Red, White and Blue are the Only Colors that Matter!

The Aryan Nation, the Ku Klux Klan, the Nation of Islam and Black Lives Matters are toxic and have no place in our country.  The Aryan Nation and the Ku Klux Klan are considered hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and are denounced by most people of all races. The Nation of Islam while listed as a hate group by the SPLC receives little media public attention and condemnation.  The Black Lives Matters organization is, in my opinion, the most dangerous of the hate groups.

It is dangerous because it is very active today, is not considered a hate group by the SPLC and the mainstream media. Its members even have been honored by President Obama.  It defies logic that a group that promotes violence against whites, whose modus operandi is disruption, violence and thuggery is not widely condemned.   Google "black lives matters want to kill whites" and you will find quite a few stories.  Here is one that sums up who they are.

While it is true you will find quite a few stories about the hate that the Black Lives Matters movement is spewing, most of the stories are not written by the mainstream media.  The mainstream media has given them a pass.

Sure, the mainstream media reports when they shut down a Hillary Clinton rally or a Bernie Sanders rally or block traffic to try and silence Donald Trump, but they report without any denouncement of the action of the movement.

Black Lives Matters is trying to infringe upon the right of people to exercise their Constitutional rights of free speech and voting.  Yes, it is true they are trying to intimidate people to stop them from voting for Trump.  

It is extremely important to note that Black Lives Matters does not represent all black people. There are blacks who speak out against the hate of the Black Lives Matter movement.  One is Kevin Jackson whose blog "The Black Sphere"which I read regularly.  Another person who routinely calls out the Black Lives Matters movement is Allen West; someone else I respect and follow.

People like Jackson and West keep me grounded and help me to realize it is not really about race issue but ideology.  These men are conservatives whereas the Black Lives Movement members are liberal and ascribe to thuggery to garner power.

Keep this in mind because it is easy to lump all black people into the Black Lives Matters group when you see mobs of blacks blocking traffic, encouraging riots, encouraging the killing of whites and wiping their butts with the American flag.  These people do not represent all blacks; no more than the Ku Klux Klan represents all whites.

People of all races must band together to fight hate groups and to dispel the lies they spread to promote violence and even race wars.  Know that there are race baiters including our president that want to divide America along the lines of race.  Do not let them do it.  Fight against discrimination at all levels.

Most of all, whether it is the Ku Klux Klan or Black Lives Matters, call out and denounce their hate.  Do not let their threats of riots and murder silence you. Stand tall and proud in your conservative beliefs against the vitriol that is inevitably hurled at you.

Our best weapon against the hate mongers is our vote.  Vote for the candidate that will fight for America.  Support that candidate with your time and contributions.  Together we can change America for the better and make it great again.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted us to judge people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  I want us to do this too, but also call upon you to align yourself with others not by the color of their skin, but by their political ideology.  A man who believes in upholding the Constitution, who believes in individual freedom and liberty is not white, or black or any other color other than red, white and blue and that is all that matters.

Violence Begets Violence

Race relations between blacks and whites is the worst it has been in my life. I experienced the riots in 1968 and race relations were not as bad then as they are today.

Race relations have deteriorated since Obama has become president. Not saying he is to blame, just making an observation.

Here is part of the reason they are so bad today. Many blacks feel connected to other black persons because they share the same skin color and they lump all whites together based on their skin color. So when a black person experiences some type of injustice, real or perceived, at the hands of a white person many blacks hate on whites.

I, and most whites I know, do not share a connection with other whites simply because they are white. I might feel connected because we share the same political views or grow up in the same part of the country, but not because of skin color.

Here is the deal, it is illogical to be connected to someone because of skin color. Skin color tells you nothing about the person. It doesn't tell you if they are a good person, a bad person, the country of their family's origin, their religion or anything else that matters.

Is this what we want for our country, picking sides based on skin color instead of issues?  Yes, I know that is what our president does, but that doesn't make it right.

Why do blacks support people like Michael Brown just because he was black?  Other than skin color what connection is there to most other blacks?  The super majority of blacks have not committed a robbery or attacked a policeman so why do they feel the need to identify with and elevate Brown to martyr status?

