Several days ago, I heard a loud, raucous cacophony (a 50-dollar word only lawyers use, meaning chaotic, empty noise) coming from my chickens. I feared that rocky raccoon was doing another drive-thru (he recently used his opposable thumbs to peel back my chicken wire defense system, leaving me with two fewer hens). When I got to the coop, “Eddie,” my red rooster was trying to calm down the ladies with soothing words. It wasn’t working, so I made the dumb mistake of asking the warring factions to explain the issues.

“Trump needs to go to jail. Just look at all the evil he has done-stolen classified documents, revealed secrets to the Russians, ate dinner at McDonald’s.”

Several others exclaimed, “He is our only hope. He is being persecuted for no reason. They hate his hair. They hate his politics. They even hate his wife. He needs to win, or the world we know will cease.”

I wondered, “How did these chickens come up with all this stuff? They clearly cannot read. They don’t have t.v. They clearly don’t know how to access social media?” Then I realized that I may have made a critical error: to ward off Rocky Racoon, my son had installed a radio, thinking that playing a human voice would scare Rocky off.

He tried music, but John Denver did not work.

He turned on a talk radio station, and that worked great. Rocky could not tolerate the doom and gloom being broadcasted and stayed away. But the chickens had no choice. And, of course, with Trump being indicted, the Trump topic flooded the airwaves. I changed the station to a Spanish-language talk radio. But in the meantime, I had to calm them down.

” Ladies!” I exclaimed. “Ladies, please calm down. You have not given me any eggs in a week. It’s because you are too anxious. Let’s focus on your prime directive…”

“NO, “they all exclaimed (even the roosters joined in. Normally, they would say zero, but they walk in fear of the ladies, so they joined in). “This Trump issue is too important. Turn the radio back to the talk radio, or we are all on strike.”

“No can do,” I responded. “This is a chicken coop. And you are not bit players in the movie “IDIOCRACY. Let me give you a few tips on how to read this indictment. It’s first-year law school. “

“Ok, “Rooster Eddie said with some trepidation. “But hurry up as I got better things to do. “(like what, I wondered?)

First, and you can take this to the bank (if yours is still open), the “facts” alluded to in the indictment are zero. ZERO. NOTHING. NADA.

You are all getting excited about mindless drivel that will never ever be relied upon by anyone for anything.

 

 

ASK ANY FIRST-YEAR LAW STUDENT: What is an indictment? ANSWER: it’s a charge. It’s an allegation. It’s an assertion -essentially an unproven opinion- opinion of the prosecution of what he/she thinks he/she can prove.

Or worse: it is a trumped-up (I hope that is not confusing) set of maybe true, possibly false, or overstated assertions that are designed to intimidate the defendant into pleading guilty lest he or she faces 400 years in jail. I can tell you without hesitation that in setting forth what he/she feels they can prove, prosecutors allege things all the time that they cannot prove.

Think about that: and prove it to yourself. If every indictment consisted of true, provable, unexaggerated facts, then every defendant would be found guilty at trial because everything the prosecutors alleged would always be true. Or provable.

It ain’t. A large number of indictments fail. Because the prosecutors simply cannot prove what they alleged.

I made a living proving the falsity of allegations found in indictments. And I had a thriving practice because I won nearly all my cases. How: by proving that what the Prosecutor alleged in the indictment was false or by filing motions to the court to exclude the evidence being offered, or the allegations being made, as inadmissible under the rules of evidence that the Federal and State courts follow and have followed for over 250 years.

More often than not, I found that Prosecutors, in my opinion, overstated their claims in the indictments, threw in all kinds of things they can never prove, added charges that they knew wouldn’t stick, and ran up the possible years in prison that they knew would never happen–all to intimidate the defendant into a guilty plea on “lesser” charges. It’s just a way to get a guilty plea. And it works for a whole bunch. It’s wrong, but it happens so often that no one in the profession seems to even care anymore about what’s in an indictment-except the scared, ignorant defendant. And well-meaning but ignorant members of the public that don’t know how the system works.

Let me give you some references to the allegations being made-the alleged evidence asserted in the indictment- and assess what is likely to happen with it.

First, is the indictment itself admissible evidence? Will the allegations made by the prosecutor ever be made known to the jury as admissible evidence?

Nope!

The jury never reads or is allowed to read the indictment. Unless they read it in the press, they will never know what’s in it. And if they read it in the press, more than likely, they will be found to be prejudicial, and they will be excluded from serving. Essentially, the indictment never sees the light of day. Its not evidence.

(That raises a simple question: why get excited over this document? That a former sitting president is being sued by his political rival is certainly noteworthy. But the contents of this document make its value similar to twice-used toilet paper).

Secondly, the indictment alleges some 30-plus charges of crime related to some 30-plus contraband documents. It charges a separate violation of law re each document.

Consider the following: you rob a bank of 10,000 dollars. The prosecutors file an indictment against you, alleging that each dollar you stole is a separate count of bank robbery. Thus, if the penalty for bank robbery is ten years in jail, they charge you 10,000 times ten years. I don’t know any judge that would allow this. My expectation is that the charge will be reduced to one bank robbery, not 10,000.

However, despite this likely outcome, it has long been the practice of certain prosecutors to pursue this strategy of turning one crime into multiple by parsing out the charges based upon some ill-conceived notion that each item stolen is a separate crime. In my experience (including candid conversations with many prosecutors regarding this strategy), this strategy of multiplying the crime by separately charging each document is violative of federal law. If so, why do it? Maybe to scare Trump into pleading for a single crime? Maybe to present a sensationalized indictment aimed at public opinion. In my practice, this “strategy” is always wrong. Always dishonest. And always violative of what I believe is the prosecutor’s sacred duty to be fair and operate within the law.

Third, the indictment makes a big deal about BOXES. It alleges that during his term as President, Trump loaded up boxes with personal materials and comingled classified documents in those same boxes. They then offer pictures of boxes at the White House and at Mara Lago and infer this is evidence that Trump moved massive amounts of illegally possessed classified documents via these boxes.

Let’s now imagine we are in trial.

Imagine the prosecution wants to tell the jury all about these boxes. Prior to trial, there is a pre-trial conference wherein the court and the parties discuss the details of the trial, exchange evidence and witness lists, and argue motions outside of the hearing of the jury. One of the principal events in this pretrial conference is what is called MOTIONS IN LIMINE: MOTIONS TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE UNDER THE RULES OF EVIDENCE.

In my trial days, I responded to and made thousands upon thousands of such motions. It’s just standard practice. The whole point is that proposed evidence that one side wants to offer can be excluded from the jury by an evidentiary motion asserting that the subject evidence is inadmissible. It’s done outside the presence of the jury because if the Court excludes it, then the jury should never hear it. If you do the motion in front of the jury, they obviously hear the “proposed” but inadmissible evidence (which, of course, circumvents the Courts ruling excluding it.) Let’s listen now to what I think will transpire in such motion that I expect Trump’s lawyers to make:

Prosecutor: Your honor, we now offer into evidence pictures we have of Boxes.”

 

 

Trump lawyer: ” Objection: relevancy. Speculation. No foundation. The prosecution offers no evidence of what is in the Boxes. We have no evidence, your honor, of what is in the boxes. Unless they have evidence that these boxes contain the contraband material, they are just boxes and, as such, have no bearing on any issue in the case.

Boxes are common in America. Having boxes while moving is normal. Unless there is evidence that there is some contraband in every one of these boxes, it is inadmissible to show a jury a picture of 50,60 or 100 boxes and infer that contraband documents are contained therein. Having a box by itself without any additional evidence is simply speculation and highly prejudicial to the defendant, as the number of boxes shown is just to smear Trump and make the jury believe that he was somehow wrongfully moving 10’s of thousands of documents. Proving that Trump had boxes is irrelevant and proves nothing.

