Evidently Obtuse

Article II, Section 1, Clause 8: United States Constitution

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: – I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

To state the obvious, I added the yellow highlighting to the last line of the presidential Oath of Office.

In all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over "no evidence" for Joe Biden's impeachment, no one seems to realize that he already stands fully convicted by his failure to enforce the laws of the United States under the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Except for those that agree with him, is Biden protecting any American's right to free speech? Ask a traditional Catholic about the "free exercise" of religion and ask parents trying to attend school board meetings about their right "peaceably to assemble." As any journalist, scientist, or commentator canceled in recent years can tell you, a "free press" in this country is a thing of the past. 

Those are some of the Biden administration's violations of the Bill of Rights. And that's just the First Amendment. 

Regarding the crisis on the southern border, no law appears to be enforced as illegal entries swarm and overwhelm every part of the country.

Joe Biden has flagrantly violated his presidential oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. The evidence for his impeachment is clear and copious. Congress, witnesses, and the legal "experts" are hunting for twigs while surrounded by a forest. For some unfathomable reason, they aren't seeing the trees.

Constitutional Chaos

"It is the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Constitution Week seems somewhat bizarre in our current national climate. After all, our historical monuments and statues have been destroyed or removed, laws aren't even suggestions anymore, people are arrested for differing opinions, the country has no discernable border, and we have a crime mob family running the show from Washington DC. The US Constitution seems rather beside the point at the moment. It's not even taught anymore, from what I hear.

On second thought, though, this may be the perfect time to give our foundational document a serious read. If more Americans were educated in what the Constitution actually contains and how it was designed to protect all future generations, we might be better equipped to identify nonsense when we hear or see it. 

For example, certain members of Congress want to establish "oversight" of the Supreme Court. All one needs to do is read the US Constitution to see that there are three co-equal branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial. No one branch gets to boss any of the others around. The Founders were big fans of the system of "checks and balances." Joe Biden and his throngs of power-hungry Democrats really should look into it before the country collapses into complete ruin. But of course, continuing chaos could be their plan.

Freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, all seem to be remnants of the past. Yet they are purposely enumerated as the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution. Maybe download that document and give it a read-through--while there's still time to get smart and turn this mess around.

Never Forgotten

Link to last words of 911 victims

Election Fatigue

Did we really need to start living out the November 2024 election beginning in the summer of 2023? Apparently, both the Republican party and the ubiquitous media is convinced we do.

I'm already weary of all the candidates, but I know that my tiny little opinion has no particular meaning. (I'm also convinced that my vote will have little bearing on the election, but that's a different issue.)

Why do we have to listen to these over-confident and self-satisfied people, every day, ad nauseam? The answer is, we don't. I, for one, am tuning out any speeches, interviews, rallies, and/or campaign ads by any of them. I've already seen and heard enough. Former President Trump is noted for his catchy nicknames, but I have my own code names for the major Republican candidates.

Nikki Haley - The Motor Mouth. Can you imagine listening to her endless fast-talking harangues for four solid years? When she answers a question, she sounds like she popped a speedball on top of three cups of coffee. What a headache. Just in case her candidacy advances, I'm not listening to her for now.

Mike Pence - The Preacher. He's very solemn, he takes himself so seriously, and he loves to lecture "the American People" on right and wrong. He knows what's best, of that he is firmly convinced. Please, Reverend, take a seat.

Vivek Ramaswamy - The Brown Nose. Didn't we all know someone like this in school, who was always ready to demonstrate that he was the smartest kid in the room all while kissing the teacher's butt (in the current Republican political arena, that would be Trump's).

Chris Christie - The Two-Facer. He cozied up to then-President Trump trying to position himself for a key position, and now he has a seemingly endless supply of knives ready to plunge into Trump's back. And who can forget the bear-hug he engulfed Obama in after 2012's Hurricane Sandy, during Mitt Romney's campaign for president? He seems like a big phony.

Tim Scott - The Lost Cause. He's such a good man, but he suffers from "Just Too Nice" syndrome. Also, he can't stop talking about his impoverished childhood. His policy positions are appealing, but I don't think he has the punch to survive this battle. 

