Opinions Are NOT Facts

In a 24/7 news coverage environment, the media on all fronts love and promote misinformation in the form of supposition and hyperbole primarily designed to foster fear and hatred.  This creates controversy and stirs up the basest of emotions. 

Today’s news outlets no longer feel compelled to verify what they report.  As long as they can attribute a source for the information, they are perfectly content in releasing almost anything.  This is what their marketing gurus have encouraged them to do.  This is the most successful strategy for drawing listeners and viewers and therefore to sell their sponsors stuff and increase their profits. 

The Supreme Court ruled on Roe V Wade in 1973 making abortion legal in America.  At the time, its detractors told us this is just the start.  Next the government will be euthanizing the elderly and killing the handicapped.  They warned that this signaled the end of a Christian nation and the beginning of a Godless society.  Forty-two years later none of this wild-eyed speculation has come to pass.  

The affordable Care Act (Obama-Care) created death panels.  The number of people put to death under the Affordable Care Act thus far?  You guess it – NONE.  

With the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act it was speculated that this was just the start of a total government takeover in this country.  Next the government would be establishing real estate prices, restaurant pricing and dictating who can live where.  It’s only been 51 years since those predictions were made and again we have yet to see any of it occur. 

Next, we were told the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling would lead to the eradication of all forms of birth control.  Women should begin preparing themselves for the days when they will once again have to succumb to back-alley abortions and certain death - this despite the fact that the court frowned upon just two IUD's and two Morning After pills. 

Remember when we learned that President Obama “will spend $200 million a day on his India trip.”  It didn’t happen because it would have been impossible to do. 

Then there are those who tout that eliminating Social Security will solve our budget deficit problems.  Social Security has nothing to do with the federal budget and therefore does not impact it even one iota.  

Remember Jon Kyle taking to the senate floor to inform America that 90% of what is done at Planned Parenthood is abortions?  He later admitted he misspoke. 

And for over 60 years and after countless increases we are still hearing that the raising of the minimum wage will result in business having to shut down.  We have never been given a list as to who these businesses are nor any validations supporting the claim - bearing in mind that businesses fail in this country every day for countless numbers of reasons. 

There is more; so very much more, making this one of the biggest threats to our Democratic Republic. 

The only way to counteract all this rubbish is to first recognize it is being decimated by political party loyalists and/or tribalists.  Political parties only care about winning elections.  They are NEVER first and foremost concerned about the general welfare and common good of our nation. 

Next, we must begin recognizing when all this drivel is being flung at us.  This then requires us to do our due-diligence - our own research - to establish the credibility of the claims and assertions, along with applying our own God given common sense. 

Finally, in our daily activities and conversations, we must make it clear to everyone we address on current affairs and civics that fear and hatred expressed in the form of opinion are NOT facts.  

In the final analysis, our democratic republic requires us to think clearly and respond accordingly.  Our freedoms and liberties are NOT bestowed upon us by others.  They are bestowed upon us by “We the people.”  If we choose to disengage from the blessing imparted by our founding fathers there is NOOO doubt that those liberties and freedoms will be stripped away from us.

Realities of Rugged Individualism

Every now and again the notion that “rugged individualism” is lost in America and that therefore America is in decline rears its ugly head.  

 It has most recently surfaced on the internet as a video clip from the motion picture “Without Reservations.”  This clip is heralded as “John Wayne Schools a Socialist 50 Years Ago—And It’s Still Relevant!” and “John Wayne Mops the floor with Liberal Lady.”  The clip contains the following dialogue delivered by Wayne; “Have you ever heard of some fellas who first came over to this country?  Do you know what they found?  They found a howling wilderness; the summers too hot and the winters freezing.   Did they have insurance for their old age, for their crops, for their homes?   They did not.  They looked at the land, and the forest and the rivers; they looked at their wives, their kids and their houses.   And then they looked at the sky and said ‘thanks God.  We’ll take it from here’…They were men!!” 

Those circulating this video call themselves Conservatives.  This hyperbole is extreme and demands proper perspective.

