Zach Goldberg nails the New York Time's propaganda for the Left

And its subsequent racist reporting.  Thanks for doing the hard work and long hours.  Rod Dreher comments on this here.  Rod also brings up another interesting study from a couple decades ago that found that while the National Press was over-obsessed with the rise of the Religious Right in the GOP, it failed to document the same rise in the Secular Left's influence within the Democratic Party.  Any sane American should be worried.  Only today's racists and bigots would dismiss this as irrelevant.

Pravda couldn't have said it better

There are many reasons for such clear and naked bias: agendas, propaganda, collusion with political and social movements.  There is also a more forgivable reason.  We all know the old saying 'if a dog bites a man it's not news, but if a man bites a dog it's news.'  That's true.  But say you are educated by a system, and subsequently become employed in an industry, that universally accepts the idea that 'men shouldn't bite dogs' is simply an age old bigoted notion imposed on the world by centuries of caninephobia.  You are now part of a system that believes, whether for convenience or sincere belief, that men biting dogs is the most natural thing in the world.  Won't that logically skew how you will see what is and isn't news? 

It's also interesting that when we look back at racism in America's history, what do we look at?  Inevitably we look at school lessons, movies and theater, newspaper articles and advertisements, and even early radio shows.  If those things were so about promoting racism in those days, what miraculous sanctification do we believe they went through to have put such errors behind them, and now that they're obsessing with the original sin of whiteness, and the inherent evil of the Christian West and its bastard child America, they are any more credible?  Apart from the dogma of Progress, I can't think of a reason not to be suspicious of these messengers whose forebears were the promoters of so much of what we condemn today.

Nonetheless, in centuries to come, I think historians will look back on the last century and a half or so and admit the disastrous impact that mass media, mass communications and nationalized education had on the horrors and terrors that we all so roundly condemn.

He said Groot?

Heh.  Since I know it's Babylon Bee, I know it's all for a good laugh, albeit with a point to make.  But if it wasn't for that, in today's world of madness, I would believe it.  Such is the world we've built for our posterity.

Taylor Swift is shocked that women have babies

And there's nothing more sexist than pointing it out.  Such is the bat crazy lunatic insanity of the post-modern world.  The headline boasts that she refused to answer such a sexist question.  Swift handled it gracefully, yet firmly, so the story says.

The sexist question?  If, upon turning thirty, she might have a baby and settle down.  Of course in our era of monogods, where everyone is a god of their reality focused on themselves, the idea that anyone might do anything for anyone else is anathema.  Likewise, the idea that women are the ones who have the babies, and that women might wish to do so, is an affront to modern science.  And our best and brightest are sure technology can soon be implemented that will undo this misogynistic notion that women are the ones who have babies.

It is likely that no generation in history is as moronic as ours.  The ghosts of the ancients and the medievals will rise up and condemn us as fools and idiots on the Day of Judgement.  And we'll deserve every bit of it.

Racist Denial Bingo and the unbelievable idiocy and duplicity of the Left

So I saw this pop up again:

It's supposed to be a slam-dunk smack down of those who dare question the Leftist narrative regarding Black Lives Matter.  I've seen it several times.  Back when I still went to Mark Shea's sites, I saw him post it more than once.  It's like a child who thinks they slam-dunked you by denying it was their hand in the cookie jar since cookie jars don't have hands.  It's stupid, but the child thinks it's brilliant.

Anyway, here's an updated version I did to clarify why so much of it is stupid, jack-ass, moronic, whatever you want to call it.  And that's at its best. Some of it is pure rotten to the core evil.  Here is the updated version:

The colors mean different things.  First, those without colored borders on all sides are the ones that, if someone actually said such a thing, would be stupid to say. Or wrong.  Or pointless. In this case, the chart is correct.  For instance, tossing out the term "Thug" doesn't help.  Not that I've heard people say all of the things with the black borders, but I've heard variations on some, and never felt they helped the case.  Those I've not heard in respect to this topic I've heard discussed elsewhere, so I'll assume they could have been used.  And no, I don't think they help or are of much use.

The Green outlines are facts.  They are true.  They should be facts that are so horrific that they would bring our nation to a screeching halt, or at least engender some nod of assent because we acknowledge it's obviously true police risk their lives, or that abortion and black on black crime hurt the black community more than anything else in our nation.  That some - including Christians - would mock such truths casts serious doubt on just how much they give a damn about black lives unless they can exploit those lives for political gain.

The Blue outlines are what I call the Horse Sense squares.  They are obviously true, and up to a couple decades ago, the vast majority of Americans would have said wait for an unedited video to be examined before joining a lynch mob and destroying neighborhoods, or that personal responsibility is a thing.  Funny how Christians who post this stupid meme join in mocking things that are pretty Christian, if not common decency and wisdom.

The Yellow outlines are those things that, depending on the context and the subject at hand, could be valid arguments.  For instance, recently in our neck of the woods, we had a bunch of BLM protesters wanting a cop to be charged for shooting an armed assailant who was holding a civilian at gunpoint.  I mean, if the black assailant who was shot was threatening the life of a civilian, and you're still on the assailant's side, it's a bit tough to argue that you're not wanting some form of special privilege.  Or in another case, the word of a man admitted to have committed a felony with children in his van is taken over that of the police who said he tried to kill them.  Why?  You do the math.  Likewise, a survey of the number of racist, antisemitic, sexist and bigoted actions and statements coming from Democrats and/or Leftist pundits is certainly a discussion worth having.  Nonetheless, these may be able to be had apart from the BLM issue, so they could be right and still not speak to the topic at hand (armies of white racist police gunning down millions of hapless and innocent black Americans).

Finally, the Orange are arguments that would be worth mocking, if anyone used them.  As it is, to this day, I've heard nobody use such arguments as 'blacks commit all the crimes' or 'we have to indiscriminately kill black people to keep crime down'.  I mean, those are just stupid.  Again, I've heard nobody say anything close. That's the old 'preemptively shove words into the mouths of a vaguely defined group of people, then preemptively attack them for such a stupid thing that nobody said.'

