It's a Wonderful World (?)

Americans have been given a gift. Recall George Bailey from the film "It's a Wonderful Life" who had the chance to see what the world would've been like had he not been born. For the last 7 years under Obama's tenure, Americans are getting the chance to see what the world would be like when America is NOT leading on the world's stage, (thereby leaving a vacuum for non-benevolent nations to fill). After decades of questioning, why America? Why do we have to be the world's policeman? Why do we have to be the world's superpower? Here's why:

We are seeing what happens when we pull out of countries too soon (Iraq and Afghanistan) and our enemies take over cities we had previously liberated from a ruthless dictator who was a threat to our own security.

We are seeing what happens when the largest sponsor of terror in the world, Iran, is given consent to develop nuclear weapons, much to the horror of Israel and its Arab neighbors in the region who see a a dismal future with Iran in control of that region. 

We are seeing what happens when our once closest ally in the Mideast, Israel, is left alone to deal with threats to their very existence.

We are seeing what happens when we draw lines in the sand that we don't adhere to (Syria), and tyrants like Assad are allowed to murder innocent civilians by the hundreds of thousands.

We are seeing what happens when the most savage barbarians in the form of ISIS are beheading, crucifying, torturing, burning alive, drowning, and raping Christians and other Muslims in the Middle East, men, women and children alike, in their quest to build their long awaited caliphate, and we do nothing to stop them. 

We are seeing what happens when we sit back and do nothing while Russia is emboldened to move in on Crimea and Ukraine, blatantly violating international law, and then intervenes with military aid to Assad's regime, while also partnering up with Iran. 

We are seeing what happens when millions of refugees in that region flee to Europe and the United States to escape the savages of extreme Muslim radicals and brutal dictators, and we can imagine how the influx will profoundly impact these cultures and societies. Included in the influx are countless young, single Arab men who are joining the refugees because they know they are not being carefully screened. 

We are seeing what happens when our own Secy of State is allowed to have a private email server with which to conduct official state business, only to have China and Russia able to hack into confidential messages and compromise our national security.

We are seeing what happens when our own President may be siding with the UN in its condemnation of laws passed by the U.S. congress when it comes to lifting the trade embargo with Cuba. While Cuba has not changed its abuses on human rights, Obama seeks to ignore that and normalize relations with the Castro regime anyway.

So, this is our gift. We get to see what the world would be like without America at its helm. Boy, we really did have a wonderful life before we relinquished our leadership position.

You Call These Debates?

In the last GOP debate, CNN moderators pitted one Republican against the other all night long. If your name was mentioned in a previously stated criticism of Donald Trump, you got to speak. If you had the restraint not to put him down, you didn't get called on as much. Such became the new rules of debate for the GOP as seen through the prism of the liberal media. Trump this and Trump that.

Did we hear about the candidates views on the economy and how to generate jobs, reduce govt dependency, bring down the debt and deficit, lower our taxes, and strengthen our currency? Nope. It was as though there was nary a thing to discuss regarding the economy, since things, in that liberal world, are moving along swimmingly.

Did they discuss healthcare and how Obamacare has caused millions to lose insurance, premiums to rise, deductibles to skyrocket, and doctors to retire early? Nope. It was as though Obamacare was a huge success and now all Americans have affordable health care.

Did they discuss the divisive culture which has been fueled by an administration, who once promised to unite all people, and instead, has fomented resentment among its citizens in many different ways: race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, politics? Nope. It was as though Americans were all holding hands, singing "Kumbaya" and living in purple states.

More important for CNN, the so-called neutral and objective news channel for all Americans, was that the Republicans fight amongst themselves, that they make each other look foolish in front of the world, that one by one, they are invalidated in the eyes of the voters, so that the eventual Democrat nominee will have a clear path to the White House.

Additionally, the Fox News debate was not much more elevated. Those moderators (whom Republican voters had prior expectations of fairness and objectivity) were vicious in going after each and every one of the candidates. Unabashedly they went for the jugular - finding their respective weaknesses and bringing them to the surface. Don't kid yourself Republicans: Fox has an agenda too, in that they have a dog in the race. Their dog is anyone from the establishment of the party, not the outliers, not the oppositional voices. The only difference is that Fox is not looking to bring them all down, just most of them. As a result, Fox viewers were left feeling betrayed and angry at Fox hosts for not rising above the smut. We expect it from liberal media, not from our own.

Here's a prediction: you won't find moderators in the upcoming Democrat debate pitting the candidates against each other hoping to incur as much infighting as possible, as they did with the others. No, you will find the moderators pitting them against Republicans, so as to give voters yet another chance to smear the GOP candidates. They will invoke Republican statements about Clinton or Sanders, thereby offering the Dems an opportunity to respond to their Republican opponents and straighten out any voter 'misperception', unlike in the GOP debates, in which the candidates all did the job for the liberal media by criticizing each other.

The media has become (for a while now) advocates and participants in the political process. This must end and the viewers and prospective voters must demand it. GOP candidates must learn not to take the bait from any media, liberal or otherwise. Don't want to answer another Trump question? Then don't. Insert your own viewpoint on an important issue and force the moderators to do their job fairly. Call the media out on their nonsense. Raise the bar and let's really find out where these candidates stand on real problems facing this country.

