Monday • December 4 • 2023
Vol.XV • No.XLIX
Manchester, N.H.
I grew up in a city neighborhood where when gunshots were heard it was never a good thing. My parents were both relative pacifists and we were poor so the thought of owning a gun was antithetical to how we lived. Toy guns, on the other hand, we had plenty of those. Like most kids, we fashioned our hands into one for a quick game of cowboys and Indians, back when that was still socially acceptable. Even my Native American friends Lloyd, Jason, and Bryan didn’t mind playing and didn’t mind being a cowboy when it was time to change roles. Kids back then weren’t easily offended and when you live in the same neighborhood with the same relative conditions the idea of social justice was a nonstarter.
I moved to New England in 2007. I was in my early thirties and still unarmed. However, once I arrived, I heard more gunshots out here than I had ever heard in the city. I learned gunshots out here meant someone was either practicing or putting food on the table. Now a full-grown man, and father to a son, I felt it my obligation to purchase a firearm and learn the ins and outs in case my son becomes, like so many of the local boys who go hunting with their dads and carry on the family tradition.
I purchased a Ruger 10-22, which I was told was the right small-caliber rifle with which to start. One of my friends had a spot up in Thetford, Vermont where we could practice. The slightly louder than a firecracker report from the barrel was intimidating enough to someone like me who had never held or shot any type of gun other than a summer when paintball guns first came out. The skill necessary to hit the target excited the competitive athlete in me, and the etiquette necessary to keep everyone safe also struck a chord. Unlike chasing each other around on foot as we played, or on horseback like they did in the movies, the seriousness with which gun owners conducted themselves commanded my respect. Gun ownership was not a game, nor was it about killing your enemy. Guns are tools, just like a lawnmower, and like a lawnmower, if you don’t handle them with respect, you can do some serious damage.
Something changed in my perspective after that day. I felt an obligation to learn more about guns, the history of their use, their many uses, and our right and responsibilities as Americans to own them for the good of our homes and communities. I re-read the Second Amendment and realized it was speaking to me, although I wouldn’t have known a well-regulated militia had I been invited nor was I looking to join one. At the time, I had total confidence in both my government and our military to defend me, my family, and our country.
Around the time ISIS started terrorizing western countries and videos of them beheading people who looked like me or people I knew is when I realized gun ownership for personal protection wasn’t just for police or ex-military types. Though Vermont seemed like a far stretch for a terrorist attack the number of attacks and school shootings was on the rise. Like with cars, you don’t notice them until you own one – I didn’t notice the amount of gun violence against ordinary citizens until I understood I may be in that situation someday, but owning and knowing how to use a gun could mean I don’t suffer at the hands of evil men like the poor souls I was seeing on my screens.
Around the time I moved to New England was also when I became a Christian. Despite my belief that Christians were the perpetual other-cheek-turning pacifists who laid down their lives; I met many men, and women, who taught me otherwise. Confirmation bias happens when you read the Bible, too, apparently, and these folks were nice enough to help me understand the same God who teaches us love and peace also instructs us to do battle and protect. The book of Ecclesiastes explicitly states “there is a time for peace and a time for war”, not just as a matter of course, but at times when one needs to engage in self-defense against those whose intentions are evil. If you read all the way to the end even loving Jesus meek and mild returns not to pass out hugs but to exact revenge on a world given over to evil. Sure, He’s going to use a sword, but He’s Almighty and I’m not. I am certainly not mighty enough to take on a bad guy with a gun, so it was time to reconsider yet again.
As for my boys, I never found the time to get my hunter safety license but I was lucky enough to meet one of the best hunters in the area. The entryway to Kevin’s house has more animal body parts mounted on his wall than museums have paintings. If he likes you he’ll show you the issue of Hunter magazine he made the cover of for a prized turkey. Kevin grew up in the hills of Vermont hunting and trapping as a young boy. His sharp sense of humor and ebullient personality gave me confidence my boys would be in good hands. They were and they were lucky. My nephew, for whom we were legal guardians, got his first deer on a youth weekend thanks to Kevin and the story is better if you hear him tell it. Like Kevin, it’s a one-of-a-kind tale.
A series of armed robberies and some shootings in my hometown of Hartford, one of which was close enough to my house I could hit a golf ball into their front yard, and my obligation to protect my family was staring me in the face. I bought a Walther .380 MP circa 1950s Germany, almost as much for nostalgia as anything. This wasn’t like so many other person to person purchases where you show up and exchange money for goods. The person who sold it to me was ex-military and took the time to explain its history, how to break it down and clean it, store it, where to buy ammo, practice range options, and even threw in a couple of boxes of ammunition all after taking me out to shoot it and make sure it was comfortable. I found out along the way, oddly, that he’s an atheist, yet his love for America, its Constitution, and its values embodied the spirit with which it was founded. The notion of freedom and the need to protect it transcends so many of our differences, and even enshrines them.
Gun and ammunition sales in the United States have exploded since Barrack Obama became president. The politics of firearms in the U.S. has too. As I’ve realized my duty to bear arms is tied to my duty to keep an eye on my government I’ve begun to notice the same people who clamor for gun control are surrounded by them and in control of billions of dollars in weaponry. I was in Oregon when the now-famous Kip Kinkel shooting started us down this now bloody road of school shooters. Other than guns, what they all have in common are mental health issues and government-regulated pharmaceuticals. Most of them are young men and many of them either have no father or were estranged from theirs.
Having also been abandoned by my father, I know all too well what that does to a young man having watched my brother end up in prison. I should have; I just never got caught. Some horrible life decisions later and a few evangelical Christians found me face to face with a different Father. One who would stay and who would never be unavailable, who’s Will I could know at all times if I bothered to get to know Him. This renewed in me the desire to not only be the father I never had but to also reassure young men without fathers to not give up hope. There is a better Father who will fill in the holes left by the ones who either didn’t know how or didn’t bother. This also was why I was dedicated to not only raising my son but felt the need, like the two avuncular men mentioned, to show them what it means to be a man in America. Taken seriously, it is an awesome privilege and it offers a role coveted by people worldwide.
These school shootings are becoming more and more common, and sadly our abhorrence at the thought is becoming numb. What once caused us to recoil in horror now has become a predictable script:
This outrage is from the same crowd who has no problem killing innocent babies even after they’re born. The same crowd who encourages mental illness and the desecration of both biological and spiritual norms then ignores the tragic consequences that abusing women and killing children. Who one week sends billions of our hard-earned tax dollars to buy guns for a corrupt Ukrainian regime to defend themselves while bleeding our earnings dry at the pump and telling us we can no longer afford to have guns.
Am I to believe this same government, who claims it can listen to every phone call, track every disease, note every purchase, and has the most vast and well-funded intelligence community in the world, can’t prevent these shootings even when they have foreknowledge of the shooters, is going to defend me? A government that couldn’t keep the most high-profile prisoner in the country from killing himself? A government that has made gun-free zones like Chicago and schools turn into mass shooting zones?
Luckily I learned that guns prevent over a million violent crimes each year, and school shootings, however tragic and horrifying, still number in the very few. The outrage doesn’t match the data.
I thank fellow gun-owning, freedom-loving Americans like Steven Crowder for doing the research I don’t have time to do. However, I strongly recommend you listen as the real story, surprise, is not what you’ll hear on your propaganda devices.
It used to be I thought I would need guns to defend myself from ISIS. Now I keep them to defend myself from my government, which is exactly the reason for the Second Amendment.
The post Why I Became A Gun Owner After Moving To Vermont appeared first on Granite Grok.
Between 2016 -2021 WMUR has published more than 150 articles about drought in New Hampshire. The headlines cry out for relief or predict doom. But yesterday, that same WMUR posted a tweet with this headline.
Flooding is an ongoing worry in New Hampshire and there are concerns that climate change will exacerbate it. In recent times, Concord experienced some of the wettest years on record. Learn more on why flood risk is expected to grow in the Granite State: https://t.co/eeHn2aMCO3 pic.twitter.com/5CWbkJe6XZ
— WMUR TV (@WMUR9) May 26, 2022
So, 2005 to 2010 are “recent years?”