First, we must attempt a clarification for all these Ideological labels.  Universally accepted definitions and concepts for political labeling and ideologies do NOT exist. Reference A Malat Musing (“Ideology Versus Party”). 

To further clarify, neither William F. Buckley Jr., the once undisputed guru of American conservative thought, nor President Ronald Reagan, subscribed to “rugged individualism” as a cornerstone to conservativism.  Moreover, the most “rugged individualist” to ever occupy the presidency, Teddy Roosevelt, scoffed at the notion.  Suggesting the callousness of “rugged individualism” is at the heart of conservative doctrine is preposterous and does a grave disservice to the rational conservative voices among us today.

Next, we must deal with progress.  The idea that cooperative and collaborative programs, such as insurances, have weakened or softened us flatly ignores the pain, suffering and injustice that were commonplace in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.   Downplaying or demeaning these advances is as ludicrous as believing that only real men would still plow their farm land with donkeys and horses.  

Also, “rugged individualists” seem oblivious to the importance of two national government programs. The first was Lincoln granting homestead protection to everyone who went west.  The second was his set aside program to use government property to build our land grant colleges.  It is therefore disingenuous to suggest that ONLY the sweat of the brow won the American west when Federal Programs also played a huge and vital role in that development.      

Then we are faced with the reality that not everyone is able to till the soil.  We have the handicapped, the poor, the underprivileged.  There are those who suffer from bigotry and discrimination.  Then there are those who spent their lives toiling in their fields only to have nothing to show for it.  They are left to die poor, sick and in pain.  Those among us callous enough to hold to the “survival of the fittest” mindset that is the linchpin for the typical “rugged individualist”, need to spend some serious time with the New Testament.

Finally, how do we accomplish what can only be accomplished through the collective efforts of all Americas if we hold to a “dog eat dog” or an “every man for himself” mentality?  How do we progress and improve our state of being?  Could rugged individualism have been the impetus for the military, police and fire departments or for unemployment insurance, federally insured savings accounts or public schools and libraries???  

And then we too need to look “at the sky and” say “thanks God.” Thank You for a compassionate and enlightened America that dismisses cruel and destructive ideologies to the common good and general welfare of our nation.  And most especially, thank You for the established cornerstone of the collective efforts created between government and private concerns that have resulted in a far better way of American life within our blessed Republic.

History Condemns War Apathy

History is no longer taught in many of our secondary educational systems today.  As such, there are those among us who know nothing of our military and war involvements and have no inclination toward learning anything about them or from them.  There are also those among us who believe that any remembrance of such brutality only aids in fueling a glorification of the horrors and work to ensure our wars be forgotten and left to the past.

It is for those individuals that the following is imparted.

1.     We were attacked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  Four days later on December 11, 1941 Hitler made his formal proclamation declaring war on the United States.  We were forced into this horror.

2.      At one point Nazi Germany controlled 3.3 million square miles of land.  All of it  ruled and controlled by brutal barbarism.

 3.      Hitler’s death camps killed 11,000,000 people.  While the world will, and should, never forget the holocaust of the 6,000,000 Jews slaughtered in those camps, we need to also be mindful that 5,000,000 of Hitler’s victims did not have to be Jewish to find your way into Hitler’s incinerators or in front of his firing squads.

Bravery doesn't suggest the absence of fear and terror
It states your strength of character overcame your terror

4.       The invasion of Europe took place on the beaches at Normandy France on June 6,  944.  It encompassed amphibious landings on five beaches codenamed; Juno,    Gold, Omaha, Utah and Sword.   Before the fighting would end, it would claim approximately 10,000 casualties, more than half (6,603) were Americans.

     5.       On May 9, 1945, less than a year  after the invasion at Normandy, the war in     Europe ended and Hitler’s fascist reign of terror was over.

Furthermore, between 1914 and 1946, one hundred million (100,000,000) people were killed in two world wars.

The incredible bravery and sacrifice by all those responsible for victory NEEDS to be celebrated and memorialized on that most significant of dates, June 6.   

We need to additionally commemorate the Manhattan Project.  That program developed the first nuclear weapons, dubbed “Little Boy” and “Fat Man.”  They were dropped on August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima, Japan and August 9, 1945 in Nagasaki, Japan.  Those events ended the war in the Pacific, saving untold thousands of American and allied lives, and equally as critical, halted the next war brewing for world domination by Russia.

