27 Missing Children Have Been Found Thanks To 5-Day Operation

Authorities in Virginia were able to recover more than two dozen missing children as part of a five-day operation. In a press release, the Department of Justice announced that “Operation Find Our Children” had found 27 missing children and had confirmed the location of six additional children who had been previously reported as missing but […]

via Conservative Review

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Kamala Harris Urges Illegal Migrants to Help Elect Joe Biden


Sen. Kamala Harris promised Sunday to reduce detention space for migrants as she asked an illegal immigrant activist to help Joe Biden win the election.

“I’m undocumented … I can’t vote …What can we do during this election to help make sure that we get you elected?” asked Astrid Silva, who was brought into the United States as a child by her illegal migrant parents.

“You can tell people who can vote what life is like for you now, and what life can be like,” Vice President nominee Harris told the Nevada-based political organizer who runs the pro-amnesty Dream Big Nevada group, adding that:

We are committed to shutting down private detention centers and ending policies that have been about separating children from their parents at the border.

Harris’s comments may be a coded message to would-be illegal migrants and their supportive legal-immigrant relatives.

For example, if implemented, Harris’s promise to start “shutting down private detention centers” could cripple border enforcement. If the enforcement agency does not have commercial prisons to hold detainees prior to their asylum hearings, the agency would be forced to release waves of job-seeking migrants into the U.S. labor market.

Similarly, Harris’s promise to end “policies … about separating children” echoes the media-magnified demand by pro-migration activists that officials release migrant mothers and children when they cross the border. That demand would let migrant families freely travel to relatives — including their illegal migrant husbands and fathers — who are working illegally in the United States.

Like Biden, Harris pushed the Cold War “Nation of Immigrants” claim, even though only about 10 percent of people in the United States are legal immigrants:

We want to have a president who understands we are a nation of immigrants. This is a country that was built and that has derived its strength from immigrants coming here over the generations.

Harris also tried to blur the legal and civic differences between illegal migrants, legal immigrants, and American citizens. For example, she told Silva:

Define who you are, and you tell the world who you are. Don’t let anybody ever put you in a box because they have a limited perspective on who can do what and who can be one.

[…]

We are all in this together. And so, chin up, shoulders back, right? We speak our truth and know that there will always be people applauding and supporting that even if you can’t see them at that one moment, know that there are so many of us who are supporting your leadership and the power of your voice. It’s really important.

Harris also claimed President Donald Trump vilified immigrants: “We’ve seen under the current president the kind of vitriol, the kind of hate, the vilification of immigrants in such a horrible way.”

But a Washington Post poll showed in April that Latinos are the strongest advocates for a near-total halt to legal immigration during the coronavirus epidemic and economic crash.

Biden’s 2020 plan promises to “reassert America’s commitment to asylum-seekers and refugees,” wipe out Trump’s asylum reforms, bar any deportations for 100 days, and end migration enforcement against illegal aliens unless they commit a felony.

Biden also wants to let companies import more visa workers, let mayors import temporary workers, and allow an unlimited flow of foreign graduates through U.S. universities into white-collar jobs. Biden would “exempt from any cap [the] recent graduates of Ph.D. programs in STEM fields.”

Biden also wants to accelerate the inflow of chain migration migrants and dramatically accelerate the inflow of poor refugees to at least 125,000 per year.

“The influx of low wage workers from all across the world will drive down incomes, drive down wages, deplete the middle class, bankrupt Social Security, bankrupt Medicare, bankrupt Medicaid, bankrupt federal entitlements, overcrowd schools, and overcrowd every hospital in the middle of a pandemic,” White House aide Stephen Miller told reporters on October 28.

“It is an assault on reason, it is an assault on law enforcement, and it’s an assault on the very idea of having a country, having a Republic,” Miller added. “This is not about left or right or Center. This is about between having a country, or not even having a country.”

The White House

 

via Breitbart News

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King over Chaos: The Lordship of Christ on Election Day

King over Chaos

Global pandemic. Crashed economy. Racial pain. City violence. 2020 has been quite a year. And very soon, a polarized nation elects a president. Are you having fun yet? It often feels to me like the world is spinning out of control and back into primordial chaos.

Of course, none of this is new. From a political perspective, consider that the early Christians endured fourteen years of rule by an insane and persecuting Nero. Yet they lived in the confidence of the lordship of Christ — even when they had no clout — as they faced ostracism, discrimination, and even death. They spent their lives ministering the gospel to the world, in both word and acts of love, even as they yearned for Jesus to return. If we could recall why they lived so boldly, perhaps we could recover our confidence as well.

Witnesses of the Risen King

Imagine that you are the captain of a supply ship returning from bringing provisions to the penal colony on the rocky island of Patmos. One of your officers brings you a parchment notebook discovered in the bottom of an empty water barrel. You open the codex and read more ravings of that crazy prisoner John. He claims to bring words “from Jesus Christ . . . the ruler of kings on earth” (Revelation 1:5).