That's the chart as I see it.  Mostly wrong, a bit of evil, lots of stupid partisan hackery, with only a couple points that have any worth at all.  I'm going with the All Lives Matter response.  If you are against saying All Lives Matter, it's time to do some serious rethinking about where you are in the currents of the world's history,

Of course one way you can Bingo all of my objections is to do what many on the Left do, and that's move straight to judging the hearts and souls of all who dissent from the Left's truth claims.  So sure, personal responsibility is a thing.  But since I dare question BLM, and since BLM is as true as the Gospel, it must mean I'm a vile racist right wing Nazi who hates blacks and that's why I object!  You can tell by my skin color!  The 'screw you Jesus, I'll judge anyone based on their skin color if they blaspheme the true Gospel of the Leftist State' is always a good go to when all else fails.  It appears a good approach to defending the Left that is all the rage - even among Christians.

On this Memorial Day

We remember the fallen.  We don't exploit them for our political gain.  We don't ignore those who can't be exploited for political gain.  We remember all who gave the last full measure of devotion.  We don't do this so I could have a country centered around me, that exists solely for my benefit and in order to destroy my fellow Americans who are the true enemy.  We remember those who fell so that we could all live in peace and freedom and seek to build a more perfect union, always aware of our own failures and our own shortcomings. 

There is great evil in our land today.  A hellish evil that spreads lies and sows divisions.  An evil that has seized many of our institutions of power and influence.  It embraces bigotry, racism and sexism while purporting to oppose the same.  It promises decadence and narcissism but seeks to deliverer oppression.  It is a threat to the very foundations of democratic society, justice, truth and freedom that it says it defends.  It is a movement that would keep our eyes focused on the hundreds, while standing on the corpses of its tens of millions. 

Those within that movement are not the enemy.  Not yet.  Even one so deluded and shameful as in the link above is not quite there.  Those who embrace the heresies, blasphemies, lies and madness that one must embrace to follow this movement should not be seen as enemies themselves.  Only the movement itself should be seen that way; a movement which is a heresy wrapped in blasphemy promising debauchery and delivering only tyranny.

Those blinded by, or duped into being within, this demonic revolt against God and mankind and liberty are still our fellow Americans who must be shown the light of the Gospel, and the message of freedom.  On this Memorial Day as much as ever, we remember those who died so that we could keep our country from falling into the hands of anything that seeks to destroy it.  We do the fallen honor when we remember heroes abroad and domestic, and remind ourselves that we have our freedoms so that we can rise to the heights, not sink to the depths.

To honor and remember

A post on Memorial Day movies and memories

Here is an old post I did on movies we watch around Memorial Day.  We don't do it as much together anymore as the boys are moving on with their myriad obligations in life.  They'll still try to make some time this weekend to be together.  But the full weekend off is pretty much a thing of the past.  So how many we will see?  Hard to tell.  But we'll at least get to the cemetery (weather permitting) and do some remembrance of what the holiday is all about. 

I realize for having put aside blogging, I've done a lot of it.  I said I would put it aside unless something crazy or important comes up.  Given the growing chorus of those on the Left openly declaring their desire to make war on the Christian Faith, Christians, white people, men, heterosexuals, Americans, the Christian West, and the United States, our liberties and our freedoms, it's almost impossible to go a day without seeing something that rises to the occasion of crazy or important.

Nonetheless, not this weekend.  With what time we have, we'll be busy.  When the boys are all together, we'll definitely try to cram in what we can.  It will be next week before we are back.  Here are a few post of Memorial Days gone by, just for the memories.

In the meantime, consider the blind foolishness of the modern Left, and why it is emerging as the preeminent threat to mankind and liberty in our time, as you gaze on this image:

Where, or where, is Michael Flynn of TOF when we need him?  See you next week.

Lord save us from the snowflake generation

To clarify, snowflakes are not people who get offended because someone pissed on them and said they ought to die, they suck, they should be wiped off the planet, or because someone used racist, bigoted, or other such language.  Nor are snowflakes anyone who says they disagree with someone else.

No, a snowflake is someone like this: a person needing counseling because the Game of Thrones finale didn't go as they imagined it would.  That, my friends, is a snowflake.  I don't blame them, of course.  They are the result of our clinical counseling culture, our modern education systems, and our pop culture of entitlement and narcissism (beneficial for the free market and entertainment industries). 

Their fanaticism and zeal and lusting for the slaughter of those who dare question their divine supremacy is also beneficial to the modern progressive revolution. But I fear the paybacks are going to be hell.

American racism done right

So we had this horrible story, about a raging black woman who, in a fit of anger, pushes an elderly white man off a bus.  Sadly for the man, he sustained injuries from which he was unable to recover.  He died shortly afterwards, the woman being charged in the assault.

And yet, not one story have I found from media outlets suggesting even once that this could be a hate crime.  Truth be told, I've found few stories in mainstream outlets covering it more than once.

That, my friends, is racism socially sanctioned.  Had this been a white person (esp. a man) pushing a black person (esp. a woman) to her death, you bet your bottom dollar it would be around the clock coverage.  It immediately would be assumed to be a hate crime, pending investigation.  Charges of racism and America's vile racist past would be floated.  You might even have protests and vigils popping up in Las Vegas or around the country. Perhaps join the growing movement to eradicate the memory of our white racist founders would gain steam.  And finally we'd find out it was all Trump's fault.

As it is, I've barely heard about it.  No vigils.  No headline news.  In fact, few national outlets covered it at all.  No condemnations really.  Certainly no suggestions of racism, bigotry or hate on the part of the accused.  Just a few stories and a couple social media posts.  And one old man who died violently. And that is all.

