Emotional extortion seems to be more widely and openly practiced these days. Just when I thought it couldn’t get much worse, a young woman on TikTok proudly displayed the story of how she and her five sisters had “intense exchanges” with her terminally ill father.  Her problem was that he was conservative and planned to vote for Trump.  She explained — on index cards to background music — that the talks were hard because “we’ll almost certainly lose him in the next few weeks/months.”  In the end, the father told them that he voted “for Biden-Harris 2020.”

The gushing daughter reported that her father said he did so “because it matters to my girls and my girls matter to me.”  She actually saw this abuse of a father’s love as a victory she should publicly declare.  No matter one’s favored candidate, such deathbed badgering is ghastly.

This sort of cruel manipulation — to get vulnerable loved ones to prove their love by forcing them to vote a certain way — seems to have become more common these days.  Hard-left young adults tell their parents that unless they vote their way, they won’t let them see their grandchildren anymore.  Black Lives Matter agitators tell the “white-privileged” that the only way to prove they are not racist is to cut off relationships with any family and loved ones who do not take part in BLM protests or support BLM financially. 

There are many scenarios in which people apply personal pressure and undue influence to win votes.  In addition to pressure from loved ones, groupthink and the general fear of being smeared as a bigot can be powerful tools of influence. 

Hillary Clinton’s Claims of Patriarchal Pressure in 2016 Don’t Pan Out

Interestingly, Hillary Clinton brought up the issue of voter intimidation a couple of years ago by claiming that a majority of white women voted for Trump in 2016 because their husbands and boyfriends pressured them.

But couldn’t we just as easily argue that Clinton had it backwards?  Isn’t it possible that Hillary-supporting women applied even more pressure on their husbands and boyfriends to vote for Hillary than the other way around?  Let’s focus on just one scenario in which social influence can be commonly applied:  the socio-sexual pressure women can exert on men.

Women’s Political Use of Sex Has a Long History

Sexual and emotional extortion in politics, at least with certain women, is an ancient phenomenon.  It was the theme of Aristophanes’s play “Lysistrata.”  Some Old Testament stories show the power of females to seduce men for political purposes.  The Hebrew heroine Judith saved her people by luring Assyrian general Holofernes into her honey trap.  On the other hand, Delilah betrayed her people and turned the Hebrew judge Samson over to the enemy.

Fast-forward now to the 1960s, when the sexual revolution was revving up big-time.  Take a look at this old poster: “Girls say YES to boys who say NO.”

The year is 1968, during the height of civil unrest over the Vietnam War.  The woman pictured on the left is the famous folk singer and anti-war activist Joan Baez.  The other two are her sisters.  The message is clear: young men, you’ll score with women if you resist the draft.

In addition to showing sexually “liberated” women, the poster challenges traditions associated with masculinity.  Even in 1968, most men tended to express a sense of duty and honor to serve when called.  Bound up in that masculine tradition was an ideal of virtue many men considered necessary (consciously or not) to attract a mate.

The central message of the poster was that a man’s sense of patriotic duty was not only unnecessary to have sex with women, but unwanted by women. 

Exactly forty years later in 2008, other posters imitated the iconic Baez photo, with the heading: “Girls say YES to boys who say OBAMA.”  The recycled message probably didn’t have the same impact after two generations of a sex-saturated culture.  Nevertheless, it illustrates just one form of pressure that can play out to extract votes in the realm of personal relationships.

Universal Mail-In Voting Invites More Pressures

How do we protect people in the political process from undue influence and voter intimidation?  One absolutely critical way is the secret ballot, cast in private. 

A little discussed problem with mail-in voting is that it serves to abolish the right to cast a vote in person and in secret.  We hear less about that than the potential for fraud.  Indeed, going postal with voting rights definitely invites fraud.  No other nation votes that way.  (You can read more about the rampant problems with universal mail-in ballots here, here, here,  here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.)  But just as serious an issue is that universal mail-in voting serves to erode voter privacy and thereby leads to more voter intimidation.

For all the lip service the left gives on the issue of domestic violence, you would think leftists want to secure a guaranteed secret ballot that allows individuals — especially women — to go into a voting booth alone to vote their conscience. 

Some argue that mail-in voting actually allows for greater privacy.  Maybe if you live alone and have a locked mailbox.  But people whose official ballots come in a shared mailbox are susceptible to social pressures they would not feel in a voting booth.

So we ought to ponder and ask about all of the avenues to voter pressure and intimidation.  What of those households where there is great dysfunction in which dominant personalities hold sway?  What about students and young professionals who live in group homes and apartments?  What happens to their ballots if one member who is on the outs politically with the others picks up the mail?  What if Grandma wants to vote for Trump and the grandkids (whom she asks to drop her ballot in the mail) are woke?  Emotional pressure — whether by women or men — is much more easily applied in such cases.  Guaranteeing the right to cast a secured ballot in person and in total privacy is the only way to avoid that.

Back to Hillary Clinton for a moment.  If she really believed what she said about men pressuring women into voting for Trump, she should come out against universal mail-in voting.  But perhaps she knows that women — especially those groomed in her brand of feminism — can perhaps more easily dominate men when it comes to voting.

Social pressure is bad enough in these days of social media trolling and groupthink.  As with the daughters haranguing their dying father, the calculus of extracting votes on a personal level can be hideous.  Such stories illustrate how universal mail-in voting jeopardizes the right to a guaranteed secret ballot. 

