OK, here are the two last videos from the hearing last week. First is that of NH State Rep Travis O’Hara, followed by the follow-up/ending of the hearing.  As I have on our GraniteGrok YouTube Channel (PLEASE, SUBSCRIBE!):

This past Friday, 5/26, was my hearing at the NH Legislative Ethics Committee. I had brought NH State Reps Harry Bean and Travis O’Hara to the Committee as they willfully and knowingly broke NH RSA 91-A (NH’s Right To Know law) and NH RSA 24:9-c & D (which governs how County Delegations (all of the NH State Reps from a given county) how to act. Both laws make it mandatory that all meetings of such public bodies MUST be publicly noticed (ad in the local paper, noticed on their website, et al) with specific “days ahead of the meeting” announcements (2 day vs 7 day notice) as well as who is entitled to call emergency meetings (he did but wasn’t entitled to in trying to “meld” the two together).

Gosh, can we “normal” people do that same thing to the laws that he passes that we must obey or go to prison?

This is Travis O’Hara’s testimony which was, if you boil it down, somebody else was supposed to do that noticing, not my job (a common theme among those I issued complaints against) even as he is the Clerk of the Belknap County Delegation and part of his responsibility is to make sure proper noticing is done according to RSA 24:9-d.



Takeaways:

 

And the end of the hearing:



I also received from the Ethics Committee (under an RTK, ‘natch) what the defendants had sent in response to my complaint.  Well, actually, not THEIR actual responses but their common (to Bean and O’Hara) lawyer: Paul Fitzgerald.  As we found out during Rep. Bean’s testimony, Fitzgerald is not only Bean’s personal lawyer but also “the lawyer of record” for Belknap County. 1) Conflict of interest (Bean’s protestations aside), and 2) Nice to see, once again, that my tax dollars are being used against my self-interest in trying to, according to Article 8 of the NH Constitution, hold my elected representatives accountable for what they do – or what they have chosen not to do.

The post Legislative Ethics Committee: Oral Testimony by NH State Rep Travis O’Hara appeared first on Granite Grok.

Dr. Jordan Peterson is one of the most staunch defenders of men and masculinity. Peterson was living a relatively quiet life in Canada, teaching psychology and coaching both women and men, when his university and country decided to attempt to compel his speech.

Suddenly the Canadian post-modernists, including Justin Trudeau, demanded others refer to them by their preferred pronouns. Peterson refused. Under the false pretense of personal respect and politeness, these people were making a power play, and he saw right through it. Rather than simple courtesy, they wanted compulsion and the same assumed authority of royalty.  What difference is there between being told you must call one “his or her majesty” versus “he/him,” “she/her,” or “they/them”? Essentially there is none.

Furthermore, Peterson is classically trained in psychology while also having an insatiable appetite for learning.  His interests include everything from art to history to sociology to environmental concerns (having been tapped by the United Nations to assist in developing data-driven responses to their climate change initiative).  As a self-respecting clinician, he understands the value of data, scientific research, and the necessity of rigor applied to the scientific method.

A serious man and defender of what is true, Peterson is not easily manipulated by cultural trends.

As a student of history, he saw the slow march of communism lurking behind the social justice warrior advances in the West.  Not one to guess, Peterson reads voluminously and thinks in great depth about issues in order to offer insights and commentary aimed at leading others to reasonable conclusions.  Though often the smartest person in the room, Peterson is anything but a know-it-all.  His temperament is genial, and his disposition, sometimes stern and other times sensitive, allows listeners a genuine look into the man.  Though cognizant of his shortcomings, Peterson isn’t one to fall back on them as an excuse to extract social credit or demand sympathy from others as a ruse to take political power.  He would much rather demand more of himself in the service of others.  This combination of factors has built a character that is unafraid to take on the kaleidoscope of threats to western culture and values, no matter the cost.

Jordan Peterson is a man who doesn’t just wear the uniform but fulfills his duty. He is a man of principle and truth interwoven by integrity, unwilling to compromise, and with the courage to take a stand against powerful foes who would strip him of his essential manhood if only he would let them.

He won’t.

The attacks against Peterson came slowly at first.  His colleagues issued a public denunciation of his unwillingness to play the pronoun charade.  He was then interviewed by so-called journalists who used their hi-profile and well-funded platforms to try and paint him as an atavistic misogynist and bigot.

He is anything but.

Though the consummate gentleman Mr. Peterson found himself on the receiving end of attacks by feminists who attempted to put him in his place only to learn he is not one to be trifled with.  One interview with BBC darling Cathy Newman was a master class in defending one’s own manhood against an ideologue who prefers cunning and word games to the pursuit of truth.  Though pushed to the limits of his patience, Peterson calmly parries her repeated attempts to put words in his mouth or straw-man his positions while trying to embarrass or humiliate him.  Instead, she is made famous for being taken down by one of the world’s leading intellectuals, like a kitten attempting to wrestle a lion.

In yet another attempted take-down, Peterson is interviewed by a similarly demure English-woman working for Gentleman’s Quarterly (GQ) online who tries the same tactic as Mrs. Newman only to come away man-handled by the clinician who shows no compunction about dismantling poorly reasoned nor weakly supported claims in the presence of a lady.  He knows his character and reputation are at stake but doesn’t make the mistake of believing he needs to be nice in order to keep them, and he certainly isn’t willing to walk out on the truth in order to make concessions for better treatment by a social class bending toward insanity.

Jordan Peterson is a man who understands his essential manliness is critical to his mission.

To all of the men reading this, we can’t all be Jordan Peterson, but we can learn from and be like him when facing the slings and arrows of an enemy who has enumerated his tactical style and made clear the rules don’t apply to them.

One thing that does apply is the truth, and the truth cannot be compromised.  Its very nature is uncompromising because it is fully integrated and immovable in that it is true.

The left is feathering its attire with any number of distracting splashes of color and flickering lights intended to disarm, manipulate or attract you.  It has built its castle on sand made out of lies.  It will play victim or play nice and demand pity in exchange for power.  It will sloganeer and slander, and if it can’t kill you with cunning masked as kindness, it will drop the act and go on the offensive using scorched earth tactics ranging from mass media mind-control to misuse of law enforcement to violent riots, property destruction, and even murder.

In other words, it will masquerade as angels of light before revealing its demonic nature attempting to take your soul and steal your manhood if only you will let it.

Will you?

I hope not.  We need you, your courage, and your authentic masculinity now more than ever.

Act like men.

 

The post Act Like Men Part 3: Compromise or Courage appeared first on Granite Grok.

Newsweek just reported a ‘huge win’ for Ron DeSantis because a particular judge was assigned to a particular case to which he’s a party. Does anyone else see the problem here?  If it matters which judge hears a case, then it means that the answers to the legal questions, in that case, aren’t to be found in the law.

They are to be found in the judge who presides.

In case you’ve ever wondered what it means to live under ‘the rule of law,’ this is pretty much the opposite.

We pretend that what judges do is deduction:  Here are the laws, here are the facts, and here is the conclusion that must follow logically from those laws and facts.

All men are mortal, Socrates is a man, therefore Socrates must be mortal.

But what they actually do is go in the other direction:  Here is the conclusion I want to reach, here are the facts I wish to consider, and here are the laws (and interpretations of those laws) that rationalize the conclusion.

Socrates may be immortal. After all, corporations are legally persons, and corporations may be immortal, so some persons may be immortal.  And Socrates is a person.

When the Red Queen said, ‘Sentence first, verdict afterwards’, it was supposed to be a fictional example of comically illogical behavior.

Its modern judicial equivalent — ‘Conclusion first, justification afterwards’ — is just as illogical.  Unfortunately, it’s not fictional.  And it’s not comical.

 

The post Where is the Law? appeared first on Granite Grok.

It’s time to hide the donuts … and the Doritos … and the ice cream … and anything else edible … because the FAT MAN returneth.  Chris Christie is going to run for President AGAIN.

