A response to a letter from Art Sandford (see "Letters"):
Art - you're back! I'm glad to see you haven't lost your funny side.
I was glad to learn that the Lampoon (Harvard's liberal magazine) actually survives; tired humor needs a dignified place to die.

But I must admit, since reading "The Breakdown of Higher Education" by John M. Ellis, (Distinguished Professor Emeritus of German Literature at U.C. Santa Cruz) Dean of Graduate Division (1977-86), author of 10 books, awarded Peter Shaw Memorial Award by National Assn. of Scholars; founded Assn. of Literary Scholars and Critics in 1993, President of California Association of Scholars in 2007-13, chairman of board since then,...) I'm no longer impressed with Harvard or the rest of the Ivies - except in science.

Art - say you didn't go there! This extraordinary little book speaks from decades of experience: "Frank Furedi reports on a survey published by the Harvard Crimson which found that "’around two -thirds of students who were surveyed had at some point chosen not to express an opinion in an academic setting out of fear that would offend others.’" "Students often report that particular courses require them to sit through their instructors' endless political rants and learn to regurgitate harebrained political beliefs in order to pass a course, something that should make any genuine academic despair." Quickly: 2016 study, found of 7,243professors, 3,623 were registered Democratic and 314 Republican, for D:R ratio of 11.5:I. Also: "...alarming evidence that the faculty hired in recent decades were doing a poor job of educating their students. Employers were finding recent college graduates to be much less able to write and reason than their predecessors, and tests in general knowledge found them abysmally ignorant of their country's history and institutions." And "...as to intellectual flexibility, it is difficult to deny that few people are less intellectually open, flexible, and curious than a radical leftist."

Dr. Ellis' book is so enlightening, Art, that I will provide it to you gratis if you will consent to a short quiz after reading it.
The Gazette may be "little known," Art, but we are known to you, a Fillmore elite, and that is sufficient recognition for me. However, "a mouthpiece for Spiny Soros" and sons? Hardley. I reserve a special vocabulary to define him, requiring a content warning.
That "last straw" was written with you and your fellow travelers in mind, Art. Rumors were circulating about you possibly secreting a copy of the great man's masterpiece, "The Art of the Deal" under your pillow. Fake news, no doubt.
"Publisher Doug" mistakenly "laments the demise of his magazine." As a friend you might tell him to switch from CNN to FOX to hear the truth, that reports of the Lampoon's death have been greatly exaggerated.
My thanks for your letter, Art. They always enliven our opinion page.

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:
I've lived about 82 years of my 84 having heard nothing about "Juneteenth." There's a good reason for that - it has never been celebrated nationally; for another good reason, news (slavery has ended) was received by most cities and towns in America with the speed of the telegraph. By 1865 the International Telecommunication Union was formed, and in 1866 a new transatlantic telegraph cable between North America and Europe was successfully completed. The Civil War caused the telegraph to spread all over the eastern and southern U.S. The telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse in 1844. "During the war, 15,000 miles of telegraph cable was laid purely for military purposes."
The news of the end of slavery was broadcast across the world in 1865 (even by undersea cable). Did every town need to declare a separate Independence Day upon hearing the news? Of course not. We celebrate July 4th as Independence Day, in unity, for the entire country. Excuse the "S" word, but this new national holiday is a stupid idea.
A little more credit should be given to those 600,000 men who gave their lives to forcefully end slavery. The world's greatest empire, England, ended slavery by simply signing a document. "It became illegal to purchase enslaved people directly from Africa under the Abolition Act 1807. However, the condition of slavery remained legal in the British Caribbean until 1834, when the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 came into force." But the white North declared war on the southern white South to force abolition. So, the Brits halted slavery 25-years earlier than Americans, but they did it without the death of 600,000 men in four years of war. Big difference! The Civil War was our bloodiest by far. It makes sense to celebrate those who died to end slavery. It makes no sense to celebrate one group who first happened to hear of the victory. The so-called Juneteenth national holiday makes a mockery of our Independence Day, diminishing those buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Joe Biden's establishment of this odd holiday is redundant, idiotic, and disrespectful.

What I really wanted to write about this week was our deadliest enemy, China, and its most recent threat to establish a military base in Cuba. Thanks to the brilliant fiasco of the Bay of Pigs fight, April 1961, by some 1,500 Cuban exiles opposed to Fidel Castro (take a bow CIA), that cancer only grew. Are we beginning to see the checkmate we are drifting into with China? China is on a deadly, aggressive spree. Remember the Monroe Doctrine? This looks like a job for our senile Commander in Chief, Biden, shaky US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and our Woke Bozo Brothers, General Mark Milley and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III. But let us not forget our Space Force. "In a significant milestone for the nation’s newest armed service, Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno became the first female officer to promote to three-star general and transfer into the U.S. Space Force during a ceremony at the Pentagon, Aug. 17."
Armagno will serve as the Director of Staff for Headquarters U.S. Space Force, where she will oversee day to day staff operations to include establishment activities for the new service. “We’re starting fresh. We’re starting a clean sheet,” Armagno said. “We’re going to be agile, we’re going to be nimble, and we’re going to bring the best of everything into the space force.”
Sounds to me like she really means to kick some ass! Hand me my old M1. They're going to need some help taking Havana!

Four score and four years ago I was brought forth on this continent. I've lived in a period of time just 3-years short in duration of what Lincoln knew as the nation's entire history. How ironic that today this short period of time again finds America on the verge of destruction. I may be able to say that I was there at the beginning, and possibly at the end as well.

Our continent was conceived in Liberty, which at this time is slipping away. Lincoln would recognize that we are again engaged in a great civil war, testing whether we can long endure. Testing our endurance is the army of Woke Lilliputians who have succeeded in capturing America's democratic soul for power and cash. The Democratic Party has morphed into a giant commune of Progressive-Woke activists, who with the Deep State, liberal media, and much of America's business enterprise, have brought our nation to near checkmate status, both between national political parties and foreign enemies. This is glaringly evident with yesterday's criminal arrest of former President Trump, and years of escape and evasion by radical Democrat Party leaders.

Yes indeed, this is a story of such monumental complexity and profound destruction that it seems too incredible to believe. The malignancy which began in the Obama régime is ending in the Biden crime family. With a sinister smile, Joe calls it "malarkey". Just too much to take in without some study. Hard to understand how most of our federal government, executive, judicial, and legislative, could be so completely subverted in such a short time, far short of four score and seven years ago.

The breaking point is the political assassination of Donald Trump. It is a point of no return, with perhaps one possible saving hope - Trump's election and self-pardon. But he has been so thoroughly framed by a traitorous Department of Justice under Attorney General Merrick Garland, Trump's situation is imminently precarious. Betrayed by many "close" friends, at a time when "Equal Justice Under Law" (emblazoned upon our Supreme Court building) has become meaningless. America is undergoing a massive coup at a time when its national defense has been sabotaged by a Woke military leadership.
Yes, I can hear the Liberal-Woke-Left cheering Trump's presumed demise, with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran chortling as well. They sense the time of America's dethronement is near, with the free world awaiting the tyrant's boot, again.
For me, except for a Trump win in 2024, the game will be lost. That game has been to save our nation from a fanatical anti-Judeo-Christian coup. The Googles, Apples, Facebooks, Amazons, Microsofts, and their fellow travelers may think they have won - just before they are devoured by the heathen crocodile they have been riding. This is the essence of treason which might bring down the greatest nation in human history.

But, attempting to introduce reality to a nation which has been feasting on fantasy, self delusion, and greed, is probably a fool's errand - and I'm feeling a little foolish right now.

There are several trustworthy Republican presidential candidates today, but only Donald Trump can save the country right now. He knows our enemies because he has dealt with them for the past seven years!
The criminal arrest of former President of the United States, Donald Trump, is our Fort Sumpter.

A response to Kelly Scoles’ letter:

Hello again, Kelly,

I appreciate your satire but question whether appropriate here.
You ridicule a book designed to assist pre-school and elementary school kids to understand how to react to a shooting threat by hiding, running, or, as a last resort, fighting. Absent adult protection, these suggestions seem completely reasonable under this set of grotesque conditions.