Let me give an example, your honor: The prosecution shows us a picture of boxes in the driveway of the White House while Trump was moving. They show us more photographs of boxes at Mara Lago. Are they the same boxes? They just want us to infer that the boxes at the White House are the same as the ones shown at Mara Logo. But speculation and guessing are a very inadmissible way to prove the viability of their assertion. Each picture shows numerous boxes-50,60,70. There is no way to verify if the Boxes shown at the White House are the same as the ones shown at Mara Lago. Maybe the boxes shown at the White House went to a different location. Maybe the boxes at Mara Lago have been there for years. We just don’t have any evidence showing a chain of custody. Surely the prosecution is aware of the need to show that chain- yet they have not. As such, what is the admissibility of pictures of boxes?

The prosecution just took pictures of boxes and failed to show us where they came from, that the boxes shown in the photos are the same as boxes in other photos. Moreover, they offer no evidence that any of these boxes contain any contraband they allege exists. We don’t know what is in the boxes. Could be underwear. Could be artwork. The prosecution has the burden of proof to demonstrate what is actually in the boxes before pictures of boxes are admissible as evidence.

Now, of interest- and to me, this shows the weakness of their offer of proof-the prosecution has alleged in the indictment that they have a photo of one box that spilled its content and that a photo exists that a document in that one box had some “classification” marking on it. Your honor, at best, that does not show what is in any of the other boxes, and as such, this one box is woefully inadequate to make any other box admissible. Moreover, as to that one box, where is it? What evidence does the prosecution offer that the one document itself is relevant to this case? The prosecution lists some 37 documents that Trump had that form the basis for his crime. This one document shown in the photos from the one box is not one of the 37 they say Trump held illegally. As such, it is irrelevant. As such, by their own conduct, they admit that this one document is not in his possession illegally. The only other possible conclusion is that the prosecution feels that Trump has this one document legally. How can a document that is in Trump’s possession legally form a basis for admitting hundreds of boxes, contents unknown?

The objection is that the photos of “Boxes” is irrelevant, and no foundation for their admissibility has been shown (foundation means that the contents of the boxes have been authenticated to be filled with the 37 documents that the prosecution alleges were held by Trump illegally) and is only offered, not to prove a fact but to smear by speculation and innuendo, the defendants.”

On its face, then, the indictment’s reference to BOXES is simply a reference to inadmissible evidence. I personally expect it will either be withdrawn as stupid or denied as inadmissible by the Court.

Take another piece of evidence: transcripts of discussions Trump had about top-secret documents with those who did not hold clearance. Some of which are conversations with his lawyers.

Are these tapes admissible? Are the transcripts?

How did the FBI get such transcripts? Did they wiretap the former President? Did they acquire the statements of the lawyers without violating Trump’s attorney-client privilege? (In this regard, a critical piece of law is vital. The attorney-client privilege belongs to Trump-not his lawyer. His lawyers have no authority to talk to the FBI. They cannot waive his rights. If they do, the material is inadmissible, and the State/Federal Bar will likely ask the lawyers to justify what appears to be unethical conduct).

 

 

The indictment alleges that the FBI had proof that certain phone calls were made between either Trump and Nauta or Trump and others. They infer these calls were made to further a conspiracy. They cite the date of the call. The involved parties. And the amount of time spent. Did the FBI wiretap the former president? If so, was it done legally?

It may be that everything the FBI did in gathering info was legitimate and legal. However, as a trial attorney, I would spend considerable effort finding out the who, what, when, why, and how the FBI obtained access to these calls. How the hell did the FBI listen in on Trump? On his conversations with his lawyers? His conversations with Nauta? If obtained in violation of Trump’s constitutional right to privacy, or in violation of law, or in violation of his attorney-client privilege, some or all of it will be inadmissible. Its only value then would be to smear Trump to the public who reads it.

SPEAKING TO MY CHICKENS: “To summarize and conclude: only a moron would rely on the facts alleged in the Trump indictment to determine innocence or guilt. Any first-year law student will tell you that. As such, what is the value of listening to the political commentators? And what is the quality of their analysis? They exist at the Bozo level of analysis.

Henrietta(Eddies number 1 hen and leader of the” I hate Trump” contingent of the coop) replied: “But he is charged with very serious crimes. Even you said that the indictment’s value is in telling Trump what he is charged with. Those charges alone tell me that he is a very bad man. There are over 30 separate charges that can result in him going to jail for over 400 years.”

Master feeder:” Really? Well, Henrietta, some of the coop thinks you are a lazy, evil, vile hen. They point out that you secretly eat other hen’s eggs. Should we simply believe these allegations, or should we seek the evidence before we evaluate you?”

Sylvia (another prominent hen) “Wut? you mean it’s not ok to eat other chicken’s eggs? Yikes!!”

Master feeder: ” LOOK-the whole point of my talk is to tell you to stop being morons by believing the wild ass allegations made by the Government. When did the Government ever tell you the truth?

Just realize that the jury will decide the case on the evidence, and so far, nothing in the indictment seems remotely likely to ever make it to a jury. Sleep on it. Tomorrow, we talk about the law Trump is charged under. It’s fascinating. Oh, by the way, I better see some eggs-uneaten- or no dinner.”

 

:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but nothing in the indictment is in fact admissible evidence at triel. the jury willnever ead the indictment. they willnever hear its words. other than telling Trump and his assitant, nauta that you are being sued by me becasue i hagte you, the indctment has no value, use or purpose. noone–noone has ever been convicted by a jury based upon the allegations in an indcitment.

 

Independent media is a rare and precious thing, even here in New Hampshire, where many in “new media” continue to carry the establishment’s water. GraniteGrok.com is a rare exception. Please consider the value we provide and then commit to a monthly subscription, a one-time online donation (via PayPal or GiveSendGo), or you can donate by check*. We are looking for a few benefactors, but every donation helps. Thank You for Your Support. *For donations by check, please email steve@granitegrok.com for the address.

 

The post Woke in the Third Degree: My Chickens Woke up to the Trump Indictment and Feared the Advent of the Idiocracy appeared first on Granite Grok.

As promised in the last Monday Memes, I have an overflow. My meme cup runneth over.  Fairly certain about a Friday Overflow-Overflow.

Also, for those prepper-minded, my last Survival Sunday:

Survival Sunday – Granite Grok

Now, let the mayhem, mockery, and ridicule resume:

 

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

 

I admit, there are times when I wish I didn’t know what I know.  That I was as blissfully unaware as most of the sheeple, and that when the economic collapse, or Jab-pocalypse, or whatever else happens, I’ll go knowing that I can trust my government completely and that all this is just my bad luck.

But whatever my fate, I’d rather go into that dark night with my eyes open, determined to fight to my last breath for freedom.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

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If there’s anyone genuinely surprised by this, I have some prime self-irrigated land in Louisiana to sell you.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

On that last one, I kind of resent the term SWAMP.  A swamp is a rich and dynamic ecosystem that is self-sustaining.  Think SEWER.  Full of sh*t and requires perpetual & artificially-created resupply of the same.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cultural-revolution.mp4

 

Several years ago I noted what I saw as rising similarities between the Chinese cultural revolution and what was starting to become clear in colleges and other young peoples’ behaviors – in particular to what the Chinese called the FOUR OLDS.  To wit (bolding added):

During the following months, he encouraged the Red Guards to attack all traditional values and “bourgeois” things and to put CCP officials to the test by publicly criticizing them. These attacks were known at the time as struggles against the Four Olds (i.e., old ideas, customs, culture, and habits of mind), and the movement quickly escalated to committing outrages.

