American Law is not Found Within a Poem

I think this is worth mentioning in light of recent events.  People keep mentioning the famous quote on the Statue of Liberty in reference to the refugee crisis: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

It's worth noting that the sonnet which this quote comes from, "New Colossus," was written by Emma Lazarus for a fundraiser auction to raise money for the pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty now sits.  The poem did not receive much recognition and was quite forgotten after the auction.

It wasn't until after her death in the early 1900's that one of her friends began a campaign to memorialize Lazarus and her New Colossus sonnet. The effort was a success, and a plaque with the poem's text was mounted inside the pedestal of the statue.

Emma Lazarus' poem is just that - a poem.  People keep throwing around her words as if they are America's top priority, as if they were written by the founding fathers and enshrined in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. 

I just thought it was worth mentioning that while the words are powerful and beautiful, they are idealistic and are not an integral part of America.  America is a shining beacon for immigrants because of our values, our freedoms, and our security.  Without our security, there would be no freedom to seek here.

We are still the shining beacon of freedom and opportunity because so many of our brave men and women have shed blood and given their lives to preserve our safety and freedom.  Security is not taken lightly here.

America clearly is a land of immigrants, and that is a beautiful thing.  But there is a reason we have borders and immigration laws.  There is a reason why we should be absolutely sure about the vetting process of refugees, to ensure we aren't opening ourselves to unnecessary risk that could be avoided. 

We must be caring yet vigilant, to preserve the American way that people yearn to be a part of.  And that is not un-American.

Ben Carson, Barack Obama and Blatant Media Bias

I'm constantly amazed by the mainstream media.  In 2008, not one mainstream news outlet asked any critical questions of then-candidate Barack Obama.  No one questioned his connection with Reverend Wright ("God d*#n America").  No one questioned his connection with Communist, Socialist, and other anti-American extremist figures such as Bill Ayers.  No one questioned his background and influencers.  No one questioned his ability to be Commander in Chief, despite his lack of experience  (freshman Senator and Community Organizer....).  I could go on and on about how little was known and how little was sought out regarding Obama. 

Yet now, the mainstream media is targeting Dr. Ben Carson, a humble and mild-mannered doctor, in what can only be described as freebie mud - slinging for the Hillary Campaign.

"Oh, Ben Carson claims he had a violent temper when he was a child???  We'll see about that!  So far, we can't find any people from over 50 years ago to corroborate that!!" 

"Oh, Ben Carson thinks pyramids were used to store grain?!??  We need a full-fledged investigation into this!!"

"Oh, Ben Carson is a Christian?  Quick, let's ask him random gotcha questions about Christianity and paint him as a quack, because we don't respect Christianity in the slightest and we think all Christians are quacks.  (Sure, Obama said he was a Christian too, but we didn't ask him any of these religious questions that we like to pepper Conservatives with - we understand his "Christianity" was a requirement to be elected at the time)."

"Dr. Carson thinks he has the background necessary to run this country???  Time to devote all our resources to tearing down a brilliant pediatric neurosurgeon with a remarkable career and inspiring back story.  Sure, we barely knew anything about Obama and didn't bother to vet him at all.  But Ben Carson is so troubling, we simply MUST perform this civic duty, to expose him as.... as a...?  Well, we aren't sure yet what we will expose him as, but expose him we will.  If nothing else, he's a Christian and that's extremely troubling..."

"He also loves America, which is truly disturbing.  I mean, his ancestors were slaves, so how can he love this country??  Wait, let's look into his claim that his ancestors were slaves...  We should also see if he was actually a neurosurgeon... He probably never even graduated high school.  I bet he had to repeat 3rd grade.  I'm sure we can find a witness to say he has jay walked.  If we can get footage of him not completely stopping at a stop sign, then he's done for....  But really, the pyramid comment from 1998 should be the nail in his coffin.  I mean, there's no coming back from spouting a theory 17 years ago on the purpose of pyramids, right??"

The mainstream media is out in force, with Dr. Ben Carson in their sights.  While a Community Organizer with Communist and anti-American extremist connections running for President in 2008 got a free pass.  No questions asked. 

It's just amazing.  Journalistic integrity does not exist anymore.  The mainstream media is an extension of the Liberal Left.  Anyone who disagrees with that is delusional. 

