Opus 2017-404: Thanks Thoughts: Fear but no Want

As I was going through my morning ritual I am looking out the dark window into what would be a snowy landscape.  “Would be” because the inside lights make it seem dark outside.  We got snow last night, in Texas.  I doubt if it will last until Christmas.  Is there a song, “I’m Dreaming of a Snowy Day in Advent”?  I didn’t think so.  Hurricanes and floods are so last month.  Now it is snow.  And as I am going through a time of thanking God I touch not only on the beauty of the view but the warmth of my room.

That turned me to all the people in the world who were not warm and safe.  I thought of those who don’t know when their next meal will be available.  I have so much to be thankful for in this advent season.  And the thanks can go back over a lot of years.  The closest to freezing to death was in the blizzard of 78 when Boston was shut down and the power went out for a few days.  I had a time when I had one can of soup on the shelf and was a month behind on my rent.  I have come close to suffering and known the fear it generates, but the power came back on, the church surprised me with a table full of groceries and God provided.

Seventy years of pointless worry and inadequate gratitude.  It helps to keep things in perspective.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-403: Headlines: Collateral Damage

A Republican bites the dust in the current feeding frenzy of the media.  His name is Trent Franks and he is from Arizona.  He has not been on my radar so I know nothing about him except he has caved to the feelings of some snowflakes.  His sin?  According to the Daily Signal he raised the topic of being surrogate mothers with a couple of staffers and made them feel “uncomfortable”.

The issue of surrogate mothers is an ethical issue that I am not trying to address.  Since the congressman and his wife already had twins by a surrogate mother, I would assume that the issue is not the legality of the process.  If the issue was raised in the proper way I don’t know how you would find a surrogate mother but to ask.  Although I have a lot of questions about it, I would think it an honor for someone to think highly enough of me to bring it up.  But two women felt uncomfortable and thus this man is resigning.

I guess he is trying to be noble and spare his family from the media circus which brings me to the scary part of his statement,

“Rather than allow a sensationalized trial by media damage those things I love most, this morning I notified House leadership that I will be leaving Congress as of Jan. 31, 2018.”

He is resigning rather than face “trial by media”.

This is dangerous.  There are a lot of maybe’s here.  Maybe he has other skeletons he does not want to come out.  Maybe he did more than ask politely.  Maybe he is a key vote that the Democrats wanted to remove.  Maybe, maybe, maybe...  The fact of the matter is that we have a man driven from office by innuendo and implication.  It could be the right choice.  More than likely it is the first of many surrenders to a media that wants to overthrow the last presidential election and doesn’t care how much damage they do to liberty in the process.

Is Trent Franks guilty of something that requires him to resign from congress?  Not that I read about, but he feels intimidated enough to back out gracefully.  How about the others?  I am in favor of Judge Moore hanging in there because he has the guts to resist the bullying of the Democrats and media (redundant, I know) and the RINOs that are their allies. 

What will you do when they come for you?  You don’t think you are important enough?  Wait until they want something you have. 

Will you be a Trent Franks or a Roy Moore?

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-402: New Terms: National Dementia Syndrom

Never Forget!

Pearl Harbor.  The Holocaust.  9/11.

Why do we remember?

First, some reasons are not acceptable.  We do not remember to keep the hate and rage alive.  We do not remember to exact vengeance and make them pay.  The first part of the phrase, “Forgive and Forget” is important if we want civilization to move forward.  When there is a pot hole in the street you don’t curse it.  You avoid it until you can get it filled.  Evil happens.  We have fought wars to bring down the evil perpetrators.  It is time to move on.

We remember so that we can learn from the pain.  Pearl Harbor was a reminder that when we stop being vigilant we can pay a big price.  The Holocaust reminds us that evil can overcome any culture from within if we do not keep standing up for what is right.  The Twin Towers remind us that the world is not full of lovely people and the “Religion of Peace” seems to have a lot of heretics.

So we remember.  When?  At election time we need to remember the kind of politicians that have no sense of right and wrong.  At budget time we need to remember that the best way to avoid war is to be so strong that the enemies of America know they will be destroyed.  When talking about immigration we need to ask ourselves what groups are committed to destroying us and our way of life.

