Blog Archives - North Florida Writer

Pile On, Pile On, Pile On: The New American Way

4/30/2014

For the last few days the news has been filled with the sordid details about Donald Sterling and his racist remarks which were captured by his twenty-five year old mistress as she egged him on and taped his remarks over the phone. There is no doubt that Sterling is a disgusting old man who has a past of just such behavior and the young lady in question is not the type that you'd want to bring home to Mama. But enough already with this story.

While this has been going on, America hasn't paid attention to John Kerry blaming Israel for the ongoing problems in the Middle East or the continuing pressure that Russia is applying to the Ukraine with nothing but weakness as the response from the West. More and more people are having problems making ends meet with rising gas and food prices making their lives more unbearable and, of course, our illustrious President continues to smile on TV as he continues his assault on the American way of life while living the life of a King wannabe.

But we can't take the time to worry about that. No, we have to devote our energies to the sordid details of a dirty old man and a bimbo, neither of which is worth thirty seconds of news coverage or our time. And we continue to wonder why the nation is going down the tubes. It's because of us, people, and the things that get our attention and the things that don't.

The NBA has been a snakepit for a long time. Behavior by players off and on the court has often been atrocious and Sterling has been operating this way for years. His wife of fifty years has never divorced him despite knowing of his behavior and he has been seen tramping around the Arena at games with a gold digger for a long time, so why the big issue all of a sudden? Could it be that he was threatening the young lady with taking away her expensive condo that he had paid for? I think the answer is yes, and that's why the story went public and only because of the publicity is the NBA now taking action. Even the NAACP was set to give him a big award next month but, of course, that is now off the table as well.

There are no winners here. All of those who worked with him and previously applauded him are complicit in this disgusting story since they previously looked the other way as long as Sterling donated to their causes or supported them with his riches. And now they all act shocked, shocked because this vile man has been shown for what he truly is and they now have to distance themselves from him. Hypocrites all!

And as for Sterling and the young lady in question, maybe they just deserve each other. I will, however, pray for them to change their ways while they can because the actions they take and the people they hurt are not reflective of how we are supposed to live. May God enter their souls and open their hearts. He will if they just ask.

Have a great day.

John Kerry: He Just Steps In It Again

4/29/2014

We have a little poodle, a house dog, who we have nicknamed "The Mouth of the South". Little Froodle barks incessantly and sharply and therefore earned her not so dear title, but if John Kerry were a Southerner she would immediately lose her moniker. But then again, if John Kerry were a Southerner we would have run him out of town on a rail by now. No, we're happy to have him stay in Massachusetts or onboard his non-stop Obamaplane angering countries the world over.

His latest affront, one which is even more disgusting than most, involves his statement that if Israel doesn't capitulate and work a "deal" with the Palestinians then, in his opinion, they are a state supporting apartheid. Really, John, apartheid? By what idiotic logic do you come to that opinion? Is that what they teach at Harvard? Oh, on second thought, it probably is what they teach at Harvard. Maybe they got the idea from Brandeis.

Israel is the one country that we have provided support for which is willing to fight her own battles. And what a battle they face, a country of some six million surrounded by over three hundred million Muslims, the majority of whom hate them. So when the Palestinians refused to disavow support for Hamas, a known terrorist, organization, Israel certainly could not continual farcical peace talks with those who have promised her destruction.

And as for John Kerry? Well, if we listen to his lunacy and follow his guidance, those "blown up bodies" that he talked so much about after Vietnam would be Israelis, men, women and children, all of whom would be under the terrorist guns. And for Obama to have a man like this as his principal international peace agent shows just how bereft of substance the Administration is today.

Between Hillary Clinton and now John Kerry we have a State Department that is a "loser" in everything it offers and tries. Look around the world and do you think that the Obama Peace Initiative has worked anywhere? Quite the opposite, we are the laughing stock of the world. And to expect a sovereign nation, Israel, to cave to our whims, whims which are generally wrongheaded, would be insane. We have no right to demand Israel to give up territory that keeps her safe so that a terrorist group can regroup and attack. Even Egypt knows this and is trying to uncouple Hamas from Gaza.

I agree with Ted Cruz and, for the first time in ages, John McCain. John Kerry needs to resign his position immediately and beat a hasty retreat back to his windsurfing. Surf's up, John.

What Do The Polls Tell Us, Conservatives?

