats on New Year’s Eve, idiots shooting guns into the air as they ring in midnight.  The laws of gravity make this type of behavior doubly dangerous as pieces of lead can be heard falling through the leaves on trees all about.

I did my best to be tied up on some unimportant incident requiring a police report, a very long police report that would last until well after midnight and most of the insanity; you don’t make it to retirement by being stupid.

We had a ‘gung-ho’ new night shift sergeant one year who wanted to impress everyone with his bravado.  Several units, myself included, were told to meet about a block or so from a major low income apartment project where several fireworks complaints had been reported.  Off in the distance we could hear shotguns going off, an occasional rifle being discharged; all this mixed in with bottle rockets and other sundry fireworks that lighted up the night sky.

We were about to get under way when some fool let go with a fully automatic 9mm machine pistol in the middle of the project followed by a few more shotgun blasts into the air.  It was about that time when our fearless leader realized how futile our presence would be; but beyond that, furnishing some tanked up idiot to use our police cars for target practice.

It was decided that we’d hold off until such time as an actual complaint from one of the citizens was lodged.  Until that time we were instructed to remain in service and to ‘be careful’.

It’s become even more serious in our present day world, a world where a certain element of our society has declared war on police officers.   

What’s to keep these degenerates from using the chaos of New Year’s Eve as an opportunity to take out an unsuspecting cop responding to a fireworks complaint?   The suspect can claim it wasn’t him, must have been a stray bullet from some other fool’s gun.  The world has gotten much more dangerous for the ‘thin blue line’.

I’ll pass the same instructions on at this time, y’all be careful out there.  Happy New Year; and oh, try not to kill anyone and make sure you get home at the end of shift.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

What drives a Latter Day Saint?

This evening my wife and I attended a Christmas Devotional Service for Temple Ordinance Workers who serve in the Houston Texas Temple.  For us it’s become something of a tradition, a means of kicking off the Christmas Season.  This year was no different as we heard talks which touched our hearts from members of the Temple Presidency and their wives, short explanations of gratitude for all who serve along with insightful messages as pertain to the workings of the Temple.

President Brad Crane addressed us near the close of the meeting with an historical perspective based on his attending the Nauvoo Temple’s dedication.   I should mention this was the 2002 dedication for a replacement Temple for one which the Saints had to abandon in 1846 when they were driven out of their homes in the middle of winter and began their 1250 mile trek which eventually brought them to the Salt Lake Valley.

President Crane wondered aloud what could provide enough motivation for a family to leave their home in the middle of winter, cross the frozen Mississippi River and plod along in the wilderness day after day and continue to rejoice in the Lord?  Thousands were starving, sick or died as they faced hardships along the way and yet they persevered and even flourished upon reaching their new ‘home’ in the desert where nothing grew. 

How could this be so?

It must have something to do with what the Saints learned in the Nauvoo Temple, a place they would only get to visit once prior to being forced to leave everything behind.  What could you learn about God and your relationship from ordinances which are performed in the Temple?

I pondered what was being offered at the Christmas Devotional as it became clear that each Saint who crossed the Great Plains under extreme conditions, many lost family and friends along the way; these Saints learned of God and His love for each them to such an extent that their testimonies were strengthened beyond their physical weaknesses and permitted them to complete the journey.

There’s an account as recorded from the Family Record of Francis Webster Written by William R. Palmer which documented the testimony of a surviving member of the ill fated Martin Handcart Company.  (please take the time to read the included link)

Many years later during a Sunday School lesson a discussion was being held on the foolishness and lack of planning that went into the Martin Handcart Company and tragic consequences that befell so many Saints.  An old man who had been sitting quietly through the discussion could take no more as he stood up and silenced the class by explaining that he had been one of the survivors.

“We suffered beyond any thing you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation; but, did you ever hear a survivor of that Company utter a word of criticism? Not one of that Company ever apostatized or left the church because every one of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities. I have pulled my hand cart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said I can go only that far and there I must give up for I cannot pull the load through it. I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the Angels of God were there.