Yeah, right … a man who obviously can’t stop himself from consuming the equivalent of an entire grocery store aisle of junk food at each of his no doubt innumerable daily feeding frenzies is going to “stop Trump.” What a joke … the Fat Man running for President AGAIN is only going to HELP TRUMP by further splitting the anti-Trump vote. Indeed, I am sure that Trump welcomes the FAT MAN to the race.

The Fat Man is as much a narcissist as the Sun King. As is the case with the Sun-King’s “candidacy” it’s not really about “stopping Trump”it’s about promoting his brand to set up a post-2024 grift.

 

The post Time To Hide The Donuts … appeared first on Granite Grok.

Journalism has often been referred to as the Fourth Estate — critical to keeping the three branches of Government in check. But what happens when a State’s public interest journalists are no longer empowered to keep the three branches of Government in check? When they are replaced by “influencers” who act as agents for law enforcement?

Where they are censored completely or else given talking points or buzz terms by NGOs secretly working on behalf of and in collusion with elected officials, police, prosecutors, or the Federal Government itself?

Eight years ago, New Hampshire Public Radio sent Paige Sutherland to cover the criminal trial of New Hampshire v Owen Labrie. Like other journalists, Paige Sutherland tweeted live updates from the trial. Many years later, she was to discover that her tweets had been included as an exhibit for a motion to seek restrictions for media access. Other journalists attending the trial did not have their tweets included in the motion. She was singled out, and she was unaware.

Paige Sutherland wasn’t writing for a gossip magazine or an online publication reliant on clickbait and # engagement. She was reporting for New Hampshire’s Public Radio station — the one that New Hampshire’s citizens are supposed to be able to rely upon for truthful, unbiased reporting. The public has a right of access to criminal court proceedings. When members of the public can’t attend, they rely on journalists to report what’s going on, and they assume the journalists to be honest.

There was nothing harmful in Paige Sutherland’s tweets, nothing sensational. She was merely reporting live statements of the State’s witness, an anonymous Jane Doe (later known as Chessy Prout), whose legal team had brought attorneys, victims rights activists, media specialists and influencers to the trial after introductions and recommendations made by Concord Police.

The media restriction was backed by an elected public official for the City of Concord, whose non-profit had an unlawful interest in restricting the media for political and financial gain; to serve the interests in her organization’s partnership with the Department of Justice, Department of Education, Department of Defense, the White House “Not Alone” task force, Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s and Congresswoman Ann Kuster’s election campaigns.

I came across the motion and approval by Judge Larry Smukler in 2021/2022 in my research into the trial. A tweet from Paige Sutherland indicated that it was the first time she’d heard about it.

In an article in the Concord Monitor following this motion in August 2015, the following excerpts are noteworthy.

Amanda Grady Sexton, public policy director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, pointed to the dangers of live reporting, noting that reporters “don’t have that opportunity for editors to weigh in on important journalistic decisions.”

“It is very likely that things are being published that wouldn’t have otherwise made it to print because a discussion would have taken place about what is the fair thing to report,” she said, adding, “Victims are watching and seeing what this very courageous teen is being subjected to. And I’m afraid this is a deterrent, and that’s really heartbreaking.”

……

On Thursday, the judge in the case, Larry Smukler, issued an order limiting the number of reporters who can “broadcast” from the court.

Grady Sexton, who is attending the Labrie trial and keeping tabs on the reporting on it, said she hopes the attention starts a broader dialogue about how best to cover similar sensitive cases. …..

“We’re about to have the whole world’s eyes on New Hampshire during the Kibby trial, involving another juvenile sexual assault victim, and we as a community need to come together to have a discussion about best practices for the courts and the media,” Grady Sexton said. “We have an opportunity to set the tone for the national press about our expectations.”

Another document in the Merrimack County Superior Court records for the trial show an instruction granting exclusive TV access to WMUR.

Amanda Grady Sexton’s husband, Adam Sexton, is the political director of WMUR and the reporter who broadcast Owen Labrie’s mugshot following his arrest warrant on July 16, 2014, in the middle of the Dartmouth Sexual Assault Summit introduced by Congresswoman Ann Kuster.

On June 1, 2016, a lawsuit was filed against St Paul’s School: Does v St Paul’s (aka Prout/Does v St Paul’s School). The lawsuit, per an affidavit signed by Michael Delaney, who was legal counsel for St Paul’s School at the time, was given to Jeremy Blackman at the Concord Monitor, Susan Zalkind at Vice Media, and NBC Today Show. Jeremy Blackman had also tweeted from the criminal trial. Susan Zalkind had reported extensively from it.

These journalists were seeking comment from Michael Delaney on the suit against St Paul’s School, but he was unable to obtain a copy because the courts had closed. Jeremy Blackman of the Concord Monitor sent him his copy and said that he’d been given it by “a source.” The lawsuit was filed by Steven J Kelly Esq, Steven D Silverman Esq, and Chuck Douglas Esq.

Steven J Kelly Esq & Amanda Grady Sexton wrote this guide to Pretrial publicity (paid for with a grant from the DOJ) — documenting their work to influence the Associated Press; their work to train police, prosecutors, investigators, witnesses and to tailor a media strategy for these.

In their bios they list their work with lawmakers, including Governors, Senators, and members of Congress. Amanda Grady Sexton’s bio also includes praise she received in Politico Magazine in 2016 for being one of

“the most plugged-in activists and elected officials” in NH, and the Boston Globe called her one of NH’s “most desirable endorsements for candidates seeking the Presidency.”

ncvli-newsletter-pretrial-publicityfriend-and

Steven J Kelly Esq had been introduced to NH v Owen Labrie by Laura L Dunn Esq, who’d been recommended to the Prout family by Concord Police Detective Julie Curtin several months before the criminal trial. Concord Police Detective Julie Curtin’s budget for the investigation was approved by the City of Concord Council. Amanda Grady Sexton is Chair of the City of Concord Council’s public safety committee to whom the Concord Police Chief reports. The city also approves payments to witnesses for Grand Jury.

Earlier in the year, in March 2016, Owen Labrie was put into solitary confinement for his own safety following a tweet from Susan Zalkind saying she’d run into New England’s most notorious sex offender, sparking police investigation of bus records. These revealed he’d missed his strict curfew of 5pm-8am on a handful of occasions due to commuting from Vermont to Boston for classes. Amanda Grady Sexton wrote a statement on the NHCADSV site to thank Judge Larry Smukler for revoking Owen Labrie’s bail. Susan Zalkind made TV appearances about her achievement.

Unlike Paige Sutherland, who was a journalist for public radio and had a duty to report honestly in the public interest, the question has to be asked as to whether Susan Zalkind qualified as a journalist at all.

Was she, in fact, an influencer or an agent for the police and the NHCADSV? Did she violate the Fourth Amendment? Was she sent by the NHCADSV, Concord Police or Prosecutors, upon suspicion by them that Owen Labrie had violated his curfew hours, to confirm this for them and thus allow them to revoke his bail?

“Finally, it calms down a bit, and there’s just the one man with the Rubik’s cube, screaming, and I introduce myself,” Zalkind said in an interview with Boston Public Radio. “I said hello, Owen, I kind of have to introduce myself, I’m a reporter, I’ve covered your trial for Vice [News]. I did that, and I kind of waited to see where it would go from there.”

Zalkind expected Labrie to recoil and dismiss her, but he didn’t. “He moved over very politely, so I could sit down, and so there I am sitting down next to him…and I asked him what he was up to, where is [was] going,” she said.

“At the time, he was worried, because the train was stopped, because of this guy with his arm stuck, so he was worried about making curfew, but at the time it was conceivable to me that he would make it on time. I didn’t report that he had broken his curfew, it didn’t raise eyebrows to me that he had, it might have been a tight call, but that’s not what my story was about.”

