December 16, 2020 · 18:42

Give me Liberty.

As I started to quote the immortal words of Patrick Henry, it struck me that liberty is not something that is given, but something is earned. No governor, with the rich taste of tyranny on his lips, is going to monogamously going to say, “Just kidding about the whole gulag thing! April fools!”

So with the inspiration of our great forefathers, I do declare that I am taking back my liberty.

16 December 2020

To Governor Charles D. Baker:

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 retake their Liberty.

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.[1]

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Citizens of the Commonwealth; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present Governor Charles Baker and his administration is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over this Commonwealth, using and abusing the powers granted to the Executive branch in Chapter S31, Acts 1950, Ch.639[2] and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 17, Section 2A. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has failed to uphold the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of assemblage, by supporting social justice protests[3] and placing restrictions on private gatherings[4] and worship services[5].

He attempted to subdue the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment by ignoring the declaration from the federal government establishing the gun industry as “essential”, shutting down locally-owned gun dealers and shooting ranges[6] on 31 March 2020 through 7 May 2020[7].

He has failed to uphold the Equal Protection Clause under the Fourteenth Amendment[8] by suppressing small businesses, restaurants, bars, and other places of commerce yet allowing commercial corporations to function uninhibited throughout of the pandemic. His designation of specific industries to certain reopening “phases” is equally nonsensical, for example, allowing the casinos gaming floors to reopen in Stage 3, but moving outdoor theme parks  and amusement parks to Stage 4[9].  

He has forbidden the Citizens to pursue their livelihoods uninhibited, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained[10]. When so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them[11].

He has issued guidelines utterly devoid of common sense, such as forbidding eating establishments to serve drinks without also serving food[12], prohibiting standing to eat food at the bar while simultaneously prohibiting seated patrons from eating at the bar[13], placing additional burdens on the bar and tavern owners throughout the Commonwealth. 

He has failed to abide by the laws, guidelines, and provisions of MGL Title XVI, Chapter 111, Section 92. [14]

 He has further failed to protect the Citizens’ pursual of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness by instituting a blanket curfew.[15]

He has contributed to the United States’ current mental health crisis, including a 40% increase in adults self-reporting anxiety, depression, stress-related symptoms, new or increased substance abuse, and suicidal ideation[16].

He has contributed to an anticipated rise in cancer diagnoses and deaths, as lockdowns prevented Citizens from receiving regular screenings and preventive health services[17].

He has contributed to a rise in opioid abuse and opioid deaths due to his lockdowns and social distancing mandates[18].

He has contributed to the 1 in 4 young adults (age 18-24) who have thought about killing themselves in the last 30 days because of Covid-related restrictions[19].

He has endangered Citizens’ lives with his lockdown orders, contributing to a 200% increase in domestic violence cases at Brigham and Women’s hospital alone[20].

He has, for that purpose obstructing natural travel between States enacted onerous travel restrictions in a violation of the privacy of the Citizens[21].

He has enabled a multitude of unelected officials, and sent hither swarms of public health employees to harass our people[22].

He has continued to enforce a mask mandate, even though no scientific evidence exists to support such an order[23][24].

He has continued to rely upon, and count positive RT-PCR tests in the “Dashboard of Public Health Indicators”, even though the PCR tests can yield a high false positivity rate due to their high amplification[25] [26].

For taking away, through Emergency Order, our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments; rendering We the People voiceless by continually bypassing the General Court in favor of Executive Orders [27].

For conspiring with the General Court to attempt to codify these restrictions to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness into law[28].

He destroyed the lives of our people[29] [30] [31].

He is at this creating further orders to restrict the actions of the Citizenry in response to the coronavirus pandemic[32]. He has simultaneously said that “Our health care system is keeping up[33],” while using hospital capacity as an excuse to execute restrictive lockdown measures. 

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, encouraged neighbor to report on neighbor[34], and has endeavored, perhaps unwittingly, to bring a cold civil war[35] to the Commonwealth.

He has ignored his own “reopening Massachusetts” guidelines, promising a “return to normalcy” when the “development of vaccines and/or treatments enable resumption of “new normal””. The first batch of vaccinations was delivered to Massachusetts on 14 December 2020[36] . Instead of prioritizing those most at risk of death of COVID-19 (those with one or more comorbidity, adults over 65 years of age, he has chosen to prioritize criminals. He is preventing the vaccine from reaching the general public until late spring, 2021[37]. 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the humblest terms: Our repeated Petitions[38] [39] have been answered only by repeated injury. A Governor 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 brethren in Washington DC. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by the Executive of the Commonwealth, as the citizens of other states have warned of the Executives in their States, to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us39. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here, generations ago. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity. We have conjured them by our common kindred ties 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 denounce them, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 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 this Commonwealth, solemnly publish and declare, That these Citizens are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent people; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Executive Orders stemming from the Emergency Order issued on 10 March 2020, and do declare all “Governor’s COVID-19 Orders” and “Reopening Massachusetts” null and void, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent People 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.