Was I sorry that I chose to come by hand cart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Hand Cart Company." The speaker was Francis Webster, and when he sat down there was not a dry eye in the room.” 

I suppose my original question, “What drives a Latter Day Saint?”, has an answer; but even so, few outside the Church can wrap their arms around it.  The driving force behind Latter Day Saints has to do with understanding their eternal relationship with our Father in Heaven, His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  

The ordinances available in the Temple are of an eternal nature.  The blessings enumerated in these ordinances are combined with covenants with the Lord which detail our responsibilities and commitment to building up the kingdom here on Earth.  If an individual understands his/her place in the eternities along with the rewards for faithfully adhering to the covenants made in the Temple; then hardships, sickness and even death have little power over such a testimony. 

In closing I’m reminded of a particular Hymn,  Come, Come Ye Saints.  

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell—
All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell—
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell—
All is well! All is well!

Text: William Clayton, 1814-1879  Music: English folk song

May this Christmas bring you closer to your Father in Heaven and the gift He gave us through His Only Begotten Son, our Savior, even Jesus Christ.  Amen.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Only Certain Lives Matter

Being Politically Correct has become a mandate, one which you had better take seriously.  Take for instance the push for Social Justice; you must be aware there is a concerted effort to establish a particular mindset intended to prosper a Black generation far removed from slavery.  We are to believe and act in a manner which presupposes Certain Blacks are exempt from personal responsibility in any way, shape or form. 

Entitlement programs which have been established and augmented over the years have been used as a spring board to bolster a prevailing minority opinion that Certain Lives have been dealt a losing hand and therefore deserve recompense from the taxpayers general fund; but also exemption from the Rule of Law which has dealt harshly and disproportionately with Certain segments of society.

The Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and 60s placed a national spotlight on some of the inequities which needed to be corrected.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. acted as a unifier of the human race as his Dream Speech touched the soul of America.  He envisioned children of all color playing and growing up peacefully together in a manner pleasing to the Lord.  King’s hope for the downtrodden came with a warning:

“But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.”

Flash forward to the present and it becomes painfully clear how the Dream has been transformed into a Nightmare.  Instead of unifying people of all races we have observed prominent leaders of the Black community driving a wedge into the heart of society. 

In only a few short years the United States of America has been transformed into the Segregated States of Promised Hope and Change; and not by accident.  President Obama has gone out of his way to lead this dividing process; having been raised under the teachings of Black theology, he sees America only for its faults.  The only Hope and Change Obama considers and fosters is for people of his own race; demeaning Whites, whose success must have been gained at the expense of poor descendents of the slavery era which ended long before any of us took our first breath.

Is it any wonder a generation of Black individuals has come to the conclusion that there is nothing wrong with taking what they haven’t earned even if it means becoming a thief, robber or even murderer?   

If ‘Whitey’ has something it must have been stolen from someone of color by virtue of ‘White Privilege’, isn’t that what is being preached?    

That translates into the social upheaval which has Certain young Black individuals walking into convenience stores to take whatever they want, rough up the owner when confronted and then get shot resisting a police officer; but that police officer should have been trained to understand the new order of society.

It’s that police officers fault; better still, it’s all of White Americas fault because Certain Lives are exempt from the Rule of Law and shouldn’t be held accountable to society as a whole; only to the cause which elevates Blacks to make up for hundreds of years of oppression.   

That sets up an interesting headline story headline story out of Northampton, Massachusetts, where Kathleen McCartney, president of Smith University has found herself apologizing because she didn’t employ Politically Correct verbiage as she counseled students and faculty following the Ferguson and New York police incidents and subsequent martyrdom of two beacons of Black society.   

“We are united in our insistence that all lives matter,”

So began her heartfelt message intended to stir a sense of… 

What the hell was she thinking?  Unified…all lives matter?  Apparently McCartney didn’t get the memo from Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton or any of the race baiters parading around the nation to stir up animosity, hatred and civil unrest.  Certain Black folks don’t want unity; they want retribution and superiority.

