Like most people, I love dogs, also cats, birds and most other of God's creatures, domestic and wild. I emphatically include in that list Crackers the Surfing Dog, Pebbles the Wonder Dog, as well as Forrest and Dahlia, the service dogs. Many of us have enjoyed them as part of our Fillmore experience.

A couple of these companions need a little help these days, a little understanding. A few people have expressed exasperation at their presence. Although their owner, Birch Greyloch, says neither Dahlia nor Forrest (Irish Wolf Hounds) have bitten, or threatened anyone, they at times have barked and complaints have surfaced, with requests to remove the dogs.

They are very large dogs, often seen carrying a saddle-bagged Chihuahua, Violet, but as I've observed, are gentle and friendly. Maybe their size alone frightens some folks. Ms. Greyloch's letter can be found in today's Gazette.

For the sake of Dahlia, Forrest and Violet, and Ms. Greyloch, can we all get along? Without getting too maudlin about the issue, I should cite the title of a book I received when I was about 5-years old: Be Kind to Animals, They Have Feelings Too. I've remembered that message ever since.

****

I have to say I'm tired of writing so many "gloom and doom-type" columns. I would much rather write about the beautiful (if rainless) weather, COVID-19 seeming to fade away - or about the two Mockingbirds that ambushed me last week with their extraordinary repertoire as soon as I got out of my truck at 10:00 p.m. I stood there spellbound for about 5 minutes. They were perched in a fruitless Mulberry tree overhanging the garage. This happened the following night as well, about the same time - 10 p.m.! On the next night I came in much later - nothing.

I don't think any other bird can compare with the Mockingbird for complex song; they are the Mozarts of the bird world. They combine and repeat all of the sounds they hear in nature, i.e. crickets, frogs, and any other bird song. And, yeah, I like trees as well. This was a refreshing break from hearing screams and explosions from Ukrainian war reports.

****

Unless someone (probably in the Russian Army) stops Putin by assassination or a coup, I think the use of nuclear weapons is probable. (Note: I am NOT a military expert, just my opinion - most of us have one.) I worry about the "small" nukes, those that can be fired from two or three miles on an otherwise conventional field of combat. We've made them suitcase small and have had them for decades. So, if the Russians fire a couple and take out a few brigades, or a small town with one shot, what choice does this leave NATO? Western nations can either run away, surrender - or respond in kind.

Putin is an unstable leader. His vanity has already been affronted by his failure to take Ukraine's capitol after weeks of fighting. He has "lost face" - of critical importance especially in the East. Putin now has no way to offer a truce, because his narcissism and arrogance compels him to fight to the death regardless of consequences (unless taken out). His paranoia was on full display recently when he flaunted to the media his nuclear code suitcase in detail - his nuclear "football." After the carnage and destruction Putin has inflicted on Ukraine, even a truce is not an option; Ukraine will resist to the last man, the classic dilemma of an immovable object against an irresistible force - almost.

Those conservatives who say America should not get involved with Ukraine are wrong. Short of using U.S. forces in the fighting, we need to immediately provide every weapon we can to help Ukraine win this war, including MiG fighters, tanks, long distance artillery and missiles. We should assume and prepare for the worst from Russia - and China. The world's order is threatened by totalitarianism. Absent a miracle, without strong leadership, we could lose our country - as we are now by inviting foreign millions through our abandoned, unprotected borders. Unlike the valiant Ukrainians, we are giving our country away - without a fight. Our enemies are prepared to pounce at this distinctive whiff of weakness.

I think America is set for epochal change of an uncertain nature.

I also think I would rather go back to talking about birds and service dogs.

A bomb threat at Fillmore High School went out to Fillmore PD, Ventura Sheriffs, and Simi Valley PD at 11:10am today, Wednesday, April 6th. Fillmore Engine 91, VC Engine 27 and an AMR ambulance were also called in. Reports of students being released to emergency contacts. More information was not available at press time. Pictures and an update will be in next week’s Gazette, April 14th edition.

****

A response to Kelly Scoles' Second Opinion:

Hi Kelly,
You have painted with a very broad brush this week. But of those accusations you make concerning political and business activities of Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, Ginni Thomas, President Trump and his children, I am satisfied with your ending paragraph which reads, "I am not sure that any of the instances cited here are illegal, but they are sordid and have the appearance of wrong doing."

Of course, I emphatically disagree that the actions of Mrs. Clarence Thomas (you accuse of "participation in sedition"!), Trump or family members have been in any way "sordid." But I surely do believe in your last sentence: "If someone wants to serve in high office, their families need to know that their activities are limited" and I believe it is the height of hypocrisy to equate the Biden family's criminal "international activities" with the normal activities of Justice Thomas' wife or Trump family members. As the inflow of evidence now clearly shows, Joe Biden, the "Big Guy," Jill Biden, brother James Biden and others, have for decades, been trading with the enemy (in $Billions) using Joe's offices as Senator, Vice President, and President for bait. This scam is so well ensconced in the American political system, for so long, it seems like a perfect crime. Like the Hunter Biden laptop revelations, it's almost too big for normal citizens to understand. It (the money laundering) is the greatest crime, the greatest betrayal of American trust in our history. Yet some Americans still doubt it. This all corroborates the adage "The first victim of war is truth" and we are at war within ourselves, a nation divided.

The facts are now quickly tumbling out of the Biden family closet, despite surreptitious attempts to hide the truth since the 2020 election. These Biden family secrets (only recently admitted as factual by the Washington Post, and New York Times) also tepidly, by the usual suspects, "CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC - ignore NYT bombshell report on Hunter Biden's business deal with Chinese company". Of course, Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft continue to coordinate the cover-up (laptops) as a fifth column in our Republic. But, as another Merchant once said, "...truth will out," even if sometimes too late.

Luxurious gifts from (our greatest enemies) Russia, China et. al., a wild history of extravagant drug abuse (meth destroyed his teeth) money laundering-squandering, and perhaps worst of all, child molestation and pornography, highlight Hunter Biden's "international activities" for years, documented in living color by the thousands on his laptops. How utterly corrupt must our intelligence services, Justice Department, FBI and others be to have covered-up so long, while President Joe Biden flatly, repeatedly, on all public media DENIES knowing anything of Hunter's "international activities" or of receiving millions in dark money. FDR's Vice President John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner, once described the vice-presidency as being "not worth a bucket of warm [!@#$]." Joe Biden certainly knew better. He profited hugely from all his high offices, including Senator, V.P. and Presidency.

I don't have a hard time understanding why the Biden family betrayal of our Republic is so hard for honest citizens to believe - nothing on this scale of treason has happened before in our history.

No wonder Joe Biden has such a hard time dealing firmly with Russia and China. They have him utterly compromised. If Russia or China spilled the beans, The Family Biden would be behind bars for life. But, like Hillary Clinton and her swarm of iniquitous minions, once at the highest levels of government and politics, justice will never be done, which is a harbinger for a collapse
of the Republic. At the present time, as for the most critical issues of criminal justice, our Constitution has been captured by the radical Left, and our Republic is in jeopardy. Equal justice under law is now only a hopeful, historical theory.

Response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion"

Hi Kelly,
"Theater" has always been part of political debate. The challenge is always to separate phony grandstanding from attempts to highlight critical issues. Theater can be overdone, witness Senator Cory Booker's tearful acknowledgement of Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson's virtue. But the treatment of the last couple of SCOTUS nominees (Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett) was so outrageously disgraceful that I finally lost all respect for the Judiciary Committee and the process itself. This disgusting proceeding has been a Democratic "lynching" party since the 1987 rejection of the distinguished (Reagan nominated) Judge Robert Bork.

Then, there was more excruciating theater at the expense of Justice Clarence Thomas, made infamous by one Anita Hill, where Thomas accused the Committee of "judicial lynching". Remember that? But the Kavanaugh hearing was the worst, with those utterly defamatory sexual assault allegations (gang rape). Or maybe it was that Hawaiian pig, Senator Mazie Hirono, who had the insolence to ask SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett, "Since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature?" This swinish inquiry, of course, was Hirono's attempt to humiliate Judge Barrett. Makes me wonder whether Hirono was speaking from personal experience.

Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson will certainly be approved by this Committee because she's a ringer, a radical progressive judge who is deeply prejudiced towards criminal tolerance - in particular, tolerance of child molesters and pornographers. Most medical experts on this subject claim these felons can never be normalized, and my strong concern centers on Judge Brown's lenient sentencing for pedophiles, well under official sentencing guidelines. It's a core concern. Incidentally, Kelly, do you really doubt the existence and deadly nature of "pedophile rings"? If so, educate yourself by spending some time at our southern border where little girls are most at risk from traffickers. You think that Josh Hawley (R-MO) "showed an unusually keen interest in the details of rapes and molestations..."? "Unusually keen"? His JOB is to protect against the crimes of pedophiles and all other sex predators who aggressively ply their trade on our border.

Judge Brown really couldn't define "woman"? How difficult should that be? How about, a human being who has XX chromosomes? A quick fact check: "...also known as the sex chromosomes, determine the biological sex of an individual: females inherit an X chromosome from the father for a XX genotype, while males inherit a Y chromosome from the father for a XY genotype (mothers only pass on X chromosomes)." Brown's decisions in these cases land well below suggested judgment norms. Could her refusal to tell us what a woman is possibly hide a personal ideological conviction which rejects the scientific fact that there are only two sexes? If so, I wonder what group would benefit from such a bias.

As for the difference between the Declaration and the Constitution, the former states the reasons for seeking independence, while the latter expresses the law, the rules we follow to maintain that ideal. Together they express the foundation of our successful independence. You mock Senator Marsha Blackburn's (R-TN) education and state. I applaud her intelligence, patriotism and common sense. Much better than Jill Biden's humorous scholastic endeavors: Dec 15, 2020 Dr. Jill Biden WSJ op-ed by Joseph Epstein. This column much more authoritative than Twitter.
Lastly, you say, "We will see whether Republicans want a two-Party democratic political system..." "What you get with a one-Party system is a dictatorship. Check out Putin to see what that means." I don't have to look at Russia. I live in California! Dem. supermajority forever. Just take a look at Governor Gavin Newsom - that hair, those hands, those snappy teeth; they reek dictatorship!