Zalkind tweeted out a few quotes from her interview, wrote up a piece for Vice News, and waited for reactions. One unexpected response came from a detective from the police force in New Hampshire, Julie Curtin. Curtin launched a full-scale investigation which revealed that Labrie had been making a habit of violating his curfew. After an expedited hearing, Labrie’s bail was revoked, and the 20-year-old was sent to jail.

The lady doth protest too much — “I didn’t report that he had broken his curfew……wrote up a piece for Vice News, and waited for reactions. One unexpected response came from a detective from the police force in New Hampshire, Julie Curtin.”

A couple of months later, Susan Zalkind was the lucky recipient of the leaked lawsuit against St Paul’s School, which led to a Grand Jury Criminal Investigation into St Paul’s School with Concord Police Detective Julie Curtin as the main investigator. It also led to a contract for the NHCADSV with St Paul’s School. Who paid Vice Media for Susan Zalkind’s coverage?

Who decided that it was OK for Susan Zalkind of Vice Media to cover the trial but had issues with NHPR’s Paige Sutherland’s live tweets?

In August 2016, Michael Delaney, acting as counsel for St Paul’s School, filed a response to the June 1 lawsuit in which he stated that Steven D Silverman Esq had been suspended by DC Bar in 2014 for using media to influence the judicial outcome in Doe v Cabrera.

Later in August 2016, NBC Today Show featured Chessy Prout and her family, who publicly revealed their names for the first time on national TV.

In March 2018, Susan Zalkind promoted a “memoir” by Chessy Prout and Boston Globe reporter Susan Zalkind with an introduction by Congresswoman Ann Kuster. She was effectively working for them all as their publicist while also working for the Concord Police and NHCADSV as an agent, a spy, and an informant.

In July 2019, Amanda Grady Sexton, the NHCADSV, and elected officials in New Hampshire, including Congresswoman Ann Kuster, launched a social media and phone campaign to block ABC/GMA from airing an interview with Owen Labrie upon his release from jail.

“Why is ABC giving convicted rapist Owen Labrie a platform to claim his innocence? As the judge in his case stated, Owen is ‘a very good liar.’ As Owen stated himself: ‘You deny until you die.’ #MeToo #NOMORE #OwenLabrie #IHaveARightTo,” a portion of the coalition’s tweet read.

That tweet and a series of other social media posts began a conversation that quickly caught the attention of national victims rights groups to include Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE), National Network to End Domestic Violence, End Rape On Campus, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, NO MORE, and Love is Respect. In addition to those organizations, coalitions in Mississippi, Montana and Colorado; several New Hampshire survivors; U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster and state representatives continue to weigh in with their own posts and calls for the network to rethink its decision.

How odd — Amanda Grady Sexton and the NHCADSV were only too happy for Susan Zalkind of Vice Media, their agent & spy, to sidle up to him on a subway and report her conversation with him so they could get him arrested for curfew violations. They were also very happy to plaster his face all over the news but complained that they shouldn’t have to see it unless it was under their terms — where they could get away with comparing their Harlequin Romance-style fantasy rapist to an Isis terrorist, Brett Kavanaugh or Donald Trump.

Even convicted felons have first amendment rights, except in New Hampshire, where neither the first amendment nor the fourth amendment is respected by publicly elected officials, police, prosecutors or even judges. They do not respect independent public interest journalism. It’s a pity because one day, they might need honest Fourth Estate reporting for themselves.

What are the consequences?

In October 2019, Professor David Bucci of Dartmouth College committed suicide.

His wife cited the media coverage in Rapuano & Does v Dartmouth in which he was named 31 times, as a possible cause of his downward spiral. He’d been accused, in a lawsuit filed by Steven J Kelly & Chuck Douglas, of knowing of sexual misconduct in his department and failing to report it. He claimed he had no knowledge but was denied the right to speak for himself. A media grant from Times Up Legal Defense Fund/National Women’s Legal Center paid for the pretrial coverage.

In May 2023, Michael Delaney formally withdrew his application for a lifetime judicial position on the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

His withdrawal followed criticism of his representation of St Paul’s School and allegedly forcing Chessy Prout to reveal her identity behind her “Doe” status in her family’s civil suit against St Paul’s School. Despite Michael Delaney’s explanations, he was effectively canceled by the Prout family with Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell behind them — publicly shamed in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee now have records from New Hampshire’s State Witness & erstwhile “survivor” mascot, Chessy Prout, alleging Delaney (a former AG) tampered with witnesses for the State and that Amanda Grady Sexton informed Prosecutor Catherine Ruffle of this tampering and that Prosecutor Catherine Ruffle allowed the witnesses to give testimony anyway (one of them, Andrew Thomson, being the son of Governor Maggie Hassan’s legal counsel, Lucy Hodder who teaches at UNH).

Had the Merrimack County Superior Court not restricted access to the trial of NH v Owen Labrie; had Amanda Grady Sexton not been involved in making editorial decisions; had WMUR not been the only TV station allowed access; had Susan Zalkind of Vice Media not been favored over Paige Sutherland for NHPR then:

Perhaps Michael Delaney’s judicial nomination wouldn’t have fallen foul — it might never have made it to the starting gate if an honest reporter from NHPR had been allowed to report on the prosecutor’s interference with the cross-examination of Andrew Thomson.

Perhaps the judicial outcome of NH v Owen Labrie would have been different.

Perhaps Owen Labrie would not have been put in solitary confinement for his own safety.

Perhaps the lawsuit against St Paul’s School would have had a different outcome or not even be filed at all.

Perhaps the NHCADSV would not have got a contract with the school.

Perhaps Owen Labrie’s appeals might not have been denied.

Perhaps AG Gordon MacDonald wouldn’t have found the need to hide files of corrupt police officers.

Perhaps there wouldn’t have been a Grand Jury Criminal Investigation into the School with a decision made behind closed doors to keep it private from the public who paid for it.

Perhaps Concord Police Detective Julie Curtin wouldn’t have been transferred to Epping Police Department.

Perhaps Amanda Grady Sexton and Congresswoman Ann Kuster wouldn’t have needed to violate the first amendment to shut down a citizen’s right to speak for himself on TV.

Perhaps Professor David Bucci might not have been driven to suicide.

The post Why NHPR Journalists Need To Worry About Censorship, Protecting the 4th Estate, and Getting Replaced by “Influencers” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Vermontistan’s hoplophobic Marxist Mullahs continue to notch wins in their war against the Bill of Rights, while so-called Republican Gov Phil Scott can’t even be bothered to pretend he’s interested in protecting them.

 

The plan requires a 72-hour waiting period to purchase a firearm, it calls for the safe home storage of guns, and it expands the use of risk prevention orders.

Scott says he has strong concerns that the waiting period is unconstitutional, but he allowed the bill to become law without his signature because he says the issue will likely be settled in federal court.

 

While Vermont Democrats make public safety shadow puppets, Gov. Phil figures it’s okay to take a knee and hope the courts will shine a light he can’t be bothered to bring to bear. It’s a missed opportunity.

The Dem majority legislature would likely override any veto, but that’s the point. Much like the poorly conceived and unpopular Heat Standard legislation, you could have made them double down on the gun grab. By abrogating your duty, both political (as the de facto figurehead of your state Republican party) and constitutional (you swore an oath, dumbass), you’ve given the left a free ride further down the slippery slope on the notion that millions of dollars and years in court that the right judge on the right day might agree with you.

A veto might not have changed the inevitability of passage via override, but not one Democrat had to double down before their constituents over the whittling away of their rights. You abandoned those optics, and Vermont Republicans would be right to wonder what else they will be asked to surrender.

As a friend, author, and ‘Grok blogger Ian Underwood reminds us,

 

Justice Thomas rightly noted in Bruen that the kinds of restrictions that have been placed on the right to keep and bear arms are simply not applied to other constitutional rights.  …

A right is fundamental.  It’s something you have simply by virtue of being human, and it is, as the Declaration of Independence says, inalienable.  It can’t be taken from you or even given away because it’s part of who you are.

