Teaching children about the glories of sex and nudity

I hate to say it, but I think this is real.  It is not The Onion, Babylon Bee, or SNL. This is real.  From Canada.  This is what happens when liberalism wins.  This is your children.  This is your grandchildren.  And, of course, this is the result we don't speak about:

AIDS deaths worldwide through 2015

But remember, as long as it's other people who make up the stats, it's a sacrifice these kids will learn to be willing to make.  A society hellbent on suicide. 

NOTE: The good news is that the video teaching children to think of genitals, sex and naked actresses, has received over 2000 thumbs downs, and only a couple hundred thumbs up.  There is hope.

Could Jesus be good enough for the modern Left?

I doubt it*.

The modern Left is morphing into some unthinkable abomination, where every day we find out a new list of people who fail to meet The Standards and need to be condemned; their names eradicated from the lists, their lives wiped from our memories.  If that doesn't happen fast enough, a new group of those on the Left rises up and abandons the rest of the Left for failing to live up to their superior standards of complete condemnation. Compared to the modern Left, those puritans at Plymouth are starting to sound awfully lax and tolerant.

So the American Solidarity Party, which has become a darling for many in the New Prolife Christian movement, has lost a member.  That's only one side of what happened of course.  But the condemnation keeps with the almost daily roundups of 'They who must be condemned for not being as awesome as I am now' movement.  Wait a day or two and you'll see more.  It can be people condemned for doing what the Left said to do.  It can be those who perfected all that the Left said was pure and virtuous - yesterday.   But yesterday is ancient history.  That's when everyone was stupid and evil and the cause of all suffering in the world.

In similar news, actress Scarlett Johansson learns a similar lesson.  There are endless ways in which you can fall under the condemnation from the Leftist Inquisition. There is always and only one possibility for being acceptable, and that can change on a dime.  I ask those on the Left, is it really worth all the sex and drugs and hubris and hedonism?  Who knows?  Those, too, may be taken away in the future. And then what will you be left with?

The hope is that a movement promoting suicide, abortion and euthanasia, pushing population control, and increasingly throwing more and more out of their ranks for failing to be pure enough, might just eat itself in the end.  Given the destruction, death, misery and failures it brings, we can only pray for a hasty demise, and that those within it will see the light and flee for their own good before it descends into the void.

*Yes, the whole 'it's dated' is one of the looniest arguments in the history of stupid arguments.  We could argue a perspective from last week is dated.  That it comes from the head of the Library Association goes to show how modernity is a cancerous growth that eats away at basic common sense and intelligence.  But let's face it, you know the problem as well as I do.  She and her views are, by our standards Today(TM), racist.  They just couldn't bring themselves to actually call Half-Pint racist/Nazi.  That's why the appeal to argumentum dumbnum.

Hamilton the Musical canceled due to Cultural Appropriation

Ha!  Fooled you.  Did you really think that could be true?  Cultural Appropriation is possibly the most stupid thing to arise in a generation defined by stupid.  But it is a one way street, as the smash hit and venerated Hamilton musical, in which the lead role of white American founder Alexander Hamilton is portrayed by a decidedly non-white actor, has demonstrated.

When we say cultural appropriation, what we mean is that people with white skin have no business even looking at what other cultures and civilizations have produced.  It doesn't matter why they would do it.  It doesn't matter if it's celebrating, or paying homage to, or paying respects to those cultures or civilizations.  If you are white, you can't touch those.

That's what happened at the Montreal jazz festival when a mostly white cast was billed to perform songs written by African American slaves as a tribute to the use of music by those so oppressed and beaten down by such forces as slavery and racism.  Problem?  Reread what I just wrote.  A "mostly white cast".  That's what did it. How dare performers with white skin sing the songs of African slaves!

It being the world dominated by the postmodern Left, the retribution was swift and merciless.  So in the name of censorship, the performance was promptly canceled.  The performer herself acquiesced and apologized for blaspheming the modern tolerance.  The jazz festival organizers bowed repeatably and begged forgiveness.

Again, cultural appropriation has, in many ways, been what made our world what it is today.  Even in my most critical courses studying European history, the highlights were often when Europeans or Americans appreciated, and borrowed, from the contributions of other cultures.  Without appropriation of culture, we wouldn't have jazz for that matter.

But this is today, the 21st century, the age of Idiocy.  If it is logical, common sense, good or virtuous, bet your bottom dollar it will be crushed by the Left's never-ending openness and tolerance.

The Samantha Bee Show continues to impress

So one of the writers has come out and bemoaned civility as a tool of white supremacy.  I mean, let's face it, we would all be laughing our butts off at the stark raving madness on the Left if it weren't for the fact that it has so many friends in high places.