You did say, “As the adults are unable to address and solve the problem...” but did not suggest a solution. And that is the problem here - how do we anticipate the threat of child murder? What should reasonable adults do? How can we keep our children safe? Thank God sworn police officers are always on duty to help. But even the most professionally trained and determined force takes precious minutes to arrive, assess, and act. Most of these cases are over in a matter of minutes.
So, we need the fastest response possible, which can only come from the school itself. The best result here would be to disarm the would-be shooter. If not possible, then to shoot the would-be assailant. To be competent with a pistol (preferred carried weapon, or stored long gun) a designated armed responder must receive proper training from an accredited instructor. With proper instruction most people can become proficient at a good range (indoor preferred). Once proficient, the designated school responder should refresh his/her experience from time to time, to be completely familiar with carrying and handling his/her firearm, and accurate in its use. Obviously, this is an extraordinary responsibility demanding serious respect. For reliability of attendance more than one person should be so prepared. If lucky, a school might find a retired police officer or military person for the job.

Kelly, you say, “Kids, you may notice that no mention is made of any obligations of the adults of TX to secure your protection because they are committed to universal ownership of military-grade weaponry.” But Uvalde is the rare exception in Texas and elsewhere. My suggestions (above) are the anticipated rule. That little book entitled “Stay /Safe” would be useful only if a designated school responder were not present, and all adults were frozen into inaction, before the police arrived.

Kelly, (full disclosure) I am not a social media user. I despise it all. Social media has filled the world with rancid ideas, contrary to our Judeo-Christian traditions - like cancel culture and mandated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. By themselves, these three words promote a fraudulent new un-Natural Law. Diversity of itself is dangerous - to think straight is to discriminate good from bad, right from wrong. Not every idea deserves recognition. Equity, as Wokesters teach it, damns the idea of meritocracy, which seeks to reward good work. Inclusion, in Woke thinking, means everything must be mixed-in, never exclude anything or anyone - the very first bad idea: “...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
But mankind’s greatest enemy told the most attractive lie: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.”For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
And eons later that same serpent said, “Men can make themselves women, and women, men!” And so, pretense became reality for them.

To be “Woke” today is to live that crafty lie.

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hello again, Kelly,
I don't want to engage in another gun controversy because the Liberal Left, as it does in most all other life-and-death issues, refuses to acknowledge facts. It prefers to engage in political drama, based upon Progressive myths, as in "an unborn fetus is not a real human being", or "guns are evil, and confiscating firearms will stop violent crime." No introduction to basic logic will help to clarify their thinking, nor will common sense or historical human experience. Most Progressives are allergic to facts.

Your comments on school shootings exemplify my descriptions of this kind of thinking... "...no mention is made of any obligations of the adults of [Uvalde] TX to secure [school children against firearms terror] because they are committed to universal ownership of military-grade weaponry." Your interpretation of that outrageous slaughter is (again typically) wrong and illogical. No one wants "universal ownership of military weaponry."

Most of the city police department shamed itself that day at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24, 2022. Nineteen children and two adults were killed in that shooting; 17 others were injured but survived.

"Ramos (the shooter) remained in the school for more than an hour before members of the United States Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) fatally shot him after bypassing numerous local and state officers who had been in the school's hallways for over an hour.” Remembering those reports makes me nauseous today. I'm almost equally upset with the usual Progressive analysis, which is to ban guns. We are as likely to effectively ban firearms from this nation as we are likely to ban sin itself.

The children in Robb Elementary School were left unprotected that fatal day. A door was unlocked, no employee was armed or trained to stop such an attack. State and city police officers were not prepared for a tactical emergency. But the United States Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) knew what to do and did it! Had the school doors been locked, and an armed employee been on guard, this slaughter could have been avoided. Where other schools and public gathering places ignore these basic requirements it's not unreasonable to expect similar future catastrophes. It's accurate to say, except for BORTAC, uncommon cowardice was a common vice that day in Uvalde.

"How often are firearms used defensively in the United States? According to the most-recent study, about 1.6 million times annually. Over a lifetime, about a third of gun owners will use a firearm defensively at least once. This recent data is broadly consistent with decades of social-science research." Also: "In 1993, Florida State University criminology professor Gary Kleck conducted a survey that was much more methodologically sophisticated than all the above polls. Kleck and his coauthor Marc Gertz found a midpoint estimate of 2.5 million DGUs [Defensive Gun Use] annually, with a possible range of 2 to 3 million."

It's hard to understand why you mock efforts to facilitate a weapons-based defense against school shootings, Kelly. These incidents happen very quickly. Schools can either provide an on-site skilled and armed defender or wait for the cavalry to arrive - and they will, but too often too late. God bless the sworn deputies who respond professionally, but schools need on-site protection as well.

My life-long firearms philosophy is simple, "Gun control means using both hands." Without guns America could not have been created. Without guns America cannot survive. That's a fact.

Well, there I go again, wasting an entire column on a hopeless quest to educate Progressives. I really wanted to talk about our faltering military, our corrupt intelligence services, the rise of "Woke" culture, and our traitorous Commander in Chief. Maybe next week?

One item which stood out at last night's City Council meeting was the growing incidence of homelessness and the threat of crime it brings to the city. Several citizens spoke to the threatening encounters they have faced from homeless individuals who have approached them. Greater efforts from law enforcement and the passage of stronger laws were sought.

****

It's getting harder for me to decide what to write about each week because issues of great importance, political, governmental, religious, etc. challenge American conservatives and their Judeo-Christian tradition as never before. The Progressive Left has been lying in wait for the naive conservative since Noah sought shelter in his arc. Liberal Progressives just don't believe, or understand, the deadly seriousness their policies inflict upon the American Republic. They show little concern over the Democratic Party's support for open borders, which continue to welcome millions of utterly undocumented foreign aliens from hundreds of foreign countries. They tax and spend us into oblivion. They disrespect and defund law enforcement. They vote-in leaders who invite more crime by failing to prosecute criminals. They emasculate our military with "Queer" agendas and wonder why recruitment is in the tank. They scandalize our young students with outrageous pornographic materials and subvert our elections by weaponizing government agencies. And the band plays on.
In short, the Democratic Party has taken-up Barack Obama's dream of "fundamentally transforming America". Our basic military defense is jeopardized by naive fraternizing with the enemy, like General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Milley admitted Wednesday that he would give his Chinese counterpart a heads up if the US launched an attack against Beijing..." Milley was not only forgiven for his treason, he was promoted! Is he any better than Jane Fonda in Vietnam?

The choice has always been God's will (the good) against everything else. And, as they say, if you don't believe in God, you will believe anything, including a universe of tempting poisonous opportunities.
Speaking of poisonous opportunities, yesterday I heard the Los Angeles Dodgers plan to present their "Community Hero Award" to a Satanic group calling itself "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence", a bevy of drag queens who donate to LGBTQ+ causes. The group exists to mock Catholic nuns. So the Dodgers will honor this group whose slogan is "Go forth and sin some more", a blasphemous parody of Jesus' words spoken to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11).The Los Angeles Dodgers promote trans conduct just like Bud Light did, becoming the sissy beer among male beer drinkers. Have American men been neutered by incessant Woke propaganda?

Just thinking about this latest anti-Catholic outrage has distracted me from my intended journey this week. As a "cradle" Catholic myself, and an Irish one at that, I believe it's past time to confront our enemies, which are legion.

I had to deal with a full-throated anti-Catholic bigot a few weeks ago. I regret that I gave him too much freedom to expose his dark and troubled thoughts. The Gazette may be a member of what I deem the nano media, but I rejoice in my American freedoms, particularly my unique First Amendment right to free speech. Where else on earth can this be found today?

My youth and faith were informed by wonderful religious sisters in the 1940s and 50s, at three different excellent schools. I wish I could say my scholastic endeavors were equally excellent, but that would be untrue. To hear that these heroic women would be slandered by corporate spitballers and their "Queer" associates, is beyond the pale.
Flash! Just got word the Dodgers came in safe on first by cancelling those Woke sisters.

