Quick Hits

(Note:  Early on in the blog I titled a number of posts "Quick Hits."  Usually because there was too much going on to limit the post to one topic.  Here, it's been a while since my last post, so I'll cover a number of recent events in a single post.)

Recently, a reporter for Campus Reform, took a stroll around Georgetown in order to ask young people how they felt about being an American.  Here's one:  I am "embarrassed to be an American every day," citing our "racist history, (and) colonization."  Here's another:  "A lot of times it's just embarrassing (because) we continue to support Israel, which is dislocating quite a few Palestinian people."  Yet another said our economic system of capitalism "just cares about money."  Not a surprise, really.  I am sure young people frequently hear from their professors how bad the United States is.  Not to mention what they hear from Democratic leaders and the mainstream media.

Here was an Op-Ed in the New York Times:  "Today, flying the American flag from the back of a pickup truck or over a lawn is increasingly seen as a clue, albeit an imperfect one, to a person's political affiliation in a deeply divided nation."  Oh.  Or, maybe, it is a sign of being proud of our country, of being proud to be an American.  

Here is Democratic Representative Cori Bush, a newer member of "The Squad":  "When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this:  the freedom they're referring to is for white people.  This land is stolen land and Black people still aren't free."  Oh.  Shame on all of you who still own black slaves.  Don't you know about the Emancipation Proclamation?  The 14th Amendment?  Juneteenth?  Please, dear readers, report any slave owners you see to the appropriate authorities.  

Here is NPR:  The Declaration of Independence is "a document with flaws and deeply ingrained hypocrisies."  Oh.  "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."  But women were not included in that declaration.  Nor were blacks.  But, you say, they certainly are today!  Wrong.  Everything is just as bad as it was in 1950, even as bad as in 1850.  Just ask Cori Bush.  

Here's a former MSNBC anchor:  "Fuck Independence Day."  Nice talk.  "Not only were we not free, the whole reason the Colonies wanted independence was because Britain was moving toward abolishing slavery."  There it is.  The 1619 Project.  America was founded on slavery.  For no other reason.  America did have slavery at the time of its founding.  But if America was founded on slavery, then why didn't all the colonies/states allow slavery?  

Here is an Op-Ed from the Washington Post, describing the Statue of Liberty as "a symbol of hypocrisy and unfilled promises."  Oh.  The title of the Op-Ed was "Maybe it's time to admit that the Statue of Liberty has never quite measured up."  Here's more:  the statue is " a symbol of the misuse of liberty - as a hollow promise, unequally distributed and limited in its application to certain groups."  When I hear this claptrap I hear the voice of a child saying "no fair."  If everything is not perfect for a child it's no fair.  It's akin to kneeling while the Anthem is being played.  "I won't stand for the flag until the country is perfect in every way.  How can I celebrate an imperfect, albeit great, country."  That's what I hear.  And that is the voice of a child.

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."  The golden door indeed.  Does not ring "hollow" to me.

Here is a Hispanic contributor to MSNBC:  "What we're seeing right now is a cultural identity crisis that we are undergoing as a community that is completely splitting and dividing Latinos."  Oh.  I did not realize that Latinos, or members of any group, all had to think alike.  "In this crisis, you have on the one hand, Latinos that believe in order to achieve the American Dream, you have to get as close as possible to whiteness, and that is something that Trump gave them permission to do."  Oh.  Trump gave them permission to want to achieve the American Dream?  Good for Trump!

"On the other hand, you have Latinos that believe that in order to achieve the American Dream, you have to get as far as possible from whiteness."  Oh.  What is "whiteness" anyway?  I am not sure if this commentator understands that she is saying, essentially, that all Latinos want to achieve the American Dream.  Well good for them.  I for one would like to see everyone in our society succeed.  I do not know anyone who does not.  If they all want to achieve the American Dream, why does it follow that they all must think alike?  There is no "cultural identity crisis."  But there was, to her chagrin, an increased number of Latinos voting for Trump and Republicans in the last election.    

