DNC Aftermath

Heading into this past week I was curious as to how the “celebration of leftist ideals” was going to progress in the wake of the WikiLeaks hack and the transition of the disgraced DNC chair from her position with the party to an integral part of the Clinton campaign. It was interesting to say the least watching the Democratic National Convention unfold this past week as speaker after speaker leveled their attacks on Donald Trump and the Republican Party. From behind the wall requiring Photo ID to get in the speakers took the stage in rapid succession: Vice President Joe “Double Barrel” Biden, President Barak “You Didn’t Build This” Obama, First Lady Michelle “I Live In A Slave House” Obama, President Bill “I Hope To Open A First Gentleman’s Club” Clinton, Bernie “Burning and Itching” Sanders, Tim “I Have No Business Here” Kaine, and many other questionable speakers.

One of those brought to the stage was the father, with his repressed wife standing beside him, of a soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country, Khizr Khan. Given the treatment that the military and law enforcement has received during the event, the level of hypocrisy accentuated by those six minutes is rather astounding. While I respect and humbly appreciate his son’s sacrifice I cannot say the same about his punditry. Add to this questionable selection of a presenter with the fact that the stage at one point was filled with the mothers of those “killed by the police” and it truly demonstrates the fact that this was more of a circus rather than a convention.

However, there were a few things that truly disturbed me about this past week. The first was the undenounced burning of the Israeli flag outside of the convention. The second was the simple fact that there was not an American flag to be found during the DNC until this exact fact was pointed out publicly in the media. But, the most distressing aspect of this whole charade was the blind sheep like accolades that kept filling social media. Seems as though there are too many blinded by gender and the eerily robotic call to “Join Us!”

And this brings me to the marquee speech of the event which really had me questioning the mentality of the American people who have proclaimed their rabid devotion to Hillary Clinton. Following her outline of countless programs for which there is no clear plan to pay for the government overreach, she insisted on promoting the idea of group think. Included in her “I alone can fix it” diatribe, she emphasized over and over the Utopian ideal that no one can do basically anything alone. Specifically, she said:

“20 years ago I wrote a book called “It Takes a Village.” A lot of people looked at the title and asked, what the heck do you mean by that?

“This is what I mean.

“None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone.

“America needs every one of us to lend our energy, our talents, our ambition to making our nation better and stronger.”

And that is one of the biggest problems, if not the biggest problem, that we face in this country. We have forgotten how to be self-reliant. Too often people are turning to others to do the heavy lifting and, in some cases, take the blame. This mentality can be seen in the increased reliance that many have on government funds and also on the other side in assigning blame to a group of people rather than an individual. We must remember that individual rights still mean something in this country and we can’t simply follow the Pied Piper as she screeches from the stage “Join Us!”

Firearms Friday: Really Joe?

With the Pope coming to the United States this week, his visit was the topic of discussion in pretty much every corner of the media and public life. The visit also prompted questions regarding an individual’s faith as well as their political views and how the two influence one another. It should be no surprise, given both the Pope’s visit and the recent videos from Planned Parenthood, that the subject of abortion was one of the primary topics of discussion, debate, and, as in the case of the Vice President, confusion.

Biden, a practicing Catholic, was recently interviewed by America Magazine when he openly talked about the Papal visit, his faith, and his political views. Most notably, he is quoted as saying the following:

“Abortion is always wrong… All the principles of my faith, [which] I make no excuse for attempting to live up to — I don’t all the time. But I’m not prepared to impose doctrine that I’m prepared to accept on the rest of [the country].”

While the “pro-choice” crowd has been up in arms about his statements, I find it a little disturbing for a completely different reason which is why this is being posted on Friday.

As he states above, he is “not prepared to impose doctrine”. While this may be true regarding his faith it by no means applies to the rest of his views as he has made it very clear during his time in public office that he will do everything in his power to impose the doctrine of the Democratic Party on the people. This has been evident during his time as Vice President when he, along with President Obama and the party in general, has tried to strip us of our second amendment rights.

Time and again, gun owners have been attacked for exercising their right of ownership and to defend themselves and their family. However, this does not fit into the doctrine of the Democratic Party so Joe “Double Barrel” Biden and the rest of the party members have made every effort to vilify those who don’t subscribe to their world view. Of course, most of the world and the media in general don’t pay attention to this but what if he acted the same way with regard to his view on abortion?

So, in the end, the Vice President has admitted in this interview that he refuses to impose his religious beliefs on the country but his actions have clearly demonstrated that he is willing, if not eager, to impose his political beliefs on every single man, woman, and child in this country. I guess, according to Biden, people are only allowed to have certain rights so long as he agrees with them. And just think, some people want him to run for President.

Mail Call!

Wouldn't it be ironic if you could order these on Amazon?

 

As the emails from Amazon flood my inbox, I am beginning to realize just how bad of an idea the whole drone delivery idea is and how much of an annoyance the whole program could be. Having placed a single order on Amazon, I am now going to receive a half dozen boxes over the next week or so with a few arriving on the same day. Just imagine a flock (or would it be a gaggle) of drones flying toward your house, each carrying a single five dollar DVD. Doesn’t seem like it would be a pleasant sight to see although it might be cause for some twelve gauge fun. Even the Vice President thinks so... 