Ron DeSantis - The Runner-Up. I really like him, his policies, and how he executes his duties as Florida's governor. He would be a perfect Republican candidate. But, barring unforeseen dramatic events (always possible, probably likely), I don't see anyone catching Donald Trump as the nominee at this point. 

I watched the first debate, but I've checked out of the future ones that are scheduled. I suspect we'll be listening to one of these candidates soon enough.

A minute's peace, please?

A Perspective from the Edge

"Call back Trump."

~ Prime Minister Orban, Hungary

Perhaps because I was just a visitor to the beautiful and vibrant nation of Hungary two months ago, the Tucker Carlson interview with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban resonated very strongly. 

It's worth every second of a half hour to hear this man who prioritizes "family, nation, and God" ahead of political affiliations speak about his country, his people, and the war in Ukraine--with which Hungary shares a border. It's vitally important to gain the perspective of a world leader whose country is living so close to the edge of wartime destruction.  Orban makes a convincing argument that the key to peace in Europe is the reinstatement of President Donald Trump. 

Americans might be surprised to learn that some of our tax dollars were diverted to a campaign against Orban's reelection. It didn't work. Orban was comfortably reelected. Then Carlson asked him if he ever considered bringing charges against his opponent. Orban declares such a tactic "in Hungary, that is impossible to imagine...that was done by the Communists." Indeed.

US leaders tend to think they know it all and to be dismissive of other nations. These so-called leaders should watch, listen--and, just possibly, learn something of value from a true leader.

Tucker Carlson interviews Prime Minister Orban in Budapest, Hungary

Weather or Not

It's August, which is usually a hot, dry, dusty month in Southern California. However, we are in the midst of a tropical storm, formerly known as Hurricane Hilary, and it's been raining all day.

The storm's winds are supposed to arrive this afternoon and evening. From the local media coverage, you would think Armageddon was approaching. My phone has exploded with siren blasts and multiple emergency warning calls from the power company, my insurance company, and city government. Good grief, people, calm down. Rain is a good thing in this part of the country, regardless of the calendar month.

Earlier this week, the full-on hurricane was expected to hit. That hasn't happened around here since 1858. The last time a tropical storm hit this area was 1939. That's 84 years ago. No one was worried about carbon footprints or climate change back then. Hurricanes and tropical storms were accepted as the consistently unpredictable weather. And today's storm proves that weather continues to do whatever it's going to do, no matter the amount of angst and wailing from the environmentalists.

The late comedian George Carlin did a fabulous stand-up bit on "the planet" nearly a quarter century ago. The man was not only common-sense smart and logical; he was prescient. His descriptions of the environmentally preoccupied concerns and the examples he offers of the stolid resiliency of Planet Earth are not just hilariously funny. Carlin's observations are perfectly timed to our climate-obsessed modern moment.

It's kind of fun to have the weather to blame for going nowhere today and settling in with a book. The storm is also a good reminder that we shouldn't kid ourselves that we are in control. Weather will do what it will, whether or not we are prepared.

George Carlin - The Planet is Fine"

Somber Fighting Words

Victor Davis Hanson is a national treasure. He is a classicist who can read, speak and write Greek and Latin; a university professor; a military historian; a prolific author; a farmer; and a native Californian with many generations preceding him on the family farm.

Hanson has boundless knowledge of the state and its history, along with the rest of the world and its history. I am completely addicted to his podcasts and wish he published one each day. The knowledge, the wisdom, and the logic he imparts to his listeners--always in a calm, measured, and humble manner--is priceless and always leaves me wanting to hear more.

In addition to his many books, Hanson is a prolific writer of several articles each week. He publishes several thought-provoking articles each week on various platforms. His most recent piece, "The Remaking of America," on American Greatness, is especially sobering. It could be described as depressing. But it is so true, and such an eloquent summation of the carefully engineered collapse of our unique republic, that every American who is concerned for our children's future should read it.