The Narcissists

narcissist - a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish

For years, Obama's critics have accused him of being a narcissist. And rightfully so, since Obama has a record of publicly ostracizing those who dared to criticize either him or his policies. He even went so far as to name particular people, not just whole networks - he has called out Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity; he has had the IRS go after conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status; he has had the DOJ spy on Fox News' James Rosen and the Associated Press. Obama has acted the bully to the Supreme court before an important decision that would impact on his policies; he even scolded them in front of the world during a State of the Union address. Not to mention his countless insults hurled at Republicans or the Tea Party. Obama's speeches have been overwhelmingly in the first person - accomplishments are his, goals are his, actions and reactions are his and his only. Never does he credit anyone else, yet blame is always on someone else. His thin skin has been problematic, as a powerful and uniting leader needs a truly thick skin. These examples go on and on; it is very apparent to those willing to say it, our president is a narcissist at the very least.

Now comes along a whole new crop of people wanting that same privilege of leading this country. In the first Republican debate, hosted by Fox News moderators, Donald Trump has shown himself to possess very similar characteristics as that of our thin-skinned president. Not that this wasn't apparent before the debate, but there was a sense that he was simply calling it like it is, pulling no punches and putting on display an ego that has been a part of his personality forever. Yet until the debate, the ego didn't seem quite that problematic.

Trump, like all the other candidates, got some tough questions from the moderators. But unlike all the other candidates, he fought back by attacking the moderators, the network, and the other candidates. And now we watch as he excoriates anyone who criticizes him, how he punishes anyone whom he deems is 'against' him. The night after the debate he gave a long interview to rival network CNN during Megyn Kelly's time slot. He gets personal. He gets petulant...like a child. He is having tantrums before our eyes. When he speaks, it is about him. And it's all about the thin skin. The toughness of Trump we don't mind. The lack of political correctness we don't mind. But if this 'enemies list' is his tactic of dealing with those who oppose him and how he would lead as the next president, then this is a big problem. And this is without examining his ideas on how to run the government or his political philosophy or vision for the country. Sure, we have some general idea about him getting tough with other countries, about cracking down on illegal immigration, but it has become about his ego at this point.

Seems like the very last thing we need as a country is more of the same from our president as we've had for the last two terms. Judging by Trump's reaction to whatever he sees as negative pushback, his narcissism is the quality that will prevent him from being an effective and uniting leader. How do we know? We've already seen this show.

A Moral Convergence

This past week two stories in the news have converged in an interesting way.

One story which has received much press coverage, has been the killing of a lion in Africa by an American hunter. Not that big game in Africa aren't hunted and killed all the time, (legally), but here are some of the unusual points about this story.

This particular lion, known as Cecil, was protected and followed for several years for research purposes by Wildlife Conservation. The hunter, with his African guides, had lured Cecil out of the protected park (illegal) and shot him with a crossbow, watching him for 40 hours until he was shot dead. This made the killing more brutal than necessary. Additionally he was decapitated and skinned to become the trophy this hunter was after. Supposedly, this hunter was unaware of the protected nature of this lion. Because of the method in which he handled this animal, this particular hunt seemed egregious.

The reaction to the killing of this lion was no less than international hysteria. So much so, that the American hunter had to go into hiding, as his own life had been threatened. Warranted? I think not. However, it does call into question some issues to ponder:  Should big game trophy hunting be legal? Are there benefits to the local villages by taking the life of an animal, especially a predatory one?

The other story to come to our attention was in the way of video exposes on Planned Parenthood (PP), in which executives from the company were caught discussing the sale of fetal parts to a fictional research company.

While PP maintains that they have not done anything illegal by receiving money to cover the cost of the procedure and to transport the tissue/organs, the videos tell a different story.

They show executives negotiating the price of tissue/organ procurement and 'then some', (illegal profiting) and in the latest video, there is discussion as to how to procure a fully intact fetus for the said research company. In one of the videos, it is revealed that PP does change the method of abortion (illegal) to fulfill the request of the research company, while claiming to reassure the mother that the procedure will follow protocol and not do anything different in their care for her.

To add insult to injury, the cavalier attitudes of the PP executives shown on camera was truly offensive. Casual and incidental, they discussed the dismemberment of the fetus, the crushing of some body parts, and the subsequent extraction of the fetus. All this without an iota of humanity, gravity or respect. Whether one agrees with fetal tissue donation or not, one should not treat a prenatal life with such brutality as illustrated here.

Again, some other questions arise:
What is PP's primary focus - giving the woman the best care she can get, or doing whatever needs to be done to sell tissue/organs to a business?

What is the ethical nature of fetal tissue procurement even if done for supposedly noble purposes?

Should taxpayers fund an organization whose practices are morally questionable at best?

While one may have outrage over both stories, it was the contrast in the press coverage that was troubling.  The lion story was covered way more in the media, while the PP story got little coverage (other than Fox News, which covered the PP story extensively). Something seems wrong with this picture. Clearly the politics of protecting PP by not giving this horrific story the proper attention was evident.

Finally, if one has outrage over an animal getting killed in a hunt, then shouldn't one have outrage over thousands of human fetuses whose lives are reduced to spare parts? If not, and that appears to be the case with many expressing anger over the lion, but not the fetuses....it begs the question: if it were animal fetuses that were being extracted in ways so as to sell its parts, would then these people get angry?

Speeding To The Cliff

With just over a year left in office, Obama is stepping on the gas pedal hard. He is accelerating as fast as he can, this fundamental transformation of America. In the beginning, it seemed as though he was gradually changing things, and that with enough resistance from the people, we would be able to slow him down. But as time went on, the pace picked up. It seemed as though every day there was another outrage to deal with, coming from his policies, his lawlessness, his rhetoric. Now it's as though the speed limit just got higher on the highway and he wants to take advantage of it. With the higher speed limit, watch out though, and make sure you're buckled up.