That is socially constructed racism in action.  This is the old Hollywood movie that has brave white explorers climbing a mountain with African porters close behind.  Suddenly, one of the porters slips and falls to his death.  The white explorers then scream out in terror: "Oh no!  There go the medical supplies!"  It didn't happen that often in movies, even in the early 30s.  But it was there.  Racism did exist in America, even if not in the cardboard, one dimensional way described by the Left.

But all we're seeing now is the same exact racism, but with different nameplates.  The Left has spent many long years convincing us not to care unless it impacts us.   If others die of AIDS, terrorism, fall through the cracks due to globalization, it's just the sacrifice we have to make.

Likewise, we've been taught to quickly see if we can exploit human death and suffering, or if we should just shrug our shoulders and move on.  The most egregious of this in recent months being the sad case of young Jazmine Barnes, whose death at the hands of a white man in a pickup truck was round the clock news for four days until the perpetrators turned out to be two black men involved in drugs.  Almost overnight every major news outlet and left wing publication dropped the story like a hot potato.

But we've been watching yet another development.  This is one that opponents of the concept of 'hate crimes' warned would happen if we went that direction.  Inevitably, we would begin saying a woman kidnapped, raped and tortured was really wronged if it was done for racist reasons.  And yet, even in the early days, we began noticing that the door to hate crime charges often only swung in certain directions.  So if the woman was white and the rapists black, can anyone ever really know?  But if she was black and the rapist white, then who needs and investigation?  Obvious it is a hate crime. So now, today, we literally will have some mock the notion that we should care about suffering or even death, if those doing so are not part of the designated demographics that matter.

Sure, news agencies may pick up this story some more if there are developments.  But how will they cover it?  In a series of disgraceful episodes, cases of white Trump supporters kidnapped, tortured, killed or even five police officers murdered by a black man hellbent on murdering white people were addressed almost with a pro/con attitude.  That is not how Ferguson, Baltimore or the Charleston shootings were addressed.  Nor was it how Tuscon was addressed.  It was how the Washington congressional shooting was addressed.  Likewise, the coverage between the Sri Lanka church bombings and the New Zealand mosque shooting couldn't have been more different.

But enough of this.  Who are we fooling?  Whether the Left really thinks all whites are racists or gives a damn about blacks or even mass shootings is anyone's guess.  What is patently obvious is that how the Left/Press covers such stories is radically inconsistent, and whether intentional or not, it is beginning to ingrain in our society - as well as our dear religious leaders - a whole new era of bigotry, prejudice, discrimination and apathy about human suffering unless it ends up impacting ... them.

Pete Buttigieg supports the Stalinizing of America

The Left is increasingly bold in its declarations of hatred toward the Christian Faith, the Western Tradition and America's heritage.  To that end, almost every day we hear stories of someone, somewhere wanting to erase the names of our Founders, our Faith, our heritage from the records and the photographs.  Apparently, Mr. Buttigieg supports this development.

The goal, of course, is to do what most Marxist based revolutions have done, and that's descend upon the society in question like a plague of locusts.  The same holds here. And the Democratic Party is the prime vehicle for those who wish to see America's Christian and democratic heritage killed with fire.  Ol'uncle Joe Biden won't go this far - for now.  That may cause him some problems with the younger, more radical Leftists beginning to populate the Democrats.

But with time, and less time than we imaged a decade ago, much of America may cease to exist by the time my children are having children.  With that, as we can plainly see, will go such concepts as liberty, freedom, equality, human dignity and even a democratic republic.  We can see it.  We just aren't doing anything to stop it.

Teaching minorities to hate

Years and years ago, in my other life, I attended an ecumenical conference in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.  Each of us had to present a talk, and I spoke about the Great White Guilt that was emerging as progressives tried to avoid putting responsibility for the attacks on the attackers.  The emerging trend was for the white American and European Christian male to continually apologize for whites, Christians, Americans, Europeans and men.

I noted, however, that as this continued, it was getting worse.  Those who embraced this demographic guilt were beginning to sound like the very racists and bigots they condemned.  They were merely sounding that way about their own demographics.  In fact, I pointed out, my experience was that the most bigoted and venomous rhetoric came from them about their own demographics.

So the worst anti-male sexists were, as often as not, liberal men.  Sure you had the odd wacked out radical feminist, but far more common was the liberal male sounding the sexist alarms.  Same with blacks and racial minorities.  With few exceptions, the most anti-white racists I heard were whites.  Same with everything except LGBTQ issues, in which I conceded that it broke about 50/50, with those within the various orientation categories being as bad as the worst I heard among heterosexuals (see Brian Sims as an example).

But no more.  Sure, the progressives are increasingly sounding like Nazis speaking of Jews when they talk of white people, or men, or Christians, or Americans.  And yes, the LGBTQ community can be pretty darn freaky in a Himmler without the whimsy sort of way when it comes to calling for the eliminating of the 'white cis-male whatever.' 

But increasingly, I'm noticing that young blacks are sounding as racist against whites as any KKK rally sounds against blacks.  Likewise, I'm hearing young girls and young women speak of men in a way that no man in the most sexist age spoke of women.  Far more flagrant are they about 'screw you men' than any liberal male.  Hence the #MeToo movement taking out men, liberal or otherwise, while standing guard against the notion that women can be guilty in any way.  I'm hearing the same among younger Indians, who all but say it's time for the white man to get the hell out of their country and screw you.

These youngsters have been taught to hate.  The Left, Marxist influenced as it is, doesn't reckon forgiveness, or humility, or reconciliation, or mercy.  Like most philosophies with a Marxist heart, it's based on jealousy, revenge, hatred and bloody revolution.

I thought of that as I saw this article about protesters taking on the evil of the Christian West.  Apparently to celebrate the West is to celebrate Nazis.  And look at the pictures.  It's not do-good white liberals calling down hellfire on their own heritage and ancestors.  It's black students, speaking of the West the way Nazis spoke of Jewish culture.  These are the children of the Left, the new Hitler Youth, but with dark skin and vaginas and dressed in drag.  It's not swastikas, but rainbow flags they. under which they march.