Ruler of kings on earth? You look at your ship’s guards with their spears and shields gleaming in the Mediterranean sun. Alone, they could subdue a small city. They are just a symbol of Rome’s world-spanning might, a handful of the hundreds of thousands of the emperor’s finest. Clearly, Caesar reigns. Not a crucified fanatic from Israel. This manuscript is a joke. Only a fool would hold to such delusions.

Indeed, how could the first Christians have sincerely made such huge political claims while under the domination of the Roman Empire? Only because of what they had seen and heard. The dead Jesus got up, in the same body in which he had been crucified. He appeared to his disciples. He claimed, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Then, still in his body, he ascended to heaven before the watching wonder of his followers. Angels appeared and explained, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

The disciples saw the dead Jesus alive again. They saw the resurrected one depart to heaven. Christ’s beloved were witnesses to what happened to Jesus in real time and space. Their ears received the promise that he would return as the embodied Jesus. In the meantime, this interim, they had been empowered and commissioned. Ten days later, the promised Spirit of Jesus filled them. As these witnesses told Christ’s story, new people believed. The Spirit filled them as well. Though they had not seen Jesus, they miraculously felt they knew him intimately. They experienced spiritual union with the risen Christ. So, the new believers also became present witnesses to his continuing lordship! This dead man who got up had made them alive in a new way.

Living Under Christ’s Lordship

With such vivid, continuing experience, the early church declared that “Jesus is Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:3). He was exalted “as Leader and Savior” (Acts 5:31), “the first and the last, and the living one,” who even holds “the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17–8). Though they had almost no political or economic power, these first Christians were adamant that Jesus Christ is, right now, the ruler of the kings of earth. Crucially, they believed he would return to fully exercise that rule. This is why they lived so confidently when every appearance of how the world worked seemed against them. So, let’s draw out two pairs of implications from the fact that Jesus is ascended, reigning, and returning.

1. You’re not in control. The world is not out of control.

There is a real human king who reigns over the world from heaven. A man who once walked among us is on the throne, and he is not aloof from the affairs of his realm below. All other powers on earth, therefore, are merely temporary and derived. As Paul asserted, “There is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1).

This, then, is truly an unnerving message to any who make claims of their own sovereignty, whether individuals exercising their “right” or politicians enacting their policies. You’re not in control. Any power you wield is held in trust for the one who reigns. Your authority is all indirect and exercised on behalf of the true King. It is temporary and provisional, held in trust for and accountable to the ruler of the kings of earth (see also Douglas Farrow, “Confessing Christ Today,” in Nicene Christianity).

This affirmation internally freed the early Christians, many of whom were slaves. “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people” (1 Peter 2:10) — and no rulers nor powers “nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). That personal confidence expanded to include the realization that the world is not out of the King’s control. They understood Psalm 2 to be about their Lord Jesus. “The kings of the earth set themselves . . . against the Lord and against his Anointed” (Psalm 2:2). But the Lord laughs at their presumption. He speaks to Christ, “You are my Son. . . . I will make the nations your heritage” (Psalm 2:7–8).

They believed that the Word of God through whom all things were made (John 1:3) had long ago spoken to the waters of chaos, “Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed” (Job 38:11). Sabers can rattle and waves can roar, bodies can be imprisoned or burned, but the ascended Jesus remains in control and will make all things new (Revelation 21:5).

2. You don’t live here. You love here.

The early Christians experienced themselves as “a chosen race” and “a people for his own possession” (1 Peter 2:9), cherished by the Lord Jesus who had made himself known to them. They were no longer from here; where the ascended Jesus dwelt was now their homeland (Philippians 3:20).

This great sense of belonging to Christ also made them strangers on earth. They had to live here while pining for heaven. They had to avoid trying to settle down and be at home in a world ever bent on creating its own fulfillment through its own means. We don’t live here — we live in Christ, from Christ. So, Peter would go on to remind them, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11). The ascended Christ reminds his people that there is no life for us if we make this world an end in itself.

At the same time, we do love here. Peter also named his readers “a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). He recalled the ancient vocation of Israel. God’s people were called out to be different from the world in order to show the world who is the true King. So, those who belong to the reigning Jesus can never again identify with this world as home, but we are ever, always sent back to this world to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Our mission is to lovingly live the difference between those who have been united to Christ the King and those still in the darkness of the world. We’re odd to the world precisely to offer a distinctive way to hope, forgiveness, peace, and everlasting life in Jesus.

The early church reminds us that we don’t live here but we do love here. This truth can help us in the crazy of these days to know it’s not crazy to feel that things are not right. They’re not! And they won’t be until Christ returns and home arrives here to set all things back in order. We’re not in control, but the world is not out of Christ’s control. We’re not supposed to feel at home. But we are supposed to love with the heart of our reigning King.