4/28/2014

Less than two years ago and under a Hurricane Watch, the Republicans gathered in Tampa to nominate Mitt Romney as their candidate for President. Romney, a good and decent man, unfortunately didn't have the Conservative spirit in his belly and went down to defeat against Barack Obama, much like John McCain did four years prior. And even though it is still more than two years from the next RNC Convention, the Establishment is already pushing furiously to crown their next moderate, or RINO in my mind, to take the party down to another stinging defeat.

So this begs the question of what should we do as Conservatives? Do we just sit back and cut each of our Conservative possibilities apart and let them fight amongst themselves and, in so doing, negate any possibility of coming up with a winner? Or do we coalesce around one person, admittedly something hard to accomplish but possible through good strategy negotiations, and thereby end Establishment rule of the roost again?

Well, perhaps we should start looking at a few polls, not to panic or think that things are already set up, but to get an idea of where things are heading and use that to begin formulating a sound strategy. A poll in Iowa just came out this morning (see the Daily Caller) which shows no candidate with anywhere near the percentage needed to win the delegates in that state, yet a good indication of the wide disparity that likely Republican voters have in their views.

Leading the poll by the narrowest of margins is Governor Mike Huckabee at 20%, the man who surprised everyone back in 2008 by winning in Iowa. Following closely behind him are Jeb Bush and Paul Ryan with Ted Cruz and Rand Paul trailing in the high single digits. Governor Christie has slipped back even farther. These numbers don't mean much right now except to indicate that a large number of potential candidates are interested in the run and, if that is a correct assessment, they will be at each other's throat early on, allowing Democrats to pick up sound bites to use against the ultimate nominee, much as they did in 2012.

Both Bush and Ryan are clearly the Establishment favorites at this point. Bush strongly supports Amnesty as well as the dreaded (in my opinion) Common Core. All of his speeches are awash in Progressivism and even have given considerable praise for Hillary. As for Ryan, he has signed on to Amnesty lock, stock and barrel while also going along with Obama on the debt limit extension, indicating that for political reasons he will support whatever the Establishment wants which seems to be more of the same big government.

We have a pretty good idea about both Cruz and Paul since they are clearly the anti-Establishment favorites, both seeking a new direction with new ideas and vision with an emphasis on individual freedom. While I have my favorite among the two, I could certainly support either one of these fine and patriotic men.

And that brings us to Huckabee, the former Arkansas Governor and current TV host for Fox News. Huckabee certainly has name recognition from his television show and while I am uncertain about his views on some of the issues, I find him to be certainly right of center. I particularly like his stand on taxes (a supporter of the Fair Tax) and his belief that the government has no place involving itself in the moral issue of abortion. Some of his social welfare comments have disturbed me but, then again, being a former active man of the cloth it is reasonable to expect him to have those sentiments. And he certainly does have the gift of gab and would not be nervous against the most formidable of opposition.

I doubt, however, that the Establishment would support him, but they might be willing to change that view if he shows the necessary voter strength. Hopefully he wouldn't "sell his soul" to them like so many others have done in the past.

For the Conservatives to gain the nomination, I truly believe they have to unite behind one strong candidate, something which is hard to accomplish. But if they will figure out a way to do that, I think they can carry the day. Maybe the Rand Pauls, Ted Cruzes, Marco Rubios, Mike Lees and yes, even Mike Huckabees, need to get together in a Conservative Candidate's Summit and do a little horse trading. In this way someone could get at least some of what they want for a commitment to support one viable candidate. It's just a thought.

Folks, it's imperative that we not allow the Establishment to call the short for 2016 for, if we do, I think the Republican Party will die a quick death. And building a new and viable party is a slow process and America doesn't have too much time. Let's try and steer the party back toward the voter base and in so doing rebuild it in the image that we want.

God bless you all and have a great day.

But They Just Didn't Believe

4/27/2014

Later, He appeared to the eleven and they sat at the table; and He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 18:14 (ESV)

After Jesus died that horrible death following more than nine hours of agony on the Cross, His disciples were discouraged and lacking in Spirit. They didn't know what to do even though He had made special efforts to tell them what was expected of them. And shortly after His resurrection was accomplished and Mary and the others found the empty tomb, reports began to come in of sightings but they still didn't have the necessary faith to believe. Only when He joined them in the room, showed his hands and let them touch his side that had been pierced did they believe.

He told them He was disappointed in their lack of faith, but He also recognized that although they were good people and loved Him, they were, after all, mere mortals. And he proceeded to spend a few last days with them to continue guidance and instruction for He knew the undertaking that they were about to begin and how difficult and painful it would be. After all, all but one of them would be killed because of their belief in Him and all would suffer.