 

 

The other side of the equation is the fact that I enjoy getting mail. I like getting letters. I look forward to seeing what is waiting for me (especially when I am not expecting anything. There is also the fact that when you live in an apartment building as I do, getting the mail can be cause for a social occasion. You never know who else is going to be in the lobby when you go to your mailbox. Additionally, on the rare occasion when the mailman is sorting through everything, it is nice to chat with him.

Thinking back, I can recall our old dog, Laddie, who also looked forward to seeing the mailman on a daily basis. Of course, he wasn’t in it for the mail, he was merely obsessed with chasing the Jeep as it pulled away from the mailbox and headed up the street. Even in the latter part of the dog’s life, unable to move his tail (car + dog = limp tail) he would still chase the truck as his tail spun in circles like a pinwheel. Kind of a sad sight the first few times you see it but funny as heck looking back.

 

I don’t know, things naturally change over time but there are some things that, through their familiarity, bring us some semblance of comfort to our daily lives. The USPS is one of those services. While physical mail seems to be less and less common (especially with postage around the cost of a Kennedy), it is still a necessity and going to something along the lines of drones is a change that will drastically change the perception of mail and the comfort that this, what some consider antiquated, service provides.

Changes such as this recent proposal will have and an overarching effect on the postal service and soon the notion of the mailbox along the street will be a rusty memory. Sadly, this is already becoming a reality as I recall the dilemma a former coworker faced when they had to ask me how to address an envelope. If things have already changed this much how long is it really going to take before everything is turned upside-down?

Dichotomy

Every month during our state meeting at the lodge we take a moment to recognize Masonic birthdays. Essentially, anyone who became a Mason in November would celebrate their Masonic birthday in November. Last night we decided to change things up a bit.

Rather than taking note of the Masonic birthdays for this month we took time to honor those who have served our country. All of our brothers who served in the armed forces lined up across the lodge and, one by one, stated their name, branch, and years of service. All branches were represented as well as service times ranging from 2 to 36 years and across generations from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of these men stood tall for a few extra minutes last night. All of these men continued to take pride in themselves and the morals that have guided them through their Masonic lives. Each and every one of them deserves the respect of all those who enjoy the rights and freedoms that they fought to uphold and defend.

There was also some news being talked about yesterday and last night that lies in stark contrast to the integrity and honesty that these men embody. It seems as though there are some in Washington that do not hold those morals in such high regard. Some have outright lied to us for years despite knowing the falsehood that they preached. Yes, Mr. Obama, I am talking about you!

The entire healthcare debacle and the lies used to push the agenda has left many with little, if any, faith in the federal government. The utter deceit and disregard for consequence is a model that cannot unite a people under one cause. It is a political calculation that can only result in the division of the people.

Furthermore, the recent news released by the Food and Drug Administration is completely absurd and is a power grab by and agency with a severe case of Jan syndrome. The FDA feels that they should be the ones to focus on public health and police the people but now Obamacare and the cronies therein are grabbing all the headlines. Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!

The FDA should ban these two... they're worse for our health than trans fats.

The FDA announcement regarding trans fats in processed foods and the elimination thereof is, in my opinion, an extension of the Obamacare program and a means for the FDA administrators to participate in the potato sack race. It gives the FDA additional control over the decisions that people are allow to make which, in their eyes, will reduce the health and therefore insurance risk. Basically, the President (Obama) wants to be your daddy, HHS (Sebelius) wants to be your mommy, and the FDA wants to be your nanny. Yes, that means you are the child!

Change was promised and that it certainly what we are getting. Now you may even have someone to change your diaper in the new nanny state. I just really hope that this is all a big joke and that Robin Williams will get drunk and perform the Heimlich on a country gasping for air.

George Wallace and a Pitcher of Kool-Aid

Whenever I pull into the parking lot I notice at least a few bumper or window stickers scattered throughout the spaces. Some I agree with, many I don’t. I’m sure that my car is one that makes most residents grumble something disparaging under their breath as they scurry to their vehicles.

What disturbs me about these passive proclamations is that they are all the same. Everyone seems to follow in the same line of thought and opinion. They are so similar that they should just have a big picture of a pitcher of Kool-Aid on the hood of their car with Bill Maher swimming in it.

Also, the assumptions that these Jonestown timeshare holders make are ridiculous with the prime example being that the reason I don’t have an Obama / Biden sticker on my car is because I am a racist. Remember, it is not just about what you support but also about what you don’t support.  In this instance, if harboring a hatred for idiots and a-holes makes someone a racist then call me George Wallace. I don’t think you’re an idiot for supporting them I just think you are misguided and didn’t think about where you were going before you followed the herd off the cliff.   

The most interesting reactions thus far have been ones to a little piece on my back window… they seem confused as to the unfamiliar design so they take a closer look until they finally realize that they are analyzing a NRA sticker. You’d think I had murdered someone and they saw a sign that said that the body was in the trunk. Now that I think about it, maybe that is why I don’t have any dings in my doors. I guess fear can sometimes be a good thing.

What gets lost in the shock and horror above is the that fact that if you look at the other organizations represented in my windows you will find that I am a reasonably educated Mason and Rotarian who volunteers with a group that helps disabled kids. I am such a bad person and I guess you have every reason to fear me. And the fact that these are all represented on a gas only car means I am going straight to hell.

Maybe these people should focus on something else when they stare at my windows. Maybe the real problem is in the reflection. That seems to be the common thread between assumption and judgment. I too need to pay attention to my own reflection even when I know, without a doubt, that they are an a-hole.