Responding to Kelly Scoles’ Second Opinion
The Russian-Ukrainian war grinds on. Ukraine is winning on points despite being outgunned 10-1. The victory Putin bragged would take a couple of days is into its fourth week with soaring causalities and enormous loss of equipment.

Biden, the ever-reluctant Commander in Chief, handicaps Ukraine's progress by slow-walking the critical supplies of arms and ammunition, while the Russians decimate civilian targets. Reported a week ago, Russia has destroyed 15 hospitals, several of them children's hospitals.

Every American should understand that Russia must be defeated in this unprovoked war against an innocent, peaceful, democratic, sovereign country. If there is to be freedom for Ukraine when the war is ended, and security for the Eastern European nations, Russia must be stopped in its tracks. That means the West must stand up to Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons against us, otherwise nuclear blackmail will decide America's and NATO's future forever. We have many nuclear weapons as well. Putin should be constantly reminded of that fact (as should China, as it prepares to attack Taiwan).

Kelly, you approve of Sun Tzu's, advise, often admired as the oldest (500b.c.) and greatest military strategist, and there are many of them from before Alexander the Great to Machiavelli and Clausewitz. It should not be surprising that he advises that "it's not the hothead seeking vengeance" who wins, but the "calm, detached warrior who wins." Sun Tzu is the subtlest of tacticians. I have three editions of his "The Art of War." If he wrote that short book himself, he is truly a genius among geniuses.

But I think you misunderstand the Ukraine war situation. Any "Putin-watcher" with even modest knowledge of Russian-Soviet history would not be "stunned" to hear Putin's public statement i.e. "to crack down on internal dissent...and begin a necessary self-purification of society". Putin is a communist in the historical sense of that word. He is not a soldier, he's the protégé' of monsters like Lenin, Stalin, Feliks Dzerzhinsky, and Mao Zedong. Putin idolizes Stalin, who starved millions of Ukrainians to death.

I'm not a psychiatrist, so I can't determine Putin's mental state. But I don't have to. Any Christian paying attention to what Putin is doing to Ukraine's citizens knows he is pure evil, e.g. - destroyed 15 hospitals to date. I come closer to the truth of Putin's character by identifying him as being spiritually possessed, as were all of his communist predecessors. His pride might prevent him from deescalating the war; he has trapped himself by losing face in view of China (even India, Iran, and North Korea) and his collapsing military.

(Note) I'm running late and will have to cut this short. Not my fault. I blame it entirely on age.

A nuclear confrontation with Russia is now (in my very un-professional opinion) probable. We are beginning to hear the word "sub-kiloton nukes - tactical nukes". It's their smaller size that would tempt Putin to use them in Ukraine. The smallest U.S. nuclear bomb was the Davy Crockett, fired somewhat like a mortar, from a tripod set up in the field. The launcher systems were muzzle loading weapons.

"Although the Army had already deployed nuclear artillery systems, by the late 1950s U.S. generals wanted a battlefield system that combat units could use against Soviet troops at close range." "The initial Davy Crockett could be hand-carried and fired from its tripod by two or three soldiers. Since the Davy Crockett was meant for close-range use, the explosive power of the warhead was limited to 20 tons and 10 tons" [not kilotons] - a fraction of the explosive power of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki devices (15 kilotons) but enough for the blast to kill advancing Soviet or Chinese troops. "In the late 1960s, the Army began to remove the Davy Crockett from service." About 2,000 units had been disbursed throughout Western Europe.

I have to close. Putin must be stopped ASAP by conventional means before it will require nuclear means. The free world must provide all support Ukraine forces need, now.

A Davy Crockett at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 1961.

Amidst the murderous slaughter of Ukrainian women, children, and elderly citizens by Putin's Russian army of Orcs, one practical thing bothers me. In the hundreds of hours I've watched video of the conflict I can't remember seeing a single bicycle.

Civilians have fled by the (three) millions to those adjacent NATO countries providing food and shelter. These millions, adults, young children, have trudged along seeking safety on bombed and strafed paved roads dragging fragments of their previous lives through sub-zero and rainy weather. Traditionally, bicycles have been highly effective emergency escape vehicles, often with attached baskets or small trailing carts. Under normal road and weather conditions a bicycle can average about 12-miles per hour. They proved extremely useful in WWI, WWII and many other wars.

The bicycle is more efficient than any other (non-motorized) method of travel - including walking. Even struggling against the Russian murder machine, in freezing weather, the bicycle can move more people and belongings to safety, cheaper and faster, especially at the onset of the fighting.

God grant victory to Ukrainians. It's time to crush Russia and Putin.

***

A response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion":

Hi Kelly,
We rarely agree on essential political issues. I sometimes recall words attributed to several old philosophers: “It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Artemus Ward? This week you've made my job easier for that reason.

You worry about "...the very people [Republicans] who will formulate American policy" based upon some silly metaphors by Sen. Ted Cruz. When "they" were in office was America better off due to Trump's closure of our southern border (before the 3-million unvetted squatters began pouring in)? Are we now, under Biden, better off in Afghanistan after surrendering, handing the Taliban $85-billion in military arms, abandoning thousands of American citizens behind enemy lines? Do you like the inflation (soon possibly hyperinflation)? How about the Keystone XL pipeline, cancelled by Biden, because he maintains: "No matter how you look at it, Keystone XL would be bad for wildlife, especially endangered species.”? "If the pipeline were built, it would decimate habitat these species rely on." Just like the spotted owl controversy nearly shut down the Alaska Pipeline. This (Google produced) statement is a bold lie. You claim pipelines are "environmentally-risky delivery systems, ...that the "...oil will just have to find its way to market as it always has." (FACT) Pipelines are the safest, fastest, cleanest means of transporting oil and gas, by far. Would you rather use tank trucks or train? A 36-inch pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta, through Montana and South Dakota to Steele City, Nebraska, would "transport up to 830,000 barrels per day". Same diameter pipe used in Alaska. It's all 4-feet underground.

"Oil and gas companies do not want to drill more." (Pavel Molchanov). Mr. Molchanov must be a mouthpiece for Vlad the war engineer.

Following Biden's day-one cancellation of the permits, "The Keystone XL pipeline project was terminated in June 2021 and will not proceed." Why not continue to buy millions of barrels from Russia - even Iran? Is this more wise Democratic Party policy? Really? "Building the Keystone XL pipeline would create 10,000 good-paying American union jobs during construction. U.S. employment wages would exceed $2.2 billion under a Project Labor Agreement with four American labor unions. The pipeline's builder was ready to award over $3 billion in contracts awarded to U.S. contractors and suppliers in 2020, with all new steel pipe for Keystone XL, Made in America." “Alaska Pipeline pipe was made entirely in Japan - also delayed 5-years on…” (proven-to-be-false environmental warnings, e.g. caribou).

"Biden fulfilled a campaign promise" by denying [pipeline]construction permits...[and] "...did not close down oil, any gas drilling or delivery." But, "The Keystone XL pipeline project was terminated in June 2021 and will not proceed."

The "release of significant oil reserves " by Biden is worse than a farce. It affected NOTHING but the depletion of a critical war-emergency resource, which Trump had refilled (at a bargain price) after years of neglect!

What a waste! America's national security is at risk as never before due to the incomprehensible incompetence and corruption of Joe Biden and minions. I see the Biden-Harris administration as a harbinger of disaster. Weakness kills by inviting attack.

***

P.S. - If Biden fails to assist Ukraine with everything it needs to break the Russian onslaught (including jet fighter-bombers) we tempt, and should expect, the same fate. If Russia uses poison gas, chemical, bio-weapons, or (real possibility) nuclear weapons, we should be ready to respond immediately. God help us if Kamala is holding the nuclear codes - it could be her last chortle.

Response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion"

Hi Kelly,
I just don't have any interest in sparing over political reputations, alleged comments, which have had no real time consequence (though some do). I will just accept the fact that you believe people like Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) are "demented " and Tucker Carlson a coward (Carlson is not only over his skis lately, he's got them on backwards).

I'm primarily interested in policy, not theater. My admission should save a lot of otherwise wasted ink. There are other politicians, like little Adam Schiff (of the infamous, 4-year Russia-Trump "Collusion"), and (late) Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, recognized by honest Americans as undisputed pathological liars. Such discussions inevitably lead to Pyrrhic dead ends - so why bother?

I would rather evaluate the success or failure of political decisions and those who launched them. For example, was it wise of President Biden to have closed down the nation's energy industry, as he did on his first day in office? Was it wise for Biden to have destroyed security at our southern border, welcoming (and dispersing) 3-million unvetted illegal aliens from all over the world - to date? Was it wise to abandon American citizens in Afghanistan, and surrender $83-billion in war-fighting equipment, and to give the entire country over to the Taliban enemy?

These kinds of issues deserve debate.

So, let's return to the life-and-death discussion of the murderous Ukraine war, where a sovereign nation of 41-million citizens has been brutally attacked by Russia. For America, the beginning of this catastrophe was with the Obama-Biden presidency. For a year we watched the (widely announced) build-up of Russian troops and equipment without doing anything to discourage Putin's megalomania. Obama had sent blankets and MREs when Ukraine asked for defensive military help. Trump was first to send Stinger and Javelin missiles. Sending more meaningful weapons, even if too little and almost too late, can still halt the Russian advance, but much of Ukraine's beautiful structure will be destroyed. If Ukraine should lose this war, it could also turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory for Russia (Pyrrhus, king of Epirus who defeated the Romans in 279 BCE but at a devastating cost). The destruction of Russian armaments by Ukrainian forces is extraordinary, including the death of two of Putin’s favorite generals. Regardless of Putin's nuclear threats to anyone assisting Ukraine, NATO should welcome all such assistance. Otherwise, Putin's threats will succeed in turning the Ukraine stallion into a Russian gelding.