The King Is Coming Soon

The witness to Jesus truly risen and bodily ascended has continued through the centuries. Every generation, the miracle keeps occurring: we have a present experience of the meaning of those events that happened once for all. The King sends his Spirit into our hearts, and we are joined to him in intimate, saving relationship. The windy Spirit keeps blowing us onward in our mission to the world. And when we feel that wind from heaven on our faces, we remember that the King is returning. Things will not go on as they are forever.

Right now, the triune God has given the world quite a bit of room. For this is the season of the church, when the gospel still goes forth and people can choose whether to bow the knee freely to the King or stay in rebellion. But this is only a season. The King will return and choice will be removed. The church will be called to account for how we undertook our mission to love here without making a home here. The world will be called to account, judged, and all things will be set right. This news is a warning and a comfort, a spur and a balm. Jesus is the ruler of the kings of earth. Then, now, and always.

via Desiring God

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Exclusive: Donald Trump Caravan Parades Through Deep-Blue Heart of Hispanic New Jersey


UNION CITY, New Jersey – Dozens of cars decorated in American flags and Trump campaign posters paraded down Bergenline Avenue, the core economic hub of North Hudson County’s Hispanic community, on Saturday afternoon in support of President Donald Trump.

The caravan attracted 47 cars, organizers Frank Torres and Ramón Morejón told Breitbart News, in an area that Democrat Party candidate Hillary Clinton won by more than 50 percentage points in the last presidential election.

Both Torres and Morejón, who are Cuban American, say they have no official positions with the Trump campaign or any reason to believe the campaign knew the event was occurring. Torres is a registered independent voter and Morejón a registered Republican who admitted he voted for Trump reluctantly in 2016 but became an enthusiastic supporter in the past four years. Torres is a retired real estate professional, and Morejón runs a flower shop.

Trump did not attract any caravans in Hudson County four years ago nor any major public support. This time, Morejón told Breitbart News with pride, “We didn’t even get that many middle fingers.”

Hudson County is a solidly, uncontestedly Democratic area. Democrats took control, town by town, from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, building ironclad political machines through unions and social support for newly arrived Italian and Irish immigrants. As the Irish and Italian gave way to Cuban, Colombian, Dominican, and other Latino refugees and immigrants, the Democrats maintained power even in the face of an increasingly conservative, anti-socialist constituency because no adequately funded Republican Party opposition exists in the area. The machine only has to fend off the radical left, which remains distasteful to most voters.

Yet on Saturday, Trump supporters took over the most important street in the northern end of the county: Bergenline Avenue, which MacArthur fellow Junot Díaz once described as “a straight shot of Spanish for almost a hundred blocks.” All of Hudson County, including large cities such as Jersey City, is only about 43 percent Latino, according to the U.S. Census, but the municipalities Bergenline Avenue runs through average about 70 percent.

Photos and videos from the event show that the caravan did not cause any significant interruptions, as the cars simply went with the (usually slow on weekends) traffic. They flew flags, some wore “Make America Great Again” hats, and at least one couple dressed up as Trump and first lady Melania Trump, as it was also Halloween. Frank Torres led the caravan on his bicycle while dressed in all red, including the signature “USA” Trump hat:

Reproduced with permission

Torres and Morejón both told Breitbart News they organized the event to celebrate America, not just President Trump, and to combat the “negative” messaging of the left.

“We just did it because we’re proud Cubans, and we just wanted to do something for our president and our country,” Torres said. “We did it because we’re tired of people talking negative stuff, you know. … I love this country, I came in 1970, five years old, and I love my freedom. I saw where it was going, and I said, ‘You know what? Let’s do something because people are just negative and negative and negative, and people don’t appreciate the United States of America.’”

“After the second debate, I was so frustrated, and I said, ‘How can this happen in the United States? How can they bash a president the way they do it?’” Morejón explained. “I planned the caravan, and I said, ‘People, please share it [the video] so the word gets around.’”

Frank Torres leads caravan for Trump down Bergenline Avenue in north Hudson County, New Jersey, October 31, 2020.

Frank Torres leads caravan for Trump down Bergenline Avenue in North Hudson County, New Jersey, October 31, 2020. (Photo: Ramón Morejón)

Bergenline Avenue runs through four municipalities – North Bergen, Guttenberg, West New York, and Union City – which means Morejón and Torres had inadvertently organized an event that would require cooperation with four police departments. The event began, Morejón narrated to Breitbart News, as a “crazy idea” he threw out into the virtual world through a Facebook video that Torres then helped him promote. Neither he nor Torres made a Facebook event or kept track of the interest levels or potential attendance numbers.