Everyone wants to know whom you’re voting for.  But nobody has a right to know.  That knowledge should be shared only willingly, no matter how much someone may try to pry it out of you.

The tradition of voting by secret ballot is meant to guarantee freedom of conscience and was once considered sacred.  Going forward, we should restore that tradition.

Stella Morabito has written on issues of society and culture for various publications.  She focuses on the effects of political correctness and identity politics on human relationships.  Stella is a senior contributor at The Federalist.

Emotional extortion seems to be more widely and openly practiced these days. Just when I thought it couldn’t get much worse, a young woman on TikTok proudly displayed the story of how she and her five sisters had “intense exchanges” with her terminally ill father.  Her problem was that he was conservative and planned to vote for Trump.  She explained — on index cards to background music — that the talks were hard because “we’ll almost certainly lose him in the next few weeks/months.”  In the end, the father told them that he voted “for Biden-Harris 2020.”

The gushing daughter reported that her father said he did so “because it matters to my girls and my girls matter to me.”  She actually saw this abuse of a father’s love as a victory she should publicly declare.  No matter one’s favored candidate, such deathbed badgering is ghastly.

This sort of cruel manipulation — to get vulnerable loved ones to prove their love by forcing them to vote a certain way — seems to have become more common these days.  Hard-left young adults tell their parents that unless they vote their way, they won’t let them see their grandchildren anymore.  Black Lives Matter agitators tell the “white-privileged” that the only way to prove they are not racist is to cut off relationships with any family and loved ones who do not take part in BLM protests or support BLM financially. 

There are many scenarios in which people apply personal pressure and undue influence to win votes.  In addition to pressure from loved ones, groupthink and the general fear of being smeared as a bigot can be powerful tools of influence. 

Hillary Clinton’s Claims of Patriarchal Pressure in 2016 Don’t Pan Out

Interestingly, Hillary Clinton brought up the issue of voter intimidation a couple of years ago by claiming that a majority of white women voted for Trump in 2016 because their husbands and boyfriends pressured them.

But couldn’t we just as easily argue that Clinton had it backwards?  Isn’t it possible that Hillary-supporting women applied even more pressure on their husbands and boyfriends to vote for Hillary than the other way around?  Let’s focus on just one scenario in which social influence can be commonly applied:  the socio-sexual pressure women can exert on men.

Women’s Political Use of Sex Has a Long History

Sexual and emotional extortion in politics, at least with certain women, is an ancient phenomenon.  It was the theme of Aristophanes’s play “Lysistrata.”  Some Old Testament stories show the power of females to seduce men for political purposes.  The Hebrew heroine Judith saved her people by luring Assyrian general Holofernes into her honey trap.  On the other hand, Delilah betrayed her people and turned the Hebrew judge Samson over to the enemy.

Fast-forward now to the 1960s, when the sexual revolution was revving up big-time.  Take a look at this old poster: “Girls say YES to boys who say NO.”

The year is 1968, during the height of civil unrest over the Vietnam War.  The woman pictured on the left is the famous folk singer and anti-war activist Joan Baez.  The other two are her sisters.  The message is clear: young men, you’ll score with women if you resist the draft.

In addition to showing sexually “liberated” women, the poster challenges traditions associated with masculinity.  Even in 1968, most men tended to express a sense of duty and honor to serve when called.  Bound up in that masculine tradition was an ideal of virtue many men considered necessary (consciously or not) to attract a mate.

The central message of the poster was that a man’s sense of patriotic duty was not only unnecessary to have sex with women, but unwanted by women. 

Exactly forty years later in 2008, other posters imitated the iconic Baez photo, with the heading: “Girls say YES to boys who say OBAMA.”  The recycled message probably didn’t have the same impact after two generations of a sex-saturated culture.  Nevertheless, it illustrates just one form of pressure that can play out to extract votes in the realm of personal relationships.

Universal Mail-In Voting Invites More Pressures

How do we protect people in the political process from undue influence and voter intimidation?  One absolutely critical way is the secret ballot, cast in private. 

A little discussed problem with mail-in voting is that it serves to abolish the right to cast a vote in person and in secret.  We hear less about that than the potential for fraud.  Indeed, going postal with voting rights definitely invites fraud.  No other nation votes that way.  (You can read more about the rampant problems with universal mail-in ballots here, here, here,  here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.)  But just as serious an issue is that universal mail-in voting serves to erode voter privacy and thereby leads to more voter intimidation.

For all the lip service the left gives on the issue of domestic violence, you would think leftists want to secure a guaranteed secret ballot that allows individuals — especially women — to go into a voting booth alone to vote their conscience. 

Some argue that mail-in voting actually allows for greater privacy.  Maybe if you live alone and have a locked mailbox.  But people whose official ballots come in a shared mailbox are susceptible to social pressures they would not feel in a voting booth.

So we ought to ponder and ask about all of the avenues to voter pressure and intimidation.  What of those households where there is great dysfunction in which dominant personalities hold sway?  What about students and young professionals who live in group homes and apartments?  What happens to their ballots if one member who is on the outs politically with the others picks up the mail?  What if Grandma wants to vote for Trump and the grandkids (whom she asks to drop her ballot in the mail) are woke?  Emotional pressure — whether by women or men — is much more easily applied in such cases.  Guaranteeing the right to cast a secured ballot in person and in total privacy is the only way to avoid that.