It’s 2022. Why is DoubleYouEmYouAre fearmongering precipitation when they’ve published scores of articles on drought over the past few years?
Is it because they’ve published more articles warning about flooding?
WMUR posts an average of 40 articles a year with the word flooding in them. Drought gets about 25-30. So the answer is what?
It’s whatever gets eyeballs.
If we look at the tweet, they suggest that these decades-old precipitation numbers mean something today, and if you click the link, you get to this report. “Flood risk expected to grow in New Hampshire as temperatures rise.”
But the lead is rainfall numbers from 13 years ago. To borrow from Hilarity Clinton, at this point, what difference does it make? It’s a fair question.
Here are the total rainfall rankings according to NOAA from 2011 to 2021.
| Year | Rank |
| 2011 | 124 |
| 2012 | 77 |
| 2013 | 80 |
| 2014 | 102 |
| 2015 | 69 |
| 2016 | 27 |
| 2017 | 99 |
| 2018 | 117 |
| 2019 | 108 |
| 2020 | 48 |
| 2021 | 82 |
Not scary at all.
And I was unable to duplicate WMUR’s wettest years’ numbers, but two things become apparent when looking at NOAA’s graphed data. First, most of New Hampshire’s “wettest years” were between 2005 and 2011.
And second, it’s been less wet since 2011. So much so that WMUR regularly writes stories about drought, water restrictions, and so on.
Regular readers will know that we follow the Climate Cult’s Rube Goldbergian narratives on droughts and precipitation with a keen eye and have frequently deconstructed their nonsense, and here we are at it again.
Let’s isolate precipitation from 2005-to 2021.
And the headline was what, again? “Flood risk expected to grow in New Hampshire as temperatures rise.”
Do rising temperatures mean more wetness? In meteorological theory, sure, but not based on real-world evidence.
Average temp trends since 2005 are up slightly. The trend is warmer. But that did not result in more precipitation. We have less.
So what’s up with that? Looking back across 120 years, NH has gotten wetter as the solar maximum peaked at the beginning of this century. Warmer was wetter, and we are still slightly warmer than in 2005 to 2011, but we are not wetter.
There’s no there, there.
But that doesn’t matter. WMUR is using one of the Climate Cult’s favorite weapons. No, not the soft cushions, extreme weather, and more modernity. More people. They say this, but the difference between 2005 and 2021 is about 6000 humans. Tht’s about one person per 1.6 square miles.
But more homes and roads mean more hard surfaces, which equal rain runoff and more potential flooding, and oh, the weather’s been more extreme. That too!
Has it, or are they just saying that? I’d go with the latter.
And WMUR’s report is not absent facts, but it is misleading. And yes, it’s ABC, so that’s baked in, but they should have to include a disclaimer. We’ve arranged these details to create a perception that, based on past reporting, is probably not likely or even accurate.
While we’re at it, the Union Leader could use one too. Their tagline is “There is nothing so powerful as the Truth,” but anybody who reads it knows, “There’s nothing so powerful as deciding what truth to report.”
That’s what WMUR did, and the UL does it all the time. They all do. We do it, but we’re honest about that. A handful of unpaid opinion bloggers who, as it turns out, find themselves calling out the corporate media for their half-truths, deceptions, and outright omissions.
Someone has to do it.
The post Dissecting WMUR’s Latest Climate Whine About Temperatures and Flooding appeared first on Granite Grok.
I am sure you would have difficulty finding anyone not touched by the senseless shooting inside the classroom of the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Whether you have children, grandchildren, or are just a feeling human being, you probably had difficulty sleeping on Tuesday night.
I was choked to tears often as I watched seasoned reporters do the same as they tried to tell what little was known about the tragedy. Many of these folks have been down this road before, and I think it gets more difficult with each occurrence. There have been far too many.
There are always more questions than answers whenever there is a mass shooting, especially when the animal who perpetrated the evil act is killed. Except for the unanswered questions, I think the evil monster should never draw a breath of air again. I do not want to hear the feeble excuses or listen to years of testimony and court proceedings as defense attorneys try in vain to get their clients exonerated. There are no valid excuses, and the person deserves to burn in hell.
There have been events like the Uvalde shooting that have been extraordinarily difficult to understand. Sandy Hook, Columbine, and Parkland are three that always come to mind. But Uvalde is the 27th school shooting in just the last five months. That fact boggles the mind, but the ages of the children stolen from us this week make this shooting even more devastating to accept. Nineteen innocent souls and two teachers in the prime of their lives were snuffed out by an 18-year-old deranged individual named Salvatore Ramos.
I do not want to remember his name, and the images of the 21 dead souls will haunt us for a long time. It was excruciating for the parents who had to pray through the night, not knowing the fate of their missing sons or daughters. They had a sickening feeling of what news awaited them in the morning, but they still prayed for intervention. It did not come, and the death toll rose.
Like everything else in today’s world, this calamity took no time to become political and divisive. Depending on which channel you watched, the question still arose. Was it the gun or the shooter who was the villain this day? The President, and most Democrats, immediately called for stricter gun controls and the elimination of “assault” rifles. The term assault is in quotation marks because there is no such gun as an assault weapon. Every gun can be deadly, and each can be used in an assault. But the phrase is key to their argument. It makes it sound more ominous.
The Right calls for more attention to mental health evaluation and treatment and the focus on Red Flags that all of these evil people put up before their crimes. Neither side will concede to the other, so the chasm of divisiveness widens.
This is such a bogus argument, for the gun is an inanimate piece of metal incapable of carrying out a heinous killing on its own. The blame falls on the person holding the weapon when the bullets are turned into projectiles of death by a finger on the trigger. The type of gun does not matter, but the person who procures and uses the weapon does.
We always seem to piece together the puzzle after the fact. We need to invest in ways to uncover these harrowing scenes before they become news. To never hear of a shooting that almost happened would be sad but far less so than the shooting itself. To those of you who still want to point to the weapon, you are wasting time and energy. If you’re going to bridge the divisiveness, band together to make this country more mentally healthy and use the tools we have to hunt down evil before it becomes the only story on 24/7 news stations.
Don’t point to me as a charlatan pro-life member of the NRA and a Republican whose party has done nothing to solve the problem. I believe in the sanctity of all life from conception to death. I side with the NRA for wise gun laws that protect our Second Amendment but keep the guns away from evil animals and people who want to harm others. And I am a proud member of the Republican Party who supports police, ICE, Border Patrol officers, and the rule of law. I believe in harsh penalties for people who commit crimes and incarceration if necessary to keep evil away from good. I believe that our safety is the number one role of government and that until we find a way to get God and country back into our culture, we will be a damaged society lamenting events like Tuesday’s.
Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft
The post The Gun or the Shooter? appeared first on Granite Grok.
I wrote back on the 18th that while the Left, Never-Trumpers, and the Media are all casting shade on Trump and his role in the Republican Party primaries, he’s actually been very good at endorsing candidates. The problem is that these latter political dumpster divers are all trying to focus on what he hasn’t gotten right and trumpeting those failures, they’ve remained silent on what he’s getting right:
I wish I had this kind of track record. Reformatted, emphasis mine:
EXCLUSIVE: President Trump’s Endorsements Matter – Last Night 23-2-1 (TBD-Oz) – Overall 81 Wins, 3 Losses, 1 TBD (Oz)
President Trump’s endorsements are golden. After last night, President Trump’s results to date are 81-3-1 (Oz).
The Dr. Mehmet Oz race is still not decided. Personally, I hope he loses, given his previous political stances. But with most of the Republican primaries over, what’s his record now? From the Epoch Times (reformatted, emphasis mine):
‘A Very Big and Successful Evening’: Trump Welcomes 100-6 Endorsement Record”
Former President Donald Trump applauded for a 100-6 primary endorsement record in the run-up to the 2022 midterms, following a mixed result—including a series of setbacks—in Georgia on May 24.
“Overall for the ‘Cycle,’ 100 Wins, 6 Losses (some of which were not possible to win), and 2 runoffs,” Trump wrote on May 25 on Truth Social.
It came after Pence-Backed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brian Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr defeated Trump-endorsed opponents in Georgia by huge margins, surpassing the 50 percent support needed to avoid runoffs. The three GOP officials have drawn criticism from Trump for allegedly not doing enough to investigate allegations of illegal voting after the 2020 election.