Like many Americans I've been focused on the war from the beginning. A no-fly zone should have been implemented at least a year ago and backed up with a strongly reinforced NATO defense. Now that option is being delayed by the ongoing action. The West should not be intimidated by Putin's nuclear threats. The Russian people (including its military brass) is by now aware of their President's emotional instability; the almost cartoonish "Far Side" picture of Putin sitting at one end of a 40-foot conference table, with his two generals together at the other, says it all - debilitating paranoia; he fears his own generals (recognizes his own failures). He has lost "face" with the world looking on.

If Russia's military leadership remains rational itself, they might take Putin out for the sake of national survival. I hope NATO has finally understood the imminent, expanding threat and successfully rearms in time. It makes me recall Winston Churchill's alleged comment about Americans: "... they'll always do the right thing, after trying everything else."

If so, that's a dangerous habit to repeat during a war.

A-10 ‘Warthog’ Thunderbolt II

A response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion":

Hi Kelly,
With the savagery being inflicted upon the citizens of Ukraine this very minute, I won' t engage in sarcastic characterizations about Russia, Putin, Trump or their individual supporters.

Much is being said about escalating nuclear threats due to the rash judgments of Vladimir Putin. He has put his nuclear forces into “special combat readiness.” This order came only a few days after he warned the United States and other NATO powers to “stay out of the [Ukraine] conflict, adding that ‘the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history”.

In the meantime, Russia intensifies its unprovoked war with Ukraine, a sovereign, independent nation of some 41 million citizens, which is not a threat to Russia. Having badly misjudged the determination of Ukrainians to defend their country against Russian invasion, Putin has apparently panicked and turned to the use of banned weapons of war, like cluster munitions, thermobaric weapons. "The first-stage charge distributes an aerosol made up of very fine material – from a carbon-based fuel to tiny metal particles. A second charge ignites that cloud, creating a fireball, a huge shock wave, and a vacuum as it sucks up all surrounding oxygen. The [thermobaric] blast wave can last for significantly longer than a conventional explosive and is capable of vaporizing human bodies." "One of the things we know about Russian tactics is that they are willing to destroy everything." Keep in mind this weapon is being used against civilians, mothers, children, in apartment buildings.

Kelly, it is extraordinarily defamatory (though not actionable) to accuse Fox News, "Tucky", or Trump of being "pro-Putin." Ukraine has been viciously attacked by Putin's Russia. They are at war. This war threatens the entire West. This situation could have been avoided if only democratic countries would understand the extent to which Communism and socialist dictatorships are evil - and I mean that in the traditional Judeo-Christian sense. Being entirely evil, it is an exercise in pure stupidity to believe anything they may say, at any time. That is, the word "trust" should never be included in any dialogue with Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, etc. Otherwise, we tempt national suicide by naiveté.

I'm glad, and completely surprised, by NATO's quick reaction to Putin's threat of nuclear war. Everybody is finally chipping-in, with food, money, neighborly assistance, and, especially, lethal weaponry (Stinger and Javelin missiles). We now understand that Putin's threat to one is a threat to all. The Democratic West must defend Ukraine immediately, militarily. He has already virtually bankrupt Russia by provoking the denial of SWIFT and appearing as a madman. Today, the Russian Ruble is worth a penny against the dollar, and the Russian people still don't know why. When they figure it out, Putin may go the way of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi. Ironically, the U.S. is actually financing Putin's war by purchasing 700,000 barrels of his oil every day, at over $200 per barrel.

In the meantime, Putin's murderous invasion of Ukraine must be stopped, abruptly, or else Western Democracies will continue to be overrun, living in the perpetual shadow of Communist blackmail.

I can't get two things out of my mind. The first, women and babies being burned alive. The second, that infamous "40-miles" of Russian armaments now creeping towards the capital of Ukraine - Kyiv, the seventh-most populous city in Europe. It's time to call Putin's bluff and join the fight or continue to shamefully cower in the face of his threats.

NATO (and America) can fix this 40-mile threat with a half-dozen U.S. Air Force A-10 "Warthog" Thunderbolt IIs - in about an hour.

Time to stand up with honor - or surrender and run away like we did in Afghanistan!

Go Warthogs!

A response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion"

Hi Kelly,
I did check your websites regarding "a weapon cache and weapons confiscated in D.C." and found them irrelevant. I also ignored allegations of weapons which may or may not have been found in and around Tierra del Fuego National Park, though D.C. cannot expand beyond 10-square miles, constitutionally. I have no doubt, though can't corroborate, that firearms and other weapons, have been found "in the days before January 6, 2021, in the District of Columbia." However, the issue pertains only to the U.S. Capitol. And it is true that your allegations of weapons did indeed, in no way "alter my understanding."

For my lack of trust in the FBI (since its admitted perjury) see Director Christopher Wray's admission of F.B.I. corruption: "FBI Attorney Admits Altering Email Used for FISA Application ..." "Surveillance Court Finds FBI Repeatedly Misused FISA." Remember Steele’s fraudulent dossier on Trump’s alleged links with Moscow, and the 4-year ($40-million pseudo investigation?) refusal to investigate Hillary? In terms of our debate over the Capitol riot - nothing material has changed.

Both McConnell and McCarthy were wrong - according to F.B.I. determinations.

As for Ms. Walker's letter to you, she can speak for herself, I shouldn't be speaking for her.

As for John Durham's motion on the Democratic Russia-Trump scandal, no honest person would characterize Durham as anything but strictly honorable, strictly honest and utterly scrupulous in his investigations. He is finally issuing subpoenas -3 to date. Now the defendants can enter the grand jury, without lawyers, and answer questions under oath, and under penalty of perjury. Worried about Durham being "a Trump-era Special Counsel”? Should I have been worried about Democratic Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his 4-year investigation? But Michael Sussman's problems far exceed a mere "possible conflict of interest issue”. Facts reveal that HILLARY PAID FOR THE WHOLE THING! Careful man that he is, the Durham indictments have just begun to arrive.

****

We are at this time waiting for Putin to attack the innocent, sovereign nation of Ukraine. Though this country was in past decades a slave state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, it was never a voluntary association.

I mostly agree with FOX NEWS Tucker Carlson's political opinions. But when I hear him say "Americans have been trained to hate Putin and will suffer because of it" he just sounds like a recent penitent from a Soviet gulag re-education camp, spouting Communist lies as a useful idiot. Like every other nation from Communist eastern Europe to China, Ukraine has always had serious corruption, making it hard to establish a true democracy - but has struggled mightily to succeed.

As Europe's second largest nation, which has suffered extraordinary torture under Communist (USSR) and its present so-called Russian Federation, it deserves freedom, and our help to obtain it. No Ukrainian wants to be a part of Russia, any more than Cambodia would welcome back Pol Pot, and for the same reasons. We must recall Stalin's man-made Ukrainian famine, where 4 million were starved to death. In short, Stalin killed off the peasant farmers (Kulaks) and removed all food to the cities. In the short space left to me this week, I recommend Harvard's second (1999) printing of The Black Book of Communism - Crimes, Terror, Repression. (850 pages.) "Stalin used starvation as a weapon, particularly against the Ukrainians. This policy resulted in the death of roughly 6 million people, including 4 million in Ukraine. ...Cannibalism was so widespread that the government printed posters that said: "Eating your children is an act of barbarism."

Right now, the people of Ukraine are living normal lives, shopping, sending kids to school, having meals. Putin intends to kill these people and destroy their homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. Putin is the reincarnation of Lenin and Stalin, the mortal enemy of Judeo-Christian freedom, the epitome of satanic Communism.

The West (particularly America) has a profound moral duty to stop him, with lethal military assistance!

A response to "Second Opinion"

Hello Kelly,
After reviewing each of your links supposedly verifying your allegations of "armed insurrection" at the Capitol, none carry evidence to rebut my argument. We have gone over, in some detail, the events at the Capitol too many times, without satisfaction. I cite official FBI reports (though I no longer trust that organization) as well as Congressional records (though I no longer have much trust there either). The facts have been recorded. Scrupulosity can concentrate to a point of communication sterility, something like repeating the same word as fast as one can until it seems meaningless. I feel we are near that point, a little like a couple of 8-year-olds wrangling in verbal combat with "I know you are, but what am I?" retorts. So, I know you are a voodoo algorithmist, but what am I? About the lima beans: I'm sure most have been eaten by now - but I can't prove it.

Kelly, I'm for declaring a truce on the issue of the riot, and moving on, before our readers do. We both refuse to acknowledge the other's "facts." No time to waste - America is falling apart. Fetch your cape and I'll meet you here next week!

****

As I began this column, satellite reports stated (Vladimir Putin's troops, seeking a Third Reichskommissariat Ukraine, and more Lebensraum) were crossing into Ukraine. Later, the report was found to be false (see Phillip Knightley's "The First Casualty" -truth), with Putin's TV facial expression changed from a threatening scowl to a sunny, beneficent smile. After mustering his forces, surrounding the sovereign nation of Ukraine with more than 150,000 troops, tanks, mobile missiles, fighter aircraft, surface ships and submarines (Black Sea), he feels like a muscled Faustian Superman. After NATO's feckless response to Putin's annexation of Crimea in 2014, he feels free to take what he wants again - and what he wants is a resurrection of the putrefied USSR Russian Federation. Like proud China, he could finally overreach and spark global war - exactly as Hitler did.

The American government, through 8-years of Obama, continuing with Biden, has facilitated Putin's fearless aggression by failing to assist Ukraine's military defense in any meaningful way, after our astonishing surrender in Afghanistan. While Putin insists Ukraine has always been a part of Russia (post Russian Revolution), the fabled Breadbasket of Europe (a world's top wheat exporter) is now a sovereign nation. Stalin starved it nearly to death by man-made famine. Between 1931 and 1934 at least 5 million people perished of hunger all across the U.S.S.R. Ukrainian demographers, report at least 3.9 million Ukrainians starved to death. Cannibalism was widespread. Ukraine now rejects Mother Russia, whose milk of human kindness turned rancid.