I am sure that someone might say that blacks are bonded by the chains of slavery.  Okay, fair enough, those blacks who were slaves or have a relative they know was a slave should feel a kindred spirit with other former slaves or relatives of slaves, but just because someone is black doesn't mean they were a slave or have relatives that were slaves. Obama has no slaves in his lineage.

Much of the anger we are seeing today is directly due to blacks discriminating and attacking others based on race. When you demand equality but also want preference based on your race or you attack people based on race such as the "white privilege" meme you will fuel anger.

Hers are examples of the catalyst fueling the ire of many today who have had enough. Black Lives Matters excludes whites from its meeting and they promote only black lives and worse, promote rioting in the support of criminals.

The Nation of Islam and other black supremacist groups openly call for the killing of white people. Black youths are randomly punching white people, even the elderly trying to knock them out.  Black students call for hiring of black professors and the firing of white professors. Blacks are creating a black against white environment and it is explosive.

There are injustices in the world and we should all work to correct those injustices but the way to do it is to be colorblind. Drive home the message that racial discrimination, all racial discrimination including racial preference, is wrong and we can work together to make end it. Celebrate all lives matter and we can unite and rejoice in the love of humanity. But, scream black lives matter, celebrate lawlessness and promote the murder of white people and we will have a race war.

Remember if sharing black skin makes people "brothers" then there are many a "Cain" in cities like Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit and even in our nation's Capitol. Why blame white people when blacks kill blacks by the thousands each year?

If we are to be a divided nation then let it be along the lines of good and evil.  I can look at Dr. Ben Carson and just see a good man.  My opinion of Michael Brown was formed by seeing him rob a convenience store clerk and the results of the investigation by the state and federal governments who found his death to be justified. Race never entered into it.

All I ask is for blacks to do the same. Look beyond race and into the soul of others and join together with those of like character. Some do this already today but we need more people looking at character and not race when formulating opinions and actions.

Think about this for a moment. Rachel Dolezal is and always was a white person but when she was thought to be black she was allowed to work for the NAACP.  She was respected by blacks when she was "black."  But when she was outed as white sHe lost her job and status in the black community. Why? Was she not the same person capable of performing her duties? Not only is this not logical, it is racist.  Is this what we want for our country; judging people by race and not by actions?

I want a diverse nation with a shared vision where the people are joined together by being American. I want us to be American brothers and sisters working together for liberty and justice for all.

Kansas Caucus 2016

Anti-Trump Protesters Inside the Rally

Anti-Trump Protest Outside the Rally

The Lone Anti-Trump Counter Protester

Saturday March 5, 2016 was a glorious day in Kansas.  Not only was it Caucus Day for both the Republicans and the Democrats, four presidential candidates visited Kansas to stump for our votes. 

Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump came to Kansas to make a pitch for our votes.  Kansas was in play, we were important and we turned out in droves to vote.  Twice as many Republicans voted yesterday than they did in 2012.

I made the trek to Wichita, Kansas to attend the Trump Rally.  I am glad I did.  It was a spectacle, a circus of sorts with Donald Trump in full control of all the rings – he was, without a doubt, the Ringmaster.

There were about 3,000 people inside at the rally and maybe 25 anti-Trump protesters outside.  Inside, there were about 10 anti-Trump protesters.  A group of about six young black people started yelling anti-Trump rhetoric and got into a shouting match with an older white guy.  They were removed from the rally before it started.  The older white guy remained.

Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach warmed up the crowd with an anti-illegal immigration speech.  Then Trump came out to cheers from the crowd of a mix of young and old.  The crowd was there to see “Trump” and he did not disappoint them.  He was Trump.

He called Marco Rubio, “little Marco” and Ted Cruz, “lying Ted.”  The crowd ate it up; me not so much.  I prefer a little more civility.  I will say, I did appreciate his attack on Mitt Romney.  He called him a stiff and a loser.  In my opinion, Romney needs to shut up and stop attacking Trump.

Trump went on to attack illegal immigration promising to build a wall and stop the flow of drugs into our country.  This brought raucous cheers from the crowd, well at least all 99.999 percent of them.

There was a group of young people in attendance.  The young ladies wore head garb and one of the young men wore a Muslim Student Association shirt.  All wore stars with the word “Muslim” on it.  They unfurled a flag and started shouting something.  I could not hear what they were saying because the crowd immediately drowned them out with chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump.”