The latest in his transformation is the giving away of the world's security with concessions to Iran. The largest sponsor of terrorism in the world just got permission to develop nuclear weapons, which they will be able to showcase in several years. I'm sure Israel can't wait for that one. Essentially Obama has started an arms race in the Mideast, since Iran's neighbors are not going to sit still for them to power up. With this new deal, economic sanctions on Iran are lifted, paving the way for them to purchase all kinds of war toys from Russia and China, including intercontinental ballistic missiles; oh goody, then they can reach the United States. If that's not all, inspections of these building sites do not come with unfettered access. While we are told they can be inspected 24/7, the deal gives them up to 14 days to 'prepare' for the visit. But the dagger in the heart, is that Obama, the great negotiator, left 4 Americans in Iranian jail cells. How dare he. While our thin-skinned President scolded a reporter for inquiring about that in a way that left him uncomfortable, the truth is, he really doesn't care about the hostages. After all, how could he let a few Americans get in the way of his agenda.

What about that agenda? Remember, he has been working very hard at undermining every institution, every tradition, and every pillar that held up this once great country.

Time is running out for him. And he promised us he will continue to affect change until he leaves. When he does leave, if he leaves (tyrants tend to stay), he will have left us a much, much, weaker nation. The question is, will anyone be able to turn the car around before it drives off the cliff?

Unspeakable Evil

The level of barbarity belonging to the world's evil enemy cannot get any lower. I'm referring to the enemy called ISIS, aka, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and the atrocities they have been committing more and more boldly for a couple of years now.

In their quest to build a Muslim caliphate in the region, eventually to have world domination, they have been responsible for beheadings, crucifixions, torture, enslavement, rape, drowning, and burning people alive in cages. When the Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of gay marriage, ISIS celebrated by throwing gay men off of rooftops. These horrors go for women and children alike. It goes for Christians and Muslims, as well. In fact, Christians are being exterminated from the Mideast by the many thousands, reminiscent of the Jewish holocaust of Europe.

The latest barbarism involves demonstrating booby-trap techniques to other ISIS fighters by attaching explosives to a baby and detonating it. If you can continue reading after that horror, they are also killing men by amputating their sex organ and letting them bleed to death. This is seriously depraved. It is the darkest side of humanity this world has seen. It is hard to write about it. But if you were unaware of all of this, then your liberal media is negligent in their duties.

And then there's the Pope; the spiritual figurehead for the Catholic Church. As a spiritual leader, one would expect, in his travels around the world, for him to speak about the Christians in the Mideast getting slaughtered daily. One would think that the Pope, of all people, would stand up for those being tortured by Muslim fanatics. After all, the Pope is supposedly a man of peace and love, preaching the gospel to the masses.

Incredibly, that's not the case. Instead, the Pope has decided that the biggest problems for the world to hear about from the Church involve greedy capitalism and climate change. Seriously?

Humanity's moral compass must be broken - the Catholic Pope is not even standing up for his Christian bretheren.

JULY 2ND IS THE DAY THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS VOTED ON. TO COMMEMORATE THAT UNIQUE AND CONSEQUENTIAL DOCUMENT, WHICH LAID OUT OUR FOUNDING PRINCIPLES, BELOW IS A REPRINT OF THE TEXT.



LET'S REMEMBER WHY AMERICA WAS FOUNDED IN THE FIRST PLACE. 

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

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—That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People, unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.

He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.

He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.

He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pre-tended Offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.

He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy of the Head of a civilized Nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.

Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to  Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the  rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-declaration-of-independence/read-the-declaration/ 

The Transformation Is Nearly Complete

The fundamental transformation of the United States of America is nearly complete.

We no longer have a clear delineation between the 3 branches of government.

We have a president who circumvents Congress to create policies via pen and phone.

We have an opposing political party in Congress which refuses to oppose the radical progressive agenda of our president.

We have a Supreme Court which won't adhere to the Constitution, but will play politics.

We no longer have to prove citizenship in order to vote.

We have handed over to the government, control of 1/5 of our economy via healthcare.

We have a federal government becoming more centralized while the states are losing power.

We have driven up the national debt to the highest and most unsustainable level it's ever been.

We are a diminished economic power domestically and around the world.

We have a govt agency, the EPA, which is strangling businesses with massive regulations and fees.

We are demonizing wealth and capitalism.

We have nearly half the population dependent on government entitlements.

We are pushing for social justice, aka wealth redistribution.

We are forcing low income housing into wealthy neighborhoods.

We have rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech which are under attack.

We have a govt agency, the IRS, which plays politics with conservatives and right-leaning organizations.

We have govt officials who 'lose' their emails to cover up corruption.

We have an imperial president and First Lady who vacation extensively on taxpayer money.

We have very porous borders which allow into our country virtually anyone, including our enemies.

We are offering benefits to illegals that are not afforded our own citizens.

We have a government which will not enforce immigration laws already on the books.

We have an enemy, that will not be named by our president, who chops off heads, crucifies people (including children) and throws homosexuals off of rooftops.

We have, for the first time since its inception, daylight between this country and Israel.

We are a world in trouble, in part, because this country will not stand up against evil.

We are allowing Iran, the world's sponsor of terrorism, to build nuclear weapons.

We are allowing a barbaric jihadi movement to build a caliphate which seeks to dominate the world.

We have allowed associates of terrorist groups to infiltrate our government.

We have a military which has been weakened by new rules of engagement and new PC standards.

We have growing anti-police sentiment which will inevitably lead to nationalizing the police depts.

We have allies who no longer trust us.