Remember, in the early days of Adolf, many dismissed him as some raving lunatic with a Charlie Chaplin mustache.  Fifteen years later people weren't laughing anymore.  Am I saying that this radical element, left unchecked, could end up with such carnage and suffering and evil under its belt?  Sure.  Why not?

I think if white supremacists, racist nationalists or other radicals on the Right were somehow able to wiggle into power, the same evil and misery would result.  And not just for non-whites it's worth pointing out.

But again, and again, and I'll say it one more time, the radicals on the Right are immediately smacked down by the institutions that exist to protect us from such a fate.  Even now, headline news will keep up with the latest from Charlottesville, despite it being a year ago.  Even right leaning policies enacted from our government will receive overwhelming scrutiny and media critiques.  Heck, right now the retirement of moderate swing Justice Kennedy has warranted 24/7 coverage warning of a conservative tsunami.

But the radicals on the Left?  Hardly.  Whether it be Antifa, other Alt-Left movements, or simply those like the good people at Full Frontal with Samantha Bee who make it clear they hate non-conformers and think there simply are no rules for civility or ethics when it comes to attacking their hated enemies.  And guess what?  You won't find such things on most - if any - mainstream outlets. Heck, even the news that did surround her dig at Trump's daughter was in the form of a 'sure it seemed sort of bad, but could there be an argument?' framework.  You know.  We don't think calling women the C-Word is necessarily good, but could there be cases where it's justified, like if the woman is conservative (that is, evil irredeemably deplorable)?

That's why the Left is far more dangerous than the Right.  Many in Europe (and America) downplayed the rise of the National Socialists of Germany on the basis that they were ardently anti-Communist.  Thinking people had already seen the threat of Communism and how destructive and dangerous it could be.  But they took their eyes off the ball, and fifty million dead later, we saw their error.

Sure the radicals on the right are dangerous.  So are the radicals on the Left.  But unlike the radicals on the Right, who must march and gather and meet in hotel conference rooms in darkened corners, the Left enjoys membership in some of our most influential and powerful venues, basking in the glow of the beloved cultural spotlight.  If we miss that fact, whatever happens down the road will be on us.

Breaking News: Temperatures in the high 80s is not a heat wave

At least not in Central Ohio.  High 80s in July is par for the course.   Heck, days in the 90s are not unusual.  Sure, if you hit multiple days in the mid or high 90s, you're going to have a heat wave.  But only then, and that assumes heat indexes in the high 90s or even low 100s.  Then you have a heat wave.

But despite constant local weather forecasts warning us of dangerous heat conditions, heat stroke, dying of heat, and the multiple safety precautions needed to stay alive, we've only had a few days above 90, and only one in the mid range.  One day over the last four we hit 94.  The rest 91 or the high 80s.  Tuesday we heard tell of how we would enter dangerous realms of heat, even as the weather forecast admitted it would likely not make it past the high 80s - likely 88.  It made it to 90!

Sorry, but this is hysterics for hysterics sake. I'm not saying other parts of the country aren't having it.  Though when we took a family trip out West in the late 70s,  I remember being in New Mexico when the temperature was 113 degrees.  I remember because we stopped at a rest area to have lunch.  I remember choking down the bologna sandwich and hearing the radio station broadcast the temperature.  It was hot.

Likewise, I remember having plenty of days above 90s growing up.  I also remember having days under 75 (the threshold for going swimming).  But it's nothing big, and nothing new.  High 80s are not a heat wave.  Even low 90s days do not make a heat wave.  And it certainly isn't because of Global Warming.  You don't get to call something that isn't (not a heat wave) and then have a segment on how the heat wave (which isn't because high 80s and low 90s isn't a heat wave) is due to Global Warming.

Why are there sane people skeptical about Global Warming?  Listen to those advocating it.  It's a heat wave when it isn't, and that proves Global Warming!  I wouldn't buy a used car from someone like that, much less be willing to overthrow our concept of humanity and human civilization over it.

I have to admit, as a matter of confession, we've had a lot of fun watching the local weathermen try to keep the hysterics up when the temperatures haven't cooperated.  It was supposed to be in the high 90s yesterday, but the most it got was the low 90s for only a brief moment, and after a cold front came through, it went down to the low 80s.  And yet they still had segments on how to survive the fireworks and parades!  After all, it's a whopping three degrees away from the 70s.  If that's not a heatwave that proves Global Warming, I don't know what will.

UPDATE: The fun continues as the local news has spent most of the day with stories about the heat, the heat wave, the dangers of the heat.  They say it's the Heat Index.  I'm not sure why the Heat Index is all of a sudden so high.  It's in the low 90s/high 80s, but they insist the Heat Index is in the 100s, over 110 in some areas.  How the Heat Index makes the temperature go up over 20 degrees I don't know, especially when it's partly cloudy and not terribly humid.  I guess despite the fact that it doesn't feel so bad, it must be horrible.  All of the people they're interviewing say they're barely surviving, and the news casters are warning us of impending death, so hysterics should be the reaction. 

