Smart Talk #5
Leading off this edition is Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Hoover Institute scholar, prolific writer, and speaker. She sees “Wokism” as the greatest ideological threat faced today by America, carrying with it “the potential to ruin our societies.” But what about “white supremacy” which so many with a different skin tone claim to be the certain ruination of our country? Said Ali in her speech to the National Conservative Conference: “The claim that white supremacy is the biggest domestic threat we face in nonsensical, histrionic, and self-serving.” Those who preach and rave about that falsehood “seek unchecked and absolute power.” And she didn’t hold back on the subject of Critical Race Theory, saying that it will “teach Americans to both hate America and each other.” Definite intelligence expressed by a very bright and articulate woman who, seeking freedom of speech and thought, has legally emigrated to our country. Her wisdom, formed by life experiences under another government system, is more than welcome here.
And, with concern, speaking of wokeness, House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member, Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA) made it clear that with our security services seemingly turning more attention to the Woke phenomenon, perhaps, at the expense of heightened attention to national security, we become more vulnerable to the potentially dangerous acts of our international enemies. Speaking directly to the woke influence, Representative Nunes said: “Unfortunately, we can’t counter a hypersonic missile launch with better pronoun usage! And a deeper understanding of white rage won’t rescue Americans stranded in Afghanistan. I’d argue that woke obsessions are the proper jurisdiction of faculty lounge Marxists, not our national security agencies. The politicization of our national security apparatus is utterly destructive.” Clarity on a key issue that has no business occupying the time, talents or efforts of CIA, FBI, etc. personnel.
The City Council in New York City recently passed a resolution permitting the 800,000 noncitizen residents there the right to vote in local elections. The reason is more than obvious (much like the administration’s open border policy): perpetuate Democrat power in return for favors and unending free stuff. Responded prominent attorney and writer, Andrew McCarthy: “Democrats are the party of government. If aliens are permitted to vote and do so in support of Democrats, the government will become large, more intrusive and more redistributionist. The bigger government becomes, the more it suffocates liberty and crowds out private investment. That is how you kill a prosperous society.” Smart assessment from a very intelligent legal expert. And one more thought. So, its legal now in NYC for noncitizens (including illegals) to vote in local elections. In a Democrat dominated city, what’s to prevent them then from voting in national elections? Who or what would stop them?
Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) had an interesting and insightful comment recently with regard to her own Democrat party and its election viability going forward. Said she: “What I see is this continued disrespect of the American people. If we look at the underlying problem here it’s that we don’t have leaders who actually respect the American people. They don’t respect us enough to listen. So how can we ever expect them to actually act in our best interests, rather than the interests of themselves, their power, or the power of the elite?” Almost spoken like an outsider, so it’s quite a bold and damning statement regarding her own party and its current leadership!
In early December, faced with increasing complaints about the growing violent crime problem in Philadelphia, Democrat District Attorney Larry Krasner actually stated at a press conference that “we don’t have a crisis in lawlessness, we don’t have a crisis of crime, we don’t have a crisis of violence.” As of the date of his comments, 521 people in Philadelphia had been murdered in 2021 (highest number since 1960!!). Quick to challenge those ‘no problem here’ comments from the liberal D.A., was former Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter, also a Democrat, who stated in a print op-ed: “Krasner should (rather) use his words to send a message to the shooters, murderers, and criminals of this city by committing to actually prosecute them, rather than coddle them, make excuses reduce or drop charges. He should commit to locking them up for carrying illegal weapons or shooting people.” The former mayor went on to say: “I’d like to ask (D.A.) Krasner: How many more black and brown people, and others, would have to be gunned down in our streets daily to meet your definition of a ‘crisis’.” Very strong words of rebuke from a former fellow Democrat politician, although from an era when violent crime had not yet exploded (served as mayor from 2008-2016). NOTE: The former mayor is a black man. The current D.A. is white.