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

Am I psychologist or biologist or whatever?  No.  But I’ve got some life experience and do read widely.  And one of the things I’ve learned in my life is that the human mind can only handle so many stressors at once before it shuts down from so much input.  So we’ve been bombarded by fear and uncertainty and so many stressors that I can’t even enumerate them easily.

Fear is the Mind Killer… – Granite Grok

The above has a quote from an earlier piece (bolding and links in original)

But in a fascinating book about survival, The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why, I learned that people make huge errors in assigning actual risk levels.  One of the factors is dread.  Relentless dread overrides saner, calmer risk assessments.  One of the stats I’ve read is that over some not-in-memory distance, driving is statistically more dangerous than flying.  Yet there are people who refuse to fly and insist on driving, because they dread being in a plane crash.

What have we been exposed to, relentlessly, for well over a year?  Fear porn.  Yuri Bezmenov was completely right.  Between unremitting terror being pumped into us, the ever-shifting “science” of masks, the lockdowns, then lifted, then reimposed, etc., creating confusion, people just throw up their hands and scream I’LL DO WHAT YOU WANT JUST MAKE IT STOP!

And this is, I think, by design.  So overwhelm us that we’ll just go along with whatever… just to make it stop, and just to give some semblance of normality again.  Even if crushing slavery, still, it’s normality and predictability.  Which, summing up this commentary, brings to mind this Aesop fable:

A lean, hungry wolf chanced one moonlit night to fall in with a plump, well-fed house dog. After the first compliments were passed between them, “How is it, my friend,” said the wolf, “that you look so sleek? How well your food agrees with you! And here am I striving for my living night and day and can hardly save myself from starving.”

“Well,” says the dog, “if you would fare like me, you have only to do as I do.” “Indeed!” says he, “and what is that?” “Why,” replied the dog, “just to guard the master’s house and keep off the thieves at night.” “With all my heart; for at present I have but a sorry time of it. This woodland life, with its frosts and rains, is sharp work for me. To have a warm roof over my head and a bellyful of victuals always at hand will, I think, not be a bad exchange.” “True,” said the dog; “therefore you have nothing to do but to follow me.”

Now as they were jogging on together, the wolf spied a mark in the dog’s neck, and having a strange curiosity, could not resist asking what it meant. “Pooh! Nothing at all,” says the dog. “No, tell me” said the wolf. “Oh! A mere trifle, perhaps the collar to which my chain is fastened.”

“Chain!” cried the wolf in surprise; “you don’t mean that you cannot rove when and where you please?” “Why, not exactly perhaps; you see I am looked upon as rather fierce, so they sometimes tie me up in the daytime, but I assure you I have perfect liberty at night. The master feeds me off his own plate and the servants give me their tidbits. I am such a favorite, so what is the matter? Where are you going?”

“Oh, good night to you,” said the wolf; “you are welcome to your dainties; but for me, a dry crust with liberty against a king’s luxury with a chain.”

 

In my copious free time I’m writing an essay based on this concept – and lessons from my career that incorporated Quality – that it’s not the absolute level of quality that people respond to so much as the variation in that quality.  People still eat fast food – McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, etc., not because – in my opinion – they’re good (my kids would differ) – but because they’re predictable.  I can go into a McDs just about anywhere in the world and, even if nowhere near great, I still know more-or-less what I’m getting.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

I wonder if this actually works.  (Apologies; this is a little blurry.)

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Pick of the post:

 

 

Steve Kirsch has a challenge.

I’ll donate $50K if Paul Offit takes the entire CDC recommended vaccine schedule in one sitting (substack.com)

Given that Paul Offit has said that all vaccines are safe:

He once said “healthy infants could safely get up to 100,000 vaccines at once.”

This is a classic put your money where your mouth is challenge.  Not that it’ll ever be answered.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

80 Life Lessons My Grandfather Told Me I Could Never Forget (83-Year-Old)

 

(Don’t be misled by the screen image; it’s great stuff!)

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Palate cleansers:

 

—

—

 

Independent media is a rare and precious thing, even here in New Hampshire, where many in “new media” continue to carry the establishment’s water.
GraniteGrok.com is a rare exception. Please consider the value we provide and then commit to a monthly subscription, a one-time online donation (via PayPal or GiveSendGo), or you can donate by check*.

We are looking for a few benefactors, but every donation helps.
Thank You for Your Support.

*For donations by check, please email steve@granitegrok.com for the address.

 

 

The post Meme Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.

Everyone everywhere, from the Feds to the World Health Organization to Persian cat-stroking supervillains like Klaus Schwab and Bill Gates, has it in for us, from our right to free speech, to travel, to informed consent, and even privacy.

Our inherent right to privacy has been under attack from all corners with nary a word from New Hampshire’s executive branch, which should have something to say considering the state’s Constitutional Privacy Amendment. So far, not a peep. And you won’t get one unless they can find a way to score a huge payout. That’s how justice works around here.

It says live free or die on the license plate, but “Collect a Fee to Thrive” might be more appropriate. Our political elites are not much different from the swamp denizens inside the DC Beltway regarding money laundering. Their New Hampshire Advantage is using the enrich the ruling class. So I don’t expect much pushback on this, not even from those devout constitutional defenders in the city of Dover.

Barry Soetero (dba, Barak Obama) says we need mandatory digital fingerprints “to help authorities censor so-called “misinformation.” It’s a constitutional rights double tap. He’s going after privacy and free speech.

 

In a new interview, Obama suggested the development of new technology to track and identify people online to combat “disinformation.” He argues that such a move would help to remove “misleading” news from the Internet and provide consumers with only “true” information.

 

B-B-B-But Barry. We already have that. The peasants need only look to the alphabet. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, NYT, WP… I think you can see where I’m going. And this isn’t me playing partisan political politics. They were wrong about everything. That Covington Kid, COVID, vaccines, the laptop (Hunter, not Weiner), your Sec-O-State’s illicit server (which you knew about and then lied), and almost everything they wrote or said about anyone named Biden is misinformation.

The sources you argue are trustworthy put the “lie” in reliable, as in we can count on them to ignore the truth in favor of the next partisan narrative. A practice protected by the First Amendment when they do it as long as it doesn’t stumble across the trip wires of defamation or incitement, two fine lines that are hard to find even given the most blatant of instances.

You have to prove intent and awareness. They knew the truth but chose to lie anyway. You’d be familiar with that, Barry. We remember the early days of your digital presidency. The Democrats had Obama Truth Squads with canned responses to any expression to which they objected. You had a federal version, while local and state Demolition parties had their own information Stasi. If you rat out your neighbors or snitch on your Facebook friends, the truth squad might swoop in and carpet-bomb them into silence.

And then, out of nowhere, you and the Obamanauts introduced Attack Watch.

 

 

If you’ve forgotten what AttackWatch was, back in mid September Jim Messina and the Obama team concocted it as a place for people to identify and report opposition commentary about the President so they could “set the record straight.”   This isn’t Nabisco asking people to let them know if something is wrong with the crackers.  This is the office of a man basted in the corrupt Chicago Political Machine,  charged with enforcing the nations laws as he sees fit, and technically the most powerful chief executive on the planet, asking people to report dissenters.  Chilling.

 

You were not the first digital president, but you were the guy who repeatedly tried to use digital intimidation and censorship to silence political opponents.

 

 

You also weaponized the bureaucratic surveillance state, began arming Executive branch Departments, encouraged local PD to buy military street vehicles, and now this—digital fingerprints—the next level in message control with the potential to violate privacy and silence dissent.