Winston Churchill warned time and again that Joseph Stalin was as serious a threat to world peace as Adolph Hitler.  Even though Hitler and Stalin fostered differing ideologies, both hungered for world dominance through war and terror.  In July of 1945 Stalin began his quest by moving his troops toward China, with designs on conquering Japan.

George Patton and other military leaders encouraged attacking Stalin before he could gain any kind of merciless foothold in his vicious and evil campaign.  Meanwhile President Harry Truman knew that once those bombs were dropped on Japan, Stalin would become very skittish in continuing with any form of aggressive military bloodshed.  

One can only surmise how many more lives could, and would, have been lost, not just in the continuation of World War II, but in the unthinkable event of having to extinguish the horror of Stalin’s barbarism.  Such a number is, thank God, left only to the horror of our imaginations. 

What we have learned is if WE MUST FIGHT, WE MUST WIN.  More importantly, WE MUST NEVER INITIATE WAR for it MUST ALWAYS, ALWAYS be the last resort.  It’s barbarism, cruelty and waste – it’s inhumanity - is man’s greatest disgrace.

Maybe it’s time our educators, in their infinite wisdom, consider teaching history again.  Enlightening future generations as to war’s carnage just might prevent the present-day American apathy toward our war killings and deaths from continuing its march forward.  

We are now involved in seven war theaters worldwide.  We have been fighting in Afghanistan for more than a decade.  The media chooses not to report on these wars with any regularity and the American people are silent rather than outraged over our war waste in both financial resources and American lives.  There can be little doubt that a woeful lack of historical knowledge by current generations has contributed greatly to this awful malaise.  The greed and avarice of “The Forever War Crowd” has the upper-hand which does NOT purport well for America.  

Time to Revitalize Memorial Day

How many now know what his symbolizes?

What might have appeared as yet another nondescript Memorial Day has passed again; yet this one, left us with a couple of significant noteworthy ponderances.         

First was the news that after more than 20 years, Valley City, North Dakota was forced to cancel their Memorial Day parade.  The local Chapter of the VFW is steadily losing membership.  Younger vets are not filling those empty membership slots.  "Nationwide, younger veterans are not inclined to join these organizations," said Bill Prokopyk, the National Guard's public information officer.   As a result the VFW failed to draw enough participants to fill key roles in the parade, including the color guard which provides the appropriate U.S. military honors.   Added to that frustration is the ever growing number of residents who vacate the city for fishing, boating at their lake homes, camping and etc. foregoing holiday celebrations.                        

Veteran’s organizations do a great job of fighting for veterans benefits, helping troubled veterans with daily life challenges and honoring fallen service members.  This verity along with the Valley City occurrence couldn’t help but ignite a concern as to what future America will resemble if we continue to place recreational activities before our fallen soldiers.

 

Next we have a magnificent article that appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on May 25, 2015.  In the Kent Youngblood and David La Vaque writing (Memorial Day Memories: A Time To Serve Not Play) they report on their interview with former Viking Head Coach Bud Grant.  This exceptional article places Memorial Day in its proper perspective by drawing contrasts between our contemporary sports scene and those that serve our country.

They emphasize that the insane sports fanaticism that has come to grip our culture was once unheard of in America.  The authors use Grant’s service in the Second World War as their lynchpin in calling for an awakening in priorities and American spirit.  Grant experienced firsthand the awful scourges of war as he witnessed the killing of his fellow Americans. Through Grant it is pointed out that only a small number of Americans now remain who remember those days and are therefore capable of placing athletic events and Memorial Day in their proper perspective.  This knowledge is crucial in contemporary times if we are to ever create, once again, the solemn place this holiday should hold in ALL American hearts.   “On this Memorial Day, a generation can reflect on an era when American sports were relegated to such a status that Major League Baseball, America’s runaway champion of sport in the 1940s, needed a nudge from the president to continue playing its games. The war was the focus, and the people in it.”