A Quick Look at the Biden Administration

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken actually invited the UN to investigate the US.  Why?  Because of "the scourge of racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia" in the US.  For those of you who believe that things have improved greatly, in terms of racial issues, in the last 70 years, you would be wrong.  If you believe that other countries in the world that have far worse human rights violations than the US, countries such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and North Korea, you would be wrong again.  In fact, those same countries were the ones criticizing the US last year, following the death of George Floyd.  Here's a question for virtually any sane person on the planet:  in which country would you prefer to live - the US, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia or North Korea?  Maybe Blinken should live in one of those countries for a year, and then tell us which country needs investigating for human rights abuses.

  Not to be outdone, Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, decided to comment on the current demonstrations by the people of Cuba against their dictatorial, communist regime.  In case any of those demonstrators were thinking of trying to make their way to the US, Mayorkas told them:  "Allow me to be clear: if you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States."  And:  "If individuals establish a well-founded fear of persecution or torture, they are referred to third countries for settlement."

To "third" countries?  How is it that the Biden Administration has open arms for other Central American and South American "refugees" who have a "well-founded rear of persecution or torture?"  Actually, those people need not have any fear at all.  As long as they are able to cross our southern border they get to stay.  And they get to settle anywhere within the US that they choose.  So why are Cubans, actual refugees with legitimate fears of persecution or worse, being treated differently?  I would not be the first to suggest that Cubans generally are likely to identify as Republican.  But the ones likely to identify as Democrats are more than welcome.  

Recently, Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said this:  "Just this past week, Israel demolished and leveled the home of a Palestinian family in the beloved village of Turmusaya.  For what?  To dehumanize."  That was a complete lie.  The house was not randomly selected by Israeli authorities to "dehumanize."  Congresswoman Tlaib left out the fact that the house was that of a murdering terrorist who killed a 19 year old Jewish Yeshiva student.  (A Yeshiva is an orthodox Jewish school.)  And, the murderer also wounded two others.

But why would Tlaib mention that?  She does not believe that Israel should even exist.  And while she may understand that Israel destroys houses of terrorists and Jew killers in the hopes of deterring further attacks, it is clear that a Jewish life is worth less than the house of a murderer in her eyes.  And what does this have to do with the Biden Administration?  The aforementioned Secretary of State Blinken joined in the criticism of Israel for leveling the house and trying to deter future attacks.

Here's President Biden on Republican led states actually trying to make sure that everyone who votes has a right to do so:  "Twenty-first century Jim Crow is real.  And we're going to challenge it vigorously."  By which Biden means he has asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to file lawsuits against some Republican states that have passed laws requiring some form of voter ID.  These lawsuits are not being filed because of "Jim Crow" laws.  That is a blatant lie.  Yet Biden continues to lie about the Georgia election.  Recall that Biden encouraged Major League Baseball to move yesterday's All Star game from Atlanta to Denver.  

Never mind that the Washington Post fact checker gave Biden's comment 4 pinocchios - the biggest lie.  Never mind that the All Star game may have have cost Atlanta businesses, many black-owned, $100 million.  That money went to the overwhelmingly white state of Colorado.  With regards to those states trying to ensure election integrity, Biden said "They want to make it so hard...that they hope people don't vote at all."  So, if people don't vote, who wins?  

But Biden did get to the truth behind his lies:  "We must pass the 'For the People Act.'  It's a national imperative."  That act, known as HR1 in the House, and SB1 in the Senate, would result in a federal takeover of all state elections.  It more accurately should be titled the "For the Democrats Act."  As funnyman Greg Gutfeld of Fox said:  "Every American has the right to vote, except the left's favored voting blocs, which are felons, illegal immigrants, and the dead."  Although he left out 16 and 17 year olds.  The "For the People Act" is meant to deal with those currently "disenfranchised" voters.