This is because the hatred, and the desire for total eradication of the grand white/Christian/American conspiracy they blame all evils of history upon, is being taught and being believed.  Censorship, banning speech, punishing thought, digital book burning, shouting down movies, destroying statues and memorials, uprooting grave markers, threatening violence and destruction - there is nothing that is off limits.  As anything we witnessed in Europe in the past, this is a generation raised to ferret out the true cabals of evil and burn them alive or dead.

But Christians who jump on board, embracing this repackaged racism and sexism, embracing censorship and violence, are unfortunately the same who would have been goosestepping around Nuremberg in the 1930s with a Bible in one hand and a Nazi flag in the other.  And worse, they are actively helping teach these up and coming generations to never forgive, but only hate, the teachings of Jesus on the subject be damned. 

The forces of evil that are behind this?  It's the same with any force of evil in history.  It will bring death and destruction, and then answer for its sins before the throne of the Almighty.  But for those Christians, through hubris, pharisaical judgmentalism, or sheer cowardice, who have played a part in weening a generation based on bigotry, hate, revenge and even violence?  Jesus has these words:

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.“Woe to the world for temptations to sin!  For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes!" Matthew 18:5-7 

The double condemnation we will receive is not just because we have sinned.  It's because we are sinning in the same exact way as those who we have spent generations condemning.  But in our unwarranted arrogance and hubris, we believe the same sins are now virtuous merely on the basis of our ultimate superiority.  If we say hating based on correct skin color or national origin is good, then good it is, because this time we obviously have it right.  Our superior intellect and morals are incapable of error, so the millions of lives lost, shattered and ruined on the altars of our self-righteousness must be ignored, and our reasoning embraced.

Woe to us indeed.

Why Conservatives get fed up with the Left

So Arthur's teacher - that's Arthur, the children's cartoon featuring a variety of anthropomorphic animals in everyday life settings - came out as gay and had a gay wedding.  This is not surprising.  Like most entertainment aimed at kids and picked up by PBS, Arthur and his creators have often swung decidedly left of center, assuming a multi-cultural and politically correct world in which their characters lived.  In fact, in a spin-off series featuring one of the main characters (Buster the bunny), two gay characters had already been featured.  That was in the early 00s. 

It is what it is.  To expect an opposing viewpoint would be foolish at best.   Most PBS stations filter through decidedly left leaning university broadcasting stations, and so despite the government backing, we've grown used to the bias at taxpayer expense. 

What is annoying is how, as we've seen over the decades, once religion is removed from society, something will inevitably fill the gap.  And as often as not, as we witnessed over the last century, that something becomes the State.  Politics replaces religion.  And there is no separation between politics and State.  Once you go down there, you begin seeing politics everywhere, as we're seeing it today.

But worse, the Left continues to act like Conservatives are the ones imposing their values on others.  Something about the Left kicking in our doors, shoving their values down our throats and then accusing us of meddling in their lives when we disagree, is as maddening as you get.  It is that level of BS that is oxygen to the Left that makes you grind your teeth and shake your fists on your best of days.

I wouldn't expect Arthur to be diverse anymore than I would Sesame Street. Like most media and art today, they toe the party line and promote the party doctrines.  But it's the annoyance of the 'Emperor's New Cloths or Else!' with accusations against those who resist being indoctrinated that can, on occasion, be more annoying than anything in an already annoying society.

Joe Biden joins the "Screw Prayer" movement

In response to the Colorado STEM school shooting, Biden echoed a common mantra among the Left.  That mantra says that your God and your prayers are worthless.  Only the horses and chariots of the Leftist State can deliver us from this evil of gun violence.  The near equal number of Americans dying of AIDS/HIV continuing to be ignored.  If you "only" offer prayers and nothing else, then you are not doing a damn thing to solve the problem. 

This isn't something that only atheists and secular leftists say.  If it were them, it would make sense.  But it is a growing number of Christians in devotion to the Leftist State who echo the same.  Remember, Joe Biden hangs his Catholic Faith around his neck for all the world to see.

Of course orthodox believers are fine with looking to solutions beyond prayer, provided they actually work.  But for the Left, there is nothing but stupidity and evil unless you conform 100% to the Left.  Despite strong evidence that the Left is not always correct, the Left will allow for no such observation.  It is the Leftist State, and only the Leftist State, which is efficacious in delivering us, sanctifying us, and saving us.  Anything else, even 99% fealty to the Left, and you become 100% irredeemably deplorable. 

Apparently, given the reaction among them, New Prolife Christians approve this message.  Almost from the beginning, more and more Christians on the left have embraced this idea that it is not through prayer and trust in God that we will solve our nation's ills, but through the wisdom and efficacy of the Leftist State and its socio-political and economic policies.  If that seems like heresy, it is.  But it's merely one case among many, and almost impossible to focus upon anymore given the number of ways the Faith is being converted by the World. 

RIP Doris Day

Doris Day has passed away.  She was known to me as she was everyone in my generation, as well as countless other generations.  She was the girl next door, or at least that was the image she projected.

It was an image, of course.  Married four times, she was one of many actresses who publicly disavowed her 'goody-two-shoes' image.  Of course many of her works were also post-puritan, we just missed it.  Like much of Hollywood, her work was not shy about pushing a porn-culture attitude, even before cameras were invited into the bedrooms to watch.

In fact, it was because the cameras were not allowed in, and the dialogue had to be wrapped in euphemism and innuendo, that we often miss how post-Christian Hollywood morality was, almost from the beginning.  Movies celebrating affairs, sleeping around, cohabitation, even polyamorous relations, were all in the theaters long before that rascally Sexual Revolution we hear so much about.