So, despite Putin's desire to stoke the stench of Soviet graveyards past, Ukrainians are now free citizens in a struggling democracy, demanding sovereignty. NATO gives little support for Ukraine's defense (though Obama sent blankets and MREs, and Germany sent thousands of helmets). Now that Russia readies for attack, the US finally provides some serious weapons. Too little, too late, as usual. For the Biden administration, the abject surrender of Afghanistan to the Taliban is the model. Played in full, any Russian attack is estimated to kill 50,000 Ukrainian military, and many more civilians. Like the unspeakable disaster of America's surrender in Afghanistan, most Americans haven't a clue to the multiple disasters now lying in wait, from Russia, China, Iran, even a resuscitated North Korea.

And what is the American government (Democratic Party) most worried about? Biden and his minions worry about climate change, same-sex marriage, Black Lives Matter, White Supremacy, gender identity for 4-year-olds, transgender acceptance, Critical Race Theory, defunding the police, slavery reparations, vaxing 2-year-olds, protecting Hunter Biden family criminality, and putting the final stake through Trump's political heart. Our enemies have watched this coming for decades. And, frankly, they hold America's witless social fads and idiosyncratic science, in contempt, as much as Putin ignores Ukraine's historic Stalinist famine. They see America The Vulnerable. They eye their prey with "a lean and hungry look." Though I'm pessimistic, I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist, trying to understand things as they really are, a difficult job as described in Phillip Knightley's 1975 book “The First Casualty" (truth). Title from Senator Hiram Johnson, 1917: "The first casualty when war comes is truth."

As I see things shaping up now, America is about to take a beating, because it has become morally debilitated (perhaps unpardonably so) and because, although created a Christian nation, we have become atheistic.

Consequences of military corruption

"Top US General Mark Milley had "secret" phone calls with China [military commanders] amid concerns about then-President Trump." This dumbfounding sedition remains unpunished, when court martial was required, and with conviction, prison. Our combat forces have been feminized (against the overwhelming objection of its men). Our leadership, military and civilian, is pathetically naive, incompetent, and corrupt.

Examples: Fat Leonard scandal. Since 2013, hundreds of people have been criminally charged in connection with the Fat Leonard bribery and corruption scandal. "According to investigators, by November 2017, more than 440 people — including 60 admirals — have come under scrutiny under the inquiry."[20][8] "WASHINGTON, D.C. – "It has been years since the Malaysian contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, aka "Fat Leonard," has pleaded guilty to bribing Navy officials with prostitutes, alcohol and expensive trips to allow contractors to dock Navy ships throughout the western Pacific." Former Wall Street Journal reporter Tom Wright.

The U.S.'s $13 Billion Aircraft Carrier Has a Toilet Problem

The Gerald R Ford Class is the world's biggest aircraft carrier. "This is also just the latest toilet-related issue with the USS Gerald R. Ford. It was the first aircraft carrier to feature gender-neutral bathrooms and has no urinals." Or portholes! "In 2011 there were reports that at least twice in the carriers' first year in service all 423 toilets were out of service simultaneously. As a result, the system must regularly be cleaned with an expensive acid solution that costs $400,000 per use.” "The Navy blamed the sailors flushing “inappropriate” materials down the toilets, including feminine hygiene products..."

And by the way, this "new" $15-Billion carrier has yet to perfect its novel aircraft-launching system. "In May 2017, President Donald Trump criticized the EMALS catapult during an interview with Time, saying that in comparison to traditional steam catapults, "the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it’s no good."[23][24][25][26] In 2013, 201 of 1,967 test launches failed, more than 10 percent.

Too many problems remain: in terms of ship navigation disasters, ignorance of traditional navigation tools, refusal to obey Commander in Chief's orders, abandoning command of aircraft carrier due to virus, surrender of ship under Iranian guns, reckless operation of nuclear submarine (sunk commercial ship while showing off for elite civilian guests), etc. Don't mean to pick on Navy, but its misadventures are just the most obvious. Now, with China having the largest Pacific fleet, also the most dangerous.

A perfect cloud of incompetence and operational failure at every level hovers over our military. It is NOT the fault of our great troops; the fault is to be found in a threatening lack of LEADERSHIP, beginning with our corrupt Commander in Chief.

Again, I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist. And the evil reality I see is global, from a corrupt Catholic hierarchy (moral/financial) - the Vatican now a communist-colluding nation state - see Church Militant online), to democracy undefended, NATO a greedy weakling, Big Banks, Big Tech, and Big Media all supporting China, America gutting its southern border, spilling millions of illegals across the nation, deliberately, permanently - little room is left for optimism, because, WHO’S GOING TO FIX THIS and WHEN?

TODAY: Finally, after 4-years of investigation, the greatest political scandal in American history is uncovered! "Durham alleges cyber analysts 'exploited' access to Trump White House server | The Hill" "Special Prosecutor John Durham's latest filing, [contains] within it the allegation that Rodney Joffe, a tech executive, at the behest of Hillary Clinton's campaign, spied on Trump, both in Trump Tower and his apartment and, later, in the White House." Though far more serious than Watergate, the question remains: Will this cloud of conspirators who so cunningly plotted this deadly sedition - especially Hillary Clinton - be punished? The answer will determine the validity of my pessimism. I think pessimism is in order on this issue. Metaphorically, let's get a rope!

The face of Facebook upon learning he’s not a god, and must give back $251Billion.

Response to Kelly Scoles "Second Opinion."

Hi Kelly,
No. I picked a lot of walnuts and hoed miles of lima beans as a kid, but no cherries. Ironically, I believe they now grow berries there.

About that election steal, I'm not asking you to prove a negative. I'm alleging proof of fraud, asking you to disprove it. It's all math and mechanics so that should be no problem. Certifying fraudulent ballot counts proves nothing. Courts, including USSC, rejected those proofs and refused to provide traditional hearings. If I'm wrong in this, please show me where. Trump's attitude is irrelevant.

"In reality, there were 28 unique cases filed across the six contested states by President Trump or others on his behalf." "So we are left with the memory of the videos of vote counters clapping as Republican observers were evicted and of covers being placed over windows." "We learned nothing from a lawsuit dismissed by a state judge in Georgia (Boland v. Raffensperger) on the basis that the plaintiff had sued an “improper party” rather than hearing the merits of why the ballot rejection rate allegedly dropped from 1.53 percent in 2018 to 0.15 percent in the 2020 general election.” By: Bob Anderson, The Federalist, March 11, 2021.

"The judge tossed it since the state’s Election Code required their request to be filed within 20 days of the alleged violation, which was Nov. 23. They filed Dec. 4. We’ll never know if that truck brought in pallets of completed ballots—an amount sufficient to overturn the state’s Electoral College vote.” Also: A lawsuit in Pennsylvania, Metcalfe v. Wolf, claimed “approximately 144,000 to 288,000 completed mail-in and/or absentee ballots” in Pennsylvania may have been illegal based on testimony from a U.S. Postal Service contractor. The contractor said he was hired to haul a truck of what he believed to be this many completed mail-in ballots from New York to Pennsylvania. The complaint also alleged there was “evidence” of ballots that were backdated at a postal facility in Erie." This is simply one of thousands of sworn (unheard) testimonies alleging systemic vote fraud.

Read also: "Bought and Sold For Big Tech Gold: How an Unprecedented Private-Public Partnership Subverted the 2020 Election. America: A Facebook Company." By Phill Kline, Director, The Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society. This is a thorough analysis of how "In effect, America purchased a complex ballot box (computer) into which its votes would be deposited but didn’t have the right to open the box and review the count. A secret ballot helps secure free and fair elections — a secret ballot box fundamentally undermines them." Read more about "The provision of Zuckerberg-CTCL [Center for Tech and Civic Life] funds allowed these Democrat strongholds to spend roughly $47 per voter, compared to $4 to $7 per voter in traditionally Republican areas of the state”. (The Federalist.) (Zuckerberg dumped $450Million into select Democratic election strongholds, facilitating massive fraud at every level.

Attempting to retrieve election fraud quotes from Gazette's archive, I found Google skullduggery, such as: "Missing: 582 ‎Dec ‎16, ‎2020 ... ‎voter ‎election ‎fraud. ‎study, ‎Dominion ‎Voting ‎System ‎Michigan." All Realities relating to election fraud in 2020-2021 have gone "missing", by Google. This complicates retrieval.

Many of these (Google) edits concern the Dominican voting machines and tabulators, used to process votes in twenty-eight states, including the swing states of Wisconsin and Georgia. I will piece together links and post them to Gazette's "Links" page - just addresses. And I'm done!

2020 Election Fraud on Steroids. By R.D. Wedge, American Thinker. Please search American Thinker under “2020 Election Fraud”.

American Thinker Note: "This search page is a convenience for our readers, but Google has occasionally censored our content. If you're unable to find something you believe is at American Thinker, we suggest that you try the following search in DuckDuckGo: americanthinker.com".

Meet the Technology That's Uncovering 2020's Voter Fraud, By Jay Valentine; American Thinker, November 29, 2021.

Dr.SHIVA Ayyadurai, PhD (MIT) - Chairman & CEO - LinkedIn

Compares the certainty of the election fraud to Joe Biden "flipping a nickel one thousand times and having all flips turning up heads." He challenges anyone to "Prove us wrong!" "The incidents of fraud are numerous, from deleting ballot images (violation of USC code 20701-20702), to vote transfers. These fraudulent vote transfers from Trump to Biden were facilitated by a computer algorithm, a Weighted Race Algorithm method, transferring a percent of votes from one candidate to another, by a weighted decimal value."

****

Beware Russia. It has gone too far preparing for war to suddenly avoid it. Again, we are deliberately (?) unprepared, for both Russia and China. America nears a point of checkmate.

I regret having to omit City Council news last week. Timing circumstances have to be adjusted due to production schedules. Work-around is under way for next meeting.

****

A response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion"

Hi Kelly,
Your complaint concerning my misquote of your statement last week is valid. I accidentally omitted "accused marauding criminals", though I would have added "questionably" accused in those cases inflicting punishment by solitary confinement for misdemeanors like "Parading in Capitol area". My sincere apologies.

Though "Guns are not the only weapons that can cause severe bodily harm”, the absence of guns was my subject. Also, we were discussing the activity during the six-hour Capitol riot, not "the days preceding the riot" or whatever may have been found "across the river" by unknown parties.