 

When do the Democrats roll out the 72-hour waiting period to exercise your right to free speech or assembly? Will there be a form you must fill out or a pencil-pusher to appease mandatory training and speech red flag laws? Too absurd?

All the liberties lost during COVID should be fresh in the minds of the masses —religious, assembly, and association. Many lost their body autonomy to people who made their name fighting for a woman’s right to her own. Free speech was likewise assaulted as people who turned out to be right about almost everything had that speech flagged as misinformation to be censored at the direction of the government on social media.

Criminals don’t care about waiting periods, and red flag laws are not passed in the interests of the vulnerable; they are a selectively applied political weapon wielded clumsily by partisans responsible for understaffed local law enforcement. An idea that, not that long ago, would have inspired outrage in Vermont. These days you can’t even get your Republican governor to try and put some political points on the board.

 

HT | WSHU.org

The post Red Flags Everywhere as Vermont’s Gun Grabbers Get Their Three-Day Waiting Period appeared first on Granite Grok.

Here in the Upper Valley the leadership among the local churches has a variety of approaches to leading their congregants, so far as teaching the Bible and sharing the gospel.  Some churches and their leaders take a traditional approach with acoustic hymns and worship styles followed by line by line exegesis of the scripture.

Others prefer fully amplified music with radio friendly worship songs followed by topical preaching intended to help you live a better life with God, while others blend a mixture of musical and teaching styles.  All of them are concerned with faithfully carrying out their calling – to reach and save the lost and to edify the body of believers.

Despite their numerous denominational, doctrinal and stylistic differences, one thing they all seem to agree on is avoiding politics in the pulpit.  Why is that?

Though the very first amendment offered in the Bill of Rights clearly protects the freedom of speech and the right to redress grievances, the modern understanding bends toward the “wall of separation between church and state” written by Thomas Jefferson to the Dansbury Baptist church in Connecticut, which he meant as a protection for the minority religious body (Baptists) from the state sanction Congregationalist church.  Rather than offering liberty to churches it’s been used to silence them in political matters.

Added to this pressure to remain politically neutral is the tax exemption clause for 501(c)(3) religious organizations.  The stipulations disallowing churches or religious bodies from enjoy tax exemption are:

• The organization must be organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, scientific or other charitable purposes;
• Net earnings may not inure to the benefit of any private individual or shareholder;
• No substantial part of the organization’s activities may involve attempts to influence legislation;
• The organization may not intervene in political campaigns;
• The organization’s purposes or activities may not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy.

Clearly the federal government (i.e. state) has no problem influencing the liberties protected for the church and its leaders on the basis of money, and herein lies the rub.  This is the equivalent of moral bribery conferring power to the state by quieting the likeliest source of its accountability – the faithful men (and women) who are called to minister to the culture via the pulpit.

This two-pronged approach to curbing political speech from within the largest source of cultural persuasion has effectively neutered the call from God to “be the light of the world” (Matthew 7:14), a light called to “have nothing to do with the fruitless evil deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).

Having spoken to and confronted several local church leaders, ones who are keenly aware of the Marxist based culture war, it stuns me how quickly they trot out the notion of avoiding politics, either in the pulpit or outside of it.  One chooses to avoid it by saying it’s not their calling, while another says the great commission to “make disciples of all the nations” is intended to be fulfilled by singular one-on-one evangelism.  Still another leans on the Calvinist doctrine of predestination with a shrug, since it’s bound to happen.  Perhaps the most prominent church in my area simply ignores any admonition while walking the hi-wire of political correctness in designer shoes set to a Top 40 beat.

Meanwhile, child grooming explodes, God’s command to be fruitful and multiply is assaulted, and women are left alone to defend themselves yet again.

It seems the cleverness of the enemy reveals itself again by getting those called to “be strong and courageous and act like men” (Joshua 1:9; 1 Corinthians 16:13) in the face of evil to instead punt in order to stay in the game and keep the butts in the seats.

Jesus said, “You can’t serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) yet somehow the American church at large, including here in the Upper Valley, has figured a way to defy that edict.

A closer look at the prohibition for 501(c)(3) puts primary focus on political campaigns and candidates.  Alliance Defending Freedom has sought to remind churches of both their right and their calling to speak truth to power with Pulpit Freedom Sundays by encouraging their preaching on political issues.  “This is designed to provoke a response from the IRS that would permit a constitutional challenge to the IRS regulations. To date, the IRS has not taken any formal action against participating pastors, and no legal challenge has been filed.”

Acts of provocation are a staple among the political left, thanks to Alinsky’s urging:

Rule #13. “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.

Drag Queen story hour, Dylan Mulvaney, Target’s pride displays in the front of store, street protestors stopping cars on the way to work, classic works of art being destroyed, pride flags being hung on state buildings, and schools allowing porn among children are all types of mid-level violence intended to provoke.

Yet the leaders of the churches in my area remain passive, as if to model the lamb who was slain.

Ironically they forget He is also likened as a lion, who provoked the political and religious leaders of His time by confronting them with authentic manliness by beating money changers in the temple, confronting tax-collectors, and rebuking churches for being overly tolerant of sexual immorality.

Yes, He turned the other bloodied cheek, He wore the crown of thorns, and doesn’t bruise a withered reed.

He is also coming back to sort out the sheep from the goats, and the goats include the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the adulterers, liars and…

…the cowardly.

Act like men.

The post Act Like Men Part 2: Politics and Passivity appeared first on Granite Grok.

This is worth reading, sharing, and saving, from Dr. Peter Mucullough’s Substack.  Written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1943), it explores how “the German people—in spite of their vast education, culture, and intellectual achievements—had fallen so far from reason and morality.” Sound familiar?

Bonhoeffer engaged in an intellectual search for understanding on the question of how these people could allow that guy (Hitler) to rise to power. Fair question. He concluded that it was stupidity. Otherwise, good and well-meaning people with capable intellects mislead. Useful idiots, if you prefer the “something so stupid only a smart person would fall for it” sort of thing.

We’ve seen and heard a lot of stupid in the past few years, most of it linked to the pandemic, but there is no shortage of a wide range of topics in Modern America that coincidentally lead otherwise intelligent people to accept the sort of authoritarian rule that Bonhoeffer was trying to explain.

Give Dr. McCullough the clicks for the full read here, but I wanted to whet your appetite with a few pull quotes.

 

Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than wickedness. Evil can be protested against, exposed, and, if necessary, it can be prevented by force. Evil always harbors the germ of self-destruction by inducing at least some uneasiness in people. We are defenseless against stupidity. Nothing can be done to oppose it, neither with protests nor with violence. Reasons cannot prevail. …

 

In contrast to evil, the stupid person is completely satisfied with himself. When irritated, he becomes dangerous and may even go on the attack. More caution is therefore required when dealing with the stupid than with the wicked. Never try to convince the stupid with reasons; it’s pointless and dangerous. …

 

One gets the impression that stupidity is often not an innate defect, but one that emerges under certain circumstances in which people are made stupid or allow themselves to be made stupid. …

 

A closer look reveals that the strong exertion of external power, be it political or religious, strikes a large part of the people with stupidity. Yes, it seems as if this is a sociological-psychological law. The power of some requires the stupidity of others. Under this influence, human abilities suddenly wither or fail, robbing people of their inner independence, which they—more or less unconsciously —renounce to adapt their behavior to the prevailing situation. …

Having become an instrument without an independent will, the fool will also be capable of all evil, and at the same time, unable to recognize it as evil. Here lies the danger of diabolical abuse. Through this, a people can be ruined forever.

 

Powerful stuff from 70 years ago that shines a bit of light on (again) a number of current trends, the pandemic response not the least of them. A symptom of the larger disease fed by fear and delivered by the same people who swear they are our saviors—a warning whose remedy is neither simple nor easy.