We are no longer a moral influence in the world.

We are no longer a society based on Judeo-Christian values.

We have redefined the thousands-year-old institution of marriage, which has been the bedrock of our society.

We are a nation more divided in every way; race, gender, class, ideology.

We have become a nation of victims.

We have changed from a country which valued merit to a country that values diversity and inclusivity.

We have more racial tension now than we have had in decades, despite our having a black president and top govt officials.

We are eliminating gender labels and telling our children that gender doesn't matter.

We have business owners who must shut down because they no longer have the right to exercise their religious conscience.

We have a national educational curriculum which revises our history.

We have a national system in education which collects data on our children.

We are tearing down symbols which represent our history, good or bad.

We have a media which refuses to report on the government's wrongdoing if it doesn't advance their liberal agenda.

We are raising the next generation to be 'global citizens' rather than American citizens.

We have institutions of higher learning which promote diversity of race and nationality, but prohibit diversity of thought.

We are allowing a small population of political agitators to set the agenda for the vast majority of the population.

We have become dangerously politically correct, which impacts on our speech and ultimately on our thoughts.

We have a government which knows no bounds with our privacy and collects data on all citizens.

We have a president who is working to extend power and control outside of the Constitution and onto a new world order.

We have a president who believes the biggest threat to our country is climate change.

We are watching the progressive left build their socialist utopia; from history we know these plans never end well.

What's next? Not much left.  Beware the government shutting down conservative media.

And beware the government that will try to disarm its citizenry.

What to do? Stand up, mobilize and don't accept the unacceptable.

The Mideast Powder Keg

In an unprecedented move, President Obama announced he will be re-thinking America's support for Israel; ever since Netanyahu won re-election and stated he will not consider a two-state solution at this time (given that the Palestinians have aligned with Hamas, which does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and furthermore, calls for its destruction). Since Israel's inception in 1948, there has never been a time when Israel did not have the support of its closest ally, the United States. Obama, however, seems to be looking for excuses not to support Israel.

                                                               

In the ongoing negotiations with Iran re: developing nuclear weapons, Netanyahu said, "the dangerous accord which is being negotiated in Lausanne confirms our concerns and even worse." He added, "The Iran-Lausanne-Yemen axis is very dangerous for all of humanity and must be stopped." At this point in time, Obama is negotiating not whether Iran produces centrifuges, but how many, allowing Iran to produce its own nuclear fuel. That our President is not doing what needs to be done to prevent the largest supporter of terror in the world, Iran, from building nuclear weapons, is incomprehensible. This is in conjunction with the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran, which many felt were effectively working in our favor.

This past week it was reported that the Obama administration, early last month, leaked a classified document detailing Israel's nuclear program. This highly covert information has been kept secret to avoid a regional nuclear arms race.
                                                                                                    

Additionally, the Obama administration is still calling Yemen a success, as our efforts in Yemen represented his anti-terror strategy. Problem is, the Yemeni President Hadi was driven from office by another Iranian backed terror group, the Houthis. Earlier this month, U.S. troops, there as counter-terrorist forces, made an emergency exit from the country as the Houthis struck a U.S. airbase which was being used as a headquarters for their efforts.

Saudi Arabia has now entered into the war with airstrikes fighting back the Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. The Saudi kingdom is not ruling out building nuclear weapons to counter-balance a nuclear-armed Iran.

"The mideast is on fire," said Sen. Lindsey Graham. Is Obama lighting the matches?

Hillary Clinton...Plenty to See Here

So former Secy of State, soon-to-be presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton has been found to have had her own private email account for official business, even her own server set up in her home in NY, and the general reaction from the Left has been...'so what'?

The point of an official email account for official business, is to have it readily available for scrutiny, should someone or some entity file a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request. Personal matters, on the other hand, may be handled on a private email account, just the same as we all do. Only now we're finding out that the computer server, which transmitted her emails, came from a private server registered to her home in Chappaqua, NY! This allows Clinton to manage her correspondence, and manage requests for such correspondence. Essentially it is under her control which emails are released and which are deleted. Stunning discovery to make for a Secy of State whose very business is sensitive international relations and negotiations. And besides the total breach in protocol, and most likely criminal nature of this scandal, she opened herself up to massive security breaches, which, in turn, are security risks for the country.

Breitbart.com raises several important questions about the scandal; first one being: Why did she launch her private email address when she did, which happened to be the day of her Senate confirmation hearing? And why did her top aide also use private emails? Let's remember too, on the other end of the government emails, is the White House. Why didn't the administration compel her to use an official account rather than a private one for official business? The WH has yet to comment. Read more from Ben Shapiro's inquiring article on Clinton HERE.

Senior judicial analyst for Fox News, Judge Napolitano stated, "this is beyond extraordinary and beyond dangerous." In an article by DailyCaller.com, the Judge was quoted as saying,

 “We do know she must have had classified secrets,” Napolitano insisted. “She as the secretary of state — there are four levels of security clearances. She and the president and General Petraeus and the secretary of defense, people of that nature have the highest level.  But the other problem that she faces is far more serious, and that is a conspiracy to deflect documents, to conceal documents from government computers by keeping them from the government computers,” he said. “That exposes her to three years in jail, per document. And a conviction also exposes her to disqualification from holding office in the future, under the United States of America.”

So, nothing to see here Democrats? Move along, shall we? Your long-awaited president-to-be, your beloved Hillary Clinton, who has been shown to have a very crooked past, may, if investigated properly, face felony charges and be disqualified from becoming your president. Now we'll see if your response is: What difference does it make?