Ms. Day, in her personal life and opinions, far from objected. In fact, over the years, what she objected to most was this image of the 'girl next door virgin' with which she was saddled.  I don't say this to dishonor her memory.  I wish her the best, and pray she is received into the loving embrace of a merciful and loving God.  I pray peace and strength for her loved ones. 

But she, as much as anyone, embodied the ugly fact that America had been pushing toward paganism and hedonism for generations.  It may not have reached Main Street and the masses until the 60s and the television generation.  But it was there, from Hollywood and our entertainment industries, long before Americans ever thought they would lean about such locations as Iwo Jima or Anzio.  Already, they were being primed.  Following the war, Americans began to indulge with growing unrestraint, even if they wouldn't admit it.  It is now that we must bear the weight of their lack of control and foresight. 

And nobody seemed to show the contrast in what Americans claimed to be and what we were becoming, than Ms. Day.  RIP Ms. Day.  Thanks for all you brought, but I'm sorry for what you so proudly wanted to bring. 

A shout out to my two favorite moms

First, hat tip to my actual Mom, who chose to have me, and for that I am glad.   Contrary to pro-abortion rhetoric, abortions have not been as numerous as the post-Roe era.  True, they were picking up in the 1960s, and true, since they were mostly illegal, it's difficult to have exact figures.  But the figures we have suggest that the numbers in the pre-60s were nowhere near close to what they were in the late 60s, much less in the 1 million plus/year that has defined the post-Roe era.

In the midst of this seismic shift in American morality, my Mom chose to have me.  Which isn't surprising.  They lost their second child, and that was after waiting eight years before they were able to have my older sister.  I came eight years later, when they were in their mid-30s.  That set me apart from many of my friends and classmates, whose parents were usually ten to fifteen years younger than my parents.  In fact, a great many were the children of Baby Boomers, as opposed to my parents who had been born and raised in the Great Depression.  I've often thought that tension of 'God Bless America' being a song of great importance or being sarcastically referenced had a big impact on me.

But for my part, I thank them both.  They were great parents.  Not perfect by a long shot, but they both put us kids first.  Mom was the consummate mother, who would have taken a bullet for her kids without thinking.  Dad was less committal on that front, but would likely have done the same.

That's what makes my own wife such a gem.  She's the working girl now, as I am home with our youngest being home schooled, and my Mom needing daily care.  She would rather be at home, and has often lamented needing to work.  It's just how the chips have fallen.  Nonetheless, she is a full team player.  We are a partnership and we do what we need for the boys.  And she does it for my Mom.  And that is motherly too. 

My own bride with the gang

My Mom with all of her grand kids and great-grand kids

Dear Alyssa Milano

If women did something close to this for more noble reasons, we wouldn't need the abortion culture in the first place, would we? 

Abortion is the canvas upon which modern feminism is painted: a feminism that tells women they come first to the exclusion of any other priority, and should have everything they want without impediment.  That includes, but is not limited to, sex.  Men were more than happy to latch onto such a feminist mantra as long as that last part was zealously adhered to.  That required, of course, abortion, which has subsequently undone 2000 years of Christianity's insistence that, no matter how badly we fail, the gold standard is the sanctity of human life.  Instead, the gold standard now is the value of human life only when convenient to me.  It's just a question of who the 'me' will be when the inevitable smoke finally settles.

You see Ms. Milano?  If women could exercise the same restraint for reasons other than their libidos, I wouldn't be able to write that paragraph.  As it is, that little paragraph falls far short of accounting for the carnage, suffering and  destruction that has otherwise been wrought upon mankind by that very brand of feminism you're trying so desperately to preserve. 

The press is the ministry of lies and propaganda

It's official.  Here are two screenshots to demonstrate:

That's the coverage of those protesting Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg's pro-gay God proclamations and condemnation of those who dare bow before the altar of gay sex.  The coverage is 100% critical of the protesters. And, as you can see, it's carried by multiple national outlets. There are others, those are just the ones in the screenshot. 

Also note the dates.  It's an 'ongoing' story, an old media trick.  That means, under any pretense, the press will keep the story going.  Even if there is no new development, they will find a reason to carry the story.  You see this with things like Ferguson, or the ongoing 'Gender Pay Gap', or anything to do with Trump or any opponent of the political Left.  There may be no news at all, but they'll keep covering the stories that elevate the agenda or harm the opponent with even the slightest justification imaginable.

Now, look at this:

That was the coverage of the pro-life rally in protest of liberal, openly gay Pennsylvania lawmaker Brian Sims browbeating and threatening an old women and teenage girls.  US Today and Newsweek covered the story, otherwise the Washington Post, among any national outlets I found, was the only outlet that covered the story, albeit from a very impartial and restrained position. The only ones covering it otherwise, save for social media outlets, were those who are pro-life, conservative, or Catholic (the older woman browbeaten by Sims was praying the rosary). 

That, friends, is a conspiracy to lie and deceive.  Sims' actions are a disgrace and he should be thrown out of office.  God help us if his kind gets within a hundred miles of Washington.  Because we have the ongoing and broad coverage of those protesting Buttigieg, we know the press is more than happy to cover people protesting or holding rallies, or those reacting to them. 

I know you'll argue that he is a presidential candidate who will naturally get coverage while others won't.  But remember the saturation coverage the late Fred Phelps received?  Why, every time they showed up to do some deplorable protest the national press was there, plastering the story across the papers and television screens.   And they were a small handful of people with no connection to the presidency. 

To me, an elected official, who was a collegiate football player, browbeating and bullying an elderly woman and teenage girls rises to the same level of deplorable as what we witnessed with the folks at Westboro Baptist. It had plenty of coverage, and lawmakers and significant religious leaders spoke out.  This was news as well. 