No one is surprised, but I’d love to hear what the Constitutional oath takers in Democrat Dover, New Hampshire, have to say. Rumor has it they loathe this sort of censorship.

 

The post Barry O is Back to Attack Your Free Speech and Your Privacy appeared first on Granite Grok.

“And perhaps why Mr. Martin quickly responded to me?  I didn’t know – and I still don’t know but I’m hoping to find out soon enough. How?”

Inquiring minds want to know. Well, at least my mind wants to know: beside DCYF Investigative Specialist Amy Fortin and her lawyer Amanda Knifeton, there was also DHHS Deputy Chief Legal Counsel John Martin (who was put into the unenviable position of cleaning up the mess that the prior two folks created).

To recap: my initial Right To Know was simply to ask for the Standard DCFY Operating Procedure manual that all investigators are supposed to follow. First she just blew me off by not answering at all. Upon reminding her that she was now out of compliance as she missed the mandatory five biz day response period, Fortin basically stated that her lawyer, Amanda Knifeton, said that it was a public document and that it could be found on the Internet. Translated to the vernacular, she told me to do that anatomically impossible thing to do (especially at my age where “flexible” is now an unknown term). Not cool and I told her such (in reasonable language, if you read that link).

However, out of the blue, DHHS Deputy Chief Legal Counsel John Martin popped in and not only gave me the responsive records requested but apologies as well.

But it got me to wondering – how did it get from Fortin to Martin and do it so quickly after I correctly let her know “not cool”? Perhaps it was this that I wrote as part of my “not cool” email:

I will also forward this to <redacted> to bring this matter to the Judge at <redacted> hearing as to how DCYF handles such legal requests as it is germane to there case.

Maybe that’s one reason why I was told I couldn’t go into said courtroom?  And perhaps why Mr. Martin quickly responded to me?  I didn’t know – and I still don’t know but I’m hoping to find out soon enough. How?

This (just the “payload” without the normal boilerplate that’s used for those that have no idea, like Amy Fortin, what their responsibilities are):

This request is for certain DYCF emails messages with the time frame starting May 25, 2023 to June 17, 2023 inclusive based on the email from Skip@GraniteGrok.com to Amy.Fortin@dhhs.nh.gov concerning my previous Right To Know demand, which she “blew off” and the situation had to be rectified by DHHS Deputy Chief Legal Counsel John B. Martin.

The demanded email responsive records will include the following information:

• Email Header info (origination, routing, destination, sender, all recipients, et al)
• TO fields – all addresses
• FROM fields – all addresses
• CC fields – – all addresses
• BCC fields – all addresses
• DATE fields
• SUBJECT field
• The BODY of the email itself
• Attachments for each email (as applicable)

NOTE: While an individual email client (e.g., web based, local application) may not show any associated BCC email addresses directly, the email server has such information as discreet data fields in its database associated with a given email message. These BCC email addresses, on a per email message as applicable, are mandatory to be human readable for this request to be lawfully fulfilled. This is the main concern for this Right To Know in obtaining, per NH Constitution Article 8, full transparency in this matter.

Filters:

• Subject field: The initial Subject was “RSA 91:A Right To Know demand”. It is highly likely there are other SUBJECT variants depending on the main email thread and any such subthreads my RTK demand went through from initial sending to Amy Fortin through from Mr. Martin sending both his apology and the Responsive Record URLs to me to “cure” the disaster Ms. Fortin created. I’m betting there were subsequent emails after that last subthread between myself and Mr. Martin that should be part of the Responsive Record set as well with “other” Subject field data.
• TO or FROM or BCC fields to include one or more of the following:
  • Amy.Fortin@dhhs.nh.gov
  • Christy.L.Lavigne@dhhs.nh.gov
  • The NH Government assigned email address for Amanda Knifeton (unknown to me at this writing, being unable to find her in any State of NH staff directories)
  • John.B.Martin@dhhs.nh.gov
  • Skip@GraniteGrok.com

Knowing that there is most likely “Privileged Communications” (per RSA 91-A:5, XII) contained within some of the email bodies, please know those portions of an email body are not being requested (in fact, not desired) so redaction of just those small portions (unless Confidentiality is waived) is acceptable. The above email header information, however, is still demanded as they are not subject to such exclusion.

Now, I didn’t send this to Mr. Martin or Fortin (or her boss). Instead, because of the desire to see any and all BCC email addresses (which I expect happened), I sent it this morning to Commissioner Denis Goulet of the NH IT department. It wouldn’t be far to send to the “line folks” when the IT folks know EXACTLY what kind of information can be found in the email header information that most people have never looked at. I also know that email servers also track BCC information – the heart of my RTK – I want to construct that directed digraph of all those that ended up in this.

So we’ll see how this goes.

Oh, and I put in another RTK this morning as well…

 

Independent media is a rare and precious thing, even here in New Hampshire, where many in “new media” continue to carry the establishment’s water.
GraniteGrok.com is a rare exception. Please consider the value we provide and then commit to a monthly subscription, a one-time online donation (via PayPal or GiveSendGo), or you can donate by check*.

We are looking for a few benefactors, but every donation helps.
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In an attempt to stay ahead of the rapidly advancing race wars and other social unrest they’ve been planning, the F.B.I. has announced the development of two new elite units called the Storm Troopers.

When asked about the inspiration for the new crime-fighting team F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray explained they were an homage to one of his favorite historical memories, the movie “Star Wars.”

“We all know about the coming race wars and mass shootings, so I figured what better way to be prepared than to train up some of our most capable agents and pay tribute to the greatest movie franchise of all time?” the director explained over Zoom while donning a shiny new helmet gifted to him by Nike.

When asked about the other historical context for Storm Troopers, namely the German Socialist Workers Party (a.k.a. The Nazis), and whether or not the name might be considered insensitive, the director peered deeply at the questioner from his icy blue eyes, responding “Nein, uberhaupt nicht, what a silly question!” turning to his lovely who was shaking her beautiful blonde hair in disbelief.

The room, full of reporters, was then shown a short promotional training video featuring footage of live-action drills the teams have conducted around the United States. In an attempt to give the super troopers real-life opportunities to test their skills, the teams were unleashed on various public individuals who, though not posing a threat nor committing any crimes, offered the kind of scenarios the teams expect to face in the weeks ahead.

One unit was asked to bravely confront a father of seven who had the audacity to participate in a pro-life event with his son, setting a poor example for children everywhere. The unit was able to surprise the dad in his home at breakfast time before he could go out for another day of terrifying free speeching.

“There are a lot of bad people out there, and it’s getting worse. One nut was standing near a pride parade reading the Bible! We knew it was only a matter of time before he started thumping people with it – innocent people just trying to do a little bump and grind for the kids, y’know? That kind of aggression will not stand, man” said new recruit Helmut Von Schnitzelnasi.

Other successful raids on dangerous persons carried out by the units included the televised assault on the home of Donald Trump’s advisor Roger Stone. When asked about the tactics used to take down the sixty-six-year-old promoter of misinformation Storm Trooper Block Leader Aryan Tempertantrum explained they utilize an N.F.L. football maneuver called a “blitz.”  This worked surprisingly well against Stone’s offense which likes to run everything to the right, with his wife using her man hands as his lead blocker.

With a recent increase in funding from their friends in the I.R.S. allocating part of their big payday to the new units, the Storm Troopers will be donning both home and away jerseys. Rather than the classic all-white with black trim, the Troopers will wear environmentally friendly earth tones when on the road while opting for a rainbow pattern “pride-o-flage”, custom designed by Balenciaga, while at home.