[1] https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

[2] https://www.mass.gov/lists/emergency-preparedness-laws-and-regulations

[3] https://www.masslive.com/boston/2020/05/gov-charlie-baker-understands-protests-in-massachusetts-after-death-of-george-floyd-i-cant-imagine-why-people-wouldnt-want-to-get-out-on-the-streets.html

[4] https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-state-of-emergency#limits-on-gatherings-

[5] https://www.mass.gov/info-details/safety-standards-and-checklist-places-of-worship

[6] https://www.mass.gov/doc/march-31-2020-essential-services-extension-order/download

[7] https://gunowners.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/MA-order.pdf

[8] https://constitutionallawreporter.com/amendment-14-01/equal-protection-clause/#EPRational

[9] https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-when-can-my-business-reopen

[10] https://www.mass.gov/doc/may-18-2020-re-opening-massachusetts-order/download

[11] https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-order-58/download

[12] https://www.mass.gov/info-details/safety-standards-and-checklist-restaurants#phase-ii-step-1-downloads-and-translations-  (Paragraph 5)

[13] https://www.mass.gov/doc/restaurants-protocol-summary-english/download

[14] https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVI/Chapter111/Section92

[15] https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-order-57/download

[16] https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/health/mental-health-second-wave-coronavirus-wellness/index.html

[17] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2768946

[18] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/health_policy/Provisional-Drug-Overdose-Deaths-by-Quarter-Demographic-Characteristics-Q1-2020.pdf

[19] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm

[20] https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-08-18/radiology-study-suggests-horrifying-rise-in-domestic-violence-during-pandemic

[21] https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order

[22] https://www.mass.gov/doc/revised-gatherings-order-august-7-2020/download (Section 6)

[23] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25903751/

[24] https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-6817

[25] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30453-7/fulltext

[26] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/29/health/coronavirus-testing.html

[27] https://www.mass.gov/news/declaration-of-a-state-of-emergency-to-respond-to-covid-19

[28] https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/HD5116

[29] https://www.aier.org/article/cost-of-us-lockdowns-a-preliminary-report/

[30] https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/06/11/coronavirus-stores-close-massachusetts-quarantine-economy-unemployment-dorothys-boutique/

[31] https://www.boston25news.com/news/health/thousands-massachusetts-restaurants-stay-closed-permanently/RT2I2PFWXNG5PIT7NGFZYSX2XY/

[32] https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-order-57/download

[33] https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/04/21/massachusetts-ventilator-icu-bed-ration-guidance-revised-coronavirus

[34] https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-covid-19-compliance

[35] Try a couple of experiments: 1. Put up a post challenging the science of the lockdowns, and then walk into a store massless. Time how long it takes a store employee or a Kustomer Karen to chase you down and call you “irresponsible”, selfish”, or “Grandma-killer”.

[36] https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/12/14/covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-massachusetts-boston-medical-center-shipment/

[37] https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine-in-massachusetts

[38] https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/05/04/coronavirus-protest-gathering-massachusetts-statehouse-reopen-economy/

[39] https://www.change.org/search?q=massachusetts&offset=0

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June 11, 2020 · 11:24

Hattie McDaniel is Gone with the Wind

Yesterday, HBO pulled 1939’s “Gone with the Wind” from its shelves.

Since Hollywood is so eager to cancel Gone With the Wind, let’s remember Hattie McDaniel, the first black person to win an Academy Award, the first black person to attend the award ceremony as a guest instead of a servant, who took heat from the NAACP for the roles she chose, and who, upon her death in 1952, was denied burial in the Hollywood Forever cemetery due to racism in Hollywood. A marker commemorating her life and work was not placed in the cemetery until 1999 – 47 years after her death.

“I’d rather play a maid than be one.” -Hattie McDaniel

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June 7, 2020 · 21:11

“Harsher Punishment for Parole Violators…and World Peace”

I had fully intended on following up that last COVID post with a reflection on the ridiculousness and ineffectiveness of masks and social distancing, but like everyone else, I’ve been a bit distracted by the nihilistic anarchists burning our major metropolitan areas to the ground.

