Thursday • May 16 • 2024
Vol.XVI • No.XX
Manchester, N.H.
One of the biggest concerns for Conservatives with the looming story of Hunter Biden and the Biden Cartel is that our President is compromised. There is no question it is real, and Joe Biden may deny his association with Hunter and his foreign money laundering schemes, but he is not hiding the fact he is owned by our greatest foe on earth, China.
The first indicator was when Joe Biden fought off any charge that China was the source of the COVID Pandemic. Biden would not hear of any investigation into the lab in Wuhan, where many believe the COVID virus was created and leaked. He teamed with Anthony Fauci to misdirect attention away from China even after it was uncovered that Fauci had funneled money into the Wuhan lab.
China has had its hands in our economy for decades. Their sheer number of people, cheap labor costs, and production capabilities have attracted thousands of US companies to relocate to mainland China. China converted America from the most outstanding production economy in the world to a service-based economy. We make nothing in this country, and the most prevalent label on goods we buy reads Made in China.
President Trump initiated harsh tariffs on China, which did two things. The tariffs helped balance the trade between America and China and encouraged American companies to leave China and return to the USA. The tariffs were working, but like every other Trump action, Biden has gone after it.
In a move that favors only China, Joe Biden is considering ending all tariffs currently levied on China. Even Biden’s advisors warn him not to touch the tariffs, but Joe is convinced that he has to pull the tariffs because China is forcing him. The Biden family being beholden to China because of monetary payments can be the only reason for Biden’s actions.
China has been stealing our intellectual property, buying US companies, purchasing American land, and is responsible for over 100,000 American deaths per year by Fentanyl poisoning. They are the biggest threat to our economy and safety, so why reward them by removing tariffs? There is no viable reason other than extortion.
This week, the most damning evidence yet of Biden being compromised by China is the diversion of crude oil to China from our Strategic Energy Reserves. Biden announced earlier this year the release of millions of barrels per day from the Reserves in his feeble attempt to reduce gasoline costs at the pump. The Reserve is designed to be used in case of war or catastrophic event that interrupts our regular oil and gas supply. Because of Biden’s action, the Reserve is at an all-time low and dangerous level.
Combine this supply of American crude oil going to China and China buying crude from Russia, China is funding the Russian conflict in Ukraine and simultaneously harming our National Security. This chain of events involving Biden and China is too obvious to ignore and must be stopped.
One significant issue with the Biden/China collusion is that most media outlets are not reporting the facts. Therefore the majority of Americans are not even aware these events are happening.
If this relationship with China involved a Republican President, the calls for investigation and impeachment would be loud. In today’s world, we sweep it under the media rug and move on. With two more years of Biden in the White House, the media Best Buy a larger rug.
The post Looking More Like China Owns Joe appeared first on Granite Grok.
Fireworks are fun in part because of the danger and every year there are going to be a few people who have not realized that they will be short a finger or two before Independence day is over. No one appears to have lost a finger here…but the Minivan can’t be faring well.
More than a few safety rules were ignored, not the least of which is the method of storage and location.
And having been witness to something similar I can tell you that you can’t run fast enough to get away from the chaos that ensues when nearby fireworks go off before you are ready for that to happen.
An old story for another time.
Until then we have this.
HT | James Woods – Twitter
The post Watch: Fireworks – No One Appears To Have Lost A Finger Here…but The Minivan Can’t Be Faring Well appeared first on Granite Grok.
The last video of that meeting (prior ones here and here). The last one, during the second Public Comment session was when Cindy Creteau-Miller, ally of Commissioner Gary Kiadaisch (who, based on my reading of the unredacted legal bills) seemingly spent $110,000 of Gunstock’s money on legal bills on political witchhunts against perceived political opponents and propping his supporters) that uttered: “AND REMEMBER NOVEMBER…you can vote“. This plainly ripped the shroud from in front of that “elephant in the room and I called her out/THANKED her for [inadvertantly] saying the quiet part out loud (she’s now running as a Republican from Meredith for the NH House in an attempt to slide the balance of the Belknap County Delegation from being pro-“Follow The Law” to being pro-“Kiedasich by any means”.
With the new makeup of the GAC, a couple of legal reviews were initiated (see above) and why legal proceedings were launched by either one or two Commissioners (even as the ByLaws state that a majority of the FIVE Commissioners was required) as well as why the previous makeup of the GAC decided to sue the Delegation over the possible removal of one or more Commissioners by the Delegation EVEN AS the former Chair (Gallagher) was ineligible to be on the GAC as he sold his Belknap County home (but continued to “squat” in his GAC seat for months) and Commissioner Rusty McLear didn’t go away after his interim term expired (but also continued to “squat” in his GAC seat for months).
At that meeting, the last item on the Agenda was supposed to be a non-public meeting under the auspices of NH RSA 91-A with the reason being, NH RSA 91-A:3:
(c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the public body itself, unless such person requests an open meeting. This exemption shall extend to any application for assistance or tax abatement or waiver of a fee, fine, or other levy, if based on inability to pay or poverty of the applicant.
(l) Consideration of legal advice provided by legal counsel, either in writing or orally, to one or more members of the public body, even where legal counsel is not present.