Looking at ourselves today, do we have the strength and courage to be modern Apostles for Christ in a world that has become so corrupt and selfish? Are we willing to put our selves in second place and make Christ first in all that we say and do? That is the challenge that we face and it is what He expects of us. It's why He gave His all so that we would have the opportunity to live forever with Him.

Dear Lord, Give us the strength and courage to live our lives as modern day Apostles for Christ. Show us the way, the truth and the life always and keep us ever mindful that if we are up to the task, if we do what is asked of us by our Savior, we will live forever in Glory with Him and with You. We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.

God bless you all and have a most blessed Lord's Day with Jesus always in your heart. And now, Onward, Christian soldiers.

Saturday Morning Confusion

4/26/2014

Saturday shopping confusion

It's the beginning of another Spring weekend and, as the song goes, it's time for "Saturday Morning Confusion". So get going, get out there and get all of your weekend chores done so that you can devote some time for fun. You probably need to make a grocery store run or pay a visit to the hardware store. And, of course, there's always the chores around the house that you never get to all week. Just decide that you're gonna' "git 'er done" so that you can spend some quality time with those you love doing what you like to do to relax.

Saturday afternoon is a great time to forget your troubles and relax. For some it's a fishing outing, others like to go for a hike or maybe even take the kids to a baseball game. Here in Florida it's already swimming season so a trip to the pool or the beach can be in order. Or, if you really want to relax, maybe it's climbing in your hammock under a shade tree and taking a nap or starting that best seller that you've been meaning to read.

For me it usually means it's time to spend some special time with our dogs and other animals. Sometimes during the week I feed them and that's most of the attention they get but, on Saturdays, they get a good grooming, maybe a game of fetch or a country walk, or just horsing around with them.

It doesn't matter what you do, it's just important to unwind from the week and clear your head of all the cobwebs of life. Oh, they'll come back soon enough, but a little break does the soul good. And, speaking of the soul, tomorrow you can devote some quality time to that by visiting with He who loves you at church. It can work wonders, you know.

So here's to the weekend and a great time. Enjoy it, savor it, appreciate it, and let it help you get you ready for another bout with reality come Monday morning. But for today, "fuhgettaboutit" and laugh and be merry.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Here's a couple of fellows who need some grooming

Is The New Domestic Military Force Already Established?

4/25/2014

Do you remember some of Obama's wannabe statements when he was running for his first term? Think back and you might remember two that at the time slipped by most people. The first was near the end of the campaign when he stated, "We are only five days away from fundamentally changing the United States of America". The second statement involved the need for a domestic military force with all of the weapons and manpower of the Army to keep internal America safe. Safe from whom and what?

While no one really questioned his statements at the time, today more and more are questioning his actions as his grandiose schemes and plans to fundamentally change the country are taking place. Most Americans seem shocked and in disbelief, yet day by day we see Obama obliterating the rule of law and the Constitution in favor of a more centralized, more one man rule type of government. Few, if any, in Washington seem very concerned about it; they talk about it but there is very little action.

His second statement, the one about a domestic military organization, clearly is being drawn up as well and it is in the militarization of elements of many federal agencies and the donation of military style vehicles and weapons to many non-federal police agencies. Give the locals the "goodies" and they will be on the hook for your edicts and commands. Everywhere you turn today there are police units in SWAT uniforms, and the more that are created the more they are likely to commit mischief.

Examples are growing nationwide of raids on homes and businesses with SWAT teams trashing property and in numerous cases innocent people being hurt or even killed. Some are helpless elderly and in one noted case in Washington, D.C., a mother with her infant in the car was killed in a hail of gunfire after she had stopped her car and sat helpless inside with no weapon in her possession. This one still needs more investigation although the authorities are doing everything in their power to hush up any talk.

In the past, events like these sparked outrage, yet today they are happening with such frequency that they barely generate a yawn. As more and more innocents are involved and as the degree of use increases, however, the public is beginning to take notice and they don't like what they see. The recent Bundy Ranch standoff where the BLM, a land management body, surrounded a rancher with two hundred heavily armed officers supported by helicopters, may be just the thing that has tipped the scales toward common sense. A legal action that could have been handled with a simple property lien nearly turned into a modern day OK Corral. Who is calling the shots on this type of behavior and why?

Pay attention, folks, for now that over twenty five agencies have independent SWAT-style units, even agencies with monikers like the IRS, Federal Reserve, Post Office, Agriculture Department, and NOAA becoming more and more like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (anyone remember Fast and Furious?), there is much to be concerned with. And with heavily loaded local police tending to shoot first and ask questions later, more and more accidents are likely to happen with no consequence.