Ben Shapiro of the Daily Wire said it best in an op-ed on June 3, 2020:

…virtually all Americans agree with the following two propositions: first, that it is evil for a police officer to place his knee on the neck of a prone suspect struggling to breathe for eight long minutes; second, that breaking store windows, stealing televisions and shoes; beating business owners; and attacking police officers is wrong.

I have asked dozens of friends on social media who have publicly supported chaos the following question: “What is the endgame here?” At worst, the response is “equality”, which is about as vague as Miss Congeniality’s “world peace”. Many of them declined to answer, and the remainder have said change needs to come from the voting booth. I can only assume that they took Hillary Clinton’s words to heart in 2018, “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about. That’s why I believe if we are fortunate enough to win back the House and the Senate, that’s when civility will start again.”

Translation? Vote Democrat, or be wrong.

I took a look at the 26 American cities (and unfortunately, I did not save the article that I got this list from) that first  had protests-turned-riots. Together, these cities represent 31,680,073 people, or 10% of the US population¹ See my data tables: Riot Summary

  • These 26 cities are located in 21 states.
    • Nine states (43%) voted for Clinton in 2016, 12 (57%) voted Trump.
    • The cities in the nine blue states represent 68% of the population of these cities experiencing riots, and 6% of the overall population, in case you were wondering why the Electoral College is so important.
    • Ten governors are Republican, 11 are Democrats. Racial minorities make up 9.5% of these 21 governors. 14% of the governors are women (all Democrat).
    • These 21 states have 42 Senators representing them in Congress.
      • 45% Republican
      • 55% Democrat
  • Of the 26 cities:
    • 73% are led by Democrat² mayors
    • 23% are led by Republican mayors
    • 4% are led by Independent mayors
    • 19% of those mayors represent a racial minority
    • 30% of those mayors are female.
      • 11.5% of those mayors represent a female that is also a racial minority
    • The Chiefs of Police in these cities are:
      • 61% white
      • 38% black
      • 15% female/85% male
    • Representation in Congress
      • Given how large some of these cities are (New York, Los Angeles) and that there is often more than one representative for a city, I went with the first name that popped up when I typed “New York, NY” at GovTrack.
        • 93% of the Representatives in Congress are Democrat; 8% Republican.
        • Representation is split evenly between men and women, white and minority.
          • 31% are female minorities
          • 19% male minorities
  1. Population and demographics, as well as the historical breakdown of mayors and governors by political party as represented in the chart, all courtesy of Wikipedia. Yeah, not my favorite source either, but I don’t feel like sifting through the US Census Bureau’s webpage.
  2. Most mayoral offices explicitly state that they are nonpartisan, but the candidates for office will make their official political party preference known.
  3. According to an article by the National Research Center, women generally make up 15% of police forces but only 3% of top leadership rolls. Ergo, female chiefs are overrepresented in rioting cities.

According to the US Census Bureau, the racial demographics of America are:

White alone: 76.5%
Black or African American alone: 13.4%
American Indian and Alaskan Native alone: 1.3%
Asian alone: 5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.2%
Two or More Races: 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino: 18.3%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 60.4%

Female persons: 50.8%

Now, I’m not a mathematician or a statistician in any way, shape, or form, but here’s my takeaway from all this.
Between posting black squares on social media and defacing war memorials dedicated to black soldiers, I’m being told that the voting booth is where lasting change will occur†. In cities that are rioting, minorities have equal or greater representation in public office when compared to the general racial makeup of America. Women in general are under-represented in the mayor’s office but have equal representation in the House of Representatives. (I did not look at the male/female demographics in the Senate, only political affiliation.) Despite voting for Clinton or Trump in 2016, Democrats hold the majority of leadership positions at the local, state, and federal level.

Here’s the fun part. Of the Democrat-controlled cities:
Atlanta, GA has been run by Democrats since 1879.
Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, and Houston, TX, have been run by Democrats since 1930, 1931, and 1933, respectively.
SEVEN other cities experiencing riots have been under Democrat-control for 50 years or more.

If the way to “fix” systemic racism (another topic for another day) is by voting Democrat, and Democrats have already controlled 11 of the 26 cities studied for anywhere between 50 and 150 years- HOW IS VOTING DEMOCRAT GOING TO FIX ANYTHING? By this philosophy, these cities should be utopias. Instead, Houston, TX (since 1933), Chicago, IL (1931), Minneapolis, MN (1978), Nashville, TN (1951††), Oakland, CA (1979), Albuquerque, NM (2017†††), Memphis, TN (1982), Detroit, MI (1962), and St. Louis, MO (1949) all make USA Today’s list of “25 of the Most Dangerous Cities in America”. 