America the Beautiful from a different age

When one's politics didn't dictate whether you loved America, or only a vision of America that has yet to live up to your superior values.  Love of country was still a general unifier in America.

The Declaration of Independence

When I was growing up, we learned about slavery and the Trail of Tears and that women, blacks and poor white men who weren't landowners couldn't vote.  But we learned it in light of the positive; the historic benefit the Declaration brought the world.  We knew the Founding Fathers weren't perfect (we knew we weren't either), but they were also taking that first big leap forward, and the world owed them much.

By the time my boys were in school, the lesson on the Declaration of Independence mentioned nothing of its unique place in world history.  A little bit about the surrounding context, why it was commissioned, who wrote it and a few quotes was the sum total.  Most of the lesson focused on the slaves, the women (no mention of white men who couldn't vote), Native Americans, and segregation, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement, with an entire page dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr..

My guess is that it speaks volumes for what half of our country thinks of our country and its past.  For me, to simply know and read and reflect on the document - one of the most important in all of human history - is worth more than all the spins and downplays that our modern age can muster.

Here it is over at The American Catholic (reminding us that being a faithful Catholic is not antithetical to loving our country), complete with a nice clip from the very enjoyable miniseries John Adams (which I recommend).

One thing our Founding Fathers had that we lack

Among many other characteristics we lack, they had the ability to come together despite their differences.  And they had differences.  From how the country should function to such hot-button issues as slavery, the Founding Fathers were all over the place.  And yet they understood the complexities, and they got the bigger picture, one that they ultimately strove for, despite their different beliefs in how to get there.

Our modern Bolshevik Bumper Stick approach, where we want it fast and simple: We are the side of the angels, and they're Hitler, is a travesty to all things good and common sense, is the antithesis of this.

As I've said, I think we spend so much time trashing the past because it helps us dodge the mess we've made of our present.  When pressed, we then turn everything wrong over on 'them'. The other side is to blame.  Not us of course.  We're awesome.  Remember?  We got trophies when we lost and were able to retake tests in school until we passed.  That proves we're always awesome!

No, the rancor and vitriol isn't so much the problem as the rank partisanship, and the growing tendency of many to abandon their principles, values and standards in order to keep up.  I'm not just thinking of Evangelicals who have suddenly made morals and character a bottom 200 issue in order to support Trump.  I'm also talking about those who seem to be swinging left, even if they won't admit it, by downplaying, ignoring or even embracing that which they once called evil.

Hint.  Steve Schmidt, liberal GOPer who worked for anti-Republican McCain (who Mark once warned could jeopardize a person's soul for voting for) and culturally liberal, quasi-Socialist Arnold Schwarzenegger, is hardly a gotcha voice to warn against the dreaded GOP.  That he advocates what once was considered sin among many Catholics seems to be no big deal.  Mark considers it his patriotic duty to attack only the GOP and ignore the sins of the Democratic Party which he now vocally cheers for and supports.

It's that level of partisanship, willing to throw anything and everything out the window, willing to turn a blind eye not just to coming persecution, but the slow evangelization of Christians away from the faith (far more American Catholics embrace the sins of the Left than Right) that is the problem.  The GOP has its problems.  Trump is certainly problematic.  But they are in now way more of a threat than the emerging socialism and anti-traditionalism of the Democrats.

The Founding Fathers were a gift to America, and the world.  We have squandered them.  We let forces hostile to the Faith, the Country, and our values creep in and begin to erode what we inherited.  If you think the GOP alone is some threat to our democracy Mr. Schmidt, or Mark Shea, then you, in fact, are the ones who are the threats to our democracy.

Would that we would be gifted by the likes of the Founding Father again.

UPDATE:  It's been brought to my attention that I missed a key problem in Mark's post.  It isn't that he's obviously just using it to gin up support for the Democratic Party, for which he is now a vocal cheerleader and advocate.  It's the fact that he contradicts himself.  He says that we should be worried about selling our soul, rather than any persecution.  But if we don't care about persecution, why care about preserving our Democracy?  What Democracy does Mark envision saving that includes persecution?  Why is it fine to fight for Democracy, but not big deal when it comes to worrying about persecution? 

Of course, again, this is Mark, one of the loudest advocates for the Democratic Party in modern Catholicism.  Since attacking religious rights openly and through the courts is the tactic of the Democrats, it stands to reason he will downplay that.  But it also shows a contradiction in those Christians trying to align with or compromise with the Left.  Let's dismiss Mark's clear and obvious ignoring of those who have already been persecuted, and his denial that there exists anywhere a radical Left.  That's stupid and shows a wanton cruelty when it comes to tolerating the suffering of our fellow believers merely because they are suffering under the Party he now supports.