 

But it is also quite clear here that it is not an act of instruction but only an act of liberation that can overcome stupidity. In doing so, one will have to accept the fact that, in most cases, real inner liberation is only possible after outer liberation has taken place.

 

They may not see the light until well after the light of much-needed chaos has cracked the once impenetrable darkness. It might be a vaccine death (COVID) or rolling blackouts (Climate Cult), unmitigated crime (gun control), systemic poverty (urban education/welfare), the crush of illegals (border policy), hyperinflation (monetary policy), attacks on US soil (foreign policy), empty shelves (economic policy), or any number or combination of things.

Whatever the catalyst, it needs to have a measurable personal impact – a lived experience – on the individual or group to break them out of the trance of whatever mass formation psychosis has trapped their otherwise capable mind—the classic road to Damascus moment.

Elsewise, they remain stupid.

 

 

The post “Stupidity Is a More Dangerous Enemy of the Good Than Wickedness” appeared first on Granite Grok.

What passes for Donkey political leadership in the United States says we must stop drilling for fossil fuels completely, or Americans will continue to suffer from severe weather events.  That’s the gospel, according to New York congressman Jamaal Bowman.

New Hampshire’s delegation is right there with him.

Bowman’s a Squad member.  He is making an unhinged attack on the oil and gas industry and lobby.  The congressman believes attacking the oil and gas industry will expedite transition to green energy alternatives. He is as wrong as he is ignorant.

He wants the industry to stop drilling for fossil fuels completely.  What he does not do is tell you what you lose, when there is no fossil fuel available.  So what’s that cost congressman?  What do we lose?

The congressman wants you to pay to expedite getting us to clean renewable energy.  The problem is the congressman cannot tell you how much you need to pay to get there.

He cannot explain how much of which materials will be needed.  He does not know where the materials will come from to make the solar panels and wind turbines.  He does not tell you it is dirtier to do it his way than it would be to do nothing at all.  Why is that congressman?

His reasoning is: If we don’t do things his way, we will continue to have these severe weather events.  But if there is a climate issue, the world’s biggest polluter is China.  China is polluting way more than America.  Worse yet, China is adding to its pollution production capability each day, every day.

Even if America stops using fossil fuels today; the world will continue on the pollution train because of the actions of others… Just think about it.  You lose and the world does not gain… which is good because?  Please, fill in the blank.

The national average price for a gallon of gas last summer exceeded $5.  Forecasters are expecting the average to again exceed $4 very soon.  The Donkeys campaigned against U.S. oil and gas production.  End fossil fuel and allow no more drilling, they said. They cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline and implemented a moratorium on new gas leases.

The Donkeys targeted the oil and gas industry through regulation.  They pumped out about half of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new standards forcing coal and gas power plants to cut their carbon emissions 90% between 2035 and 2040. The rule will force many plants to shut down.  Where’s your electricity going to come from when they do?

Elimination of fossil fuel power plants and oil and gas drilling will cripple America’s economy.  80% of the country’s energy consumption came from fossil fuels in 2021.

We are being forced to move to electric cars which will increase electric demand. Where’s the electricity to power current demand going to come from?  Where’s the electricity to power over 300 million electric vehicles going to come from?  How would you distribute it… if you had enough electricity?

It is flippant to say we’ll meet that demand through green energy sources:  First, there’s insufficient mining and manufacturing capacity to produce the solar cells and wind turbines necessary to generate that much electricity timely.

Second, even if we could build wind and solar capacity, which we can’t, those alternatives come with reliability issues.  Solar only works when the sun is shining.  Wind only works when the wind is blowing.

NERC says much of the United States faces power blackouts this summer.  And that’s before we add all of those electric vehicles… before we take those coal and gas plants offline.

The United States is heading toward a catastrophic situation.  The coming electricity shortage is an irresponsibly self-inflicted wound.  This is national economic suicide brought to you by the Donkeys…

The problem is not the addition of harvestable wind and solar. It’s the subtraction of dispatchable resources like coal, gas, and nuclear.  Before we move to something new, shouldn’t we demonstrate the capacity for the technology to deliver on the promise?  Hello… Common sense … PLEASE.

The post Let’s Electrify Common Sense appeared first on Granite Grok.

A little dated … but extremely relevant. Trump claims that Andrew Cuomo was a better COVID-Governor than DeSantis.  There are no facts/data to support this claim. Indeed, the facts/data disprove this claim … Florida had a larger and much, older population than New York and when scale is accounted for did better than New York.

Trump’s message is also incoherent. He expressly attacks DeSantis for lockdowns, at the same time he is indirectly attacking him for not locking down to the extent Cuomo did. However, if he is praising Cuomo on COVID, then one must conclude that he believes lockdowns worked and he would support lockdowns again.

Donald Trump arguing that Andrew Cuomo did a better job on Covid than Ron DeSantis is about as baffling as him praising Charlie Crist. For someone with the lead, these kind of attacks come across as defensive and small. Also here's Trump in 2020 (1/2): pic.twitter.com/WXEDBGN6bo

— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) May 30, 2023

 

 

The post Trump, Apparently, Believes Lockdowns “Worked,” And Presumably Would Lockdown Again appeared first on Granite Grok.

We have lost our ability to judge people on their unique character. We now reduce an individual’s identity to the number of boxes they check on a diversity, equity, and inclusion grid. DEI and ESG scores have replaced accomplishments and experience.

Check the right boxes, or you do not get the job, and your credit score suffers. Merit no longer means a thing in the new world order.

About thirty years ago, I was enjoying the Esplanade on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Boston. The city was unusually busy, and many other folks had a different party look to them. Colorful costumes and various degrees of undress were the dress of the day, and that was for the men. As I crossed the Arthur Fiedler Bridge, I found the source of the excitement. I was right smack in the middle of the Boston Gay Pride Parade. It was tantamount to Carnivale in Brazil. This festival was a celebration and proclamation of homosexuality. This has always been a conundrum for me. Why do people with particular lifestyles want equality, yet they must publicly showcase their decisions? There is no logic, and they obviously want it both ways.

There are other examples of this duplicity. Here we are in June, designated Pride Month, a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ lifestyles, first recognized in New York in 1969. We also have months for:

• February. Black History Month.
• March. Women’s History Month.
• May. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
• June. LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
• September 15 – October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month.
• October. National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
• November. Native American Heritage Month.

Where are the Italian History, Caucasian History, and Heterosexual Pride Months? I ask that with tongue in cheek because I do not want to see those designations, but I also want to see the end of the existing celebrations. As we strive for equality, we need to celebrate life for everyone every day. No group should be isolated for any reason.

Democrats love to refer to America as systemically racist. Most of us on the Right do not believe that. Promoting that belief is monetarily beneficial for some as it becomes the reason for their existence IE Reverend Al Sharpton is such a person. For the last few years, since the unfortunate death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Left has shown reverence for the Black Lives Matter movement to the extent they painted the BLM logo on main streets in major cities. This group has moved into our education administrations to push DEI on students and ensure indoctrination and not education for our children. An example of how well this has worked is Marlin High School, located in rural Texas. The senior graduation was abruptly canceled when it was determined that only five of the thirty-three “graduates” could actually read. Marlin is a small sample and an extreme example, not unlike the stats from big cities like Baltimore and Chicago. We need to stop teaching DEI and get back the Three Rs.

We are setting up cultural wars in the workplace and our children for failure in their futures. This Left Wing move to change our society to one based on DEI and ESG has to die in the boardroom and school boards. We need more reality and fewer acronyms in our lives; there is no acronym for happiness or success.

The post DEI Needs to DIE, And Take ESG With It appeared first on Granite Grok.

As the ANC Reintroduces Apartheid, Will South Africa Find Their White Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton?