Such setbacks have so far appeared to be largely confined to Georgia.
…The six who lost their races so far are: Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, Idaho gubernatorial candidate Janice McGeachin, Georgia gubernatorial candidate David Perdue, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Georgia Secretary of State candidate Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), and Georgia attorney general candidate John Gordon.
No one is perfect, not even Trump. But you have to admit – that’s REALLY an impressive record. I have to admit that I don’t know that has come even close to that winning percentage.
It shows a combo of picking the right people in the right races as well as his pull/gravitas with the Republican base. And he has only gotten better at it:
According to Ballotpedia, in 2020, 141 of the 183 candidates that Trump endorsed triumphed in their races.
If you only look at this small snapshot, he’s more of a Power Player than after elections 2 years ago.
The post Data Point Updated: – For All the Talk That Trump Is Now Fading, He’s Got a Great Candidate-Picking Track Record (Part 2) appeared first on Granite Grok.
Michael Moore is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment:
“Who will say on this network or any other network in the next few days, ‘It’s time to repeal the Second Amendment’?” Michael Moore asked MSNBC host Chris Hayes today.
Whatever else you may think about Mr. Moore, at least he recognizes that in order to pass even ‘common sense’ measures that involve punishing gun owners who haven’t done anything wrong, changing the Second Amendment is a necessary first step.
And an effort to repeal it would give people in every state an opportunity to re-introduce the most essential, and most ignored, idea about guns back into the conversation: That the right to keep and bear arms is about being able to fight your own government.
In fact, if conservatives are looking for a way to stop the introduction of new bills, all they would have to say is:
We will start considering these bills when the Second Amendment has been changed to keep the bills from conflicting with the plain language of our constitution. So get to work on that, and get back to us when you’re done.
In other words:
We may be open to limiting the right to keep and bear arms, if that can be done in a way that preserves its purpose and its benefits. What we are not open to is pretending that the Constitution doesn’t say what it so clearly does say.
If there are limits that should be placed on the right to keep and bear arms — and limits that should not be placed on it — let’s take the time and care necessary to figure out exactly what they are, so we can limit ourselves to enacting statutes that are consistent with the Constitution.
And as we do that, let’s keep in mind that while amending a constitution is generally a lot more trouble than just pushing a bill through a legislature (or extracting an opinion from a court) with a bare majority vote, it’s meant to be more trouble, so that short-sighted, momentary passion can be restrained by measured, thoughtful, forward-looking consideration; and so that we will, when feelings are in danger of overwhelming reason, be firmly reminded that governments are formed in order to protect rights, and that constitutions are written precisely to place out of the reach of government those ‘solutions’ that would undermine that purpose.
So let’s get that conversation going, shall we?
Or in still other words:
We all want the same ends, but only one side of this debate seems to recognize one of the earliest lessons that we teach to even our youngest children: The ends do not justify the means.
What Republicans are willing to say that?
The post Even Michael Moore Finds an Acorn Now and Then appeared first on Granite Grok.
So Government has decided, in the form of School Boards, Teachers Unions, and Democrats, that it has the Power to stand between Parents and their children. That Parents count less than both Government and their own Children. Isn’t this a form of “Taking”?
Oh Wait! Republican have sided with them! Whose Party Platform states:
And they violated those planks. And acted repugnantly against the NH Constitution:
[Art.] 2-b. [Right of Privacy.] An individual’s right to live free from governmental intrusion in private or personal information is natural, essential, and inherent.
So here are the Republican Groomers in league with the Democrats who just put Government over Parents, that thought its a great idea for Government to stay between Parents and their children instead of righting the wrongs that Government has been doing in keeping secrets from parents:
Chief amongst them is the Speaker Pro Tem, Kimberly Rice (R) of Hillsboro 37 (Hudson, Pelham) who should have known better and voted better. But she failed to protect Parents against an intrusive and overreaching Government. You go, girl! Really – just go!
But now I have hijacked YOUR thread. Berate me for doing so, berate them for being Democrat-Lite. Your call!
The post Friday Open Thread – A Pox on All Their Republican Houses! Is There Anything More Important than Parents? appeared first on Granite Grok.
Gov. Chris Sununu obliterated his own credibility today by going against his word that he would support further emergency powers reform as an extension of the 2021 budget deal with Freedom Caucus lawmakers.
“The one rule in politics is that your word is your bond,” said Andrew J. Manuse, chairman of RebuildNH. “Gov. Sununu has proven himself a dishonorable man who is willing to lie to get his way.”
In June of 2021, Gov. Sununu struck a deal with House Leadership to secure the votes of N.H. House Freedom Caucus members for the budget in exchange for his support of additional emergency powers reforms [view PDF from Gov. Sununu to Majority Leader Jason Osborne].
This year, the House and Senate quickly passed these agreed-to reforms in HB 275, which would have codified that our state government is a Constitutional Republic by default and that both the House and Senate would need to vote to continue a State of Emergency or it should automatically end. The governor, going back on his verbal and written word, vetoed this bill today, despite the fact that it passes Constitutional muster and was the exact language discussed with him last year.
Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases for consideration
to editor@granitegrok.com. Submission is not a guarantee of publication.
“Chris Sununu has proven he is a deceitful man drunk on power and his own ego,” said Rep. Melissa Blasek (R-Merrimack), executive director of RebuildNH. “This is the pattern of a scoundrel consistent with his lust for power that he exhibited during the State of Emergency when he unconstitutionally controlled the lives of everyone in this state.”
With mask mandates resuming in other states and the governor’s recent veto of HB 1131, which would have prohibited masks in public schools, as well as swirling soundbites about monkeypox, Granite Staters ought to pray the governor will not declare another life-altering, job-killing, State of Emergency with limited Legislative oversight.
Despite recent losses due to the governor’s veto pen, liberty activists are more determined than ever to roll back tyrannical tendencies within the Executive Branch.
“Gov. Sununu has shown that he can’t even be a team player with those in his own party,” said JR Hoell, treasurer of RebuildNH. “Short of replacing the governor, we encourage activists to make the governor irrelevant by electing a supermajority of liberty-minded lawmakers.”
We strongly encourage everyone who values our natural and constitutional rights to sign up to run for state representative, state senator, executive council or governor positions when the filing period opens on June 1.
The post Gov. Sununu Fails to Keep His Word, Shows He Cannot Be Trusted appeared first on Granite Grok.
The so-called Parental Bill of Rights (HB 1431) just went down to a narrow defeat (171-176) in the House, after passing the Senate (14-10).
RebuildNH’s recommendation? Run for office. Get politically active. Try again next session. Keep trying to put one over on the other side, while they keep trying to put one over on you. Keep treating the public school system as a political football, in a game where three different bodies (the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary) are constantly moving the goalposts in unpredictable ways.
Yeah, that approach has worked really well so far, hasn’t it? Why do liberals seem to be so much better at this game than conservatives? Consider that, like Calvinball, the game itself operates largely without principles, which means that people who believe in principles aren’t likely to be the ones who win it.
Trying to get your child an education by reforming the whole public school system is like trying to cover the world in leather to avoid stepping on stones. It’s simpler to wear shoes.
If you’re fighting for your own children, there is a much simpler way to win this fight, and the next one, and all the ones after that: Get your kids out of public schools.
There’s nothing you can do to stop the inevitable implosion of the public school system. The most you can do is slow it down — cut some spending here (even as it grows overall), block a radical program there (even as new ones are springing up). But while you’re working on that, your kids aren’t being educated, they’re being indoctrinated.
Every year, there are new and better options for working families who realize that for their own children, public schools are less likely to provide an opportunity than they are to impose an opportunity cost. Get to know some homeschooling parents in your area, and find out what you’re missing. You’ll be astonished.
Your kid’s mind is a terrible thing to waste.
The post Cover the World in Leather? Or Wear Shoes? appeared first on Granite Grok.
Let’s face it, your kids need to be safe when they go to school. I don’t know what all of the answers are, but I’m seeing that a lot of elite private schools have a strong security presence in their schools. I can’t even walk into the federal court without running into security guards, and having my purse examined. Why are we not protecting children?