Back to Hillary Clinton for a moment.  If she really believed what she said about men pressuring women into voting for Trump, she should come out against universal mail-in voting.  But perhaps she knows that women — especially those groomed in her brand of feminism — can perhaps more easily dominate men when it comes to voting.

Social pressure is bad enough in these days of social media trolling and groupthink.  As with the daughters haranguing their dying father, the calculus of extracting votes on a personal level can be hideous.  Such stories illustrate how universal mail-in voting jeopardizes the right to a guaranteed secret ballot. 

Everyone wants to know whom you’re voting for.  But nobody has a right to know.  That knowledge should be shared only willingly, no matter how much someone may try to pry it out of you.

The tradition of voting by secret ballot is meant to guarantee freedom of conscience and was once considered sacred.  Going forward, we should restore that tradition.

Stella Morabito has written on issues of society and culture for various publications.  She focuses on the effects of political correctness and identity politics on human relationships.  Stella is a senior contributor at The Federalist.

Many, including me, are willing to bet the house that Donald Trump will be re-elected, either on November 3 as the clock nears midnight or several days or weeks afterward, when the Supreme Court finally stops the Democrats from “finding” and counting additional ballots for Sleepy Joe.

Do realize, however, that in the event of a Trump victory, that house you just bet with will be gravely endangered, as will your business, your livelihood, and even your personal safety.

Don’t let your house look like this.  (YouTube screen grab, cropped.)

Lunatics under the best of conditions, liberals and leftists have already promised mostly peaceful rioting and socially just attacks on Trump-supporters if The Donald prevails.

So if you don’t want your home or business burned to the ground with you in it simply because Trump won, there are several steps you must take now.

Like bulls, libs are enraged by the color red.  So now is the time to put away all your red Trump signs and paraphernalia, not to mention anything red like, say, a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.  Let’s face it: the 2020 electoral cake is already baked; leaving that Trump sign on your lawn won’t change any minds.  But it will make your home an easy target for anarchists, arsonists, and Antifarians.

And though libs are none too bright, making critical decisions based solely on emotion and dopey slogans, some of them may remember that you once had a Trump sign in your yard or wore a MAGA hat around town.  Some protective camouflage is certainly in order.

Get some poster board and colored markers and make some yard signs to fool the leftist tools who’d do you harm.  Any foolish sequence of thoughts will work, like Black Lives Matter, Love is Love, and Hire People with Hooks.  Or When It Comes to Hate, Many Are Called but Few Are Chosen.  Almost any idiotic sentiment will work; it needn’t make sense.

If you live in an overwhelmingly Democrat neighborhood, a temporary chain-link fence with a couple of large Dobermans running free behind it may be required to keep you safe.

If, sadly, you live in a Democrat-run city, election time would be the perfect time to take that much deserved vacation in the Florida Keys.  But do check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy before you board that plane, and make sure the coverage is solid and your premium’s up to date.

If you plan on driving in a blue state after the election, you’ve got to protect yourself from the vicious mobs who’ll be blocking streets and highways in protest.  God knows the police won’t protect you.

One way to go would be to spray paint BLM or Strength in Diversity in letters two or three feet tall on your hood or trunk.  Sure, you’ll need a costly paint job after things eventually calm down, but that’s better than getting Reginald Dennyed by some social justice sociopaths.

Or, if you refuse to bow before the left-wing mob, a couple of bazookas mounted on your car roof, a la Mad Max, would certainly gain you safe passage.  If bazookas are unavailable, some flamethrowers would work just as well.

And if, for some reason, you’ve been considering bulletproof glass for your ride, now is the time to make that investment.  A “cowcatcher,” the pointy thing on the front of old-fashioned locomotives, would also be a welcome addition to your vehicle so that when you’re surrounded by mostly peaceful protesters bearing bricks and Molotov cocktails, you can hit the gas and merely deflect the soy boy marauders without killing them.

Should President Trump be re-elected, there will also be lots of Twitter-happy leftists ready to cancel your business or livelihood if they think you personally supported him.  So learning leftist lingo and utilizing it is a must.

Let’s say a client or a customer or a patient says, “I gave to BLM.  Did you?“  You might be tempted to tell him to take a long walk off a short pier, but don’t.  Simply take his bid, then up the ante.  ”Sure, I contributed to BLM,” you say with a smugness only social justice warriors can manage.  ”But I also gave an entire month’s salary to TLPIW, Transgendered Little People in Wheelchairs!”  No one can top that.

Or you could just keep it simple, like, “Trump’s so racist and divisive that I had to stop working and go on SSI disability!”  Libs love welfare and disability recipients; if you really sell your victimhood, they might just slip you a twenty or even invite you over for dinner.  Of course, if they do, you can forget about a nice steak dinner, since cow farts are clearly ruining the planet.

Worst of all, the caring, deeply concerned, arugula-loving twits on the left will be crying, wailing, gnashing their teeth and rending their garments should the Donald prevail in November.  And looking to knock the snot out of anyone who didn’t vote for a corrupt senile swamp rat who spent most of the campaign season hiding out in his basement watching This is Us reruns.