Having tendered her immediate apology, McCartney then added:

“I regret that I was unaware the phrase/hashtag “all lives matter” has been used by some to draw attention away from the focus on institutional violence against Black people,”

There you have it, America as dreamed about by Martin Luther King Jr., a land where children of all color and belief can live in peace and harmony; as long as Black thugs say you can because only Certain Lives Matter.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Thanksgiving Got Lost Along the Way

These four Norman Rockwell illustrations came to mind while considering my thoughts on Thanksgiving as an American holiday.  We have the opportunity to express gratitude to God for all of the blessing we have here in our country, even when dark clouds appear on the horizon.  The paintings are specifically named; Freedom From Want, Freedom of Speech, Freedom From Fear, and Freedom of Worship, and for most of us, stir those thoughts in our minds and offer hope that our nation will always have these freedoms.    

I hadn’t planned on writing any more than a short comment after having read an entry on Lisa Gray’s Facebook page which contained a link to Cort McMurray’s article, Thanksgiving, America’s best holiday – It’s the day when our differences don’t matter.  It’s wonderful to find everyone wishing a Happy Thanksgiving; ...that is until you figure out how far off the mark some of these folks are.

“Thanksgiving, the only American holiday not driven by patriotism or religion, or culture or any of the other traditions we use to differentiate ourselves.”

Excuse me….not driven by patriotism, religion, culture or other traditions…this is a joke…right?

There wasn’t one reference in the article to remind anyone that Thanksgiving was set aside as a National Holiday to give thanks to God, not one.  Isn’t it sad how a religious holiday has been lost along the way as we ignore our history?

But it’s worse than that; McMurray led off that line with, “Thanksgiving is the embodiment of our pluralistic democracy…”, a curious preface which didn’t appear in Lisa Gray’s abridged quote.

Isn’t that a bit odd, I mean…, to reference communism when introducing a purely American holiday since the virtues of a pluralistic democracy (socialism) are highlighted in The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, the first Marxist-Leninist general-purpose encyclopedia?  After a while you come to expect a leftist slant to most articles that find their way into the Houston Chronicle. 

Enough already…

Thanksgiving is our chance to show gratitude to God for establishing this nation as a land where we can enjoy our inalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  Thanksgiving is an American Holiday which should make each of us proud of our heritage, humbled to our understanding that God has provided this great country for His children to enjoy freedom to its fullest extent which includes honoring and worshiping God in our own individual way. 

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

It’s a day of Thanksgiving – Not Turkey Day

Folks calling Thanksgiving Day, ‘Turkey Day’ grinds on me.  I know they don’t mean any harm by it, toasting their glasses while enjoying a fine meal prepared with all the trimmings prior to watching football on the HD television screen that covers an entire wall in the den. 

In spite of colorful band uniforms, clowns, entertainers and all that is involved with a parade marching down Main Street, we aren’t paying homage to a major department store chain for having great products to purchase as we enter the “holiday season”.   Some of you are looking at the clock anticipating your favorite department store that has promised it will open at 6pm on Thanksgiving Day so shoppers will have a jump start on Black Friday sales items. 

Is it just me or isn’t that about the same as leaving church before the closing prayer so as to be home in time to watch the opening kick off?  

Thanksgiving Day is much more than a feast, more than getting together with family and friends.  Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day we acknowledge all the tender mercies and blessing which our Creator has provided.  Think of Thanksgiving Day as the 53^rd Sunday of the year, a bonus day to thank the Lord for any and all blessings.

America was founded by deeply spiritual individuals who based everything, including the formation of government on the Bible.  Everything we have is a direct result of Providence, the Hand of the Lord assisting the Pilgrims, early colonists and those who stood up to the King and declared our independence.   A careful study of America’s Revolutionary War victories point to many instances of divine intervention, nothing short of miracles as a rag-tag army, much of which was composed of farmers and shop keepers, defeated the most powerful military force in the world.