Toe The Line, Or Else

Ho hum. Another politician being brought up on charges for corruption. Nothing to see here...or is there?

Maybe this time there is. It involves a senior Democrat Senator from New Jersey. Given President Obama's penchant for silencing his opposition,  Robert Menendez just hasn't been playing by the rules...Obama's rules. As the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez has been outspoken against Obama's foreign policy.

Regarding negotiations with Iran, Menendez has been active in trying to get the White House to impose new and tough sanctions on Tehran to acquire more leverage. The White House, however, sees that as an attempt to undermine a possible deal. Menendez recently made headlines when he accused the White House of getting its talking points on the deal "straight out of Tehran."

Menendez's strong support for Netanyahu's speech also got him on the wrong side of Obama. And, he publicly declared that he takes issue with those who think the visit was "destructive to U.S.-Israeli relations", referring to National Security Adviser Susan Rice's derision of the Prime Minister.

As the son of Cuban immigrants, Menendez is strongly opposed to Obama's efforts at normalizing relations with Cuba. He bluntly stated during a press conference, "I think it stinks. I think it's wrong. I am deeply disappointed in the President." Harsh words for a sitting Democrat in the Senate. Additionally he implied it may be difficult confirming a U. S. Ambassador to Cuba.

So clearly, Obama must be unhappy with Sen. Menendez. Unfortunately for the Senator, he will have the weight of the government bearing down on him soon. Let this serve as a reminder to all...toe the line, or else.
http://www.wptz.com/politics/menendez-white-houses-least-favorite-dem/31656092

A Long Train of Abuses and Usurpations

For any of you who doubted that Barack Obama has usurped his presidential powers to the point of untenable offenses, radio host and constitutional legal scholar, Mark Levin outlined them masterfully at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) this past weekend. He went on to enumerate the grievances aimed at the President much the way the Founders did toward King George in the Declaration of Independence. Levin also went on to excoriate the Republicans in Congress who have not done what the voters have demanded they do, as expressed in the last, very remarkable election.

Since I cannot improve upon what Levin said,  I will direct you to a video of his speech here.

Rudy's Opinion: Not Baseless

When former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani said he doesn't think Obama loves this country, he expressed a personal opinion, and for that, endured swift backlash from the Left. The Right, however, was grateful that someone was finally giving voice to something they believed for several years. For those who condemn him for his opinion, let's look at the evidence which supports that opinion.

1) RG: "He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country."

FACT: Obama was brought up with atypical influences (for an American) in his life; family members as communists, biological father and stepfather both Muslim, and life in a predominantly Muslim country in Asia.  Obama spent several years of his childhood in Indonesia until moving back to Hawaii at the age of 10. Although Hawaii is an American state, living on the Pacific island does not offer the same lifestyle as does small town USA or even big city USA on the mainland.

2) RG: "...from all that I can see of this president, all that I've heard of him, he apologizes for America, he criticizes America.

FACT: Obama started publicly criticizing America on foreign soil early on in his presidency. During the now infamous 'apology tour' of Europe in 2009, he said in France, "there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive."  In Turkey, he said, "The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history...Our country still struggles with the legacies of slavery and segregation, the past treatment of Native Americans." In an interview with Al-Arabiya he stated, "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect."  
These are just a few of the statements he has made which express his disappointment with America.

3) RG: "He talks about the crusades and how the Christians were barbarians, leaves out the second half of the sentence that the Muslims were barbarians also."

FACT: So as not to link Islam with more violence than other religions, Obama tried to draw an equivalency between the Christian violence during the crusades (leaving out the fact that Muslims were involved in it too) and the current Islamic violence, (though not naming current violence as Islamic related). "…lest we get on our high horse…for their own murderous ends…this is not unique to one group or one religion.  There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency that can pervert and distort our faith."

4) RG: "He sees Christians slaughtered and doesn't stand up and hold a press conference although he holds a press conference for the situation in Ferguson."

FACT:  For the last few years Christians in the Middle East have been slaughtered, churches have been burned, and Obama has been virtually silent on the subject. It is only recently he has made statements condemning the acts.

5) RG: "He sees Jews being killed for anti-Semitic reasons. He doesn't stand up and hold a press conference. This is an American president I've never seen before."

FACT:  "...entirely legitimate for the American people to be deeply concerned when you've got a bunch of violent, vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris."  No acknowlegement here of Muslims targeting Jews - simply a random shooting of some folks.

6) RG: "I'm not condemning his patriotism -- patriots can -- can criticize. They're allowed to criticize. I don't hear from him what I heard from Harry Truman, what I heard from Bill Clinton, what I heard from Jimmy Carter, which is these wonderful words about what a great country we are, what an exceptional country we are. When he called us an exceptional country, he said we're an exceptional country, but so is Greece."

FACT:  "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."  Barack Obama 2009

7) RG: "I don't feel this love of America. I think this man was -- when I talked about his background, I'm talking about a man who grew up under the influence of Frank Marshall Davis who was a member of the communist party who he refers to over and over in his book, who was a tremendous critic of the United States."

FACT: During his adolescence, Frank Marshall Davis was a mentor to Obama, introduced by Obama's grandfather looking for a father figure for his grandson. Davis was a well-known communist who was under the surveillance of the FBI for 19 years.

8) RG: "This is a man who worked on Saul Alinsky who was a tremendous critic of the United States. I believe his initial approach is to criticize this country and then afterwards to say a few nice things about us."