The first line of defense would obviously be packing heat, although you saw what happened to Kyle Rittenhouse. Unless you know or are a terrific criminal defense lawyer, in this way lies danger now that cops in Democrat locales generally ignore the perpetrator and instead, arrest the intended victim. A better choice would be to mimic the armadillo, or if you prefer, the typical Islamic garb for women in the Middle East.

Yep, I’m talking burqas, burqas made of Kevlar with bullet-proof eyeglass. Liberals will take down Christians in a heartbeat, and Jews, fuggedaboutit! But as Barack Obama demonstrated, dropping pallets of cash in Iran in the dead of night and allowing ISIS to create a caliphate spanning Syria and Iraq, libs give a wide berth to Middle Eastern Muslims no matter how vile. Wear a carbon fiber-reinforced burqa and you’re safe. A paper face mask, of course, completes the disguise.

While Donald Trump’s continuance as president is the only thing standing between us and Democrat/Deep State tyranny, we can expect the left to take their infantile, albeit felonious and homicidal, behavior to new depths should he prevail in the next election. Best to celebrate using your inside voice and otherwise pretend you’re one of them.

Otherwise, you just may inherit the Earth. Right in the mouth.

Many, including me, are willing to bet the house that Donald Trump will be re-elected, either on November 3 as the clock nears midnight or several days or weeks afterward, when the Supreme Court finally stops the Democrats from “finding” and counting additional ballots for Sleepy Joe.

Do realize, however, that in the event of a Trump victory, that house you just bet with will be gravely endangered, as will your business, your livelihood, and even your personal safety.

Don’t let your house look like this.  (YouTube screen grab, cropped.)

Lunatics under the best of conditions, liberals and leftists have already promised mostly peaceful rioting and socially just attacks on Trump-supporters if The Donald prevails.

So if you don’t want your home or business burned to the ground with you in it simply because Trump won, there are several steps you must take now.

Like bulls, libs are enraged by the color red.  So now is the time to put away all your red Trump signs and paraphernalia, not to mention anything red like, say, a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap.  Let’s face it: the 2020 electoral cake is already baked; leaving that Trump sign on your lawn won’t change any minds.  But it will make your home an easy target for anarchists, arsonists, and Antifarians.

And though libs are none too bright, making critical decisions based solely on emotion and dopey slogans, some of them may remember that you once had a Trump sign in your yard or wore a MAGA hat around town.  Some protective camouflage is certainly in order.

Get some poster board and colored markers and make some yard signs to fool the leftist tools who’d do you harm.  Any foolish sequence of thoughts will work, like Black Lives Matter, Love is Love, and Hire People with Hooks.  Or When It Comes to Hate, Many Are Called but Few Are Chosen.  Almost any idiotic sentiment will work; it needn’t make sense.

If you live in an overwhelmingly Democrat neighborhood, a temporary chain-link fence with a couple of large Dobermans running free behind it may be required to keep you safe.

If, sadly, you live in a Democrat-run city, election time would be the perfect time to take that much deserved vacation in the Florida Keys.  But do check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy before you board that plane, and make sure the coverage is solid and your premium’s up to date.

If you plan on driving in a blue state after the election, you’ve got to protect yourself from the vicious mobs who’ll be blocking streets and highways in protest.  God knows the police won’t protect you.

One way to go would be to spray paint BLM or Strength in Diversity in letters two or three feet tall on your hood or trunk.  Sure, you’ll need a costly paint job after things eventually calm down, but that’s better than getting Reginald Dennyed by some social justice sociopaths.

Or, if you refuse to bow before the left-wing mob, a couple of bazookas mounted on your car roof, a la Mad Max, would certainly gain you safe passage.  If bazookas are unavailable, some flamethrowers would work just as well.

And if, for some reason, you’ve been considering bulletproof glass for your ride, now is the time to make that investment.  A “cowcatcher,” the pointy thing on the front of old-fashioned locomotives, would also be a welcome addition to your vehicle so that when you’re surrounded by mostly peaceful protesters bearing bricks and Molotov cocktails, you can hit the gas and merely deflect the soy boy marauders without killing them.

Should President Trump be re-elected, there will also be lots of Twitter-happy leftists ready to cancel your business or livelihood if they think you personally supported him.  So learning leftist lingo and utilizing it is a must.

Let’s say a client or a customer or a patient says, “I gave to BLM.  Did you?“  You might be tempted to tell him to take a long walk off a short pier, but don’t.  Simply take his bid, then up the ante.  ”Sure, I contributed to BLM,” you say with a smugness only social justice warriors can manage.  ”But I also gave an entire month’s salary to TLPIW, Transgendered Little People in Wheelchairs!”  No one can top that.

Or you could just keep it simple, like, “Trump’s so racist and divisive that I had to stop working and go on SSI disability!”  Libs love welfare and disability recipients; if you really sell your victimhood, they might just slip you a twenty or even invite you over for dinner.  Of course, if they do, you can forget about a nice steak dinner, since cow farts are clearly ruining the planet.

Worst of all, the caring, deeply concerned, arugula-loving twits on the left will be crying, wailing, gnashing their teeth and rending their garments should the Donald prevail in November.  And looking to knock the snot out of anyone who didn’t vote for a corrupt senile swamp rat who spent most of the campaign season hiding out in his basement watching This is Us reruns.