What was the topic was legal counsel for the GAC wanting the private contact information of current and past Gunstock Mountain Resort employees in further peering into what has transpired in this brouhaha between the Kiedaisch wing of the GAC (of which he is now the only one remaining) and the others GAC members AND the Belknap Delegation.
Knowing he was going to be the “object” of the non-public, GMR President Tom Day invoked the “unless such person request an open meeting” which was his right. And I’ll be honest, he was right, IMHO in offering immediate access to their official Gunstock emails and phone number but refusing to hand out personal/private emails for such a review. Of course, IF this goes to litigation, that is a different story.
While the GAC was right in asking, he was right in making it public. No, the question as to “why does legal contact want to talk to these people?” was asked but correctly avoided, making it a bit of a stalemate in the beginning but coming to a bit of a consensus by the end of the meeting. But it is clear that the animosity is still political in nature.
The post Gunstock Area Commission: Finally, the Elephant in the Room Is Addressed – Part 3 appeared first on Granite Grok.
The story that began in February with the arrest of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner at a Russian airport for possession of cannabis oil took a dramatic turn on Thursday. Appearing in a Russian court outside of Moscow, the gifted athlete and multi-millionaire pled guilty to the charges against her in what appears to be an effort to receive clemency from the court.
While many of Griner’s supporters have been adamant in their denunciation of her arrest and detainment, very few have contended that Griner was in fact innocent of the charges. Today’s guilty plea by Griner makes that point official and should advance the timeline of her sentencing since a trial will now be unnecessary.
According to Fox News:
“Griner’s guilty plea comes just one day after Russia’s Foreign Ministry said during a news briefing that the WNBA star will have the ability to appeal her verdict or apply for clemency and disputed claims made by the U.S. that she was wrongfully detained on Feb. 17.
‘The court must first deliver its verdict, but no one is stopping Brittney Griner from making use of the appeal procedure and also from requesting clemency,’ a spokesperson for the ministry said, adding that ‘attempts to present her case as though the American woman was illegally detained do not stand up to criticism.’
Russian-born former U.S. intelligence officer and expert on Russia and Vladimir Putin Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that it would be unlikely for Putin to grant Griner clemency in such a highly charged case and her detention would more than likely be used as a bargaining chip for a prison swap or more.”
While the recreational use of cannabis has been legalized in many states here in America, it remains criminalized in most other countries. In The Philippines and Singapore for instance, punishments can be severe, including life in prison and brutal canings. In Russia, the charges against Griner could put her behind bars for ten years.
As Griner and her supporters have begged the Biden Administration to intervene on her behalf, and now appear poised to plead for mercy from Russian officials, sympathy for Griner from many in America has been hard to come by. And this latest development of Griner’s guilty plea is unlikely to change that dynamic.
Despite being black, lesbian, and a woman, traits which Griner and her confederates have argued result in systemic oppression, Brittney Griner has been immensely successful: both professionally and financially. She’s been gifted with dominant physical traits, incredible agility, coordination, and the good fortune to have been raised in a tolerant society that has allowed her to thrive.
But even with those blessings, Griner had been highly critical and disrespectful of her homeland prior to her arrest last winter. She refused to even enter sports arenas until after our National Anthem was played. She trashed our country’s institutions while preaching about imaginary systemic injustices. So, when she was arrested by a truly oppressive government five months ago, many of us were unable to feel any concern and instead marveled at the irony.
Such reactions are likely to continue with today’s news, as we now watch the Russian legal process play out and await Griner’s eventual fate. Hopefully, she’s making the most of this time on her hands by reassessing her previous hatred for America.
Jess Lawson Writes at The Blue State Conservative
The post America-hating Basketball Star Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty – Faces Up To A Decade In Russian Prison appeared first on Granite Grok.
Defenders of abortion have always insisted that it was a question of choice. You know, the accessible but safe and rare schtick. And hey, no one was making you. But that conversation has changed from DC to our state of New Hampshire.
Attacks on crisis pregnancy centers began before the rhetorical ink was dry on the Dobbs decision. The left immediately began rolling out a narrative about safety. Pregnancy crisis centers might not be safe, are not safe, and women (whatever those are) need to know.
Your first observation might be safety? Safety?
Since when did Democrats care about safety when it comes to abortions? When did they care about anything but more of them? And that’s a fair question. Every shadow that falls across their killing fields is met with a full-court political and media press.
They’ll say or do anything to keep that taxpayer funds to campaign contributions laundromat open for business, and the minority baby murder machine oiled and running. If women get the idea that they could carry with private support, care, adoption services, and even help with marriage counseling and other educational services on parenting and being a father to your children, that could be a threat to Democrat socialism. I mean Democracy.
So, the war on crisis pregnancy centers is underway. Locally, US Senator Maggie ‘One-Term’ Hassan has announced that they are fake health care. And Lizard Warren says these centers deceive and lie to women.
“Here in Massachusetts, these so-called crisis pregnancy centers outnumber genuine abortion clinics by three to one,” Warren said. “They are giving it over to people who wish them harm and that has to stop. We need to put a stop to that in Massachusetts, right now.”
You’ll notice that the narratives are cut from the same shroud, from sea to rising sea. And not so much as a peep about these centers getting vandalized, or fire-bombed, even though they probably provide a valuable service to poor and minority women (whatever those are) and, in many cases, employ them.