Let's look at this little trend at face value. I've seen many now say this sort of thing, including Russell Moore of the SBC.  Basically, it says we shouldn't worry about being persecuted or even preserving our nation.  After all, we'll always have heaven.  Countries come and go, persecution can be a badge of honor.  But it's our spiritual destiny that is important.

So couldn't we argue the same about Global Warming?  Couldn't we argue the same about anything, like healthcare or Open Border immigration?  I mean, can't we just say none of it matters, we'll always have heaven?  They'll have heaven?  Heaven trumps all? 

Obviously it's a lame excuse, yet is popular among those trying to pound that square peg of historical Christianity into the round hole of the modern secular, Marxist inspired Left.  The lameness of it should set off bells and whistles.  Especially if it occurs in the same argument in which the advocate of not caring about anything but our souls suddenly aligns with caring about our precious Democracy that, apparently, can easily include persecution of Christians.

Happy Birthday Olivia de Havilland

Donald McCleary has some good clips from the legendary actress.  My parents had a couple things I associated with them.  My Dad was Frank Sinatra all the way.   I was mildly aware of rock music in my younger years. My Dad did like some of the Beatles' songs, so I grew up learning to appreciate them.  He did not like Elvis.  But he was all Sinatra, and when we moved out into the boons, away from friends and community, I found myself reading the books left over by the house's previous owner - a school teacher - while listening to his collection of Sinatra, Big Band and Classical music.

My Mom, on the other hand, had two dear favorites.  One was that wacky redhead of television comedy, Lucille Ball.   The other was Gone With the Wind.  That was her all time favorite movie.  She liked others of course.  She didn't like James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Edward G. Robinson. I thought I'd throw that out there.  She did remember the original Universal Frankenstein and Dracula with fondness.

But Gone With the Wind was her favorite.  When video tapes came  out, one of our first big gifts to her was a big celebratory Gone With the Wind tape feature, complete with books and music and videos and 'Making the movie' documentaries and the works.  I never saw the movie until then, and I must admit, I was impressed.  I remember students in college watching it for the first time who were also impressed by it.  When our youngest was first born, one night we swung his baby chair near the TV and plopped down with our boys to watch the entire movie.  They all - including our youngest - watched the entire film.  At the end, they were stunned at how brutal it was, how there was so much death and misery, and yet no real clear 'good guy wins in the end' finish.  It was all so, well, realistic, like life actually is.  Something they weren't used to with the movies they were growing up with.

Because I heard so much about the movie, and also grew up loving other movies like The Adventures of Robin Hood (a family favorite), The Heiress (a favorite of my boys), Captain Blood, and a host of others, I knew of Ms. de Havilland long before I had heard of some of my own generation's icons.  Her relationship with Errol Flynn was the stuff of Hollywood gossip and almost lived up to their screen personas.  But over all, a classy lady from a classy time.  Happy Birthday, and thanks for all the enjoyment we've received, and especially my Mom.

I wonder if John Adams is repenting from Heaven yet

Let's face it, we've made a mess of things.  So far the only thing Christians in America have to put on our resume is 1) watching the 2500 year long march toward freedom, liberty and Democracy waver and disintegrate under our feet and 2) stand watch during perhaps the greatest exodus from the Christian Faith in the 2000 years since the Apostles trod the earth.  Our big defense is convincing ourselves, against all logic and reality, that our heritage was the only real force of evil in the world, so everyone will be better off when it's gone the way of the butter churn. Not a great legacy if you think about it.

I sometimes think that is why presentism, and a harsh, almost cruel judgmentalism and quick condemnation of the past, has become so prevalent in our age.  When those two resume fillers are your big accomplishment as a generation, what choice do you have but find fault in those who came before?  I suppose it helps take the focus off of the stellar legacy we continue to build and our own problems we continue to ignore.

Remember all those nationwide protests against immigrant deportations under Obama?

No?  Neither do I.   Perhaps it happened.  I know the press did mention the deportations and family separations that occurred during the Obama years were sometimes covered.  Right wing and Left wing media mentioned it.  Stories here and there.  Some liberals were upset.  Sort of.  They got upset.  A bit.  c. 2014.

Of course today it's Holocaust! It's Auschwitz!  ICE is Gestapo!  Hitler/Trump!  Babies being tortured and killed!  Billions are dying!  To war!

The media does this.  Did it cover Obama's immigration deportations and the various issues, such as the separation of families back in the day?  Yeah.  Hear and there.  But this has become Puff Immigrant!  24/7!  Headlines!  Inflamed rhetoric!   Drop the most horrific adjectives!  Assume the worst motives!  Find the worst images! Rally the base!  It's time to exploit that human suffering for the cause...