If you look up Apartheid, it is “An official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against nonwhites.” That needs to change. It is once again an active practice in South Africa, and it’s worsening.

 

South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) has drafted amendments to its recently-passed Employment Equity Act that labor experts and opposition parties say will ban “non-black Africans” from employment across most of the economy.  …

In some cases, the “target” set for firms employing whites, Indians and people of mixed race is zero percent.

“That means companies cannot employ a single white, Indian or colored person. That’s racist and unconstitutional,” said John Steenhuisen, leader of chief opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA).

He told The Epoch Times the ANC amendments amounted to “social engineering” and the alliance would fight them in court.

“The latest apartheid-like policy from the ANC is nothing but a ban on giving work to people who the ANC says are not black enough.

The African National Congress is a social-democratic political party. They are National Socialists, so the racism makes sense.

 

In the post-apartheid era, the ANC continues to identify itself foremost as a liberation movement, although it is also a registered political party. Partly due to its Tripartite Alliance with the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, it has retained a comfortable electoral majority at the national level and in most provinces, and has provided each of South Africa’s five presidents since 1994.

 

And now it appears they are the harbingers of a black master race, excluding whites and shades of brown. The political, legal, and economic discrimination of whoever they deem unworthy or unfit. Will it fly, and is it a desperate leap to retain or regain power?

 

South Africa is considered a dominant-party state. However, the ANC’s electoral majority has declined consistently since 2004, and in the most recent elections – the 2021 local elections – its share of the national vote dropped below 50% for the first time ever.[6] Over the last decade, the party has been embroiled in a number of controversies, particularly relating to widespread allegations of political corruption among its members.

 

Political corruption in a one-party state dominated by socialists? What are the odds of that, 100%? And the American left can’t possibly be upset. There is no such thing as reverse racism, or so they say. This means, of course, that racism as a concept is not colorblind (another word they hate), but how do they feel about a nation where good white progressives are prohibited not just from working but from benefitting from corruption?

That seems unfair. There are likely plenty of more than capable white race-pimps who could milk the whitey faction for ANC votes if they wanted them. Urban living, crime, stipends, food stamps, lousy medical care. Turn them into vote slaves.

And maybe they will, but if so, who will be South Africa’s white Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton?

We will have to wait and see.

 

 

The post As the ANC Reintroduces Apartheid, Will South Africa Find Their White Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Welcome to the Police State of America … where BLM and Antifa looting and burning down businesses is a peaceful protest, but entering the Capitol on January 6, 2021, at the invitation of Capitol police is an “insurrection.”

Where burning the American flag is “free speech,” but burning the Pride flag is a hate crime. America is NO MORE … it ceased to exist after 2016.

 

When the left burned American flags, they told you it was free speech. When someone burns their religious rainbow flag, they say it’s a violent hate crime. See how this works? https://t.co/HFufcas2kK

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) June 1, 2023

 

The post Not All Flag Burning Is Free Speech … In The Police State of America appeared first on Granite Grok.

Joe Biden officially announced his candidacy for reelection to President of the United States over 30 days ago. Since that early morning recorded announcement, Joe Biden has made no in-person campaign appearances. We are learning that this may be the campaign strategy from Joe for the 2024 election.

Biden may be taking the nomination and eventual inauguration for granted. That decision may cost him the loss of another four years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and send him to early retirement in Delaware. Joe Biden may be looking back on 2020 and thinking that hiding from the people and the media worked in 2020, but that may have been partly due to the Pandemic. Joe played it safe and let the anti-Trump sentiment and the FBI and Justice Department misinformation campaign sweep him into the White House. That will not work a second time.

The 2024 election is different, and the 2020 playbook will not get the job done. Biden has already committed to no debates with any Democrat challenges. This commitment is a slap down to Marianne Williamson and Robert Kennedy Jr, who is on the Primary Ballot and deserve the opportunity to contrast their views with the President on the debate stage. Our puppet President will keep as low a profile as possible to minimize gaffes. He also does not want to expose his mental and physical deficiencies that are far beyond most octogenarians. He is frail and slow and will have difficulty fooling the electorate if they see the authentic Joe Biden.

It gets old, but Biden has the media on his side. They will give him plenty of positive exposure, which will be all that much of the electorate will ever see. The mainstream media feeds today showed a bit of their game plan. They were comparing DeSantis and Trump to terrorists and even called DeSantis “Little Mussolini.” Can they get any more disrespectful? Probably, as there is no low to how far they will go to get Biden re-elected. The strength of this misinformation divide between MSM and Fox News may be the determining factor in this race, and MSM support is free to Biden. It is a huge advantage over whoever the eventual Republican candidate is.

The other element is the FBI and Justice Department’s impact on this race. The thought is difficult to swallow, but we saw in 2020 what these entities could do to influence the election. The existing leadership and many past leaders are firmly in the Biden camp. Clapper, McCabe, and even Comey can be seen regularly on CNN and MSNBC, and they are constantly bashing Republicans and calling Trump and DeSantis existential threats to Democracy. This is unprecedented for men who should be apolitical, but all openly support the Left, and it is effective with voters, especially those with only one source of their news.

We can overcome this Left Leaning Machine with a tremendous ground game, media spots, use of Social Media, especially Twitter, and a good showing in the debates. These steps are obvious, but we need to narrow down the rank of candidates and get behind whoever the survivor is. There can be no splintering or talk of third-party play. Winning has to be the only option in 2024, and if that means taking off the gloves and getting into the weeds, so be it. Losing cannot be an option.

 

,

The post Is Biden Campaigning Or Hiding appeared first on Granite Grok.

Unless you have fully disappeared into the metaverse you by now realize we are hip deep in a culture war in the United States and throughout the west.  Things once regarded as self-evident truths and common sense among western society have been slung onto the chopping block of post-modern methods used by woke, Marxist-Communist, social justice warriors for the superficial reason of deconstructing them, with the deeper motive to abolish them entirely.  What is at stake?

The most egregious example has to be the assault on womanhood.  Though feminism at the outset seemed to have genuine values at heart, such as equal pay for equal work, equality in suffrage, and freedom over their bodies, it has quickly been co-opted as a battering ram for the newest wave of soon to be post-feminism that essentially abolishes what it means to be a woman.

Who can we thank for these advances on western society?  It’s easy to blame Karl Marx, or Hegel, or Rousseau, though most of their work is done posthumously.  We can blame the Ivy League and colleges who validate and even enshrine these poison ideologies by giving us laureate after laureate who go on to write best-seller after best-seller, such as Robin DiAngelo or Ibram Kinde, authored from the very position of privilege they purport to denounce.

Identifying the hypocrisy is easy.  In fact, it’s built into the Marxist framework.  They thrive on creating contradictions from which they believe they alone have the solutions.  This is known as the Hegelian dialectic (problem->reaction=solution).  Former Chicago Mayor and Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emaneul famously state “never let a crisis go to waste”.  In other words, where you and I see chaos they see opportunity.  Emanuel is cut from the same cloth as fellow Windy City Jewish activist Saul Alinsky who wrote “Rules for Radicals”.  This may be the most important book to read and understand what we’re up against.  They play by a different set of rules, ones that don’t comport to western thinking other than to use it against the society they wish to dismantle.

Alinsky’s book begins with this acknowledgment:

“Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins— or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom — Lucifer”

In stating this Alinsky implicitly declares the real General behind this radical army.  The book goes on to describe the thirteen (probably on purpose) tactics radicals can use to win the culture war for the Marxists.  If Lucifer is known as “the deceiver” it makes perfect sense rule one is built on deception:

1. Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have

Alinsky writes this in Chicago, the heartland of America.  Who is his enemy?  The enemy is anyone who loves the country and its western values.  If you love freedom, believe in the constitution and adhere to the truths laid out in it based on Judeo-Christian values, you are their enemy.