Flash number 2 - the Dodgers apologized for the cancellation, then invited them back!!
The Dodgers have become a "Queer" organization. They should start wearing makeup and dresses.
(My apologies for such a scrambled column this week)

After a 4-year wait, the Durham Report on the Trump-Russia collusion investigation has finally arrived.
Its reception mirrors exactly the political mindset of a schizophrenic Republic - half rational, the other half delusional.
Although this report (306 pages) details, the greatest government scandal in American history, the New York Times brushed it off as "a dud." Most of the media, plus Big Tech, Big Banks, CIA, FBI, NEA, Deep State, and Democratic Party (the usual suspects) just smirk because Durham does not demand prosecution of anyone. It does, however, expose a byzantine plan to sabotage the last two presidential elections; first to favor Hillary Clinton (unsuccessful), the second to knock out Donald Trump (successful). It shows that most of our government, especially our intelligence agencies, energetically conspired to destroy Trump's presidency by becoming a political wing of the Democratic Party.

For several years I've tried to show the truly breathtaking scale of this infamous conspiracy, a Guy Fawkes (1605-gunpowder plot) that in this case, largely succeeded. This tale tempts the power of hyperbole to describe the treachery involved. Whether a Democratic Party government will choose to prosecute this band of traitors is doubtful because the would-be prosecutors here are themselves the traitors. Democrats have had a Stay-Out-of-Jail card since the Obama-Eric Holder years; it works unfailingly for them.

Act One begins with Obama's plan to "fundamentally transform" America. Then Hillary Clinton started the ball rolling with the Trump-Russian collusion-Steele dossier which she paid to have fabricated through her law firm by a British spy. Without cause, the FBI immediately began investigating Trump with phony (perjured) FISA warrants. President Trump was spied upon by the FBI and CIA, as candidate and as President, with political animus. This treacherous charade lasted 7 years. The guilty parties (FBI Director James Comey (perjurer), Peter Strzok (FBI) (perjurer), James Clapper (Director National Intelligence) (perjurer), CIA Director John Brennan (perjurer). et al. This is a scenario involving a cast of thousands, like a scene from Macbeth: " ... a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing." Except, here it signifies treason at the highest levels, and ownership of our intelligence agencies by the Democratic Party, weaponized against Republicans for maximum power. This is what "fundamental transformation" looks like. It's just difficult to explain the depth, complexity, and purpose of such treason, to make Americans understand the danger - and alert them to the fact that no one is being held responsible! If treason were still a capital crime punishable by hanging, half the Democratic Congress would be gallows bound.

The FBI, CIA and Barack Obama all knew the alleged collusion was a hoax. The FBI knew that Hunter's laptop evidence of Biden family criminality was true but urged concealment of that fact until after the 2020 election, which changed the result. Suffice to say our federal judicial system is largely corrupt. This cloud of deep state conspirators, carefully orchestrated by the Democratic Party, FBI, CIA, and Justice Department, interfered so completely with the 2020 presidential election as to cost Donald Trump victory, and endanger national security by imposing a mentally unfit president and vice-president.
If Trump finally shakes-off Democratic lawyers and fake lawsuits, he deserves to win in 2024. He deserves to regain the presidency that was stolen from him in 2020! If Trump regains his presidency in 2024 the world will be a safer place.
John Durham's Report has shown us why Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Only the invincibly dishonest will contest it. The question now - Do we condone treason as a path to political power?

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hi Kelly,

I will try to make this response as merciful as possible by reestablishing some facts.
You remind us that we battle inflation. Under Trump inflation was less than 2 percent. Today, after three years of Biden profligacy it's breaking 6 percent. Unemployment is surprisingly low, but surprisingly too many people don't want to work after receiving so much free government money. You don't like the tag "Biden Crime Family". How much more evidence of criminality do you require over what is being revealed from Hunter's now notorious laptop, including alleged tax evasion, money laundering, and lying on a Firearms Transaction Record? His Dad, as president, has been pimping out son Hunter to Communist China, Russia, pre-Zelensky Ukraine, and 10 other foreign nations, trading Dad's influence in foreign policy decisions, for cash. This traitorous father-son tag team has been active across the globe since Dad was a Senator, raking in millions.

DeSantis believes "transgender" people exist - as people who live in a pretend world, one that ignores scientific reality, and embraces flat-world existence. I wonder if transgender believers of the white race can trans into African-Americans and get some of that cash San Francisco has just gifted in reparations for past slavery, etc. We're talking millions here, bro. If trans folks can pretend to change their gender, why not their race? After all, "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" is the name of the game now baby, and trans-African Americans should be entitled to some of that dough. Meritocracy is just a nuisance.

Child labor can be downright criminal. Was that true when I was 10-years-old, hoeing beans for my Dad - at 50-cents per hour, on those hot, dusty 1940s-1950s summers? I think by high school my brothers and I were pulling in a dollar per hour. But you could buy 100-pieces of bubble gum then for a dollar. Picking a sack of hulled walnuts would net $6.00. Driving a tractor paid a little better. But it's hard for today's youth to understand why those were the best days of our lives, when their lives today are impoverished with smart phones, video games, and pornography.

The real crime against children has to do with border sex slavery, when children by the hundred thousand are eased across our border alone, enslaved to the billion dollar drug cartels, with wrist bands indicating their indebtedness by involuntary servitude as sex slaves, for the duration of the debt. This was the "Big Guy's" plan.

Intentionally abandoning our national borders was Joe Biden's first move as president, just before shutting down our energy pipelines. This is why traitorous fools, like Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, should be flogged, often. Actually, he's telling the truth when he says that his department has "operational control" over the border. By that he means he is controlling the border exactly as boss Biden wants it "controlled", i.e., wide open to spawn millions of new Democrat Party voters and achieve an eternal Democrat majority in the country. Just following orders.

You say, "The wall didn't work"?!! It was deliberately abandoned, with paid-for parts rusting on the ground, awaiting final assembly. This was a deliberate betrayal of the Presidential Oath of Office to defend and protect. Kelly, when our discussion involves erroneous alleged "facts" it's hard to come to a satisfactory conclusion.

I doubt Joe Biden will finish his first term - and that terrifies me! At least he now pretends to be president. What the hell are we going to do when that giggling airhead Kamala has to control those nuclear codes, and it's her turn to play Commander in Chief in the face of our grinning enemies? Even that stalwart Obama henchwoman, Susan Rice, has scurried away down the ratline.
Kelly, it's time to pray like you believe in God.

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hi Kelly,

I am perplexed by your letter this week. Your broad and ambiguous allegations make it difficult to respond. Again, we are so apart from a factual understanding of the issues, we seem to be talking around each other. Allow me a quick summary.
"Breakback Republican Politics"? Are you associating Republicans with homo-cowboyetes? I don't get it. Tim Miller's name didn't ring a bell before, but I found him on Harper Collins. He's revealed as a Trump turncoat, a loser. I'm not impressed. The "expected red wave" was a big disappointment for conservatives, but understandable as part of the 2020 full-court Democratic fix and the cover-up of Hunter Biden's laptop.
You dwell on political allegations of a sexual nature, focusing on Trump. But this sort of stuff seems much more deeply rooted in Democratic Party history than Republican. Let's refresh our memories: I won't go back to FDR and Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, let's start with John F. Kennedy - Marilyn Monroe, and 10 others; LBJ - Madeleine Duncan Brown; Bill Clinton - Gennifer Flowers, (et. al.) and let's stop with Joe Biden (don't know whether he got beyond hair sniffing, but Hunter certainly did).

It appears to me there are too many historic Democratic pots to justify citing Republican kettles, so it's reasonable to avoid attacking Trump for "consorting serially with women not his wife..." And, as for "alleged criminal conduct, or attempted insurrection..." I know of no criminal conviction or proven "insurrection" (Capitol tapes show this to be otherwise). Odd that you would describe his base as "smitten" by his example, or "endorsing the Party into a pink stream" rather than red wave. Trump's supporters stick with him because he is a strong and accomplished leader, respected by our enemies in particular.

Kelly, I always thought of Johnny Mathis as a flake. If Trump is the "pseudo-Christian sham-populist demagogue" you say he is, I'm sure a Johnny Mathis song would be unappealing to him. He would welcome a real cowboy musical masterpiece, Ghost Riders in the Sky, by "Old Leather Lungs" Vaughn Monroe. From a boy of 10 I've loved that song. It sold a million in 1949, a song I could "see" on a quiet summer day on the ranch, standing at the edge of a bean field, gazing over a huge windbreak of eucalyptus trees at enormous cumulous clouds above distant hills. It was an impression fixed forever of what is most magnificent about America - peaceful freedom; or so it was.