Abortion and the Planned Parenthood Videos

All stages of human life are in fact human life.  You can’t have one stage without a previous stage.  A 20 week old fetus can’t exist without having first been a zygote.  A newborn baby can’t exist without having first been a 20 week old fetus.  A toddler can’t exist without having first been a newborn baby.  A 10 year old child can’t exist without having first been a toddler.  A teenager can’t exist without having first been a 10 year old.  An adult can’t exist without having first been a teenager.

And obviously therefore, an adult can’t exist without first having been a zygote, a 20-week old fetus, a newborn baby, a toddler, a 10-year-old child, a teenager.

So if you are fine with taking human life at certain stages, why aren’t you fine with taking human life at other stages – teenagers, elderly?  Why is it morally acceptable at one stage and not another?   A human life growing inside a woman is not an elective organ of hers. It is a separate human life that will one day grow through all of the stages you were blessed to grow through yourself.  Unless someone takes that unborn baby’s life.

People who claim the Planned Parenthood videos are heavily edited and doctored are adopting a defensive posture that concedes the videos are so awful they MUST be doctored.  So once these people accept the FACT that they were simply edited for time (and the full length videos show the same content), then these people therefore accept that the content is awful and reflects Planned Parenthood’s lack of humanity.

Taking the life of an unborn baby at any stage is unacceptable in my book, but even more so when they are fully formed and feel pain.  To say otherwise shows no respect at all for human life.  

Planned Parenthood is not the only place in this country where women (including poor women) can receive health care.  For one thing, didn’t Obamacare and massive subsidies ensure that people who can’t pay for health care don’t have to worry about that anymore?  So why should tax payers have to pay for other people’s health care, AND fund Planned Parenthood?  Especially when people like me, and a lot of people in this country, are fundamentally opposed to abortion. 

Incidentally - people who say tax payer money doesn't go towards abortions don't understand business and finance.  If a donation of money to a business allows it to operate, then that donation props up all aspects of that business.  You can't pour a bucket of water into a pool and assure me that water will remain in the deep end.

There are thousands of free health care clinics across the country that assist poor people, without any ties to abortion.  Many of those clinics receive no federal funding and rely on charitable donations and state funding.  The clinics are undeniably underfunded, considering the millions of people they see annually and the millions they have to turn away.  Why shouldn’t tax payer money go to those non-profit clinics instead of Planned Parenthood? 

You’d have a hard time convincing me that Planned Parenthood’s 700 clinics are somehow more important and more deserving of federal funding than the thousands of free non-profit clinics in this country.   

Planned Parenthood performs more abortions annually than France, Germany, and Canada combined.  In many other western countries, abortions are outlawed after the first trimester.  But not here in America.  Killing a baby in the womb that can feel pain, and that has limbs, heart, lungs, liver, brain – why should Americans be bothered by something so trivial… Well, it bothers the conscience of other countries.

Political Correctness - Disarming Teachers of Their Only Defense

First of all, I admit that I would be horrified on my child’s behalf if they were placed in handcuffs at school over a misunderstanding.  It would make me angry and would break my heart.  But those feelings would be short-lived after the details of the situation came to light.  Because as parents, we are faced with the overwhelming need and desperate desire to keep our children safe.  And as gun-free zones, schools are tasked with the heavy responsibility of keeping our children safe with no defense mechanisms. 

We know all too well that tragedies happen at schools at the hands of mentally sick and depraved people.  Our children (and their teachers) are sitting ducks, spending their days in known gun-free zones with no armed guards.  They can become target practice for soulless monsters wanting an easy way to get in the news.  Guns, bombs, knives – there are many ways to wreak destruction and tragedy upon defenseless people.  So many schools have implemented zero-tolerance policies for potential threats.

Macarthur High School in Irving Texas has a zero tolerance policy.  The teacher did exactly what she should have done.  The school district and the Mayor are all in agreement on this matter.  According to the teacher, she heard a beeping noise in her classroom, and someone brought her this case, with wires coming out attached to a timer.  Now, I’m no bomb expert.  But if I was a teacher and someone brought this to me, I certainly wouldn’t assume it was harmless.  Teachers have to be hyper-aware of any potential dangers.  This more than qualifies as such. 