“ ‘On days like this, that’s what I think about,’ (Bud) Grant said. ‘Not football games, Super Bowls. That’s entertainment. There is a difference between heroes and stars. Those guys were heroes. In sports, we don’t do anything heroic, we just entertain. … No other generation has those kind of memories. So losing a Super Bowl is not that important.’ ” 

This brought to mind the greatest baseball game ever played.  It was on July 2, 1963 when Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves dueled with Juan Marichal for 16 innings at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.  We’ll never see that again.

In recounting this, one can hardly ignore that Spahn, like Grant, also served during the Second World War.  He too saw many of his fellow service men killed.  He served with distinction.  He saw action in the Battle of the Bulge, was wounded and awarded a purple heart and earned a battlefield commission for his heroism.  Rest assured; 16 innings of dueling with Marichal and facing Willie Mays probably paralleled a pleasant Sunday stroll in the park for Spahn. 

While Spahn’s words may be different, they echo exactly the same sentiment held by Bud Grant. “The army taught me something about challenges, and about what’s important and what isn’t.” 

Have we really reached the point where Memorial Day is now primarily “A time to Play?”  Is it really so outrageous to suggest that Major League Baseball teams suspend play on Memorial Day or that we do our camping and boating between Friday and Sunday returning home on Sunday to use that additional Monday to honor our fallen service men?  It was General George Patton who summarized it perfectly.  “Compared to war, all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance.” 

If we no longer hold to that conviction and deeply cherish the significance of that reality, than it is clear that America would now best be served by eliminating the Memorial Day holiday.

Related Reference:  Why a Memorial Day

http://malatman-malatblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/05/why-memorial-day-congressional-medal-of.html

Unidentified Culprits Flourish

There are some common threads in in American politics that require our attention.  They need to be central to our thinking to create an awareness as to how our Democratic Republic was designed to function and our responsibility in that enterprise.  

One is the misgivings of the disenchanted voter.  These Americans firmly believe that their civic responsibility begins and ends at the ballot box.  While voting is significantly essential, it is NOT the major element of the equation.  Because they believe voting is the panacea for correcting our ills they are frustrated and angry.  Once they begin to understand that voting is not the cure-all, they withdraw from all civic responsibility believing it is useless to be engaged.  They want nothing to do with the reality that the struggle for proper governance never ends - that it requires a lifetime of due-diligence and active participation to safeguard our freedom and liberty.  They don’t understand that there is no miracle pill nor magic potion that will permanently and forever entrench liberty and freedom into the American fabric of life. 

This is best validated in the often-resurrected Charley Reese column originally printed in the Orlando Sentinel in 2001, entitled; 545 vs. 300,000,000 People.  The article strikes right at the heart of what this contingent wants to believe.  

Reese’s basic premise is; “One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.”  He then feeds the anger, frustration and hatred with; “Those 545 people and they alone (ALONE?), are responsible.  They and they alone (ALONE?), have the power….They and they alone (ALONE?) should be held accountable…We should vote all (ALL?) of them out of office and clean up their mess!” 

This simplistic view is badly flawed on many fronts. 

To begin with Reese indicts ALL 545 for his perceived grievances against the government.  This is to suggest that are ALL – each and every one of them - is the sole cause for government failures.  He therefore suggests that if even one, or a handful of them, agreed with Reese’s synopsis that our problems wouldn’t exist, or, at the very least, they wouldn’t be as severe.  This absurdity should be glaringly obvious. 

We elect people from every walk of life, every hamlet from every corner of this country.  They all have differing points of view and desired agendas – let’s skip motivations here.  The way our government is designed to function is that all these differences must be drawn together to create a consensus for focus and direction.  That’s hard work and takes time. While Reese is correct that government is lacking in proper focus and direction what he fails to realize is that it isn’t JUST the fault of the individuals representing us but rather the breakdown in the function of our government.  This can primarily be traced to a lack of dominate leadership which is necessary to give rise to populous support. 

Next, where is the irrefutable evidence that replacing ALL 545 will result in a correct or proper mandate?  If it exists, he didn’t provide it. 

