Definition of Opinion:  A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof.

Please be respectful to others with differing opinions. 

Michael Kelly

THOUGH SOME SAY THINGS HAVE CHANGED TRUTHFULLY THEY ARE THE SAME;   I recently witnessed first hand what some consider Change that is bound to take place, but which we all know if wa are honest with ourselves, is not Change, its just the same old folderol in a different Soggy Stinking Bag.

The Judge asked the Counsel for the petitioning party what was going on in the case. The case was a Probate case, a man died and left some property to some siblings, one of whom had quickly filed a Petition to be Appointed the Administrator of  the Estate. The property was sold, and generated quite a healthy sum of money which even after the Estate Bills were paid, amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was in 2020 when the case was filed, and the Remainder was determined in 2021. Then every thing went 'South" because the Nasty element of Greed jumped in the middle of the case. Now it's Nov. 2023 over 2 years later, and the money is gone.

The attorney who represents the suspected absentee Administrator now claims his client disappeared in May 2023, however he did not mention this to the Court until October of this year, and now he purports to be filing a Motion to Withdraw as Counsel of Record. He mentioned to the Court that apparently his ciient did not deposit to proceeds from the same of probate Estate assets in a Blocked acount in California, rather, quite to his alleged surprise, the 220 thousand dollars that came from the probate Estate, sonehow disappeared, and only 186 thousand plus dollars wound up being located in an account in Florida.

The Judge looked at me and smiling said to the defalcating clients attorney on the phone "Isn't it true Counsel that the disappearance of 186 thousand plus dollars of probate moneys is Still a Felony even in California?"  The Courtroom became Very Quiet. The Judge requested to me that I notify another attorney who was missing from the Courtroom that our next Court appearance was on a certain date, and that he was expected to be there, In Person.

I write this because I detect a tendency in our little Forum, of a form of soft peddling the Truth because certain people's feelings (an assumption which may not be grounded in much more than imagination) may be "Hurt" and this is played like a Violin that was played during the Second World War, Not of any Edifying Quality, just for whatever sake it was done. I am for one, absolutely Sick of assertions made with no justifiable Facts backing them up. Worthless discourse used to cover the real Truth.

THE BORDER NORTH AND SOUTH IS NOT SECURE, THE LAST TIME IT WAS CLOSE TO BEING SO, DONALD J. TRUMP WAS THE PRESIDENT. THAT IS THE TRUTH. REMEMBER THE WOMAN THAT MANY WERE PROFESSEDLY DISGUSTED WITH, THE ONE TIME GOVERNOR OF ALASKA, SHE SAID IT VERY DEFINITIVELY  "YOU CAN PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG, BUT IT IS STILL JUST A PIG"  BIDEN IS NOWHERE CLOSE TO BEING A GOOD PRESIDENT, IN FACT, IT MAY PROVE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THAT HE HAS BEEN BRIBED BY THE COMMUNIST CHINESE PARTY TO GIVE THEM OUR SECRETS AND GRANT THEM POLITICAL FAVORS. DRUGS ARE COMING ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN BORDER, AND WE MUST STOP THIS, OR WE MAY SUFFER SOME VERY REAL, AND INSTANT CRISES WITH OUR WATER SUPPLY BEING CONTAMINATED WITH FENTANOL. PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, IT DEPENDS, WHAT COLOR LIPSTICK ARE YOU WEARING IF YOU DO INDEED WEAR ANY AT ALL?

Bill RIHS

Anyone think it would be a great time for China to attack Taiwan? Thanks Joe!

Frank Wiley

Welcome to the Forum Mary!  N.S. Border Crossings Chart by Pew Research (you can google it to see full chart) shows--1999--1.6 Million, 2019--304,000, 2020--197,000, 2021--1.7 Million, 2022--2.2 Million, 2023--2.4 Million (with almost 2 months left and a giant caravan in Mexico moving north.  Although Trump isn't my preferred candidate I do remember that as President that he went to the Border numerous times.  He also adjusted his position on "The Wall" after talking with The Border Patrol.  He adjusted from a wall all the way from Texas to California, to the places the Border Patrol said it would work.  According to the Border Patrol, in 2020 the Border was being controlled better than ever.  N.S.--Food for thought.  Our Rotary Club gives dictionary's to every 3rd Grader in the Chandler School District.  The day before yesterday I delivered my assignment to the Hartford Elementary 3rd Graders.  Hartford is located in one of the poorest areas of Chandler.  There were 4 classes of 3rd Graders and two of the Classes had bi-lingual Teacher Assistants who translated to the numerous Hispanic Students what I was saying in English.  I've delivered dictionaries for about 15 years and this is the first time I've encountered translators.  I felt a little bad that the dictionary's for those students were in English only.  I guess I felt that way because even though I endorse that English should be our language in the U.S., those kids had no input in being in the United States.  Three "Sanctuary City Mayors from Denver, Chicago, and N.Y.C. are begging for billions to support their stupid sanctuary city policies.  They should get nothing!!  It is Constitutionally Illegal for Biden to give them 1 cent without Congressional approval!!  It's time, in this country that people take responsibility for their actions!!

