Restricting Our Rights

The Left is trying to inhibit liberty in general, except regarding sexual license. Barack Hussein Obama is determined to curtail gun freedom. Obama is also pressing for his Environmental Protection Agency to have vast power to block us from using our own property as we see fit, if water ever ponds or puddles on it. Obama's EPA will call this a "navigable waterway" and institute what amounts to a "taking". Obama thinks he is clever in these attempts at overreach. I think he is a not-so-closeted Marxist. Obama is widely supported by his fellow travelers who are running our colleges and universities. These administrators have throttled liberty by instituting bans on what they call "hate speech" with campus speech codes. They use the ludicrous rationale of letting everyone "feel safe" on campus to deny the Constitutionally-protected right to say controversial things. They may permit a small "free speech zone" in an obscure place on school grounds for a student to spout dissent or hand out pamphlets in an area with little foot traffic. Students often need prior consent where what is to be said or distributed is pre-screened by what amount to administrators acting as censors to use even these "free speech zones". The college campus was central to the left rising to power in the 1960s and 1970s in the faces of what Nixon aptly called the "Silent Majority". The radicals of that era are now the authorities and are stifling the formerly Constitutionally-enshrined rights of those who disagree with them. The path Bill and Hillary Clinton used to gain power that started with campus activism is being denied to those who might rise to power by opposing Leftism.

An Epic Event

Bob Schieffer is retiring From CBS Snooze. His departure from Sunday morning television may not be quite up to the final episode of M.A.S.H., but I imagine his final Face the Nation will double his regular audience. I am sure nationwide at least several hundred more people will tune in to wave goodbye to the heart on the sleeve liberal liar, who occasionally pretended objectivity to keep Republican guests from ostracizing the increasingly ossified leftist mouthpiece. I never really cared that old Bob was on the air. I will not miss him now that he is leaving. I have no doubt that his replacement will be just as much a partisan hack as Schieffer, the has-been (if he ever really was), has been.

About Tennessee Weather

Al Gore must be right. His sorta home state of Tennessee has experienced the horror of climate change. A couple of days back, Nashville had rain and hail. Yesterday, Nashville was sunny. It could not possibly be totally natural phenomena. It must be all those sport utility vehicles middle Tennesseans are driving. If we just give up those gas guzzlers and air conditioning and electricity, Tennessee will have a climate as perfect as Camelot.

Some Warped Priorities

Listening to the Glenn Beck program this morning, I found out several members of the US House of Representatives want to give free college to prison inmates by way of Pell Grants. Mike Broomhead, who was filling in for Glenn, went on to describe how, as this free school for felons was being put forward, veterans of the United States armed forces were losing access to some of their opportunities for higher education. We should educate any veteran who seeks college before we offer benefits to offenders. We should also educate citizens and withhold in-state tuition breaks (and I would even say college admission) to those who are not even legally in the country. The taxpayer should be under no obligation to pay for those who have been caught breaking the law or those who sneak-in from abroad. Do you think an American could illegally enter Mexico, rob a Mexican bank, and then expect the Mexican taxpayers to pay his way through university?

The Bubble Burst

Was yesterday's crash on American stock markets a minor correction? It could be the start of the feared bubble bursting. The Fed has few tools left at its disposal to stabilize US stocks. Obama's Treasury Department has no arrows left in its quiver. The one percent lowering of stock values is not the end. I see many US issues giving back fifty percent or more of their presumed value on the near horizon. I see nothing coming from Washington that can prevent that. Hold on tight, the real Obama recession is about to declare itself, and if other blocks fall, like Greece, we may see ourselves in a worldwide economic depression by winter.

