My columns (I dislike the term blog) are usually political. Something very different today.

I read of the death of Dom Deluise, a very likeable character. I decided to look up someone else. For some reason, Jackie Gleason came to mind. Maybe because they were both big men; I don't know. After reading of his life and accomplishments which were many, it occurred to me how saddened I felt at their loss and, the loss of so many other entertainers who meant something to me.

I was a child in the "Golden Age of Television". I knew the whole evening TV schedule as; I did not want to miss of the good shows. By the mid 1960s, as I passed through college, the military and my first jobs, it meant less but, I never left the "stars" completely behind.

I realize now that, as each of them passed on, they took a part of my childhood and young adulthood with them. I feel a genuine sense of loss. Through film, accessible on the internet and other places, they sustain a kind of immortality. Always young, vital, funny and at the top of their game; just as I remember them. I wish I could leave so much of myself behind but, who would want to see it?

So I am taking a minute to say thanks to all of the cowboys, detectives, comedians and others who made my childhood what it was and, in some ways, gave me something to emulate. Most of them were the good guys who, in the end, did the right thing. They set a high standard whether in quality of work or the type of characters they depicted. Being in the military and serving one's country was depicted as an honorable thing. Lessons about right and wrong were taught (Thanks Hoppy). They showed me that, stuff could be really funny without being off color. Many were the lessons learned from the films and TV of that era. It really was not a "wasteland".

If I could imbed sound in this, you would be hearing Bob Hope's theme; "Thanks for the Memories" and Roy Roger's "Happy Trails"

Thanks to all of them!

 

In my last column, I mentioned that it is not too late to fight. This is a very difficult thing to discuss. It is not part of the American tradition. As a person who served in two branched of the armed forces, I swore to uphold the constitution and obey the commander-in-chief. I do not think it is still possible to do both.

First, defending the constitution is primary. Secondly, there is a serious question in my mind whether the current resident of the White House is even qualified to be there. Here is my reasoning.

A person must be born here to be a citizen who qualifies for the office. Naturalized citizens cannot run. 

Obama refused to prove that he is a qualifying citizen.

In the face of such a refusal, it is reasonable to assume that he cannot prove it or, he would.

With that assumption in mind, Obama is a criminal as he has taken the office by fraud and deceit.

He is therefore a usurper, a pretender and a fraud.

He is therefore, not the commander-in-chief.

Obama may be the biggest victory of socialism yet. They could not defeat us from without but, this consummate snake oil salesman has infiltrated and taken over our government. He has done more damage in three months plus than all other presidents or international enemies combined. His goal is total government control of everything in our lives. His ego is so big and/or his political sophistication so wanting that, he cannot hide what he is doing. His teleprompter tells him everything he needs to know. If that thing ever stops working he will be speechless except for the "duhs".

I do not see how we can allow him and his cronies in congress to ignore the constitution, and change our form of government from what the founding fathers intended. Our founder's plan allowed us to become the envy of the world. That success is what Obama resents and wants to stop. He wants us to become a socialist nation. We cannot allow that.

It is time we began thinking of a way to neutralize or, if necessary remove them. There, I said it. At this point, I can see no other choice. The first thing is to descend on Washington in such numbers that, it paralyzes the place. We prevent them from voting and keep it up until they resign. Let us hope that works, because the next step is decend on Washington and physically remove the offenders.

Are you shocked? Why? The constitution and the amendments were put in place for exactly that purpose. If a government endangers our freedoms and is not following the constitution, provision was made for their removal by force, if necessary. It has just never happened before in public. One has to wonder if some of the past presidential assassinations were not part of such a plot. Conspiracy theorists have a great time with that one. I am suggesting an action by the American public to remove domestic terrorists. The leftists in congress can be called nothing else.

Okay, think about it. No knee jerk reactions. Just swish it around in a glass and philosophize about it for a while. If you think it through, what was once unthinkable is now quite thinkable.

America is on the wane.
The amazing part is that, most people do not see it. I am sure they do not want to see it.
They would rather believe in the falsity of the "anointed one". A person who promised change but, never
explained what the changes would be. No one had the temerity to pose and make him answer the question.
Questioning him at all became a mortal sin. "True Believers" do not allow their beliefs to be questioned.

The flushing sound you hear is the culture, traditions and security of this country going down the toilet. The handle is being pulled by our own government. I can understand the nitwits on the left doing something abjectly stupid like this. You know, something which makes them feel good even if, it is deleterious to everything in the country.

What I cannot understand, is the fact that Republican conservatives are going along with this terrible idea. The public is very much against it by all polls I have heard about. The congress seems to think they can just bully it through and we will just have to accept it. It is as though they are getting some payoff or are afraid of something to the point that, they will go against the will of their constituents.