But in our age of censorship, thought control and propaganda, it could not be mentioned.  After all, what Sims proves is that Trump was right, and the Left as wrong as one can imagine.  By assuming that anyone not supporting gay sex is a Nazi, and burying any stories of bad done by those on behalf of the same topics, the press helps maintain the narrative of 'evil to the right/virtue to the left'. 

Both sides have their baddies, and sane people know it.  But the Left, in effort to control thought and story, would have us believe only one side is capable of such wrong, and that's why we need to rethink all concepts of freedom, liberty, and life in order to put such a bad side in its place.

Live coverage of PA Pro-Life protest

Here.  This is in response to the brave lawmaker Brian Sims, who displayed his courage by browbeating an old woman and threatening teenage girls.  Good for them.  Perhaps the forces of good and life are beginning to stand.

BTW, it's worth noting that barely any major news outlets have covered this story.  Imagine some linebacker sized pro-life advocate doing the exact same thing to pro-abortion activists. How much would you like to bet that some of the national news anchors would have their desks at this rally?  Such is our ministry of lies and propaganda, fast becoming one of the great threats to life and freedom in our age.

UPDATE: The link won't go to a live update now since the protest is done.  It appears that over 1000 people turned out!  Woohoo!  That is with only days to prepare.  It's this sort of thing from the Left that is helping galvanize people.  You have the loony things, such as a school banning valedictorians because of the mental stress it places on kids, to a town in Australia banning Mother's Day because gender simply no longer exists.  That's annoying and rage inducing.  But the move to legally punish Christians, conservatives, white people, men, and anyone who challenging the Leftist State, while assaulting freedom and liberty, is beginning to awaken people.

This is promising.  There's a long way to go, and even those like Rod Dreher, who see it clearly, can't resist falling into the trap of 'I'm sure we're just as bad, let's compromise.'  Nonetheless this is something.  This clouds of darkness and death won't stop unless it is stopped.  And people of good will, standing for virtue, life and freedom will need to be the ones who stop it.

A defender of Brian Sims emerges

Here.  The headline suggests there will be praise and criticism, but the criticism - if it can be called that - is scant.   It's mostly 'he fed into the stereotypes, even though clearly most deserve what he would have given them.'  Personally I'd like to see him go after a group of veterans or athletes at such a protest.

The piece spends most of its time more or less condoning what he did in so many words.  It even says he had a constitutional right to harangue, berate, browbeat and even threaten the lone, older woman.  It never seems to mention the young teenage girls he threatened to 'dox'.  It doesn't mention him 'doxing' the old woman either.

So mostly ignore key parts of the story, excuse him on almost every count, and only say it's bad because he feeds into stereotypes about your own side.  And as can be expected, it accomplishes this by assuming the moral high ground and conveniently ignoring facts that might hurt the cause.

That's defense number one.  I've seen a few by now try to downplay his actions, and Mark Shea's 'don't browbeat that old woman or you'll help Trump' response is already becoming a thing of legend across Catholic social media. 

But this is the first attempt to more or less defend Sims and condone most of what he did (while ignoring other points).  Again, the point isn't universal outrage now, it's how will it be in another ten years.  Or in this case, another ten days. 

The Washington Post covers the Brian Sims story and shows what real journalism should look like

No emotions.  No bias.  No editorial.  Simply stating the facts.  It gives an overview incident in question, a couple quotes from the encounter, and some background.  Sims is a college quarterback who got into the face of a lone older woman who was praying at an abortion clinic.

Sims is quoted as saying he gets passionate about abortion rights.  Planned Parenthood didn't condone him, but did go on to say it opposes intimidation and shaming tactics by pro-life advocates.

The story mentions this encounter is in the wake of several states introducing laws meant to restrict abortion.  Pennsylvania, for instance, is introducing a law that would make it illegal to abort a baby because you found out it might have Downs Syndrome.

For the pro-life side, while it does highlight Ted Cruz going after Sims, it mostly focuses on the PA GOP filing a complaint suggesting that Sims threatening the woman and threatening to dox (new word) young (read: teenage) girls could be a violation of their constitutional rights.

It mentions Sims' rather vague and non-committal apology (which for most falls short of an actual apology), and then wraps up with a note about an upcoming protest planned by pro-life groups in light of Sims' actions.

That's good reporting.  Not perfect, but as close to what reporting should be as you're likely to find nowadays.  That it's so neutral about the actions of an openly gay, liberal Democrat that almost everyone except Mark Shea seems able to roundly condemn might just be cosmic coincidence.

I choose this because, as of now, WP is the only major non-conservative MSM outlet to cover the story, aside from Newsweek and US Today.  Again, no doubt cosmic coincidence.

Catholic Mass Times.org

I was asked to put this on my blog, and seems a worthy cause.  Yes, I know.   But I'm convinced that in the coming days, orthodox Christians must unite.  Plus my oldest is still Catholic, and I support (though deeply lament) the Church in its modern struggles.  To me, we are all brothers in the Faith and I pray for the eventual reconciliation between the great orthodox, historical traditions. 

The link is on the sidebar:

So there you go. Hope this helps.

The Brian Sims escapade continues

Apparently many have rightly condemned his cowardly and spineless browbeating of an elderly woman. Sims, for his part, at least makes clear his utter hatred for Christians and his desire to eradicate the right to not support aborting babies and gay sex.  Also, there is evidence to suggest that he offered to pay people to Dox (a new word I learned, meaning expose personal information on the Internet in order to bully, threaten and intimidate) teenage girls who were protesting.  Again, pure evil and an example of the worst of the emergent Left; a Brownshirt styled thug who I have no problem believing would do the worst we can imagine for his cause.