So people that are upset that this 14-year-old child was placed in an uncomfortable, unfortunate and temporary position need to ask themselves – would it have been better for the teacher to ignore a potential threat?  Should she have taken his word that the clock was harmless?  Again, this was not a standard clock in appearance.  It was a small metal case, with wires attached to a timer (yes, wires attached to a timer describes a clock, but also describes a bomb).  I would much rather apologize over a misunderstanding than be responsible for the deaths of untold numbers of children.  So I applaud the teacher for looking out for the safety of the children she’s entrusted to protect with just her bare hands and observation skills.

Obviously, officials and experts figured out it was not a bomb, but the fact that it resembled a bomb was in violation of their zero tolerance policy.  Let’s keep in mind that a 10-year-old child was suspended for 3 days in Ohio last year for forming his hand into the shape of a gun….  This year, a 6-year-old boy in Colorado Springs was suspended for the same thing.  Clearly not a gun.  But they were suspended because their schools have zero tolerance policies when it comes to potential threats.  But when confronted with this suspicious looking device – the teacher should turn the other way?  In a zero-tolerance school?  For the sake of political correctness?  It’s not a drawing of a bomb, or someone saying “boom.”  It was a device.  Of course the student said it was a clock and not a bomb, just as the other kids said “it’s just my hand, not a gun.” 

A high school teacher with no knowledge of bombs, armed only with observation skills and an awareness of potential threats, decided better safe than sorry.  And now she’s being labeled a bigot and Islamophobic because of her concern for safety. 

So we need to ask ourselves as a country – are we not only willing to send our children to defenseless places every day, but we are also willing to place one child’s feelings and political correctness above the safety of our children?  I for one, am not.  I also firmly believe that the teacher would have pursued the exact some course of events if the student was named John Smith and was white as white can be.  After all, deranged white kids are the ones who typically bring tragedy to schools in America.

The President, as well as throngs of social media supporters, have come out in support of the 14-year-old student Ahmed Mohamed.  I don't mind the social media outpouring of emotion that will be forgotten by next week.  I mind the President bringing national attention to this case, turning it into yet another way to divide Americans.  Not only does it contribute to divisive rhetoric, but it contributes to the idea that teachers must now look the other way in cases of potential threats, lest they be thrown into the national spotlight in an unflattering way. 

I admitted that I would be upset as Ahmed’s parent that he was put into cuffs.  I don’t know all the rules and regulations in that state and school district, but the handcuffs do seem extreme.  But I would also take this as a learning opportunity.  What happened to children learning difficult lessons in life?  If a school has a zero-tolerance policy regarding potential threats, i.e. weapons and bombs, I would have advised my child to make sure to let the school know about the device in advance - especially since it wasn't being taken to school during a science fair.  And since that lesson wasn’t taught in advance, and the child was forced to endure the consequences at school and with the police, then the lesson should be enforced afterwards.  In the future, it’s best to make sure your school officials and teachers know about things like this in advance, when you're bringing something to school that is not school related.  

Don't get me wrong - I applaud his scientific and creative mind, and his thirst for knowledge.  We DO need more of that.  But clearing things with your school in advance is a wise policy.
    

This situation could be made into a lesson for any other students in the country looking to bring a fake or actual bomb to their school – don’t do it, because you’ll be caught and there will be consequences.  Instead, the President and the rest of the country decided to make this into a lesson on political correctness, in turn opening the door for even more threats at our schools where teachers’ observation skills are the only defense, and now even those can’t be used.

For the record, the image at the top of this blog is the clock that the teacher found to be suspicious.  I understand that Obama has invited Ahmed to the White House with this device.  But I’m 100% certain that if Ahmed tried to take a tour of the White House with this device in tow a month ago before anyone knew of his story, the Secret Service would NOT have turned the other way.  They would NOT have assumed it was harmless.  The President gets the benefit of "better safe than sorry", but apparently our children in public schools do not.

Planned Parenthood Propaganda: Debunking the 3% Myth

Planned Parenthood and its supporters love to tout the “Abortions are only 3% of what they do” myth.  You only need a simple understanding of math to know that this is blatant propaganda. 

First of all, Planned Parenthood sees about 2.3 million people annually (men, pregnant women, and non-pregnant women).  They perform about 330,000 abortions annually.  Just looking at this figure, we already know that 14% of their clientele receive abortions. 