There is no redeeming value in this bill. It gives away the country. It is unfair to those who have waited in line for citizenship and, those who are still in line, doing things the right way. There is no viable excuse for the president to demand passage of this amnesty in disguise. The disguise is very thin and, the public has seen right through it.

Mr. President, members of congress, kill bill! I for one will not vote for and, will actively work against, anyone who supports this bill. You are defying the will of the people. We, are not your "subjects". We are rather, your bosses. Remember for whom you work. You are there to do what we think is right not, what you want to do for political reasons.

I ask anyone who reads this to do what I did. Call & write your congressional representatives and senators. Do it often! Start now!

 

Politicians have a great deal to say. A lesson to be learned is, compare what they say to what they did in the past. Listen to what they say but, be sure to listen with a critical ear. Look to what people have done, not what they say they will do.

A great example was when Rendell ran for governor and said he would not raise taxes. I turned to my wife and said, “He is lying. Look at what he has always done. He has raised taxes relentlessly in Philadelphia and will continue to do so”. He was not in office 6 months when he did just that.

Another is the Clintons. They has always been self-absorbed and arrogant. They were never concerned with anything but gaining power and, had the reputation for doing and justifying whatever it took to gain their goals. It remained so when they resided in the White House and, remains so now. Even many of Hillary’s supporters acknowledge that fact.

There is really no reason to be confused about what a given politician wants to do. The leftist (socialists and communists) have taken control of the Democratic party in the 70’s. It has gotten so radical that Truman, Kennedy and Humphrey would not recognize their party. If you read Kennedy’s speeches, he sounds just like Bush with a New England accent. The left wants this country to look more like Cuba and the old Soviet Union. They want to control everything and are not interested in decent or discussion. If you disagree with them, they launch personal attacks and try to destroy you. For them, freedom of speech is just for them, not for those who disagree. They complain about everything and have no plans. Results are not important. Having the right attitude and intent (agreeing with them) is what matters.

Bottom line. If you want America to continue to look like the America you grew up in, you cannot vote for 95% of Democratic candidates. There are still a few with honor but, they are voices in the wilderness like Joe Lieberman or Bob Kerry. I am reluctant therefore, to vote for any Democrat for fear that it will contribute to the overall success of that party and, further deteriorate our country.

My dread is that we will lose our way and let those people lead us to destruction. Under their tender touch, we will end up a third rate nation with an eastern European standard of living. You know, the type of place your grandparents left because there was no future for their children. Social and moral decay, as well as the apathy of the public lead to the downfall of the Roman Empire. The same will happen here if, we let it.

"The price of freedom is vigilance".

I am saddened and depressed to see what has happened to the police in L.A. as a result of the immigration riot.

As I understand it, the rioters threw rocks and bottles at police. The police, as I see it, responded with some restraint, using only rubber bullets and batons.

Let us put things in perspective. Most, if not all of the people demonstrating, were illegal aliens. Those who were not, well, you are known by the company you keep. As such, they have no rights. They are not entitled to constitutional or other protection. They are criminals who, unlike the home grown variety, have no civil rights. They may be dealt with in any way necessary to bring order. More over, they should never been allowed to demonstrate. They should have been arrested as they arrived and deported without ceremony.

What has happened to this country in that, we allow law breakers, who are not citizens, not even here legally to dictate to us. The time for restraint is passed. I call upon our law enforcement managers to start doing their jobs. Find them! Arrest them! Deport them! Nothing less will do.

 

The idea of “hate crimes”, it a stupid one at best and, a dangerous one at worst. A crime is a crime. If you kill someone where, it is not justified by something like self-defense, it is murder. Whether you did so as a random act, plotted the murder for months in order to collect insurance or, because the person was of a certain race is completely irrelevant. There is no place for “thought police” in our society or, our laws.

This concept is there to stifle decent. It is political correctness at it’s worst. It is an interference in first amendment rights. Who is protected? Can you say things about white people that would be punishable if said about some other group? Can I object to homosexuality or, will I be forbidden to tell my child that it is a bad thing? How far will this go?

Our first amendment rights should not be sacrificed at the alter of political correctness or so misnamed “Fairness Doctrine”. If the “Fairness Doctrine” were enforced on T.V. networks, they would object and take the matter to court. Because, it is really aimed at conservative talk radio, they are in favor of it.

Write your political officials and express your outrage at these un-American concepts. If these laws pass, and you do not fight it now, the law may punish you for complaining later.

I just saw a news clip about the fact that, illegal aliens will be gathering and marching.  What an opportunity for law enforcement! How can they pass this up? The IAs will be collecting in pre-announced spots and gathering in convenient groups. Immigration can not use the weak excuse about the difficulty of finding them. Local law enforcement should have a nice supply of trucks handy to provide expedited transportation to the border with the admonition that, the next time they will be air dropped.