He also fails to realize that to be elected today a candidate must swear allegiance to one of two political parties. He fails to recognize that the media will give little to no attention (campaign coverage, press conferences, debates etc.) to anyone not affiliated with one of those two parties.  So how do this new brand of politician get their message heard and deemed credible. And most importantly, how does anyone break through that party power structure and control without sacrificing the values that Mr. Reese knows are necessary to institute real change?    

Now we come to the most formidable component necessary to get elected: MONEY.  Where does Mr. Reese propose we find candidates that are willing to break the backs of Wall Street power and influence; demand alternative sources of energy that will cripple the oil industry; move to provide universal health care risking the alienation of the insurance industry; end gun violence and specifically spree shooting and mass killings and thus suffer the wrath of the NRA and the gun industry; ending our wars and incurring the hatred of the military industrial complex.  Individual contributions for some 535 candidates will be sparce, to say the least. 

Only in a fantasy world can we buy into the sexy notion that JUST voting will correct our problems.  What is needed is a laser focus to eradicate the evils perpetuated within our political system.  That will require commitment and sacrifice by “We the people” – by all Americans to achieve. 

Another thread is truth.  As voting is central to the thinking of the Reese crowd, they mistakenly select a political party to do their bidding for them. They incorrectly believe that because a party may rhetorically express support for their own self-serving desires that that party will therefore serve the best interest of the nation.  Political parties do NOT exist to serve the best interest of our nation.  They exist for the sole purpose in creating a power base by winning elections.  They strive therefore to develop pockets of support (demographics) with no regard for the moral or long-term governing ramifications; with no regard for right or wrong – no regard for the truth.  They develop politicians that act as nothing more than windsocks supporting whatever positions will get them elected.  Mitt Romney is the perfect example.  

In 2012 the Romney campaign refused to reconcile his record as governor of Massachusetts with his presidential campaign rhetoric.  

Romney announced; "If elected, I will repeal Obamacare on day one" even though the health care provisions he supported and signed into law as governor were almost identical to the prevailing law of the land. 

Governor Romney stated "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose and am devoted and dedicated to honoring my word in that regard” and then stated in his run for the oval office that he would work to repeal Roe V. Wade if elected president.   

Governor Romney banned assault weapons in Massachusetts, calling them; "instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people."  He then stated in his April 2012 NRA speech; "We need a president who will enforce current laws, not create new ones that only serve to burden lawful gun owners.” 

Romney refused to repudiate his actions as governor of Massachusetts, while continuing to run opposed to those actions as he campaigned for the presidency.  This strategy was obviously designed to entice voters with opposing points of view to support him.  Both camps could believe Mr. Romney just may be sympathetic to their beliefs.  This whole approach is ripe with deceit and by no means provides anything resembling the truth. 

Across the aisle, the Democratic Party rigged their nomination process through the manipulation of Super Delegates to ensure Hillary Clinton won the nomination.  They didn’t see her as any kind of a solution.  They didn’t choose her because they believed she had any burning desire for America’s best interest.  They choose her because of her pedigree, the fact she was a woman and because of her political background.  In the minds of Democrats, she couldn’t lose. 

If we are learning anything from our election process it is that neither political party has any fondness for the truth, democracy or any sense of obligation toward the American people.  What is getting lost in all this chicanery is the importance of the issues and the future direction and development of our country.  Things like the truth, authentic and meaningful solutions and a viable agenda are currently dominated by political strategies designed to win elections.  

Because only the spin, manipulation and indoctrination matters, the truth requires enormous due-diligence to be determined.  This requires time and a strong commitment and hard work to ferret out.  Refusing to participate in the riggers required in our Democratic Republic in favor of the blame game and the simple fix of simply voting our troubles away, will NEVER propel us forward. 

If we as a nation are unwilling to engage in the true spirit of our Democratic Republic then this grand experiment called America may indeed vanish before our eyes. 

Why a Memorial Day

“Congressional Medal Of Honor"

   Petty Officer, 2nd Class Mike Monsoor               

  April 5th, 1981 ~ September 29th, 2009

He is an American hero who because he never played major league baseball…who because he never played in the NFL, the NBA or the NHL - and who has never been featured in a motion picture or ever nominated as one of the world’s most eligible bachelors and who was never highlighted in “Who’s Who” is, therefore, someone very few Americans know of. 

