Smart Talk #17
At a time in our nation that seems to be distinguished by collective concern (re: domestic & international issues) and even some understandable fear, thankfully we have meaningful, relief-giving religious holidays now in our midst, as well as great Americans believing, saying, and doing Smart things.
On the critically important subject of voting, registered American voters believe overwhelmingly that a person must possess a legally-valid ID in order to vote. How overwhelmingly? Well, 80% backed the valid ID requirement, according to a recent Harris Poll. And 88% believe that the right to vote must be limited to U.S. citizens. And it must not include “undocumented aliens.” Regarding other election-related issues, 63% oppose ballot harvesting. That percentage should be, and would be, much higher if voters truly understood how truly improper and election-skewing the practice of “harvesting” is. In fact, it should be made illegal in all 50 states, including within its likely birthplace: California. In this particular survey, the party affiliation breakdown of those against “ballot harvesting” was: 79% Republicans, 70% Independents, and 44% Democrats. That lower Democrat percentage is revealing. For Democrats, you see, “ballot harvesting” is an important form of vote cheating, considered by their leaders (local/state/national) to be a key, but a totally improper one, to assist to winning elections.
There are also some calls to go back to requiring voting only on election day. That I cannot support. Early voting, requiring valid ID, makes it easier for more people to get to the polls, particularly in some states having week-end hours. Ironically, at least here in Georgia, early voting was so heavy, it made it a breeze to vote on election day! The one additional practice, not surveyed, that needs to be stopped by state legislatures, is mail-in voting. Absentee voting, with a valid reason, remains OK. But mail-in, for the vast percentage of voters is absolutely unnecessary, now that the pandemic is deemed to be, if not over, at least reduced to a manageable, non-threatening level. Mail-in, too often the result of early mass ballot distribution, defies the legal ID requirement and invites illegal ballot manipulation. We must force total adherence to the valid ID requirement, and keep voting, including local, strictly for U.S. citizens only!
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that he will begin once again construction of an anti-illegal-migrant-entry wall along the Texas border with Mexico. Re-starting what former President Trump began, only to have it stopped by Mr. Biden upon assuming office. “More border wall is going up next month,” announced Governor Abbott. “It took months to negotiate with private property owners on the border for the right to build on their property.” This particular wall extension will provide a seven-mile border wall in the Del Rio, Texas region. Congratulations to Texas for making the protection of more of its citizens a mandatory priority, after the federal government refused to do so.
And on the subject of illegal migrant entry into America, very soon to become an even larger daily cascade, as, by court order, Title 42 terminates (but now temporarily halted by the Supreme Court), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) fears that it’s only a “matter of time” before there will be an attack by illegally-entered terrorists somewhere in America. Said he: “They’re (Border Patrol agents) overwhelmed with illegal immigrants coming in. People on the terrorist watch list are going right through. And those in charge of protecting us at the border feel completely abandoned.” Fortunately, not every questionable person (smugglers/criminals/terrorists) is getting past our Border Patrol, and area law enforcement personnel even further within our country. But we can well expect that persons who have no right or legal reason for being here are getting through, and that includes those who may well have terror intent. And that is certainly the case with the thousands of “Got-Aways,” those smugglers, etc. with ill-intent, who sneak in every day past Border Patrol apprehension or notice. Senator Graham is correct, sadly and devastatingly. It likely is only a matter of time before a terrorist, likely now here among us, acts out, thanks totally to the cessation of construction of our southern protective wall. And who can we point to for that anti-America, self-centered political decision?
Speaking again of the urgent need for far more and more complete American protection along our southern border, back in October, police in Eugene, Oregon, far, far north of our porous border, made the “largest fentanyl bust in their department’s history.” The driver of a vehicle that was stopped at an intersection, and remained there through several greenlights (!), was found slumped over his steering wheel when fortunately apprehended by police. In his vehicle was 18-pounds of fentanyl, 12 guns, and $47,000 in cash! Not surprisingly, the driver was arrested on several outstanding warrants, plus new charges. And here’s the worst of it for Americans, young men especially. It was estimated that this 42-year-old felon had in his possession enough fentanyl to potentially kill four million people! In all likelihood, this quantity of fentanyl came into our country via the southern border and was then transported all the way north to Oregon. A perfect illustration of the danger we face, daily, from smuggling at the border, and how illegal drugs, fentanyl in particular, can end up all over the United States, killing Americans, whenever and wherever it gets into the hands or mouths of the innocent, the naïve, or the misled among us.
With all the bluster about wind and solar which will likely never become major suppliers of energy (wind doesn’t blow/sun doesn’t shine) until HUGE storage batteries become reality (still years away), it is encouraging, even Smart in fact, to see American oil and natural gas drillers/producers taking it upon themselves (with hoped-for Republican help on the near horizon) to expand, regardless of the of chest-beating objections from international “climate” activists.
In Europe, because of disruptions in Russian gas delivery (Ukraine), citizens of those countries got “an unexpected early look at what the zero-carbon world looks like and they don’t like what they see.” And that’s because “alternative energy technology has not come anywhere near replacing the (fossil) fuels despised by international activists, and they may never do so.” Objections to nuclear power (overseas and here at home), a logical alternative for “clean” energy, are softening, but it would take many years to build enough nuclear power plants to effectively replace natural gas, oil, and coal.
The so-called ‘climate movement’ is demanding zero new emissions from energy generation, and, welcome to the enchanted world of outer space dreaming, a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030! “What none of these activists seem ready to discuss was that new development (of oil & gas) is exploding because previous demands for…carbon neutrality… brought the Western world dangerously close to industrial collapse, a literal plunge into the cold and dark, while nations like China and India continue burning as much coal as necessary to keep their citizens warm in the winter and their factories humming.”
Ah, yes, the inconvenience of reality. Or the ‘inconvenient truth’ as we’ve grown tired of hearing from the ever-hovering flock of levitating climate fictionestas. There is zero sense in punishing and penalizing the energy needs of America, and Americans, while other nations continue with abandon to fill their skies with coal and other fossil fuel smoke. For the foreseeable future, we, here, will continue to need fossil fuels (primarily oil and gas) to run our industries, our businesses, our homes, and vehicles (yes, even the EV’s). As mentioned, the hope of a rational nation is that the Republican House can take the lead in removing the punitive restraints on America’s energy producers to ensure the continued prosperity (and, this winter, the warmth!) of America. That’s just being Smart!
(Valid ID for voting via breitbart.com, Hannah Bleau, 11-25-22; Texas border wall construction resumes via foxnews.com, Timothy H. J. Nerozzi, 12-17-22; Senator Graham quote and concern via breitbart.com, Pam Key, 12-2-22; Oregon fentanyl drug bust via foxnews.com, Michael Lee, 10-26-22; Oil & gas companies panning to grow via breitbart.com, John Hayward, 11-10-22).