The first line of defense would obviously be packing heat, although you saw what happened to Kyle Rittenhouse. Unless you know or are a terrific criminal defense lawyer, in this way lies danger now that cops in Democrat locales generally ignore the perpetrator and instead, arrest the intended victim. A better choice would be to mimic the armadillo, or if you prefer, the typical Islamic garb for women in the Middle East.

Yep, I’m talking burqas, burqas made of Kevlar with bullet-proof eyeglass. Liberals will take down Christians in a heartbeat, and Jews, fuggedaboutit! But as Barack Obama demonstrated, dropping pallets of cash in Iran in the dead of night and allowing ISIS to create a caliphate spanning Syria and Iraq, libs give a wide berth to Middle Eastern Muslims no matter how vile. Wear a carbon fiber-reinforced burqa and you’re safe. A paper face mask, of course, completes the disguise.

While Donald Trump’s continuance as president is the only thing standing between us and Democrat/Deep State tyranny, we can expect the left to take their infantile, albeit felonious and homicidal, behavior to new depths should he prevail in the next election. Best to celebrate using your inside voice and otherwise pretend you’re one of them.

Otherwise, you just may inherit the Earth. Right in the mouth.

It’s always a joy to reconnect with former colleagues and reminisce about the “good times,” especially during the smothering lockdowns.  Copious memories were instantly refreshed as my former work colleague’s name appeared “calling” on my phone.

I have lived in India for most of my life, while she has lived in the U.S.  But high-speed internet enabled us to work on many projects at a software firm with branches located in our respective countries.  We became friendly owing to our mutual fondness for noir cinema, Sir Roger Moore’s portrayal of 007, and U.S. politics.

A fervent Democrat, she voted for Obama twice and even traveled to Washington for his inaugurations.  She ardently campaigned for Hillary Clinton and was devastated when Hillary lost. 

She thought Trump’s “abominable lack of restraint” made him a force of chaos.  Trump’s “vile” tweets didn’t curb her fears.  When I predicted a Trump victory in August 2015, she prayed I would be wrong.

We talked about former colleagues, COVID-19, movies, finally presidential elections.  Here is an approximation of how our actual conversation went as I remember it.

“Are you excited about Joe?” I asked.

“They tell me I should be,” she said.

“I expected an unequivocal and prompt ‘yes,'” said I. 

“Much water has flowed under the bridge,” she said, sounding sullen.

For me, this was nothing short of an astounding “breaking news” moment.

“What happened?” I inquired.

“You can’t breathe a word about this to our U.S. folks,” she said.

“I solemnly swear to secrecy,” said I. 

“I live in a state overseen by Democrats.  My governor, senator, and representative are Democrats,” she said. 

“Left-wing loons?” I asked.

“That ceases to be an overstatement.  When George Floyd was killed, I was gutted.  Nobody deserves to die like that.  I marched in a peaceful protest, not because I’m African-American, but because it was the humane thing to do,” she said.

“The reverberations of the Floyd killing were heard all over the world, even here in India,” I said.

“Right!  The movement began with calls for police reforms, something I support.  I was disturbed when they demanded to defund the police.  Calls for more improvements are always welcome, but to abolish the police is preposterous.  Who was making these ludicrous demands?  The Democrats,” she said. 

There was a time when she always referred to them as “my dear Democrats.”

“My cousin is a policeman.  I know of the lives the police save, from arresting drug-peddlers to rescuing battered housewives.  They are deterrents and protectors of society.  There will be the occasional rogue cop, but generally, they are a boon, especially in impoverished neighborhoods,” she said

“When I was young, the police were usually scary people whom you feared.  These days, I see policemen joking around with kids, giving talks at schools.  Times have changed.  They undergo lots of sensitive training.  I’ve seen the impact that the training has had on my cousin; he is much kinder and gentler since joining the force.  Do you know the ‘protesters’ called him a traitor because he is a black policeman?” she said.

“The protests devolved into riots.  I feared for my safety.  Many shops near my home were vandalized and looted.  The purveyors of some establishments, most of whom are black, were attacked.  The damage they did to the infrastructure will take years to fix.  But not a syllable of condemnation from the Democrats.  In fact, they supported it, calling it peaceful.  Never before have I witnessed anything this disgraceful,” she said.

“The news media are sympathetic to the ‘protesters.’  They refused to acknowledge that anything wrong had occurred even when rioters stormed their studios.  The only ones condemning this were President Trump, Republicans, Fox News pundits, and conservatives commentators.  Never did I think I would gravitate toward this group,” she said. 

“Life’s full of surprises,” I said, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Only when Trump deployed federal forces in another state did our authorities wake up.  But their reaction was perfunctory and delayed.  There was nothing more left to destroy.  The Democrats failed to protect us and our property, which is the primary function of government,” she said.

“During the pandemic, the Democrats behaved like tyrants as they shut down businesses.  People were denied their right to earn a living, despite promising to wear masks and be socially distant.  Many businesses couldn’t sustain the losses and shut down.  The goal clearly was to undo the economic progress and hurt Trump’s re-election prospects.  We supporters are collateral damage in the quest for power,” she said.

“The Democrats were not concerned about COVID-19 when demonstrators marched closely in groups.  I read about Democrat leaders living without any restrictions privately, ordering the opening of salons when needed.  The restrictions are only for regular citizens,” she said.

