No more gun bans, Mr. President

Below is the text of the letter I recently sent to President Trump. The latest I hear is that he is not calling for a ban on sales of long guns to young adults.  I hope this holds. If you have the time and inclination, it would be good for him to hear from you, too. You can use snail mail, as I did with this letter, or you can click to use the 

White House Contact Form

______________________________________

March 6, 2018

  

The President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20500 

  

SUBJECT: No more gun bans 

Dear Mr. President: 

  

I met you once, at the 2015 NRA Annual Meeting in Nashville. You had just spoken and invited the press to meet with you out in the hallway. I was the last person to ask you a question. You had fielded several questions about economic issues, etc., and had turned and started walking away. 

  

I called out, “One gun question!” 

  

You stopped, turned around and came back. I asked if elected to the presidency, would you use that office as a bully pulpit to advocate for national reciprocity.*  

  

You replied,

You are on you own

Trouble strikes, and who ya gonna call?

• Ghostbusters?
• FBI?
• Broward County, (FL) Sheriff's Office?

If any of them comes, how long will it take? By the way, the FBI doesn't answer 911 calls. So you should prepare to be your own first responder.

Five years ago, I wrote a column about the electric toothbrush, comparing it's two minute timer to the time it takes for police response. I assumed in that column that the police would respond in a timely manner. Below* is that column's text again. What has changed since then?

We have learned that sometimes the FBI doesn't follow up on leads. Maybe they were trying to hard to "create a link" between President Trump and the Russki's. I don't know.

We also learn that one or more sheriffs's deputies have been accused of waiting outside while there was wanton slaughter going on inside. What's up with that? Protocols changed after Columbine.

Otherwise, it seems much is the same at our nation's schools, with relatively few exceptions. Maybe one SRO at a school. That's not enough, especially if he doesn't have the chutzpah to go after the murderer.

If you are in a mall, a church, or sitting at home, the situation is always the same, you are on your own. What's your plan?

One other thing has changed. The Left is attempting to pillory the NRA. They want to vilify you and me for the horrible acts of a crazy person. If you are not a member of the NRA, and are a gun owner, I urge you to join. I am a recruiter and you can join at the link below. As Ben Franklin said,

We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

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*The electric toothbrush

My electric toothbrush operates for two minutes exactly, then shuts off. Some nights, two minutes seems like an eternity.

Police response time to 911 calls is five times that, about ten minutes. Nobody's fault, that's just the way it is.

Why do some people insist that our children, involuntarily placed in gun free zones (our public schools) wait those ten minutes after the predator has arrived and begun his slaughter?

Law enforcement officers are now trained that the first on the scene goes on in, not waiting for backup. This is to minimize the carnage perpetrated by the predator. Armed and trained teachers, volunteers, and police on the scene can reduce the carnage even more by further reducing the lag time.

Think about that the next time you brush your teeth!

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You can join the NRA (or upgrade your membership) HERE.

NRA ok's packing at Dallas meeting

The NRA meeting this year in Dallas will once again recognize the right to carry, as has been the case for the last several meetings. Here, with a link to the NRAAM site, is their official statement.

Firearms Policy for the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits

Crowd at the NRAAM in Nashville, 2015

During the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, lawfully carried firearms will be permitted in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and the Omni Dallas Hotel in accordance with Texas law.  When carrying your firearm remember to follow all federal, state, and local laws.

With the recent display of a billboard stating "Kill the NRA", members in attendance may wish to consider carrying their defensive firearms.

Other things to consider when traveling to Dallas-

If you drive, be sure you are aware of the carry laws in states you pass through. Two sources for information are Handgunlaw.us; and an app called Legal Heat, available for Android or Apple.

If you fly, be sure and follow the guidelines of both your airline and the TSA for checking a firearm in  your checked baggage, never in carry-on.

TSA guidelines are available HERE.

Each airline has its own rules, too. Southwest rules are HERE.

Part of Delta's policy states, "All firearms checked as baggage must be picked up at the Baggage Service Office upon arrival at your final destination. ID will be required to claim your checked firearm." It has been reported that Delta puts zip ties on luggage that contains a firearm, so don't expect to have access to your firearm until after you gain access to a tool to remove the zip tie. Maybe a cheap multi-tool should reside in an outside pocket of your checked bag.