Exactly one death occurred during that six-hour riot, that of an unarmed female Air Force veteran, shot by a negligent Capitol Police Officer, neither explained nor punished.

As to alleged Trump conspiracy, again: Nor was it ..."the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential [election]...(www.reuters.com). Please cite any contradictory information.

"Five people died either shortly before, during, or following the [Capitol] event: "One was shot by Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes."

COMPARE that with the summer of BLM and Antifa riots of 2021: "According to a September 2020 estimate, arson, vandalism and looting caused about $1–2 billion in insured (not counting un-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 United States history.[7][34]'"At least 25 Americans were killed during protests and political unrest in 2020." How much FBI investigation targeted this - compared to six hours on 1-6-2020?

Black Lives Matter "Google has committed $12 million, [to BLM] while both Facebook and Amazon are donating $10 million..." Apple is pledging a whopping $100 million." But who's in charge?

BLM was founded by three African-American women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometiln. "In a revealing 2015 interview, Cullors said, “Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers. We are trained Marxists.” (American Heritage).

Kahn-Cullors quit (if she really did) after The Post revealed that she’d spent some $3.2 million buying real estate across the country, including a $1.4 million home just outside Malibu, Calif.

One BLM demand proclaims that: “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear-family-structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another.” A partner organization, the Movement for Black Lives, or M4BL, calls for abolishing all police and all prisons.

Another M4BL demand is “the retroactive decriminalization, immediate release and record -expungement of all drug-related offenses and prostitution and reparations for the devastating impact of the ‘war on drugs’ and criminalization of prostitution.”

"Who exactly is running the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the legal entity that runs the national BLM movement, and deciding how to spend the $60 million it has on hand?"

Most recently, the major players in BLM have disappeared, together with that $60 million.

No thinking, God-fearing, loyal American citizen should support BLM. It is a poisonous, fraudulent, Communist, America-hating organization, joined with the other Communist (can I say domestic terrorists?) worldwide to destroy democracy. "The [BLM]group's radical Marxist agenda would supplant the basic building block of society—the family—with the state and destroy the economic system that has lifted more people from poverty than any other. Black lives, and all lives, would be harmed." (This piece originally appeared in the NY Post). The Heritage Foundation."

The January 6 rioters (thanks for not referring to them as "insurrectionists") did not seek to "overthrow" the government. They sought to remedy a fraudulent election. I will, next week, reprint the numerous mathematical proofs from those MIT, Harvard, Stanford, mathematics PhDs, et al, and challenge all competent deniers to disprove their work. They stake their professional reputations on that work. I'll condense it and will skip the thousand-plus eyewitness testimonies of fraud.

Checking the FBI's "definitions" page, under "Domestic Terrorism" I believe most of the 1-6-2020 rioters should not qualify, under any reasonable application, with some exceptions. Again: Exclusive: "FBI finds scant evidence U.S. Capitol attack was coordinated ..." Question: why the ambiguous use of the word "scant"?

But, to be clear, the riot was unlawful. The central issue, however, is equal justice under law - how it is administered fairly, without prejudice.

On the racism remark, how else can a reasonable person interpret it? In an age of fools (not you) who proclaim mathematics to be racist, you should expect everyone to be "extremely sensitive" if only in self-defense.

Next week - sound the alarm! Red Handed, How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win, by Peter Schweizer; just released. Why we should believe the U.S. is on the cusp of being subdued, financially and militarily, which makes all this talk of Capitol rioting comparative political amusement. And, why it's not fiscally prudent for anyone to be (now) $30-Trillion in debt.

A response to Kelly Scoles "Second Opinion"

Hi again Kelly,
Your column this week is a response to a letter from Patti Walker which came in last week. It's great to hear from more readers, and I will keep my comments shorter than usual.

I would not refer to those jailed on account of the Jan. 6 Capital riot as "marauding criminals" before they have been convicted of crimes. "Only around one-tenth of those arrested—71 individuals—have received criminal sentences... while the rest are waiting for their trials..." According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

"So far, the median prison sentence for the Jan. 6 rioters is 45 days. An additional 18 rioters have been sentenced to periods of home detention, while most sentences have included fines, community service and probation for low-level offenses like illegally parading or demonstrating in the Capitol, which is a misdemeanor." (Time)
One man "was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison—the longest sentence given to anyone charged in the Jan. 6 riot. His plea agreement originally called for a 46 to 57 month sentence, but it was increased to 63 months after he wrote on his fundraising website that he had acted in self-defense, contradicting his earlier comments in court..."

You should care that they are being held in solitary confinement for more than a year pending trial (or even charges). What about the Sixth Amendment: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district ..." "FBI Director Christopher Wray has called [this]"domestic terrorism," [which] touched off a sprawling federal investigation." "...the investigation has been national in scope, involving agents and prosecutors from nearly all 56 FBI field offices and 94 U.S. attorney's offices around the country." I have to ask where in the hell were these guys during the 5 months of BLM and Antifa true insurrection. Not one arsonist or murderer arrested!

Kelly, you describe those alleged "domestic terrorists" as "typically white, male Christians who are deeply distrustful of the federal government..." Would you describe the BLM and Antifa arsonists and murderers as "domestic terrorists" as well? After all, they did burn down homes and businesses (and police stations, and churches) to the tune of $2-billion. Are there any non-white domestic terrorists in America? Or might it be genetically white? I begin to smell some racism here.

Having to rebut your continual denial of the truth of certified, proven facts wears me down, making my assertions pointless, and causes me to wonder just what unimpeachable standard you would acknowledge. For example, would you now agree that no firearms were found in the Jan.6 Capitol break-in? Would you agree that the FBI found no conspiracy to attack the Capitol, if I assert: "Though federal officials have arrested more than 570 alleged participants, the FBI at this point believes the violence was not centrally coordinated by far-right groups or prominent supporters of then-President Donald Trump? (Reuters)." And "The FBI has reportedly found no evidence that far-right allies of Donald Trump conspired to overturn the presidential election during the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, according to law enforcement officers briefed on the investigation." (Reuters). Can we agree on these facts? If so then there is hope for this dialogue.

By the way, it is undisputed that the Founders, to a man (and woman) were "deeply distrustful of the federal government." That's why they added those glorious Amendments. They had in mind people like James Comey, James Clapper, Andrew McCabe, Susan Rice, Robert Mueller, John Podesta, Sally Yates, (little) Adam Schiff, Christopher Steele, Rod Rosenstein, Hillary Clinton, Loretta E. Lynch, Lloyd Austin, Christopher Wray, Pete Buttigieg, Jennifer Granholm, Alejandro Mayorkas, James Mattis, John Kelly, Rex Tillerson, Merrick Garland, Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr, Hunter Biden - and extended family. Sorry, I've run out of space.

The Founders knew all of these types of treacherous citizens, many perjurers, hypocrites for hire, were all self-seeking egos. Some, like Hunter Biden, are so extraordinarily vile its difficult for normal citizens to understand the magnitude of the menace.

During his entire presidency, Trump was sabotaged from every side by these political shipworms. If he runs again, he will quickly recognize this same threatening Dantesque treachery from the Ninth Circle of our Capitol.

In last week's Realities I erred by narrowing a basic principle of my own, i.e.: to invite maximum freedom of expression within the bounds of Christian decency and the law of libel. I stand corrected, and any issues of style have been resolved.

Now, let's let 'er rip!

****

Response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion":
I have only time to do a "bullets" correction to some alleged facts in the Jan. 6, Capital incident.

Despite inflammatory footage of rioting, this has to have been one of the quietest-shortest riots in American history, though still seriously unlawful conduct at our nation's Capital.

Of the 100,000 citizens gathered to hear President Trump's address, only a few hundred entered the Capital building. Police found no firearms, firebombs, Molotov cocktails, torches, overturned statuary, unlike the true insurrection carried on by BLM and Antifa, for 5 months, with many fatalities and $2 billion in damages.

At the Capital, one death of unarmed female Air Force veteran due to unexplained Capital police officer's negligence. I repeat - no firearms were found with rioters.

"Asked how many firearms were confiscated in the Capitol or on its grounds on Jan. 6, Sanborn said, “To my knowledge we have not recovered any on that day from any of the arrests at the scene at this point. But I don’t want to speak on behalf of Metro and Capitol police, but to my knowledge none." Rick Rouan, USA TODAY

Yet, PBS stated this riot was "the most sustained attack on the seat of American democracy since the War of 1812." This pathetic lie was more humorous than serious, but still a blatant lie. Just to put things in rational perspective: the War of 1812 lasted 32 months following the U.S. declaration of war on Britain in June 1812 "- more than 2 and a half years. (Remember, the British burned the White House - and burned down our CAPITAL BUILDING?) Also remember the Jan.6 riot lasted exactly six (6) HOURS. The Brits got away with it. The Jan. 6 Trumpers remain in solitary confinement.

The so-called House Select Committee - what a joke. Composed entirely of Never-Trumpers (Seven Democrats and two Republicans — all selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ) "Pelosi rejects GOP picks Jordan, Banks on Jan. 6 committee; McCarthy threatens to pull out." USA TODAY. Only Never-Trumpers remain.

A farce! I would warmly welcome a fair and truthful Committee. If this Committee moves slowly it's because the facts are already known. Just like the facts in that hoary old 4-year investigation of the "Russian Collusion" and fraudulent dossier - and more recently, the Hunter Biden laptops (3) and testimony of Tony Bobulinski (ex-Hunter Biden CEO-associate) speaking factually about Joe, Hunter, and the whole thieving, traitorous Biden family. The naked facts are known. Think the FBI, CIA, or NIA, or anyone else will investigate? Answer: Of course not; all now completely corrupt.

Curious about those 14,000 hours of hidden Capital riot videos? By JOSH GERSTEIN:
08/18/2021 08:34 AM EDT "Prosecutors made nine videos available to the court Monday [out of 14,000 hours], but continued to oppose release of the five that come from closed-circuit Capitol surveillance cameras." (emphasis mine)
"A new lawsuit is demanding that Congress release a vast trove of Capitol riot surveillance video currently the subject of legal tussles involving judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and the press."