I believe this is the very definition of insanity.

 

†Assuming the voting booths aren’t burned to the ground. If you can get out to protest, you can get out to vote.
†† Party affiliation of the mayors of Nashville is unavailable prior to 1951.
††† Since 1977, Albuquerque has had only two Republican mayors: 1981-1985 and 2009-2017. The other 30 years featured Democrat leadership.

“It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights — the ‘right’ to education, the ‘right’ to health care, the ‘right’ to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are the rations of slavery — hay and a barn for human cattle.” -Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859)

 

 

 

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May 20, 2020 · 15:37

Unmasking the Political Weaponization of SARS-CoV-2, Part I

Part I: Legalese

Ladies and gentlemen, we have been had.

Seventy (70) days ago, on March 10, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts publicly declared that the Commonwealth was under a State of Emergency with regards to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, more commonly referred to as COVID-19 or simply “coronavirus”. The following Sunday, March 15, the order was extended to prohibit gatherings of more than 25 persons, and forced the closure of all dine-in services at restaurants and bars, effective March 17. Fifty-eight (58) days ago, on March 23 and under the direction of the Massachusetts Department of Pubic Health, Gov. Baker issued a two-week “stay at home” order, closing all businesses not deemed “essential” and effectively halting all medical care unrelated to COVID-19 in anticipation of an onslaught of critically ill patients.

The onslaught never materialized. And today, on May 20, 2020, that “stay-at-home” order has been extended six weeks past its initial expiration date, and Massachusetts citizens are being fined for having the audacity to reopen their businesses in ways Not Approved by the governor.

Boston, we have a problem. Sam Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere are probably turning in their graves to see us lay down and accept this blatant violation of our God-given rights.

Before I even attempt to get into the problem of mandating closures and masks and plexiglass at registers, I need to point out something very, very important that I’m willing to stake my livelihood and good name that most citizens of the Commonwealth are unaware of:

Once a state of emergency is declared in Massachusetts, there is virtually no limit on the governor’s power, including his ability to “temporarily” suspend our Constitutional rights of assemblage and travel. I put “temporarily” in quotation because there is also no expiration date on a declared state of emergency in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The powers of the governor during a state of emergency are enumerated in the “Civil Defense Act”, Acts of 1950, Chapter 639. This includes:

…for the protection of the public, take possession (1) of any land or building, machinery or equipment; (2) of any horses, vehicles, motor vehicles, aircraft, ships, boats or any other means of conveyance, rolling stock of steam, diesel, electric railroads or of street railways; (3) of any cattle, poultry and any provisions for man or beast, and any fuel, gasoline or other means of propulsion which may be necessary or convenient for the use of the military or naval forces of the commonwealth or of the United States, or for the better protection or welfare of the commonwealth or its inhabitants as intended under this act.

Translated into 2020 terms, the Commonwealth can seize both the means of productions and the goods and services produced, including things like UPS trucks and the contents of the local Wal-Mart. The provision does include “reasonable compensation” for said seizures, but we all know what you and I think is reasonable differs from what Beacon Hill considers reasonable.

Further:

Whoever violates any provision of any such executive order or general regualtion issued or promulgated by the governor, for the violation of which no other penalty is provided by law, shall be punished by imprisonment of not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or both

The (only) good news in all this is that according to MGL Part I, Title II, Chapter 17, Section 2a, “Upon declaration by the governor that such emergency has terminated, all powers granted to and exercised by the commissioner under this section shall terminate.” Presumably this means that when the governor does get around to ending the State of Emergency, all orders issued during that time (such as mandatory masks and social distancing) are also null and void.*

Why do I take the time to spell all this out, when I usually limit myself to my open personal opinions, based on established fact? Because up until about three weeks ago, when I found a Facebook post by a local lawyer explaining some of what I have written above, I was woefully ignorant regarding the ways my own elected officials could control my life and liberty without my explicit consent, to the point of bypassing the negative-rights enshrined in the Constitution. Then-State Senator Barak Obama was correct when he explained in a 2001 interview that, “generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties – it says what the states can’t do to you. It says what the federal government can’t do to you. But it doesn’t say what the federal government. ..must do on your behalf. And that hasn’t shifted.”