What about them? Where’s their choice. And why don’t they get to decide? I thought you were pro-choice? Did you mean your choice? Did you mean that when you don’t like the choices other people create or choose, you can smear or label them until they are no longer available?
People will choose not to use contraception unless you take that choice from them. They will get pregnant and have to decide what to do. If they lack the resources or support structure, removing or scaremongering them away from pregnancy crisis centers, all that’s left is going it alone or abortion.
Is it a coincidence that Democrats receive millions in campaign support and free grassroots activists from the abortion lobby? An industry you pump up with millions of taxpayer dollars.
And Pregnancy Care centers are, for the most part, privately funded and not donating to Democrat campaigns? Organizations run by Christians, whom you also hate.
In other words, the choice in pro-choice is your choice.
If that doesn’t exemplify what the Democrat Party is truly about, I’m not sure what does.
The post War on Pregnancy Crisis Centers Proves Democrats are Not “Pro-Choice” appeared first on Granite Grok.
The (not so) new thing to be afraid of that you caused and only socialism can fix is a gigantic “unexpected” ozone hole. It’s massive. It is a recycled idea. And it is also more meaningless fearmongering by the climate elites and their “journalism” stooges.
From RCSB.
“preliminary reports showing that ozone depletion levels over equatorial regions are already endangering large populations therein, and the associated UV radiation reaching the regions was far greater than expected”.
Are you adequately frightened? If you survived the ozone hole scares of the 80s, maybe not. They were BS too. But why not give it another try. There have been several new generations since indoctrinated with the fake climate fear. Are they ready to give up heat, electricity, motor fuels, the internet, and mobility?
Don’t be. Here’s a response that looked like some actual ozone science (reformatted).
UV radiation converts oxygen into ozone, which decomposes back to oxygen, releasing the energy as infra red. It is a process of down conversion of UV to infra red in which ozone is a bi-product and nothing more. This is the same silliness which imagines that gases ‘block’ radiation.
Let us be clear. Ozone absorption band is indeed in the UV, so it absorbs UV and either decomposes back to oxygen, or re-radiates the UV. It does not ‘block’ it. This is the same fundamental error which underpins the ‘greenhouse effect’.
Kirchoff’s Law (which is simply a re-statement of the Law of Conservation of Energy) requires what is absorbed by a body to be re-radiated, possibly with a different spectrum, but the quantity of power must remain the same. Unless the gas is ionised, it will not reflect.
This is folklore, the fact that it has been a thought habit for forty years does not render it valid. It is Canals on Mars and Piltdown man all over again.
A reduction in solar flux is more likely the cause (from comment further down), and you abandoning an SUV for a dirtier EV (for example) won’t make any difference. Well, not to the Ozone, unless you are convinced the problem is emissions, and screw the science. In which case your EV will be more trouble than the combustion engine that costs less and has a smaller total lifetime carbon footprint than that coal-fired POS. At least until your “leaders” tell you, you can no longer charge it or they price you out of the electricity market.
All genuine problems we can see coming our way today, with or without the ozone hole mythology.
And look on the bright side. If you leave your rechargeable EV outside, critters will eventually turn it into a habitat and reclaim it for planet earth.
You too, by the way, and a lot faster than you’d like if you keep buying into the garbage from a party that favors depopulation to save the planet.
The post New Climate Fear: Huge Unexpected Ozone Hole! – Is More BS appeared first on Granite Grok.
The most important thing going on in the world wight now is not the border-war between Russia and Ukraine, which was provoked and is being prolonged by globalists, including the Biden-regime and the GOP “leadership” … eyes on you Mitch McConnell. It is the globalists’ war on our food supply.
I previously posted about Dutch farmers fighting back: The Dystopian Future of the Climate-Cultists is Here. Italian farmers have joined the fight against the globalists:
IT'S HAPPENING : Italian farmers are rising up in protest, threatening to take their tractors to Rome. "We are not slaves, we are farmers! We cannot make ends meet!" pic.twitter.com/FAznWFXmM0
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) July 7, 2022
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Yeah, late again. Seems to be par for the course, lately, for me. The first part of the July GAC meeting (6/23) is here and I promised that more was coming. Well, better late than never ESPECIALLY since a new legal report has come out and I’ll get that posted before I head down to Grokster Mike’s for our next GrokGauntlet tonite.
“AND REMEMBER NOVEMBER…you can vote”
That was uttered by Cindy Creteau-Miller as a Republican. She was recruited to be the latest GAC Commissioner by the Gary Kiediasch/Rusty McClear/Hayden McLaughlin/Russ Dumais / Tim Lang clan (that is opposed to the Conservatarians now in control of first the Belknap County Delegation (all of the NH State Representatives whose districts are in Belknap County) who have inserted like-minded Commissioners onto the GAC returning it back to Following The Law). She was not selected (Doug Lambert was instead).
If it wasn’t clear with her attack on the Commissioners, it certainly was by her absolute GUSHING over the GMR management. Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion but what is also clear is the political tinge she inserted into the meeting.
I hadn’t planned on speaking this session (REALLY!) but when she made the quiet part real loud (the “nuance” behind all the animosity that has been going on for months over Commissioner Peter Ness, then Jade Wood, ramped up over Dr. Strang, and then again over Doug Lambert) that it is all about politics, I decided to “address the elephant in the room”.