 

Wars are battles between powers.  In this war the goal is to, as Marx put it, “seize the means of production”.  Initially Marx, a materialist, believed the worker would seize the means of economic production thereby building a cooperative and communal society whereby the means of production, once in the hands of the capitalist ownership, would be forcefully taken by the workers who then would distribute the profits from the production “equitably” among the members.  The owners would be disbanded, re-educated, then, if properly rehabilitated, reabsorbed into society once they’ve been systematically indoctrinated into Marxist-socialist thinking.  In reality, however, most of them were imprisoned into labor camps or killed…

…let that sink in.

We’ve seen this take place in Russia, Romania, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, Brazil, and it’s beginning to happen in Canada, Australia, England, France, the Netherlands, etc.

How is it the country’s with the greatest history of economic success (thanks to capitalism) who are the most generous throughout the globe (thanks to Judeo-Christian ethics) falling to this ideology like a social-virus imitating a pandemic?  Don’t miss the timeliness of that analogy.

Looking to Alinsky’s icon of radicalism, Lucifer, it begs the question – how did he convince a third of the angels in Heaven to rebel against God (or as Alinsky puts it, the establishment)?  It’s a remarkable feat given they all had intimate knowledge of God, His character and nature.  They would have known Him as eternal, all-knowing, all-loving, all-wise, all-powerful, and trustworthy.  Yet He was also all-glorious, meaning of impassable value, and this is what Lucifer in his pride would desire to be.  If Lucifer’s tactics against Adam and Eve are any inkling into what he used to compel the angels it’s the same tactic Marx uses to compel the masses.

You are a victim, God is the oppressor, and you must rescue yourself by rebelling against Him and seizing the means of Heaven.  To Eve, and then to Adam, Lucifer convinced them God was holding out on them:

“No! You will not die” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4 & 5)

Notice the attack is aimed first at the woman Eve, and then at her husband Adam.  In that moment Adam still had the capacity to act like a man and chase the serpent away from “the woman who God gave” him.  He didn’t, and here we are several thousand years later eating the fruit of the consequences of his failure to act like a man and, as St. Paul says to the church in Corinth:

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV)

Or as another translation puts it:

“Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13 HCSB)

The very nature of womanhood is under attack yet again, and by proxy so is manhood.

The deceptive tactic of the enemy that has worked for thousands of years, even in Heaven, is the driving force behind this culture war.  His goal is to seize power, and he relies on you believing he has more than he actually does.  He counts on your fear of loss, of being canceled, of being what he ultimately is for all of eternity – outcast. The iron law of woke projection never fails.

The west was built by men who understood the stakes and took the message of salvation and freedom to a captive and enslaved world.  However the liars of the culture war are inverting the historical reality claiming the west is the reason for slavery, and Marxists will set them free, which we know has never been and never will be the case.  Even Lucifer’s rebellion brought the false promise that results in slavery for all who join him. The real war is one of perpetual spiritual enslavement of all mankind, and we know in part who the real enemy is.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:10-12)

Men, real men, know when it’s time to take a stand.

It’s past time.

Act like men.

The post Act Like Men: Part 1 – Know Your Enemy appeared first on Granite Grok.

The recent impeachment proceedings against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have raised concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the process. This analysis aims to shed light on the allegations and underscore the potential bias and political motivations behind the impeachment effort. Examining the facts and considering the broader context before rushing to judgment is essential.

Questionable Testimony and Misinformation

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) released a comprehensive report that refutes the incorrect testimony presented during the impeachment proceedings. This report directly challenges the basis of the allegations and highlights the inaccuracies, falsehoods, and misstatements made against Paxton. It is concerning that such flawed testimony formed the basis for the impeachment charges, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the process.

Politically Motivated Investigation

The General Investigating Committee’s investigation appears to have been politically motivated. The allegations against Paxton have been long-disproven and are rooted in hearsay and gossip. A thorough examination by the OAG itself refuted each of the former employees’ claims. Despite these findings, the decision to proceed with impeachment suggests an ulterior motive to tarnish Paxton’s reputation rather than pursue justice.

Exhaustive Report and Outside Investigation

The OAG’s exhaustive report released in August 2021 meticulously addressed the allegations made by former employees. Additionally, an outside law firm was retained to conduct further investigation into retaliation claims. This independent investigation resulted in a report documenting legitimate, non-retaliatory grounds for terminating the individuals involved. Acknowledging that this exonerating information was readily available but seemingly ignored by the committee investigators, indicating a lack of interest in the truth, is crucial.

Ignored Offer to Testify

Despite an official from the OAG being present at a hearing and offering to testify, the House General Investigating Committee deliberately chose to overlook this opportunity. This disregard for essential information and refusal to engage with the facts further reinforces the notion that the committee focused more on a predetermined outcome than on seeking the truth. This approach undermines the integrity of the entire impeachment process.

Political Retribution

Ken Paxton characterizes the impeachment as political retribution and such claims cannot be dismissed lightly. Paxton has been a solid conservative voice and an unwavering advocate for Texas voters. The timing and circumstances surrounding his impeachment raise questions about whether the motivation was to undermine conservative principles and silence a staunch opponent of the Biden administration’s policies.

Call for Judicial Review

Renowned Texas Senator Ted Cruz has highlighted the need for the courts to sort out the legal controversies surrounding Ken Paxton. Allowing the judicial system to play its rightful role ensures fairness and due process prevail. Rather than hastily jumping to conclusions, it is essential to let the legal system assess the validity of the allegations leveled against Paxton.

Conclusion

The impeachment proceedings against Ken Paxton have been fraught with questionable testimonies, a politically motivated investigation, ignored exonerating evidence, and a potential agenda of political retribution. It is crucial to consider these factors before passing judgment. The courts should play a vital role in evaluating the legal controversies surrounding Paxton, ensuring fairness and justice prevail. It is imperative to preserve the principles of due process and uphold the rights of all individuals, regardless of their political affiliations.

The post Defending Ken Paxton: Unveiling the Biased Impeachment Efforts appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform Board has decided to temporarily suspend all operations from June 2023 until early 2024. This pause is essential as we contemplate the future direction of our organization.

During this period, we will not be accepting any new memberships or donations, as we carefully evaluate the possibilities of reorganization or dissolution. Your understanding and patience during this reflective phase are greatly appreciated. We will keep you updated on any developments regarding the future of our organization.

 

Democrats like to use legislative force to regulate firearms in the name of public safety, but like their climate agenda, there is no evidence that their solutions work as advertised and ample proof they do not.

When confronted with the notion that waiting periods or magazine bans, ammo taxes, red flag laws, or any other suggested Left-Win remedy will save lives, you need only utter the word “Chicago.” Yes, Baltimore, St. Louis, LA, and DC add weight to sink the argument, but Chicago is the poster child for failed policy when it comes to Dems, firearms, and public safety. Chicago is top-heavy with Dems and their dopey ideas, and it is a city whose violent crime and murder are legion.

It’s bad year-round, but Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago marks the beginning of the Summer of Joy, and it exceeded expectations. While the ten-year average for Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago is nine dead and forty-one wounded, this year, twelve were killed and forty-nine were wounded.

 

Final Demonized Tally: 12 killed, 49 wounded
2022 Memorial Day tally: 12 killed, 43 wounded
2021 Memorial Day tally: 4 killed, 38 wounded
2020 Memorial Day tally: 10 killed, 43 wounded
2019 Memorial Day tally: 8 killed, 35 wounded
2018 Memorial Day tally: 8 killed, 31 wounded
2017 Memorial Day tally: 7 killed, 44 wounded
2016 Memorial Day tally: 10 killed, 67 wounded
2015 Memorial Day tally: 12 killed, 45 wounded
2014 Memorial Day tally: 8 killed, 22 wounded
Average total: 9 killed, 41 wounded

 

You don’t typically see this sort of thing from law-abiding gun owners, and since the Demcorats disarmed most of them in Chicago, the only consistency in any of this is systemic Democrat rule. The non-stop perennial investiture of Left-Wing “leaders” into positions of authority who then make past mistakes worse.