A case such as THIS, with a combo lock (no key to lose) would work well for the handgun. I suggest a second one for the ammo, in the same luggage.

One last thing, if your plane has an emergency landing in New York or New Jersey, and you take possession of your baggage that contains a firearm, DO NOT attempt to re-check that luggage to continue your flight. Rent a car and stow that locked baggage in the trunk and drive to Philly. Why, New York and New Jersey WILL put you in jail. If you find this strong suggestion hard to believe, do your own research.

They want to kill the NRA?

From NRA FB page

So now someone wants to kill the NRA? Do they know who the NRA is? Do they not understand that the NRA is not just a group of leaders in suburban Washington?

No, the NRA includes their neighbors, maybe some of their friends, their doctors, ministers, store clerks, and literally millions of Americans as well as other liberty lovers around the globe.  "The NRA" also includes many people who have an affinity for the organization, although they are not dues-paying members.

Are you a member of this second group? Have you been thinking about joining, but have just not gotten around to it? As an NRA recruiter, I can offer a reduced membership cost for about three more weeks.

Current pricing is shown in this chart:

One-Year ($40) - $30
Three-Year ($100) - $85
Five-Year ($140) - $100
Life ($1,500) - $600
Distinguished Life ($750) - $500
Junior Life ($750) - $500

You can join (or renew) by clicking this LINK.

The NRA is not a perfect organization, but is among the most effective. At this time, with the left and the media (but then I repeat myself) mounting a campaign against guns, now is the time to join.

Arming school staff

A Facebook acquaintance posed this question regarding arming and training school staff to protect their students: "Another thought... should we turn our schools into potential war zones with all these teachers carrying firearms... what kind of message does that send to our children and what does that say about the quality of life here in America?"

GFZ sign at a VA Center

I had to respond this way: The schools already are worse than a war zone, where (generally) adult combatants fight.

They are canned hunts created by government, wherein the students are the prey, and the predator enters virtually unopposed, with up to ten or fifteen minutes before the police arrive. After the police arrive, there is another time lag before medics can enter to treat the wounded and save lives.

I am less interested in what kind of message is sent to the children, and more interested in mitigating carnage when the predator arrives.

Many peaceable Americans arm themselves, then go about their daily business, interacting with one another in businesses, stores, and churches. No one knows necessarily who they are, because most have their weapons concealed.

One thing they don’t do, is place NO GUNS ALLOWED signs in their front yards. Accordingly, most burglars are careful to try to avoid the ‘hot burglary’ option, because they understand that they have a good chance of getting shot. They prefer unoccupied houses.

Likewise, human predators prefer locations where they assume their victims will be unarmed. Schools, synagogues, and churches are often their preferred killing fields (btw, many churches are now providing their own internal security).

That is the state of life here in America and in much of the world. This means we have three choices when it comes to our schools. We can remain at status quo, a recipe for more disasters (head in sand); we can implement airport type security, a very expen$ive proposition which is simply not going to happen in most jurisdictions; or we can provide appropriately trained school (http://fastersaveslives.org/) staff with the ability to be more than human shields.

That’s just the way things are."

So there you have it. Three choices...

1. Status quo

2. Expensive airport security

3. Trained and armed staff

The fix suggested by the left can be simplified by just saying, "one more gun ban".

Who is going to do that nationwide? I don't believe Congress will. An attempted ban/confiscation of semi-auto rifles would see a large non-compliance in the gun world.

From Massad Ayoob's blog:

"Simply banning and confiscating AR15 rifles and other guns with magazines of significant cartridge capacity is the demand once again. Let’s see, fifteen million guns to be confiscated. The cheapest for which one can be bought is about $700. That’s $10.5 billion in compensation that would be due to their legitimate owners…and it grossly understates the cost, because so many AR15s carry four-figure price tags. (Hey, gun control rabble-rousers – you weren’t planning on confiscating property legally purchased and responsibly owned by American citizens without compensation…were you?)

And where will the funding come from to send our nation’s 800,000 law enforcement officers to more than a hundred million homes to find and confiscate these guns? And what tragedy and bloodshed and shattering of rights might arise from that?"