Mar 29, 2021 — 6 surveillance camera footage with two key congressional committees ... And it has shared a "very limited number" of video clips from Jan. 6.

Capitol Riot Surveillance Footage Released - BuzzFeed News
Sep 21, 2021 — WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday released a new collection of [unpublished] Capitol surveillance videos from Jan. 6 after a judge ordered them ..."

Capitol Police provided more than 14,000 hours of ... - Politico
https://www.politico.com › news › 2021/03/29 › capitol...
Yes - all provided to the House, but you cannot see them! Because they show just how untypically-riotous the riot was overall. You've seen a few carefully edited minutes of it; why not demand all 14,000 hours be released?

The riot occurred because half the nation witnessed the greatest fraudulent election steal in American history. Disprove those scores of mathematical proofs provided by MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, PhDs. That's a challenge to which I patiently await acceptance. The challenge: "Prove us wrong, in the science," not phony recounts of fraudulent ballots.

(Caution: The following statement has not been approved for publication by Mark Zuckerberg . Readers assume the risk of provoking retaliation.) Kelly, you're correct in observing that "an attempt to obstruct democracy" did in fact occur on that fateful November day, with sufficiently serious consequences to end our nation as we flounder about in our new weakness.

Now, should we move on?

A response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion."

Hi Kelly,
I would like to make a suggestion regarding our weekly column duels. While I always look forward to the exchange of opinion, I believe readers would find it more interesting if we reduced the level of sarcasm and focused on fewer issues. Too much chili in the sauce can make it less appetizing. I'm really most interested in identifying and analyzing facts, though it's fun to characterize the players too.

For example, in my opinion, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). while I acknowledge his solid conservative character, did speak foolishly (or in his words, "sloppily") referring to the Jan 6. riot at the Capitol as a "terrorist attack." In no meaningful way was it a "terrorist" attack, and he is embarrassed by his misstatement. The issues involving this 6-hour riot are historically significant, not only because they remain criminal, but because slowly developing evidence points to federal complicity.

More than 14,000 hours of riot video has never been released to the public. Trump requested 20,000 in military support weeks before riot in anticipation of trouble - rejected by Speaker Pelosi. Had rioters been true insurrectionists the Capital building would have been destroyed! Utter unpreparedness by authorities. No responsibility taken. One death by negligence of Capitol police officer, (very late to identify) never explained, never punished, and I am a strong supporter of law enforcement.

The list of riot anomalies is long, FBI negligence is inexplicable (lack of preparation, slow response, and communications). Again, "Rioters on the west side break into the building around 2:11 p.m." By "8:00 p.m.: Capitol Police declare the building to be secure.9 "At 8 p.m. Congress reconvenes to resume counting Electoral College votes" and to "resume the certification of Biden's Electoral College victory." It is the sacrosanct character of the place (our Capitol) more than the violence of the rioters themselves that shocks citizens of goodwill. Despite months of escalating anger and mistrust between parties, our Capitol was not adequately protected.

The riot began at 2:11 p.m. It ended completely at 8:00 p.m., same day, and dubbed "an insurrection" by Democrats and their Big Media partners.

In contrast: "...political riots of 2020. Death Toll Rises To An Estimated 30 Victims Since ‘Mostly Peaceful Protests’ Began.”

By: Jordan Boyd. August 19, 2020

(FOX NEWS) -- More than 2,000 law enforcement officers were injured in the first weeks of protests over the summer (2020) following the police killing of George Floyd, according to a report released in October." "In 2020, 46 officers were killed..., FBI data showed."

" ...the civil unrest between May 26 and June 08 [2020] will cost the insurance industry more than any prior civil unrest. The final number could be up to $2 billion and possibly more, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I)."

"For Five Months, [2020] BLM Protestors Trashed America’s Cities. After the Election, Things May Only Get Worse."
Nov 6th, 2020 The Heritage Foundation.

And Democrats and leftist media have the audacity to call the Jan. 6 Capital riot an "insurrection"?! I've just shown you what a true insurrection looks like. Black Lives Matter is a fraudulent cover for an admittedly Communist, anti-Judeo Christian, anti-nuclear family organization funded by the radical Left. It has no place in our culture, certainly not in our schools. Through true insurrection and subterfuge BLM is destroying our democratic Republic.

****

Kelly, I have to confess frustration at this time due to overload combining this column and last night's Council meeting report. We have to change course. Let's state the officially recognized facts, with authentication, and go from there, avoiding playful characterizations where possible.

I hate to leave this place as it is, but I am flat out of time, and patience.

Let's simplify our debate for next week.

This has not been a good week. For the first time in years I accidentally deleted all 700 words of this week's column. I don't have the time to re-write it or explain it.

I had responded to 9 of Kelly's issues. This week's comments on "Second Opinion" were very broad.

Much of my column dealt with communications restrictions (i.e. First Amendment cancellations by Big Tech.) I cited the recent banning of world renowned virologist, Dr. Robert Malone. #Twitter #RobertMalone #UnitedStates. Twitter, and now Facebook, have decided they know better than this extraordinary specialist: ("I am an internationally recognized scientist/physician and the original inventor of mRNA vaccination as a technology, DNA vaccination, and multiple non-viral DNA and RNA/mRNA platform delivery technologies. I hold numerous fundamental domestic and foreign patents in the fields of gene delivery, delivery formulations, and vaccines: including for fundamental DNA and RNA/mRNA vaccine technologies.") (Dr. Robert Malone)

Unlike most people invested in the vaccine controversy, Dr. Malone holds no financial interest in this multi-$billion contest. Those who object to Dr. Malone's expert opinions should consult Doctor Jack Dorsey and Doctor Mark Zuckerberg for their's.

Let all American citizens beware: You must now have your personal and professional opinions approved for publication by Twitter, Facebook, Google, Apple, Amazon, etc. Get used to being too small to matter- the Big Five have spoken.

Here's hoping things go better next week.

Response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion"

Hi Kelly. Hope you had a great Christmas.

My "lament" over the "Afghanistan withdrawal" I thought was an appropriate reminder of the inclusive nature of Christmas, that the Good News is meant for everyone.

As most of us enjoyed Christmas because we are free to do so (not true in communist or Islamic countries) I could not help but remember 280 girls abandoned at the Kabul airport:

“We had seven buses filled with world-renowned orchestra performers — 280 girls all approved to go,” said Robert Stryk, a Washington fixer who has been coordinating private evacuation efforts in conjunction with former Navy SEAL and US Congressman Scott Taylor (R-Va.).

“Our hearts are broken,” he added. “These young girls spent 17 hours on a hot bus with no food or water and were 393 feet from freedom but were denied entry into the airport because the United States government gave [the Taliban] the power to override the US Army’s 82nd Airborne." My old outfit would have wiped-out every Taliban in the entire area to let these girls pass - but were forbidden to act by Biden officials. Those girls will never see another Christmas.

Sobering thoughts like this intruded into my otherwise joyful participation of Christmas. Apparently ghosts of now Christmas Past are too distressing for liberals to recall. But I can never forget these girls nor to pray for their return. Recent reports of the auction for sale of a 9-month-old Afghan girl for future marriage (a common Muslim practice) reignites my concern for those 280 girls. This was a part of my "lament". Among the Taliban, female human beings are a mere commodity. My Christmas joy was mixed with a palpable sense of anger and shame at Biden's loathsome treachery. (I had to soften my real feelings here)

Your reference to Biden's alleged attempt to "better the lot of ordinary non-billionaire Americans" caused my fallacy detectors to short circuit. All that is apparently left of the Democratic Party apparatus are the skeletal remains of multi-billionaires, all heads of the Big Five Tech Giants (ashamed of its past, "Facebook" changed its name to obscure "Meta"). Also, virtually all Big Banks, media and hedge companies like BlackRock, are the heart and guts of the Democratic Party. Think especially of: BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, with US$9.5 trillion in assets under management as of October, 2021. Think of that - $10Trillion under its control - all-in for your Progressives. Or contemplate Zuckerberg's $450-Million donation to select election precincts. So much for the "ordinary non-Billionaire".

Another jolt to my fallacy detectors was: "...withdrawal from Afghanistan created by Trump" Absolutely untrue. Biden rejected Trump's "conditional" withdrawal". Top generals told lawmakers under oath on Tuesday that they advised President Joe Biden early this year to keep several thousand troops in Afghanistan — directly contradicting the President’s comments (lies) in August that no one warned him not to withdraw troops from the country.

The greatly esteemed Stanford author-historian Victor Davis Hanson said Friday that “President Joe Biden, through his Afghanistan withdrawal strategy and process, has birthed the most powerful and well-equipped terror state in the whole free world." Also: "We are all worried about the new aircraft carrier Gerald Ford [at] $12 billion; the most expensive aircraft carrier in history. We could have had seven of them for the price of weapons that we have left in Afghanistan," he said. "The Delaware Democrat [Biden] and his staff and military brass have acted "nonchalant" about the fact they just gifted $90 billion in weapons to the Taliban." Beneficial here to read any of Hanson's scholarly works or hear him online.

Trump bears no fault here, and Biden, himself, recently agreed that he welcomes the "Let's Go Brandon" salutation.

Again, Kelly, for the fourth time, "every court, including SCOTUS...has confirmed the [presidential] vote". No court evaluated the mountainous evidence of voter fraud, they refused to even look at it, their rejections were procedural based. Please research recent Arizona audits.