A Little Miracle

Yesterday, our short-legged, toothless, thirteen year old dwarf Keeshond "Curry" escaped from the safety of the house while some furniture was being moved. By the grace of G-d, Curry was not eaten by a coyote. Neighborhood dogs did not rip her to pieces. She crossed a five lane US highway without being struck by a vehicle. Thankfully, the day Curry picked for her adventure was a holiday with less traffic. An across the street neighbor, who is now one of our angels, who did not really know us or know who Curry belonged to, grabbed her to save her life. That neighbor managed to cross back to our side of the road, and left Curry in the capable hands of Mrs. Campbell, who did not know we owned Curry either. In the three years since we rescued her from a kill pound, Curry had only gotten out one other time off-leash. We are so thankful and blessed that Mrs. Campbell took Curry in with her gentle German Shepherd and kept her safe until we could be reunited. We thank you friends and thank the Lord for sparing our little Curry.

We Never Met

I had two uncles that I never had the chance to get to know. One was a pilot during World War II, who made it through combat unscathed. He kept flying private aviation and died in a crash on a golf course when I was a baby. The other uncle was that same Aunt's first husband. He met his end when his B-24 Liberator blew up over the English Channel in 1944. That uncle was Nathan "Ned" Hatkoff. He had the world in the palm of his hand before the war. He played in the band under Spike Jones and came from a prosperous family. Ned gave his all for all of us. Ned Hatkoff will be commemorated today, along with hundreds of thousands of other heroes.

What Many Forgot

Some do not remember the Alamo. If they do, they may take it to be a car rental agency. Some folks do not remember the Maine. In fact, the really obtuse may not even know that Maine is one of the fifty states. Sadly, there really are Americans who really do not remember Pearl Harbor. I would venture a guess that there are some who have already forgotten September 11, 2001. Lest we never forget that the price of freedom is dear, lest we never forget that liberty is paid for in blood and with eternal vigilance, we must remember all these events and consecrate the memory of all those who have laid down their lives to preserve our constitutional republic.

The Candid Candidate

If someone honest was seeking the office of President of the United States, that person would have to report that the eighteen trillion dollars in Federal government debt is not recoverable. That frank truth teller would also have to declare that real unemployment is actually more than double what the Federal government claims it is, because Obama's minions are using heavily massaged (manipulated) statistics. That truthful candidate would have to say the Federal Reserve has run amok and that we are left with fiat currency. That forthright leader would have to admit that jihad was overwhelming the Middle East. That aspirant would have to confess the US is selling out her allies with the Iran nuclear deal. That leader would have to try to bridge the chasm between the races that is worse under our first "post-racial" President than at any time since the 1960s. Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, and Rand Paul may be that frank with America's voters.

Extinguishing the Lamp

The legend has it that Diogenes walked about with his lamp even in broad daylight looking for an honest man. Our sports stars are now fallen, no longer heroes, but practitioners of he who cheats the most wins. Lance Armstrong, who had apparently done so much good, is forever labeled a cheater. Alex Rodriguez has struck out as a role model. Tom Brady wears a crooked halo. Even the most notable Presidential candidate is known more for her lies than her accomplishments. Old Diogenes may still be looking somewhere, as it seems society is corrupt to its very core.

Socialist Safety Net

If you simply want to survive, you may be perfectly content on the dole. If you want the best chance to thrive, remaining in welfare programs is not a way to prosper. Three hots and a cot is not how anyone ever became rich. Accepting that sort of assistance from government will never help anyone climb the ladder of success. I am not saying not to accept vocational training or a Pell Grant. Those programs may lend a helpful hand on the journey to upward mobility. I am saying if you are satisfied with a welfare check or EBT, you are fooling yourself because you can work harder and do better. If you are able-bodied and able-mind, you can still achieve prosperity in America by working smart and living beneath your means while you accumulate savings till the time comes that you can fully enjoy the wealth you have created.

Wacko in Waco

People in Texas generally seem to be like anyone from anywhere else. They do have a penchant for wearing hats seldom seen in other places. Something may be amiss in Waco, Texas. First, we had the David Koresh death cult. Then, we had a Baylor basketballer murder a teammate. Now, we have a biker battle that killed more people than the battle at Fort Sumter that started the US Civil War. Clearly, the motorcycle gang members took it a step too far. I wonder though how many autopsy reports will find the fatal injuries were inflicted by the police as they tried to quell the violence?