Some concerns over the historically bad shooting performances by the Star Wars special forces are being addressed by the agency. To the surprise of the attendees, they were able to secure the services of long-time gun expert and cinematic marksman Alec Baldwin.

Also contributing to the high-level weaponization of America’s top domestic law enforcement agency will be Elon Musk, who is donating one dozen light sabers and another one hundred flame throwers in anticipation of the next Waco full of wackos.

Following a recent press conference President Joe Biden summoned the Reich spirit again, speaking in front of a diverse and inclusive audience of all black people at Howard University, where he warned the listeners the number one terrorist threat we face as a nation is white supremacy.

 

 

 

The post Bananas: FBI Announces New Elite Storm Trooper Units appeared first on Granite Grok.

Maple Syrup is a warmist bellwether—one of those things climate change has on its kill list. Ice in the Arctic, snow, and Maple Syrup are but a few. They are all doomed and have been for decades, yet they all seem much the same to anyone who’s been around.

Related: But, But, You Can’t Even Make Maple Syrup Without Climate Change!

‘Round these parts, Maple Syrup is a big deal, so we have to discuss it a few times every season. It is also a big business, especially in Vermont, the nation’s largest producer and the final numbers for the 2023 Maple Syrup Season are out. There is a lot of chatter about the impact of the “warm winter.” You’ll see headlines like production down 17% from 2022, but without context, that doesn’t mean anything.

Vermont did have a weird year. While some folks had plenty of sap, and it was overly sweet increasing yield, others – just down the road a piece – had a crappy season. All-tolled Vermont is still the king (or is it queen?) of maple syrup, but total US production was down from 2022. That’s what the media will tell you, especially if they mention a warm winter or the climate. Production was down!

It is fair to say that the winter and spring could have been better for tappin’ sap, but was it bad? Like, “global warming” bad? Nope, and you need sites like ours to tell you that so you can tell other people on the odd chance it comes up.

Total US Production for 2023 was 4,179 thousand gallons. Is that a lot, a little, and how does whatever “it” is compare to what passes for normal? To help us find the answer, I added a red line to represent 2023 on this graph from Statista, showing production from 2012 to 2022.

 

 

The year 2022 was an outlier whose success included 560,000 more taps than in 2023 and slightly more sap per tap. Granted, the weather made all those extra taps worth tapping and sap worth … sapping, but there’s never been a year like 2022 despite all the alleged warming and accumulated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

It should never have happened, or maybe it should.

This is what CO2 concentration looks like overlayed on maple syrup production—a sloppy but serviceable effort. The CO2 scale is on the right, and the data (Mauna Loa) is stretched to fit. Remember, 2023 is still the red line.

 

 

You could make a case that CO2 has been good for Maple Syrup which would make some sense. This trace gas is an airborne plant fertilizer. More of it greens the planet, and more trees make for more tapping potential, weather permitting.

And since we’ve been told the CO2 controls the weather, you can work out the rest.

As for 2023, Maple Syrup production was about average compared to the past decade. You might find a few headlines that acknowledge that. Not every source of info on this topic is captured by the Climate Cult and its media allies, but it’s not as big a story as the “warm winter” and lower production.

Who clicks on a headline that reads ‘Maple Syrup production about the same as it has been?’

 

 

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Life is a struggle. With age, the struggles get more challenging and more numerous while the ability to cope falters. One thing is sure. This physical life is a journey with a beginning and an inevitable end.

Is there anything else after we each reach the end of this journey, other than returning the material components we have borrowed from the earth back to earth — to be provided for other life forms to start their ending journeys?

The Persian prophet Baha’u’llah says that after we finish our stint in this physical realm, our true essence — our soul — enters the INFINITE spiritual worlds of God. Infinite? Infinity is a mathematical postulate. We wonder if everything must have an end, no matter how huge.

Yet, science has already established that infinity is reality. For one, the universe is infinite and continually expanding. Think about that.

So over 150 years ago, when Baha’u’llah, a Persian prophet, told us about infinity, he was not just using hyperbole. The worlds of God, as unfathomable to us as it sounds, are indeed infinite. And we are headed that way.

No matter what we do, we will be done here. Is it not wise to go with the belief that Baha’u’llah is right? We will arrive at a new home, and we should prepare ourselves best to be suited for it. Betting against what Baha’u’llah says is a guaranteed loss while listening to him could be true, and we do not lose anything?

As for me, I am a lone ranger, a maverick. I believe in the First Amendment and the freedom of the press. To me, freedom means just that, freedom. Not only do I select what I report, but I also pass judgment freely.

 

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We looking for great people to come and fill up all the seats, be on the grounds, praying, etc., during these scheduled Drag Queen Story Hour events.  Outside, we can observe who from the community is actually present.

We want to thank Op-Ed for this Contribution – You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

Most times, they bring in gay activists and their kids from other areas to go to these things.

We need an outpouring of people. This is some stronghold, and we need to change the direction of that place and let them know that this is not going to continue in Conway.

We are in our perfect legal right to arrive early and fill up the seats as it is open to the public.

The events scheduled are:

Drag Story Hour – June 23, 2023, at 9 am at Conway Public Library at 15 Greenwood Avenue in Conway,  NH.  –  Drag Queen Story Teller will be Reverend Yolanda 

Drag Story Hour – June 23, 2023, at 4 pm at Pope Memorial Library at 2719 White Mountain Hwy in North Conway, NH.  –   Drag Queen Story Teller will be Reverend Yolanda 

Here is a link to some background on “Reverend” Yolanda and his mission:  https://johnstarknews.substack.com/p/heretical-drag-show-preacher-has

I encourage you to come to the 9 am one if you have to choose, as that is the one that has become bolder and “prideful” in their perversions.

However, IF you can do both, that is excellent.

 

Note: This post is by Op-Ed as it has arrived to us in several variations from multiple sources.

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We’ve been documenting Vermont’s decline for years, but not the National Rifle Association is getting in on the gig. They’ve got an article titled “Is Gun Control Making Vermont Less Safe?”

The answer is yes, but the NRA brought receipts.

 

According to CDC fatal injury data, the total number and crude rate of “violence-related firearm deaths” (which includes suicides) increased from 2017 to 2021. Both the total number and crude rate of “violence-related firearm deaths” fell during the same period in neighboring New Hampshire. In Vermont, from 2017 to 2021 “violence-related firearm deaths” among kids ages 0-26 increased 40 percent.

According to FBI data, the violent crime rate increased in Vermont from 2017 to 2020. From 2017 to the first full year of Vermont’s 2018 gun control measures (2019) the violent crime rate rose by nearly 20 percent. Over the same period, New Hampshire’s violent crime rate fell by 19 percent. Maine’s violent crime rate also fell over this period. For 2021, Vermont slipped to 48th in violent crime, with New Hampshire taking the 49th slot and Maine taking 50.

 

There is plenty of other good stuff in there, including an analysis of analysis involving researchers, bias intentional or accidental, or how “Much of social science is of dubious value, even before trying to account for political bias.”

 

The point of laying out this information is to draw attention to how political advocates and the media can manipulate data to construct whatever preexisting narrative they want. While in this case accurate statistical information was used to concoct a pro-gun narrative, gun control advocates and their media lapdogs employ the same tactics to argue the reverse.

 

Two things are not in dispute. Vermont Democrats have embraced the same laws that have turned Chicago into a gun-crime mecca, and those laws are having a similar effect in Vermont: crime and gun crime are up.

As with all Democrat interventions, you get the opposite result of the advertised benefit.