Musing on concealed carry permits

North Carolina qualification target

I recently applied for my North Carolina (NC) carry permit. The permitting process in NC involves taking an all-day class (Old School Protection in Johnston County) which includes a shooting qualification test at close range. I should get my permit within 90-ish days of applying.

As I was taking the class, in the back of my mind I was musing about the different requirements of various states. With a variety of requirements among the states, the results are always about the same - -

In the mid 1970's I got a "Pistol Toter's Permit" in Georgia. It had no training requirements. To this day, permits in Georgia do not have specific training requirements. I had a Tennessee permit for over twenty years. The requirements there are similar to NC requirements, a day of training with a shooting test. Both Tennessee and North Carolina require a background check; and North Carolina requires a check to see if you are reported to be a loony tune. Florida requires that you show some evidence of training and have a background check.

There are differences between between these states, and between them and other states. Tennessee just a few years ago enacted "Constitutional Vehicle Carry", meaning that with just a few prohibited areas, one may legally carry any firearm they lawfully own or possess in their vehicle. North Carolina, on the other hand has had "Constitutional Open Carry"* since 1921. In Florida, Open Carry (with a few exceptions) is strictly forbidden.

Some states require no permit, including Vermont, which has no permitting process, and Arizona, which makes permitting optional, for those who might want a permit for interstate travel to states that recognize the permit. Also, there's that pesky Federal gun-free school zone act that apparently makes an exception for permitted individuals.

Now what is the result, as mentioned at the beginning?

• Peaceable citizens, with rare exceptions, act responsibly when armed, whether permitted or not.
• The permitting process is a de-facto infringement on the right to bear arms.
• Bad actors with felony convictions or misdemeanor domestic violence offenses often continue to ignore laws and be ongoing bad actors.
• Bad actors, all to frequently, ignore gun-free-zone signs, and continue to kill and maim.
• Most legislators are accessories-before-the-fact, because they continue to mandate gun-free-zones for peaceable citizens, thus creating killing fields for mass-murderers as we have now seen in Florida.

For further information on state laws on guns, check out handgunlaw.us

* H/T John Richardson of Only Guns and Money blog

President Trump addresses Right to Life Rally 2018

Video HERE

I was proud to hear President Trump refer to the Declaration of Independence. As I note below, without life, one can never experience liberty or pursue happiness.

I wrote the following a few years ago. It is still appropriate today.

Fifty million Americans are missing!

January 22, 1973. American service personnel were dying in Vietnam, as America acted to prop up the South Vietnamese government under the Domino Theory. Back home, war protests were going on, illegal drugs were all around us.  

Things are pretty much the same now as then, except . . . 

Fifty million Americans are missing!

You see, on that day, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in Roe v. Wade, that abortion is legal.

We have since then heard strong arguments about the concept of 'choice'. The 'pro-choice' movement trumpets a woman's right to choose. 

Politicians will make such inane statements, as, "I am personally pro-life, but I support a woman's right to choose." 

Let's parse the terminology. On the one side, pro-life means opposition to abortion. On the other, pro-choice means in favor of abortion. 

So, what is abortion? Simply, the termination of a pregnancy. But, there is some tissue, in addition to the woman's tissue that must be accounted for. You see, her cells were formed by splitting of another cell, mitosis, with each 'daughter cell' having the same exact chromosomes as all her other cells.

Meiosis (the formation of reproductive cells), in contrast with mitosis, produces cells with half the chromosomes of the parents’ cells, 23 in the case of humans. At fertilization, the 23 chromosomes from each parent combine to yield the 46 chromosomes of a new, unique organism. No matter how inconvenient it may be, this unique organism is decidedly human; this organism is an individual person.

Examine the second paragraph of our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

How will the children of America who have been denied Life ever celebrate July 4^th? How can they celebrate the hope of Liberty, if Life itself is ended almost before it has begun? How can they ever pursue Happiness if they are cut out and discarded liked an ingrown toenail?

Those accused of the most heinous crimes are afforded better protection than unborn humans in America. Amendment V of the Bill of Rights states, in part: “No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The lowliest murderer-rapist,cop-killer or assassin receives the due process of arrest, indictment, guaranteed legal assistance, jury trial, and perhaps multiple appeals. Only after all these does he realistically face a death sentence.