And those who see the advantage of exploiting the problems snap to it and rally to the banner.  Christians, too.  They are being taught well the doctrine that the sanctity of human life stops dead where its advantage to the political Left ceases.  If Hillary Clinton was president, and all other things equal, you wonder how far down on the reporting meter this issue would be.

Oh, and as for the 'Make America Care' again signs, how about all the tears shed for those families who lost loved ones to illegal immigration?  Or even the families and children who died en route to the US?  Anything there?  I know, everyone says those families were just cheaply exploited by Trump for political gain.  So?  They're still families who suffered.  Do we really think there isn't exploitation going on now?  Should that mean we should therefore not care about immigrants?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could get anyone to say we should care equally about both?  That we should care about the Lest of These born on either side of the border? Heck, I'm not sure we can lay that claim on Pope Francis!  What's wrong with the world?

The last gasp of a desperate denier

Here.  Leaning on only a couple stats, we're told there is no immigration crisis to speak of.   Note there is no real mention of any Americans who have been hurt.  What mention there is consists of 'no big deal.'  We know Americans have been hurt, both physically and economically.  We know that it's a lie to say Americans are never hurt by illegal immigration.  In fact, we know it's such a lie that to insist it is true, or to downplay and ignore it, is to say why so many Americans are willing to back Trump: To do so is to say we only care about one set of The Least of These, from outside our borders. Those who are inside?  Eh.  Fuhgeddaboudit.

Immigration should be fixed, because almost every sane person admits it's broken.  Illegal immigration is harmful, and until almost a year ago, you had no problem finding Democrats and liberals who admitted that fact.

Sadly, too many Christians, Catholics and secularists have suddenly decided whatever harm is done to Americans is of no real importance.  They won't say they don't care, but virtually nothing in the conversation suggests they do.  They will turn and twist numbers, select stats, ignore data and do everything to suggest nothing short of open borders is what Jesus would do.  As for breaking the law? They find no problem declaring anything short of their solutions (open borders) to be a grave evil, and we all know we're called upon to resist and even fight grave evils, including breaking unjust and evil laws.

The linked to post represents why someone like Trump has the support he has, and why countless pictures of children in America's Death Camps isn't causing nearly as many Americans to buckle as you might expect.  Increasingly they're being told their fortunes, their well-being, their suffering and their very lives are forfeit, and nobody really cares.

Saying there is no immigration crisis reminds me of when the Left shouted down George W. Bush for saying Social Security was in crisis mode back in 2004.   Despite the fact that Democrats and liberals had been ringing the bells about Social Security's inevitable demise for years, suddenly they never even heard of Social Security.  Bush being Bush, of course, capitulated and let the issue die.  Nonetheless, it showed two things.  First it showed the Left was unaware that the Internet existed, and we could go back and find Democrats' speeches raising the alarm about Social Security.  Second, we could also use the Internet to find out that, yes, Social Security will need to have something happen or eventually it won't be there.

Same here.  To say there is no crisis is to contradict everything that both side have said, Christians and Catholics have said, other countries have said, Americans have said, and those who have suffered and died from the phenomenon have seen.  And with the Internet, we have no problem finding examples of how such a claim is at best subjective (after all, define crisis), at worst false.  It is almost unfathomable to say that something involving tens of thousands of people risking and losing lives and impacting citizens within a sovereign nation's border is no big deal. And a Catholic page at that.

Prayers for the shooting victims at The Capital

There really isn't much else to say.  This was a planned crime, hate and evil, murder and death.   The poor victims and their families and friends should be prayed for right now.  I'm sure we'll learn more, but on the spiritual side, we know all we need to know.

This comes of sinful men and women in a fallen world.  This is where walking the pathway of sin will lead.  This is where anger and hatred and wrath will eventually end up.  Whatever happened, whatever the details, whatever we can point to - none of it should have ended with this. It makes you ill to the stomach to see the victims of such senseless violence.

Prayers for all those lost and hurting during this time.  May God grant peace and strength to the hearts and souls of those left behind as he covers their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

Americans will be inviting unlawful immigrants to move in with them all over the country tomorrow

Actually not, there will just be protests, unlike the nationwide protests and accusations of America's Holocaust that didn't exist back when Obama was deporting immigrants and separating families.  Of course not.  It wasn't quite as advantageous to do such things back then.  It is now.  The press says so.

Immigration is one of those topics that is easy for most Americans to get behind since, ultimately, it doesn't directly impact most Americans.  If illegal immigration hurts anyone, it's not me.  I don't live along the border.  I'm not so poor as to be hurt by the cheap labor illegal immigration provides.  And I'm certainly not the one risking life and limb by crawling through Central America on my way to the US because of our current 'open borders in all but name' mentality.