America was never designed to operate like this. This is one of the reasons why the founders decided to break away from British control, because it turns out to be nothing less than unmitigated tyranny. It is also a good reason why you should never allow anyone to take your legally held guns, for once you no longer have the means of defending yourself and your family you are at the mercy of the heavily armed. Keep your eyes open, speak up and demand that the New Federal Civilian Army concept be disbanded before you, too, become a victim of its overreach.

God bless America and may she still be saved.

Break the Law, Get a Bonus

4/24/2014

Courtesy freepatriot.com

Remember times past when you were worried about the IRS giving you a tax audit and you would get your tax preparer busy going over things again and again to make sure you were ready? It didn't matter whether you were right or not, it only mattered what the IRS decided so it was natural to worry, even if most issues are solved quickly and without major issue.

I don't quarrel with the requirement to pay taxes to government for necessary services as delineated in the Constitution, particularly for safety and national security. But I do object to the use of this collection agency for selectively deciding who to audit and harass based upon political viewpoints. This is not what the agency was designed to do nor is it part of its legal mission; it falls more in line with the mission of a dictatorial government, not one in a land where the people are supposed to be free.

And now our worries are growing even bigger and more ominous. The IRS is now one of many federal agencies, many with innocuous names, which carry their own police force, or from the looks of things in the picture maybe shock troops. What happens when a SWAT team of IRS agents turns up at your business or home ready for battle? Are you judged guilty in such situations when they show up at your door with guns drawn and weapons pointed at your loved ones? For as we've learned recently with the Bundy Ranch incident, the feds are no longer servants of the people, they are now becoming enforcers for the wannabe Emperor.

And there's even more outrageous behavior that we've learned about in recent days. Apparently a large number of agency employees who themselves have problems with the agency over their own personal tax returns have nonetheless been awarded bonuses for performance despite the cloud hanging over them. You can't make this stuff up, people. I mean, really, employees who are tasked with operating a fair and legal activity themselves are under a cloud and yet they still are deemed worthy of a performance award. And this from an agency that has been operating in an outrageous manner while showing little if any remorse.

Quite frankly after the news surrounding Lois Lerner and the refusal of the agency to open it's records to Congress it is now impossible to believe anything this agency says or trust what it does. For the governance of America to be deemed legitimate the tawdry record of the IRS and that of other agencies carrying out similar types of activities in the name of politics, must be purged and cleaned. Otherwise, the willingness of Americans to voluntarily comply with rules and regulations will quickly come under question and chaos will result. A nation can't long survive under those circumstances.

Pay attention, America, and demand fair play. Our future depends on it. Meanwhile, I guess Lois Lerner will keep on living in her fancy home in shame, shame she is not even willing to recognize. Quite a picture, isn't it?

Only In The Government

4/23/2014

I will be brief in my comments this morning but this situation takes another slice of the proverbial cake. Who says that poor performance bordering on crime doesn't pay?

Kathleen Sibelius, the woman tasked with designing and developing Obama's grandiose, one size fits all problems, healthcare program, Obamacare, has announced her resignation. But it's not quite that simple.

It seems that Sibelius is within just a few days of her fifth year anniversary with the feds. By holding her departure off for just a few days she is entitled to a very lucrative retirement with all the benefits. Senior level and political appointee federal retirement is quite a "golden parachute" and she will now be entitled to all the trimmings. For this high level bureaucrat who served at the pleasure of a most radical boss to receive great benefits for not only setting up a system which destroys American healthcare but also can't even do that efficiently is an absolute disgrace.

So here we are, folks. The nation is approximately $17T in debt, a debt that let's be honest and say we will never be able to repay, the lowest workforce participation rate in over 30 years is in place, family healthcare is in shambles, and prices of both fuel and food are skyrocketing beyond the means of many Americans to handle. Meanwhile, Sebelius and those like her receive cushy reward treatment for destroying the very system they swore to protect and uphold. Many Americans will die unnecessarily because of lack of proper treatment caused by the new law but don't worry because Kathleen Sibelius will live on in a retirement with grand style.

And this leaves only one question: Has everyone finally had enough yet? If you're happy with this situation, you probably had better go see that doctor that you can no longer get an appointment with. Otherwise, and this may be your last chance, speak up and vote supporters of this regime out.

May God save America.