As much as I actually hate this idea, until we get to the root of these school shootings, for now, kids in public schools need to be protected.
Whether it be poor parenting, a society that no longer knows right from wrong, medication, violent video games, or the poor quality of discipline in the public schools, kids need to be protected.
I wish there would be a national debate on what is driving people to commit such heinous crimes. Maybe it’s the media coverage? It’s hard to say, but it does make the murderer famous. Whatever the reason, and maybe there are several factors that contribute to all of this, school administrators are responsible for the safety of the children in their care. If they can find $150,000.00 to pay a DEIJ director to chit-chat with children about race and gender, they can certainly find funding for a security officer who is willing to protect these children.
Yes, you read that right, $150,000.00+ benefits for the DEIJ Director in SAU16. I think an ex-military officer or police officer who probably makes half of that, would be willing to take the job and appreciate that kind of pay.
Take a look at this:
CONFIRMED FACTS from Texas Rangers in a live news conference just aired: – The school was unlocked. – There was no armed officer inside the school. – Officers did not enter the building until an hour after the shooter entered the building. Every school in the nation needs to follow Florida’s example! – Armed deputies and/or private security on EVERY campus. – Armed teachers and staff – Locked buildings – Single point of entry – Hardened buildings and fenced-off properties. Had the doors been locked and an armed officer was in the building, this could have ended differently! I also suggest that Texas Rangers go to PIO school. Their press conference was embarrassing for them.The post FIRE the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice” Director and HIRE a Security Guard at Schools appeared first on Granite Grok.
When he first ran for office in 2016, NH Governor Chris Sununu promised in a letter to pro-life voters that he would sign a bill to repeal the buffer zone law, and yet he recently said that he is planning to veto HB1625, the Sidewalk Free Speech Act which would repeal the buffer zone law.
He hasn’t given an explanation on why he is reneging on his promise or even acknowledged that he made that promise.
Last week he vetoed HB1131, a bill that would have banned schools from imposing mask mandates on students. In his veto message, he claimed he vetoed it because he is concerned about government overreach. The buffer zone law is a huge government overreach because it allows private businesses to take control of public sidewalks and unconstitutionally restricts freedom of speech and assembly.
Related: NH Governor Chris Sununu Threatens Freedom of Speech Then Claims to Be Against Overreaching Government
Sununu also said he would veto HB1431, the Parental Rights Bill if it got to his desk because he is concerned that it could put a school at risk of a lawsuit. The buffer zone law is a huge risk for a lawsuit because it is unconstitutional and yet as long as it is the law the State has to defend it.
The State of NH has already had to defend the buffer zone law against a legal challenge in Reddy v. Foster. That case ended when a judge ruled that the plaintiffs had no standing because no buffer zones have ever been posted.
Any NH abortion facility can legally post a buffer zone without permission from anyone and that would immediately put the State on the hook again to defend the buffer zone law and the State would lose because the law is unconstitutional.
In 2014, Massachusetts had to pay out $1.2 million dollars to the plaintiffs’ attorneys in McCullen v. Coakley on top of the state’s own legal fees after they lost the case against their buffer zone law.
If Sununu is worried about government overreach and liability then his #1 concern should be signing HB1625.
If he vetoes HB1625 then his opposition to HB1131 and HB1431 are hypocritical and his concerns about government overreach and liability should not be taken seriously. He is gaslighting us when he pretends that there is any consistency in his stance on these bills.
Call Governor Sununu at 603-271-2121 and ask him to keep his promise to repeal the buffer zone law and sign HB1625, the Sidewalk Free Speech Act.
Learn more about the buffer zone law at Top 10 Reasons Why the NH Buffer Zone Law Must Be Repealed.
The post Tell NH Governor Chris Sununu to Stop Gaslighting Us and Vetoing Good Bills appeared first on Granite Grok.
How about this for a publicity stunt with a mission. Intimina, a feminine care brand, is offering you a box of cereal. It consists of crunchy red bits shaped like the female reproductive system. Why? They want to normalize conversations about menstrual bleeding.
Start your day with a spoonful of uteruses and some chit-chat about the discharge of mucosal tissue and accompanying blood.
Are we descending into a crazy realm? Surely this is not normal behavior…https://t.co/9KGzNyokIG
— Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) May 25, 2022
Yum!
When can we expect the aborted fetus cereal because that’s a conversation people want or need to have?
The raspberry-flavored ‘Period Crunch’ was born because the Swedish company claims that talking about menstruation is not “truly normalized.” Arguing that “’periods are normal and talking about periods should be normal.” …
Dr. Shree Datta, a gynecologist at King’s College Hospital, sided with the company and it’s [sp] efforts, saying: ‘I’m delighted Intimina has taken the bull by the horns and developed Period Crunch to help raise awareness of the ongoing social stigma around periods.”
She continued: “Periods are a natural part of who we are, so it’s deeply concerning to hear that so many people remain uncomfortable discussing them, when they are just another part of our health.”
How about Hemorrhoids? Wait, the polyps they collect when you get a colonoscopy! Why not a box of cereal called buboes. They could rename corn pops or Captain Crunch Oops! Just Berries, and market it as a way to explore conversations about lymphogranuloma venereum, plague, syphilis, gonorrhea, chancroid, tuberculosis, or maybe even Monkeypox.
These are all just parts of our health. Who doesn’t want to talk about normalizing conversations at breakfast—no reason not to broach any number of subjects, including genital mutilation or chemical castration of children? How about anal bleeding! Who is not embarrassed by that!
The company is Swiss (by the way), and this is supposed to be an awareness campaign – see also a PR stunt – to garner attention to the brand. Being outrageous is an excellent way to attract interest, but it also invites conversations about just how far people will go in that pursuit.
Down in Texas, a lunatic decided to shoot up a grade school to get attention. It worked. It also brought forward a wide range of issues that have only gotten worse since the Broward County Parkland shooting. After which, by the way, a commission recommended arming teachers and staff.
The cops didn’t charge in to rescue kids from the shooter (just like in Parkland). Parents were denied the chance to do it for them (one apparently did get in and got her kids out). They had to wait an hour for backup law enforcement. And all (probably) because of people who would applaud ‘Period Crunch’ cereal as a conversation starter while shutting down conversations about the systemic failure of “government” to protect the citizens it would disarm, not that it ever had the obligation or ever will.
You are your only first line of defense in any situation.
It’s all connected to the culture and who destroyed it, Democrats. Grab a bowl or some hot java, and let’s have a conversation about that.
And kudos to the UK Daily Mail on their lead for this story Make womb for breakfast. That’s just awesome.
Edited after publication.
The post Uterus Cereal Because Talking About Menstruation at the Breakfast Table Should be a Thing appeared first on Granite Grok.
So, have all of their plaudits for Biden turned out to be true? Or just virtue-signaling from NeverTrumpers who hated “mean tweets” even though the vast majority of his policies and legislation (again, no one’s perfect and he certainly was closer to lousy than good when it came to staffing).
And look at the list – either they were Establishment Republicans (“A Republican’s Republican for the sake of the Republican Party or they’ve lost their minds in hatred that a brash outsider, uncontrollable by them, took their brass ring away from them as if they were toddlers.
Which, I add in retrospect, they now sound like. I have a mix of NH and national “Luminaries” that decided that Trump had to be stopped by any means possible. And they, to be perfectly honest, were successful. However, it’s clear that they put themselves and their FEELINGS first; are they now willing, given what the Biden Administration has done, to do a big Mea Culpa and start apologizing to the rest of us who KNEW that Biden was (and is) barely a sock puppet?
So, of course with every election, we have Republicans (I’m not even sure that “In Name Only” goes far enough??) that decide that any Democrat that turns their Feelz on or allows them to rant against those Republican that, you know, have a decent level of fidelity to Conservative Principles / Party Platform. Because if you are willing to vote for someone IN THE OTHER PARTY that holds stances antithetical to them, you’re either lazy in doing your political homework, really have no Principles at all, or just plain stupid.