America was founded on Christian principles and divine intervention played a major role in our separation from Great Britain and the King; but this is no longer taught in our public schools, Atheists and communist sympathizers find these historical facts annoying.

Our children and grandchildren now are taught that George Washington was a terrible military leader who was just very lucky; nothing about his being protected by the Lord so that he might lead a fledgling nation.  Teachers can’t mention anything about God being at the foundations of our great country because of the Supreme Court’s ruling on separation of church and state.  Never mind that no such clause is found in our constitution; the Supreme Court said it’s hidden in an umbrella somewhere, so it must be.

Some of us were taught that the first Thanksgiving was started by Pilgrims to thank native Indians for showing them how to plant corn, how to fish and to survive the rugged environment.   Sounds nice, even logical; but it would be wrong.  The Pilgrims understood that their lives were in the hands of the Lord and that each day was a gift regardless of the challenges placed before them.

I recently read where second grade children at a school in Fairfield, Connecticut are taught that individual rights come from government.  That’s news to me; all this time I was under the impression that inalienable rights are a gift from God, the Eternal Father, our Creator and Lord.    

Public schools are indoctrinating our children in this matter; and, with little help from parents to correct these fallacies, it’s only a matter of time, perhaps only one generation before the lies become accepted.  Once these lies have been advanced and accepted, individual God given rights will become only a memory, a vague memory.   Government entitlements, permissions, permits and preferences are a poor substitute; but the rest of the world seems to think they’re okay so what’s the big deal... 

If the State succeeds in their goal of replacing God, declaring the State as a suitable replacement, America becomes a mere footnote in future history books, a failed Great Experiment in self governance.  Obama’s posturing and apologies to the world will come home to roost; isn’t that what he wants?  After all, America really wasn’t exceptional, no better than any other nation, we were just lucky and our luck ran out. 

As you sit down with family and friends to celebrate on this Day of Thanksgiving, take a few minutes to count your blessings, blessings the Lord has provided.  Enjoy your turkey dinner; but praise God and thank Him for the roof over your head, for family and friends in this nation that was designed and prospered by heaven above; and give thanks and credit where credit is due.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

The Real Ferguson Indictment

Last night marked a place in time for America; but I’ll get around to that in a bit.  The Grand Jury followed the law and decided there wasn’t sufficient (any) evidence to justify charging a Ferguson police officer with criminal charges because all the evidence established that he’d acted in self defense when he shot and killed a young man, a young man who had robbed and assaulted a business owner only minutes before, a large man sized youth who had attacked him and tried to take away his service pistol.

The news media, if they can still be called that after the way they’ve abused their privileged status and lost the trust of the American public…the news media has been building up for a race riot ever since the day of the shooting. 

They painted the officer as a white hate mongering racist who shot a defenseless innocent boy simply because he was black.  The only reason the cop shot a black kid was because white cops have always shot black kids; and on top of that, white cops don’t like having a black president; it’s the story to run with, and boy did they run with it.

Race pimps from around the country joined in building the bonfire pyramid; a chance to have a monumental burning down of the ‘old’ while ushering in the ‘new’.   Social Justice would take the place of the rule of law and the undeserving would be rewarded for being undeserving as a means of righting that which had gone on from the beginning of history; isn’t that the definition of Social Justice?

Interestingly, while the scum of the earth was looting and burning down business after business in Ferguson, all in the name of justice…a message showed up on my Facebook page.   

The instructions were to post a picture of the Lord’s House and then challenge anyone who hit the ‘like’ button to do the same.  If we offset the negative with something positive then it will show that we have our priorities in the right place.

I was supposed to wait until the name of a specific temple was sent; but the idea of supporting a great idea wouldn’t wait, I posted a picture of the Houston Temple.  Later, after receiving the ‘challenge’ I posted a picture of that temple as well. 