FACT: Obama has been strongly influenced by radical liberal activist Saul Alinsky, author of "Rules for Radicals." Obama has used this book to teach students Alinsky's methods of community organizing which illustrates how the 'have-nots' in our society can overthrow the 'haves' and take away their power.

9) RG: "... how about being in a church of 17 years where the minister of the church says, "it's not God loves America but God damn America." Now, if you were in that church, wouldn't you quit that church?" (speaking with Megyn Kelly).

FACT: Obama was a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ for 20 years, headed by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who preached Black Liberation Theology, a race-based theology which emphasizes white racism and white oppression, and encourages a victim mentality among blacks. Black Liberation theologians have explicitly stated a preference for Marxism.

10) RG: I was in Europe a lot this summer and this fall. And all I heard about is the bigoted American Police Departments and I never heard the president of the United States defend the policemen of America, 800,000 of which put their lives on the line for us."

FACT: Examples: In 2009, before all the facts were in, Obama inserted himself into a case between a policeman and a black Harvard professor and announced, "the police acted stupidly."  Soon after a grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the death of Eric Garner, Obama said, “bad training” and a “fear of folks who look different” in a small number of police departments across the U.S. have contributed to the ongoing mistrust between law enforcement and minority communities." Regarding the Ferguson case he said, "... need to accept that this decision was the grand jury’s to make. There are Americans who agree with it, and there are Americans who are deeply disappointed, even angry. It’s an understandable reaction"... despite a grand jury fully examining the evidence of the case and reaching an objective decision that Wilson was not racially profiling Michael Brown.

11) RG: "I think that is a perfectly reasonable opinion. But the president and his comments if we look at all his rhetoric has not displayed the kind of love of America, the kind of love of American exceptionalism that other American presidents have displayed. That he has gone abroad and criticized us over and over again, apologized for us. Every time he does it, it embarrasses me."

FACT: Rudy Giuliani is entitled to his opinion. As you can see, these are not empty words, there is evidence to support why he says what he says.

One doesn't want to fundamentally transform that which one loves..."We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of Ameria." Barack Obama, 5 days before Election Day 2008.

In Denial

Barack Hussein Obama is in denial. He is in denial over Islamic terrorism. After a 3-day conference hosted by the White House on 'violent extremism' he still will not admit that the overwhelming violence against innocent Christians, Jews and other Muslims, is emanating from fundamental Islamists. Denial. In fact, this symposium was about extremism in all forms, not simply the Islamic extremism grabbing international headlines almost on a daily basis. Denial. His refusal to name the enemy has been ongoing and my blog post of 1/9/15 addresses that.

Obama did, however, go out of his way to talk about the three young Muslims in North Carolina who were recently murdered (although at this point there is zero evidence they were killed for their religion), and once again, reminded Americans to have tolerance for other religions. He made claims that people from all religions are killing people from all other religions. Denial. This is not honest. It is not true. And this is from the same man who insisted that the Ft. Hood shooting of over a dozen people committed in the name of Allah was merely workplace violence, and that the Jews killed in a kosher supermarket were just some folks who were randomly shot. When Christians around the world are beheaded or burned, when Jews are targeted and killed, when other Muslims who are not the 'right' branch of Islam, are murdered, and when children too, are beheaded and brutalized in other unspeakable ways, Barack Obama will still not blame Islam. Denial. He will deny that Islam has anything to do with it. And yet, listen to the fundamentalists and they will readily announce it has everything to do with their belief in Islam and that they are committing these acts in the name of Allah.

In his speech at the 'extremist' summit, Obama once again, did what he's been doing since he took office...he bent over backwards to stand up for Muslims to protect them from any potential backlash. (To date, this backlash in America has not materialized). And he thinks nothing of revising our history. "Muslims have been woven into the fabric of our country since its Founding," he stated. Exactly where, President Obama, did you learn that?

So, it begs the question. What is it, Barack Hussein Obama, that won't allow you to blame Islam at all for the atrocities being committed around the world? Why, Mr. Obama, are you in such denial?

A Climate Theory Scandal...AGAIN?!

President Obama has stated several times that he thinks climate change is the biggest threat to our nation. Even more so than the global jihad currently being waged on the 'infidels'. In fact, it's such distorted thinking, that he won't even acknowledge the barbarity taking place as having anything to do with Islam. But I digress.

There are many things these days which illustrate this 'down is up, up is down' world and one example is, as it turns out, the 'flat-earthers' (as labelled by the Left) are the ones paying attention to the science of global warming, and that the 'alarmists' (as labelled by the Right) are actually the science deniers! Confusing, but here's why.

Did you know that the Earth has not shown any warming since 1997, exactly 219 months, and that time period reflects more than half the 432 month satellite record? Did you know that global warming as predicted by the IPCC has just stopped? Were you one of those who believed the science was settled and any skepticism of global warming was baseless and belonged to the 'flat-earthers'?
http://www.climatedepot.com/2015/01/03/the-great-pause-lengthens-again-global-temperature-update-the-pause-is-now-18-years-3-months/

How many of you have heard the news that global warming data has been 'adjusted' (again) to show that the earth has warmed much more than the data actually indicates? Once again, scandalous information has emerged to contradict theories of global warming. Does the liberal media tell you any of this or do they choose to ignore it, since it doesn't advance their progressive agenda? This isn't the first scandal to arise on the subject - you may recall in 2009 there were thousands of emails among climate scientists that were leaked, revealing that data was being fudged to support a warming thesis. My blog post of Sept. 2013 addressed that.

Christopher Booker, writing for The Telegraph, claims "one of the most extraordinary scandals of our time has never hit the headlines", referring to information he read about massive tampering with temperatures.