Most screaming the loudest about immigration seem to have little to no direct connection to immigrants and those hurt by the influx of immigration.  At best, they see it like terrorism - something they can pontificate about that won't impact them if they're wrong.  At worst, they seize upon it because human suffering can be exploited to advance a political agenda.

Either/or, the best solutions are actually those that make sure the least of these born on both sides of the border are considered and emphasized.  Here is a nice look from someone who isn't even American.  About the best Catholic take I've seen.  Not perfect, but certainly better than most I've seen.

If that isn't enough, then at least consider this.  If you don't really care, or put much time into caring, about those on America's side of the border, then in the long term you're just hurting those who today are immigrants.  After all, down the road they and their children will be those on this side of the border.  Perhaps that will get these who suddenly care on cue to care on principle.

Why the liberals got with they had coming with Kennedy's retirement

Whether or not Trump gets a conservative justice, or keeps a promise, or says something we can understand about the situation , remains to be seen.  But it's hard to have much sympathy for the Left as it goes into straightaway psycho mode in the wake of Justice Kennedy's retirement annoucement.

While many of the screams center around the capstone of modern liberalism (abortion), there have been other issues mentioned as well.  The whole picture is that the American Left is in complete panic mode.  And yet, in the end, they only have themselves to blame.  Jonah Goldberg explains.

I can't remember who, but someone said the same thing about Trump.  When Trump stunned the world, the Left had a complete meltdown.  It was over.  We were all going to die.  Death camps and nuclear war and gulags and gas chambers - that would be America!  Some could ask how this could happen.  He's only president.  We have checks and balances, right? 

Well, no.  We've actually been eating away at those for some time, and the Left is hardly the only ones to blame.  But under Obama, and with the changes in America's electorate, the Left was sure it had the future in the bag.  So they began legislating from the bench when possible, or just from the Oval Office as good as ever.  How can we forget Obama personally declaring transgenderism to be just hunky-dory, and so any school that doesn't accommodate his opinions on the subject will face withdrawal of federal funds?  Was there any legislation with that?  Did Congress have a say? Were voters consulted?  Why no!  Obama donned his merry emperor, and ruled from on high.  And the Left loved him for it.

Problem is, the Left basically said the President can rule from on high, bypass the legislative process, ignore the electorate, rule with pen and phone, and mandate conformity to his their agenda.  So naturally they were scared s--tless when the opposition prevailed. They tried to put ultimate power in the White House, and now their mortal enemy had the key.

Same here with the courts.  Contrary to press reports, the Democrats haven't been wallflowers with the whole 'courts as instruments of political legislation.'*  Nor have they stood by silently when it comes to twisting and turning the rules of Congress to get what they want without opposition.  And now their greatest fears look to be coming true. 

That's politics of course.  It's right when we do it, evil and stupid and wrong when you do it. Problem is, if you do it, you've just given the best excuse in the world to your opponents for doing the same thing.  All of the parsing and sling and dicing and trying to show why it's horrible that your opponents are doing what you darn well know you tried to do just won't cut it.  Lesson learned?  We'll see. 

*I think we're all smart enough to know that the Supreme Court is seen as an instrument for legislating politically biased agendas.  Whether they do or not is for others those more versed in the legal process to say.  But that we want the Courts to advance agendas rather than do any of that law stuff should be obvious just by listening to the reactions this week.

To make America Socialist

Remember how liberals used to mock conservatives who said there was a desire to push America toward Socialism?  I give you this story.  The joy and euphoria in the article are palpable.

Young people in America, by greater numbers than ever, are embracing Socialism as the wave of the future.  That's because of a couple things.  First, it's what they've been taught in schools, colleges, in the media, or society in general.  Second, let's face it, the Market hasn't exactly been kind to everyone over the last few decades.  Those who are 'middle class' today are nowhere near as well off as those who were considered 'middle class' forty years ago.  And combined with the poorer segments of society, that's an awfully big hunk of Americans who can no longer take their kids to Disneyland or even buy a new car, much less afford things like major medical expenses and retirement.

Back in the day, a local father could work in the meat counter at an independent grocery store, and the mother could work as a secretary, while affording a spacious three bedroom ranch on about a 3/4 acre plot of land, and also send their two kids to college, and happily retire.  I have news for you.  Today, a father working at a grocery store with a wife who is a secretary (administrative assistant) will likely not be living in a spacious three bedroom ranch on 3/4 of an acre, much less sending their kids to college or coming close to having a decent retirement.

Unfortunately, for some conservatives that became the Law of the Market.  Sorry about your luck.  The Market is as the Market is.  Even as some necessary expenses, like healthcare, became debilitating and almost assured that a growing segment of the population would likely experience bankruptcy, even if they had insurance, from a major health crisis, 'the Market is as the Market is' was the mantra.  Other expenses have followed in the healthcare costs footsteps.  Not to mention that many of the corporate leaders themselves are far from 'Capitalist/Free Market' advocates.  One can almost believe that they purposefully used their station to torpedo the market by making it look bad.

