Guest Column

Democrats should do their homework before lining up behind Sleepy Uncle Joe

I'm sorry, but if your best candidate for President has to be given a script to read and a less rigorous campaign schedule, you have to wonder how he could handle speaking off the cuff with foreign leaders or the intense demands of a national crisis. I understand the allure of the elder statesman. But Joe Biden is not the smart choice. I don't dislike Joe and I am in his age bracket. I understand my limitations. And, yes I realize, the President shares our approximate age. I'm also a big enough person to acknowledge that some age quicker than others. Genetics, life time experiences, stress, and health issues all factor in. The President is blessed (though some would argue) with extraordinary energy. The President has vast real world experience in negotiations and problem solving. Joe Biden has been a politician for the last 47 years. A lot of his voting record seems to align more with Republicans than with Democrats. Democrats should do their homework before lining up behind Sleepy Uncle Joe.

Can we all agree that the deficit is too high?

Can we all agree that the deficit is too high? We should be able to. Under Obama the Republicans bellyached. Now under Trump the Democrats are sounding the alarm. Both sides can be blamed for a lot of spending. The difference, as I see it, is how the money is spent. Under Obama we were subsidizing electric car manufactures that ultimately failed. We heavily invested in a healthcare plan that doesn't work, including big insurance company subsidies. We either prematurely or unnecessarily gave Iran 1.7 Billion dollars. And the list goes on. President Trump is spending money to rebuild infrastructure, strengthen our military, fix the Veterans Administration and to improve the lives of everyday Americans. The question is-do Democrats think those fixes are not necessary?

We need to have a clearer picture of the proposals regarding any red flag laws or any limits on weapons

We need to have a clearer picture of the proposals regarding any red flag laws or any limits on weapons. A red flag law sounds like a good idea but don't we already have that? Someone expresses concern about erratic behavior, it gets investigated. Local police generally know which individuals to keep an eye on. Schools identify young people who are struggling. It seems this is a proposal that the Dems could chalk up as a win and then use it as a campaign tool but which has no teeth. It is a feel good measure. Think about it. The first time the law would be used to investigate anyone other than a white male, the outrage would be harsh and swift. I'd like to see how it would be implemented on the ground, some statistics on estimated effective rates and a price tag at the local level. I'm a proponent of doing a test case before it becomes a country wide law. Perhaps Chicago would be the perfect place to start.

We have an obligation to use our common sense and logic

As readers and consumers of news we have an obligation to use our common sense and logic. Take Rashida Tliab's trip to Israel. Her outrage and tears just don't ring true. She had the opportunity to go with a United States delegation that had the goal of doing exactly what she says she wants, to talk to and listen to both Israel and Palestine. By choosing to make the trip with Ilhan Omar she was not acting in the best interest of her constituents nor that of the House of Representatives.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. In a nutshell that is where many Americans are standing today. And it is why (beyond the Constitution and history) there is such resistance to limiting our rights regarding firearms. We don't trust that it won't be the first step in total elimination of the rights of citizens to possess firearms. We have seen over reach and incrementally creeping control. And we have been lied to and deceived.

While Jeffrey Epstein is dominating the news cycle almost to the level of the President Trump bashing

While Jeffrey Epstein is dominating the news cycle almost to the level of the President Trump bashing, those looking for actual news are left in a vacuum. Such subjects as what is the situation in Venezuela or for that matter, on our southern border? How is Los Angeles coping with homelessness? Are things improving? Where are the Clintons and Obamas and what are they up to? Who is doing what regarding the "Russia Collusion"story? What is the actual condition of the Chinese economy? We are sick of the sensational, we want substance.

What if the famous Jeffrey was silenced because he knew too much

What if the famous Jeffrey was silenced because he knew too much and the people who were really running the sex with minors, torture and murder of young children just happened to be Russia and/or Saudi Arabia's secret services? Can you imagine how many, or perhaps all, of America's secrets might well be known to them? 1) Hillary's e-mails might have been purposely put on an open server? 2) Obama might have bowed before the Saudi King because they might have damning evidence against him? 3) Uranium One might have been pushed by Hillary because the Russians had compromising information against Hillary or Bill? 4) Ambassador Stevens might have been sacrificed for personal reasons by the Obama administration? Who knows where this might have lead to if Epstein remained alive? Just saying is all. It does beggar investigation.

What’s wrong with Red Flag Laws

What’s wrong with red flag laws? Most Americans will agree that if a person is truly challenged by a debilitating psychiatric condition, they should not have a gun. Now, I’m not referring to people living with PTSD that is under control, or eating disorders. But if someone is suffering from paranoid delusions, or has schizophrenia, or some similar condition, then they probably shouldn’t own a gun.