But keep in mind, not all of their clientele is female, and not all of their female clientele is pregnant.  So let’s just pretend (since we don’t know this figure) that 500,000 of their clientele consists of pregnant women.  With this figure, 66% of their pregnant clientele receive abortions.  There is of course a chance that the amount of pregnant women going to Planned Parenthood is right around 330,000…..  We don’t know the amount of pregnant women they see annually.

Here’s a quick example of misleading math, and the root of the 3% propaganda figure:

Let’s just say that an abortion clinic sees 100 people per year. 

70 of those people are men and non-pregnant women.

30 of those people are pregnant women.   

Each of those 30 pregnant women receives 10 services each in relation to getting an abortion (doctor’s visit, pregnancy test, consultation, abortion, follow-up, etc.).  So 30 abortions is considered 300 services.

The other 70 people receive 10 services each (birth control, STD tests, other tests, doctor’s visits, etc.).  The amount of services for those 70 people equals 700. 

So with this example, this abortion clinic sees 100 people per year.  They do 1,000 services per year.  Among those services are 30 abortions.  So they can say that 3% of their services are abortions, even though in this example, 30% of their clientele (100% of their pregnant clientele) got abortions….

Propaganda for this clinic will proudly proclaim that abortions are only 3% of what they do.  And a willingly ignorant public eats it up.  But when you look at the actual numbers in this example, you understand the truth.  This abortion clinic isn’t performing abortions for 3 people, as they lead an ignorant public to believe.  They are performing abortions for 30 people (100% of their pregnant clientele).  That’s a huge distortion that most Americans don’t get.

Best analogies I’ve heard on Planned Parenthood's distortion of numbers, from Rich Lowry:

"The sponsors of the New York City Marathon could count each small cup of water they hand out (some 2 million cups, compared with 45,000 runners) and say they are mainly in the hydration business.

Or Major League Baseball teams could say that they sell about 20 million hot dogs and play 2,430 games in a season, so baseball is only .012 percent of what they do."

But with profits around $60 million annually, why would a tax-payer funded organization want to run around saying that they kill 66% of their pregnant clientele’s babies?  That doesn’t sound very appealing.  However, with the lack of any national response to the recent undercover videos, I doubt the American public would bat an eye with Planned Parenthood’s real statistics.  In fact, our morally depraved society would probably prefer something closer to the 66% figure.  

Planned Parenthood should just scream from the rooftops their real statistics, as well as admit they sell baby parts for profit.  In doing so, they would receive a pat on the back from the Liberal left, and a "God bless Planned Parenthood" from our current President.

Go Home, Donald Trump. You're Drunk.

Donald Trump is like that new boyfriend that seems so great in the beginning, says all the things you've been longing to hear, and then 3 weeks into the relationship you find out he's married and lives in his parent's basement with his family of 8.

For a while there, people like me were cautiously excited to have a Republican Presidential candidate that seemed to have a spine, didn't take any guff from the media, and doubled down instead of backing down.  We have waited a long time for someone in our party who stands firm with their beliefs and doesn't apologize for those beliefs.  And while Donald Trump is the last person we would have wanted or expected, he seemed to show up at a time when people wanted and needed his blunt persona.

However, Trump showed his true colors at the first debate, in an environment he could not control.  Trump is not what we wanted.  He's not what we all had hoped for.  He is a wolf in wolf's clothing.  He is barely Republican, much less Conservative.  His incredibly liberal past is problematic.  His motives for being in the race are now questionable at best, selfish and malicious at worst. 

A third party run would be devastating to the Republicans' chances, which he knows.  I firmly believe his lead won't last, and then he'll start his third party run.  If he does that, it assures another Liberal president, and more problems for America.  So why don't all Republicans see this?  What is going on here? 

I'm confused as to why he still has support.  His blunt personality was refreshing for a little while.  But in reality, his bluntness is born of a crass narcissism and a lack of any intelligent, original thoughts.  He speaks forcefully, not intelligently.  He speaks in sound bites, and when pressed for more, he is combative and not articulate.  From what I have seen, he lacks any ability to debate an issue and back up his statements.  Maybe you can go to his website and it's all clear there, but I have yet to see an interview or a debate answer that demonstrates he has any depth or ability to discuss issues. 

He didn't even show any wit during the debate.  When he was asked about some comment he made about a woman on her knees, at the very least, a witty reply would have been to reference Bill Clinton - a former President skilled in the art of taking advantage of women in actions, not just words... But no, Trump couldn't even be witty.  He was unable to turn things back around on the moderators during questions he felt were unfair.  And this was Fox - what will happen with CNN moderators?  I'm so disappointed to see someone with zero debate skills, zero ability to articulate his ideas, and zero wit come out of the debate and still be in the lead. 