Or can’t play 3D Chess to save their life – or ours. From a bunch of places, I want to remind you of your distaff family, friends, or other Republicans that lost their minds and souls over “ANYBODY BUT TRUMP” and turned to Biden who has turned out to be a lead pipe of a life ring as I can’t fathom ANYTHING that he’s done right.
From WMUR: NH Primary Source: Biden campaign rolls out group of NH Republicans backing former VP for president
— Woullard Lett, former president of the Manchester NAACP, who backed Democrat Dan Feltes for governor in April;
— Former Reagan Administration official Claira Monier, who was co-chair of former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld’s presidential campaign in New Hampshire;
— Former Executive Councilor Peter Spaulding, who in 2000 and 2010 chaired the New Hampshire presidential effort for the late Sen. John McCain;
— Former Executive Councilor Bill Cahill, who is now an undeclared voter;
— Businesswoman and community activist Pamela Diamantis; and
— Community activist Ken Moulton.
— former Sen. Gordon Humphrey…known nationally as a leader of the “Never-Trump” movement.
“I served with Joe Biden for 12 years in the United States Senate. I know him and trust him. No one comes close to his experience or his ability to achieve bipartisan consensus,” Humphrey said.
At this point, the only bipartisanship I see is Biden uniting folks AGAINST him. And from Biden’s campaign, here’s a list of 100 Republicans for Biden. Is your friend, acquaintance, or family member on this list?
nh independents for biden-1578279237Union Leader: reformatted
Time Magazine:
A lifelong Republican in New Hampshire has explained in a video interview why he is voting for Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, attracting the attention of over one million viewers.
Les Otten, from Dixville Notch, took to Twitter and explained his reasoning for voting against the Republican incumbent President Donald Trump. “I am a lifelong Republican and I am voting for Joe Biden,” said Otten. “I don’t agree with him on many issues but I think it’s time to find what unites us and not what divides us.”
… “It’s time to rebuild the heart of what makes us a good country—that starts with electing leaders who have good character and are truthful and will put the country’s welfare above all else; who will show respect to all people regardless of their gender, their race, their religion or their political beliefs.
Yeah, I’m a Domestic Terrorist – nice “showing respect”. You know: this guy who has no problem in trying to get Government to be his Venture Capitalist.
And let’s not forget Steve Duprey, Tom Rath, and (again) Gordon Humphrey.
From Issues & Insights at the national level (and a bit of fisking again from me):
John Kasich: “I’m sure there are Republicans and independents who couldn’t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat. They fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don’t believe that because I know the measure of the man.”
Yeah, you sure did, didn’t you? That fear turned out to be true as he has not just turned Left but also in deciding that he can further the “transformation” that Obama demanded.
Christie Todd Whitman: “We need to elect a leader matched to the moment, someone who can restore competence to the Oval Office and unify the country. Joe Biden is that leader.”
Competence and Unity – how’s that working for the rest of us, eh?
Bill Cohen: “We are in serious need of a leader with optimism and competence who gives us hope. Joe Biden is that leader.”
Yeah, hoping to get all these Dems thrown out and Biden retired. You, as well – I don’t think you know what the meaning of optimism and competence really means, dontcha?
Rick Snyder: “Biden is the clear choice to put our country back on a positive path.”
Please define your usage of “positive” because, as just an ordinary schlub from central NH, I’m not getting it.
Cindy McCain: “There’s only one candidate in this race who stands up for our values as a nation, and that is @JoeBiden.”
Your values are certainly not Republican in mind or in any Republican Party Platform that I know of.
Meg Whitman: “Joe Biden … has a plan that will strengthen our economy for working people and small-business owners. For me, the choice is simple. I’m with Joe.”
Wanna reconsider that economics lesson, there Meg? A 1.5% drop in GDP this quarter and inflation rate that we haven’t seen in 40 years. Hate to see what you’d call “bad”? Those in the know are fearful that Recession is around the corner.
43 Alumni for Biden: “We need someone who will quickly course correct and show us the path forward.”
Well, he certainly changed his course from how he campaigned, right? I dryly note that every time I hear “forward” from either the Left or these Leftist-Lite, I still have no idea where that path is leading to.
Colin Powell: “What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.”
That happen yet? And if Biden has restored “our soul”, I’m wondering what kind of hell you’ve put us into?
Jeff Flake: “We need to elect someone … who will stop the chaos and reverse the damage.”
I’d love to hear his explanation for that. Wonder which “damage” he was referring to as all I see around me is damage to the county.
Twenty U.S. attorneys: “We firmly believe that Vice President Joe Biden is the candidate who can – and will – provide the leadership we need to … to address the deep-seated societal issues that are roiling our country today. We give him our strongest endorsement.”
And I&I has a great line:
Notice how no “Republicans for Biden” are currently bragging about how they helped get Biden elected.
Nope, they aren’t. And this is why (reformatted, emphasis):
U.S. President Joe Biden’s public approval rating fell this week to 36%, the lowest level of his presidency, as Americans suffered from rising inflation, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Tuesday. The two-day national poll found that 59% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s job performance. His overall approval was down six percentage points from 42% last week.
In a sign of weakening enthusiasm among Democrats, Biden’s approval rating within his own party fell to 72% from 76% the prior week. Only 10% of Republicans approve of his job in office.
How’s it feel, you dweebs, to be in the bottom 10% of your Party? We can blame you for ALL of this.
I just figured I’d remind you all – and ask the if they are willing to repent and ask forgiveness from us all.
From me, nope.
The post Let’s Revisit the “Republicans for Biden”, Shall We? appeared first on Granite Grok.
So the Russian military continues the war in eastern Ukraine, inching slowly forward, while Putin forces Europe to continue to buy his oil. Russia has accused Ukraine prisoners of being Nazis and threatens to try them for war crimes. Pot calling the Kettle Black, it seems to me, especially with no specific “crimes” other than Ukrainians fighting back having charged. This could degenerate quickly into a take no prisoners war. How that would go? Makes one wonder; badly I suspect?
What military experts make of the failure of the previously supposed powerful Russian juggernaut has to be a surprise. What Putin planned as a three-day walk-through has become three months of heavy losses in Russian lives and equipment. The hoped-for collapse of NATO also went bad as Europe nations suddenly found common cause. Now, even Sweden and Finland want NATO membership now – exactly what Putin didn’t want. Ukrainian officials have said they believe if they can hold out in the East for another week, they can move more troops into that region and stop in the invasion.
Here in the U.S., Biden has the ability to impact the situation greatly in favor of Ukraine by lifting his moratorium on oil and natural gas production. It would also provide relief to many Americans, too. It would take some time to get back up and running but seems to me the very threat of U.S. fuels pouring into Europe allowing Europe to shut off all import of Russian oil would have a major impact. I will not be holding my breath, however, as the Biden administration has as yet shown no indication that it can make any kind of reasoned decisions, plans, or actions other then failed or destructive ones. Nor can we expect Biden to make any such strong move against Putin; he just doesn’t have the stomach for it. Thus, it looks like the war will drag on over there with Russia destroying cities, killing women and children and threatening all the rest of Europe by extension.
How’s that for “Build Back Better”? Is this the best the American people of either Party can do? Biden is no leader; he has always been a go along/get along politician.
Certainly not a good choice for a President.
The post Russia Plows Ahead appeared first on Granite Grok.
The George H. & Ella M. Rodgers Memorial Library, which is the public library for Hudson, NH, is hosting a “PRIDE: Love Wins” event on June 11 from 10 am to noon which is advertised to be for “all ages.”
From the description of the event:
Celebrate who you are. Show love to all our community members.
Make buttons, flags, and bracelets. Enjoy inclusive storytime.
When a Hudson resident called and inquired, she was told by Tanya Moesel, head of youth services, that “Anyone is welcome, kids included.” Ms. Moesel is choosing the books for the “inclusive storytime” and she told the resident that there would not be a drag performer reading the books.
Two picture books that are available in the Rodgers Library to read to impressionable young children to convince them that being transgender is fun and exciting are “I Am Jazz” and “Red: A Crayon’s Story.”
Related: Picture Books at Nashua Library Promote Dangerous Gender Ideology to Young Children
The library does not have a copy of “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters” by Abigail Shrier which is what teens and parents should be reading to learn about the horrible psychological and physical damage done to kids in the name of gender ideology.