I am not okay with the steps the state has taken to suppress our civil liberties in light of the threat of the Chinese coronavirus. I think in the coming weeks and months, We The People are going to need to stand up and loudly remind the likes of Baker, Brown, Whitmer, Cuomo, and Newsom that they are not without limits and that we citizens are not without recourse.

*I’m not a lawyer, nor have I verified this presumption with a lawyer. This is my understanding of the law as written.

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May 13, 2020 · 22:53

The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Jumped the Shark

When the World Health Organization and President Trump declared that the novel SARS-Cov-2 had reached pandemic levels (which only means that a large number of people in multiple geographic locations are affected; it has nothing to do with the severity of the illness), I was, like most Americans, concerned. My family, like most, took extra precautions such as washing our hands more frequently, keeping bottles of hand-sanitizer in our bags and cars, and making an effort to avoid anyone with a sniffle.

Since then, the entire response to COVID-19 has spun completely out of control, to the point that I refuse to take it seriously any more.

Moving the Goalposts and Medical Claims Fraud
In March, the White House, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (NIH and CDC), released their plan for “15 Days to Slow the Spread”, which encouraged extra attention to hygiene and staying close to home in order to keep medical services from being overwhelmed by patients with this novel (new) coronavirus. This was accomplished. With a few exceptions in New York City and the greater Boston area, hospitals not only were not overrun, but ended up furloughing and even laying off staff as revenue dropped. Now, two month later, we are told that shutdowns must continue until either a cure or a vaccine is found.

This, my dear friends, is nonsense.

The first influenza vaccine was developed in 1940  and is widely available today. Even still, the flu infects millions and kills tens of thousands every single year. There is no cure, and even Tamiflu is useless if the disease is not caught in time.

It has also come to light that hospitals may be committing fraud by listing COVID-19 as the principal diagnosis in cases where having the virus is second to another illness such as cancer. This basically means that if a patient is admitted to the hospital because of symptoms from their cancer, and doctors discover that the patient also has coronavirus, they will put down “coronavirus” on the claim form before listing the “cancer” diagnosis. This is a huge deal for Medicare patients, because Medicare pays hospitals a pre-determined rate for services based on that first-listed diagnosis (Diagnosis related groups, or DRGs). Medicare will pay $13k for a patient with COVID-19 ($39k if the patient is put on a ventilator) as opposed to maybe $5k for a patient with pneumonia. Ergo, hospitals have a financial incentive to get as many coronavirus cases as possible.

Conflicts of Interest
Dr. Fauci dismissed evidence that a combination of hydroxychloroquine, azythromycin, and zinc could be an effective treatment. Instead, he pushed for Remdesivir. The difference? The first three drugs cost pennies, the Remdesivir thousands. He claimed he was concerned about potential side effects from the HCQ, conveniently ignoring the fact that any medicine comes with risks and side effects. (See Dystonia. It Sucks.) I’m sure this is only a coincidence, but Dr. Fauci also holds several patents related to HIV/AIDS treatment. Fauci is also a part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Global Vaccine Action Plan” where he serves on the Leadership Council. Bill Gates has been very vocal in the last several weeks about developing a coronavirus vaccine.

Inconsistent Practices Encroaching on Civil Rights
Why is it okay for people to “social distance” in grocery stores, but not parks and beaches? Why are people being fined for attending church services in their cars?Why are counties releasing inmates from prison (a quarantined community if there ever was one) and yet a Texas mother was thrown in jail for operating her own business? “We the People” are routinely threatened with prison or fines for trying to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

Masks are the newest example of virtue-signaling. Just a few weeks ago, the CDC recommended that masks not be worn because, frankly, they’re pretty useless. Today, anyone who dares step outside without being suffocated in their own CO2 are threatened with fines, prison, and the social media equivalent of being tarred and feathered.

If homemade cloth masks are truly effective, why not hand them out to the prisoners and keep them behind bars where they belong?

Governor Cuomo Should Be Arrested for Manslaughter
We knew early on that the elderly and those with pre-existing systemic conditions (diabetes, congestive heart failure, ESRD) are most at risk, and yet Gov. Cuomo of New York refused to let nursing homes turn away patients who tested positive for the virus, allowing the virus to spread like wildfire. Some patients who were admitted even came with their own body bag.

Hyperbole and CNN
“If it saves even one life!” is hysterical cow manure. Are we going to take cars off the road because 30,000 or more are killed in motor vehicle accidents each year? Of course not. Abortion facilities remain open, while cancer patients have been forced to delay or forgo therapies and surgeries that could have prolonged or even saved their lives. People have died from heart attacks and strokes because they were too afraid to seek medical attention in the emergency room. That type of hysteria comes directly from the nightly news.