I can't hide my disgust with all things Woke, Progressive, or attached to the Democratic Party. How sacred were the days of our Judeo-Christian past. How I miss them. Despite all of her imperfections, no other place on this Earth can compare with America in its goodness.

Today, Biden, Democrats, and their greedy minions have already given away our land to nearly 7-million illegal aliens, from 171 foreign nations - that continues unabated! Woke traitors have wasted America's honor, and perhaps her future.

An ambling response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

We live in quasi-apocalyptic times when revelations of civilization-ending challenges are commonplace. The issue is simple, but the scene is complex. The forces of evil seek to dominate and destroy what is good. In traditional Judeo-Christian language, the friends of Hell are manifesting their power against the eternal forces of Heaven, the Orcs versus the Angels. This month provides a rich snapshot of the battlefield.

You're not going to hear such talk from a typical 21st century secular news or opinion source. But you hear it here from Fillmore's nano press because, as this old man nears the eternal jumping-off point, knowing the truth is all important, especially in venues where truth is unwelcome. Truth must expose national subversion, to gain an upper hand - which is now slipping.

Yep, I guess this is a form of preaching, and I'm neither priest nor preacher. But in today's lunatic world there is no safe middle ground; we must take sides, we must decide for the truth, for the good. The survival of our civilization depends upon it.

Sorry for the lengthy preamble, but I thought it helpful to answer Ms. Scoles' letter, because the firing of Tucker Carlson, for me at least, leaves more questions than answers. I wish the details were publicly disbursed. In any event, the damage was horrendously excessive. I can't believe Dominion suffered that amount of damage. It sets a devastating precedent within our reasonable First Amendment expectations. However fair damages were due here, this amount is unconscionably excessive - as though they were intended to exterminate the company itself.

The outcome of this case does nothing to change my belief in the fact that the 2020 presidential election was overwhelmingly rigged by numerous moneyed organizations. Some conspiracies turn out to be true, as this one will. None of my concerns about the facilitation of fraudulent vote counting and massive election interference have been assuaged. We have no access to specifics concerning those professional demonstrations of Dominion computers shown to be vulnerable to fraudulent manipulation. Show me the refutations!

But the growing, irrefutable evidence of massive fraudulent machinations at work during the 2020 election can be clearly seen in the Hunter Biden laptop cover-up, by the FBI, et al.. Recently, Chairman of House Oversight Committee, James Comer, is uncovering massive evidence of unlawful financial dealings by Biden family members with China, Russia, Ukraine, and a dozen other foreign nations. "Analysis of Hunter Biden's hard drive shows he, his firm, took in about $11 million from 2013 to 2018, spent it fast. NBC News." The depth and breadth of the Hunter Biden cover-up scandal is too huge to summarize here. The Never-Trumpers had their way. Hiding the truth about Hunter's hard drive tipped the election to Biden; an avalanche of co-conspiratorial activity (federal and domestic) buried it. Mark Zuckerberg's unprecedented $400,000,000 gift to Democrats (that’s FOUR HUNDRED MILLION dollars) greased the scheme.

The essence of this unparalleled Joe Biden scandal is this: Research has shown, had American voters known that the Hunter Biden's hard drive data was real (that Bidens are criminals), and not Russian propaganda, as alleged by 51 former intel leaders in a public letter weeks before the election, Donald Trump would now be president, and our fiscal, foreign policy, energy, border and national defense emergencies would not have happened! "A former CIA official testified that then-Biden campaign senior adviser, now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken "played a role in the inception" of the public statement signed by [51]current and past intelligence officials that claimed the Hunter Biden laptop was part of a Russian disinformation campaign. This was a massive lie, and NONE of these "officials" had any knowledge of the lap-top data.” Sound a little conspiratorial?
The Dominion settlement is devastating to FOX News, but insignificant compared to the national security threat we now face due to Biden criminality. We have been betrayed by a criminal president and his army of foreign and domestic co-conspirators. America's global status as defender of democracy is now virtually lost due to our criminally compromised president.

I deeply regret the loss of Tucker Carlson on FOX; it reduces my source of trustworthy news. And as I witness our Republic's future being shaped by infectious atheistic enemies, China, Russia, and North Korea, Joe Biden's treachery may soon cause the loss of that Republic which Benjamin Franklin told us we had, "If you can keep it."
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14.
****

P.S. Bud Light is the beer of sissies.

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hello, once again, Kelly,

I've mentioned before that I'm preoccupied these days by our near occasions of war with China and Russia. That's most important because Joe Biden has only 2-years remaining to finish his mission to end America's freedom as we have known it for 240 years. From his basement lair I can hear Joe chanting in that inimitable whisper, 'Double double toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble' while his Democratic Party minions drift around the stew pot.

His fascist-Woke schemes are leading us to that flaming atheist acropolis where the bones of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pol Pot, Kim Il-sung, and Kim Jong-il drift in eternal torment, awaiting copycats like Putin, Xí Jìnpíng, Kim Jong Un and five millennia-full of other lost God wannabes. It's good that the universe is expanding; Hell always needs more elbow room as well, to provide space for all of George Floyd's followers engaging in murder, mayhem, and arson.

I feel a little better now that I've gotten that off my chest. I hope the sentiments I've expressed here explain why I have a difficult time finding any sympathy for the causes you present today. I can only say that, if any victim were attacked by an unhinged rioter like Garrett Foster, wielding an AK-47, while surrounded by BLM rioters, the use of deadly force in self-defense is rational, necessary and lawful. The victim should not wait to ask if the rifle is loaded. One does not participate in a notoriously violent BLM riot, holding a firearm without forethought of using it. Here is the typical lie told by the Woke Left: "The George Floyd protests were a series of peaceful protests and riots against police brutality and racism." But here is the verified truth: "According to a September 2020 estimate, arson, vandalism and looting caused about $1–2 billion in insured damage between May 26 and June 8, making this initial phase of the George Floyd protests the civil disorder event with the highest recorded damage in American history." Also, " Nov 5, 2021 — At least six people have been killed in violence connected to the protests that started after Mr. Floyd died in police custody." And, "Aug 22, 2022 — WASHINGTON More than 700 law enforcement officers have been injured on the job during nationwide [BLM] protests over the death of George Floyd with ..." You get the picture.

The BLM movement is shown to be a total scam, driven by three, now millionaire, women.
You ask, "Why are so many Republicans defending these deranged and violent events?" Are you asking about the BLM riots? Or the 4-hour "riot" on January 6, which ended with the continuation of vote counting? Thousands of hours of video evidence at the Capital that day show very peaceful, meandering, groups of citizens escorted through the building by police. No fires, no statues overturned, no firearms except for the Capital cop who shot and killed an innocent female Air Force veteran. The police-FBI-AG reaction will remain a reminder, like, "On the evening of March 5, 1770, British troops fired into a crowd of angry American colonists in Boston who had taunted and violently harassed them. Five colonists were killed. The event, which became known as the Boston Massacre, helped fuel the outrage against British rule—and spurred on the American Revolution.” The outrageous, unconstitutional judicial treatment of hundreds of peaceful Jan. 6 citizens could fuel the outrage against federal fascism in the FBI and Dept. of Justice. It will not be forgotten. The federal treatment of Jan. 6 "rioters" will remain infamous in American history.

And, yes, [Republicans] "will try to convince voters to elect legislators who promise to keep them safe", for sure - safe from what has become a fascist federal bureaucracy.
And that's all I have to say about that.
****
I leave you with a final thought: Bud Light is a sissy beer!

I was born in the year WWII started, with Hitler invading western Poland. Days later Russia (thinking it had a treaty with Hitler) attacked eastern Poland. Shortly thereafter Hitler attacked Russia, etc... Not since that time has the United States faced such mortal danger as we do today. Dictatorial Russia under Putin and communist China under Xi Jinping openly threaten war against America.

Just like Italy and Japan in those days, North Korea and Iran have joined this deadly new axis of iniquity, making the scene more deadly with their new nuclear aspirations.