Joe Biden's hate-filled speech

A heavily made up and properly rehearsed Joe Biden gave a hate-filled speech in Iowa on Wednesday. He was obviously using a teleprompter as his usual gaffs did not occur. Goodness knows how many hours of coaching it took for him to rant and rave like he did. He was short on solutions and long on hate for our President. Political junkies such as myself have seen a distinct change in the rhetoric of the Dems following the two horrific shootings this past weekend. Their number one agenda item, damning and discrediting our President has gotten new fuel. For the moment they are like rabid dogs. Not one Democrat is displaying an attitude of cooperation or a desire to rationally and calmly work out a compromise on a solution for even the simplest of problems. That is a losing position against a President who has done so much to fix or try to fix the ills of our country.

How blithely we ignored the fact that the Ohio shooter was a Bernie loving registered Democrat.

We have before us a good example of the atmosphere of our country. How quick we were to label the El Paso shooting a hate crime perpetrated by a "white national". How blithely we ignored the fact that the Ohio shooter was a Bernie loving registered Democrat. The fact is both men and more are sick. And the truth is that no law is going to fix the problem. We have been addressing the easy fixes, feel good actions and headline grabbing stories because the real problem will take years and commitment. We have lost our values, we are disconnected and divided, we are lied to by politicians and the media. None of those root problems will be solved by gun legislation. But we surely will be a nation of sitting ducks for bad actors.

If every person in power refused to use race as a weapon, could we start working together?

I find myself wondering, if we stopped viewing everything through the lens of race, perhaps we could actually accomplish some things. If every person in power refused to use race as a weapon, could we start working together? For example, Baltimore. They have problems, yet the first retort after the President pointed that out is that he is racist. How much smarter it would have been for Elijah Cummings to point to areas of success, explain the problems Baltimore faces and to offer constructive solutions. Telling the truth about a situation like Baltimore or the corruption in Puerto Rico has zero to do with race. Sadly for the residents of both places, and many others, accusing truth speakers of racism prevents our country from moving forward. Acknowledging the problem is the first step to recovery.

Democrat Party has moved all the way to the left

It certainly looks like the Democrat Party has moved all the way to the left. Watching Nancy Pelosi's recent news conference, even with her bold words and apparent confidence, you were witnessing a woman caving to extremists to hold on to her power. She actually verbalized that the Democrats have a progressive agenda. Pelosi also seemed to change her stance on impeachment. Only time will tell how the Democrat voters feel about the policies and positions of "The Squad" because it becomes clearer each day that they are driving the party's platform. As for Republicans, this knowledge should scare you and motivate you to get involved. It is unlikely that the majority of voters, on either side of the aisle, want the policy of our country to be driven by inexperienced congresspersons with views that are not in line with most Americans. How did the squad come to hold their power? You can thank the media which hangs on every word, gives them nearly unlimited air time, and talks about them endlessly. Ask yourself, what have these 4 women accomplished beyond self promotion and rabble rousing? Ask yourself will Nancy Pelosi be serving her caucus members by acquiescing to "The Squad"? Ask yourself, what is on the horizon from these 4 women? Embolden, they will probably push the socialist agenda even further, and further, and further. Is that what we have worked and fought for over the last 220 years?

The media strikes again

The media strikes again. Why are we calling the 4 freshmen, female Congress people a "squad"? Why not "gang" or "clique" or "alliance" or any number of other descriptive words? Because "squad" sounds good, benevolent, helpful, like police or firefighters, right? Those are squads. The 4 rabble rousing, ill informed, spotlight seeking, mean girl group is certainly not a squad. We need to stop allowing other voices to define what things are called because they will always try to influence our perceptions.

Donald Trump: America’s first wartime (Culture War) president

Trump’s lack of decorum, dignity and statesmanship: I don’t care. I can’t do without this President. He fights for America. My Leftist friends (as well as many ardent #NeverTrumpers) constantly ask me if I’m not bothered by Donald Trump’s lack of decorum. They ask if I don’t think his tweets are “beneath the dignity of the office.” Here’s my answer.

Trump offers Palestinian Authority $50 Billion Dollar Deal.

President Trump, working through peace-plan architect Jared Kushner, has just announced a key element of the long-awaited ‘Deal of the Century’. It consists of $50 BILLION dollars in economic aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as an integral component of a peace plan with Israel. And what was the Palestinian response? Absolute rejection. But why?