They were escorted out to cheers.  Then a lone young man, appeared to be Hispanic, stood on his chair and started shouting at Trump.  He was quickly removed.  Trump responded by saying, “Did you see that?  I told the protester to sit and he sat.  I like that protester, he is someone I can reason with.”  The crowd loved it.

He finished up his speech by taking on Obama and Obama’s trading Bowe Bergdahl for five terrorists, saying, “I am not going to get a traitor and give them five people.”  He railed against unfair trade deals with China and Mexico.  He said, “we need to get rid of these deals.  We get laughed at for these deals.

The crowd came to see Trump and he did not disappoint.  Trump, unlike the GOP establishment, has his finger on the pulse of many Americans.  He knows many Americans are angry and why they are angry.  He is giving the American people what they want to hear from a candidate.

In the end, that is why I voted for Cruz.  I listened to Cruz and he said much the same thing Trump did sans insults.  I liked he did not insult people.  I liked that I felt that Cruz was not telling people what they wanted to hear; he was telling us what he believed and it came from his heart and his soul.

In the end, I found Trump to be entertaining, but I found Cruz to be inspirational.  Substance trumps (excuse the pun) style for me.  Cruz earned my vote.

I came away with this thought; we are a divided and angry nation.  The majority of the attendees at the Trump rally represent one side of the schism and the anti-Trump protesters represent the other side.  It does not have to be this way.  I was standing next to three young ladies protesting Trump when a older man started screaming, "morons" at them.  

I said to the three, I am sorry to see you treated that way.  While I disagree with you, I support your right to stand here, without verbal abuse, to protest.  One of the three who had a paper badge with the word "gay" on it, asked me what I liked about Trump.  I explained and I explained, among other things, that even though I was conservative I supported equal rights for all regardless of sexual orientation.  I said, "if I want my rights protected I must protect the rights of others."

She beamed a smile and thrust her hand out to shake mine.  A bridge, albeit a small one, but a bridge nonetheless was built at that moment.  We need less anger and more bridges today to unite our country and to, in the words of Trump, "make America great again.

A Sissy Nation?

Please view the video before reading any further. I viewed it and I thought, when and how did we become a nation of sissies?

College students are demanding safe spaces to protect them from speech they consider offensive. College professors afraid to confront a reporter at a protest call for "muscle" to stop them from videoing.  Apparently she needed to ensure the students were safe from freedom of the press. 

We have a president who draws a line in the sand but backs down when it is crossed. As a result, it isn't just me who has realized America has become a nation of sissies, the world sees it too.

Iran openly calls for the death of America and then captures our sailors and the U.S. Response is to thank them for releasing our wrongly captured men. After the capture, Iran adds insult to injury by airing a video mocking America by portraying our sailors, you guessed it, as sissies. 

A strong commander in chief would have respond in a strong manner defending his military and his country. People cry racist when people express their dislike of Obama, but the truth is we don't like him, not because he is black but because he is a wimp. Hard to respect a man decked out in mommy jeans throwing a 2 mph fast ball or who bows to other nations while demeaning his own. 

As I write this the answer to my question starts to appear like an answer asked of the Magic 8 Ball. America began to become sissies when the weak inherited positions of power and began neutering the strong and the strong were guilted into rolling over and letting it happen. 

The media and the schools began indoctrinating the children with ideas like "losing is fun" and it doesn't matter if you win you still deserve a participation trophy. Winning became a bad thing because not everyone can win. I once shocked a person who asked why I wasn't celebrating my 2nd place finish when I responded, "because I lost."

This utopia where losing is to be celebrated as much as winning and everyone is a "winner" for just participating might be good if we lived in a world where everyone shared the same idea but we don't. 

The world is filled with dangerous nations that want to kill Americans. This is part of the reason Trump is so popular.  He is not afraid to identify our enemies and to call them out. People believe he is a winner and can make America a winner again.

We need to revert back to being a nation that celebrates winners, strength and courage. We need to become a nation that doesn't need safe spaces because we can take care of ourselves. Sure, winning needs to be tempered with compassion and respect for others, especially the vulnerable but winning is good and losing, even coming in 2nd sucks. 

180 Racism - The Other Side of Race Issues

Stand up and push back is the theme and purpose of my blogs.  I did not invent it; I’m not that smart.  Our Founding Fathers did not invent it either, but they made sure it was ingrained in the Constitution and culture of our nation.  They knew that man and man’s government will, if left unchecked gravitate toward extremes and oppression of others not in alignment with those in power.

