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.