As for "getting old...and for looking back to our own youthful experiences and beliefs as being "ideal" is fairly common." "Old rules are discarded, acknowledged "truths" are challenged." I'm not reminiscing about pet rocks or beanie babies here. These sweeping generalizations are typical of Progressivism. But, if facts are held to be "truths", challenges won't move them. In Christianity God is known to be Trinitarian (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), this is recognized as revealed truth, a fact. It has always been challenged, but to no effect. "Trumpian plans to subvert the election and stage an insurrection at the Capitol..." has also been proven to be false, as has the false report of Trump's staging photo op at church:

From nbcnews.com:
June 11, 2021 — New report says Lafayette Square Park was not cleared for Trump to hold ... the White House so that the president could stage a photo op. Looking at Google's website on this issue we find virtually all information to be false and misleading. Virtually all of it! The so-called "insurrection" at the Capital is now termed a "riot". It lasted exactly 4-hours before Congregational vote-counting resumed. One death by negligent Capital Police Officer shooting of woman attempting to climb through a broken window. No other firearms, Molotov cocktails, fires, etc. were involved. However, during that summer Antifa and BLM caused in excess of $1-billion-worth of true insurrection damage, for 5-months, including multiple deaths among citizens and police officers alike. This non-stop, murderous conflagration of businesses and homes has never been designated an "insurrection" - and no participants have been held responsible. Why?

You say, "Every generation creates its own ideals, and we cannot return to the past." I say we ignore history at our own peril. Are you cancelling the necessity of learning from experience? Should we "discard" "old rules" like the Ten Commandments? How about Constitutional rights?

"Thrashing about with untruths, venom, and despair is not the best that humanity can offer." I have no interest in untruths, venom, [or] despair. Untruths (as mentioned above) should be identified and corrected. "Venom" as you use the word, can be evil; I prefer the anti-venom of truth and accuracy, which I find deficient in your historical narrations.

You regret my prediction that "this will not be a Happy New Year." You find it a "miserable thing to share with others in this season of renewal." I have to ask, if I witnessed your Christmas tree on fire would you resent me for sounding the alarm? If you value truth does this mean you accept only cheerful information?

You disdain my "bleak, dismal, and joyless" remarks, and find that "all things will be judged and experienced through that prism." Don't forget a prism separates white light into a spectrum of colors; consider that white light to be clear expressions of rational probabilities, and other possibilities, as I do. As a famous man once said - "Just the facts, ma’am."

As you say, "I am not going to bet, at this point, against a Happy New Year...." Of course, you can bet however you choose, but there's no point in ignoring the facts - which are indeed bleak.

This column is now too long - and I'm too tired.

Good night.

I join Kelly Scoles, author of the Gazette's "Second Opinion," in wishing all of our readers a Merry Christmas - "to those who treasure the celebration of the "Good News" of the New Testament and the joys of the season..." Of course, the "Good News" is the proclamation of the Incarnation - that God had become Man as Savior - as promised after the fall of Adam and Eve, opening the gates of eternal salvation. So, Hallelujah!

****

After wishing everyone a Merry Christmas I wish I could honestly expect a Happy New Year as well, but I doubt that will happen. Because of the unprecedented military weakness in which Joe Biden has placed us, I believe we will be unable or unwilling to react to expected attacks from China and Russia against our allies, Taiwan and Ukraine. Biden's surrender to the Taliban, after 20-years of war, is the new standard of cowardice our enemies now expect, and they will take full advantage of it. It is a "...betrayal of people who have sided with the United States against its enemies and who, in the aftermath of American withdrawal, face a future of oppression, brutality, and death." (Peter Wehner, The Atlantic).

It's not only his flair for stupid policies that worries me, it’s his embarrassingly incompetent Cabinet appointments. What enemy would be afraid of bumbling Blinkin, or war fighters like Lloyd J. Austin III, or Gen. Mark Milley? Abandoning Afghanistan was not, as some characterize "a botched withdrawal." It was a deliberate decision to betray our allies. No president can make such a string of deadly policy catastrophes as Biden has done and have reasonable people believe they are simply accidents due to feeble mindedness. While Trump left office with the affairs of state strong and in order, Biden has replaced that order with weakness, betrayal, and confusion.

The Afghanistan debacle, open borders (millions pouring in), closure of energy sources (cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline), extreme inflation, foolish fixation on climate change, and the feminization of our fighting forces, spells near term disaster for the nation.

Had Donald Trump not had the 2020 election stolen from him (mathematical studies alone prove this, and all deniers are challenged to show otherwise; no takers), I would not be concerned for America's future because of his firm control and the respect our enemies had for him. It's beyond dispute that Big Tech billionaires funded Biden's win, and Arizona election audits are now providing more proof. Much more is expected. Furthermore, he and family members have been clearly exposed for enriching themselves through criminal dealings with China, et.al., while Joe was Vice President, and later. (see: Tony Bobulinski, former Navy lieutenant and business partner of Hunter Biden.) This story (a game-changer) was blocked by Facebook, Twitter, et. al. weeks before the election. It's worth re-reading.

Big Tech (Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon - the Big Five) with Democratic Party and radical Progressive Congressional members, conspired to give the American nation the weakest, most unqualified (mentally and experientially) presidential candidates in US history. The Big Fraud did the rest. Just imagine Kamala Harris as president!

Joe Biden's profound corruption, incompetence, and mental disability show that he is not only a harbinger of Afghanistan-esque failure, he is a truly evil man.

From our bleeding border, to coming attractions in the Far East, Biden's first year in office has inflicted upon America uninterrupted disasters, done deliberately, methodically, according to plan.

Merry Christmas! But this will not be a Happy New Year.

A response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion"

Hello again Kelly.
It's always a gravely depressing task to review cold-blooded killings, even more so when looking at a school shooting. It's also depressing to know that convincing liberals that it's never the fault of the firearm is impossible.

After debating liberals for several generations, I recognize that the intransigence of the liberal Left is due to their use of a novel logic, which dismisses facts. This illogical habit allows liberals to affirm many fallacious conclusions. For example, they demand that everyone acknowledge trans-genderism. They have convinced themselves that a man can think himself into being a woman. At the same time, they also demand that we all "follow the science". They live in a make-believe logical culture, which leads them into a swamp of wild contradiction.

Take the issue of firearms for example. Since the 1960s, at least, liberals have argued that a gun is downright evil because it kills people. Conservatives contend that a gun is an inert, inanimate object, incapable of thought or motion. Being a truth, this can never change. However, there is great potential power in every loaded gun, just as there is great potential power in a quake-prone cliff overhanging a roadway. Both things need an outside trigger to actualize their potential power. In short, before conservatives can agree with liberals on their beliefs (here about guns), liberals have to make credible logical arguments - otherwise liberals just speak foolishness. In this matter of guns, they speak only impassioned foolishness.

Whew! That's a lot of formal talk, but with liberals it's necessary to start at the raw beginning.

To convict Ethan Crumbley of murder, it's true that prosecution must find so-called "mens rea" ("guilty mind." in Latin). Every state has its own criminal laws, and we're talking about a 15-year-old minor here. I would like to skip the incriminating evidence and talk about that evil gun, the true culprit, as liberals see it. Let me also skip talk about alleged "congressional extremists" like Marjorie Taylor Green, Madison Cawthorn, and a various assortment of "truth-deniers" each of whom believe in my definition of a gun. As for the "malignant culture of violence" I'll have to wait for a different column to show how that is caused by the liberal, Progressive Left-Democratic Party, et. al.

The gun was given to the defendant by his parents. Huge body of evidence alleged on parental criminal negligence. But it's the guns, too many of them, that drives liberals crazy."...Lauren Boebert (R-CO) show them and their children grinning and holding guns). "How nuts are these people?" Personally, I think "grinning" here is a loaded word. "Smiling" would be more appropriate. I see four healthy, very happy boys in Colorado standing in front of a Christmas tree with their new (apparently) AR-15s. The gross tragedy of the killings in Wisconsin should not dissuade a truthful examination of the incident by the general public. The picture at Oxford High School today is the absolute opposite of the picture in Colorado with the Boebert kids, near perfect examples of America Present and America Past. America Present is a different place - unrecognizable to those, like me, who experienced the very best years of our nation, strong, healthy, and Judeo-Christian in its ethics and culture. There is simply no comparison in the quality of life.

I grew up on the ranch in Camarillo, in a family of nine - six boys. I know precisely the joy the four Boebert boys felt when this photo was taken. My younger brother and I received .22 rifles on that glorious Christmas day - his, a Winchester model 60, mine was a model 61, hammerless. Before that we used a Model 56 Winchester, a beautiful bolt action "youth rifle", all with walnut stocks. I loved that rifle. My father taught us firearms safety - and ethics (don't shoot ducks on the water, and don't shoot birds of prey, for starters). Many of my friends lived on adjacent ranches, all had .22 rifles, and we hunted (plinked) together in Calleguas Creek and on Old Boney Mountain. Life was very good - it was the 1950s, population of Camarillo 5000+. Crime was virtually unheard of (with Constable Ellis on alert for walnut poachers). To this day I can draw every feature of the ranch.

All of us enjoyed firearms, well into our 70s. One of us became a dentist, another successful farmer, two others retired sheriff's deputies. Each of us served honorably in military service. Guns remained inert, inanimate objects - however, many people using them have changed dramatically, as has our culture.

But Ethan Crumbley was not a Farrell boy or a Boebert boy, and he was born and bred into a nation that has become degenerate since the 1960s. We have lost that special grace of Judeo-Christian culture. It seems that everyone now has too much of everything - we are overgrown with high-tech wiregrass ethics and kudzu pride - as though we will live forever by our own power, despite the wolves of Communism, the jackals of Jihadist Islam, and seduction of pornographic entertainment. What filled the heart of Ethan Crumbley replaced the innocence of his early youth. What caused this hatred was not something sudden, it accumulated like plaque in the disease of coronary arteries, during times of un-Christian encounters, at home and in school. He is only 15, it didn't take long to clog those arteries. Too many people, young and old, in many ways, told him he didn't belong. He hated others because he hated himself as their reflection. Without sentimentality, had those times provided acceptance and understanding those arteries may well have remained healthy.

What Ethan Crumbley did was indeed monstrous, and I bleed psychologically for the families of those who were killed. But I also believe the monster (read Devil) in the others to come can be exorcized by recognizing that darkness early on and applying the only perfect medicine for such a diseased heart, the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ. We knew this in the 50s but have forgotten this since the 60s.

I can already hear the remonstrance of a hundred Liberal Leftists baying for my hide. "Stop talking religion!" they say. "Enough of this Jesus stuff!" as they have always said. But if we stop and think of how foolish it is to blame the gun for the crime (an inert object) instead of a diseased heart craving revenge for deeply perceived injuries, prevention can happen. Punishment is easy. Prevention can be laborious, especially in our new pagan nation.