This morning over 35 individuals from my ‘friends’ list had stopped by to check out the challenge.  Before long Facebook could have quite a different feel to it; hundreds of folks posting pictures of the Lord’s House to offset the garbage being reported and over-reported from around the world.

As we go before our 'Grand Jury', what evidence will we supply to support an indictment?  There will always be plenty of evil, enough to go around and then some.  It will be up each of us to choose this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Shakespeare’s Thoughts on the Ferguson Riots

The Grand Jury will hand down its findings very soon regarding the police shooting in Ferguson.  The community has been in constant turmoil since the tragic event took place; much of the unrest coming in the form of rioting, looting and burning down store front businesses.  Waiting to find out whether or not the police officer will be charged has most everyone on edge.

An article appearing in the Conservative Tribune doesn’t do anything to make the public feel any more comfortable, Alert: New Video Shows Ferguson Protesters Training to “Shut Down” a Community. 

“Protests have been ongoing since the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson. A grand jury has been investigating the shooting and leaked testimony points to it exonerating the officer of any wrongdoing. Some have promised violence, even civil war, if Wilson is not indicted for Brown’s murder despite there being seemingly no evidence for such a charge.”

In an article posted to Time.com’s website a similar tone was set, Ferguson Braces for the Worst Ahead of Grand Jury Decision.   Fear has gripped the residents of the area and the sale of firearms has skyrocketed as the threat of chaos takes hold.

“Throughout the St. Louis area, citizens fear the riots that engulfed the city over the summer are about to return. A grand jury deliberating whether to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown is expected to come to a decision this month, perhaps as soon as late this week. And amid a steady drip of leaks that appear to corroborate Wilson‘s account of the encounter, protesters are readying for the possibility that the officer won’t be indicted on murder or manslaughter charges.”

Switching gears a bit…

Yesterday during one of our several meetings at church the lesson material was, Love and Concern for All Our Father’s Children, as found in the Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, who served in that capacity from 1970 – 1972.  

My thoughts immediately returned to the civil unrest going on in and around Ferguson.  Two paragraphs in the lesson manual leapt off the pages and distracted my thoughts, coming back to me over and over as the day pressed on.

“The God we worship is a glorified Being in whom all power and perfection dwell, and he has created man in his own image and likeness, with those characteristics and attributes which he himself possesses.

And so our belief in the dignity and destiny of man is an essential part both of our theology and of our way of life. It is the very basis of our Lord’s teaching that “the first and great commandment” is: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”; and that the second great commandment is: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (See Matt. 22:37–39.)” 

I suppose the good folks in Ferguson wish those who place themselves above the law, those who intend to shut down society, riot, loot and burn…the good folks in Ferguson hope they don’t have to confront any of these individuals in the next day or so; let the findings of the Grand Jury represent the voice of the people, all the people.

During our church discussion my friend, Mike Hunter, raised his hand and shared, “Most of us are jumping to our feet demanding justice, when we should be dropping to our knees pleading for mercy”, though he couldn’t recall who should get credit for the original quote.  Wouldn’t it be so much better if, instead of going head on into the fray looking to get even, wouldn’t we be better off getting on our knees and thanking our Father in Heaven for the tender mercies we’ve been shown?  (forgive me while I preach to the choir)

I tried to find the ‘author’ of the quote Mike supplied by doing a Google Search.  The closest idea, as pertain to the protests in Ferguson, was by William Shakespeare from his play, Romeo and Juliet.

“You think you are getting justice but really all you are doing is causing havoc…”

Shakespeare had it right, then and now; the protesters in Ferguson aren’t looking for justice.  They are looking for social justice, which isn’t justice at all; it’s revenge of the dirtiest sort.  They want to destroy all that is good around them so that everyone will be as miserable as they are.  In short, the protesters in Ferguson are following Satan and have no interest in the teachings of our Savior. 

The Golden Rule teaches that we should treat people as we wish to be treated; something to think about as events in Ferguson unfold in the days ahead. 