Islamic State Advances

There is much talk about the US military taking out the man who ran the sales of oil for ISIS. This is no doubt a victory for the West. It is a small victory though. At the same time, American ground forces showed skill and courage eliminating one important terrorist, the Islamic State captured Ramadi. This victory by the jihadists is a terrible blow. It is a strategic threat to Baghdad itself. That taking of a city seventy miles from Iraq's capital by the Wahhab murder cult is more important than our special forces knocking off a functionary, who though valuable to the terrorists, is easily replaced.

Biker Gang Bloodshed

We well remember the Branch Davidian massacre near Waco. Now, biker gangs have shed blood in that same city. I can not conceive of why, if trouble was expected, law enforcement did not use magnetometers and pat-downs to disarm potential troublemakers. The shootout almost sounds like a Hollywood concoction, but with nine dead bikers, the gunfight was all too real. There is plenty of fault to go around, starting with the criminals who opened fire, but could RICO statutes not be employed to restrict outlaw motorcycle gangs? I also wonder how many of the casualties were from police gunfire as lawmen tried to take control of the situation.

A Somber Sunday

It is dark and cloudy with rain in Louisville today. The weather perfectly reflects my mood. I am distressed for my country and the world. Barack Hussein Obama has led the nation down the primrose path. Obama presides over an economy where over ninety million adults are not working or seeking work. Obama has allowed chaos to reign abroad. Obama has sold out the Ukraine and turned away from America's traditional allies in the Middle East. Obama has been more destructive of liberty at home and abroad than any other US President. It is not just a dark day for Louisville but for America and the world.

"Angel of Peace?"

The Pope has just called Palestinian terror leader Abbas "an angel of peace". "Angel of death" might be more appropriate. The thesis Abbas wrote for his degree supported Holocaust denial. Abbas funded murder as the second in command to Arafat in the PLO. Abbas has consistently praised those who have murdered Jews to Arab audiences. He has blessed the naming of streets and town squares after those who slaughtered innocent Jews. His speeches in Arabic to Palestinians continue to incite violence against Jews. With his statement praising an archterrorist, this Pope is simply carrying on a two thousand year tradition of Jew-hatred within the Catholic Church that was briefly interrupted in 1965 by the Nostra aetate and by more positive relations during the Papacy of John Paul II. Fostering good relations between Muslims and Catholics is more important to Pope Francis that treating Jews justly. Jews have long ago given up the idea that Catholics will treat us fairly.

Defining a Radical

To Leftists, Ted Cruz might be considered a "radical conservative". That would be an oxymoron. A conservative can not be a radical- a "reactionary" (which Cruz is not) maybe- but not a "radical". If a US President was a "rabid radical", he might order B-52s to bomb America's suburbs. That would be radical and if Robert Mugabe somehow came to be President of the United States that might happen. Just because Barack Hussein Obama is not that extreme does not mean that Obama is not a radical. I would contend any American politician who wants to turn America away from her Founding Values is a radical. Obama has certainly been doing just that since he entered the political arena. Obama is not Stalin, Pol Pot, or Mugabe, but he is nonetheless a radical.

Vatican Bashes Israel

From the folks that brought you the largest child-rape cover-up in human history, we now have official recognition of the non-existent Arab state of Palestine. The Roman Catholic Church- you know the one that gave us the Inquisition- has just granted its diplomatic blessing to the terror state of Palestine. Just look what a great job of protecting Christians the other real existing Arab countries are doing. So why not reward the Muslims who are murdering, ethnically-cleansing, and chasing Christians from their midst with one more intolerant hate state? The Jewish State is the only nation in the Middle East where Christians are not routinely persecuted and where Christian patrimony is not being obliterated. In many ways, the Vatican is an enemy of good.