This system of checks and balances is seen in the division of power between the three branches of government; the judicial, the executive and the legislative branches.  It works best when each branch executes its power to the fullest of its ability and when each branch stands up and pushes back when a branch tries to overreach in its authority and power.

Our government is failing at maintaining the checks and balances that keep our government in line to serve and protect the people.  When the government fails the people or is complicit in allowing one group to infringe upon the rights of others it is up to the people to stand up and push back.  It is why I blog.

I realize my voice is not very loud nor is it very powerful, but at least I am not silent.  I cannot take on all the wrongs I see in our country today so I focus on the matters important to me. 

The one I come back to time and time again is what I call 180 racism.  180 racism is the other side of racism that the mainstream media does not normally report.  180 racism is not an attempt to denigrate blacks nor is it an attempt to promote whites.  It is simply a check to balance racial discourse.

The discourse on race issues tends to be one-sided.  The meme is blacks are victims of slavery, white oppression, unequal everything and the only way to right the wrong is to denigrate, demonize and eviscerate white people of their unjust and unearned white privilege. 

This notion that you can raise yourself up is by knocking others down and climbing up on their broken bodies is evil and highly counterproductive.  It serves to divide our country along racial lines.  It is a fact that as a percentage there are more blacks living in poverty than other races.  Many of these blacks, fueled by the rhetoric of Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan and even President Obama believe their path to financial success is be treated differently because of their skin color and take from others of different skin colors who have more.  This is not the answer.

Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the answer to us.  We must look beyond the color of one’s skin and at the content of their character.  President Johnson understood that the past discriminatory acts made it very difficult for blacks to do well even if the racial discrimination was outlawed. It is for that reason that I supported race-based preferential treatment for a limited time.

The time has come for to stop all race-based prefrential treatment, all racial discrimination and for us all to follow MLK, Jr.’s message to stop judging, stop blaming, stop attacking and stop hating each other because of the color of our skin.  We must be united in condemning any racial discrimination against our fellow brothers and sisters.  However, this condemnation cannot be 180, it must be 360.  We cannot condemn only the Klu Klux Klan, we must also condemn the New Black Panthers.  We cannot just condemn all white country clubs; we must also condemn the Congressional Black Caucus.  We cannot just condemn the too white Academy Awards; we must also condemn the too black BET Awards.  True equality, racial equality, is when people are held accountable for their actions regardless of race and compete without racial preferences.  This is the path to racial harmony and a better economic conditions for blacks in this country.  When the real problems are identified then real solutions can start to work.

We must look beyond skin color as the cause of poverty, lack of education, and racial disparity in the job market and earning.  This does not mean we do not address the problems facing Americans but we do so in a color blind way that serves all people.  

People are not wealthy because of their skin color.  They are not poor because of it either.  They are poor or rich because of three things.  Luck (who your parents are), the choices you make and your willingness to forgo immediate gratification for long term success.  This analysis is a bit oversimplified, but you get the gist.

I have seen, with my own eyes, neighborhoods that were thriving until blacks rioted, as they did in 1968, and burned out the businesses operated by whites.  Those businesses stayed empty until Koreans immigrated to this country and opened up grocery stores and other businesses in those empty buildings. 

The Koreans did not speak English, but they worked hard and made sure their children went to school, schools right there in the black neighborhoods.  They saved their money, they raised their children and they prospered.  The wealth they earned was passed onto the children.  Their children were given an advantage in the opportunity race not because of the color of their skin but because of the action of their parents.

It is a myth that blacks are not succeeding in America.  They are and for the very same reasons I described about the Korean families.  The blacks that are mired in poverty are there not because they are black but because of losing the parent lottery and their choices. 

It is a hard reality to know that you as an individual will never be wealthy, will never have fancy clothes or cars, but accepting that fact and committing to making sure that your children have a better life is the key to breaking the cold hard chains of poverty.

The other fact is that two parents are better than one.  Do not mistake this to mean that two parents are better individuals than the single parent who works hard and sacrifices for their children because it isn’t what I mean.  Bless those single parents who sacrifice to raise their children.  They are saints. 