But the unborn child, without benefit of due process, faces certain death at the hand of a stranger. All it takes is a parental decree. No judge, no jury, no Guardian ad Litem. Privacy trumps Life. Convenience trumps responsibility.

Into the fire like the the children of Molech's worshipers  sacrificed on the alter of SELF. 

How long, oh Lord, will you withhold your hand of judgment? 

Merry Christmas 2107

Merry Christmas from beautiful North Carolina. A day for exchanging gifts, and celebration.

----- but what are we celebrating?

The greatest gift of all. The Bible says we are all sinners, and don't deserve to spend eternity with the God of the universe.

But while we were yet sinners, God sent his son to be born in a stable in the most humble surroundings, live a sinless life, then die for your sins and mine. Now, that's a great gift!

So, if you haven't done so yet, I urge you to examine your heart, consider Jesus's claims, repent of your sins, and be saved.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

How will your earth story end?

O'Charley's commercial

Why do businesses choose to do commercials that demean? The latest is O'Charley's ad in which the woman says in a fake? Southern accent "I'll pray for you."

Here's what I wrote to O'Charley's:

Your "I'll pray for you" attempt at humor did not amuse me, in fact it had just the opposite effect on me. There are plenty of other places that want my business that haven't demeaned southerner's accent and faith in one fell swoop.

If you would like to express your thoughts to O''Charley's, here's the link:

https://www.ocharleys.com/contact-us.

RIP Norma McCorvey

Norma McCorvey was the Jane Roe in the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. She later was saved, and came to be a strong pro-life person.

Norma died today, February 17, 2017. May she rest in peace.

 - - - - -

In her memory, and in memory of all those who have suffered from this modern day genocide, here is a reprint of my post from January 15, 2011:

Fifty million Americans are missing!

January 22, 1973. American service personnel were dying in Vietnam, as America acted to prop up the South Vietnamese government under the Domino Theory. Back home, war protests were going on, illegal drugs were all around us.  

Things are pretty much the same now as then, except . . . 

Fifty million Americans are missing!

You see, on that day, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in Roe v. Wade, that abortion is legal.

We have since then heard strong arguments about the concept of 'choice'. The 'pro-choice' movement trumpets a woman's right to choose. 

Politicians will make such inane statements, as, "I am personally pro-life, but I support a woman's right to choose." 

Let's parse the terminology. On the one side, pro-life means opposition to abortion. On the other, pro-choice means in favor of abortion. 

So, what is abortion? Simply, the termination of a pregnancy. But, there is some tissue, in addition to the woman's tissue that must be accounted for. You see, her cells were formed by splitting of another cell, mitosis, with each 'daughter cell' having the same exact chromosomes as all her other cells.

Meiosis (the formation of reproductive cells), in contrast with mitosis, produces cells with half the chromosomes of the parents’ cells, 23 in the case of humans. At fertilization, the 23 chromosomes from each parent combine to yield the 46 chromosomes of a new, unique organism. No matter how inconvenient it may be, this unique organism is decidedly human; this organism is an individual person.

Examine the second paragraph of our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

How will the children of America who have been denied Life ever celebrate July 4^th? How can they celebrate the hope of Liberty, if Life itself is ended almost before it has begun? How can they ever pursue Happiness if they are cut out and discarded liked an ingrown toenail?

Those accused of the most heinous crimes are afforded better protection than unborn humans in America. Amendment V of the Bill of Rights states, in part: “No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The lowliest murderer-rapist,cop-killer or assassin receives the due process of arrest, indictment, guaranteed legal assistance, jury trial, and perhaps multiple appeals. Only after all these does he realistically face a death sentence.

But the unborn child, without benefit of due process, faces certain death at the hand of a stranger. All it takes is a parental decree. No judge, no jury, no Guardian ad Litem. Privacy trumps Life. Convenience trumps responsibility.

 

Into the fire like the the children of Molech's worshippers, sacrificed on the alter of SELF. 

How long, oh Lord, will you withhold your hand of judgment? 