 He just gave his life in the belief of the principles and ideals we should all cherish.  He died in Iraq covering a grenade with his body saving the lives of a contingent of Navy Seals.  His funeral was held at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.

As six pallbearers removed the rosewood casket from the hearse the column of people that stretched from the hearse to the grave site dispersed and followed behind the casket.  

This column included the 45 Navy Seals who were in Iraq on September 29, 2009, the day Petty Officer Monsoor died.

   When the casket arrived at a Navy Seal, he would remove his gold Trident Pin from his uniform, and slap it down with enough force to embed the pin into the top of the wooden casket.  The Navy Seal would then step back and salute. 

The gold Trident Pin, worn by the Navy Seals, is awarded after more than 18 weeks of training and marks their entry into this prestigious group.  It is a symbol of success and pride.


Each of the 45 Slaps could be heard throughout the cemetery.  

The 45 Trident Pins gave the casket the appearance of having a gold inlay.

He was posthumously awarded The 
Medal Of Honor.  It is the highest military honor awarded for personal acts of valor that are above and beyond the call of duty.  

And now you are one of the very 

few who also know of Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike Monsoor. 

Those April 15 Blues

Seldom do we see any joy in “Mudville” on April 15.  It was on that date, at  7:22:10 a.m. in 1865, that Abraham Lincoln died from an assassins’ bullet to his head.  It was also on that date that 1,500 people met their demise in an icy sea when the Titanic sank at 02:20 a.m. EST (05:18 GMT) in 1912.  And, of course, April 15^th is Tax Day in America. 

To be sure it is money that fuels our capitalistic financial system.  When that system functions as it should, the money is dispersed among all who toil thus propelling the common good and general welfare of our nation.  Money also has yet another often overlooked and intrinsic value.  It not only represents a measurement of success but more importantly acts as a statement of appreciation.  It reflects a level of admiration for the hard work, expertise and intelligence we bring to the marketplace – efforts and talents which ultimately benefit all of us. 

It would naturally stand to reason that some Americans would object to that resource being taken from them through the force of law – through the threat of incarceration – and would therefore view taxation as an immoral act. Walter Williams expressed it this manner; “Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn.  Do you disagree?  Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you – and why?”  This perspective serves to further foster yet even more ugliness surrounding April 15^th. 

Is there no saving grace to this awful date?  But maybe – just maybe – a bright light – a ray of hope – can be found in Mr. Williams position on social justice. 

To answer the question; “…how much of what I earn belongs to you – and why?”  we must first learn from Mr. Williams what if any of the following initiatives he supports. 

Does he support a government funded military along with fire and police departments? Does he support the post office, public libraries, public parks, public education, student loans?  Does he support Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid?  How about initiatives for the handicapped and disabled; unemployment insurance, food assistance programs, and energy assistance programs?  How about clean water, clean air, safe food, safe medications, safe cars and airplanes, public roadways and highways, public transportation and a variety of public safety programs?  How about federally insured savings accounts, home loan assistance and a whole host of other programs we all benefit from each and every day? 

Once we have established what it is Mr. Williams’ is willing to pay for we can begin the process of determining how much of his resources will be needed to support those enterprises.  What Mr. Williams will learn from this exercise is that without the support of the entire country none of these programs would exist.  How many of us know of any American who would honestly oppose the wise, efficient and compassionate expenditure of tax dollars? 

So alas we have it.  Yes, April 15^th quite often acts as a day of sacrifice and pain.  But let’s not forget its joy as well.  For it is on this day that each and every one of us makes a positive contribution to the betterment of our nation and our fellowman.  It is this reality – this sense of pride in accomplishment and comradery that should flood our hearts and minds when writing our checks to the IRS.  For it is the recognition of that reality and the fact that we are further securing our freedom and liberty that is the panacea for the painful nature of our sacrifice.   

“Oh, somewhere in the favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville” – - - -  if we let it be shut out.

                                                                       “Casey At The Bat”

 Earnest Thayer (Phin)