As if that weren’t enough, on Thursday, CNN is hosting “A CNN Global Town Hall: Coronavirus Facts and Fears” featuring none other than teenage climate change expert Greta Thunberg. That link is to MSN, by the way, not Babylon Bee or the Onion.  Do they really expect the average American, who is more concerned with making sure he still has a job so he can keep the lights on, to take them seriously?

Stop letting the mainstream media, left-wing politicos, and neighborhood Karens scare you into thinking this is the end of the world.

It isn’t. Not even close.

Now go wash your hands.

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April 15, 2020 · 11:35

Matthew 7:23

One of the greatest things about having President Trump in the White House and being newly married is that I have not had any reason to blog…really anything.  However, the Chinese Corona Virus is seeming more and more like yet another anti-Trump plot, and more, an attempt by China to completely subvert American power. I firmly believe that this will all come to light eventually, but in the meantime…

The following was written in extreme frustration, nay, anger,  on Saturday, April 11, 2020:

Tonight is the Great Vigil of Easter, the holiest night of the Christian calendar. The night Christ broke the chains of death and opened the gates of Heaven for us all; a night when churches are packed to the rafters to bear witness to the Light of Christ.
Not tonight though. Tonight, the name of the new god is “social distance”, and so pastors are arrested and congregants are threatened with self-quarantine house-arrest  fines, or jail time. The latter is especially ironic, considering that prisoners are being released from correctional facilities in order to “stem Covid-19 infections”. (Spoiler: Not a great plan.) From St. Peter’s in Rome to your local parish, the doors are locked to the faithful.

Tonight, I realized just why I am so absolutely furious about it all.

Catholics, in the weeks between Easter and Pentecost, will spend a great deal of time hearing about the Apostles in the days and weeks following the Crucifixion. We will hear about how Peter stood up with the Eleven and basically called out the Romans, saying:

“You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem.
Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
You who are Israelites, hear these words.
Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs,
which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God,
you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.
But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death,
because it was impossible for him to be held by it.

Not to give anything away, but this sort of declaration of faith did not exactly endear the Apostles to the Roman overlords.

Still, in homilies and in readings, we will be told to have the faith of the Apostles, to go out and preach the Word as they did. When the mission preachers come this summer to beg funds for their missions around the world, we will hear the stories of St. Damien of Molokai, or Gregory the Great, or Sts. Roch, Aloysius Gonzaga, and of course, the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Each will preach with great enthusiasm the love and care these holy men and women provided the sick, the suffering, and the dying.

Yet the doors remain closed. When faced with our own version of the plague, manufactured or not, the clergy from the Pope in Rome all the way down to the local bishop, remain as the apostles -huddled and afraid- in the upper room.

The faithful, called upon more often these days for the contents of their wallets than the strength of their prayers, are cut off from that which we hold most dear. We are barred from Holy Communion. Confession is impossible. Our babies remain unbaptized, our ill and our dying left to die without Last Rites. Marriages are cancelled. The burying of our dead, impossible.

We are so often told to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” I have a hard time believing He would be okay with any of this. I cannot help but feel these actions by the clergy have been a major victory for the evil one.  Where is the faith that the apostles and the saints had? Where is their strength to stand up to civil authority and do what is right, as Peter did, in the very name of the man that the city authorities had so recently, so brutally, put to death?

If the very leaders of the Church cannot practice what they preach, how can they expect us to do so?

 

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January 23, 2019 · 20:39

May God have mercy on our souls.

Today, New York state passed a landmark law protecting unlimited preborn infanticide… or abortion, as it’s more commonly called. The bill, which goes under the euphemistic “Reproductive Health Act” effectively allows for abortion at any time for any reason, and removes abortion from the state criminal code.

It’s a sad, sad day in Mudville.

The law, aimed at protecting access to abortion in the event that Roe v Wade is overturned, is nauseating. I won’t go into it here, but you’re welcome to read the text of the bill HERE. Matt Walsh, professional teller of truths, also has a spot on op-ed, You Can’t Give A Lethal Injection to Criminals in New York but You Can Give It to Infants

At this point, the abortion issue has become a part of a larger problem. The world, and western nations in particular, have a cultural sickness. We live in a world that celebrates death and is nonchalant (at best) about life. Suicides, murders, and general tragedy dominate news media for days at a time. Positive stories involving children and families are seen as “fluff” and “feel good” rather than a goal. The traditional nuclear family is the exception, not the rule. Fatherless families, children born out of wedlock, siblings with multiple fathers or mothers, and rampant, no-fault divorce are the new normal.