Meanwhile Matt Walsh and Live Action and Lila Rose and others are coming out to stand for the beauty of life and the cherished freedoms of speech and the right to protest against Sims's Bolshevism for Sex political platform.  Along the same line, others recognize the ugly and racist denial of the Democrats when it comes to aborting blacks out of existence:

Swinging in to damage control mode, on the other hand, the long forgotten (and ignored) Mark Shea steps in to remind us why the upcoming fight will be a tough one, owing to those believers who will gladly align with the enemies of God and man:

Mark swipes away the morality of verbally bludgeoning an elderly woman and mainly chastises Sims for helping the 'other side'.  That is something Mark used to condemn in no uncertain terms, the idea of being outraged by immorality because it hurts 'the tribe.'  Another in a growing list of things Mark does that he once said will lead to Hell.

So the Good (those justly outraged at the cowardly lawmaker browbeating an elderly woman and threatening teenage girls), the Bad (Sims and his 'screw you scum followers of Jesus, I hope this Soviet state will someday put you in your place for opposing abortion and gay sex'), and the Pathetic (Mark Shea's 'Don't browbeat that old woman, you'll help their tribe!'), all on display due to this craven act. Exposing this level of evil is like applying warm compress on a boil: it draws out the pus, but also promises healing.  If, of course, the forces of goodness and virtue take a stand.

Though a word of caution.  Many are pointing out that the response to this, Mark Shea aside, has been overwhelmingly negative - because it's wrong, not because it makes Trump look good.  Yes, that is good.  Remember years ago, however, when a few lawmakers suggested banning Chick-fil-A over the owner's stance on gay marriage.  Response was overwhelmingly negative and the lawmakers universally condemned, both in and out of the LGBTQ community.  Now look at things.  The question isn't if everyone is condemning this.  The question is, if we continue on the track w'ere going, will they condemn it as much in another ten years?

Coming in with another angle, Rod Dreher chimes in here, reminding us of those ancient days, when the MSM went crazy with around the clock coverage of vile white skin racists (redundancy there) from Covington High School who assailed helpless Native Americans.  Now look at the dearth of mainstream "journalism" covering this story:

Barely a major news outlet between them 

The press is dead.  It is the ministry of lies and propaganda (or Truth, as my boys say).  It is one of the great threats to the Truth, mankind and freedom in our world today.  Well noticed Rod.  And worth remembering when thinking of how the media channels the narrative today.

Pennsylvania lawmaker Brian Sims demonstrates how to berate an elderly woman

While also condemning her for her white skin and failure to conform to liberal absolutes.  It's hard to watch.  You feel sorry for her.  You also see the horrible lows to which some are willing to sink in the name of the new Democrats (whose party always seems to have an obsession with skin color, black or white).

Bonus if you note the classic Leftist hypocrisy of condemning people for telling other people they are wrong.  You also get a bonus if you notice his condemnation of her for exercising her constitutional right to protest.

Again, it's difficult to watch.  You can't help but get angry at a large, strong adult male berating and browbeating an old lone woman like that, insulting her, condemning her, threatening her.  This is the face of too many representing the modern Left, with little to no push back from our press, pop culture or even political leaders.  God help the world if the likes of Mr. Sims ever gets within a thousand miles of real power.

Oh, and if you could explain how being against abortion is racist, other than the fact that she dared be born with white skin, I'd appreciate the help.  He kept accusing her of racism, and I heard her say nothing of the sort.  In fact, I heard her say almost nothing at all. 

UPDATE: Apparently Matt Walsh - who I know little about - has organized a large protest at the abortion clinic in question.  It's on Friday at 11:00 AM (I'll assume this Friday).  Again, don't know much about Mr. Walsh, but in this case I'll stand with him.  If I was within a hundred miles I'd try to be there.  As it is, he might also be raising money.  It's time for the forces of decency and devotion to God and Man to rise up and fight this dark cloud of evil setting itself upon our land.  If we don't, then our posterity will pay the horrible price.

UPDATE II: Here is a gofundme page dedicated to raising money for life.  It's a direct result of Mr. Sims' browbeating of that elderly lady.  It seems a worthy cause and the right way to go.  This is what I'm talking about.  It's time to stop laying down.

Christians can downplay the Sex and Drugs culture no longer

Here are a few stats:

In 2017 there were almost 50,000 suicides in the US alone.

In 2017, there were more than 70,000 deaths from drug overdose (this is separate from crimes related to drug use since we're told authoritatively that if we just legalize drugs, the crime will stop.  No word on how it will prevent drug addiction).

In 2016 (apparently the most recent year we have stats), there were 15,000 deaths from AIDS (with 66% of those infected being sexually active male homosexuals, despite being a mere 3.9% of the population identifying as male homosexual).  It's worth noting that some argue that not all AIDS deaths are directly the result of AIDS, so we'll half that to 7,500.   Though it is worth noting that AIDS deaths worldwide have decreased, with a mere 940,000 worldwide dying that same year.  Less than a million dead from AIDS!  A victory!

That means, combined, there were 127,000 deaths from sex, drugs and suicide in America alone.  With 77,500 being from Drugs and AIDS.  Other STDS that have varying levels of serious and/or life debilitating consequences will not be dealt with here, though several have seen spikes in recent years in both Europe and America.

Now, in 2015, there were 13,000 Americans killed by guns.  Around 3 times that number died from suicide by guns.  Meaning roughly 60% of suicides are due to guns.  The other 40% by other means.

In 2017, there were 37,000 killed in Automobile accidents.  Just saying.

That means the total combined auto accidents and all gun deaths is approx. 89,000.  Still merely 70% of the total deaths from AIDS/Drugs/Suicide.  And yet what do church leaders, progressive Christians and New Pro-Life Catholics spend almost all of their time talking about (other than illegal immigration support)?  That would be gun homicides (which alone are about 10% of the AIDS/Drugs/Suicides deaths).

In other words, if you are worried about the safety and well being of our children, you had best rethink what the News Media and Education culture says we should worry about.  Our children are far more likely to die of suicide, sex and drugs than gun violence.  The number fluctuates slightly based on whether or not the child is a sexually active male homosexual.