And it was not well received, especially when I called out Gary Kiedaisch over it. I knew I hit my mark as you can tell from the headshaking by NH State Rep Mike Bordes (bald head, checkered shirt sitting behind the lady wearing the red face mask). A bit less so, NH State Rep Travis O’Hara; both are part of the “Lang Gang” RINOs in opposition to the Conservatarian majority on the Delegation (and not just over Gunstock, either).
And then it devolved from there.
They all complain about the accusatory atmosphere, yet I have to ask, do these folks have any self-awareness in listening to themselves during the meetings? The outbursts, the cat-calls, the snide remarks when any of the newer Commissioners speak?
So now that the politics is (thank you, Mr. Deluca for saying “Sylvia and Silber are toast” (paraphrasing here) out there in the open, I’ll be more open about it as well.
The next video is a treat as well (the final video of the meeting).
The post Gunstock Area Commission: Finally, the Elephant in the Room Is Addressed – Part 2 appeared first on Granite Grok.
For those old enough to remember, the America of the 1960s was vastly different from the country we know today. It was a time when everyone saw socialism and communism as evil and destructive ideologies, when nearly all Americans felt nothing but pride in our country, and when hippies were pretty much the only ones doing drugs. Sadly, it was also a time when discrimination and racial injustices were real.
A lot has changed since then – even our vocabulary. Idioms that were common then are no longer used. For example, the term “guilt trip” was a fairly common expression in the 1960s.
For today’s “woke” generation, Collins Dictionary defines guilt trip as “a feeling of guilt or responsibility, especially one not justified by reality.” Merriam-Webster calls it an effort to “manipulate the behavior of someone by causing feelings of guilt.”
Although we don’t hear the phrase much these days, the technique is still very popular. Manipulative people continue to use guilt to shame others into modifying their behavior.
Race-baiters, those who fuel racial tensions for selfish reasons, especially like to use guilt. With help from the news media, they’ve managed to create the illusion of systemic racism in America. They did it by using cherry-picked statistics on race, isolated incidents of residual racism, and aberrant cases of police misconduct. Then they found some obscure, unproven academic hypotheses – critical race theory – and force-fed Americans a whole new vocabulary, endlessly repeating terms like white privilege, white supremacy, and white guilt. And with the guilt they brought to so many, came remorse and a need to repent. That’s where the race-baiters found their reward.
But the 1960s are long gone, and so are segregation and discrimination. The Civil Rights Act and other legislation passed during that period made them illegal. Affirmative action and quota systems in the last century also helped level the playing field. In fact, in many cases, those programs gave a leg up and some unfair advantages to minorities. Of course, there were a few creative and resourceful whites who also managed to take advantage of affirmative action programs. In 1986, one future Democrat Senator, Elizabeth Warren, helped launch her career by identifying herself as “American Indian” on an application to the Texas Bar. But people like that were few and far between, and for the most part, affirmative action did what it was supposed to do decades ago.
Today, racism would be all but gone, were it not for guilt-tripping manipulators, those who try to convince Americans they live in a systemically racist country.
They all have their own selfish motives for promoting racial division.
Joe Biden and the Democrats have been pushing the notion of systemic racism for a long time. It’s given them most of the black vote and a perceived political cause – civil rights. It’s ironic, though, considering the racist history of the Democrat Party, which once fought against ending slavery. It was also the party of the KKK and resisted integration in the 1960s. Over the years, they’ve learned how to profit from racial division.
Then there’s the liberal media. They can always be counted on to support Democrat causes.
Finally, there are the racial scammers, those who make a comfortable living off of racial division. Jesse Jackson is well-known for his role in the civil rights movement. He accomplished a lot as an activist and crusader for the oppressed. But there are numerous credible media reports suggesting that Jackson regularly used the threat of racist accusations to extort vast contributions from major corporations.
And while Al Sharpton hasn’t been quite as successful as the Rev. Jackson, racial division has provided him with some unique opportunities. As founder and president of the National Action Network, he wields a lot of power. He’s never hesitated using it to put the squeeze on major corporations. In 2003, for example, Sharpton publicly accused Daimler Chrysler of institutional racism. But after the company made substantial contributions to Sharpton’s NAN, Sharpton bestowed on the company an award for corporate excellence.
More recently, Patrisse Cullors, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter came under intense scrutiny for questionable expenditures from donations received during 2020. More than $90 million in contributions had flooded in following the nationwide BLM rioting – rioting that resulted in dozens of deaths and nearly $2 billion in damages.
While some of the money raised actually went to black communities and other “operating expenses,” Cullors spent a good part of it on several multi-million-dollar properties. She also helped enrich her family members, hiring them for security and other services. Cullors, herself, saw nothing wrong with how the money was raised or how it was spent. She argued that the organization was simply not prepared to handle the influx of all that “white guilt money.” After all, they had to do something with it.
For Patrisse Cullors and the others who thrive on racial division, white guilt will always be as good as gold. They’ll continue to use guilt-tripping as long as they can find dupes and cowards willing to repent for something they didn’t do.
The post White Guilt – As Good as Gold appeared first on Granite Grok.