Reflections on Inauguration Day 2017

As the sun rises on a new era in the United States of America, 

Here's a consolidation of my countdown on Facebook from the last twelve days-

• Twelve
• Eleven - Leven libs lamenting
• Ten tin horns throwing tantrums
• Nine network newsies neighing, “Nein!”
• Eight - Eighty-six thousand Garands with eight round clips eagerly await repatriation from South Korea
• Seven sniveling socialists seen sobbing
• Six - Three hundred six GOLFTUS games and counting
• Five - Golden haired Trump rebrands GOP!
• Four - Trump’s Tweeting redefines media
• Three French Horns and the University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Marching band perform at President Trump’s inauguration
• Two Trump terms
• And a cartridge for an AR-15

This inauguration countdown on Facebook has been a fun. Today at noon, we will see the keys of government handed over, hopefully without any violence from the losers. It is the beginning of the end of the Obama attempt at dismantling the United States of America.

But seriously, America’s problems can’t all be solved in Washington and the state capitols. 

America has a spiritual problem, wherein the God of the Bible has been pushed out of the public square. Pray for salvation for President Trump and the many members of Congress who have too long worshipped at the altar of Self. Pray for repentance in the hearts of believers.

Pray for America to repent of her four plus decades of the Molech worshipping infanticide disguised as women’s rights.

As you watch the news, remember that “every lie that goes unchallenged becomes the truth*”.

Keep your powder dry and watch your six. Sore losers may precipitate some dangerous situations.

God Bless America!
------------------------
*Tom Gresham

Why were the polls so wrong?

Me.

And others like me.

We, for the most part don't do polls. Specifically for me and mine, we have caller ID, and if we don't recognize the number, we let the machine get it.

So, it appears that they are only reaching like minded people . . . . . coastal big city cliff dwellers who think the center of the universe is New York City or Los Angeles.

If callers to my numbers don't leave a message, I go and put their number on my naughty list. That means that the pollsters missed me, and can't get through to my number again. Now, others may not do the same exact thing we do, but I sense a pattern here. Anybody want to take a poll on that?

What about you? Do you talk to pollsters? How do you handle them?

Veterans' Day 2016

Forty-four years and five months ago, I joined the United States Air Force. I, like millions before and after me took an oath similar to this,

"I, ___name___ , do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

After Basic Training at Lackland AFB, TX, I spent a few months at Chanute AFB, Il, in training, to become a technician working on Minuteman Missile systems.

The Minuteman is a solid fueled intercontinental ballistic missile land based in remote underground silos. I was fortunate to be assigned to F. E. Warren AFB, WY.

Working with those birds engendered some philosophical thoughts, like, "Suppose we actually launch these things, won't the Soviet Union be sending some back our way?" Yes, that was the philosophy of Mutually Assured Destruction. So, we knew that if any were fired, we were pretty much assured of a nuclear holocaust. There probably wouldn't be a home to go back to.

Happily, all our birds sat there in the ground, just waiting, and we never saw a wartime launch.

Minuteman Missile at Air Force Museum, Dayton, OH
photo by Liston Matthews

Now, that cold war has ended, various hot wars continue throughout the world, and young men and women are volunteering, taking the oath, and pledging their lives, health and honor to defend the same Constitution.

Thanks to all who have served. From the earliest days of the Republic, through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and even today,

--all gave some, some gave all--

Four Justices

Zoysia growth 2016

This photo, the last of this season, was taken October 13, 2016. In addition to watering every other day, the area was lightly fertilized  again in September.

Contrast the picture above with this picture from August 2014, about 2 years ago.

As I have mentioned before in this series, the soil is a heavy clay subsoil. The builder scraped all the topsoil away.

My original essay, found in the Tennessee Lawn Grass tab above talks about propagation of Zoysia grass.

This summer has been particularly hard on all lawns in this area. Most Fescue lawns near me have become mostly crabgrass. my Zoysia that has not been watered has dried up.

This winter, I will transfer more plugs from good Zoysia sod into bare or dead areas, and let spring rains bring them out.

If you have any desire to install a Zoysia lawn, check out my tab above.

Two choices

You may not like it, but you only have TWO realistic choices in this 2016 presidential election.

On the Left, you have Hillary Clinton.
Towards the Right, you have Donald Trump.

There are other contenders, but unless you've been smoking wacky weed, you know that they are not going to win.

Dear America

A video by Ray Stevens.

Enjoy!

>

Who, or what, is really on the presidential ballot in 2016

In Knox County, Tennessee, we are currently in the midst of an election that includes county commissioners, school board members, and aldermen in Farragut.