 

HT | True North Reports

 

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Cancel culture and censorship are not about fairness or justice. They are the opposite of protecting yourself from the predations of the powerful. They are not about protecting minorities from abuse or offense. Rather, these things, cancel culture and censorship, are about accumulating power for the elite.

We want to thank Marc Abear for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

The elite is the graduate class, the professional-managerial elite who are in control of the media, academia, the political sphere, and our cultural institutions. We are at a point where the elite is consolidating this new technology-based power.

Censorship always protects the powerful. The idea cancel culture would have you swallow is: Censorship is a way to protect the vulnerable from predation. The very idea is racist from inception and paternalistic in application.

The idea the responsibility falls to well-educated, largely white, young Leftists to protect blacks, Muslims or gays is itself offensive. Why is it a good thing for the various identity groups to never have to hear an offensive word or to never have to respond to a difficult idea? Think about it.

The effete arrogance is repugnant in its ignorance. The very concept is deeply illiberal. Yet, too many have accepted the ideology. What we should all understand is that cancel culture and censorship are about Leftists protecting their own ideological beliefs from criticism, discussion and argumentation.

When an ideology cannot stand rigorous discussion and debate, it must become intolerant, stilted, and intransigent. Time and again, Leftist regimes the world over have trodden this path. From Stalin to Mao to Pol Pot, the world has witnessed the results of Leftist ideology in power.

More than 100 million people were buried under it in the 20th century. Yet, here we are, once again, chasing a Leftist utopia. We know full well it is an ideally perfect social, political, and amoral place, a fictitious place of fairy dust and unicorns.

Isn’t it time to discard the hypocrisy of the Left? For this, they intend to sacrifice the lives of others to preserve their own power. This is not America’s finest moment. What are you doing about it?

 

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Independent media is a rare and precious thing, even here in New Hampshire, where many in “new media” continue to carry the establishment’s water.
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BUD Stock rebounded (a bit) in June, as Bug Light sales continue to flounder. You can buy that swill for a song after the Mulvaney mishap, which overshadowed another woke move we all missed. Bud Light might be gender neutral Bud Light “Next” is climate neutral.

 

Bud Light NEXT is proud to announce it has completed the process to become Climate Neutral Certified. By measuring and offsetting last year’s carbon emissions and implementing reduction plans for future emissions, Bud Light NEXT has met the independent certification standard from Climate Neutral, a nonprofit organization working with brands and consumers to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. The new designation comes just two months after hitting store shelves as Anheuser-Busch’s first-ever zero carb beer.

 

In case you missed it, there have been a number of scandals involving carbon offset scams (here and here). And there is no shortage of literature on how and why most carbon offset programs are scams. They have little or no effect and, in some cases, are worse, which should matter if you think this carbon fairy tale is true.

Or is it like saying something is American-made because all the foreign parts happen to be assembled in a two-car garage in Deadhorse, Arkansas? You don’t really care. You want the credit for virtue signaling.

Big business exists to put on airs and use the government to crush the competition. They buy out anyone they can who innovates in ways in which they are no longer able. And they pander to narratives to make them look like stewards, in this case, of the planet.

As for Next (the beer), I’ve never seen it, and I spend some time in the beer aisle. It’s got a lot of zeroes in it, which fits Bud Light to a Tee. It already had zero flavor; this is just the next obvious iteration.

 

 

HT | WUWT

 

 

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Camp Constitution’s 15th Annual Family Camp at the Singing Hills Christian Camp https://www.singinghills.net/ Plainfield, NH is one month away. It will run from Sunday late afternoon July 16 to Friday July 21, and we still have space available.

Returning instructors include Pastor David Whitney of the Institute on the Constitution; Professor Willie Soon, world renowned astrophysicist and climate realist; Catherine White of The Constitution Decoded; Alex Newman, author and host of the Sentinel Report, and Rev. Steve Craft, Camp Constitution’s chaplain.

First time instructors include NH State Rep Valerie McDonnell, the youngest elected official in the United States, and Vincent Ellison, and author Vince Ellison. Mrs. Edith Craft returns to direct the program for the Junior Campers. In addition to the classes, the camp will offer marksmanship courses, martial arts, hiking, basketball, volleyball, wiffleball, an optional field trip, and swimming, chess, gaga and corn hole tournaments. Campers and staff end the day with an evening campfire.

[https://mail.proton.me/api/core/v4/images?Url=https%3A%2F%2Fi0.wp.com%2Fcampconstitution.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F07%2Fparade-1.jpg%3Fresize%3D300%252C200&DryRun=0&UID=2f3rtn3zhrtcbj7ls3w6quz734vi67it]

Camp Constitution’s annual camp is a family camp open to entire families, unaccompanied minors, and adults. The cost for the week which includes lodging, meals and class handouts is $300 for those 13 and over. $200. For campers 12 and under, and three and under with parents are free. A link to the camp registration: http://campconstitution.net/camp-registration/

Can’t attend but would like to help? Consider making a donation to Camp Constitution. Donations can be made via our PayPal account accessed via our website’s homepage http://www.campconstitution.net

 

 

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This is more of a public service than a blog post, but we’re all about the public and the service, and unlike the left, it won’t cost you any hard-earned dough or deny you your individual liberty—quite the opposite.

Care of LifeSite News.

 

ProtocolKills.com started as an awareness campaign, a place for people to share stories of being caught in the hospital—including of people who never came back out before death. Together with HospitalHostageHelp.com, the website presents a solution to the problem of people dying due to hospital protocols that violate their religious beliefs. 

The two sites are now connected via link extensions, enabling people both to share their testimonies and gather the necessary tools to prevent similar tragedy from striking them or their loved ones. 

“Our goal is to get information to the people so that the people can be empowered themselves to not depend on any specialist organizations or anything else other than their own knowledge, because knowledge is what’s going to save people,” Greta Crawford, founder of ProtocolKills.com, told LifeSiteNews in a phone interview. 

 

This is near and dear to our hearts as we’ve had a friend suffer “death by hospital.” John Irish was trapped in the COVID protocol in a Massachusetts hospital. They wouldn’t deviate from the CDC death protocol, and once they vented him, they refused to move him to another facility. It killed him.

He wasn’t the only one, and none of it needed to happen.

Check out the “Patient Caregivers and Consent document” and visit both sites for more information.

The system has never been perfect, but a tangible threat to your life is baked into 21st-century medicine. The more you know, the better your ability to navigate their system to protect yourself or your family moving forward.

 

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Attention Upper Division Undergrads and Grad Students! We realize that many of you are just getting the hang of summer, and perhaps the last thing on your mind, as it warms up, is exercising your mind, but we have a great opportunity for you at the end of summer that you will want to apply for right now!

The Ron Paul Institute is pleased to announce its fourth Ron Paul Scholars Seminar.

The Seminar will take place on September first at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport in Herndon, Virginia 20171.

What is it?

The Ron Paul Scholars Seminar is a one-day, interactive foreign policy and civil liberties “boot camp,” with lectures from some of the most thoughtful pro-liberty/pro-peace professors and professors-of-practice. Past lecturers have included US Rep. Thomas Massie, former CIA officer Phil Giraldi, former US Diplomat and Senate Staff Member James Jatras, Future of Freedom Foundation founder Jacob Hornberger, bestselling author James Bovard, and many more.

While the lectures are delivered by recognized academics, these are not dry sessions of theoretical material. There is plenty of give and take and Q&A involved. Most of all, as Dr. Paul always admonishes, they are a lot of fun and a great opportunity to meet and develop connections with like-minded peers.

RPI 2023 Scholars will also be invited to attend the Ron Paul Institute’s annual Washington DC conference the following day and will also be invited to mingle with conference speakers and Dr. Paul at the VIP post-conference reception.