Well, there’s always going backards to the era of Tribalism (which I think, as E Pluribus Unum is being shoved into the dust bin by the Progressive Identity Group Political Totem Pole, we’re actually entering through that gate) or eventually to a Strong Man form of Government.
Gallup:
Americans are less confident in major U.S. institutions than they were a year ago, with significant declines for 11 of the 16 institutions tested and no improvements for any. The largest declines in confidence are 11 percentage points for the Supreme Court — as reported in late June before the court issued controversial rulings on gun laws and abortion — and 15 points for the presidency, matching the 15-point drop in President Joe Biden’s job approval rating since the last confidence survey in June 2021. . .
Americans’ confidence in institutions has been lacking for most of the past 15 years, but their trust in key institutions has hit a new low this year.
I am betting that with the military going “Woke” at an ever increasing speed (kicked off by Obama’s “transformation”, halted somewhat by Trump, and pedal to the metal by Biden), that percentage drop is only going to go down. I’m not surprised with the rating of Congress – what have they done but blither endlessly, not do their actual job, and (in the inverse of what our Founding Fathers envisioned), have decided that they get to tell Society how we are to live our lives instead of US telling THEM what’s important!
But what happens as ALL of our institutions go to nullity? Bad things. Low Trust Societies are mean, brutish, arbitary, capricious – and deadly. E Pluribus Unum ONLY works where there is Trust. And that can only remain when a majority of Americans continue to believe in the same things.
Too many people keep saying “There is more that unites us than divides us” – usually by politicians that run on campaigns “built” on Unity (or at least, say it a lot on the stump circuit). I’m not so sure about that any more. IMHO, the Left / Right chasm is only spreading wider and deeper as political (and Life!) philosophies and societal norms are diverging at ever increasing speeds. What used to be considered degeneracy and debauchery, like bringing little kids to drag shows and to “Pride” parades where grown adults saunter in their narcissim – and parents bring their little ones to that. We see the Woke Evangelists at every turn all demanding positive affirmation in all things contrary to tradition American norms.
To which many of us hold onto even more, knowing that decency is slipping away.
That second chart shows, at 27%, the end isn’t all that far ahead of us.
What then?
(H/T: Powerline)
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#WalkAway
I’ve been saying and writing that what was once the Democratic Party of my youth is no longer that. The Party of Roosevelt and Kennedy is gone, highjacked by Marxist Socialists promoting an anti-American radical agenda, and robbing true Democrats and all Americans of our futures. Proof of this came from the Democratic Mayor of Las Vegas recently. John Lee announced he’s running as a REPUBLICAN for re-election.
From the desk of Jeff Miller – he reportedly said (of Lee):
” The Party moved past me. In fact, Democrats are now leaving the Party in droves because of the socialist agenda that has taken place in the Democratic Party. There’re totally anti-American. There was nowhere for people who thought and felt like I did about the virtues and values and morals of being a good American. It was time to leave. They have destroyed the Democratic Party now.”
Lee told that to Fox New’s Steve Doocy in an interview recently. In his view the Democratic party is “elitist” and “socialist” and he can’t stand behind the extremist agenda of the party.
As I have been writing lately, Leftists now run the Party. It is no longer the Party of the American working families, of normal men or women, the poor, or the minorities whom they now use as fodder. Small businesses are suffering from policies causing inflation along with allowing “smash and grab” gangs to rob and assault because of permissive administrations and courts. Every kind of violent crime is rising to record numbers – all because of Leftist policies
True American loving Democrats, isn’t it time you stood up for what your and your Party believed in? Stand with all of us who love our Nation and those who stood shoulder to shoulder to fight our foreign enemies, bled, and sometimes died, but in all cases side by side regardless of political Party, religion or race to defend her. Vote out those usurpers, these domestic enemies of freedom and justice for all.
Come home to One Nation Under God.
The post Democrats, Abandon Ship! appeared first on Granite Grok.
I am Larry Borland from Wolfeboro and I am running on the Republican ticket in the September primary for the New Hampshire House of Representatives for Carroll Co. District 6 (Wolfeboro & Tuftonboro).
I was introduced to the wonders and beauty of New Hampshire during a tour of duty at Pease USAF in the early 70s. Over the years, I have lived or owned property in Dover, Durham, Portsmouth, The Waterville Valley, Derry, and most recently Wolfeboro.
My career is as a pediatrician/pediatric anesthesiologist/critical care physician working at Level 3 pediatric trauma hospitals spanned nearly 45 years. I retired 7 years ago. I have been married for 45 yrs. My wife is a pediatric hospitalist & pediatric infectious disease specialist. My three adult children are scattered over the Eastern 1/2 of the USA (from Maine to Houston Tx).
To the point: I am a Pro-Liberty Republican running for the NH House Representatives for Carroll Co. District 6 (Wolfeboro & Tuftonboro).
Prior to relocating to NH, I served 8 yr (2 – 4yr terms) as school board president in Franklin Regional School District in Murrysville, PA. A tragic event (the largest mass stabbing in North American history) occurred under my watch at FRSD. The residual physical and psychological damage haunts that community & I remain in touch with many neighbors and friends whose children were (are) affected. One never really leaves one’s community after such an event.