However, a copy of “Irreversible Damage” is available from the library consortium that serves the towns of Amherst, Bedford, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Hudson, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Salem, and Windham.
Learn more about the event on the library website and the Facebook event.
The post Hudson NH Public Library Celebrating Pride for “All Ages” appeared first on Granite Grok.
We learned it was “Picture Day” and “Ice Cream Social Day” at the State House. Most of us lined up on the State House Steps prior to House Session to snap a “class photo”. Thanks to House Speaker Staff, and Deputy Chief of Staff Debra Childs in particular, for herding cats. It was a nice day for it too. Then at lunch we got treated to ice cream with an array of toppings… they even had cheese balls… who on earth put cheese balls on their ice cream? Seriously?!
We learned that The Granite Statesman Barbershop Quartet delivers a very decent acappella “Star Spangled Banner”. It was a pleasant way to open up House Session.
We learned that the business of today’s House Session was to agree (or not) with the Committee of Conference (CoC) Reports on various Senate and House bills. As we agreed to Senate bills CoC reports they went back to that chamber for Senate agreement (or not) as well. Then we went through the House bill CoC reports that got agreed to by the Senate. Sort of a mini “cross-over day”!
We learned that the House and Senate would rather agree with the SB200 CoC redistricting changes for the congressional maps than to allow a random judge to decide that for our state. It appears the governor has indicated a veto and would rather it go to a judge, since he’s expressed his displeasure with what our legislature has agreed upon. The House passed the CoC for SB200 176-171. It will be a sad day for NH if some random judge carves up our state into a congressional map that we will be stuck with for the next decade, especially after all the time and thought that went into this final version.
We learned that SB401 CoC passed with a voice vote. Part of this bill will distribute over $60 million in the form of block grants and bridge aid to municipalities along with money to DOT for dash cams plus money for body cams for police. The $75 million price tag on this bill comes from increased state revenues which have been arriving into the state coffers in higher than anticipated amounts. Thanks to Republican sound fiscal policy, those funds are going back to the municipalities to help our towns repair roads and bridges and give some local tax relief. Got pot holes?
We learned that SB366 CoC also passed on a voice vote and will allow for an audit of the 2022 elections in the primary and general elections. These audits will be conducted at random locations and will also audit the ballot counting machines. No shenanigans allowed.
We learned that after 22 terms… representing 44 years …. the longest serving State Representative in the Nation, Rep. Laura Pantelakos (D-Portsmouth) aka “Dean of the House” is retiring. She was given the Honor of presiding as House Speaker for 3 bills, which all passed on voice votes. We wish her all the best in her retirement and thank her for the many years of service to the people of New Hampshire. She’s served through 9 governors! Pretty incredible!
We learned that because of a horrific shooting by a lunatic in a school in Uvalde Texas, Rep. Altschiller (D-Stratham) decided to attempt to suspend rules and bring to the House floor HB1558 (a background check bill). She wanted to bring a bill before the House with no hearing, and no committee examination. Yet again, we have a knee jerk and zealous gun control reaction by this woman running for a State Senate seat. Rep. Roy (R-Deerfield) said we shouldn’t use a tragedy to push through legislation in the House and also said that people in NH have a right to a hearing on these bills. He was right. The roll call vote for suspension of rules failed 163(Y)-188(N). Expect many gun control bills from Democrats next year… No surprise there.
We learned that HB1439 CoC passed with a voice vote. This bill allows for changes to Hospital Visitation policies, and was called “the No Patient Left Alone Act”. No person deserves to be alone and unable to be with a family member in their time of illness or incapacitation. This was a win for patients and their families. I was happy to co-sponsor this bill.
We learned that a new dental benefit for Medicaid was passed (246-105) with the CoC for HB103. Those who voted for this felt that the State will end up paying less in Medicaid costs since preventative care in oral health will contribute to less oral/dental emergencies and less major systemic health problems resulting down the road from poor dental care. Those voting against it didn’t think Medicaid benefits should be expanded. The way it was set up was more like insurance with co-pays and only for particular Medicaid recipients.. so it is limited. Time will tell to see if we do realize cost savings.
We learned that the biggest controversial CoC report of the day, HB1431, was voted down on a roll call vote 171(Y)-176(N) after an effort to table it failed 169-173. The House voted to kill this Parental Rights bill despite the rally outside the State House in the morning calling for its passage. Opponents of the bill said it would endanger gay/trans/etc. kids by outing them to their parents. Proponents of the bill didn’t believe that would happen, but more importantly they didn’t think secrets should be kept from parents. Parents should know what is going on with their kids at school, especially if they are being influenced by teachers or other adults who may be sexual predators or grooming kids for who knows what. The bill was also under veto threat by the governor. No doubt this bill will return next session, and that’s no secret.
We learned that HB1661 CoC report passed with a roll call vote of 244-99. It appears we will be spending an initial $9.350 million for a new parking garage for the legislature, plus there was a stack of other goodies in this bill. One of which was career technical education along with a some watered down workforce housing language. It certainly was an expensive mixed bag of tricks.
Finally, we learned that all of these things and more, will now end up on the governor’s desk. It will be interesting to see what we can look forward to for Veto Day in the Fall. So, I will be reporting on that session when we get there. There will be a fair amount of seasoned House members who will not be pursuing re-election. A handful of State Reps are also running for Senate. We wish them all well and thank them for their service, in the House, to our state and their constituents. House Republicans are working hard to fill seats with a veto proof majority for the next biennium. We were able to get some great legislation passed with only a slim Republican majority. Just think of the great things we can accomplish with a veto proof majority!
The post So Kids, What Did We Learn From Thursday’s House Session (05/26/22)? appeared first on Granite Grok.
My blog started its journey on January 25, 2021. Donald Trump had left Washington the week before his new home at Mar-a-Lago, and except for the Pandemic, he turned over a country that was in good shape and ready to come out of hibernation and grow. The Border was secure, inflation at 2%, the stock market was growing, our military was solid, and our relationships with geopolitical threats were stable. We were a country ready to get back to work and the life we enjoyed before COVID.
Fast forward, and the State of our Union is quite different, and many cannot believe how quickly we became unraveled. The Border is open and truthfully doesn’t exist. Inflation is at 8.5% but actually much higher. The stock market has given back much of the gains we enjoyed. Our military is more WOKE than .tough, and Afghanistan shows the quality of our leadership. Russia, China, North Korea, and even the Taliban no longer fear us. We are not going in the right direction.
The question that goes unanswered is whether the performance of the Biden/Harris team and administration is an intentional effort to dismantle or transform our great country. If, as many of us believe, this is true, we have gone from a country we were making great again to something that no one can describe. We know that Progressives, and there are many in the White House, intend to transform America, and none on the Right are comfortable with this concept.
This administration is flush with contradictions. The status of the Border turned quickly, and Biden announced that Harris would be in charge of the situation. Appointing a Border Czar gave much hope that we would make the adjustments to curb the flow. We would have been holding onto false hope. The materials previously paid for to complete the Wall lay dormant and rusting on the desert floor of South Texas. Record numbers of illegal immigrants flood across the Rio Grande every day from over 150 countries. They are not vetted, background-checked, or vaccinated, but they are released into our country.
In November of 2021, Joe Biden addressed the country and promised us he would do everything in his power to stabilize and lower gas prices at the pumps. It was a lie, and he knew it. Gas prices have more than doubled during Biden’s term. This week, he leveled with Americans and said the high costs of gas would go higher, which is part of the plan to get America to electric cars. Horrendous plan, Joe, and it will cost everyone dearly.
America and Americans are not ready for electric cars. The infrastructure is not in place and will not be for years. Electric vehicles are out of the price range for Americans, and the supply and options are far too limited. In the meantime, you are breaking American budgets with ridiculous fuel costs, which will stymy the economy. These increased costs will be passed onto the consumer, which will fuel, excuse the pun, inflation. Who are the supposed Nobel Laureates who are advising Biden? They could not be more wrong.
Inflation was supposed to be transitory, according to Biden last fall. As we head into recession and stagflation, Biden shows he is again wrong, and every time he is wrong, it costs Americans more and more.