Hang on…How Can I Afford This?

The Ron Paul Institute will book a hotel room (double occupancy) for Thursday and Friday night and will provide a $500 scholarship for each scholar to cover travel and related costs. Additional expenses may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Most Important Part…

Successful applicants will understand that this is a program demanding a high level of independence and self-reliance. Scholars are expected to make their own travel arrangements and act very quickly. Think of it as a “pop-up” internship.

Interested students are asked to fill out an application form and submit it by August 9th. Successful applicants will be notified by August 12th and will be expected to make travel plans very quickly.

Plan to arrive by Thursday afternoon on the 31st of August and to attend our pre-event dinner with a special speaker.

There are only ten available places in this year’s program, so interested students should waste no time applying.

Apply now!

This Sounds Great! How Can I Support A Scholar?

Attention Generous RPI Followers: You can sponsor a student and help us make a difference in a young scholar’s life! Contact Daniel McAdams at: dmcadams@ronpaulinstitute.org. All seminar student sponsors are invited to attend the seminar and hear the lectures!

Publicity Waiver: Registering for this event gives the Ron Paul Institute permission to take photos, record videos, and receive statements of and from attendees for promotional purposes. By this authorization, attendees understand and agree that no participant shall receive remuneration and that all rights, title, and interest to the photos, videos, and statements and use thereof belong to the Ron Paul Institute.

 

Copyright © 2023 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

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Every now ans then something like this catches the internet’s attention. And why not. The world is a crazy place and sometimes you need a break form that. So there’s this, one very amusing obituary for a guy from Kentucky named James Loveless.

 

Born and raised in Kentucky in 1963-a state that has been recently leaning toward more liberal values, we might add–Jamie, a divorcee, father, grandfather and proud owner of a few lots in the trailer park, had had enough and up and died on us on June 14th in order to avoid another Presidential stolen-election mishap in the near future.

As a gluttonous eater of fried foods and snack cakes, as well as the occasional chili cheese dog, James, tried in vain to give up the ghost by clogging his arteries and having a stroke in 2015. His twin boys, Rocky and Rodney, had other plans and made him go to the hospital. While waiting in the ER at the hospital, he was heard saying, “Let’s make a break for it!”, only to be heard by one of the hospital staff and forced to go through the procedure. He wasn’t too excited about the prospect, but went anyway.

On many occasions in life, James was seen in his back yard at the trailer park during the early hours of the morning, hammering beers, standing over country-style ribs, and yelling, “It’s got a head like a cat on it!”, while nearby neighbors would peek out their windows bearing looks of disgust and amazement, as his party guests were slurring remarks about needing to speed up his cooking style. “We’ve been here since 5 o’clock,” they would say. “I’ve got work in the morning.”

We don’t know if he was married, but he definitely was a lady’s man. There was Kathy, Mary Lou, Tammy, Debra, Carrie, Tina, etc., etc. “It’s the bones”, he told us as proudly pointed his skinny, pasty-white legs. “Women love a good shin”. We think he might even have some females waiting for him on the other side. Jamie loved his family more than anything else in the world…except ice-cold Busch, room-temperature Busch, T-bones, New York strip, prime rib, shrimp, swimming, poker, hatch-back Mustang GTs, tank-tops, Kentucky Men’s basketball, and his personal copy of Eddie Murphy’s Raw.

He leaves behind his second-favorite son, Rocky(and Lizeth) Loveless of Arizona City, AZ, his favorite son, Rodney Loveless of Science Hill, KY, a younger brother, Joey, and unofficial daughter Melissa(and Coy) Vance of the trailer park, as well as a pair of old boxers which have ‘Buttweiser the King of Rears’ printed on the design. He will be moderately missed.

Pulaski Funeral Home is honored to assist the family with arrangements.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James Loveless, please visit our flower store.

 

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The proverbial axiom “the only certainties in life are death and taxes” is no truer than in Vermont. Having become only the second state to pass a “right to death” bill since leftist penal colony Oregon did it back in 1994, Vermont is quickly becoming an end-of-life getaway for those wishing to fall into the arms of Morpheus for all of eternity.

The “End of Life” Act 39 was put into law in Vermont in 2013, but with such a low turnout to hasten death, the legislature and Governor Phil Scott decided to extend the courtesy to the rest of the country. With only one other state willing to kill its citizens for the good of the community and too many people overpopulating other parts of the country, Vermont has decided it’s time to act.

“Have you seen California?  Its population is still growing!  Fentanyl, free needles, fewer police, and forest fires just aren’t getting the job done fast enough,” lamented state senator and climate affirmer Becca White.

Echoing her concerns was Governor Scott.

“There’s a time to live and a time to die, you know?  It’s in that song from the 60s, and I couldn’t agree more.  Here in the verdant pastures of Vermont, we want to help you die, especially if you’re becoming a tax burden,” said the robust executive sitting atop a custom carbon fiber bicycle where he took first place out of all the current Vermont state governor’s in that day’s race.

Despite being the picture of health, Governor Scott is just as concerned with the picture being painted by Vermont when it comes to suicide, which is why he simultaneously signed H.230 into law.  Citing the heading from the state website, this (Act 45) is “An act relating to implementing mechanisms to reduce suicide and community violence.”

“The message we want to send here in Vermont, not just to our people, but the rest of America is – don’t kill yourself, let us do it for you” a concerned Scott told the room full of state-approved reporters.

This message is consistent with that put out last year when Vermont became the first state to make it a constitutional right to kill the youngest of its citizens – defenseless babies.

“That bill passed itself, really,” commented Representative Gabrielle Stebbins (D – Chittenden 13).  “We believe in a woman’s right to choose.  I didn’t choose to get pregnant. Besides, babies are expensive!   How am I supposed to afford one of those and a Venti mocha frappuccino with a double shot of espresso after my Peloton class?”

Totally.

Vermont has now bookended its suicide solution into a cradle-to-grave, soup-ladle-to-grave cottage industry.  The strategy appears to be making money on the front end and the back end while keeping the earning class alive long enough to pay taxes.

“It’s a real stroke of genius.  Babies don’t make the state money if they’re alive, and neither do old people,” commented Daisy Berbeco (D – Chittenden 21).

She continued, “In Vermont, our government model is a for-profit business that allows us to pay for helping people who are struggling.  Technically ‘Marxist-socialism’ if you want to give it a name.”

Finally, adding, “If we don’t get enough tax money, older people might freeze to death without the heating supplement.  Vulnerable citizens might starve, and addicts might accidentally overdose.  This allows us to save them from those tragedies by strategically killing those more fortunate and having healthy taxpaying Vermonters pay for it.”

Who wants to argue that kind of logic?

In a time of national economic woes, the state of Vermont, the healthiest state in the nation, remains ahead of the pack by culling the herd for the entire country.

“We are literally making a killing out of making a killing!” said an ebullient Governor, countenanced by his grinning face.

As they say in Canadia – c’est la vie.

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The post Bananas: Vermont Tells America “Don’t Kill Yourself, Let Us Do It For You” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Episode 4 of Tucker on Twitter was released June 15th, and like those before it, it does not disappoint. Listen and THINK. Unlike the propaganda/drivel, you get from Hannity, or Mikey Graham, or “GoodMorningNH,” Tucker’s product is thought-provoking.

As much as most people want to deny it – and do deny it – America has more and more become a Police State since 2016, when powerful people in both Parties, the permanent government, and the major corporations decided that they did NOT have to accept the results of the 2016 election.

One of the attributes of a dictator is NOT relinquishing power. More specifically, the 2024 election will be even more rigged than 2020. We’ve already seen it, the barrage of supposedly criminal, but in reality political, prosecutions against Trump.