In my career, I was constantly in a position to deal with life-threatening events in infants & children. In my stent as school board president, I (and others) were called upon to deal with a crisis and life-threatening event. If I win I hope to share my knowledge and experience in k-12 education issues and school safety with members in Concord, NH (state capital).
I believe that most (not all) teen and young adult depression, drug use, and suicidal ideation start in middle and high school. My goal is to aim resources to improve the mental health of our children so they leave public school prepared to deal with life’s complexities.
I am a lifelong vegetable gardener, a target archer, a long-distance target rifleman, a kayaker, a fly fisherman, & a novice Scottish bagpiper.
I am an NRA Life Member (55 yrs) & NRA certified firearm instructor (50+ yrs).
The post I Am A Pro-liberty Republican Running For The NH House Representatives appeared first on Granite Grok.
Many politicians claim to support the Second Amendment while simultaneously insisting the federal government has the authority to ban “military-style weapons.” These are mutually exclusive positions.
The purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure the people would always have access to “weapons of war.”
Gun control enthusiasts also argue the Second Amendment is not “absolute.” This is absolute nonsense.
The amendment reads, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
If that verbiage is not absolute, I don’t know what is.
The more radical the gun-grabbers call for the Second Amendment to be repealed. It’s a ridiculous goal, and it wouldn’t fundamentally change anything. The Constitution never delegated the power to regulate firearms in the first place; the Second Amendment only reconfirms this pre-existing right and bars the federal government from infringing on it. Accordingly, every federal firearms law, other than those arming militias, is unconstitutional – even without the Second Amendment.
Thomas Jefferson said laws beyond the Constitutional authority are null and void. Thus, the states have an obligation to ignore them and prevent their enforcement – an obligation they refuse to uphold.
Congress began regulating firearms in 1934, with the National Firearms Act, a result of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, which in turn was a result of the gang activity arising from the federal prohibition of alcohol. After years of attempting to ban handguns, the anti-gun crowd turned their attention to “assault rifles.” California led the way with its ban in 1989. The state effectively rendered certain rifles illegal if they had more than two “scary features” that had nothing to do with the functionality of the firearm. Assault weapons were banned nationally in 1994 when President Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. After the ban expired, statistics showed no increase in gun violence and deaths from these weapons.
Every time there is a shooting involving an AR-15, pundits and politicians focus on the gun rather than the shooter or the circumstances. In 2022, a renewed attempt to ban the AR-15 failed and President Biden had to sign a bill into law that focused on extended background checks, red flag laws and mental health – none of which the general government has the lawful authority to regulate according to the document they took an oath to uphold — the Constitution.
WHY THE SECOND AMENDMENT?
Former President Barack Obama said, “Weapons of war have no place on our streets,” and, “our law enforcement officers should never be outgunned.”
Many conservative media pundits agree. In the process, they concede a crucial point that was a central reason for the ratification of the Second Amendment: The People must have the means by which they can resist a tyrannical government – means rendered ineffective if we surrender the right to be on a level playing field when it comes to firearms.
As Ryan McMaken from the Mises Institute explained, the origins of the militia trace back to 17th century England when Americans resisted the standing army sent by the king to crush dissent. He shares the insight of British historian Marcus Cunliffe regarding the origins of American military institutions and the compromises reached between a centralized military capable of suppressing dissent and a reasonable force needed to maintain order.
“A compromise was reached. First, a small regular force was to be maintained: this was the actual foundation of the British standing army. Second, there was to be a nationwide militia, composed of civilians who would — as in earlier days — be summoned in time of need. The militia, however, was to be under civil law, and to be organized locally by the lord lieutenant of each county. It was thus decentralized and divorced from royal control.”
In the colonies, standing armies were viewed with skepticism, if not outright hatred, and this was especially so after the British Army was sent as an ultimate enforcement mechanism for the various taxes and other acts imposed on the colonies by the Crown. One of the most hotly contested issues relating to the powers of the new Congress was its ability to raise armies.
During the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry famously observed that “A standing army we shall have, also, to execute the execrable commands of tyranny; and how are you to punish them? Will you order them to be punished? Who shall obey these orders? Will your mace-bearer be a match for a disciplined regiment?”
Henry went on to say that “the clause before you gives a power of direct taxation, unbounded and unlimited, exclusive power of legislation, in all cases whatsoever, for ten miles square, and over all places purchased for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, &c. What resistance could be made?”
Henry’s denunciation clearly and emphatically rejected the consolidation of power. He feared giving a central government the power over both the sword and the purse. He observed that any attempt to restrain government in such an instance would be madness and thundered, “you will find all the strength of this country in the hands of your enemies; their garrisons will naturally be the strongest places in the country. Your militia is given up to Congress, also, in another part of this plan: they will therefore act as they think proper: all power will be in their own possession. You cannot force them to receive their punishment.” Henry concluded this opening barrage by asking “of what service would militia be to you, when, most probably, you will not have a single musket in the state? for, as arms are to be provided by Congress, they may or may not furnish them.”
This proclamation by Henry provides a succinct summation of the general beliefs of a large portion of Americans during the ratification period, a belief that led directly to the establishment and adoption of the Second Amendment.
