Smart Thoughts #1
A sampling of political wisdom from syndicated radio host Erick Erickson: “It is probably not wise for Democrats and members of the media to tell Americans they should just stop buying so much in light of shortages….. It is probably not wise for Democrats and members of the media to tell Americans that inflation is actually a good thing….. It is probably not wise for Democrats and members of the media to tell Americans that higher fuel prices are actually good because it’ll move us away from fossil fuels quicker.” (And regarding the latter, regardless of Progressive dreams, natural gas and oil will be major sources of America’s energy for decades into the future. That said, we continue to almost completely ignore the cleanest, most efficient and reliable “clean” fuel, now available with considerably smaller, modular reactors: nuclear!).
An The Epoch Times reader in Pennsylvania made a concerned, potentially worrisome observation regarding climate change and CO2. The Governor there has required that masks for children be worn in school and daycare. “We have been told ad nauseum that CO2 is a pollutant causing ‘climate change,’” wrote the reader. “Governor Wolf is forcing children to breathe in a pollutant (CO2) for seven hours a day. Is this now the acceptable position, to poison our children, but not the environment?” Something to think about with long-term mask wearing, for children as well as adults.
Regarding those mandates, Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) had some very direct words about the administration’s virus dictates. Said he: “We’re going to make five-year-olds get vaccines and wear three masks, but we’re not going to test or even require vaccinations on people coming into our country. It’s absolutely despicable and disgraceful, particularly now that we have over a million illegal immigrants in this country (just those from this past fiscal year) that weren’t even tested, and Border Patrol agents who are risking their lives to keep these people out of the country and are under the same mandate by this despicable administration.” And, as a veteran himself, the Senator had strong words and concerns about the impact on the vaccination mandate for military service members who face possible dismissal from service if they refuse inoculation: “Being dishonorably discharged has implications for service members, including stripping their rights to own a firearm and use the GI Bill for education. It also prevents them from federal health and housing benefits normally available to veterans (also believe it may interfere with their right to vote). American heroes should not be treated as felons because of their personal medical choices.”
A 17-year-old Brooklyn Technical High School student, Daniel Idfresne, wrote an essay, titled: “I’m 17. And I’m immunized from Woke Politics.” It was either published or referenced by the New York Post and other print media. When interviewed, it became clear that Daniel was “pursuing the path of freedom over the path of identity.” And regrettably, today, “the path of freedom is a lonely one.” In Daniel’s words: “Anger sells on social media. That is why police brutality videos thrive on social media and it is why so many on the Left believe that 10,000 blacks are killed by the police every year.” Daniel is not white. His parents came to America from Haiti, legally, back in 2000. “They raised him to know himself and they gave him the greatest gift any youth can be given: the ability to work hard, the ability to endure countless obstacles and sleepless nights, and the ability to resist shallow temptations of instant gratification.” What a great set of character-building standards! A welcome awakening by a reality-based young man with a bright future.
And some sensible advice from liberal host and commentator, Bill Maher. On the subject of having two national anthems (NFL, at least once, played both Americas’ and the described “black national anthem”), Maher stated: “We’re one country. It’s not a good idea. We’ve seen what happens in other countries when you separate things out. That’s never where America was. That’s never where liberalism was. It was about being a colorblind society.” And regarding the task of how best to re-unite the country: “Stop talking politics. You want to know how to heal America? Shut up. Stop talking politics all the time. Stop trying to convince people. It’s a big county with lots of people who don’ think like you, and no matter what side you’re on, you’re not going to convince them, so just accept it.” Good advice from, although a liberal, he’s also a very smart guy!