The only thing Biden has done right is putting the muzzle on Harris. Biden is old and incoherent, but Harris is simply embarrassing. She has to be taken out of the chain of succession. Biden will not last his full term. America will not last a President Harris.
After 500 days, I can say with total certainty, that the State of the Union is poor. The question is, are we at the bottom yet?
Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft
The post The State of the Union is Far From Good appeared first on Granite Grok.
If you are at all concerned about the trillions of ‘dollars’ that the DC politicians and the federal government have created out of thin air over the past year, you should strongly consider getting some silver, gold, and other stable money.
The post The Liberty Block Partners With The Silver Pool! appeared first on The Liberty Block.
Yes, this is out of order, numerically speaking, with those Snippets “in the can” but not yet published. But, I felt it was right given the copycat tragedy that just occurred in Uvalde, Texas.
Yet another mass shooting at an elementary school. Yes, the Left would love to take all of the law-abiding citizens’ guns away in punishment for a few mentally ill / ideologically wacko people. Those two groups are merely fulcrums to be used to further what I see is their end goal – complete disarmament by any means even if the [hated by them] Constitution protects our Second Amendment Rights.
They do NOT want to acknowledge that it is the person wielding the gun that’s the problem – they always go after the inanimate object that just sits there. That hunk of metal and plastic has no agency of its own – only the shooter does. It’s the same play with SUVs when an accident occurs – it is the vehicle at fault, not the driver. Why?
They see SUVs as a crime against GAIA for emissions purposes (and many believe they are WAY too big and you don’t “need” them).
NO gun control law would have stopped this. But there is a problem… …the Left’s decades long efforts in changing Culture’s norms to where Life at any stage is no longer valued. Instead, it’s all about ME! and all about MY needs and MY feelings and MY life – a complete distorted dystopia that the Left has created in the perpetual outraged supporters it has corrupted that nothing is EVER their fault so why be responsible for anything?
Until the Left begins to understand that they are not the gods of themselves, we all are in a world of hurt. After all, gun safety used to be taught regularly in even elementary schools up to the 50s and 60s?
Gun safety being taught in an Indiana school, 1956(Image H/T: Caveman Circus)
The post Skip’s Sauntering Snippets #11 – It’s a Sobering Observation That’s It’s Not the Gun but the Left’s Changing of the Culture That’s to Blame appeared first on Granite Grok.
Today, the Parental Rights Bill (HB1431) passed the State Senate only to die in the NH House. Fifteen Republicans took it upon themselves to ignore the truth and ran cover for Governor Groomer.
From Rebuild NH
The 171-176 vote in the N.H. House to kill HB 1431, which had already passed 14-10 in the Senate, opposes the opinion of 85 percent of New Englanders according to a Parental Rights Foundation survey. In the survey, results of which are expected next week, respondents agreed that, “In general, parents have the constitutional right to make decisions for their children without government interference unless there is proof of abuse or neglect.”
“The people who voted to defend groomers, who are intentionally corrupting the innocent minds of our children, have betrayed every family in the state and defied their oath of office to defend the Constitution, under God,” said Andrew J. Manuse, chairman of RebuildNH. “Families are the fundamental building block of our civil society. Every time we do not stand up to protect parent’s rights as paramount, we are allowing the State to undermine our fundamental liberty.”
Governor Sununu had promised a veto, which I suggested could cost him his race in November. Pissing off that many parents across the political spectrum has a cost, but more than a few reliable shills for the moderate Sununu stepped up to do the deed for him.
Parents with Republican Reps who voted not to reconsider (they killed the bill) should reconsider electing them in November by supporting a primary opponent in September. We’ll do what we can to make sure you have one to pick, and we’ll let you know who they are and how you can support them.
Here’s the list of all the Nay Votes, all parties. I have Highlighted the Republicans. No Democrats supported the parental bill of rights.
All Nay Votes Abbott, Michael(d) Ches. 1 Nay Abel, Richard(D) Graf. 13 Nay Adjutant, Joshua(d) Graf. 17 Nay Alexander, Joe(R) Hills. 6 Nay Alicea, Caroletta(D) Merr. 8 Nay Allard, James(R) Merr. 21 Nay Almy, Susan(D) Graf. 13 Nay Altschiller, Debra(D) Rock. 19 Nay Ames, Richard(D) Ches. 9 Nay Baroody, Benjamin(D) Hills. 43 Nay Bartlett, Christy(d) Merr. 19 Nay Beaulieu, Jane(D) Hills. 45 Nay Bergeron, Paul(D) Hills. 29 Nay Bixby, Peter(D) Straf. 17 Nay Booras, Efstathia(D) Hills. 33 Nay Bordenet, John(D) Ches. 5 Nay Bordes, Mike(R) Belk. 3 Nay Bouchard, Donald(D) Hills. 11 Nay Bouldin, Andrew(D) Hills. 12 Nay Bradley, Amy(D) Hills. 43 Nay Buco, Thomas(D) Carr. 2 Nay Bunker, Lisa(D) Rock. 18 Nay Burroughs, Anita(D) Carr. 1 Nay Cali-Pitts, Jacqueline(D) Rock. 30 Nay Cannon, Gerri(D) Straf. 18 Nay Caplan, Tony(D) Merr. 6 Nay Chase, Wendy(D) Straf. 18 Nay Chretien, Jacqueline(D) Hills. 42 Nay Cloutier, John(D) Sull. 10 Nay Cohen, Bruce(D) Hills. 28 Nay Conley, Casey(D) Straf. 13 Nay Cornell, Patricia(D) Hills. 18 Nay Depalma IV, Joseph(R) Graf. 1 Nay DeSimone, Debra(R) Rock. 14 Nay DiLorenzo, Charlotte(D) Rock. 17 Nay DiSilvestro, Linda(D) Hills. 9 Nay Dontonville, Roger(D) Graf. 10 Nay Dutzy, Sherry(D) Hills. 30 Nay Eaton, Daniel(D) Ches. 3 Nay Ebel, Karen(D) Merr. 5 Nay Edgar, Michael(D) Rock. 21 Nay Egan, Timothy(D) Graf. 2 Nay Ellison, Arthur(D) Merr. 27 Nay Espitia, Manny(D) Hills. 31 Nay Fargo, Kristina(D) Straf. 14 Nay Faulkner, Barry(D) Ches. 12 Nay Fellows, Sallie(D) Graf. 8 Nay Fenton, Donovan(D) Ches. 8 Nay Fox, Dru(D) Ches. 6 Nay Freitas, Mary(D) Hills. 14 Nay Frost, Sherry(D) Straf. 16 Nay Gallager, Eric(D) Merr. 15 Nay Gilman, Julie(D) Rock. 18 Nay Goley, Jeffrey(D) Hills. 8 Nay Gomarlo, Jennie(D) Ches. 12 Nay Gordon, Edward(R) Graf. 9 Nay Gottling, Suzanne(D) Sull. 2 Nay Graham, John(R) Hills. 7 Nay Grassie, Chuck(D) Straf. 11 Nay Griffith, Willis(D) Hills. 18 Nay Grossman, Gaby(D) Rock. 18 Nay Grote, Jaci(D) Rock. 24 Nay Guthrie, Joseph(R) Rock. 13 Nay Hakken-Phillips, Mary(D) Graf. 12 Nay Hall, Muriel(D) Merr. 23 Nay Ham, Bonnie(R) Graf. 5 Nay Hamblet, Joan(D) Rock. 31 Nay Hamer, Heidi(D) Hills. 17 Nay Hatch, William(D) Coos 6 Nay Heath, Mary(D) Hills. 14 Nay Herbert, Christopher(D) Hills. 43 Nay Horrigan, Timothy(D) Straf. 