Most States, Virginia included, ratified the Constitution on the basis that “further declaratory and restrictive clauses” upon the general government should be added. And among the specifics, Virginia asserted in her ratification instrument that “the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well regulated Militia composed of the body of the people trained to arms is the proper, natural and safe defence of a free State.” [Emphasis added]
Virginia declared as a condition of ratification that “standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided, as far as the circumstances and protection of the Community will admit; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to and governed by the Civil power.” [Emphasis added]
Likewise, New York, as a condition of ratification, insisted that “That the People have a right to keep and bear Arms; that a well-regulated Militia, including the body of the People capable of bearing Arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defence of a free State; That the Militia should not be subject to Martial Law except in time of War, Rebellion or Insurrection. That standing Armies in time of Peace are dangerous to Liberty, and ought not to be kept up, except in Cases of necessity; and that at all times, the Military should be under strict Subordination to the civil Power.”
Clause XIII of the Pennsylvania Declaration of Rights guarantees “That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the state; and as standing armies in the time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; And that the military should be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.”
Suffice to say that the founding generation had an immense and universal fear of standing armies. James Madison explained that “a standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty.” St. George Tucker wrote the first systematic commentary on the Constitution. He provided further context to the right to bear arms and its role in preventing standing armies when he pointed out, “Wherever standing armies are kept up, and when the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.” A more thorough discussion of these concepts can be found HERE.
The Second Amendment thus came about as a means of preventing the need for standing armies by keeping “the militia,” or as George Mason asserted “every able bodied person,” under the auspices of the individual states – in other words, out of the immediate control of the general government.
In his book The Founders’ Second Amendment, Stephen P. Halbrook describes Pennsylvania Senator William McClay’s concerns as written during notes from debates that would result in the enactment of the 1792 federal Militia Act; namely, that Alexander Hamilton and his faction were instigating war with American Indians and foreign nations to justify raising an army that would “awe our Citizens into submission.”
Roger Sherman of Connecticut commented that man had an essential right “to resist every attack upon his liberty or property, by whomsoever made.” [Emphasis added.]
ORIGINAL INTENTIONS
The intent of the Constitution and historical background are irrefutable: a civilian, decentralized force was viewed as the optimal means by which forces loyal to a king, or central government could be held in check, should they become tyrannical in nature. The government, the media and the education system have successfully indoctrinated the people into believing that their safety lies in their ability to defend themselves but only extends so far as to render us subservient to the capabilities of the government to defend itself from us.
In other words, the polar opposite of the purpose of the Second Amendment.
In 1794, George Washington marched troops into Pennsylvania, absent the required request from the governor, to quell a rebellion over a Whiskey Tax. The Whiskey Rebellion came about after the urban/Hamiltonian faction of government used its power to impose a tax on its opposition, the agrarian/Jeffersonians. When the rebellion occurred, the federal government used its might to suppress opposition in a manner in contravention to the law.
From Wounded Knee to Waco, we can see what happens when a civilian population is unable to defend itself from government. Worldwide, over 200 million lives have been lost after governments disarmed their citizenry, yet we continue to buy into the insane notion that “We the People” are incapable of bearing arms equal in power and effectiveness as those of the military — the standing army. Even the definition of commonly used firearms has been changed to fit the modern anti-gun narrative.
In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster described a musket, the weapon used by colonial militias, as “a species of firearms used in war.” It was once a given that civilians, i.e., the militia, would have the very same firearms as the military. Merriam Webster changed its definition of “assault rifle” to the following: “any of various intermediate-range, magazine-fed military rifles (such as the AK-47) that can be set for automatic or semiautomatic fire; also: a rifle that resembles a military assault rifle but is designed to allow only semiautomatic fire.” [Emphasis added]
A federal court in Massachusetts held that the Second Amendment does not protect “assault rifles.” The ruling is problematic for several reasons, the most blatant being a federal court was ruling on a state firearms law.
According to the Constitution as ratified they have no legal authority to do so as the matter was reserved to the states exclusively. Also, the Second Amendment does not apply to any model or type of weapon; it applies to the general government. The Amendment is a restriction against the general government prohibiting it from regulating firearms at all.
Note the language used by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey: “Today’s decision upholding the Assault Weapons Ban vindicates the right of the people of Massachusetts to protect themselves from these weapons of war…and we will not be intimidated by the gun lobby in our efforts to end the sale of assault weapons and protect our communities and schools.”
Those seeking to restrict the right to “weapons of war” cite D.C. vs. Heller, in which Justice Antonin Scalia explained that the Second Amendment “protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.” What the Court is implying is that “assault rifles” are not subject to Second Amendment protection, which is, again, a total fallacy given the history and intent of the Constitution as ratified.
Rifles that simply look like military rifles are banned in many states, or at least must be registered. And now we are seeing bans in local communities as well. We have become so conditioned to this false notion that civilians should not be equally as well-armed as the standing army the founders so distrusted, that now we are accepting bans on guns that simply resemble such weapons.
Patrick Henry’s worst fears have materialized and the general public, uneducated on their own history, is largely clueless.
Tenche Coxe writing in The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788, asked “Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom?” He continued by affirming that “Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American…The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.”