Yet I doubt I can list on more than five fingers the times I've seen a Catholic/Protestant Christian, aside from some fundamentalist types, address the carnage and suffering wrought by our sex obsessed, debauched and decadent culture.  If anything, they reach out a loving hand with a sort of 'who are we to judge?' shrug of the shoulders.  Note they do not - repeat, do NOT - have that attitude about guns, or stopping illegal immigration for that matter.  Fact is, they usually don't mention it at all.  Sometimes they actually go out of their way to threaten people who do want to connect the dots between our modern pro-sex/pro-drugs/pro-gay society and the death toll it has wrought.

That, friends, is a disgrace.  No, it's blasphemous.  It puts a lie to the notion that modern, progressive Christians give any more of a damn about human life than the Left cares about human life in general.  Sadly, it also calls into question the Church's commitment to that precious 'whole life ethic'.

Oh, I include suicide because despite the hundreds of millions in money, energy and time we spend on mental health initiatives, our suicide rates are as bad as ever.  Some would argue they are worse.  It is impossible to believe that this is not at least partially related to the nihilistic narcissism and animal baseness that humans must embrace to continue staring at such carnage and accepting it in the hopes of a good lay.  Which is, of course, an attitude all but endorsed by the modern West, our culture, media and even our education systems.  An attitude that has yet to be fought by the Church on any respectable level.

Food for thought

If you don't see this now in America, as the filmmakers clearly saw it in the film's post-McCarthy dominated era, you aren't paying attention.  Only it's far worse now because, like in Germany, the institutions that called out McCarthy are now behind the newest incarnation of the same. 

Divers and Sundry

In no particular order, here are a few stories that may or may not have anything to do with each other, but ones I've noticed:

In case you missed it, Nigerian Christians are reaching out for help in the wake of near genocidal atrocities being visited on the Nigerian Christian community.  This is not new.  Variations of this has been happening since at least the early 90s when I had friends from Nigeria, warning of what life is like when you're the minority under a Muslim majority.  But then, it's also not easily pinned on the US government.  Since it doesn't aid the Left's multi-cultural narrative, and those who would cozy to the Left can't use it to trash America or Conservatism, it's been mostly crickets and cicadas.  Here is a link to a story about one Nigerian bishop pleading for help.

Meanwhile, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, former Protestant fundamentalist pastor, has weighed in on the death penalty.  Here is his piece.  As I say, I'm of two minds about the issue.  Part of me leans against the Death Penalty, if for no other reason that if an innocent man is executed (and it has happened), there's no making amends.  On the other hand, much of the reasoning behind opposing the DP has the odor of secular 'because there ain't nothing more important than life in this material world!'  Bad reasons can be given, just as good reasons can be given, on both sides. Nonetheless, I notice that the worst reasons are on the opposition's side, with fewer strong - and Christian - reasons to be against it, while the arguments for capital punishment's restricted use seem to align more strongly with a traditional, orthodox Christian world view where this old world isn't the only thing to think about.   FWIW, here is a link to one Orthodox point of view which, as usual, allows for a certain amount of agreeing to disagree on the issue.

Finally, the latest big news is that some Catholic leaders have sent a letter apparently accusing Pope Francis of being a heretic.  I won't wade into that.  Pope Francis is clearly a child of Latin American liberation theology, and its Marxist roots and perspectives clearly influence how he approaches a host of issues.  Whether heretic or not is for others to say.  As usual, those who support Pope Francis have resorted to the typical name calling, snobbery, accusation and insinuation, rather than merely talk.  Since Pope Francis became pope, that has been the case.  If many of his supporters insist there was a time when they sat down and reasonably discussed difficulties with Pope Francis, I never saw it.  From the first, it was attack with both barrels.  And this is often from those who once had no problem blasting popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.  Again we're treated to the old 'that which liberalism once condemned, the Left now endorses - and vice versa.'  Here is one article unpacking the issue.

And in the 'It's not all about Christians' category, we have this unfolding story about China's war on its own Muslim population.  As can be expected, it's not getting much coverage in the US press.  That's because Chinese (Communists no less) waging an eradication campaign against Muslims flies in the face of the Left's carefully constructed Multi-Cultural narrative.  That narrative relies on a very basic template: evil white Christians from Europe and America/Everyone else awesome.  The Left's propaganda organs in the press have made it clear, as with the sad case of Jazmine Barnes, that they couldn't care less about actual minority suffering or oppression.  They care when they can exploit it.  Chinese doing this simply reminds us of the sad truth that the worst the West or America ever did is no worse than the rest of the world, in which these things still occur.  So, no news is proper news in this case.

Fairwell Chewbacca

Or rather, Peter Mayhew, who passed away according to a release by his family.  He was seventy-four. 

I am not a professional word-smith, so I'll never be able to find the words that can express the sheer magic of that time in my childhood.  Seeing the first Star Wars in theaters, at a time when most space movies were of the B-sort shown on Saturday matinee television, tweaked my imagination like nothing I've ever seen since.  Spielberg was correct when he said movies would never be the same.

It was an exciting time and a frightening time, but Star Wars dominated the popular culture from 1977 through 1980, when it ushered in what I call 'The Great Fantasy Renaissance.'  Smack in the middle of the Decade of Realism, science fiction and fantasy suddenly exploded onto the scene.  Spaceships and monsters and aliens and dragons and wizards were everywhere.  And Star Wars stood at the top of the hill.  It was everywhere.  Adults watched it, teenagers watched it, and kids watched it as much as they could.

Naturally, we didn't know Mr. Mayhew from anyone.  We knew him only as the 200 year old Wookie Chewbacca, part of a phenomenal cast of characters that were etched into our collective psyches.  But however we knew him, I'll always thank him for being part of such an enchanting time in my life.  God receive you Mr. Mayhew, and may the peace of God cover the hearts of your loved ones.

Why Han Solo never appears next to Darth Vader,
Yet Mayhew towers above them all