Disarming law-abiding citizens consistently results in more injury, property crime, carjackings, robbery, assault, and murder. Chicago is proof enough, but as noted above, Baltimore (LA, DC, Atlanta, etc.) does its darndest to compete alongside every other liberal paradise from sea to the rising sea.

Meanwhile, in my neck of the woods, gun-crazy constitutional carry, New Hampshire continues to enjoy its perennial designation as one of the safest states in the nation.

 

Does anyone get tired of hearing this? The Democrats might. Despite being a Constitutional Carry state, with a series of recent laws favoring the right to self-defense and where you can legally carry, New Hampshire is again being recognized as the safest state in the US.

 

And still, they go on about their common sense gun laws, and people still believe them.  Those people need to take a closer look a crime and violence in Chicago and then stop being a victim of crime, violence, and the Democrat party.

No, I’m not holding my breath.

 

The post Dem’s Common Sense Gun Laws™ in Practice: 12 Homicides, 49 Wounded In One Weekend appeared first on Granite Grok.

To all those who are sending in memes, thank you!  Keep them coming please, as it helps me gather weaponry to fight the Left.  Please do share this post, and if you share an individual meme, consider mentioning you saw it on the Grok!

Speaking of, from this week, Monday Memes and Meme Overflow.  Also don’t forget my Survival Sunday feature.  (Note: No Survival Sunday this coming Sunday.  Time demands.)

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

Yes and no.  And it does make the pile bigger.

 

 

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

 

PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA

 

Media Covers Up Tracking of Unvaccinated People (theepochtimes.com)

The WHO is also seeking to put food, medicine, and climate under one umbrella. This would allow it to control the global population in any number of ways, as a climate issue could be positioned as a public health issue, or a food issue, and vice versa. In other words, people could be forced to eat bugs instead of beef because it “benefits the climate.” Private vehicle use could be restricted because it helps lower vehicular pollution that endangers public health, and so on.

So, to bring us full circle back to where we started, while media are now trying to lull you to sleep with “promises” that there’s nothing nefarious about tracking the unvaccinated or “undervaccinated,” think long and hard before you close your eyes to the possibility that this is all part of biosecurity-based totalitarian control grid.

Oh, you thought it was just for Covid?  It’s all encompassing.  Every last aspect of your health – food, water, medicine, doubtless your exercise habits too.  Do not be surprised if exercise becomes not just recommended, but mandated.  And checked how?  By your implanted chip that geo-locates you at an approved gym and checks to make sure your heart rate is high for sufficient time.

Always under surveillance.  Never mind the tyranny of the power-hungry, which is bad enough.  In the mix are self-appointed moral busybodies:

 

 

who think they know better than you:

 

 

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“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.”

 

― H.L. Mencken 1918

 

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Some are saying it’s not a Javelin per se.  That’s almost immaterial.  The fundamental point is that arms are fungible things, and that when there’s a demand by people who have money, there will be those eager to supply what is demanded.  Arms.  And, of course, drugs.  Or anything else.  *cough human trafficking and children *  On that, “back in the day” (decades ago and single), I used to go to adult cabarets and even then noted that there did seem to be a number of Slavic-accented women, as well as some out-of-place-ethic people (out of place given the cities I was in – MHO of course)… and, looking back, I have to wonder if they were trafficked in.

 

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Pride Month may be used to INVESTIGATE churches in America?

 

 

Of course!  Every rival to their Lord Marx must be taken out, for the Lord their Marx is a jealous deity.

 

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https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1_5172736501087208188-1.mp4

 

Note – I’ve been advised that this is a computer-generated fake, so not as bad as – obviously – this being in real life.  But you know, at first glance it’s actually troubling still.  For two reasons:

First, the obvious.  Someone, even though faked, had the idea.  Thought it good enough to execute it in what had to be hours of work.  IMHO, not being a graphic artist type, this represents days of work.  Do not doubt me on this: these people are missionaries for the LGBTQP+ crowd.

Second, as I said, on first glance it looked real.  I’ve commented repeatedly that we are approaching a time when, even if something is on video, one cannot believe one’s eyes.  What kind of a society are we creating when we can no longer take even video evidence for granted as genuine?

More from Pride Degeneracy & Perversion Month:

 

 

I have warned my son that this is “Pride Month” and to tell me if they pull any of this at school.  My daughter – at present – thinks she “may” be gay.  Which is an improvement because six months ago she was sure she was (I blame a particular private school teacher).  But she’s edging into hormone awakening puberty, and I’m hoping that sets her straight.

“Straight”.  HA!

Yes, pedophilia is being normalized – HotAir

Note, some pictures at the link that while not explicit or anything are – to a person with a conscience and a parental love of children – disturbing.

Civilization exists because we learn to harness and suppress our worst instincts, not because we give them free rein.

And more generally, because we can restrain ourselves.

 

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Pick of the Post:

 

 

This was the winner by a whisker over the Joy Behar one above.  Which is noteworthy in that a WHITE WOMAN thinks she knows better what a BLACK MAN experiences… than an actual BLACK MAN.  Racist much, Joy?

But back to the meme here.  The Yuri Bezmenov demoralization is complete.  Show people evidence, even have people die in front of them from the Jab (as one example), and they STILL won’t see.  To quote the movie Cool Hand Luke:

You see, some men, you just can’t reach…

 

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Revolutions Always Eat Their Own*

 

 

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Palate Cleansers:

 

 

Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam!  Spammity-spaaaaaam!

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HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!  OK, someone has waaaaaay too much time – and money – on their hands… still, this is a priceless close-out.

The post Friday Meme Overflow-Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.

Travel can be an exciting opportunity to open your mind and expand your horizons. Seeing new places can introduce fresh perspectives and introduce you to events and moments in your life that you wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. In short, it can be an incredibly valuable experience. However, a massive hurdle in the way of these benefits for many people is the actual act of traveling itself.

A fear of flying isn’t remotely uncommon, and it’s likely the example that you think of first here. However, other means of travel can prove troublesome for people as well, and looking to overcome that might mean that you open yourself up to a whole range of new activities.

Study the Facts

Something that a lot of people might find to be a comfort is understanding more about the form of travel that they’re about to jump on. For planes, this might mean looking at statistics of accidents, especially when compared to the number of flights that go out globally per day. This in itself can help to add some element of comfort, something that can be further soothed by understanding more about even regular occurrences – like turbulence.

For other forms of travel, like boats, it might mean knowing what to do in case of such an emergency. However, it might also be about understanding the actions that you can take if something were to happen – such as enlisting the help of a boating accident injury lawyer. This contingency can add a level of comfort that assures you of your options, even when everything is smooth sailing.

Self-Care and Methods for Coping

There’s another approach that you can take – one that you can practice during your downtime before or after the travel takes place and something that can be applied to those moments of travel. Breathing exercises are a prime example of this, and while very easy to get to grips with, they can be something that you deploy whenever you find yourself overwhelmed with stress and anxiety – traveling or not. There are also apps and sounds available through services like Spotify that are specifically designed to create a calming atmosphere in these types of situations.

Finding ways to deal with anxiety, in general, might have you feeling better prepared when specifically dealing with the stress that arises when traveling, making the whole experience more enjoyable.

Professional Counselling

Of course, if you’re finding it’s something that you’re struggling to deal with on your own and at a point where it’s infringing on your ability to live your life how you’d like, you could always consider the route of professional help. Phobias are something that mental health professionals are accustomed to dealing with, which might mean that your situation is much more treatable than you had been led to believe. That being said, everyone is different, and people experience these types of things in their own way, which might advise you against coming in with incredibly high expectations – but you might still find the experience to be massively beneficial, regardless of the degree that it helps you overcome this particular issue.

 

The post Overcoming Your Fear of Travel appeared first on Granite Grok.