The good folks up Ferguson way, being afraid for their safety and well being, have recently armed themselves preparing for those who might do them harm.  Your choice, the Golden Rule… or should we bone up on a line from Shakespeare’s, Julius Caesar, “Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war”.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Jonathan Gruber Calls Supreme Court Justices Stupid

This past week we were treated to a revelation of sorts as a  video surfaced with Jonathan Gruber mentioning how easy it was to hide critical issues from the public in order to pass a monstrous piece of legislation; we’re just too stupid to figure it out.  Gruber was the architect who put together the Affordable Care act, more popularly called, Obamacare.

 “Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” says the MIT economist who helped write Obamacare. “And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the thing to pass.” 

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of (Obamacare) back in 2012, a ruling which expanded the Federal government’s role and powers.  The accumulated wisdom and knowledge of our judicial system, nine black robed demi-gods, came to the conclusion:

“The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. “Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness.”

Gruber is correct, at least to a certain extent, nothing else explains how the American public elected Obama, not just once but a second time.  Nothing else explains how the same liars and thieves continue to be elected to Congress and the Senate.

Long after Obamacare passed and was imposed on us by the President and Democrats who rallied their wagons around Obama’s most important piece of legislation, not one Republican voted for it; we found that all these loyal Democrats knew all along that Obamacare was a lie, that it wouldn’t do much of what was promised.

“In what should be considered a shameful admission, Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand admitted on ABC’s This Week that all democrats knew that Obama was lying when he fraudulently repeated over 30 times that, “If you like your insurance plan, you can keep it, period.” When asked by host guest host, Martha Raddatz, if Gillibrand felt misled by Obama’s promise to Americans of being able to keep their current health insurance plan, Gillibrand responded, “He should have just been more specific. No, we all knew.”’ 

Over two thousand pages of deceptions and hidden agenda items... and the highest court in the land focused their attention on an obscure loophole which permits the imposition of a tax…amazing, what more can you say than amazing!  The American people were lied to and all the Supreme Court justices can say, “Hey, it’s a tax, that’s what governments do; get over it”, or something to that effect.

There was an address given by Gene Nichol to members of the military, Conference on Strategic Deception in Modern Democracies, in which an interesting fact regarding our Executive Branch of government was brought out; the President can lie and get away with it.  While the topic that day had to do with military decisions it applies equally to all other aspects of the presidency; keep that in mind.

“First of all, there is no constitutional principle that says that the President of the United States or the Executive Branch must tell the truth. I teach constitutional law. If there such a principle existed, then surely the Nixon and Clinton administrations would have filled my case book! Yet they do not. Nor was there any constitutional cause of action when President Eisenhower was caught dissembling about the U2 flights.  Constitutional law does little to restrict strategic deception, whether we are talking of deception perpetrated in order to protect the country or deception carried out in order to support a war effort.”

I have no issue with the Commander in Chief of our armed forces protecting America’s interests by deceiving our enemies, leading them down the proverbial ‘garden path’ in order to safeguard national interests.  That said, it would appear that the President’s administration, the Democratically controlled Senate and the Supreme Court now consider the American public as the enemy; why else would they be united in their deception of the public?

The Supreme Court is supposed to be part of the checks and balance, a means of stopping questionable legislation from escaping the tyrannical grasps of either the legislative or executive branches of government.  They're supposed to safeguard the public from legislation which runs contrary to individual liberties; yea, that’s really working out well.

It has become painfully clear that the ‘Men in Black’, as they are often referred to, have lost sight of their purpose.  They're too busy checking the jot’s and tittles while missing the elephant in the living room. 

If Congress passed a law saying, “We be taking you money to pay for prostitutes getting free health care”, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Supreme Court came back and said, “We are in favor of it in spite of the law being grammatically challenged”.