It is just easier for two parents to raise the children and help them be successful.  Two parents mean two incomes or if one stays home, one income but without the large expense of child care.  Two parents mean that they can tag team raising the kids each bringing their own unique love and nurturing and giving the other a break when they need it.

Two parents will not raise 72 percent of black children born today.  From birth, the odds of success for these children are diminished.  Again, not disparaging the single parent, just stating a fact.

Take a look at the video I posted.  Judge Judy said it very well.  We need to say what she said and more over and over.  People, including black people, need to stop blaming others for their problems.  It is not skin color that holds you back, it is sometimes just bad luck, but more often than not it is your own poor choices.  You have ways to, perhaps not have a “wealthy” life for yourself, but for your children.  Put the children first and we will see poverty reduced in this country.  

As a final word, stop attacking me for the color of my skin, stop making excuses for people because of their skin color, stop promoting racial discrimination and start being an American and not an African-American and I will stand with you and not against you. 

Lies and More Lies

I put forth the premise that if someone lies about something minor to garner favor with others then they will lie about major issues to protect themselves.  Credibility is earned by demonstrating a willingness to be truthful.  Credibility is lost when a person is caught in lies.

Credibility, character and integrity are not relative; they are stand-alone traits.  In other words a person is to be judged by their actions alone and not in comparison to the actions of others. The bad actions of another in no way mitigate or justify a person's own bad actions. Good people do good things especially when others around them are not.

A person who is credible should be given the benefit of the doubt when questioning what they say.  A person who has been caught in a lie is not credible and always should be assumed to be lying.

Hillary Clinton has lied based on statements she have made in the past that have been proven false.  It is a fact she has lied about all her grandparents being immigrants.  It is a fact that she lied about landing under sniper fire in Bosnia.  It is a fact that she lied about her daughter jogging around the World Trade Center on 9/11. And, one of my favorite lies is when she lied about being broke when she and Bill left the White House.

Yes, these were small lies, but lies nonetheless.  It is troubling that she lied, but even more so because there was no reason to lie.  She lied because, like the rattlesnake that bites you, it is what they do.  

So, when the Benghazi victim’s families tell us that Clinton told them the attack was because of an offensive video and Clinton says they are lying, who should we believe?  The families have no reason to lie and Clinton does; and of course, we know she lies even when there isn’t a reason to lie.

When Clinton says she didn’t have any classified information on her server, that it was just used for personal communication, are we to believe her?  Not if the premise I stated at the beginning is true and I believe it to be true. 

When Clinton says she supports women and especially rape victims are we to believe her in light of the fact that Paula Broaddrick has stated in an interview with Aaron Klein, Breitbart News, referring to Hillary Clinton and the alleged rape of her by Bill Clinton, “I thought, that’s the most disgusting thing.  She tried to silence me.” 

You decide if Clinton is a serial liar not to be trusted, but let logic lead you to the truth.  In the end, you may still want to vote for Hillary Clinton for president, but at least be honest and admit she has lied to the American people and will continue to lie to you.

Keep on Trumpin

KTT

I cannot wait until the Iowa Caucus on Monday. This is, perhaps, one of the most important elections in my life and the history of this country. 

Our country has lost almost all common sense and is on the "road to perdition."  We have lost our moral compass, our soul and our heart. The naysayers will challenge me, but tell me how what I say is not true when we have thousands of murders occurring in our cities each year that go almost unnoticed. Tell me how a moral country lets it's people live in poverty, lets it war veterans be homeless and vilifies anyone who dares speak out against the policies that have thrust our country into this downward spiral.

The media and both Democratic and Republican politicians launch a vicious smear campaign against a citizen running for president simply because they disagree with him. The rich elite threaten to leave the country if he, and yes, I am referring to Trump, wins the election.

They call him a racist, a Nazi,and an Islamaphobe because they disagree with him. We are told to "coexist" by these people but they do not practice it. 

I am not a Trump supporter, yet, but like many Americans, the more he is attacked and the more he fights back, the more I grow to like and support him.  I do not like how he says things sometimes, but I generally agree with his message. 

Yes, we should limit immigration from countries with known terrorist until we can do a better job of protecting our citizens from those who come here as refugees only to kill us. And, shove the Islamophobe rhetoric. I and millions of others have never uttered an ill-word against Muslims for decades.  I have attended a Muslim wedding, been friends and still am with Muslims and never considered they might want to kill Americans until they did; until Muslim countries openly declared "death to America."