CBS News Hits A Low Point

4/22/2014

Sharyl Atkisson, former CBS Investigative Reporter

I've said for years that the mainstream media is highly biased. If you look at the number of reports that paint Conservatives in a negative light vs. the liberal politicians, it is obvious to anyone. Yet, despite this, there have from time to time been a few courageous reporters for liberal news media that try hard to get to the truth. Probably the bravest of the lot by far has been Sharyl Atkisson, a stalwart sleuth when it came to investigating wrong doing by anyone in Washington and her ultimately reward was being forced out.

Now we find that she is being double-teamed by CBS, her long time former employer, and Media Matters, the vicious liberal group that calls itself a truth squad for liberal politics. Using a play on that famous quote by Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial with a slight change of wording: It depends on what the meaning of truth is.

Since being forced out from CBS, and also having suffered from violation of her privacy by illegal searching of her personal home computers, Ms. Atkisson has embarked on somewhat of a media tour of her own where she has told the truth about what happened to her. CBS fought tooth and nail to keep the stories quiet and not give her much air time and this left her with no choice but to leave if she wanted to be true to the highest ideals of her profession while maintaining her excellent reputation.

She presents to us a very frightening picture of what this Administration is all about and what steps it will take to cover its corruption and illegality. And it is clearly seen in most press briefings and conferences run by the White House that the overwhelming majority of media representatives are too petrified to ask anything substantive. Oh, there are a few exceptions: Ed Henry at Fox and on a few occasions Jake Tapper come to mind. But by and large the questions are softball and deal with anything but the major issues of the day. It's one of the reasons why I decided to just turn the TV off and disconnect it. I get much better information via the internet and radio, my two primary sources today.

I hope good, patriotic Americans will join with me for thanking Ms. Atkisson for her courage and her stand to try and make journalism an honorable profession again. Right now it ranks right up there with politicians since it has basically become their tool. And I hope that she will stand her ground because she has much talent that is sorely needed to tell the truth about what is happening in America today.

Thank you, Sharyl Atkisson, and God bless you. There are many of us who salute you this day.

Is America Headed Toward Serfdom?

4/21/2014

As a rule of thumb, government cures are not only worse than the disease, but lead to further disease. Friedrich A. Hayek, from The Road to Serfdom

I recently re-read Hayek's The Road to Serfdom as a refresher on this great economist and writer and his great thinking about what makes societies productive and grow. Hayek, an Austrian, considered himself a traditional liberal, a category which closely aligns itself with the true intent of Conservatism. We in America allowed the term to be hijacked by our modern day liberals, who are anything but liberal in the traditional sense. After all, liberal comes from liberty and as we have seen in America in recent years the trend of the Left is toward more control and less liberty at all costs. Since they've been caught in this lie they now refer to themselves as Progressives but even that is fraught with error. Progressive according to what?

As a boy I was enamored by the American capitalist system and its ability to turn poor, but hard working men and women into dynamic success stories. In those days, hard work and accomplishment was truly rewarded and risk-taking was expected if you wanted to really get ahead.

Today, we have leaders who practice the"something for nothing" syndrome where those who do nothing are rewarded by taking from those who have earned their rewards. And when you do this, and it continues in succeeding generation, the incentive to produce and grow gives way to the handout. In the end you are left with a society such as the one envisioned by President Obama, a man who has truly grown up with a "silver spoon" in his mouth with every opportunity given to him and yet he still despises the fruits of a free society, unless it all is reserved for him and his select few.

Worse than what it does to the workers is what it does to the political class. The workers lose pay, lose jobs, lose healthcare and lose their homes and self-respect through the legalized theft that then goes to the political class who become entrenched in that way of life and see it as their rightful place.

After the Day of Peace and the Resurrection which we celebrated yesterday, I hope that Americans will open up their eyes to the disaster that is fast unfolding in what used to be the greatest nation on earth. To stop this "big black train" of equal but useless outcomes for the many, we need to turn back to our Lord and Savior for guidance and use our God given brain to identify and elect public "servants" who will truly serve the needs of people with direction which follows the timeless economic policies that allow for growth and strength through freedom. The role of government is to get things out of the way so that free man can use their genius, not to develop mindless rules and regulations which stifle that very initiative.

Take the time to re-read or acquaint yourself with Hayek and his wisdom. It's not too late to plug the hole in the SS United States but water is coming on rapidly and we don't have much time. Let's get her leveled out and back on course to the distinction of leading the world with a Godly standard.

America needs to be brought back to her rightful standard: freedom to make your own decisions about life and deal individually with the consequences. That's what our God-given free will is all about and with it comes a higher success rate and more opportunity than a world of dictatorships could ever dream of producing. It's entirely up to each of us to do our part to turn this Ship of State around.