The Train Crash

The Amtrak train that crashed was traveling at one hundred to one hundred and seven miles per hour in a fifty mile per hour zone according to various reports. A supposed collapsing national infrastructure has nothing to do with last night's disaster. If the passenger train was speeding that much over the limit, no modernization of the rail system would have averted the tragedy. No feat of engineering can overcome someone so cavalierly risking so many lives by doubling (or more than doubling) what had been determined to be a safe rate of travel. Sometimes a speed limit is not arbitrary, but there to protect travelers. More investigation is necessary, but going around a dangerous curve at 107mph is an invitation to catastrophe.

A Transportation Tragedy

Train passengers have been injured (and perhaps even killed) in a terrible Amtrak crash in Philadelphia. At this point, it is not certain what caused this event. What is known is that hundreds of rescue personnel are trying to save the wounded. I have heard that mass transit is statistically safer than driving a car. It may well be, but I would rather not place my fate in the hands of a stranger. Please pray for those on the train.

Hillary Losing Steam

I have seen no groundswell of support for Hillary Clinton. In fact, with recent allegations against the Clinton Foundation gaining traction, Hillary's campaign has actually lost momentum. The inevitable Democrat nominee for 2016 may not be so inevitable after all. Martin O'Malley and Elizabeth Warren have both been mentioned as potential contenders to challenge Hillary. Jim Webb may also be in the mix. Bernie Sanders has declared, but his campaign is already floundering. There are several Republicans who seem capable of defeating Ms. Clinton, should she secure the Democrat nomination. Hillary is definitely beatable.

No World Order

US Presidents have for some time promised (or threatened) a "New World Order". In the event, they have actually delivered chaos and anarchy. How stable does the Middle East look with ISIS chopping off heads like decapitation is a box score sport? How safe are Christian communities and other religious minorities in Iraq and the Levant? Is Iran now a stabilizing force or are the Mad Mullahs more threatening than ever as they approach owning a nuclear arsenal unfettered from guarantees by American Presidents who promised Tehran would never be allowed a single atomic weapon? Civil disorder reigned for days in Baltimore. A New York City policeman was assassinated last week, followed just yesterday by the murder of two law enforcement officers in Mississippi. Both at home and abroad, we see the opposite of order.

The Right Direction

I am somewhat heartened that the political Left was crushed in elections in Israel recently and this week in the United Kingdom. While the candidates who won the premierships in both those plebiscites were not as conservative as I hoped, they are certainly better than the far Left. Netanyahu in Israel is center right. Cameron in Great Britain, while nominally conservative is a centrist. Neither Netanyahu nor Cameron is hard Right. Both are preferable to the socialist appeasers of radical Islam who opposed them. Can you imagine how much weaker the fight against Islamism would be had Livni or Lapid won in Israel or Ed Miliband gained victory over David Cameron?

A Forgetful Friday

With a new baby, life is pretty hectic. With my Mom recovering from a stroke a three hour car ride away as well, I find myself overtaken at times by events. I attempt to submit a fresh column every day. These days, my daily commentary takes a back seat to my family situation. I may not be able to write a daily "Despot". I remain firmly committed though to helping a conservative win the US Presidency in 2016.

A Texas Mess

Those who have pointed out that the Fort Hood Nidal Hasan massacre took place in Texas are correct about geography but did not grasp the gist of my "Mess with Texas" posting. Unarmed people were indeed slaughtered by the mad major, but Fort Hood is a Federal Reservation on land that happens to be in Texas, where those charged with defending the rest of us, members of the US military are and have been incomprehensibly disarmed. Unlike ordinary Texans, military members were stripped of the ability to defend themselves with personal firearms. They were (and are left) at the mercy of terrorists who ignore laws mandating particular places be gun-free zones. It is insane to think a picture of a gun with a line through it will deter someone bent on doing evil. It is bizarre to think those charged with defending the nation should not be trusted to defend themselves with firearms ordinary citizens are permitted.