6 Nay Jack, Martin(D) Hills. 36 Nay Jeudy, Jean(D) Hills. 10 Nay Kelley, Eamon(D) Coos 3 Nay Kenney, Cam(D) Straf. 6 Nay King, Mark(D) Hills. 33 Nay Klee, Patricia(D) Hills. 30 Nay Klein-Knight, Nicole(D) Hills. 11 Nay Knirk, Jerry(D) Carr. 3 Nay Labranche, Tony(i) Hills. 22 Nay Laflamme, Larry(D) Coos 3 Nay Lane, Connie(D) Merr. 12 Nay Langley, Diane(D) Hills. 8 Nay Laughton, Stacie-Marie(D) Hills. 31 Nay Leishman, Peter(D) Hills. 24 Nay Levesque, Cassandra (D) Straf. 4 Nay Long, Patrick(D) Hills. 10 Nay Loughman, Tom(D) Rock. 21 Nay Luneau, David(D) Merr. 10 Nay MacKay, James(d) Merr. 14 Nay Maggiore, Jim(D) Rock. 22 Nay Malloy, Dennis(D) Rock. 23 Nay Maneval, Andrew(d) Ches. 9 Nay Mangipudi, Latha(D) Hills. 35 Nay Mann, John(D) Ches. 2 Nay Marsh, William(D) Carr. 8 Nay Mason, James(R) Merr. 2 Nay Massimilla, Linda(D) Graf. 1 Nay McAleer, Chris(D) Carr. 7 Nay McGhee, Kat(D) Hills. 27 Nay McWilliams, Rebecca(D) Merr. 27 Nay Merchant, Gary(D) Sull. 4 Nay Meuse, David(D) Rock. 29 Nay Moran, Melbourne(D) Hills. 34 Nay Muirhead, Russell(D) Graf. 12 Nay Mullen, Sue(D) Hills. 7 Nay Murphy, James(D) Graf. 12 Nay Murray, Kate(D) Rock. 24 Nay Murray, Megan(D) Hills. 22 Nay Myler, Mel(D) Merr. 10 Nay Newman, Ray(D) Hills. 29 Nay Newman, Sue(D) Hills. 29 Nay Nordgren, Sharon(D) Graf. 12 Nay Nutter-Upham, Frances(D) Hills. 33 Nay Nutting-Wong, Allison(D) Hills. 32 Nay O’Hearne, Andrew(D) Sull. 3 Nay Oxaal, Ariel(D) Straf. 15 Nay Paige, Mark(D) Rock. 18 Nay Pantelakos, Laura(D) Rock. 25 Nay Parshall, Lucius(D) Ches. 10 Nay Pedersen, Michael(D) Hills. 32 Nay Perez, Maria(D) Hills. 23 Nay Petrigno, Peter(D) Hills. 23 Nay Piedra, Israel(D) Hills. 9 Nay Pimentel, Roderick(D) Merr. 6 Nay Query, Joshua(D) Hills. 16 Nay Read, Ellen(I) Rock. 17 Nay Rice, Kimberly(R) Hills. 37 Nay Rich, Cecilia(D) Straf. 18 Nay Richards, Beth(D) Merr. 13 Nay Rombeau, Catherine(D) Hills. 7 Nay Rouillard, Claire(R) Hills. 6 Nay Rung, Rosemarie(D) Hills. 21 Nay Salloway, Jeffrey(D) Straf. 5 Nay Sandler, Catt(D) Straf. 21 Nay Schamberg, Thomas(D) Merr. 4 Nay Schapiro, Joe(D) Ches. 16 Nay Schmidt, Peter(D) Straf. 19 Nay Schuett, Dianne(D) Merr. 20 Nay Schultz, Kristina(d) Merr. 18 Nay Shurtleff, Steve(d) Merr. 11 Nay Simpson, Alexis(D) Rock. 36 Nay Smith, Marjorie(D) Straf. 6 Nay Smith, Suzanne(D) Graf. 8 Nay Smith, Timothy(D) Hills. 17 Nay Snow, Kendall(D) Hills. 19 Nay Sofikitis, Catherine(D) Hills. 34 Nay Soucy, Timothy(d) Merr. 16 Nay Southworth, Thomas(D) Straf. 20 Nay Spang, Judith(D) Straf. 6 Nay Stavis, Laurel(D) Graf. 13 Nay Stevens, Deb(D) Hills. 34 Nay Sullivan, Brian(D) Sull. 1 Nay Sykes, George(D) Graf. 13 Nay Sytek, John(R) Rock. 8 Nay Tanner, Linda(D) Sull. 9 Nay Telerski, Laura(D) Hills. 35 Nay Toll, Amanda Elizabeth(D) Ches. 16 Nay Toomey, Dan(D) Hills. 32 Nay Treleaven, Susan(D) Straf. 17 Nay Tucker, Edith(D) Coos 5 Nay Vail, Suzanne(D) Hills. 30 Nay Van Houten, Constance(D) Hills. 45 Nay Veilleux, Daniel(D) Hills. 22 Nay Von Plinsky, Sparky(D) Ches. 7 Nay Wall, Janet(D) Straf. 6 Nay Walz, Mary Beth(d) Merr. 23 Nay Ward, Gerald(D) Rock. 28 Nay Wazir, Safiya(D) Merr. 17 Nay Weber, Lucy(D) Ches. 1 Nay Welkowitz, Lawrence(D) Ches. 4 Nay Weston, Joyce(D) Graf. 8 Nay Wilhelm, Matthew(D) Hills. 42 Nay Wolf, Dan(R) Merr. 5 Nay Woodcock, Stephen(D) Carr. 2 Nay Woods, Gary(d) Merr. 23 Nay
The post Breaking: Here’s the List of Republican Groomers in the NH House Who Stabbed Parents in the Back (HB1431) appeared first on Granite Grok.
(NOTE to readers: Skip beat me to the punch on this, but I think the politicization/weaponization of the NH-DOJ is important enough an issue that it is worthwhile for you to have both our takes.)
When I wrote Just Call Him Governor Groomer I was aware that Governor Groomer was justifying his threatened veto of the parental rights bill on “concerns” expressed by the New Hampshire Department of Justice. I tried to find a written version of these concerns because it very much sounded like the NH-DOJ was reasoning backward… that is, starting with the conclusion Governor Groomer wanted reached and then manufacturing arguments to support that conclusion.
I was unable to find anything, but I recently received an email from Cornerstone which contained a link to a letter from the National Legal Foundation that DEMOLISHES the NH-DOJ’s “concerns.” Some highlights:
Gender dysphoria, like other medical or psychological conditions that may need to be addressed while the child is in school, is not part of the primary educational mission for which parents have entrusted their children to the public schools. It is a core parental issue involved in the care, health, and welfare of their children. Just as a school must send scholastic progress reports (report cards) to parents (which, incidentally, “outs” the lazy or uncooperative students to their parents and may lead to abuse), so schools must share information with parents on those matters particularly within the province of parents.
We understand that in a communication with some of the conferees on HB 1431, the Department of Justice has raised some questions with respect to this Bill. In reading this communication, we are quite surprised that the Department did not consider or even mention Meyer v. Nebraska, Pierce v. Society of Sisters, Prince v. Massachusetts or Troxel v. Granville, all of which establish without question the fundamental right of parents to control the upbringing and education of their children.
The Department’s final paragraph discussing the potential liability of a school/ municipality that “outs” a child is disingenuous. The Department cites the case of Sterling v. Borough of Minersville, 232 F.3d 190, 196 (3rd Cir. 2000) in which municipal police threatened to “out” an 18 year old adult who thereafter committed suicide, and the city settled the claim for $100,000. Here the children subject to the NH Parental Rights Act are children, who lack the capacity to file suit. Moreover, the children’s parents are being informed, pursuant to their fundamental rights as parents, by schools pursuant to New Hampshire law. How can parents under such facts ever establish standing to sue?
In the last case cited by the Department in its communication on HB 1431 (Wyatt v. Fletcher, 718 F.3d 496 (5th Cir. 2013), the Department of Justice cites with good reason the dissenting opinion, since the majority held directly the opposite.
In a nutshell, the NH-DOJ is either completely incompetent OR was intentionally misleading the Legislature. Given the NH-DOJ’s track record… playing matador-defense in the Claremont education funding cases and voter-ID cases … I think it is clearly the latter. The NH-DOJ remains … despite three terms of a supposedly Republican Governor … thoroughly politicized.
Don’t call it the New Hampshire Department of Justice … call it the New Hampshire Department of Grooming.
The post Just Call It The New Hampshire Department Of Grooming appeared first on Granite Grok.