Common sense dictates you mistrust those that want to kill you.  I am sure there were Germans who did not want to kill Americans living in the cities we bombed, but we bombed those cities anyway.  Same with Japan and now with Muslims.  Millions of Muslims worldwide believe it is acceptable to kill Americans and others. 

Millions of Muslims only want to come here for a better life. Too bad. The radical Islamist have ruined it for them. The safety of Americans must come first, this is just common sense and it is just.

So yes, Trump does say what I believe and the more you attack him the more you attack me and the more likely the enemy of my enemy becomes my candidate. 

Everything is Racist

Everything is racist.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are racist, food served at college is racist, standardized testing is racist, the Academy Awards are racist and now I learn today even infant mortality is the result of racism.  The list goes on and on and on.  I am sure there are more, but this is enough to make my point – everything that blacks do not like is now racist.  Every problem that blacks have can be traced back to and blamed on racism.

Heck, a white roommate of a Ms. Priscilla Ward caused her great angst because he did not know what was going on in Ferguson, Missouri.  Ms.Ward, was traumatized by the event. She wrote about the agonizing experience "I longed to crawl back to my tiny black universe. A place where I could create a sense of peace, identity and acceptance, a place where I could sit there, trying to untangle my fro and make sense of what it means to be an African-American woman in this country, rehashing our history while facing present pain. But life happens, and most of us can’t stay in our own utopias forever."

Ms. Ward's reaction is typical of many blacks today.  Set aside that her white roommate choose to room with her a black woman, the fact remains that he is racist because he didn't know what was going on in a small black Missouri city. No, it couldn't be that he, like so many other young people today just didn't have a clue about a current event.  Nope it was an attack on Ms. Ward that rocked her world.

After learning today that black babies dying is the result of racism I decide to give up and just concede that everything is racist.  Yes, white people, especially white males, along with P&J sandwiches are racist and are the root of all evils inflicted upon blacks.

You can keep believing the race baiters when they preach their hate and our country will grow angrier and more divided. Or we can stop paying attention to the Priscilla Wards of this world and pay attention to real problems. It is time we stop playing the race card for every perceived microagression.  It is time of us to set aside race and start living the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. by looking past skin color and working toward solutions to stop violent crime, poverty and lack of health care, not just for blacks but for the poor of all colors.
You will have my support when you look at an issue from a socioeconomic point of view.  You will lose me when you blame me for the problem because of my skin color.

You will have my support when you raise issues of police brutality, gun violence that kills young men and women and children. You will lose me when you tell me I do not have to deal with these issues because of my white privilege. I do have to deal with them both on an individual level and because issues that affect my fellow Americans and my country affect me.

You will lose me when you scream P&J sandwiches, college food, and the academy awards are racist.  These are meaningless issues and only serve to distract from real problems.

Infant mortality is a real and serious problem so if you want to talk about how we can provide better access to prenatal care for poor woman so they can bear healthy babies then I'm there with you.  Play the race card and you divide us and drive me away.

I am a non-hyphenated, colorblind American who will help all Americans achieve the American Dream.  I will not help those who attack me because of my race.  I am caring and compassionate but I am not stupid.

Time to end the race baiting, the hating and start looking for the real root causes of violence and poverty in America.  Time to focuses on what unites us and to work together to make our country the best country in the world.

I am willing to live King's dream; are you?

Note: Here is a link to Ward's essay.  It is worth reading and if you are like me you will come away thi linking she is the racist and not her roommate.

http://www.salon.com/2015/12/31/im_tired_of_suppressing_myself_to_get_along_with_white_people_2/

Robbing Peter and Peter's Kids to Pay Paul

The Governor, to his credit, restructured Kansas's taxes to spur economic growth. A noble experiment, but a failed experiment. 

There is no shame in failing but there is shame in being so arrogant that you won't admit you failed.  There is shame in lacking the common sense to realize that your failure, no not the failed experiment, but the failure to admit it and change course is ruining state agencies and other important programs. 

The state's coffers are bare and now after raiding the state's highway fund, the governor is stealing every penny from the Children's Initiative Fund's piggy bank.