But for whatever reason, a growing segment of the population came into America where healthcare costs were through the roof, prices far outpaced wages, quality and quantity were declining in kind, and necessities like college and retirement were becoming a pipe dream.  The Left seized upon this to blame everything on Satan's economic theory (Capitalism), while,  unfortunately, you had loud advocates  of the Market continue with 'We're sorry, but it's the Law of the Market, you should have striven for the acquisition of financial gain to the exclusion of any other conceivable priority.  As it is, you don't got it, you don't get it.'

It's a little like someone telling you your father is a horrible person, and your father answering by hitting you with a club while insisting it's not true.  Therefore, we have this:

Once again the Left is proud and ecstatic about what it once said would never happen.  Just like it said it would never punish people over gay rights.  Your best bet?  If the Left says 'We'll never do such a thing in a million years', understand what they really mean is that they have every intention of doing it within ten years or less.

I don't care what CAIR says

The other big news from the SCOTUS world is that the court ignored political wrangling and ruled that the president can, in fact, protect the country using such things as a travel ban.  America's number one and most referenced Islamic rights group CAIR joined in the outcry. 

Here's my thing.  I don't give a flip what CAIR thinks.  When Bernie Sanders launched a stunning assault on Christianity by suggesting a religious litmus test that would disqualify Christians who believe Jesus is necessary for salvation, that was CAIR's chance.  That was their chance to protest Sanders and say they want a nation where all religions are equal and respected.

But as if to lit its slip show too soon, it joined with Sanders and gleefully aided the chorus of Leftist rage against the traditional Christian Faith.  And why not?  Look at religious minorities throughout the Muslim world.   Not just those in the Middle East or in areas impacted by this or that US policy.  If you look only at those, you can do what the Left does and insist it's all America's fault.

Hmmm, there's some trends there, but I'm having a hard time pinpointing ...

But look across the Muslim world.  Look at how religious (and other) minority groups are treated.  At best, they're made sure they know they're not part of the mainstream minority, with occasional harassment and intimidation trickling from on high.  At worst, it's outright oppression, persecution and sometimes violence.  Very few are the societies where this is not the case, and even in those nations, there is a strong Islamic presence trying to undo the tolerance.

A friend from Africa once said, years ago in the early 90s, that those who don't fear Islam don't live in the shadow of Islam.  The Left, whether honestly or not, has convinced itself and our society (including Europe) that the only thing we have to fear is white, Anglo-American, heterosexual, Christian men.  They have taught that the only true evils of the world came out of the Western Christian tradition and its bastard child America.  Likewise, they have also taught that the rest of the world was always a bastion of tolerance, diversity, women's rights, gay rights, religious pluralism and enlightened peace, love and John Lennon songs. 

Therefore, the Left sees Islam as useful allies of a like mind in the quest to destroy the one religious tradition it truly hates.  Whether Islam sees the Left as useful fools, or tools, or whatever, remains to be seen. For now, CAIR made it clear that its preference is an America in which Christian who profess the traditional faith in salvation through Christ should not be at the same political table as others.  And that's while being a sliver minority barely .001% of the population.  Imagine when those numbers increase. Well, you don't have to.  Just look across the oceans.  Only the fact that we've taught Americans to not care about others, including our posterity, could any sane person not be concerned enough to at least rethinking the Leftist narrative.

Supreme court rules for Crisis Pregnancy Centers

And religious liberty, a precarious thing nowadays.  Slate, in the meantime, has a cow.  California is one of the three Left coast states most eager to resurrect the Soviet Union and plant it amidst those amber waves of grain. 

California is no stranger to what a Leftist tyranny in the States would look like.  It champions punishing all who do charity work apart from the Glorious State.  It has already attempted to pass laws making it illegal to promote ideals at odds with the Political Left.  Just recently, the California Senate is considering a special council to monitor Fake News (despite the fact that there really is no agreed upon example of what is and isn't fake news). 

In this particular case, California tried to make Crisis Pregnancy Centers (that is, religiously funded pro-life pregnancy centers) do what liberals fought like a mad dog to prevent in abortion clinics.  They tried to make them tell everything.  Of course when we've asked that abortion clinics actually show what an unborn baby looks like, the Left screamed foul.  But suddenly, they wanted to make these faith based organizations encourage women to consider choices contrary to the centers' faith doctrines. 

The SCOTUS, thankfully, stepped in and headed off another naked assault on the right to not be liberal.  We'll see how long it lasts.  So far, using the promise of drugs and unlimited sexual pleasures, the Left has created enough apathy and hedonism for up and coming generations to not really care what happens down the road.  Still, you never know.  There might be enough people who start thinking "wait a minute, that could be me down the road' that they'll halt the juggernaut.  We'll have to see.  But for now, well done SCOTUS.  You can get it right once in a while.

