June 12-13, 2016
Jun 12 03:13 Not just another anniversary Jun 12 03:33 Trump's legal gymnastics Jun 12 09:49 Gun haters' predictable actions Jun 13 01:09 Exposing E-Democracy's hatred Jun 13 06:21 Democrats' mission impossible Jun 13 08:07 Orlando: a matter of perspective Jun 13 15:24 Political correctness run amok
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Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Not just another anniversary
Friends and frequent readers of LFR. After the 2016 election, LFR will celebrate its twelfth anniversary. To be precise, LFR celebrates its twelfth anniversary on November 19. I'm thankful for that anniversary and to the people who have read LFR.
That will happen in due course. Today, however, is time for my sixth anniversary with Examiner.com. While many of the subjects are the same, the Examiner articles are different in content than my LFR posts. I enjoy the different venues that I get to express my opinions and do my reporting.
If you have the inclination, follow this link to locate my archived Examiner articles. If you want my Examiner articles delivered to your 'front door', click on the subscribe button, then enter your email address. Examiner will send you an email notification whenever I publish an article.
In the meantime, here's the congratulatory email Examiner sent me this morning:
Thanks again for following me on LFR and Examiner.
Posted Sunday, June 12, 2016 3:13 AM
No comments.
Trump's legal gymnastics
It's well-established fact that Donald Trump isn't a man of integrity. Trump's integrity was questioned when Erick Erickson disinvited Trump from the annual RedState Gathering for Trump's statement about Megyn Kelly. Trump's integrity was questioned again when he made his infamous derogatory statements about Carly Fiorina's looks .
This article was written after USA Today investigated Mr. Trump's business practices. It paints a disgusting picture of a man who uses the courts to stiff his workers. It paints a picture that hasn't hesitated in bankrupting small companies to save money. The Trump that's outlined in this article explains the Trump who said he didn't think he needed to ask God for forgiveness.
In 2012, I voted for Mitt Romney because, though I knew he was flawed, I knew he was qualified. Some evangelical Christians said that they couldn't vote for a Mormon. I explained that I was voting for a president, not a pope. Anyone who's read this blog knows that I'm part of #NeverTrump. Unlike others who were part of the movement, I won't change my mind. I didn't make this decision without first thinking this through.
USA Today's article just reinforces my decision. Here's a refresher of Trump's statement about Megyn Kelly:
Now, onto the USA Today article:
Trump's companies have also been cited for 24 violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act since 2005 for failing to pay overtime or minimum wage, according to U.S. Department of Labor data. That includes 21 citations against the defunct Trump Plaza in Atlantic City and three against the also out-of-business Trump Mortgage LLC in New York. Both cases were resolved by the companies agreeing to pay back wages.
These aren't allegations anymore. They're actual findings of facts. Mr. Trump isn't repentant. He gloats about stiffing people:
Trump and his daughter Ivanka, in an interview with USA TODAY, shrugged off the lawsuits and other claims of non-payment. If a company or worker he hires isn't paid fully, the Trumps said, it's because The Trump Organization was unhappy with the work. "Let's say that they do a job that's not good, or a job that they didn't finish, or a job that was way late. I'll deduct from their contract, absolutely," Trump said. "That's what the country should be doing."
That's worrisome on multiple levels. First, it's troubling that Mr. Trump is the sole determiner of what is or isn't a good job. Second, there's the matter of whether these terms were agreed to when the bid was let. Then there's the worry that Trump doesn't care because he isn't afraid of wearing the subcontractors down in court until they're crying uncle or they're bankrupt.
Trump tried passing things off as ancient history. That storyline got shot down, too:
In the interview, Trump repeatedly said the cases were "a long time ago." However, even as he campaigns for the presidency, new cases are continuing. Just last month, Trump Miami Resort Management LLC settled with 48 servers at his Miami golf resort over failing to pay overtime for a special event. The settlements averaged about $800 for each worker and as high as $3,000 for one, according to court records. Some workers put in 20-hour days over the 10-day Passover event at Trump National Doral Miami, the lawsuit contends. Trump's team initially argued a contractor hired the workers, and he wasn't responsible, and counter-sued the contractor demanding payment.
Like the saying goes, once a dishonest thug, always a dishonest thug. In terms of respect for the rule of law and integrity, there isn't a dime's worth of difference between Trump and President Obama.
That's why I'm steadfastly staying #NeverTrump and #NeverHillary.