The Remaking of America. We are living through it, and it's only the beginning of what the leftists hope to achieve. Hanson's article can be read as an incentive for concerned Americans. I hope we who understand the damage our country has suffered, and will continue to suffer, can find the strength to fight back. "Each according to their own station," as Hanson often quietly urges in his podcasts. Fight for the US, on our own ground and while we still can. We know it's worth it.

Sound of Freedom, Act of Courage

I went to see Sound of Freedom this weekend. It is a powerful movie, a high-quality production that is well written and acted. The fact that this film is based on actual events in the unspeakable world of child sex trafficking makes the story even more gripping. Actor Jim Caviezel plays real-life Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard with an earnest intensity that does justice to the harrowing realities portrayed in the film.

The reviews of Sound of Freedom almost always refer to it as a "faith-based" movie. This is a laughable description, and it demonstrates the lengths that media will travel to squelch any public deviation from their carefully crafted left-wing narrative. In watching the movie, I couldn't identify Ballard's religion, aside from the fact that he believes in--gasp!--God. The real-life characters portrayed do infrequently mention in conversation--gasp!--God. If this qualifies it as "faith-based," there are innumerable movies that need to be recategorized.

The impression I got from Ballard's story is not so much faith as personal values and investment. Ballard's assignment was capturing perpetrators of child sex trafficking. As he became more aware of the details involved in the children's horrific fate, the plight of sex trafficked children consumed him on a personal level.

In real life, as depicted in the film, Ballard has several children; the reality of sex-slave children was too close to home, and he became personally committed to saving them. Having worked in the healthcare industry, I know that this happens on occasion to doctors and nurses. One patient's case speaks to them on a deeply personal level, and they become immersed in that patient's journey. We are all human, and we each have our soul's touchpoints. Child sex trafficking became such a cause for Tim Ballard. He gave up his job and government pension to rescue enslaved children. 

Actor Jim Caviezel has endured stereotyping and persecution for his values and beliefs, beginning two decades ago with his portrayal of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ up to and including his outspokenness about therapeutics in the fight against Covid-19. Caviezel is an excellent actor and a brave man who has paid a high price for his honesty and integrity. I'll support any movie he appears in; he never films junk.

Sound of Freedom is a movie that holds you. Although the viewers know the outcome, the suspense in the theatre is palpable. I could sense everyone (including myself) leaning forward during the rescue scenes. This movie depicts real children in unthinkably evil circumstances. It is an important film with a critically urgent message. I hope millions more Americans will see it.

From Sound of Freedom

Life Taking Over

I've been offline for a while due to a number of reasons. Coming home from Europe, one expects a healthy dose of jet lag. I didn't expect a walloping case of Covid-19 to hitchhike along with the jet lag, but that came home with me, too.

I was body-slammed for the first week of July with a diverse smorgasbord of revolving symptoms that astounded me. It took three and a half years, but when Covid finally nailed me, it seemed determined to show off all its stuff. Prominent among Covid's many manifestations were the two-to-three-hour naps I felt compelled to take every day. When I was able to return to the office after a week of working at home, the lingering fatigue accompanying me had me longing to close my eyes and put my head down on my desk each afternoon, just like a sleepy kindergarten pupil. Had I done that, I would've been out cold.

Next in July came two sets of visiting relatives, their dates partially overlapping. This was wonderful fun for me, and I enjoyed all the company immensely. However, such lively circumstances do not leave much time for written composition (especially when they include all four grandchildren at your home).

Now I find myself engulfed by the home improvement phase of summer. There are installers, painters, and repair technicians all scheduled at my house in the past few weeks and into August. Oh well, if I want to retire in the foreseeable future--and I do--I'd better get such loose ends dealt with now.

I call times like the unfolding month "life taking over." There's too much to deal with in too little time. We all find ourselves in this unpredictable boat at times, being swept along by the domineering currents of multiple events, commitments, and situations. I like to say that if we come out on the other side with enough energy to complain, it couldn't have been that bad. Depending on whether or not life decides to back up off me, I hope to check in again sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, may all your life takeovers be happy ones.

American Soul