One flew out of the cuckoo's nest

So a women I don't know about on a BBC show I've never heard of has upset the machine.  Apparently her show pays her male co-host more than her.  Cue the hysterics and crusaders of perpetual outrage.  Unfortunately, she seems content with what she makes.  Furthermore, Ms. Strachan goes on to explain that her host is the real pro from Dover, deserves the extra money, and she's fine with it.

I had to laugh at this part of the story:

The BBC press office said they wouldn't be commenting on Strachan's remarks

As if there's anything to comment about.  She's fine. I'm sure the fellow is OK with it.  What's the problem?

The problem is, this runs afoul of the prime tactics for the modern, Marxist inspired Left.  First, all things traditional are wrong.  Everything ever taught about anything is wrong.  The idea that anyone should get more based on anything like merit is anathema.

Second, she's a woman, he's a man.  All demographics must be in competition and seek conflict with all other demographics.  Everything is about two groups being in conflict.  The original conflict is the proletariat vs. the bourgeoisie.  You can, however, change those to any two groups, including the all important man vs. woman.  There is no harmony.  There is only division and animosity.

But mostly this is wrong because we must be outraged.  We must be angry.  We must see the worst in everyone else.  We must see anything that doesn't elevate us to the god of all things as hate that needs eradicated.  We must, like a donkey being hit by a whip, immediately snap into action and begin a holy crusade against all and everything and nothing.   She was supposed to rise up and break off her chains, beat down her co-host, and march victoriously through another glass ceiling.

Instead, Ms. Strachan's general contentment and admiration for her coworker is a threat to the world the modern Left has created.  Where it goes from here?  I don't know.  The Left will need to find something to replace the void of outrage that Ms. Strachan's grace and good nature has left behind. Perhaps she'll be taken to the woodshed and taught a lesson.  Otherwise, we'll have to watch for the next Big Outrage.  It likely will be a doozy.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  Philippians 4.011-13

UPDATE: This is how they do it.  Again, Ms. Strachan's response was suppose to be rage, anger, triumph, storming the Bastille and all that jazz.  Her gracious willingness to be content with her life and situation necessitated something of 'misogynistic racist bigotry is everywhere!' hysterics.  So enter the BBC, reminding us that the football soccer rage is really still a bastion of sexism and woman hate.  Another staple tactic of the Left: there is never a time when we will not be a sexist, racist, bigoted civilization.  Ever.

When the Washington Post unpacks an inconvenient immigration truth

It's time to sit up and take notice.  So for over a week, I've watched claims about Trump's policies, Trump's lies about the "Border Crisis (TM)", and the actions of previous administrations walked back, contradicted, changed and altered.

The initial stories ran as if we never even heard of Immigrants, and now Racist Trump was initiating the new Holocaust out of the blue aimed at murdering children in cages while families were sent to concentration camps.  Cue hysterics and protests by the donkey masses.

Problem is, almost everything that has come out since the initial days' reporting has torn down that narrative.  Of course the protests, like a train, aren't easily stopped.  They continue on as if nothing has been released to change the story.  It's still SatanHitlerTrump and America's Great Holocaust out of the blue.  Facts and truth mean little in this day and age.

In another setback for people who don't seem to care about immigrants, the United States, Americans or the Truth, however, the Washington Post has released a story suggesting why Trump is trying to finally fix this decades' long problem.  That's the Washington Post.  It turns out that, under Obama's policies, immigrant children were being handed over to slave traders.

Well, they're called human traffickers because we call modern slavery human trafficking.  It's slavery.  Calling it slavery reminds us that human slavery was only out of the picture for a few decades in the last half of the 20th century.  The last country to outlaw slavery did so in the 1950s I believe.  Before that, slavery had been practiced in some form or another - often in different forms in the same region - since the dawn of time.

Of course the sex industry is one of the main driving forces of the modern slave trade. Since the media is loathe to focus on the dark underbelly of issues it supports (like the modern sex and drugs culture), the modern slave trade and the sex industry's part in it get about as much coverage as the occasional hot air balloon race.

Beyond the Slave Traders who we'll call Human Traffickers, the children were also neglected as those entrusted to care for them engaged in systemic abuse.  On the whole, it was a disaster.  As the immigration issue has been for some decades.

Like gun violence and overall violence in America, if you only care about that which is usable for political gain, accusing appeals to the wider issue of being a defense for Trump  or hating immigrants, then you're actually the main problem.  Nor are you pro-life in any sense of the term.   Because following the latest hysterics that only erupted under Trump instead of Obama because it's politically expedient, suggests you care far more about scoring political points than helping the least of these, either in America or outside of its borders.

And that, children, is not what Jesus would have us do.