Overturning abortion is a noble and lofty goal, but it will mean nothing if we cannot get to the root of the problem. We need to challenge ourselves to change our thinking, to see motherhood and fatherhood as joyful callings rather than heavy burdens. We need to recognize pregnancy as the miracle that it is, and not an inconvenience at best, or a disease at worst.

How can we do this? Support.

We need to nurture a culture in which a loving father is the norm. We need to get away from the Homer Simpson stereotype of fathers being lazy, stupid, and worthless. How many times on television and in movies do we see a father figure as the hero? How many young boys can watch television and say, “I want to be like him!” Instead, we get the bumbling idiots -loving fathers, perhaps, but idiots just the same. Homer Simpson, Phil Dunphy (Modern Family), Bob Belcher (Bob’s Burgers), Hal Wilkerson (Malcolm in the Middle) are just a few that come to mind.

As Chris Rock said, “A n**** will say some shit like, “I take care of my kids.” You’re supposed to, you dumb motherfucker! What are you talking about?” What kind of ignorant shit is that?”

Instead of devaluing fatherhood, we need to elevate it. Paternal leave. Nor referring to time spent with the kids as “babysitting” or “stuck with the kids”. No more commercials where Dad has no idea how to care for his own child and is desperate for Mommy to come home. Dads matter. One of the most beautiful illustrations of this concept can be seen in “soldiers come home” video compilations. If you can make it through those without crying, you should call your psychologist. Should socioeconomic proofs be more your thing, look up statistics involving absentee fathers, crime, poverty, and soaring abortion rates in the black community since the 1950s.

Motherhood deserves its own admiration. The Mommy-Wars need to stop. For mothers that choose to or must work outside the home to provide for their families, childcare needs not to be so prohibitively expensive, nor should it be the responsibility of the tax payer. Mothers who choose to be stay-at-home moms should likewise be supported in their choices.

The last giant issue is adoption. Did you know that adoption in the United States can run families tens of thousands of dollars? We often hear that adoption is the solution to abortion, but how can it be at that cost? How many couples are desperate to have children, but are unable to conceive and unable to adopt because of the outrageous financial burden? When an abortion costs around $300 and adoption $37,000, are we surprised when there are 638,169 abortions (2015) to the 135,000 adoptions? (Including the roughly 670,000 in foster care).

Bottom line: Before we can change the laws, we need to change our culture. Otherwise, what’s the point?

families

 

 

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January 20, 2019 · 16:30

Deception

It’s been nearly a year since I wrote anything in here. One glorious year in which Trump has worked hard at Making America Great Again, and almost eight months since I got married. These two events together make for poor blog fodder.

Until today.

“White students in MAGA gear crashed the Indigenous Peoples March and harassed participants” (Vox)

“Catholic school to investigate taunting of Native Americans” (NBC)

“Mob of MAGA Hat-Wearing Teen Boys Caught on Video Harassing Native Elder”  (The Cut/New York)

Predictably, the internet blew up with righteous indignation. The boys in question were threatened by their school with expulsion. Too bad no one bothered to find out what really happened.

Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence comes from a group that calls themselves the Black Hebrew Israelites. (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hebrew_Israelites) who were near the Lincoln Memorial at the time of the incident. A video seemingly taken by one of the members of the group devotes an hour to five or six adult males “preaching” to a group of Native Americans, shouting condemnations regarding their religion and exhortations of converting back to worship of the “One true God”.

It wasn’t pretty.

At one point, these men approached the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where a large group of teenage males were standing around. The students, wearing shirts representing their Catholic High School and MAGA hats, were in DC for the annual March for Life. An argument ensued, with the adult Black Hebrew Israelites targeting a black student, telling him that his friends would eventually sacrifice him for his organs and shouting repeatedly, “Get out N***er!” The boys started repeating their school songs and chants in an attempt to drown the men out.

As this was going on, the Native American man in question, Nathan Phillips, walked through the crowd and approached the boys. “Approached” is quite possibly the wrong word. He got right up in their faces, playing his drum and singing. The boys start dancing, but when it’s apparent that he’s not moving, they stop to watch. In the video, he is only inches from one boy, who looks confused and awkward, with the drumstick swinging right in front of his nose.

The only racial slurs I heard came from the members of the Black Hebrew Israelites and another Native American man who told the boys “go back to Europe”. The only swearing I heard came from the adults.