“Blatant hypocrisy,” I said.

“Biden says those having a hard time ‘figuring out’ whether to support him or Trump means they ‘ain’t black’ made me angry. I have long suspected this, but it became clear the Democrats have taken African-Americans for granted. They just don’t say it out loud like Biden,” she said.

“I began to study President Trump’s record objectively. The undeniable facts are, he built a strong economy. My acquaintances who previously struggled to earn a decent living now have full-time jobs because of this growth. My friends who run a small businesses are doing extremely well. I realized that Trump has empowered minorities economically like no other president. Trump is also among the few insisting that we reopen.” she said. 

“Trump is the only modern president who has not caused new wars. He has actually led peace treaties in the Middle East. He fervently supports the police. He values tradition and faith. He is taking on China. I do not always like his style, I’m beginning to get his humor though. But on substance, he is a huge success. Why should I not vote for him?” she asked.

I was taken aback and almost rendered speechless.

“It is not just me, my friends and relatives are all for Trump. But we are not doing a song and dance about it. Some among us have a ‘Biden-Harris’ banners outside our houses. They attend anti-Trump protests and joke about later. I see myriad similar disgruntled Democrats on social media. We feel like a secret society” said she.

“America is one of the greatest democracies in the world, but the left has curbed your freedom of expression. Ironically they claim to be saving democracy,” I said.

“People being targeted and brutalized for supporting Trump. You can even lose your job for a social media post. The leaders of this detestable practice of ‘canceling’ non-conformists are Democrats. So no MAGA hats for me any time soon,” she said.

“Very wise,” I said, laughter making a remarkable comeback.

“What do the Democrats stand for today? High taxes, the Green New Deal, appeasement without the empowerment of minorities, defunding the police, hatred for tradition, disdain for regular folks, citizenship, and benefits for illegal aliens, conformism, cancel culture, and faux political correctness. I’m not only voting for Trump, but I’m going to quit the party soon,” she replied.

Image credit: Michael Vadon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It’s always a joy to reconnect with former colleagues and reminisce about the “good times,” especially during the smothering lockdowns.  Copious memories were instantly refreshed as my former work colleague’s name appeared “calling” on my phone.

I have lived in India for most of my life, while she has lived in the U.S.  But high-speed internet enabled us to work on many projects at a software firm with branches located in our respective countries.  We became friendly owing to our mutual fondness for noir cinema, Sir Roger Moore’s portrayal of 007, and U.S. politics.

A fervent Democrat, she voted for Obama twice and even traveled to Washington for his inaugurations.  She ardently campaigned for Hillary Clinton and was devastated when Hillary lost. 

She thought Trump’s “abominable lack of restraint” made him a force of chaos.  Trump’s “vile” tweets didn’t curb her fears.  When I predicted a Trump victory in August 2015, she prayed I would be wrong.

We talked about former colleagues, COVID-19, movies, finally presidential elections.  Here is an approximation of how our actual conversation went as I remember it.

“Are you excited about Joe?” I asked.

“They tell me I should be,” she said.

“I expected an unequivocal and prompt ‘yes,'” said I. 

“Much water has flowed under the bridge,” she said, sounding sullen.

For me, this was nothing short of an astounding “breaking news” moment.

“What happened?” I inquired.

“You can’t breathe a word about this to our U.S. folks,” she said.

“I solemnly swear to secrecy,” said I. 

“I live in a state overseen by Democrats.  My governor, senator, and representative are Democrats,” she said. 

“Left-wing loons?” I asked.

“That ceases to be an overstatement.  When George Floyd was killed, I was gutted.  Nobody deserves to die like that.  I marched in a peaceful protest, not because I’m African-American, but because it was the humane thing to do,” she said.

“The reverberations of the Floyd killing were heard all over the world, even here in India,” I said.

“Right!  The movement began with calls for police reforms, something I support.  I was disturbed when they demanded to defund the police.  Calls for more improvements are always welcome, but to abolish the police is preposterous.  Who was making these ludicrous demands?  The Democrats,” she said. 

There was a time when she always referred to them as “my dear Democrats.”

“My cousin is a policeman.  I know of the lives the police save, from arresting drug-peddlers to rescuing battered housewives.  They are deterrents and protectors of society.  There will be the occasional rogue cop, but generally, they are a boon, especially in impoverished neighborhoods,” she said

“When I was young, the police were usually scary people whom you feared.  These days, I see policemen joking around with kids, giving talks at schools.  Times have changed.  They undergo lots of sensitive training.  I’ve seen the impact that the training has had on my cousin; he is much kinder and gentler since joining the force.  Do you know the ‘protesters’ called him a traitor because he is a black policeman?” she said.

“The protests devolved into riots.  I feared for my safety.  Many shops near my home were vandalized and looted.  The purveyors of some establishments, most of whom are black, were attacked.  The damage they did to the infrastructure will take years to fix.  But not a syllable of condemnation from the Democrats.  In fact, they supported it, calling it peaceful.  Never before have I witnessed anything this disgraceful,” she said.

“The news media are sympathetic to the ‘protesters.’  They refused to acknowledge that anything wrong had occurred even when rioters stormed their studios.  The only ones condemning this were President Trump, Republicans, Fox News pundits, and conservatives commentators.  Never did I think I would gravitate toward this group,” she said. 