With the average American gleaning their “understanding” of the Second Amendment in particular, and American history in general, from agenda-driven academics and talking heads in the media and on talk radio, such basic arguments are being capitulated. As a result, we are in the process of surrendering a fundamental tenet – our ability to defend ourselves from personal assault as well as from a proven threat by the very government imposing these unlawful restrictions. Our founders are rolling in their graves.
Note: Carl Jones contributed to this article. He is a former active duty U.S. Marine, and a Certified Firearms Instructor. He is a contributing writer for the Abbeville Institute and a member of the Society of Independent Southern Historians.
Suzanne Sherman | The Tenth Amendment Center
Republished with Permission
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New Hampshire Congressional District One seat warmer Chris Pappas is in trouble. The Democrat is on the wrong side of a wave election. One in which he’s trying to differentiate himself from his party to save his political backside. But is that even possible?
Probably not.
And not just because Pappas is on Nancy Pelosi’s list of “competitive House Democrats.”
We won’t let insurrectionists and extreme Supreme Court decisions destroy our Democracy as we know it. We will fight back!
Our plan: don’t agonize, organize. #DefendOurDemocracy.
Hold the House. Support our competitive House Democratic Frontliners and Challengers. Let’s go! -NP pic.twitter.com/E0wE49DoZW
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) July 1, 2022
Pelosi’s Tweet includes a picture of Chris Pappas, and while Pelosi is one of the less appealing people inside the Beltway, this isn’t 2010 or 2012, or even 2014. Back then, siding with Pelosi could be a political death knell. Tying a candidate to her was the quickest way to flip a swing district.
The GOP is hoping that’s still the case. They sent out an email announcing the endorsement.
Reformatted.
Over the holiday weekend, Nancy Pelosi officially endorsed Chris Pappas for Congress.
No matter what faux moderate persona Pappas tries to put on for tv ads, Granite Staters know the truth: Chris Pappas and Nancy Pelosi have always been on the same team. Last year, Pappas even took campaign cash from avowed socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
This morning, Pappas denied being “progressive,” instead calling himself “pragmatic.” Clearly, that was a lie.
That’s not bad. Members of her party don’t like her. NH CD-2 Dem Annie Kuster is afraid of her. But there may be a better way.
According to data crunched by FiveThirtyEight, Chris Pappas votes the Joe Biden Line 100% of the time. Whatever Joe wants, Chris Pappas gives him. That would be the polar opposite of pragmatic.
Joe Biden is a train wreck from his choice of Kamala Harris as VP to Afghanistan to energy to spending choices, the economy, and inflation. All of it. The shortages, high gas and electricity prices. It’s all on Joe, and it’s all on Chr s. One hundred percent!
Maybe the GOP could point that out to New Hampshire voters?
I think there might be something to it.
And for the record, Ann E Kuster’s score is the same as Pappas’s. 100% down the Biden line.
The post NH Dem Chris Pappa Votes the Biden Line 100% of the Time. appeared first on Granite Grok.
There is no equivocation about it. The Hunter Biden laptops are real, a treasure trove of damning information, and still denied by the gaslighting White House. Lying and misinformation will be the legacy of the Joe Biden administration, which promised to be the most transparent ever.
That is a lie.
Joe Biden has responded to direct questions that he has never spoken to his son, Hunter, about overseas transactions of Hunter’s businesses. These denials have been on the record since his campaign started, and the news broke about the laptops and their incriminating hard drives.
The data drops from the Hunter hard drives have been painfully slow. Still, they include texts, emails, pornographic images and videos of Hunter, and now voicemails containing the President’s voice. It is futile to continue to deny the existence of the Hunter laptops and to stick with the President’s claim. That is precisely the stance of Karine Jean-Pierre and the White House Staff.
Nobody other than Peter Doucy of FOX News presses the administration on the laptop or information linking Hunter Biden and his business dealing with Joe Biden. This lack of interest is delinquent by the press corps. It will be interesting when the time comes for the Democrats to move to oust Biden if the effort by the media changes dramatically.
The content of the 2018 voicemail released last week makes it evident that the President knew of Hunter’s dealings:
“Hey pal, it’s Dad. It’s 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you get a chance, just give me a call. Nothing urgent. I just wanted to talk to you. I thought the article released online, it’s going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good. I think you’re clear. And anyway if you get a chance, give me a call, I love you.”
There is no mistaking the voice is the President’s. During a campaign appearance in Iowa in September 2019, Joe Biden said, “I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.” His former press secretary, Jen Psaki, and his chief of staff, Ron Klain, have repeatedly echoed that sentiment. The unearthed voice message renewed calls for a probe of Biden’s handling and knowledge of his son’s overseas dealings.
Biden’s approval ratings are released weekly, dropping to new historic lows as inflation swells to new highs. As this happens, the press knows they must not go down with this sinking ship. They start paying attention, and the questions get more complicated. This situation is becoming a battle for self-preservation.
Except for Doucy, this White House media squad may never become Jim Acosta / Donald Trump-like, but they will have to start digging, if not for more answers, then more profound questions. They need to do their jobs. They are the conduit through which America sees and hears the White House. So consistency is also necessary to report all of the news, not just what fits your narrative. When the press corps does this, and the White House stops lying, we may be heading in the right direction.
The post Excuse Me, Karine. The Laptop is Very Real appeared first on Granite Grok.