Girls and women are being robbed of the rewards of their labor

While women are protesting any attempts to protect unborn babies, unwanted attention by men, unequal pay and more, they are largely silent on a trend that could decimate women's sports. That trend is the inclusion into sporting events the transgendered or transgendering male. Born a male with greater muscle mass, physical size and testosterone levels, these "girls" are sweeping the competitions in which they participate. They are depriving girls, who have worked very hard to reach the top of their sport, of their rightful rewards. Recognition of women's sports has been slow and painful. Poorly funded in high schools and less recognized in sports coverage, every advance has been hard won. I wonder how long women will remain silent on the subject before they start pushing back? We need to be compassionate regarding the struggles of the transgendered community. We do not have to allow them to walk all over the rights of girls and women. This is yet another area of our society where a lot of hard work will be needed to figure out an answer. Meanwhile, girls and women are being robbed of the rewards of their labor.

The fallacy of the Bernie Sanders agenda

The fallacy of the Bernie Sanders agenda is his lack of understanding of our government and of human nature. Our government has become so bloated, self serving and dysfunctional that even the smallest and most logical actions are difficult or impossible. In Bernie's world, the welfare of all the people is primary. It would be hard to name any action taken in recent years that was made based on the welfare of all the citizens rather than on the protection of the status quo and government jobs. Human nature is such that some are ambitious, some lazy. Some people are fair and some selfish. Some people are loving, some hateful. Some people are greedy and some generous. How does Bernie think things can work out? Ultimately, those in power within the government will be receiving the benefits and the people will suffer. It is foolhardy to think it can be otherwise. As Winston Churchill once said, “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” In a perfect world, Bernie might be on to something. In the real world he is essentially peddling snake oil, it sounds good but it doesn't work.

Immigration crisis in America

Let's say you want to remove a visitor who has overstayed his or her welcome in your home, how would you approach the situation? Assume for the sake of argument this is a family down on its luck with young children and that you live on a limited income. First, a few gentle hints. Then, perhaps, a frank discussion. If that yielded no result, you probably would seek the help of law enforcement. But what if they refused to help? What options would you have? You could turn off water, electric, refuse to buy food but if reasonable negotiations failed, would you resort to force? The situation described above is exactly what we face as a nation. The trouble is that the vast majority of individuals are not personally, directly impacted by the immigration crisis. We are physically removed and emotionally manipulated to believe the liberal talking points. There is no mistaking the fact that what we are tolerating as a country is only due to the lack of enforcement of existing laws and Congressional gridlock. And most Americans are blissfully unaware of the truth about the situation thanks to selective reporting by the media. What a shame that a childish grudge is doing irreparable damage to our great country.

In the abortion debate, all the "rights" are given to the woman and none are given to the child

In the abortion debate, all the "rights" are given to the woman and none are given to the child. The only thing that can be gleaned from this fact is that an unborn child is not a human being. If it was considered a living human, abortion would be considered what it is, murder. Isn't it hypocritical to charge the murderer of a pregnant mother as a double homicide? I guess you can have it both ways. Pro choice advocates talk about a woman's right to choose. Nobody will state the obvious, a woman does have a right to choose. She can choose to prevent the pregnancy (except in the cases of rape or incest). The need for most abortions stems from the lack of personal responsibility. Part of being a woman, like it or not, is that you can conceive, carry and give birth to another human being. Yes, another human being. So your choice to have an abortion deprives that other person of their future choices. It is good to bring this issue to the public forum. Now may be the time to make some changes to Roe v. Wade and to decide when a fetus becomes a person. Roe v Wade was born of a sexual revolution and it is questionable if it was designed or intended to go to the extremes we see today.

People are so interesting and predictable

People are so interesting and predictable. Florida Governor DeSantis and the people of Florida, south Florida especially, are in a twist over illegal immigrants possibly being sent to their neck of the woods. Now would be a good time, better late than never, to contact Marco Rubio and give him an ear full. Remember, that after previously supporting the wall, in March he voted against the emergency declaration on the southern border. This is the only result that we could have when we are invaded and our government refuses to stop the invasion and refuses to return the people to their own country. This is on Congress 100%. What the heck did we expect? Time will tell the full story. Will gang and criminal activity rise? Will social services be overwhelmed? Will school districts have additional burdens? Will diseases thought eradicated start showing up? And, will we ever know? Do you trust that those details will be reported? If there had been truthful coverage on the border all along, Americans would have anticipated this and probably would have been speaking out.