Do I believe anyone will do anything? No! For reasons beyond my understanding, our "law enforcement" people show up and just do crowd control. Hey! This is a dream come true! Take advantage of it! But no. They will do nothing. It is disgusting and, clearly shows the decline and decay of our society that, our the people charged with law enforcement would not only tolerate but, just stand and watch. They are not doing their job. They are abrogating their responsibilities for political reasons which, should not be  a consideration.

It may be for the time for the citizens of the country to appear at these gatherings of the illegal and make citizen's arrests. Of course, it will take organization and overwhelming numbers to make such arrests stick. I am not advocating violence but rather, enforcement of the law by the citizens because the police will not do it. The citizens need only ask to see documentation. If none can be presented, arrest the person and call police or immigration and, force them to do their jobs. No, will not be an acceptable answer. It is time that the illegals understand that, every legal citizen is a cop!

What do Don Imus and the Republicans have in common? They would seem to be unlikely roommates. Answer, they both get me really angry. Not, as you might expect, for some position on a political issue.

Don made a classic mistake. I have hear the tape of his comments that resulted in his firing. Having done nothing he had not done hundreds of times before to anyone you might think of, he kow-towed at the alter of one of the "sacred cows". The "sacred cow" groups are groups about which you can only make positive comments. If you make a negative comment and, you are not part of the group, the race leaches will come after you. If you are part of the group, you can do or say anything.

Imus, over the years has insulted everyone. His comments were no different on this occasion. They were not, as Bernard McGurk, the producer of the show said, a subject of justifiable complaint. Don should have simply told Sharpton and the other race baiters to butt out. That, nothing was done to that group of ball players that had not been done to many others; case closed! That position should have been supported by their spineless management who predictably, prostrated themselves before the racial big mouths.

How are the Republicans like the above? They react to Democratic accusations and ranting. An example would be the Gonzales issue. The President should have said, Mr. Gonzales will not be testifying because the issue is settled, The firings were within his authority for any reason, period. The matter is now closed. here will be no further comment by anyone in the administration. Then, stick to it! Never give in! Do not dignify the nonsense spewed by the liberals. Make one statement about the fact that there is no issue and bury it! The more you comment, the more they have to talk about. The inverse is also true. They will, of course, call it "stone walling". The administration should react by reminding the media that we commented on the lack of substance before, nothing has changed.

They other way they are alike, is that they do not seem to know how to go on offense and sustain it. Conservatives must constantly and publicly be making the case for their policies and positions. Also, doing everything possible to make the public see the fallacies of liberal positions. This should be a strong, ongoing effort.

You cannot win a war or a campaign, on defense! The next election is coming up conservatives and, you have the ball. Are you going to play to win or, play not to lose?

Every time something happens which involves firearms (and sometimes even if it did not), we hear the same old thing.........."we need more gun laws". It is a tired old song but, they keep on playing it.

Philadelphia is a perfect example. Murders keep going up. Naturally, the city government wants more gun laws. They chose to ignore that fact that millions of dollars of the city's budget are wasted on give-aways and nonsense projects. Those dollars could be paying for more and better enforcement of the law. Since existing laws, from car insurance to drug laws are not fully enforced now, what good will more laws do? I have it directly from some of the cops that, many new police personnel are of minimal ability but, are pushed through the academy to to meet quotas or, because the city is afraid of law suites if they fail them. Hey Philly! Your life (and the lives of other cops) are in the hands of people who would not be hired if the system was really merit based. That has to make you feel secure!

The gun control crowd chooses to ignore what has happened in Great Britain and Australia since their gun bans. Violent crime has sky rocketed. Now, why would that be? Might it be that criminals are called that because, they do not obey laws, no matter how many you pass? No one said that all criminals are stupid. The criminals have come to the conclusion that, if the public cannot have guns, they have no defense. If they have no defense, it is open season! Of course, in the face of this logic, the gun crowd will will still demand additional laws which, will just add to those already being ignored by the criminals and not enforced anyway.

The solution. Hire enough qualified policeman to enforce the laws in existence now. Stop deluding yourself that criminals will pay attention to your idealistic wishes and laws in general because again, THEY ARE CRIMINALS! Gun laws just deny a means of defense to those of us who actually obey laws and present no threat to anyone else. I am told that, in Scotland, murders and violent crime have increased demonstrably by the use of knives. Should we pass a law against sharp objects in the kitchen?

The use of one of today's rarest commodities, common sense, would clear these issues up quickly. However, liberals live in a world where intentions are more important than results. Where, facts are ignored in favor of some utopian notion of society. It has never worked and, will never work. It is up to the "realists" among us to ignore the liberals and, keep society on track. They are like children who need to be seen, but not heard or, allowed the ability to get themselves or us in trouble.