We need to avoid National Dementia Syndrom.

And since I am now in Texas, Remember the Alamo!

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-401: Headlines: Be Careful What You Wish For

Should Al Franken resign?  We need to be careful of our answers because, as conservatives, we believe in the rule of law.  That means that we don’t have one set of rules for us and one for them.  We are not liberals who think the rules only apply to people who are not special like they are.

Why would I like to see him resign?  First, he should not have been elected in the first place.  As I had read several places, he is a jerk.  In addition to that I would like to see him go because he is a force for political evil.  He also has one thing that almost demands resignation:  He has admitted to a lot of disgusting actions. 

Why am I cautious?  The same reason I call for reason and law in the case of Judge Moore.  So far it has been trial by media and hysteria.  As a member of the faceless masses I caution my fellow faces to stop reacting with mindless emotion.  Stop condemning someone just because the media wants blood.  If you get on a jury, listen to the evidence and give the verdict.  If you have an opinion, share it.  Never forget that we have rules and those rules are supposed to apply to everyone.  We have laws against rape.  We have laws that protect our physical person from unwanted touching and our mental person from verbal assault.  Apply them.

Don’t join the lych mob.  It doesn’t matter how nasty the victim.  Remember,

(Proverbs 29:27 KJV)  An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

The disgust goes both ways.  Every exception to law breaks down the rule of law.

Having said that, I hope the guy crawls back under the rock that spit him out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-400: On the Street: Liberal Confession

It is snowing in Hell.  My wife met a woman who admitted she was a liberal.  When my wife encouraged her to move to California and replace us she said she was thinking about it.

If you are into prayer you might be remembering her and encouraging the move.  Texas would be a better place and California won’t even notice.  Also pray for her safety.  Anyone who would admit they are a liberal might walk out in front of a yak or something.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-399: Executive Action Required

Is it time for history to repeat itself?

Does the acronym OSS mean anything to you?  It did to the Nazis and the Japanese war lords.  It was the arm of the Untied States government that dealt with intelligence during World War II.  It ran our spies and directed our secret work of infiltrating and influencing our enemies.  It was created by FDR and “Wild Bill” Donovan.  It was needed and provided a vital role.

When the war was over it was dissolved.  Granted, its activities were simply transferred to other agencies in the government but the OSS was gone, by presidential order. 

It is time for history to repeat itself.  The CIA has become the tail wagging the dog.  It has become a power unto itself.  The role it plays is necessary but the organization is probably beyond redemption.  Dissolve it and move on.

Now about the FBI...

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-398: Headlines: Another Day, Another Accusation, Garrison Keillor

I wonder sometimes if the media is playing with us to keep ratings up.  Do they have a long list of revelations about celebrities and politicians who have erred and they are stretching out the release in order to get us to tune in?

Yesterday it was the turn of Garrison Keillor.  Drudge sent me to Minnesota Public Radio.  My total experience with him involves reading Lake Woebegone Days after years of hearing about how the children were all above average. 

I read through the article and no specific charges are made, just “inappropriate behavior”.  That lets the imagination run wild.  As I look at the headlines about yesterday’s expose I see a wide assortment of actions being attributed to Matt Lauer.  I am not going to read all the articles because if the media follows its regular path there will be no way of knowing which are the ugly truth and which are ugly lies.  It is the job of the justice system to work those out.

It seems that the situations with Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor were both known by many people for a good time and nothing was done.  Maybe at last it is.  If they are guilty of serious crimes like rape or molestation of children then the death penalty would be appropriate.  If all they did was pat someone’s derriere, then maybe being fired will be enough.  I hope they get a jury but I don’t want to bet on it.

There is good and bad coming out of all these accusations.  The good is that a winked at behavior that was demeaning to other human beings is finally getting some attention.  The bad is that the press corps is using emotion to railroad the rule of law rather than due process to seek justice under the rule of law.  In our enthusiasm for one we must not let the other be lost.

homo unius libri