I get it on some level - people are fed up with the media and they thought Trump was hit with more gotcha questions than the others.  But come on, if you go around using derogatory language about women (and men) time after time, it's relevant to bring it up on a national stage.  Whatever the context was for each instance (from what I understand, most instances were Trump firing back at people that insulted him first), the fact remains that Trump responds with knee-jerk name calling.  It's good to know that about him. 

We can't have a President who acts so childish.  A President must have some class, maturity, and decorum.  Trump has none of those qualities.  And Conservatives, the party of family values, should not want a President that would be put in time-out if it was an elementary school and not the international stage.  Is he 100% someone you would want your kids to look up to and emulate?

To be clear though - I'm more offended by Obama's and Hillary's actions than by Trump's words.  By far.  My desire to bring America back from the edge is why I'm now being so critical of Donald Trump.  We can't go around saying that at least our guy isn't as bad as theirs.  We should want to say that our guy (or woman) is a hundred times better on every level than their candidate.

Trump has served a purpose.  He showed the other candidates that your popularity grows when you don't back down.  He has shown them that you shouldn't play by the media's rules all the time.  And he has shined a spotlight on matters that the American people care about and are angry about.  His polls should prove to other candidates that we are tired of the bought and paid for establishment political class.  But that's about it. 

I don't trust Donald Trump, and I don't respect him.  Can you, as a Conservative, truly get behind a man with such a liberal background, such a childish mentality, and such poor communication?  I hope your answer is no.  We need strength and character in our next President, and we need our next President to be Conservative.  For those reasons, Donald Trump must go. 

Why Donald Trump is Leading in the Polls

Donald Trump has really bad hair.  He is arrogant and crass.  He’s narcissistic and doesn’t back down.  Thank goodness he’s not running the Sugar Coated Hair Salon of Tolerance and Backtracking.

Here’s the thing.  Donald Trump is not my idea of “Presidential.”  The image of a proper American President, in my mind, is someone like Ronald Reagan.  Well-spoken, polished, firm, calm, resolute, respectable.  But among the most important qualities a Presidential candidate should have, these days especially, is an ability to get your message out.  Donald Trump has that in spades.

Why do some people loathe and fear The Donald?  For one thing, people call him The Donald.  Also, there’s the whole hair thing.  But I think that both Democrats and establishment Republicans are very uncomfortable with him in the race because of his wealth and his mouth.  He’s saying what he believes.  He isn’t bought and paid for by lobbyists and donors.  He isn’t beholden to anyone on the campaign trail, and he wouldn’t be in office either.  He’s speaking bluntly about topics that wouldn’t have otherwise been brought up.  And he doesn’t back down.  He doubles down.  I firmly believe that Donald Trump is leading in the polls for that reason alone.

 

Conservative voters are sick and tired of winning elections, only to see their Representatives continue to bow down to the Obama agenda.  Frankly, we are sick of the wusses in Washington.  Especially the ones who are bought and paid for by outside interests.  Liberals have always felt the freedom to double down on their statements and agendas, whereas Conservatives are always expected to compromise and back down from their beliefs.  Donald Trump breaks that mold.  He’ll say something “controversial”, people will demand he take it back, but he just doubles down. 

Granted, he is rough around the edges to say the least, but at least he isn’t apologizing all over the place and allowing the liberals and media to steer his campaign.  He isn’t going to play the “gotcha” game with the media that all Conservatives end up falling for.  And he’s not going to compromise his beliefs in order to appease a politically correct movement.  He’d rather just get America back on track.

Is Donald Trump my candidate?  I don’t think so.  Like I said, I just can’t see him as President.  And I truly hope he doesn’t run as a third party candidate (although right now, there’s no reason for him to consider since he leads in all the polls).  But I am glad that Donald Trump has shown up and spoken up.  He is getting people talking about important issues.  He is showing other Conservatives how to grow a spine, how to not back down, and how to get your message out.  Conservatives have notoriously been the nerdy, nice, quiet ones that don’t want to rock the boat.  But America needs its boat rocked.  Aside from his remarks on POW’s, it’s time to be more like The Donald.