I should mention another thing - America is unprepared for proper defense. However, those military geniuses in the Democratic Party, Congress, and the Pentagon are thinking it might be time to restock our armaments - you know, bullets, bombs, missiles, and ships. After all, we've been credibly threatened for years by the very same type of people who started WWII, except, at that time, we were the only ones that had nuclear weapons.

Our Woke political generation is about to get an explosive, in-your-face experience with military reality - for which we will all pay dearly. We are about to learn that our military is all about killing people and destroying property as quickly as possible, not transgendering fragile platoons and assuring members of "queer" battalions that "Diversity is the force. Equity is the Goal. Inclusion is the Way. Army EEO." Say no to Gay Pride Days at Annapolis and West Point. We don't strengthen our troops with Drag Queen productions (Ramstein Air Base, Germany).

Military leaders have weakened our fighting forces by promoting the worst of Woke rot. Military recruiters are failing miserably because a majority of American men are still mentally normal and normal young recruits don't want to be associated with "queer" organizations. Bad leadership can cause deadly incidents. "Over the course of the entire Vietnam War, there were 800 documented fragging attempts in the Army and Marine Corps. By another account, over 1,000 such incidents were thought to have occurred. Between 1969 and 1970 alone, the U.S. Army reported 305 fraggings." The highly sophisticated electronic war environment we employ now does not avoid WWI and WWII fighting environments, as co-ed combat enthusiasts claim. Take a close look at the Ukraine War right now! A lot of slogging around in mud-filled trenches while dodging missiles.

Bottom line: No normal man wishes to lose his life fighting in a Woke military organization. Woke leadership can prove to be anathema to troops. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and General Mark A. Milley, "The Bozo Brothers," are sabotaging our military with their Woke agenda.

My anger has steered me off the point I wanted to make - US unpreparedness for the war that is now upon us.
Parts of this war are Ukraine and Taiwan. Munitions ordered and paid for by Taiwan four years ago have not yet been delivered. Without immediate corrections I believe we will lose our liberty before 2024. We have been betrayed by corrupt leadership at the highest levels.

I truly believe that our only hope to win this fight is through prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ. But we've become too sophisticated for prayer.
Ironically, prayer is anathema to our Woke leaders.

"Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury last week."Nothing like this has ever happened before in American history. Trump's arrest is the culmination of an intense, unrelenting 6-year Democratic Party vendetta against him. According to the best legal scholarship (including Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz (Dem.), there is no valid basis in law for this action; it's purely political.

This is a stunning watershed moment for our country, a blatant politicization and weaponizing of our legal system, and a "last straw" moment for conservatives. From this point "equal justice under law" is dead at the hands of the Democratic Party. Reasonable people have abandoned trust in the law. This issue is as important today as slavery was in the 1850s, and Lincoln's admonition "A house divided against itself cannot stand" applies to "equal justice" as well. Our house is now deeply divided, our Constitution no longer respected by liberals and progressives, and our divided house is looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Democratic Party Pharisees have hounded Trump from his earliest days as a presidential candidate to his arrest today. No other federal politician has ever been treated so outrageously. Ironically, none of the notorious Democratic felons have been punished. Think of Hillary shredding 35,000 Top Secret documents (each individual incident a felony), bleachbiting servers: (the shredder functionality of BleachBit is very good. It takes either a file, Email servers, or folder and deletes it. Then, it fills the space that the file previously occupied with junk data (random ones and zeroes), so it's nearly impossible to recover any information about the deleted file.) "She destroyed all BlackBerries with hammers and removed SIM cards (all to obstruct investigations), while running Top Secret State Department business on unclassified personal servers out of her bathroom space, for years." Jul 5, 2016 “— Hillary Clinton was "extremely careless" but "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," FBI Director James Comey said." Just a tiny bit of Clinton felonious criminality - with never an arrest. She also paid millions to have the phony "Russian" Steele dossier created to frame Trump - again, for years. Corrupt FBI colluded to avoid having to prosecute. Hunter Biden's laptop proves he surpassed even Hillary in treasonous corruption with his dad. Never a thought of justice or national security here. I believe the die is cast for our nation's survival. Maybe Americans have become too stupid to understand the danger we face, the lean and hungry look of Xi Jinping - who is employing Sun Tzu's strategy: "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting" all over the world.
****
I spend much of my time trying to keep up with world affairs these days. My negative conclusions about America's present civil and military health seem justified. Evidence shows our country has been seeded with powerful globalist, socialist and communist sympathizers, fertilized and germinated in rainbow colors, from Obama's 8-year administration. I had no idea his determination to "fundamentally transform" America would corrupt us so quickly. The speed with which he undermined the Republic is evidence of earlier corruption from the Clinton years, Democratic Party years. That approaching collapse was abruptly averted by the heroics of Donald Trump, who, in 4 short years, stabilized our economy, strengthened our military, reestablished America's authority worldwide, and made us energy-independent for the first time in 70 years - we had a breather. But, in two short years Joe Biden's crime family, with its massively corrupt, utterly incompetent, and subversive fifth column, has placed our country in grave danger again. Those leaders of the Big Five, Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, plus media, banks, education, Progressives, globalists, and the Deep State, have saturated the political scene with their treachery. Trump's choice, for many of his cabinet and other top leaders was also disastrous. Biden retained some of the worst. They proved to be back-stabbers and deeply disloyal RINOs. For example, Gen. Kelly - "The outgoing chief of staff, [Gen.] John Kelly, departed the White House with the nation’s nuclear codes hidden in his pants, General Kelly has confirmed." Then there's Gen. Mark Milley who (twice) called Chinese Gen. to say he would warn China if Trump decided to launch war against China. Milley also lied to a House committee recently, "Rep. Matt Gaetz questioned Chairman Milley about drag-related events for kids on U.S. military bases during a House committee Wednesday." Milley lied by his evasion and denial (under oath). His part in the Afghanistan surrender also enshrines him a Benedict Arnold.
Then there was [Gen.] Secretary of Defense Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis, who later bit his Commander in Chief as a turncoat. Untrustworthy team members. The list of unfaithful members is long, although there were also many outstanding loyalists as well on Trump's team.

But I've strayed from the central point, which is the imminent danger America faces under present weak, unstable, corrupt, and in my view, treasonous leadership. Even a quick look at America's present stature shows us bleeding from a thousand self-inflicted cuts. America's future is threatened, surrounded by Marxists, socialists, and globalists; all atheists, in what had been a Judeo-Christian nation for 245 years, and Christian since 1565, in St. Augustine, Florida. Our Judeo-Christian traditions and ethics have been largely waterboarded, and our military neutered by Woke Democrats and their mentally disordered transgender friends. It would take a book-long reflection to cover the multitude of treacherous Joe Biden anti-American policies, for which I have no time. The complexity of his treasonous activities demands the most serious scrutiny for which I have no space.
What I do have the time and space for is to recognize a harbinger of American military defeat if the Democratic Party succeeds in destroying Trump's opportunity to run in the coming 2024 presidential election.

A response to last week's letter from Scott Duckett:

As an 84-year-old man who has devoted half his life to publishing traditional weekly newspapers, I have to say, with surprise, this letter is the most false and malicious I've ever received, with no redeeming value.
"As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly" – Proverbs 26:11.
I thought it necessary to expose Mr. Duckett's flamboyant bigotry in his second letter. I first decided to spike it because of the provocative malice. However, at the last minute I decided to run it, convinced it was more important as an exposé of this malignant frame of mind than to dodge its defamatory content. I regret publishing it now because it is so offensive to Fillmore's large Catholic congregation. Mr. Duckett's original complaint (letter #1) concerned my March 9th statement: "No official recognition should be acknowledged for "transgenderism" because it is a scientific falsehood. Is it now necessary to explain to our scientists, educators, and the media that without two X chromosomes no one can become female, and without X and Y chromosomes no one can become male, in the normal human genome? To teach otherwise is to perpetuate a lie...." No need to double down on that fact for people who are invincibly ignorant.
Strange that the Catholic Church was never mentioned in the March 9th Realities to which Mr. Duckett first reacted so vehemently with his adolescent ignorance of both the Church - and high school biology.
****
Sorry I didn't have time to respond to Kelly this week. Needed to provide a final defense of my beloved Catholic Church. Will defend all others against bigotry as well.
****
Actually, this day dawned in a beautiful way. The fruitless Mulberry tree which I thought was dying is now covered with bright green blossoms. And my mockingbirds have returned!