And just as many powerful people in the GOP played along with the “changes” to voting … supposedly to protect us from COVID, but in reality to make it easier to rig the election in favor of Biden – so too they are playing along with the political prosecutions. Mike Pence, in that tiresome sonorous voice he uses to try to mask the emptiness of his words, tells us that he can’t “defend the former President.”  Chris Christie, in between swallowing jelly donuts whole, tells CNN, etc., that it’s “deeply disturbing.”

STOP burying your heads in the sand. America is a Police State.

Here’s Tucker:

Ep. 4 Wannabe Dictator pic.twitter.com/MDcs5g0gxB

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 15, 2023

 

The post The Problem With Wannabe Dictators … appeared first on Granite Grok.

An American town run by an all-Muslim city council with a Muslim mayor has found a diplomatic way to keep the Pride flag off public property. They passed a neutrality resolution prohibiting all but five flags from being flown on town property.

 

The proposal called for the ban of all but five flags from being flown on city properties — including the American flag, the state of Michigan flag, the Hamtramck flag and the Prisoner of War flag. The fifth one is known as the nations’ flag, one that represents the countries from which the city’s immigrant residents hail and reflects the community’s international character.

Ultimately, the council said the decision was not about discriminating but heeding the city’s 2013 resolution about reflecting “the international character of the city.”

 

No BLM, no “LGBTQ+, religious, ethnic, racial, and political flags.”  … “On your property, you can do what you want to do,” Councilman Khalil Refai said.

 

Some attendees traveled from around Metro Detroit to express their feelings about the measure ahead of the vote.

“This is America. We don’t fly heterosexual flags,” Stephanie Butler said. “…This doesn’t mean people are not free to exist.”

Many told the council they believed limiting the types of flags allowed was a way to criticize the LGBTQ+ community and defied Hamtramck’s reputation as an inclusive place.

Of course, they did. Everything, everywhere, all the time, it’s about you. Your feelings, your priorities, and everywhere has to be your safe space. (conquered is more like it). Your politics, your agenda, your flag. Sorry, that’s not always going to fly.

And wasn’t this inevitable?

The LGBT*** lifestyle is anathema to devout Muslims. We have said for years that it was only a matter of time before growing Islamic communities pandered to by the Left ran headlong into their sex and gender cult despite the sex and gender cult going out of its way to keep that from happening. They don’t challenge Muslim bakers or artists or photographers or dating services (not sure they have one, but you get the point).

When Muslim drivers refused to transport alcohol, the default response was, well, that’s what they believe.

Christians and Jews get sh!t on, and Muslims get their way. That’s how it looks from here, and I’m not saying there is no anti-Islamic animus or that Muslims looking to mind their own business and benefit from America are not harassed. But this victim-class totem poll conflict was as inevitable as the clash between women and the transgender agenda.

Women are still losing that battle.

How the Islam vs. LGBT*** thing progresses is anyone’s guess, but devout Muslims are not likely to back down, and it is unclear whom the political Left will side with if one-day flags are not the only thing on the docket.

 

 

HT | The GatewayPundit

The post City Council Says No Pride Flags on Public Property appeared first on Granite Grok.

When Barack Obama took office in 2009, he embarked on a worldwide tour to apologize to all for the imperialistic actions of our young nation. The irony in that statement is that the United States never entered into armed conflict with any country to take territory from a foe.

The other is that no other country on earth has ever come to the aid of others or lost more sons and daughters for the sake of others than the United States. We had nothing to apologize for, but our President was bowing down to European and Middle Eastern leaders. It was a defining moment in the Obama tenure that damaged our standing and respect around the globe.

President Trump earned some of that respect back, but respect is not something that ebbs and flows. Respect is not something that you can turn off like a switch. Under Trump, America was not feared, but with a rebuilt military and a commitment to defend ourselves regardless of the foe, we had a renewed sense of security and four years void of conflict.

Biden followed Obama’s model, and we quickly regained a supine position. The abysmal exit from Afghanistan set the tone for our role as a world power, and we opened the door for China to assume a dominant position as the alpha country that dominates all others. This new world order is why China threatens Taiwan and moves into the Middle East. It is why Russia felt no resistance to invading Ukraine. It is why Iran is close to possessing offensive nuclear weapons. And finally, it is why over five million unvetted illegal aliens have entered our country through a porous unprotected southern border.

In Biden’s Administration’s most recent show of submission, Secretary of State Blinken is in China being schooled by the Xi regime on what China expects of us. We are no longer calling the shots. Biden stunned the country on Saturday by apologizing to China for assuming the balloon that traversed America in February was an intentional action by the CCP. Biden is now telling the world it was an accident and the Chinese government did not control the balloon’s path. To use one of Biden’s favorite words, malarkey.

We know that Biden is compromised by China, Russia, Ukraine, and who knows how many other regimes, and Xi may as well have written this apology. What could be the purpose of this uncalled-for statement by our President other than doing the bidding for China? First, the Administration tried to convince the American people that the Chinese have been using surveillance balloons since the Trump term, and now we are to believe that this balloon was caught up in the jet stream and the Chinese could not direct its flight. Incredible luck that the jet stream brought this balloon over many of our most critical military bases.

If we buy this malarkey, we may believe the COVID Pandemic was caused by a bat, that Fentanyl doesn’t originate in China, and that the Chinese police stations in our major cities were take-out kiosks. This Administration cannot be straight with the American people, and they are not working on our behalf. We are not in a position to successfully impeach both Biden and Harris, but we have to create a strong enough case that the media cannot ignore. We cannot sit back and hope for a win in 2024. We can no longer count on fair elections. We have to get down on their level and beat them their way. Losing is not an option.

 

The post Apology Tour, Part Two appeared first on Granite Grok.

Government-managed demise has a long and storied history to which we’ve recently added the idea of chemically assisted suicide. What was once cruel and unusual punishment for capital criminals is compassion and care for people who are a burden to the system.

And Hawaii has just changed its law to allow for a quicker death.

 

Under previous law, individuals seeking to end their lives had to make two oral requests to their physician for a lethal prescription 20 days apart. Bioethics news service BioEdge reports that the state’s Democrat Gov. Josh Green, who is a retired oncologist, signed a law reducing that period by 75%, to just five days. The new law also lets doctors waive that period entirely if a patient is terminally ill and expected to die sooner than five days.

 

If I read this correctly, under the correct circumstances, your doctor – the one who probably could not prescribe affordable Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin, can order a chemically induced suicide to hasten a human departure at a cost of up to $20,000.00 even if you are likely to die in less than five days without his suicide assisting intervention.

I guess we’ve abandoned the argument against allowing people to “do themselves in” because of the cost. A round of 9mm ammunition runs under 0.30 cents. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a section of pool hose and a tank of gas. Or you could get to know the Clintons, and they might end your life at no cost to you.

I’m joking, sort of, but there are a lot of problems, not the least of which is incentivizing pharmaceutical death to the benefit of pharmaceutical companies. While politicians call for Medically assisted death to be covered in full by the taxpayer (you) or private insurance, the cost of the cocktail – typically, a self-administered overdose of barbituates – has skyrocketed.

As the practice becomes more politically popular on the Left, the price to execute has risen.

It is a death that is not necessarily pleasant or painless, and Hawaii just made it easier for them to make more money on people who would die on their own or who might not die were they not counseled that it was for the best by a public health industry in bed with political tyrants beholden to big pharma.

 

 

HT | LifeSite News

The post Slippery Meet Slope: Hawaii Reduces Waiting Period for ‘Assisted’ Suicide to Five Days or Less appeared first on Granite Grok.