I consider myself a patriot but, I am beginning to feel that we may have lost our way. What I know of W.W. II is from the history books, documentaries and, most importantly, talking to people who lived through it. They were my parent's generation. many of them told me that, during the war, even stanch Republicans did not speak publicly against the Democratic president. After all, we were all Americans and we would win or lose together. The war was an American issue not, a political one. The people of that time knew that ultimately, Americans would survive or not together.

I cannot think of a time in our history until the late sixties, when a person could say something bad about this country without risking a punch in the nose from a passerby who merely overheard such a comment.

After the war, they ( now known as The Greatest Generation) picked themselves up and started their lives only, in some instances, to have it interrupted again by the Korean war. In spite of all of that, they raised families, worked hard and reaped the benefits of their sacrifices and dedication. They were honest, family oriented people who, knew how to raise disciplined children and make an honest living. As they say, men were men and no one dared speak against the country they lived in and fought for.  

In the sixties and seventies, it actually became fashionable to speak poorly of our country. Most main stream people did not take it seriously and still resented the comments. Today, the worst offenders are government officials. Yes, the people who should be the guardians of the nation are like termites in a wooden home. They are ruining our national self-respect and self confidence. The speak ill of our troops in time of war and ill of anyone else who disagrees with them. They believe in freedom of their speech but, not yours. They are currently doing their best to undermine the president and the war in order to gain or maintain their person power. They have made it so that, there is no America, there is us and them and, they do not care about us. They push everything that is negative and, have no plans to do anything positive. They will tax you to death, insult your beliefs, deny your authority over your children, instruct your children in things you would rather they not be exposed to, sneer at your patriotism, mandate that convoluted history be taught in schools and lead this country down all the wrong paths.........possibly to it's demise.

If you are not satisfied to see that happen then, you better speak up in any way you can. Vote, go to political meetings, write letters to the editors and to your congressmen and senators. When someone says you are politically incorrect or "insensitive', tell them none of that matters, when you speak the truth. Stay quiet, say nothing and these corrupt, self-important and arrogant people will triumph. Remember, all it takes for the country to become a second rate power with corruption like the old Soviet Union is for you to stay silent.

If you do not know by now who "they" are, they are Liberals.

The strategy of the left is obvious. Create or, take advantage of some issue and use it to do the most possible damage to President Bush, anyone in his administration or any Republican. Continue to use it until something else comes along, repeat. If it involves putting the military in harm's way needlessly, so be it. The end justifies the means.

This has been working but, only because Republicans seem too timid to either, take off the gloves and fight back with gusto or, just dismiss the issue as the nonsense it usually is, and refuse to discuss it further. The Dems are very good at down and dirty. They realize that, Machiavelli was right when he said something like, "it does not matter if it is true, only if it is perceived to be true". Someone else said that if you repeat a lie enough times, people believe it. Republicans are not good at dirty fighting. They, understandably do not want to sink to that level. Unfortunately, they are not good at going to the public and calling the liars, liars, in so many words. They have to stop being defensive and, start being the ones who bring the truth in front of the spotlight. They have to call everyone on the carpet who lies and, make them prove their case in public.

Since before the Clintons, who have to the biggest purveyors of abject lies ever, the left has been getting away with this tactic. It has gotten worse over time because, they are never called on it. It is like a child who misbehaves. If they are not corrected, they keep pushing the envelop and, only get worse. It is past time to put the left "in the corner" and spank (I am proudly politically incorrect) them, each and every time they step out of line.

I am very tired of "nice" Republicans. I want a hard-nosed, in their face guy who, brooks no nonsense and punches like a young George Foreman. So far, the only one who may approaches that image is Fred Thompson and, I am not sure of him. For me, Guiliani is out. He is far too liberal on a number of things. I knew nothing of Romney and was prepared to like him. The first two things I saw when I sought information on him were "deal killers'. He supports homosexuals and gun control. He is done! McCain is not very clear to me but, I cannot put any real faith in him. Etc, etc, etc. I can only hope that, somewhere out there is a guy who reminds me of Charleton Heston. Who speaks as well and as plainly. Who has the same leadership qualities as Ronald Reagan and, communicates with the public like only he could. Too much to ask? We can only hope.

 

Virginia Tech

There will be all kinds of hand wringing and attempts to place blame, as there always are when this kind of thing happens.

There is one thing that must be accepted. No matter what preparatory steps cities, schools and others may take, there is no absolute protection against unpredictable insanity. There is also a maxim which says something to the effect that, almost anyone can be killed if the killers have no plans to survive.

The lesson? Do the best, to make the best possible preparations but, understand that,no amount of preparation is a guarantee and, sometimes, no one is to blame.