Posted Sunday, June 12, 2016 3:33 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 12-Jun-16 08:09 AM
Not a Trump supporter and even with all the bad examples you and other point out, I'd take a Trump presidency over a Clinton presidency any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Clinton would be far worse for the Country than just the embarrassment that Trump would be.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 12-Jun-16 09:53 AM
With all due respect, Chad, I couldn't disagree more vehemently. Trump's hatred for the Constitution & the rule of law frighten me. Hillary is a fraud. Trump reminds me of a Latin American strongman.
Comment 2 by eric z at 12-Jun-16 08:15 AM
"Trump Mortgage, LLC?"
Is another shoe to drop? A sub-prime shoe?
A securitization shoe?
To go with "Trump University?"
Was/Is the man a simple cheat?
Comment 3 by JerryE9 at 12-Jun-16 10:32 AM
I'm still just dazzled by the seemingly impossible logic of being simultaneously #NeverTrump and #NeverHillary, in a binary election where one of the two will certainly win. I understand the philosophical argument for not voting for evil, regardless of whether one is lesser, but there is no doubt in my mind that Hillary supporters have no such scruples whatsoever.
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 12-Jun-16 12:09 PM
You're overcomplicating things. I understand that one of these 2 will likely be our next president. My not casting a vote for either of them is my way of saying that I won't vote for corrupt politicians who aren't competent. Neither has met the minimum threshold to be qualified for commander-in-chief.
My abstaining from voting will allow me to say 'I told you so' when one of these candidates fails miserably.
Comment 4 by Chad Q at 12-Jun-16 04:20 PM
Gary-
Clinton's actual understanding (well, that may be a stretch) and hatred for the constitution and law is what really frightens me. Trump is a blowhard and not really up on the constitution or the law so while concerning, him shooting his mouth off saying he's going to do this or that doesn't frighten me as much as Clinton does. Neither candidate deserves to be president but the lesser of two evil's is Trump.
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 12-Jun-16 05:55 PM
Trump isn't just shooting his mouth off. He's evil. It's visible with everything he does. He tried kicking Vera Coking out of her house & lost in court. He's tried stiffing workers for the wages they've earned, then bankrupted them by wearing them out in court. He's broken more contracts than I've signed. What part of that says he's any different than Hillary? Take the blinders off. The man is ruthless. He & Ivanka were interviewed about stiffing subcontractors. They were proud that they reneged on their deals. That's the definition of tyrant:
any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically.In the past, I've voted for candidates I didn't like. This is entirely different. Neither candidate is qualified. That's why I won't vote for either tyrant.
Comment 5 by eric z at 13-Jun-16 01:46 PM
Gary, not selling any such thing, but disgruntled Bernie people not wanting a crook can vote Jill Stein, Green Party; and I believe it is Gary Johnson, Libertarian, at any rate disgruntled GOP types can vote Libertarian.
It's minor party count, or leaving a blank line. Pick your poison.
Comment 6 by Bob J. at 13-Jun-16 02:02 PM
I didn't vote for Mitt Romney because I didn't want to vote for Democrat-Lite. The party that claims to be the conservative one needs to earn my vote.
But you are quite right to note that neither of the major candidates is worthy of the office. It will be third-party or write-in for me for the second consecutive election.
Comment 7 by eric z at 13-Jun-16 04:47 PM
Bob J - If one or both of the third parties can reach twenty percent of the vote, a plurality contest between the two major parties ensuing; it WILL be noticed.
Long term change? Smart money bets against that, but neither convention has been held.
The FBI is still ruminating. Glaciers move faster. And why has there been no federal criminal fraud suit against Trump University behaviors? Might that possibility have been a discussed point in that Bill Clinton - Donald Trump phone call from before Trump moved off the dime and began running aggressively? Who knows besides Bill and Donald.
Gun haters' predictable actions
This tweet is as predictable as saying the sun will rise in the east. It isn't surprising that a lefty said "Hey #mnleg: We don't need your trite condolence press releases following #OrlandoShootings. We need VOTES for Universal Background Checks!" It's surprising that it took until Sunday morning to say it. It's appropriate that the gun grabber's last name is Latz.
Thankfully, there's been substantial pushback from people with common sense. For instance, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus tweeted "As facts are still unfolding, we look forward to your explanation how UBCs would have prevented this tragedy."
CNN is reporting "The shooter is not from the Orlando area, Mina said. He has been identified as Omar Saddiqui Mateen, 29, of Fort Pierce, about 120 miles southeast of Orlando, two law enforcement officials tell CNN. Orlando authorities said they consider the violence an act of domestic terror. The FBI is involved. While investigators are exploring all angles, they "have suggestions the individual has leanings towards (Islamic terrorism), but right now we can't say definitely," said Ron Hopper, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Orlando bureau."