My time has been cut short by unavoidable, last-minute issues this morning.
****
I've always thought the virtue of trust to be fickle. For me, complete trust abides only in Jesus Christ and his closest friends; all others are suspect or untrustworthy.
I wish our leaders had the same understanding. That would safeguard us from the foolishness of trusting in anything communist and all things anti-Judeo-Christian. That would also arm us with the powerful virtue of wisdom; "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" - Psalm 111:10.
There seems to be a growing desire to halt war assistance to Ukraine which is fighting a life-and-death struggle against atheist Russia which seeks to steal their country and kill all the Ukrainian people. So far, in one year, Ukrainian civilian and military deaths are about 200,000. Russian military deaths alone greatly exceed that number, and their total loss of munitions is about 50 percent. The war is a true slaughter, while Putin's promise to render Ukraine "uninhabitable" is coming true. America must resolve to help Ukraine WIN that war by diminishing Russia. The key to this objective is consistent resupply of the best, long-range firepower, including jet planes. Putin has run out of credible nuclear threats.
Not only is the victory of Ukraine over Russia necessary for a lasting peace, it is also a profound moral obligation of America since we have facilitated Ukraine's entry into this war and sustained the effort this past year. For that reason, we cannot abandon the task in mid-stream and, with China now clearly supporting Russia, we need to fire-up our defense industries to maximum capacity.
If Ukraine is compelled to "negotiate" with Russia there will be no end to Russia's habitual aggression in eastern Europe, and no end to China's pursuit of world domination. China's aggression cannot be curtailed until it sees we have solidly rearmed. The ambiguous agreement with China about Taiwan's independence states that any force by China against Taiwan "shall" be seen as a threat to the US. China did not win Taiwan in its civil war; despite any ambiguities, Taiwan has always been an independent, sovereign nation.
So, the main reason for America to fully charge its defense industries immediately is the fact that, perhaps four nuclear enemy nations are gunning for us (China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran) while we remain unprepared, as present shortages tell us. We have been preoccupied with the Woke hoaxes of climate change, cancel culture, gender and trans issues, BLM, Critical Race Theory, diversity, inclusiveness, equity, and an unending litany of bullying Progressive initiatives so long it causes the BS buzzer to ring off the wall.
This will all end abruptly when the first communist missile lands in DC truly cancelling our culture. Then our new effeminate Woke military may be too weak to save us.

I welcome two letters this week, both highly critical of last week's Realities.

First, a thank you to Scott Duckett who strongly objects to my portrayal of "transgenderism", which surfaced from another letter from last week.

Discussions of politics and religion in polite society used to be discouraged due to heated arguments they frequently sparked. Let it be known that, personally, those two topics are favored in the Gazette and participants are warmly encouraged and welcomed. - especially when they disparage this publisher. A major way for me to learn is to be shown where I'm wrong. That being true, I'm amazed that I'm not more learned than I am! While this old dog does have trouble learning new tricks occasionally, more frequently the challenge is just remembering them.

Mr. Duckett, I would have hoped that your comments were based upon facts and logic rather than mere emotion and bigotry. The sentence that your complaints are based upon is: "No official recognition should be acknowledged for "transgenderism" because it is a scientific falsehood; without two X chromosomes no one can become female. Without X and Y chromosomes no one can become a male." That's an undisputable scientific fact, though liberals and Woksters regularly ignore logic in favor of emotion when arguing an issue. Bad science. Biological sex is a better description here, not gender.

You say, "Science has yet to discover a "Catholicism" chromosome, no evidence for a "Catholic gene." And there never will be, because chromosomes are biological entities while "Catholicism" is an incorporeal, spiritual faith. Incidentally, "Catholicism" was never mentioned in that column. Was this issue preying on your mind these many years? Relax. I don't mind your bigotry as long as you don't support those who relieve their anxieties by defacing churches and synagogues. I only say this because of this parody part of your letter: "Using your reasoning, no official recognition should be acknowledged for "Catholics" because "Catholicism" is a scientific falsehood." (Quote entirely yours).

Thanks for the "few Realities" you provided for me:
"Transgender people exist. That is a scientific fact." You then enumerate five scholastic disciplines which study this group. OK, so what?

Then you urge "But let's be real. Your flawed argument is not your own. It was made for you, at least in part, at the recent CPAC meeting...."

Honestly, Scott, I couldn't tell you anything about CPAC. As I mentioned last week, I don't pay attention to mechanical politics. Also, you scold that my “’flawed argument’ is not my own", true, I pilfered it from a thousand years of medical studies. You say "no rapist chromosome, no evidence for a child-molester gene, but the scientific fact they exist is evidenced by a trip to your local Catholic church. They are the men wearing long flowing robes, sometimes adoring fancy hats, and always claiming to be messengers of God." However, this description fits half the Biden administration members as well, and every Judeo-Christian religion talks to God.

It must have been a hell of a burden to carry around this heart-full of hate for the Catholic Church all these years. You may be consoled to learn that billions of other bigots share your concern. And I share your desire for justice against all these felons, molesters and homo-predators who hide in every religion, municipal and federal government, Hollywood, etc. Maybe we should lobby for an Edward II punishment? That was effected with a red-hot poker thrust. In those medieval times they didn't fool around. Being Woke would deserve a poke (I apologize).

I'm pleased to receive your letter, Scott, but disappointed in its content. Let's work a little on the logic, which might even sharpen your anger. Every negative criticism of the Catholic Church, (which has been around for 2,000 years) has been preceded by experts, so take your best shot.

***

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hi again Kelly,
You're right, too many subjects this week. I have to condense my response.

Thank you for admitting Schlapp is presumed innocent until/unless proven guilty. Please no more CPAC.

Talking of "vague, incendiary accusations"? Like years of "Trump collusion"? Years of Hunter Biden laptop denial? (Are you keeping up here?) The Biden "crime family" - again, do you keep up with evidence? A House committee is now discovering how the Bidens collected millions by selling access to our enemies, Communist China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, et al for presidential favors. That laptop and a corrupt FBI facilitated treason.

You keep bringing up national debt. Without challenging the alleged $1.9 trillion spent by Trump, are you aware of the SIX Trillion spent by Biden during an impending recession-depression, in only two years? Have you heard about today's (Democrat) bank closures entailing hundreds of billions?

This week Russia deliberately attacked one of our drones over the Black Sea near Ukraine. Two Russian jet fighters first dumped fuel on the drone, then struck its rear propeller causing it to crash into the sea. Cost of MQ-9 Reaper ...$32 million.

This is the first public direct act of war with Russia. Technically we are at war with Russia without a declaration.

Those who want to cancel Ukraine's war assistance are dangerously foolish. It is incredibly hard to spend more money to assist Ukraine while being more than $32 trillion in debt. Read Arthur Herman's "Freedom's Forge" to understand the magnitude of sacrifice needed now - regardless of the pain. The war will continue until Russia is defeated, which Ukraine can do, and will do if NATO feeds the need. We back down at our own peril. Putin says Poland, Moldova, and the Baltic nations are next. We should recall the outcome after Poland was attacked by Germany! Though we cannot afford to help both Ukraine and Taiwan, unfortunately that must be done - and strategically Taiwan is most important.

We need to stop crying about the dearth of war munitions and get into a full military-industrial production, quickly! Our insane $32 trillion plus debt is our own fault. Our military unpreparedness places us in check. Failure to fire-up production will make it checkmate.

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hi Kelly,
I've never had much interest in the mechanics of politics. Loyalties and relationships constantly shift, driven by everything from blackmail, vanity, money, even honest changes of opinion. Here is where politicians often find betrayal, denounce traitors, and where vengeful daggers revel in despoiling reputations - like President Trump's. So, I try to avoid most of that stuff - with a few significant exceptions.

As for polls, I can't forget the polls the day before Trump beat Hillary: "the Huffington Post’s poll-based projection, which on election eve pegged the probability of Clinton’s victory at 98.2 percent. The Upshot data blog at the New York Times gave her about an 85 percent chance of victory. The Princeton Election Consortium, directed by the neuroscientist Samuel Wang, estimated Clinton’s probability of winning at 99 percent. In mid-October 2016, Wang declared on Twitter that the race was “totally over” and vowed to eat an insect on live television were Trump to win more than 240 electoral votes, or 30 votes short of the threshold for victory."