Jonathan Gruber may be lacking in integrity or character; but he did get it right, American’s are just too stupid to recognize they are being lied to by those who are supposed to be representing their interest; that includes the Supreme Court.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Useless?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been in the headlines of late as Ebola takes center stage.  The CDC, your tax dollars at work, advertises in its banner, “CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People TM”.   Perusing their website gives you an idea of the importance placed on certain aspects they consider top priorities.
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# New York City Reports Positive Test for Ebola in Volunteer International Aid Worker

# CDC Announces Active Post-Arrival Monitoring for Travelers from Impacted Countries

# Breast Cancer Awareness

# Flu Season is Around the Corner

Then I read where a doctor who had been a volunteer working in an Ebola field hospital had returned to the United States, landed at New York’s JFK airport and given the ‘all clear’ by the CDC to go about mixing and mingling with the general population.  The only problem…the doctor wasn’t quarantined for any length of time and, as it turns out; you guessed it, the good doctor is infected with the Ebola virus.

“The doctor, Craig Spencer, 33, returned from Guinea 10 days ago after treating Ebola patients there. Since returning, Spencer rode the A, L, and No. 1 subway lines, went running, used an Uber livery cab, and went to a bowling alley in Williamsburg called the Gutter Wednesday night, said Dr. Mary Bassett, the city’s health commissioner. He also visited the High Line park in Manhattan at some point, she said. He began exhibiting a fever and diarrhea on Thursday morning,

Obviously this doctor was high risk – so what was he doing on a plane, subway, and cab, then running and bowling in public places?! And how did he miss out on taking the ferry and LIRR, for good measure? Maybe those were his Thursday plans before he got sick.”

I’m so glad the CDC, that government agency using our tax dollars, “24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People TM”, that CDC did such a good job containing a person they knew had been in contact with a contagious disease.  Just think about the folks that the CDC has no clue about, those coming through our open borders since things like that are not important to the Obama administration.

What about communicable diseases which are now being imported to the heartland of the United States from those who are not checked as they are welcomed with open arms and placed in our public schools?  Where is the CDC’s response warning everyone of the dangers of coming in contact with active Tuberculosis or God-knows what else has been brought here?

Maybe the CDC should share proper protocols for dealing with Ebola contaminants with those who are working first hand with this crisis… like these two police officers who, after visiting Ebola patient Dr. Craig Spencer’s apartment in New York City decided to toss their safety masks and gloves in the nearest public trash can.  

Moving right along…  We’ve been told by the CDC to get a Flu shot each year; but how effective and/or dangerous is the vaccine? 

“A Johns Hopkins scientist has issued a blistering report on influenza vaccines in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Peter Doshi, Ph.D., charges that although the vaccines are being pushed on the public in unprecedented numbers, they are less effective and cause more side effects than alleged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

{…}

“Not only is the vaccine not safe, Dr. Blaylock tells Newsmax Health, it doesn’t even work. “The vaccine is completely worthless, and the government knows it,” he says. “There are three reasons the government tells the elderly why they should get flu shots: secondary pneumonia, hospitalization, and death. Yet a study by the Cochrane group studied hundreds of thousands of people and found it offered zero protection for those three things in the general community.” (emphasis added)

The government’s pushing a Flu vaccine they know doesn’t work while using their arm twisting powers to force individuals to subject themselves to possible dangerous side effects, either that or lose their jobs; just wonderful.  This is the same government agency that can’t figure out how to keep one Ebola infected individual from exposing the population to this dreadful disease. 

Exactly how much money is being wasted by taxpayers to keep the CDC up and running?  For years the CDC has been pushing a Low Salt Diet, saving us from consuming too much Salt even though recent scientific studies published in the May 4 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association don’t support the claim; to the contrary, “The investigators found that the less salt people ate, the more likely they were to die of heart disease…” 

Saving us from catching the Flu even though the vaccine they’re promoting doesn’t work, limiting our Salt intake even though no conclusive data justifies it and making sure our society never comes in contact with Ebola; yea, they’re doing a great job.  Going down their list of priorities, at least these boobs have a handle on breast cancer.

The CDC is another example of government employees sucking the public teat and providing little if anything in return.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.