“Life’s full of surprises,” I said, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Only when Trump deployed federal forces in another state did our authorities wake up.  But their reaction was perfunctory and delayed.  There was nothing more left to destroy.  The Democrats failed to protect us and our property, which is the primary function of government,” she said.

“During the pandemic, the Democrats behaved like tyrants as they shut down businesses.  People were denied their right to earn a living, despite promising to wear masks and be socially distant.  Many businesses couldn’t sustain the losses and shut down.  The goal clearly was to undo the economic progress and hurt Trump’s re-election prospects.  We supporters are collateral damage in the quest for power,” she said.

“The Democrats were not concerned about COVID-19 when demonstrators marched closely in groups.  I read about Democrat leaders living without any restrictions privately, ordering the opening of salons when needed.  The restrictions are only for regular citizens,” she said.

“Blatant hypocrisy,” I said.

“Biden says those having a hard time ‘figuring out’ whether to support him or Trump means they ‘ain’t black’ made me angry. I have long suspected this, but it became clear the Democrats have taken African-Americans for granted. They just don’t say it out loud like Biden,” she said.

“I began to study President Trump’s record objectively. The undeniable facts are, he built a strong economy. My acquaintances who previously struggled to earn a decent living now have full-time jobs because of this growth. My friends who run a small businesses are doing extremely well. I realized that Trump has empowered minorities economically like no other president. Trump is also among the few insisting that we reopen.” she said. 

“Trump is the only modern president who has not caused new wars. He has actually led peace treaties in the Middle East. He fervently supports the police. He values tradition and faith. He is taking on China. I do not always like his style, I’m beginning to get his humor though. But on substance, he is a huge success. Why should I not vote for him?” she asked.

I was taken aback and almost rendered speechless.

“It is not just me, my friends and relatives are all for Trump. But we are not doing a song and dance about it. Some among us have a ‘Biden-Harris’ banners outside our houses. They attend anti-Trump protests and joke about later. I see myriad similar disgruntled Democrats on social media. We feel like a secret society” said she.

“America is one of the greatest democracies in the world, but the left has curbed your freedom of expression. Ironically they claim to be saving democracy,” I said.

“People being targeted and brutalized for supporting Trump. You can even lose your job for a social media post. The leaders of this detestable practice of ‘canceling’ non-conformists are Democrats. So no MAGA hats for me any time soon,” she said.

“Very wise,” I said, laughter making a remarkable comeback.

“What do the Democrats stand for today? High taxes, the Green New Deal, appeasement without the empowerment of minorities, defunding the police, hatred for tradition, disdain for regular folks, citizenship, and benefits for illegal aliens, conformism, cancel culture, and faux political correctness. I’m not only voting for Trump, but I’m going to quit the party soon,” she replied.

Image credit: Michael Vadon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent ridiculous Thanksgiving edicts call for gatherings to be restricted to only three households, and held outside. Masks are to be worn before and after eating, and between bites. No singing or chanting is allowed and the meal is to last no longer than two hours. These are just a few of the restrictions dreamed up to slow the spread of the Wuhan virus. What these arbitrary proclamations illustrate is the mind of a power hungry dictator.

Under the pretense of keeping people safe, governors like Newsom, Andrew Cuomo, J. B.  Pritzker, Jay Inslee, Kate Brown, Gretchen Whitmer and Tom Wolf have curtailed the freedoms of Americans. Not just Americans, but the voters who elected these hack politicians in good faith to serve the people.  Democrat governors and mayors have taken the Wuhan virus, along with the rioting/looting and leveraged it into power that they will not easily relinquish if their behavior up to now is any indication.

They are long past fooling people with their faux compassion.  You can only pull the wool over Americans’ eyes for so long before they become wise to you. Americans can tell when an elected official has their best interests at heart (which is why President Trump has a huge bond with his base) and when they don’t. The people who live in the states affected by these wannabe dictators have had enough and are starting to rebel.

Some restaurant owners are refusing to comply with Illinois Governor Pritzker’s latest decrees to shut down eateries due to recent spikes in COVID positive numbers.  Gym owners are suing New York Governor Cuomo to reopen.  California spectacularly shared their respect for King Gavin by lighting up fireworks in his honor, despite his royal decree to shut down the Fourth of July. Based on early reactions, I suspect Newsom’s Thanksgiving proclamation will be met with the same level of scorn.

We get what these governors are doing. They are holding their constituents hostage in a sense, making their lives miserable so they will vote for Joe Biden just to make the pain go away. Basically, it’s extortion. “Want these lockdowns and riots to stop? You better not vote for bad Orange man if you know what’s good for you.”

The problem is if you want safety, the situation will get much, much worse if you vote for Biden. The lockdowns will continue and the economy will be devastated. If Sleepy Joe is elected and these governors are not held to task for their overreach, their power grabs will only increase while our freedoms will tank rapidly.

Don’t think a Biden win will placate these vindictive politicians who pass for Democrat governors and mayors. There will be no return to normalcy if voters change presidents. Attempts to placate the leftist mobs by voting for Biden are like paying terrorists not to terrorize and expecting that they will abide by your plea. Sure, they’ll take the money… and then laugh at your stupidity as they commit more heinous acts.