"How have we come to be told that global temperatures have suddenly taken a great leap upwards to their highest level in 1,000 years? In fact, it has been no greater than their upward leaps between 1860 and 1880, and 1910 and 1940, as part of that gradual natural warming since the world emerged from its centuries-long "Little Ice Age" around 200 years ago.

This belief has rested entirely on five official data records. Three of these are based on measurements taken on the Earth's surface, versions of which are then compiled by Giss, by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and by the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit working with the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction, part of the UK Met Office. The other two records are derived from measurements made by satellites, and then compiled by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) in California and the University of Alambama, Huntsville (UAH)." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11367272/Climategate-the-sequel-How-we-are-STILL-being-tricked-with-flawed-data-on-global-warming.html

Matt Walsh, writer for theblaze.com, responds to a reader who insisted that Walsh set science deniers straight. Highly recommended reading if you too are frustrated with the environmental doomsayers.

So, just how does one reconcile the fact that the earth seems to be in a cooling trend and that the hot-air scaremongers like Al Gore and his followers simply cannot point to warming? (Btw, polar bears are not dying out, polar ice caps are not melting, and much more). Well, for one, you re-package it and call it climate change. Now, who can argue with the fact that the climate is changing? That's, after all, what climate does and has been doing since time began. 

Seems like global warming-turned-climate change is going the way of global cooling and any other environmentalist's crisis over the past several decades. But don't expect the liberal media to tell you the truth. The science, for them, is settled.

Hands Off Our Internet!

Under the guise of preserving the internet for free enterprise and free expression, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving to regulate the internet by reclassifying it as a public utility. The more than 300 pages of new regulations will affect every aspect of the internet for both business and personal usage.

Although the FCC is supposed to be an independent agency, Wisconsin Sen. Johnson is concerned about the influence the White House may be having on policy making. Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai aired his concerns at a press conference, stating that the proposal includes heavy-handed regulations.

"President Obama's plan marks a monumental shift toward government control of the Internet. It gives the FCC the power to micromanage virtually every aspect of how the internet works. The plan explicity opens the door to billions of dollars in new taxes on broadband...These new taxes will mean higher prices for consumers and more hidden fees that they have to pay."

Additionally, according to Commissioner Pai, Americans will have fewer broadband choices, as it will slow network speed and expansion, reduce Internet service provider competition and encroach on small businesses with burdensome regulations which will push them out of the market.

The FCC is being accused of catering to Obama's proposals which he put forth last year.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/06/republican-fcc-commissioner-slams-obamas-332-page-plan-to-regulate-the-internet/
http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2015/02/09/republican-fcc-member-warns-net-neutrality-is-not-neutral/

Additionally, the Democrat faction of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted last week on whether to limit and regulate political speech on the Internet from sources such as YouTube, blogs and websites like TheDrudgeReport. The vote split down party lines, with 3 Democrats voting for the proposal, and 3 Republicans voting against. FEC Vice Chair Ann Ravel promises to push for new provisions next year, a clear reversal for the FEC which has always protected online political speech.
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/10/192454-fec-democrats-move-regulate-internet-political-speech/

Between the FCC and the FEC, these threats to have a government controlled Internet will undoubtedly have  a major impact on the daily lives of consumers, both personally and commercially. The administration's desire to levy more taxes, limit choices, impose new regulations will take a once free and open means of communication and enterprise, and hand it over to fascistic bureacrats. And, this administration's desire to closely monitor free speech will surely challenge our First Amendment rights.

Under the cloak of secrecy, the plan will not be made public until after the Commission has voted on it on February 26th. But we don't have to sit and take it. Here are a few websites you can go to for taking action - sign a a petition, make phonecalls, email your representatives. Don't let the government limit our freedoms!
http://www.savetheinternet.com/sti-home
http://www.freedomworks.org/content/battle-internet-freedom-not-over
http://www.dontbreakthe.net/?utm_source=socialmedia&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=mcp

Pure Evil

What can one say about group of people who are so inhumane that they can take another human being, put him in a cage, set him on fire and burn him alive for all the world to see?

When Jordanian pilot Mouath al-Kasaesbeh became a prisoner of ISIS, the radical Muslim jihadist group, he became the victim of another especially brutal and barbaric execution. ISIS departed from their usual beheadings and forms of torture, and instead went for something more spectacular for the media.  They taped his fiery execution from beginning to end, and produced a film complete with music and sound effects. This was to become a propaganda piece for the movement and a 'recruiting tool.'

It's the devil incarnate. The darkest side of humanity. Evil pure and simple. The barbarism of the Dark Ages rearing its ugly head in the 21st century.

Jordan's King Abdullah swiftly responded with the execution of two Islamist prisoners and has vowed to further respond with "an earth-shaking response" against the Islamic State. To date, ISIS has taken over large areas of Iraq and Syria, and are threatening more, as they continue on their mission to establish a worldwide Islamic caliphate.

Unfortunately, as usual, the U.S. president offered a tepid response. Although he promised to double the efforts in fighting ISIS (to date we've had little impact on their expansion) he did so with a nonchalance that was not befitting of the situation. (In fact, he's had much more fire in his belly when going after Republicans.)

If there is to be a light at the end of this story, it's that Jordan's King is prepared to fight these extremists until they are no more. "We are waging this war to protect our faith, our values and human principles and our war for their sake will be relentless and will hit them in their own ground." This evil must be defeated.