Fox News is reporting that "The gunman 'may have leanings' toward radical Islam, FBI Special Agent in Charge Ron Hopper said when asked by Fox News whether the suspect had ties to Jihadist terror groups. Hopper said the investigation is looking into possible threats made previously by the suspect in connection to radical Islam groups. He said the agency is still investigating and has yet to confirm any role a terror group may have played in the mass shooting."
If this turns out to be the act of an Islamic terrorist, Rabbi Latz's statement will seem incredibly stupid. Expect that to be the next thing confirmed. If it's confirmed that the shooting is the work of an Islamic terrorist, which I predict will happen, it will be interesting to hear Rabbi Latz explain when the last time a terrorist followed the laws.
Posted Sunday, June 12, 2016 9:49 AM
No comments.
Exposing E-Democracy's hatred
All weekend long, E-Democracy has been repeatedly tweeting a hate-filled, dishonest message , saying "Franklin Graham to bring program of hate to State Capital next Thursday." Earlier this weekend, I wrote this article to expose E-Democracy's habit of preaching inclusivity and practicing limited inclusivity.
The truth is that E-Democracy, the organization behind MN-Politics Forum on Twitter, hates Christians. The proof is in their communications. In one of their communications, E-Democracy said "Evidence strongly suggests that being a fundamentalist Christ and being a bigot is a very strong corollary but that doesn't mean all fundamentalist Christians are bigots. I'm sure it's just the vast majority." Thank God for E-Democracy's open-mindedness. (Am I allowed to say that or does that automatically make me a bigot?)
E-Democracy shouldn't be taken seriously. Franklin Graham and Samaritan's Purse have helped more people from more countries, ethnic backgrounds and races than E-Democracy knows exist. Samaritan's Purse's history speaks for itself:
Samaritan's Purse travels the world's highways looking for victims along the way. We are quick to bandage the wounds we see, but like the Samaritan, we don't stop there. In addition to meeting immediate, emergency needs, we help these victims recover and get back on their feet.
No matter where we go or what we do, we offer more than help. We offer hope. To suffering people in a broken world, we share the news of the only One who can bring true peace - Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
E-Democracy should be renamed. It'd more accurate to call them E-Demagogues. Their 'accomplishments' consist of trashing people who've actually helped people who've helped people in need. E-Demagogues preaches inclusivity. Where's proof that they've practiced what they've preached?
Posted Monday, June 13, 2016 1:09 AM
No comments.
Democrats' mission impossible
The deadly Orlando night club shooting represents the Democrats' worst PR and policy nightmare. They're forced to defend members of the LGBT community or whether they'll admit that a radicalized Islamic terrorist killed gays because of their sexual orientation. Predictably, President Obama chose an alternate route , focusing attention on guns, not the shooter. During his speech, he said "The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub."
Some of the far left websites took it a step further. ThinkProgress published a photo of gun, with the caption reading "This is the gun that committed the deadliest shooting in U.S. history."
Ted Cruz asked cut through the Democrats' background noise, saying in this statement "For all the Democrats who are loud champions of the gay and lesbian community whenever there is a culture battle waging, now is the opportunity to speak out against an ideology that calls for the murder of gays and lesbians. ISIS and the theocracy in Iran (supported with American taxpayer dollars) regularly murder homosexuals, throwing them from buildings and burying them under rocks. This is wrong, it is evil, and we must all stand against it. Every human being has a right to live according to his or her faith and conscience, and nobody has a right to murder someone who doesn't share their faith or sexual orientation. If you're a Democratic politician and you really want to stand for LGBT, show real courage and stand up against the vicious ideology that has targeted our fellow Americans for murder."
It's time for Democrats to finally make a decision. There isn't a fence to sit on with this. There isn't any middle ground to find. This is a binary choice. Democrats either can support the LGBT community or they can quietly say nothing. When President Obama tried putting the onus on gun control, he said "we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well."
Mr. President, not addressing radicalized Islamic jihad is a decision, too. The question is whether President Obama, Mrs. Clinton or other Democrats have the character to identify the terrorists. Based on ThinkProgress's picture, I'm betting they won't be profiles in courage.