Speaking on the subject of crime, and specifically about the current instances of so called ‘smash-and-grab’ robberies, Fayette County, Ohio sheriff, and president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, Vernon Stanforth made the following comments on a recent “Fox & Friends” telecast: “If they (i.e., federal government) can make the Harper Valley PTA mom a domestic terrorist, then why can’t they determine that these roaming criminal groups, retail criminal groups, are not domestic terrorists as well? And put the power of the federal government behind these individuals, so when they’re caught, they face stiff penalties. They don’t get bail, they stay in jail, and the penalty and consequences would be off the chart. That will stop a lot of that activity.” It all comes back to sufficient police presence and non-Progressive Democrat, common sense prosecution, with likely incarceration for the guilty.
Noted New York Post opinion writer, Miranda Devine, recently offered some revealing and, thankfully, positive thoughts on the young Americans identified as ‘Gen Z.’ Wrote Devine: “Generation Z, aged 9 to 25, have a minuscule risk of death or hospitalization from CIVID-19, but they have missed out on school and sports, and lost jobs and opportunities. At an age when socializing with their peers is crucial, they have suffered the isolation of curfews and closures. Now they are rebelling against the liberal establishment that betrayed them…Gen Z’ers are becoming conservative (or are at least rejecting the woke culture).” Devine went on to note that “by 2024, Gen Z and millennials will be the largest voting bloc”! We can hope that the conservative trending of the Generation Z folks continues, and over-takes, make that, over-votes, the more liberal millennials! I commend Miranda Devine’s full on-line article to you, on this key political and upcoming election subject, which is source-cited in the footnotes below.
On the current and incendiary issue of parental involvement with public school curricula, debunked (by conservatives and respected American historians) “1619 Project” (claims America was founded on slavery) author Nikole Hannah-Jones feels that parents should not have a say in what their children are being taught. The New York Post Editorial Board disagrees. They wrote: “It’s obvious why Hannah-Jones wants to empower school officials over parents: Many of them are progressives, like her, who have embraced her 1619 nonsense, and seek to indoctrinate kids with these lightning-rod ideas – whether parents approve or not. Fact is, parents should always be given a say in their kids’ education; they’re the ones, after all, ultimately responsible for their kids’ futures.” Wise words and a definite truth about long-term parental responsibility.
And finally for this edition, in the midst of the simmering controversy regarding just how many different genders there are in today’s America, the common sense (just possibly, the conservative sense) of Americans comes through in a very recent (and always authoritative) Rasmussen Reports survey of attitudes toward the gender question. Rasmussen asked respondents: “Do you agree or disagree with this statement: There are two genders, male and female.” Relieved to report that 75% responded that they either strongly or somewhat agree that there are only two biological genders. Agreeing, politically, were Republicans (92%), Democrats (61%), and Independents (73%).
Taking the survey an important step further, 69% of those responding do not believe that “schools and teachers should be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent.” We can go a step further by suggesting that teachers have no business discussing sexual identity with any student, with or without parental permission! That’s absolutely none of the schools’ business, and solely the domain of parental counseling and nurturing. Regardless, refreshing to know, in this confused and clouded era, that three-quarters of those surveyed agree on the basic biological gender question.
(Ayaan Hirsi Ali quotes via dailycaller.com, Kira Mautone, 11-2-21; Noncitizen voting in NYC quotes via foxnews.com, Audrey Conklin, 12-13-21; Devin Nunes quote via dailywire.com, Staff, 10-28-21; Gabbard quote via breitbart.com, Jeff Poor, 11-9-21; Michael Nutter quotes/stats via dailycaller.com, Ailan Evans, 12-8-21; Sheriff Stanforth quote via foxnews.com, Staff, 12-10-21; Devine quotes via nypost.com, Miranda Devine, 12-8-21; New York Post editors’ quote via nypost.com, Post Editorial Board, 12-27-21; Rasmussen Reports results via breitbart.com, Hannah Bleau, 12-27-21).