So, I have little faith in polls, and in American politics in general these days. Those "scandalous sexual accusations made by a staffer against Matt Schlapp" exemplify my disdain for political mechanics. If he is arrested, tried, found guilty and punished, justice will have been done. If found liable in a civil suit, he will pay. Do you wish justice to be done, or are you just another part of political mechanics? Is it just possible he's innocent? The Democratic Party is so strewn with the remnants of generational sexual abuse cases and accusations, are you surprised? Do any prominent Democratic politicos come to mind?

Attacks against Trump are spawning again. It would be more accurate to say they are reinvigorating themselves. No politician (particularly presidents) in American history has had his reputation so defamed (talk about actual malice) than Donald Trump. After being pilloried non-stop throughout his entire presidency by professional liars, (Adam Schiff) from Democratic leaders, every corner of the media, Big Tech, etc., and cheated out of the reelection he clearly won (evidence shows cover-up of Hunter Biden's laptop was fatal to his win). Absent any surprise screw-up, I will vote for Donald Trump. He can handle our enemies, our finances, our military, schools, and border with strength - and he knows where the traps are. My second choice, without hesitation, is Mike Pompeo; no one else comes close in experience, intelligence, competence, and strength. He has dealt face-to-face with our most dangerous enemies - China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. As his new book title advises, "Never Give An Inch".

No official recognition should be acknowledged for "transgenderism" because it is a scientific falsehood. Is it now necessary to explain to our scientists, educators, and the media that without two X chromosomes no one can become female, and without X and Y chromosomes no one can become a male, in the normal human genome? To teach otherwise is to perpetuate a lie and reject scientific method. Let's humor those believing in "transgenderism" as long as it's not taught in schools. Let them join members of the Flat Earth Society. "The Flat Earth Society mans the guns against oppression of thought and the Globularist lies of a new age. Standing with reason we offer a home to those wayward thinkers that march bravely on with REASON and TRUTH in recognizing the TRUE shape of the Earth - Flat." After several years of inactivity, the Flat Earth Society was resurrected in 2004 and remains active today at theflatearthsociety.org. The Society officially reopened to new members on 30th October 2009.

Hey, you "transgenderites", here's your chance to make friends with other freethinkers! Go for it! Just let me know what's under the flat disk.

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hi Kelly,
I would agree with your placing "home-grown threats to our democracy" at the top of America's imminent threats today, because they also cause our most dangerous foreign threats. "Home grown" threats arise from domestic political treachery, the usual suspects, socialists, globalists, communists, atheists, all anti-Judeo-Christian enemies. All of them aligned with the Democratic Party leadership.

I regret to admit that Republicans, like Richard Nixon and George W. Bush were fooled ("I looked the man (Putin) in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul.”) Like most modern American presidents, Bush reacted to communism with naiveté rather than reason and common sense (or knowledge). I always expect this sort of nonsense from Democrats, it's maddening to hear it from Republicans. Those who still rely upon diplomacy and trust in dealing with savage communism did not receive the education I did from boyhood. The obvious evil of Godless communism was taught from first grade through college. At the same time love and pride in America was deeply instilled. Historical facts spoke (speak) for themselves as we live them. Communism stands for 100 million murders and a billion slaves.

That "voracious appetite for plentiful and cheap [Chinese] goods" was bipartisan. But it was not the glutinous enthusiasm with which we consumed those Beanie Babies and cast-iron bar bells at the start that hurt us most. It was the carefree abandon with which we accommodated Mao Zedong's giant prison nation with respectable status, in ignorant hope of converting communism to democracy. "The Senate voted to give China permanent most-favored-nation status on September 19, 2000. This vote paved the way for China's accession to the World Trade Organization. Granting China this trade status contributed to the “China Trade Shock” that destroyed 2 million American jobs after 2001."

Yes, Kelly, I do want to "weapon-up" to avoid the kind of catastrophic war Ukraine fights today. Only naivé Progressives, Liberals, and Sino-Russian halfwit fellow travelers fail to understand. (I exclude you). What can convince you that America is in greater peril today than ever before in history, facing nuclear enemies with atheistic fanaticism taunting the destruction of the Land of the Free?

China will be the crutch on which Russia seeks to steady itself. China is a clear and present menace, having fully infiltrated the US, bullied and seduced small nations, and planning to conquer Taiwan with its incomparable chip market; "TSMC has around 60% of the global market for [uniquely specialized] contract chip fabrication, far above OPEC's 40% market share for oil." China, North Korea, and Iran have been arming themselves continuously for decades. We have not kept up, and are running short on fighting stuff. Biden is a deliberate impediment to defense. And, with respect, our pathetic Department of Defense has to get off its dead ass and rearm! Once again, our enemies don't give a damn about social equity, LBGTQ feelings, or climate change - they're all in for killing people and taking over other folks' nations. Mr. Xi Jinping seeks godhood, as does Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim Jong-un, mortals all, forever, Hell awaiting, an eternal, unpleasant surprise. I am not encouraged by Biden's pick of clowns, freaks, and reprobates to run and defend our nation.

To address your last three points: Wokeness is justly "vilified as a liberal scourge" poisonous to the Republic's welfare. That "female pregnant uterus" is a most sacred place, not so much for the structure, extraordinary though it is, but for the beautiful eternal soul living within, made in the image and likeness of almighty God, utterly innocent and unique.

As for the "morbidly rich", most of this species are liberal Democrats.

Dominion Inc. is not accused of fraud itself. It sold its computers to states and municipalities, which allegedly facilitated fraud.

A quick response to Kelly Scoles' letter:
Hi Kelly,
Though the legitimacy of our voting system is supremely important to the survival of our republic, America is faced with an even more immediate threat, the new Cold War with China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. I am truly preoccupied with this problem, to such an extent that the Dominion Voting Systems controversy is at least temporarily off my radar screen. Besides, Dominion's billion-dollar lawsuit has exploded the issue, causing everyone to duck and cover. I'll wait for the public examination of the mounds of evidence presented, if that ever receives a fair public hearing.

It's still critically important, and I have not changed my mind on the alleged "steal", but between the enemy gunning for us (new cold war) and the enemies planning to kill our democracy by stealthier Woke means, we should deal first with the guy who just locked and loaded.

A note: I have great respect for attorney Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani. I also greatly respect Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson (except on Ukraine), and Laura Ingraham (also except Ukraine). They have had to batten the hatches during this enormous defamation trial. I have to await a detailed, factual public showing of the facts. A central question for me: Did Dominion's machines facilitate fraud? A fair hearing will take more time. But the election was driven by fraudulent machinations. Big Tech's and FBI's pre-election cover-up for Hunter and Joe Biden, (polls now show) put Joe Biden into the White House - and America closer to the poor house.

The "actual malice" you're looking for in the 2020 election is most colorfully arrayed in the Democratic Party, all of the "Bigs"; a perjurious Department of Justice, FBI, etc. The question remains whether our Republic can survive Biden family treachery and the threat of a Kamala Harris presidency, in the face of psychopathic determination by Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They are not distracted by Wokeness. You can't be late to the show when the theater is nuclear. Biden appears to be deliberately slow, giving Ukraine just enough juice to stay in the fight, but not enough to win. This plan multiplies Ukrainian deaths, giving hope to the enemy. Let's give Ukraine all it needs, including jet planes, because Russia is about to launch another huge offensive. NATO countries are well behind their promises of assistance - it's also their freedom at risk.

"China has joined Putin to assist victory for Russia in Ukraine. See: “This series (Warning Order: China Prepares for Conflict, and Why We Must Do the Same." by Fred Fleitz, Jim Talent, Gordon Chang, a reality that can no longer be safely ignored: China is putting itself in a position to engage in conflict with the United States across a broad front and potentially with decisively devastating results.”