Important and worthwhile programs will cease to provide services important to children. Here is a link to an article detailing some of those programs. 

http://www.kshb.com/news/state/kansas/kansas-gov-sam-brownback-proposes-...

I cannot believe business people wanted their taxes reduced at the expense of Kansas children. They need to speak up and demand Brownback's failure be reversed By the Kansas Legislature.

It is a surprise that so few are speaking against Brownback's failed experiment and speaking up for our children.  People, now is the time to Stand Up and Push Back against Brownback's failed tax experiment. 

No Guns for You!

President Obama has announced he is going to issue an executive order to impose stricter gun control laws than enacted by the United States Congress.  Congress is the legislative branch of government.  Whereas the President, as part of the executive is limited to carrying out the laws.  A president may use executive orders to develop policy to carry out or interpret law, but they cannot write law.  Here is a good article on executive orders (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Executive+Order).

We will not know if Obama’s executive order is Constitutional or not until he issues it.  He has said, however, that he intends to close the so-called “gun show loophole.”  First, there is no such thing as a “gun show loophole.”  Any person, regardless of where the transaction takes place, for example, brick and mortar building, online or at a gun show, who devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms is required to be a federally licensed firearm dealer and conduct background checks when selling a firearm. 

There is an exception.  A person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms is not required to be licensed and conduct background checks.  Do sales of firearms by persons not required to be licensed take place at gun shows?  Yes, they do, but it is not a loophole, it is the law that allows it.

Obama and others may not like the law, but it is the law and he cannot change it; making law, as you may recall, is the responsibility of Congress.  Will he attempt to change it through executive order?  Maybe he will, but again we will not know until he issues his decree.  In the meantime, ponder this:

Anti-gun advocates make much ado about the militia mentioned in the Second Amendment.  The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment is an individual right; there is no need to be part of a militia. However, for the sake of argument, let’s pretend that the founders did intend only those were part of a militia could legally possess firearms.  Then I ask, who is the militia?  I think George Mason summed it up nicely when at the Debates in Virginia Convention on Ratification of the Constitution in 1788 said, " I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials."

A militia can be part of the government or as the founders most likely envisioned, separate from it.  Doubt it?  Then consider 10 U.S. Code § 311 - Militia: composition and classes.  It recognizes unorganized militias. And I ask, what were the requirements for being part of a militia and owning a firearm in 1788?

So, even if being part of a militia is a requirement of firearm ownership, I am part of a militia. I stand ready to defend my country against attacks both foreign and domestic and against my government should it ever come to that. So, the argument that only members of a government militia, AKA the National Guard, is without merit.

I am for stopping violence, all violence, but I will not infringe upon the rights of people to do it.  Passing new gun control laws have proven to be ineffective in deterring violence.  California has very restrictive firearm laws and has continually failed to stop violent acts committed with firearms. 

Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland bragged during the Democratic debates about the very strict gun laws he passed including a so-called assault weapon ban and yet Baltimore has one of the highest murder rates in the country. Not much to brag about is it?

No new gun control law will stop violence – we need to address the root cause of violence to stop it.  Do not try to stop me from protecting myself and my family until the criminals and terrorist are brought under control. 

The truth is the anti-gun advocates want to ban all firearms.  To them I say, “go for it, but do it Constitutionally.  Amend the Second Amendment.”  

I do not want them to simply repeal the Second Amendment.  I want them to amend it to ban all persons from owning firearms, including any private security persons.  No person, except those in the employ of a government law enforcement agency shall be authorized to possess a firearm while on official duty; lock it away at the station when off-duty.  

Additionally , armed government security shall be provided only at official buildings or events and no person, regardless of position held, including the president of the United States shall be entitled to government security after their term of office has expired or while not on official business.

Think about that Obama, Clinton, O'Malley, Bloomberg, and Clinton; are you will to give up your guns?  Of course they would never agree to having their armed protection taken away.  Make no mistake, they think their lives are so much more important than yours and mine.  

To the hypocritical rich who want to keep their armed security while taking away my means to protect myself and my family I say, "it ain't happening."

To everyone else I say, "listen to what Obama says, watch what he does and tell me if you really will be any safer?"  You won't but he doesn't care because it isn't about safety.  It is all about politics, always has been. And remember, like the pair joined at the hip, "we've got ours, you don't need yours."