The American media ought to be ashamed of itself.

Nathan Phillips ought to be ashamed of himself.

Watch the video. Don’t let yourself be taken in by the lies.

#FakeNews indeed.

 

 

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January 30, 2018 · 21:01

You racist, you.

Sometime last year, I started compiling a list of things SJWs, liberals, communists, antifa, snowflakes, talking heads, the MSM, etc., deemed “racist”. In retrospect, I wish I had kept the article links or notes on why these things were now to be considered racist, but hey, hindsight is 20/20. Make up your own reasons. Bonus points* to the most creative.

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THINGS DEEMED “RACIST” IN 2017

  • police horses
  • rocking chairs
  • craft beer
  • whiskey
  • artisan breads and cheeses
  • BBQ
  • hurricanes
  • solar eclipses
  • grammar
  • palm trees
  • decorum
  • pictures of Kate Steinle
  • Hallmark Christmas movies
  • Saying “Merry Christmas”
  • Jingle Bells (the song)
  • The National Anthem
  • Farmers’ markets
  • slam poetry
  • local bookstores
  • the term “melting pot”
  • SATs (anti-Semitic)
  • Marijuana (appropriation of the Spanish language)
  • Chinese checkers
  • pickup trucks
  • camouflage
  • Notre Dame “Fighting Irish” mascot
  • mathematics
  • yoga

Got that, white people? Check your privilege.

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January 8, 2018 · 22:20

The “Affordable Health Care Act” -isn’t.

Imagine, if you will, that you slipped on the ice and landed pretty hard. You were lucky enough not to break anything, but you definitely threw your back out, and it hurts like a son-of-a-gun. Thankfully, you have health insurance through Obamacare. With your card in hand, you limp off to your chiropractor.

A few weeks later, you get a bill to the tune of $600. What in the ever-loving…you have health insurance! What is this baloney?

“This” is health insurance, Obama-style. I’m just gonna come out and say it, because it’s my blog and it’s what I do. Face it. Obama and his “affordable” health care is a big, fat, lie.

I work in medical billing. If a policy exists, I’ve pretty much seen it. All major companies Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield. GIC Unicare. Neighborhood Health. Medicare. Medicaid. Tufts. United Healthcare. Cigna. Health New England. And so on.

So WHY are you getting a huge bill when you have insurance? Because you’re paying into the system, to cover all the people who don’t have insurance, or waited to purchase on the exchanges until they got sick, or are on some form of Medicaid (state-sponsored plans), and yes, everyone is out to make a buck. So you’re getting a bill because you have a $50 copay per visit. You also have a $6000 deductible. And 20% co-insurance. Oh, and you’re limited to 12 (that’s the usual) visits. Your out-of-pocket expenses cap at $8000.

What does this mean? It means that first and foremost, you have to pay that $6000 deductible before your insurance carrier will even consider footing the bill. You’re responsible for that amount. Until you hit that, your copay won’t go toward your bill, it goes toward that. Boom. You’re $6000 in the hole, and it’s only January 8. Happy New Year! Love, Barack. So you decide to sell your car or beg a rich relative to cover that deductible. Great! Now, when you show up to your appointments, they demand $50 every time you walk through the door. That’s your copay, your share of the bill. (Isn’t it great when everyone pays “their fair share”?) Fine, it’s 50 bucks. You’ll just give up on eating out for a while. You’re limited by your insurance to 12 visits, so that’s another $600 out of your pocket, on top of your $6000 deductible. What does your insurance company pay out per visit? Many of them top out around $40. You have a $50 copay.

Insurance isn’t going to cover jack.

Meanwhile, you’re also still paying a monthly premium. Newsflash: That doesn’t go toward your deductible. It doesn’t go toward your out-of-pocket, either.

You basically just paid the insurance company in order to go to the doctor.

Imagine, again, that you are a 27 year-old male. You’re single, with no serious relationship on the horizon. You have a $400 a month premium for your self-insured (not employer sponsored) BCBS plan. Do you realize you’re paying for pediatric, obstetrical, gynecological, and abortion services?

Why, on God’s green earth, does a healthy, single male need pediatric and OBGYN coverage?
Obamacare, that’s why.

You were forced to have this.

 

You’re welcome.

(A word of advice. If you are unlucky enough to have a plan like this and you need services, talk to your provider about becoming a cash patient. It may save you a few bucks.)

a-medical-bill-you-can-actually-understand-4fb98d05620668f2

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