But another group on the ballot is judges. In Tennessee, high level judges are appointed, then in order to stay on the court(s), they undergo a retention vote. (read more)

Musing on the 2016 race for the White House

It really is not about Clinton or Trump

Here are some points to ponder:
1. The next president will be one of those two. The third party candidate can't win.
2. That president will appoint some unknown number of Supreme Court Justices. They will have a profound effect on us for the next forty years. This includes your progeny.
3. That president will appoint various federal trial judges and federal appellate judges.
4. That president will appoint various federal prosecutors.
5. Undoubtedly, she will go far left in those appointments, if she is elected.
6. We don't absolutely know about him.
7. None of us has a crystal ball and we don't really know who (between those two) that president will be.
8. A vote for Trump is a vote against Clinton.
9. A third party vote, while it may make you feel better about yourself, will not help defeat Clinton.
10. It's not about picking a winner, it't trying to make a winner.
11. As John Richardson paraphrases Donald Rumsfeld: When you go to war, you go with the Army you have, not the Army you wish you had. (You don't have Ted Cruz, and the 3rd party can't win.)

Restroom deja vu

When I was a child in the deep south, the Democrats were in power, segregation was the law, and service stations  had three rest rooms.

• On the side near the front was the LADIES
• On the side further back was one labeled GENTLEMEN
• Around back was a third restroom with COLORED on the door. This was for blacks of both genders.

Reason eventually prevailed, and the third restroom was eliminated. HIS & HERS, as it should have been all along.

Now the Democrats are telling us again we need only one restroom.

XX's, XY's, and whatever are all supposed to share.

How, in the name of common sense, with the history of politicians and coaches preying on boys, can we as a society enhance opportunities for pedophilic men to prey on little girls?

Do we really want that voyeur who was watching the female sportscaster in the next stall because he says he is getting in touch with his feminine side today?

Gimme a break!

Zenith Zoysia growth summer 2015

In previous posts, I have shown photos of the covering of Zenith Zoysia over time. 

Here is the original post: Tennessee Lawn Grass

Here is an update from June 2014

Here is another update from September 2014

These three photos show how the bare patch got progressively smaller from August 2014 until May of 2016. The top photo shows that the grass has greened up for 2016. During 2015, the grass got rain water and very rarely got watered.

May 11, 2016

Jun 5, 2015

Aug 23, 2014

All these photos were taken from approximately the same place. The orange pin has been in the same spot since I started this.

There is for all intents and purposes, no top soil here. This area was scraped by the builder to create a drain swale. It was seeded over with Fescue in 2012, but the Fescue had completely died by October that year.

Zenith is difficult to get started, but I outline my methods in Tennessee Lawn Grass. But unlike Fescue, once it is established, there is no need to go back and re-seed every few years.

How to stop a fight

or a war. . .

B-29 BOCKSCAR at Air Force Museum photo by Liston Matthews

There was a recent article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is even speculation that the president may apologize . . .

If there is any apology due, they should apologize to us.

They started it.

As far as I'm concerned, no apology is now needed from anyone. That is, as they say, HISTOIRE!

But take note, whether on a national level or a personal level (such as an unprovoked criminal attack), sometimes the only effective response is overwhelming force!

How to score cheap gas at Kroger

If you buy groceries at Kroger, you are probably using the fuel points. Getting extra points requires some planning and watching Kroger's ads - -

When Kroger offer 4X fuel points,

1. Buy gift cards to restaurants, such as O'Charley's, Cracker Barrel, Texas Roadhouse, etc. Use these for eating out.
2. Buy gift cards for birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, etc.

Complete the cash register receipt survey for 50 extra points.

Do you know of any thing I have missed?

Why gun rights advocates should support Ted Cruz

From Paul Valone of Grass Roots North Carolina----

Paul Valone, 22-Year Gun Rights Leader,

Endorses Ted Cruz For President

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why gun rights advocates should support Ted Cruz

Perhaps jaded by twenty-two years as a gun rights leader, I’ve never thought much of presidential politics. We’re usually instructed to endure the “lesser of two evils” by centrists who don’t want you to consider that the lesser of two evils is still evil.

So I didn’t hold high hopes, last year, when a fellow conservative activist told me the Ted Cruz people wanted to meet me. I expected to meet a candidate who would “speechify” for thirty minutes, wave to his adoring fans, and leave.