China began its quest for world domination years ago, as soon a President Nixon let Mao Zedong join the club. America made a starving China rich and sparked its aggression. Today China has only contempt for America since Joe Biden, through son Hunter, received millions in bribes for Joe and family. China seems to be calling the shots for our Manchurian Candidate. All loyal, competent military leaders insist we must restock our arms inventory, quickly, because "Russia 'massing' 1,800 tanks, 700 aircraft & 500 men for new Ukraine assault in 10 DAYS after Zelensky begs UK for jets." NATO's worries about "escalation" now are just foolishness. It is reported that China has supplied Russia with huge amounts of munitions from the first weeks of the war.

Only our military leaders would be surprised to hear this. Remember: "On July 21, 2021 the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley assured the country that "’The Afghan security forces have the capacity and capabilities needed to fight and defend their country.’"

A response to Kelly Scoles' letter:

Hello again Kelly,
I regret that my last Realities caused you to nearly swear off the Gazette due to depression. I would hate to lose a worthy antagonist. After all, among the ranks of even my most overheated critics, few enjoy a good debate. And I would bore myself to death without some pushback. While I've never been a "White Christian Nationalist" whatever that is, I would welcome a full-strength inquisition of all US federal government agencies and departments - starting with (but not limited to) our Department of Justice and FBI.

I would urge such an inquisition to focus on the Woke virus, a first generation of misguided Gain-of-Function experiments gone terribly wrong. It tends to scramble normalcy in scientific method, in science and logic - reverting to alchemy and witchcraft.

The Woke virus seems to prey on undergraduates enrolled in political science courses; professors are identified as carriers of this pathogen. You mention deaths of Michael Brown in 2014, and should have mentioned the Trayvon Martin killing in 2012, because both defendants were acquitted, and both caused disastrous riots. Billions of dollars and multiple deaths were caused by George Floyd riots. "The protests spread to over 2,000 cities and towns in all 50 states." Black Lives Matter was started by three female entrepreneurs, who collected millions. Hundreds of thousands of innocent citizen's homes and businesses were lost in murderous riots. This is a large part of Woke.

Kelly, I'm sorry but I've lost interest in these subjects, covered so often before. Woke, Progressive, and Democratic Party schemes are anathema to the health of our Republic. They are killing our traditional Judeo-Christian democratic way of life. Reality check: a man can never become a woman, Communism is intrinsically evil, military weakness will destroy us, law enforcement underpins our freedom, and without Judeo-Christian principles America cannot survive!

****

It's one thing to recognize the smell of a rotting government system; it's more important to do something about it. Today, the evidence of deep corruption and its attendant weakness is everywhere, in every branch of government. But, so far, no one seems able to do anything about it. The venality of the Biden administration is matched only by its extraordinary incompetence. Our primary enemy (let's stop using the word adversary) is China, which top expert Gordan Chang (Warning Order: China Prepares for Conflict; - The Great U.S.-China Tech War) warns is preparing for war.

With Ukraine on fire, we need to sound the alarm for Taiwan as well - strategically more important. Truly ironic that for decades we prepared to fight two wars simultaneously, only to be unprepared when the occasion arrives. Both Russia and China will cooperate against the US soon - China reaching for Taiwan and Russia for Ukraine. Ukraine can beat Russia if we supply all needed fighting equipment in a timely manner. China can be deterred if we arm Taiwan to the teeth. China can't be allowed to seize Taiwan's (world's largest, most advanced) semiconductor manufacturing facility. I can think of only two ways to stop China: arm that island with thousands of heavy missiles targeting the mainland to create a Pyrrhic threat (a "Molon labe" moment - "come and take them" - a little Sparta against giant Persia). The strength of Taiwan's missile response could be so hugely destructive to China's mainland that an attack would not be worth the gamble. Sun Tzu would understand this as an Art of War. Otherwise, plant the entire manufacturing system with explosives (Thermite Bombs come to mind) and destroy the entire complex rather than surrender. Maybe transfer the chip manufacturing to the US? But this technology must be kept out of PRC's hands. "Pound for Pound, Taiwan Is the Most Important Place in the World. Its excellence in the computer chip market puts it at the center of the battle for global technological supremacy."

While I sympathize with Kelly's depression, someone has to tell the truth - don't expect that to come from our degenerate government. Things do not look positive at the moment. I think Putin could ignite a tactical nuke or two as he despairs over his defeat in Ukraine. I think he will cooperate with Xi Jinping. Time to cut the cord with China.

Some of you may remember playing the game of Pick Up Stix. I don't think force or speed had much to with it; steady coordination counted most. Restoring balance to America's defense structure today is likewise problematic. Too many pieces need balancing, urgently. I think our nation has been so thoroughly compromised by the radical-Woke Left that it is now threatened with collapse.

I no longer feel self-conscious about my apocalyptic conclusions. I am surprised however that it took a communist Chinese balloon for me to pop the question: Can we survive treasonable Biden leadership, after Obama? Those who believe this question is absurd are children of CNN, MSNBC, et al, with social media your nanny. The best you can do now is pray for a better past once you discover the reality you created today. I think it may be too late to cure the wounds inflicted by the Woke-Democratic Party mega cabal upon our ailing Republic. We could lose the next war, or at least our manhood. [sic]. This is where that balloon comes in. Biden's family cash dealings (billions) with the communist Chinese, over years, makes him totally compromised, completely vulnerable to blackmail. For those CNN addicts, the Chinese, Russians, North Koreans, and Syrians, are America's most tenacious enemies (i.e. who want to destroy our country). These are very bad people. Logical judgment would have been to shoot the balloon down early, over land, to preserve evidence of espionage.

All Biden decisions, and foreign and domestic policies, have the same stamp--deliberately damaging and endangering America, in obvious ways. Just a few of them should make us wince - then worry: Five million trespassers (ongoing) through our open border to the world (no precautions); shut down new and existing oil-gas supplies; appointing unqualified Cabinet members (Pete Buttigieg-"pretend wife to pretend husband"); withdrew troops before civilians,13 killed, thousands abandoned in Afghanistan; drew down strategic oil reserves; destroyed military morale with Woke gender mix; massive inflation ($6 trillion squandered); allowing balloon surveillance of US strategic defense installations; appointing ignorant-radical federal judges; weaponizing Dept. of Justice, FBI, etc.; stealing classified documents as Senator, Vice President, and President.

This Biden weakness enticed Putin to attack Ukraine and invites China to overreach by attacking Taiwan. Weakness has consequences - it creates contempt for us in the enemy camp.

These policies have enfeebled our nation and invited confusion, hostility and attack. Russia, having lost nearly 270,000 soldiers in Ukraine in less than a year, openly challenges NATO, threatening a nuclear exchange. At the same time, China is spoiling for war, thinking America is now too weak under Biden to defend itself - or Taiwan. Then we have the "Bozo Twins", Sec. of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Mark Alexander Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley is the guy who, in Trump's administration, called China to tell Xi Jinping that he would warn him if Trump was going to attack China! (should be in Leavenworth today). Then we have Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, who with Milley, failed to resign office when he learned Biden decided to remove our troops BEFORE we removed all civilian employees in Afghanistan! Heavy bellies festooned with ribbons from the old Army say they live large. No wonder our military can't recruit young men to our services today; they've sullied it. Normal Christian men don't want to serve cowardly "leaders" in a "queer" military. Ask them!

Quick note: Taiwan has never been owned by China; it has been a prosperous, sovereign nation since 1949 under Chiang Kai-shek's Formosa. "TSMC: Why China wants to own Taiwan … it’s all about computer chips." Marc Kennis, November 23, 2022, Updated 23 November 2022.
"TSMC: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company: China wants what Taiwan has. However, ideology is only part of the reason. You see, Taiwan has something that China doesn’t, which is access to the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the world. Taiwan’s crown jewel is a company called Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC for short. It is listed on the Taiwanese and New York stock exchanges (TPE:2330 and NYSE:TSM) and ranks in the Top 3 biggest chip companies in the world, right after Intel and Samsung. And China wants it."

See this article for an incredibly lucid explanation of semiconductors - almost unbelievably unique!

China must NEVER take Taiwan! That would be a fatal betrayal of freedom and peace. Time to make Taiwan a Pyrrhic challenge to Beijing at least, with thousands of defensive missiles aimed at the PRC. Remember what they did to Hong Kong - such a wonderful place when I was there in 1961! The Chinese are great - without Communism.