Morejón’s video – in which he said he owed it to his parents, who lost everything they owned to communism in Cuba, to organize an event against socialism and communism – spread virally in local circles and, it appears, made it to the West New York Police Department:

“All of a sudden, I notice a lot of people contacting me through [Facebook] Messenger. … In less than 12 hours, I had like 240 views,” he said.

“Then I got really worried because … Friday morning, I’m at my flower shop, and the police officer comes in, and I’m like, ‘Oh, shit. I’m in trouble!’” Morejón noted. “But no, all he wanted was details of the caravan.”

The police officer, from the West New York Police Department, collected as many details as possible and shared with the neighboring municipalities. Morejón says all four and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office worked with him to ensure a safe and legal gathering occurred, understanding that he was not an experienced political organizer.

“If you’re going to do an article … all I’m asking you is to please thank the police officers of all these towns and the county sheriff because they really tried to work out with me on how to go about it,” Morejón noted.

While a solidly Democrat area, Hudson County locals are renowned for their appreciation and support of their local police. Throughout the summer, when leftist groups organized protests and riots against the institution of policing nationwide, police departments themselves participated in or led protests – presumably against police departments in other parts of the country, not themselves – that remained entirely peaceful.

The crowd at the caravan included “friends, friends of friends,” Torres said, stating that most were Hispanic but not necessarily Cuban and that some “Americans” (meaning non-Hispanics) attended, as well”:

A group of Trump supporters organizes a caravan down Bergenline Avenue in Hudson County, New Jersey, October 31, 2020.

A group of Trump supporters organizes a caravan down Bergenline Avenue in Hudson County, New Jersey, October 31, 2020. (Photo: Dalila Valdivia)

A group of Trump supporters organizes a caravan down Bergenline Avenue in Hudson County, New Jersey, October 31, 2020.

A group of Trump supporters organizes a caravan down Bergenline Avenue in Hudson County, New Jersey, October 31, 2020. (Photo: Dalila Valdivia)

“We had everything,” Morejón added. “We have older people. We had young guys. … I’ve been in this country for 50 years; I’ve never seen anything like this, ever.”

Both organizers say the event attracted only minimal resistance, nothing extraordinary in urban New Jersey.

“A lot of the bystanders were raising their hands. A lot of people were quiet,” Torres noted. “There were a few people that said, ‘Loser,’ ‘Clown,’ and we said, ‘Thank you very much; you’re entitled to your opinion, and so are we.’”

Morejón added that one person threw an egg at a car towards the end of the caravan.

Morejón told Breitbart News he would not have expected four years ago to be the kind of person to organize a rally for Trump.

“In the beginning, I voted for him, and I did not like him. I did not like his look. I did not like his personality. … Now, I love everything about this guy,” he said of Trump. “I think he’s so open. He’s so himself. He has nothing to hide. You know, I think he’s an amazing guy. And then, if you look at it – did he do it for fame? No, he had fame. Did he do it for money? No, he had money. … He did it because he loves America.”

Torres, the independent, appeared to like Trump more during his first candidacy than Morejón did, but echoed his sentiment that Trump had won over many people during his first term.

“Trump is like us. He’s not a politician. He was a billionaire that wanted to be president,” Torres said, “got voted by the people, the regular folks, you know, blue-collar workers, and that’s why there is that connection.”

“We don’t care how he speaks,” he concluded. “Do you want a polished politician stealing, or do you just want a guy who says it how it is? And most people feel that way.”

Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.

via Breitbart News

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‘Trump Train’ Incident With Biden Bus: Police Say Biden-Harris Vehicle Likely At Fault

A Biden-Harris vehicle might have been at fault in the apparent incident with a Biden campaign bus and a so-called “Trump train” of the president’s supporters over the weekend in Texas. After researching the crash via online videos, the San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) said “the ‘at-fault vehicle’ may be the Biden-Harris staffer’s car, while […]

via Conservative Review

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How Mail-In Voting Makes Social Pressure So Much Easier


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.

via American Thinker

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.americanthinker.com/

How to survive the riots if President Trump is re-elected


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 TLPIWTransgendered 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 TLPIWTransgendered 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.

via American Thinker Blog

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/

In conversation with a shy Trump voter


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 CommonsCC 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 CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0.

via American Thinker Blog

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/

Why Democrats must be kept out of power for at least a generation


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

via American Thinker Blog

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/

Too Bad There’s No Vaccine Against Stupidity

While we and the world wait anxiously for a vaccine to cure the COVID-19 virus, another vaccine should be found to cure stupidity, which is also running rampant in our country and around the world.

Listening to many of our politicians comment on what is supposed to be good for our country, the desire to find a vaccine against stupidity is all the more needed and fast, but I’m afraid that is just wishful thinking on my part.

via Canada Free Press

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://canadafreepress.com