Instead, Senator Cruz sat down at a table of perhaps two dozen activists and said, “Okay, what should I be doing?” What followed was nearly two hours of give-and-take which convinced me that Ted Cruz had the potential to be the next Ronald Reagan – convinced me so effectively, in fact, that I agreed to be a state campaign co-chair.

What most impressed me was his point that we should never listen to what politicians say, but rather pay attention to what they have done. For example, Donald Trump makes all the right noises about supporting the right to keep and bear arms. His website contains the following verbiage: “The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon [sic]. Period.”

That sounds great until you consider what Trump said a few years ago: “…I support the ban on assault weapons and I support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.”¹

In truth, Donald Trump’s beliefs are most accurately summarized in one of his more recent statements: “I’m very capable of changing to anything I want to change to.” Therein lies the real Donald Trump – a snake oil salesman with enough smarts to know what you want to hear.

When I studied the voting histories of Sen. Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio, at first blush they appear quite similar. But where was Rubio in 2013, after Sandy Hook, when Barack Obama attacked the Second Amendment with a massive gun control scheme parading under the misnomer “universal background checks”?

It was Sen. Cruz, along with Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul, who solicited a letter from Senate Republicans vowing to filibuster S.649. It was these three statesmen who forced Democrats to get sixty votes for cloture on S. 649 – and the long list of horrific amendments proposed to the bill, including semi-auto and magazine bans – instead of simple majorities.

But for the efforts of Sen. Cruz, today we would be living under a massive gun registration scheme disguising itself as “universal background checks.” Just today, after the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Cruz promised to filibuster whichever nightmare Supreme Court nomination Obama sends to the Senate.

Beyond Cruz’s perfect 100% pro-gun voting record, he is, to date, the only presidential candidate to return Grass Roots North Carolina’s presidential survey – scoring a perfect 100% and securing Grass Roots North Carolina’s highest four-star (****) evaluation.

Some US senators, such as Richard Burr and Lindsey Graham, reportedly hate Ted Cruz. But they hate him because he has held their feet to the fire over issues as diverse as Obamacare, the budget, and gun-control. In fact, Cruz practices exactly the same type of confrontational politics to which Grass Roots North Carolina attributes its twenty-two years of success.

Grass Roots North Carolina does not endorse political candidates. But for these reasons, among others, I personally endorse Sen. Ted Cruz for President of the United States. Anyone who supports not only the Second Amendment, but the American ideal of individual liberty should join me in electing a president who has not only memorized the Constitution, but who lives it each day.

Armatissimi e liberissimi,

F. Paul Valone

President, Grass Roots North Carolina

Executive Director, Rights Watch International

The Hawkeye Cauci*

I am forever amazed at the number of people the media interview who don't make up their minds until the last minute.

If you are one of those, the first thing you must do if you are going to cast an intelligent vote is to examine your own core beliefs.

1. Do you believe that life begins at conception?  YES  or  NO. If your answer is yes, then that will help eliminate some candidates.
2. Do you believe that we are a constitutional republic, and that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land; including the Bill or Rights?  YES  or  NO. If your answer is yes, then that will eliminate some candidates, too.
3. Do you believe that the Bill of Rights is a package deal, and not a smorgasbord to pick and choose from?  YES  or NO.  Again, the process of elimination.

Now, of those that are left, which candidate's actions and statements align most closely with your core beliefs?

Hillary Clinton's commentary on her email scandal

Good cartoon from Legal Insurrection.



Remember Benghazi!

Why give that man enough money to burn a wet dog?

The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that embattled Knox County School Superintendent Jim McIntyre will be receiving

a lump sum of $227,256 in February, if his separation agreement is approved by the school board.

School Board, from its web site, in the public domain

That makes it sound like the Super is asking the Knox County taxpayers to bribe beg him to stay until July.

If you agree with me that it is ridiculous to give him such an exorbitant amount, call these School Board members today, and if you can make it, attend the called meeting on January 19, at 5 pm. to voice your concern.

Karen Carson 865-675-0236
Lynn Fugate 865-566-7414
Gloria Deathridge 865-329-9949

Go ahead today Big Mac. I won't be greedy. I will fill in for you until July 1 for half that much.