Not Sharia Compliant

I will never participate in stoning an adulteress or anyone else to death. I will not abet the killing of anyone because of sexual orientation. I will not try to extract a tax from someone because he or she believes in another faith. I will not try to murder anyone because they pray differently than I do. I will not try to impose a state of dhimmitude on someone because they apprehend Divinity in ways I do not. I will not destroy the cultural heritage or religious patrimony of others. I will only respect faiths that are tolerant of other religions.

Louisville and Die

There is an old expression, "see Rome and die". Some attribute the quote to Goethe, but some say he actually referenced Naples. In any event, one should not actually have to lay down his or her life to attend a cultural event anywhere. A tourist from Canada decided to take in one of the world's greatest races. Scott Hunter of Toronto should have left Louisville with no more than a hangover from mint juleps, but instead was callously murdered by dregs of society. This tragedy has not been widely publicized, but if it were, it might discourage people from attending future Derbys, or even visiting Louisville.

Mess with Texas

Islamic extremists launched an armed attack on a free speech event in Texas. What the terrorists did not factor in was that they were facing Texans. Well-trained and heroic Texas law enforcement was guarding the event. The jihadists were not facing unarmed French as was the situation with the Charlie Hebdo police bodyguards who failed to prevent a massacre. They were up against the same ethos that tamed the West. The heroes from police agencies kept everyone attending the event safe. They killed the terrorists. Police risked their lives to protect our cherished rights to life, assembly, and free speech. Last night, freedom won in Garland, Texas.

Enemy of Good

"Never let the perfect be the enemy of the good" is an expression that has existed in politics for quite a while. This timeworn statement speaks to the virtue of compromise. It is one of the main reasons GOP Presidential nominees tend to be moderate. Those moderate Republican candidates for President tend to lose. America does not need another progressive GOP seeker of the Oval Office to carry the 2016 banner. McCain and Romney were centrists and they lost. What the Republican party needs is a seachange. The GOP must nominate an authentic conservative and that aspirant must win the White House to reverse the steamrolling socialist course the Democrats and GOP moderates have the nation taking. I am absolutely confident Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, or libertarian conservative Rand Paul could save our country. I am less certain Marco Rubio or Scott Walker will hold with the conservative principles the US needs to stop the bleeding. I am absolutely certain Jeb Bush and Chris Christie will not uphold the founding values of our nation as they are no more than Democrat-lite. Vote right to prevent America slipping further into night.

A Saturday Solution

Those rioting in Baltimore seemed more interested in looting liquor than in seeking the truth about the death of Freddie Gray. Since stealing alcohol seemed high on their agenda, let us ponder what Jonathan Swift might suggest, were he on the good side of the ground today. Perhaps, the government could let people use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to purchase booze. Alternately, there could be a liquor ration in areas where folks might otherwise resort to stealing it. We could keep whole neighborhoods sedately buzzed. As we are already provisioning many with all the necessities, we can keep certain sectors of society just drunk enough that they are rendered harmless.

World Versus Israel

Barack Obama has rehabilitated Iran, in spite of the fact that Iran has just seized a Marshall Islands flagged vessel in international waters that by treaty should have received US protection. Obama is so anxious to embrace the mad mullahs of Tehran that he is willing to ignore Iranian piracy. Obama seems to be ready to cut loose America's traditional ally Israel in favor of the Islamic Republic. The United States is about to pull the umbrella of protection formerly afforded the Jewish State in the United Nations and other multilateral international bodies that are squarely against the Zionist Entity and have always wanted Israel sanctioned, but have not been able to sanction the Jewish State because Israel always enjoyed an American veto over measures that would have harmed the Jewish State. What has Iran done to get back into America's good graces? Absolutely nothing- Iran continues to attempt to build nuclear weapons apace and remains the world's worse sponsor of terror. What has Israel done to alienate America? Absolutely nothing as Israel has conceded everything to Obama except the very existence of the country as the sole Jewish state on the face of the earth.