Representative Jim Banks (R-IN) was recently locked-out of Twitter following his comment that “the title of first female four-star officer (in the Department of Health) gets taken by a man.” He was referring to the recent swearing-in of transgender HHS assistant secretary Rachel Levine as a “four-star admiral.” Said Banks: “My tweet was a statement of fact. Big Tech doesn’t have to agree with me, but they shouldn’t be able to cancel me. If they silence me, they will silence you. We can’t allow Big Tech to prevent us from telling the truth.” Representative Banks is an officer in our Naval Reserve and has two Afghanistan deployments. Miss Levine reportedly transitioned from male to female in her 50’s, and apparently has no military experience prior to her elevation to federal health services admiral. Despite Progressive insistence that the list of gender/sexual preference possibilities is endless, there are in fact only two biological genders: male and female. Echoing that reality is Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Kevin Stitt: “People are created by God to be male or female. Period.” He was responding to one of his Democrat state legislators who was arguing for a “non-binary” option. By the way, Oklahoma is apparently now one of 15 U.S. states said to offer a third option on birth certificates! We trust the Governor doesn’t agree with that provision.
And on that topic, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has just signed a bill (it takes formal legal effect in January) that will: “ban transgender athletes in public schools from competing alongside the gender with which they identify, mandating that they must complete as the sex listed on their birth certificates.” In other words, boys who transition to “female” will no longer be allowed to participate in girls’ athletics. Well at least in Texas, on this issue, common sense, and a definite sense of fairness, will soon officially prevail.
Speaking of common sense and decency, the U.S. State Department has announced several proposed investigations into the Biden administration’s diplomatic and military Afghanistan withdrawal. Wrote one news report author: “Critics have faulted President Biden for holding to an arbitrary August 31st deadline for the removal of U.S. troops, even though it seemed unlikely the military would be able to withdraw all troops and civilians by that time.” Not to mention those properly vetted Afghan friends-of-our-military left behind, amidst the disorderly, unvetted mob of refugees at the Kabul airport, the Pentagon has just reported their finding that almost 450 Americans remained behind and are now trapped in Afghanistan, despite the administration’s fleeting promise that we’d stay there until all Americans, wanting to leave, were flown out. The administration and State Department were still recently indicating that only about 100 Americans remained in Afghanistan, well below the Pentagon number! What an incredible and tragic betrayal of our own citizens, as now independent and veteran’s groups continue to work around the clock to try for additional citizen rescues, in spite of our own government. Said retired LTG Keith Kellogg: “Biden owns the Afghanistan withdrawal disaster, and the Afghan power vacuum he left behind is much worse than the power vacuum in Iraq that spawned the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).”
To conclude this edition, continuing with reality commentary, the latest southern border illegal immigration figures for fiscal year 2021 show that the “Biden border crisis is the worst in history.” Through September, CBP reported 1.73-million arrests at the border (not counting those who slipped through), the most ever recorded (and most of them, as you know, released into our country). Perhaps worse, not to mention the unaccompanied under-agers, over 1.1-million illegals who have been arrested, and thus, the majority, were single adults! With the Trump “Remain in Mexico” policy poop-canned by the current administration, and continually ignored, despite court decisions reinstating it (at least temporarily), the border was far, far more secure. With a significant show of force (CBP and military), significant “We’re Closed!” media announcements aimed at the Central American nations, and resuming construction of the Trump border wall, this rampage of illegal migrants could be stopped in short order, by turning off the now wide-open fire hose. For demented, purely political reasons, Mr. Biden and his mentors/handlers won’t allow it, enabling the continued destruction of our nation’s language, culture, economy, domestic security, and, ultimately, the way things are going, our personal safety and freedom.
Closing wisdom from Dr. Thomas Sowell: “It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions, than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.”
(Erickson quotes via erickericksonshow.com, Erick Erickson, 10-22-21; Newspaper reader quote regarding CO@ via The Epoch Times, Opinions, 10-6-21; Brooklyn teenager quotes via foxnews.com, Eli Steele, 10-24-21; Bill Maher quotes via dailywire.com, Staff, 9-17-2021; Senator Marshall quotes via breitbart.com, Robert Kraychik, 10-21-21; Rep. Banks quotes via breitbart.com, Alana Mastrangelo, 10-23-21; Governor Stitt quote and birth certificate option via dailymail.com, Ariel Zilber, 10-25-21; Texas transgender athletes law quote via dailymail.com, Brian Sieglitz, 10-26-21; Afghanistan withdrawal quotes via foxnews.com, Tyler O’Neil, 10-19-21; Border crisis worst ever stats via the federalist.com, Tristan Justice, 10-22-21).