Posted Monday, June 13, 2016 6:21 AM
Comment 1 by JerryE9 at 13-Jun-16 01:27 PM
How many times must it be said that this rifle is NOT an "assault weapon" because it has no fully automatic mode. Such weapons are illegal to acquire or own. This isn't a mistake, it is an ideological blindness sustained by complete ignorance. The sooner we recognize that we have people being radicalized by ISIS and similar ideologies and then acting on them, the sooner we will move towards reducing the problem rather than increasing it through examples of successful attacks. How many times has this guy's name been plastered across the press? Why should we make them martyrs?
Orlando: a matter of perspective
This weekend has been a banner weekend for progressive stupidity. I wrote this article to highlight E-Democracy's anti-Christian bigotry. This morning, E-Democracy was upping the ante, saying in this tweet "Franklin Graham to bring program of hate to State Capital next Thursday. Later this morning, E-Democracy posted this tweet , saying "The Tampa LGBT Murders: http://bit.ly/1YkK75B " That's a week's worth of stupidity in a single morning. Unfortunately, that's far from the comprehensive list.
Next, let's look at this one-man Twitter conversation . Pick from Mandela Barnes saying "How many people have been driven to hate and act violently towards the lgbt community by "conservative Christian" ideology?" If that isn't to your liking, perhaps you prefer Barnes saying "So many terroristic enablers in churches, in Congress, and state houses. Whether by discriminatory policy or the love affair with guns."
Thankfully, Daniel Payne's article rescues us from the left's drivel. Take, for instance, the paragraph where Payne says "If you wish to see real homophobia - the genuine article, not the intellectually exhausted fashionable buzzword the Left trots out at every possible opportunity - look to yesterday's mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, in which 50 individuals were murdered inside a gay nightclub."
E-Democracy tried painting Franklin Graham as a hater. The lefty groupthink activists tried painting Christians as haters, too. That spin was obliterated when it came face-to-face with real haters and real homophobes. All it took was a lightning-quick dose of reality.
Posted Monday, June 13, 2016 8:07 AM
Comment 1 by Bob J. at 13-Jun-16 01:59 PM
As always, Ted Cruz said it best. If the left is serious about getting to the bottom of hatred of its core constituency, it needs to look at Islam.
They won't. And they never will.
Political correctness run amok
This article highlights what's wrong with the PC movement. It highlights what's frightening about the tactics the PC Police use in silencing people. First, let's highlight how this episode of political correctness started.
According to the article, "In Hood River, Oregon, the Belmont Drive Missionary Baptist Church is taking on Islamic ideology through their church's message board, but local officials are not happy about it, according to a WND report ." That's just the start of things.
Things started getting testy when Pastor Michael Harrington posted the following on the church's roadside sign: "Wake up Christians. Allah is not our God. Muhammad not greater than Jesus." The other side of the sign said "Only the Bible is God's Word. 'Holy Book' Koran is just another book."
I don't doubt that the sign is offensive to Muslims and people who aren't religious. That's irrelevant. The First Amendment wasn't adopted and ratified to protect speech everyone agrees with. There's no need to protect that type of speech. The First Amendment was adopted to guarantee the right of people to say controversial things. The British don't have anything resembling the First Amendment. There was a time when the King ruled what was permissible to be spoken and what wasn't.
The Founding Fathers wanted this new nation to be founded on principles opposite of England's principles. That's why they codified the First Amendment's protections into the Bill of Rights. What's interesting is that the PC police are quick to defend Muslims but are quick to criticize the practice of Christian faiths. That's part of the progressives' do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do mantra.
Here's hoping that Pastor Harrington's congregation continues being provocative for the right reasons.
Posted Monday, June 13, 2016 3:24 PM
Comment 1 by James at 13-Jun-16 04:57 PM
News flash...the immigrant Muslims need to get over it. They claim to be offended by everything..... Be it a ubiquitous sign in front of a church or an article in the opinion page...yet they react with vitriol and violence when they feel it's ok to attack Christian
Comment 2 by eric z at 14-Jun-16 09:01 AM
Were Muslims to own property across the street from the Baptists and decide to fly the IS flag; would WND be as kind to such a First Amendment sentiment? Any guess?
Comment 3 by Gary Gross at 14-Jun-16 10:55 AM
Actually, Eric, I don't think the second situation is protected by the First Amendment because it might be considered lending aid & comfort to the enemy.
If Muslims built a mosque across the street from the Baptist church & they built a billboard that said "Allah is great", that would undoubtedly be protected by the First Amendment.
Comment 4 by eric z at 15-Jun-16 06:05 AM
Gary, the First Amendment is not as narrow as you've characterized it. You are really toeing a PC line that way. I'd not have expected that.
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 15-Jun-16 10:10 AM
I'm basing my statement on precedent. You?