Only good can happen with guns in the hands of good people. The opposite is also true.

Just a few short comments on other issues before responding to the "Second Opinion".

"https://www.mediaite.com/news/world-health-organization-skips-greek-letter-xi-in-naming-new-covid-variant/WHO Skips Greek Letter 'Xi' in naming New Covid Strain" in deference to Mr. Xi, (self-appointed) CCP Chinese President for Life, and would-be emperor of the world from enslaved Communist China. This is a miscarriage of history if facts mean anything. It was Mr. Xi who inflicted the Chinese viruses upon the world, causing millions to die. The disease will forever recognize Wuhan, China, and Mr. Xi as architects of the virus - killers of humanity.

"A previous Gateway Pundit article identified two "smoking guns" supporting the conclusion that COVID-19 was created in a laboratory." COVID-19 is part of the biowarfare program of China - News ...https://www.newsintervention.com ›
Dr Lawrence Sellin: I believe the COVID-19 virus was created in a laboratory and it was part of China's biowarfare program. "Evidence Indicates COVID-19 is a Designed Bioweapon with a Toxic Structure that MAY BE REPLICATED IN VACCINES" (By Joe Hoft, published 12-3-2021") See also: Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

****

My last comment concerns the “Fury as trans swimmer finishes race 38 seconds ahead of nearest rival...” in the 1,650 yard freestyle.

And I'm furious as well. I refuse to call a biological male a female. This vile radical-liberal-Left-Woke idea shows that American science has gone to rot. American sports, professional and collegiate, have sold out, to China for money, to LGBTQ, etc. for social recognition - pagan and communist doctrine replacing Christianity. This new trans philosophy has killed my interest in sports altogether. All trans records should include an asterisk “*assisted by testicles”.

“We need to return to #SexBasedSports! #SexNotGender to preserve fairness for female athletes.” One person said: “How many people were involved in this swim meet and not one of them stood up and said this is wrong?” That's another problem. Where are the so-called "Feminists?"

****

Disappearing America

“There will be over 3,500 killed in USA today from abortion. No flags lowered, no presidents crying. No media hyperventilating. Normal day,” Mat Drudge said on his personal twitter account.

"The total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime — now sits at 1.64 children per woman in the U.S. Not only is this the lowest rate recorded since the government began tracking these stats in the 1930s, but it’s well below the so-called ‘replacement-level fertility’ of about 2.1."

An estimated 62 million abortions have occurred since Roe v Wade...https://www.foxnews.com › politics › abortions-since-Roe v Wade.

****

My apologies Kelly, for the digression.

Now a response to your "Second Opinion."

I sincerely apologize for any "misrepresentations" of your column. Though I think it's closer to a misunderstanding.

You did not mention race at all, but race was the essential context of the Kenosha incident. It was the false reporting of the shooting and arrest of African American Jacob Blake that caused the arson, mayhem, and killing in Kenosha. Otherwise, there was no story. This was important. However, you did say, "[Rittenhouse]... righteously headed from Antioch IN to Kenosha WI to insert himself as an armed vigilante in a violent protest after a police officer shot and paralyzed an unarmed young Black man the week before." Why was his race important here? A photo of Blake's "gutting knife" is posted online.

I know little about the Arbery case, so did not comment on it. But the Kenosha-related shooting of Blake was central to the story. Blake's shooting and arrest were entirely lawful and the officer was reinstated shortly thereafter. The Kenosha riots sowed a row of false "facts" (fake news) and these incendiary falsehoods I attempted to correct. "But the issue of race hung over the case because the shooting happened during civil disorder over [falsely] perceived police brutality."

However, your facts did stray into the dreaded area of inaccuracy. Let me restate some in short.

You mention Biden withdrew "White supremacist remark." But he soon reinstated it. He later released a statement saying: "While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken." Some apology! Lesser charges were dismissed because they were baseless, and prosecution didn't object. The judge and jury saw that they had done a slovenly job with "evidence." You opine that the trial was "designed to protect the defendant." I would add, yes, by rule of Constitutional law.

You say Kyle "had no training." He was a lifeguard, member of Police Explorer Program, knew CPR, and, "He testified that he is studying nursing at Arizona State University."

You asked me to provide proof by a legitimate source of "debunking" the June 1, 2020 events at Lafayette Park which alleged a staged event by the president. Here are some, commonly available:

"Police did not clear D.C.'s Lafayette Square of protesters so Trump could hold a photo op, new report says." (NBCNews).

"Police did not clear Lafayette Park area so former Pres. Trump could hold "Bible" photo op, according to new watchdog report." (Interior Dept. Inspector General Greenblatt says. http://abcn.ws/2SltIop

Why are you "confounded" by my "devotion" to the fact of Rittenhouse’s innocence? Evidence shows he did not go "looking for trouble with an AK-15 (AR-15)”. The jury found this to be false. The only law that Rittenhouse "took into his own hands" was the law of self-defense, and the jury determined Rittenhouse was in fact not a "vigilante". But who was he up against? "All of the men who Rittenhouse shot had criminal records." "I also didn’t realize that Rosenbaum was a 5-time convicted child rapist and that Huber was a two-time convicted woman beater. I didn’t know that Grosskreutz was a convicted burglar with an assault on his record also."

Yes, like millions of others, I have read Don Quixote, but not in the fifteenth century version. As a matter of fact, my Spanish was so bad that my instructor, for her own peace of mind, let me escape class, which provided more time to tilt a few flagons. (A very long time ago, (in English) circa 19th Century).

Rittenhouse certainly did not make himself "ridiculous". You say "Trumpians hailed the kid as a heroic symbol of gun rights and "justifiable," deadly self-defense." By those who honor and enjoy the protections of our Constitution, Rittenhouse is a hero for providing more relevance of the right to self-defense - often necessarily involving quick, deadly decisions.

OPINION USA TODAY
"From Kenosha riots to Kyle Rittenhouse trial, biased media coverage makes everyone angrier."

"In our age of rage, Rittenhouse had to be convicted to fulfill the narrative. Acquittal has to be evidence of a racist justice system."

Jonathan Turley

Jonathan Turley is an American attorney, legal scholar, writer, commentator, and legal analyst in broadcast and print journalism.[1] A professor at George Washington University Law School.

Response to Kelly Scoles' "Second Opinion":
A while back, in one of my responses, I mentioned how important facts are to me. This week, after reading your Opinion twice, the absence of facts makes it difficult for me to respond.

We can't have a meaningful debate if facts are missing. You refer to some law. Carl Sandburg was not a lawyer, but as a poet he was a keen observer of human nature, with a sense of humor. He once advised: “If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell.” ― Carl Sandburg. I think most liberals prefer the last option.

First, let's use a common definition of a fact. "A fact is something that is true. The usual test for a statement of fact is verifiability." Here is where problems begin with your Opinion. Here is a quick rundown of the culprits - pseudo facts, those disgusting verbal creatures which lie to us about Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted on all charges (2 shooting deaths, one wounding) related to the looting, arson, and general rioting which occurred following the police shooting of a 29-year-old black man named Jacob Blake.

Blake was falsely reported as having been killed. False - a lie. Rittenhouse accused of being a "vigilante," false, another lie according to the jury verdict. He was an outsider to Kenosha, wrong, another lie. His father lived in Kenosha and he and his mother lived just across the border in Antioch. "Rittenhouse was staying with his friend Dominick Black, who was dating the defendant's sister and testified for the prosecution." Thanks to more media lies, the public was allowed to believe Rittenhouse killed two black men and wounded another - thus false allegations of racism. All persons were white. Rittenhouse brought an illegal gun across the border. Wrong. The rifle was of legal length, and the defendant legally possessed it.

You state that “Rittenhouse wished to provide medical assistance, services for which he had no training." But, "He had worked as a lifeguard in Kenosha, was part of a police explorer program and knew CPR and basic life support, according to his testimony."

"Rittenhouse testified he acted in self-defense when he shot four times at Rosenbaum, who he said had threatened him earlier, chased him, thrown a bag at him and lunged for his gun." All true."Every person who was shot was attacking Kyle. One with a skateboard, one with his hands, and one with his feet [a flying kick to the head], one with a gun," [defense attorney] Richards said.

Kelly, listing each non-fact in your attack on Kyle Rittenhouse is monotonous. The sleazy (unelected) president defamed Rittenhouse, labeling him a ‘White Supremacist’(not "nationalist"). By the way, the man from La Mancha was a good guy - just a little confused. I do agree that Rittenhouse was egregiously over-charged because the videos of the incident clearly show he was acting in self-defense while being unlawfully threatened with death or grievous bodily harm. Besides being a traditional part of the criminal codes of every American state, the idea of self-defense is straight from Natural Law. Civilization would disappear without it - and perpetual governmental genocide would be encouraged.

"Racist, racist," the radical Left would be tongue-tied without this word. Race had nothing whatever to do with this case. As all the tapes clearly showed, this was a clear case of self-defense. The prosecution in this case was outrageously unethical and acted unlawfully. Every member of the DA's prosecution team should be disbarred. This will end up in a law school criminal law case book as an example of unconstitutional conduct and flagrant abuse of process.

Your description of the June 1, 2020, Lafayette Park incident (as you describe) has been thoroughly debunked - another media lie. The President, Bill Barr, Mark Milley (in "field-fatigues") et. al., were completely legitimate, as found by all investigating authority.

Your philippics against then 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse have been found wanting in facts. And, without those facts nothing is left but unsubstantiated allegations and emotional political bias. Twelve courageous jurors scrutinized the plentiful evidence and brought a unanimous verdict of NOT GUILTY!

I say Huzzah! Long live our Judeo-Christian Constitution (1787) - and the rule of self-defense. See also: Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765) and Magna Carta (1215). I know it's just history, but Blackstone's work remains monumental; for example: "...no human law has any moral validity or force against a natural law, and that no human law can affect the content of a natural right as such." i.e., the right to self-defense.

Though hardly Woke, it all seems to fit nicely together, and I'm happy for that.