The Kumbaya Moment

Last week 40 world leaders gathered in Paris, days after the massacres at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket, to protest the attacks.  Millions of people  marched through the streets of Paris, with heads-of-state at the helm. They marched in unity, showing solidarity with France, in support of free speech. It was a clear message to the Islamic terrorists that the world will stand against their oppressive beliefs and barbaric tactics. Unfortunately, the United States was not there to send that message with them.

While the White House claimed it would've been too difficult to effectively secure the President, there were no such concerns for either the Vice President, the Secy. of State or the Attorney General to have attended. And  yet, none of them showed up. The absence was stark and the backlash was swift. (And what was the excuse for Eric Holder, already in Paris that day, to miss the rally and return immediately to the U.S.? No excuse offered.)

Days later, in an effort to apologize for the lack of symbolic support for France, Secy. of State Kerry flew to Paris to deliver the message. As a gesture, he brought with him James Taylor, to sing "You've Got a Friend" to a Paris audience. A joke? Afraid not.

This is embarrassing. It's weak. And we can't take it back. Once again, Obama 'leads from behind' and all the world watches. This is our 'Kumbaya' moment.

Naming the Enemy

President Obama was careful to abide by his own mandate that Islam not be associated with terrorist attacks, by first calling the Paris shooting at the newspaper offices an act of violence by a few, only to later name it terrorism. However, he will not call it Islamic terrorism. This reinforces his statement in 2012, when speaking at the U.N., Obama said "The future must not belong to those who slander the Prophet of Islam." Strange thing for an American President to say to the world. Strange, that is, unless that is where your sympathies lie. And therein, lies the problem.

This President is, and has been since day one, stuck in a conflict of interest...leading America in its fight against radical Islam on the one hand, and not wanting to admit that there's a faction (the fundamentalists) of the first religion he grew up to love and respect, that's committing murder in the name of that religion. The Muslim call to prayer "is one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset," he has claimed.

When he took office, he ordered that all references to radical Islam, Islamists, Islamic terrorists, etc. (whatever phrase one wants to use that links up the two) be stricken from records, that all training of agents who combat terrorism be changed by eliminating any material that puts Islam in a negative light. According to Judicial Watch, (2012) "so far 700 pages of documents from about 300 presentations given to agents since the 2001 terrorist attacks have been purged." The goal being, "to banish any material that could be viewed as offensive to Muslims." As part of a wider Muslim outreach effort, there was a special Senate hearing to discuss how to best protect Muslim civil rights, a meeting between Homeland Security and extremist Muslim organizations to discuss national security, and NASA being ordered to focus on Muslim outreach and diplomacy.

All of this effort, designed to deny that a minority population within Islam, has as its primary objective, to pursue a global jihad, a holy war,  and to either convert or kill the infidels. Whether these violent Muslims are interpreting the strict word of the Koran, seeking revenge for western intervention, attempting to eliminate the western way of life, working to build their desired caliphate, or all of the above, one must wonder: why is our government going out of its way to pretend that these extremists are not killing in the name of Islam and are merely a violent few? These radicals are out for our destruction and our President refuses to acknowledge their end game. Hell, if he can't even name our enemy, how can we pursue a successful strategy against them?

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/02/u-s-bans-linking-terrorism-to-muslims-in-agent-training/

Looking Back and Then Ahead

The holidays and the busy-ness that comes along with it, have now come and gone.  My blogsite sat quiet that whole time, giving my political nerves a much needed rest. As I look back on 2014, many events are worth remembering, albeit briefly:

• The politicization of Ebola and the inexplicable reluctance by the President to ban flights from Ebola stricken countries.
• The huge wave of Republican gains in Congress, State Legislatures, Governorships on Election day.
• Jonathan Gruber, architect of Obamacare, caught several times on video admitting that the only way to pass the mammoth bill was to manipulate and lie to the 'stupid' Americans.
• Racial tensions exploded due to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner by police. Although facts of those cases didn't support the racist claims, the mayor of NYC latched onto those themes and created even more tensions with the NYPD, which ultimately led to the assassination of two police officers.
• The flooding of our southern border with tens and tens of thousands of illegals from Central America. This included thousands of children, many unaccompanied, who subsequently have been parceled out to cities across the U.S.
• Not to worry, Obama granted amnesty to millions of illegals, ursurping his power, once again, as the President.
• Iran is closer to having nuclear weapons, China is the world's #1 economy, Russia has moved into Ukraine, relations with communist Cuba have been 'normalized', North Korea hacks into communications giant Sony and stifles free speech, Israel is more alone than ever without the usual staunch support of the U.S., and Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering the effects of Islamists who are filling the vacuum we left behind. 
• The barbarism of Islamic terrorists escalates with many beheadings, unspeakable torture, and violent rape, as their desired caliphate in the mid-East expands.
• Conservative political speech continued to be stifled, as witnessed by: the IRS investigation, in which we learned that the directive to audit certain groups came from the top in Washington; several speakers, originally slated to speak at colleges, were then subsequently banned when Leftist groups protested their appearances; insurance companies were pressured by the White House not to speak out against Obamacare, lest they get retribution; Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich was forced to resign due to the revelation that he donated to an anti-gay marriage cause years before.

These examples are a drop in the bucket in a year of incredibly worrisome events for our country. 

As the new year begins, I'm gearing up for what lies ahead by tuning in and staying informed. Although not a peaceful route to take, (as staying away from the news can be), it's an important route for all of us to take. The path that this country is on, the path that this world is on, is filled with challenges. If we are to remain in control of our future and our children's future, we must know what it is we're up against, so that we can take steps to prepare and to resist if necessary.

Wishing all a happy and healthy New Year for 2015.