If you want to get back at these authoritarians you have to vote Trump next Tuesday, especially if you live in a blue state. Conventional wisdom says Trump will lose states like California or New York.  I say screw conventional wisdom. Push back and keep pushing back. Send a message that you can still resist with your vote. Do not let these bullies break your spirit and by all means do not fall for this latest Wuhan virus panic  that is reporting increased positive results ( due to more testing) while ignoring that hospitalizations are going down.

Vote in person. Be part of any recall efforts and make sure you are the ones leading the charge to throw these bums out of office when they come up for reelection.

Democrats need to be kept out of power –from president to dog catcher—for at least a generation.  That’s right, a generation. Be vigilant from now on. Study the issues and the candidates. Become the go-to source for your friends on both sides of the political spectrum and above all, vote for honest conservatives. If you can’t get behind a candidate, consider running for office yourself. Do not waste your vote on a moderate Democrat because there is no such thing. Once in office, these so-called moderates never stray from the leftist reservation.   

Democrats have forgotten they serve at the behest of the people. They have become convinced that their job is not to serve, but to rule. There is a difference. Consent of the governed does not mean a consent of oppression.

Democrats must be soundly defeated in every upcoming election for the next 20-30 years. Let’s begin that process next Tuesday by voting straight Republican and reelecting President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.  MAGA!

Dex Bahr is the author of the book, No Christian Man is an Island. He is a freelance writer.

Image credit: ABC News, via shareable YouTube

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent ridiculous Thanksgiving edicts call for gatherings to be restricted to only three households, and held outside. Masks are to be worn before and after eating, and between bites. No singing or chanting is allowed and the meal is to last no longer than two hours. These are just a few of the restrictions dreamed up to slow the spread of the Wuhan virus. What these arbitrary proclamations illustrate is the mind of a power hungry dictator.

Under the pretense of keeping people safe, governors like Newsom, Andrew Cuomo, J. B.  Pritzker, Jay Inslee, Kate Brown, Gretchen Whitmer and Tom Wolf have curtailed the freedoms of Americans. Not just Americans, but the voters who elected these hack politicians in good faith to serve the people.  Democrat governors and mayors have taken the Wuhan virus, along with the rioting/looting and leveraged it into power that they will not easily relinquish if their behavior up to now is any indication.

They are long past fooling people with their faux compassion.  You can only pull the wool over Americans’ eyes for so long before they become wise to you. Americans can tell when an elected official has their best interests at heart (which is why President Trump has a huge bond with his base) and when they don’t. The people who live in the states affected by these wannabe dictators have had enough and are starting to rebel.

Some restaurant owners are refusing to comply with Illinois Governor Pritzker’s latest decrees to shut down eateries due to recent spikes in COVID positive numbers.  Gym owners are suing New York Governor Cuomo to reopen.  California spectacularly shared their respect for King Gavin by lighting up fireworks in his honor, despite his royal decree to shut down the Fourth of July. Based on early reactions, I suspect Newsom’s Thanksgiving proclamation will be met with the same level of scorn.

We get what these governors are doing. They are holding their constituents hostage in a sense, making their lives miserable so they will vote for Joe Biden just to make the pain go away. Basically, it’s extortion. “Want these lockdowns and riots to stop? You better not vote for bad Orange man if you know what’s good for you.”

The problem is if you want safety, the situation will get much, much worse if you vote for Biden. The lockdowns will continue and the economy will be devastated. If Sleepy Joe is elected and these governors are not held to task for their overreach, their power grabs will only increase while our freedoms will tank rapidly.

Don’t think a Biden win will placate these vindictive politicians who pass for Democrat governors and mayors. There will be no return to normalcy if voters change presidents. Attempts to placate the leftist mobs by voting for Biden are like paying terrorists not to terrorize and expecting that they will abide by your plea. Sure, they’ll take the money… and then laugh at your stupidity as they commit more heinous acts.

If you want to get back at these authoritarians you have to vote Trump next Tuesday, especially if you live in a blue state. Conventional wisdom says Trump will lose states like California or New York.  I say screw conventional wisdom. Push back and keep pushing back. Send a message that you can still resist with your vote. Do not let these bullies break your spirit and by all means do not fall for this latest Wuhan virus panic  that is reporting increased positive results ( due to more testing) while ignoring that hospitalizations are going down.

Vote in person. Be part of any recall efforts and make sure you are the ones leading the charge to throw these bums out of office when they come up for reelection.

Democrats need to be kept out of power –from president to dog catcher—for at least a generation.  That’s right, a generation. Be vigilant from now on. Study the issues and the candidates. Become the go-to source for your friends on both sides of the political spectrum and above all, vote for honest conservatives. If you can’t get behind a candidate, consider running for office yourself. Do not waste your vote on a moderate Democrat because there is no such thing. Once in office, these so-called moderates never stray from the leftist reservation.   

Democrats have forgotten they serve at the behest of the people. They have become convinced that their job is not to serve, but to rule. There is a difference. Consent of the governed does not mean a consent of oppression.

Democrats must be soundly defeated in every upcoming election for the next 20-30 years. Let’s begin that process next Tuesday by voting straight Republican and reelecting President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.  MAGA!

Dex Bahr is the author of the book, No Christian Man is an Island. He is a freelance writer.

Image credit: ABC News, via shareable YouTube