Jim Coats

Bill Rihs.  You bet!  This would be a VERY opportune time for China to attack Taiwan.  Then we'll be "involved" in 3 wars.  You don't have to be a General to know that's a bad scenario.

Frank.  Cherry picking stats, eh?  The left will come at you, but I won't.  I'm in your camp.  Facts are facts.  For the....I don't know how many times I have said it....I do not LIKE Trump, but he had very good results and he may be just the President we need at this time when the world is on fire.

Once again.....there are NO time-outs in war!  You cannot give the enemy time to re-group, re-arm and relocate fighters and material out of the line of fire.  Remember Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden and so on.  Unlike the "Vietnam War" that we "fought," this one the Israelis are engaged in must be fought and won by the Israelis.  Period.  There are casualties of war on all sides and we cannot let wars be fought by Pollyanna.  God and Allah will sort it out.

Blinken, in his press conference this a.m. said something like..."it's amazing how the 'world' has forgotten what happened on October 7th....but Israel hasn't and the USA hasn't."  I beg to differ.  Look at the left-wing media coverage of the "protests" on OUR streets and tell me that We haven't forgotten the atrocities rained down on Israel by Hamas and other rabid Islamic killers.  DEBATE THAT!!

SECURE THE BORDER!!  ENFORCE THE LAW

AMERICA FIRST!!  PARENTS RIGHTS!!  FOLLOW THE MONEY!!

DeWitt Bacon

Frank and Jim. I agree wholeheartedly with your last posts. Our southern border is a disaster under the Biden administration. I'm growing weary of listening to Mayorkas and his smirking when he says the border is closed or that it is secure. I'm sure you can remember KJB saying that it is not as though people are just walking across the border. Then, we see videos of them doing just that. The only people that have operational control of the border are the cartels. And again, I wonder, just how much are the cartels paying Biden to have that control? 

There are no time-outs in war. A time-out on the field gives the players a chance to regroup and call for different plays. It also gives them a chance to bring in fresh players. Israel is crushing Hamas. The only one who will benefit from a time-out is Hamas. Sadly, innocent people have to be sacrificed during wars. Especially when hateful people like Hamas purposely put their people in harm's way. Hamas has used up all their time-outs. 

Earl Harris III

Frank,

I would like to respond to your post, #11481. First and foremost, I would like to thank you for the work you're doing along with other members of the Rotary club to provide English language dictionaries to third graders throughout the Chandler school district. The fact that you encountered interpreters for the first time in two of the four classrooms in the last 15 years of doing this is not particularly surprising, given the fact that the school is located in one of the more impoverished areas within the district. I would guess that the aids assisting those Spanish-speaking students are being provided through ESL, or English as a Second Language program.

Further, I would suggest to you that you need not feel bad that the dictionaries for those students were in English only. It is highly important for those students to acquire fluency in English. ESL classes are provided so that the acquisition of English happens as quickly as possible as well as their assimilation into American society.

You are correct in saying that in most cases, especially as it relates to the very young, they are here in the United States through no fault of their own. They had, as you pointed out, "no input in being in the United States".

During a four year period starting in the mid 90s, I was the principal of an elementary school just off of the University of Oregon campus here in Eugene. Located down the road from the school was a homeless family shelter run by the city. During those four years that I served as principal of Edison Elemetary, I was in a position of enrolling scores of Spanish-speaking students referred to me by this family shelter facility.

I very much enjoyed helping these students and their parents. Because I am fairly fluent in Spanish, I was able to welcome them to the school, answering their questions in Spanish about books and supplies, the curriculum, school activities, transportation options, and meals that would be available to them. I cannot begin to tell you how rewarding it felt to see faces of concern transition to faces of joy, as they felt understood and accepted. I suspect many of them were surprised to hear me speak to them in their native language.

Later, in a trip to Arizona I visited with my aunt and uncle and cousins, who live in Peoria just outside of Phoenix. At the time my uncle, a wonderful man now deceased, was serving as president of the district's school board. Both of us, having an interest in schools, quickly became engaged in conversation.  At one point he asked me rather pointedly whether I had Latino students enrolled at my school. When I informed we did, he wanted to know whether I checked on their immigration status. Were they legal or illegal immigrants or both?  When I answered him that I couldn't say, and frankly, didn't care to know, he became visibly upset with me. His belief, supported by his religious and political conservatism, was it should have been the first order of business for me to determine their status. Further, if I could not determine their legal status, the children and their parents should've been sent packing. Under no circumstance should they have been allowed to enroll and attend classes.

I felt differently, of course. My one and only concern then and throughout my career had been to help chidren who arrived at the schoolhouse door regardless of their status or condition in life. My Superintendent, the Eugene School Board, along with the City of Eugene, felt similarly. We didn't refer to our city then as a "sanctuary city". And, as far as I know, we don't use the term today either.

By the end of the conversation we were able to voice our opinions, better understand each other's points of view and respectfully agree to disagree. 

I would hope that my story would serve to illustrate the difficulty we encounter where our set of values, principles and morals, coupled with our ideological, religious and political beliefs don't align. All of us, I think it can be said, have a stance on almost every topic out there. The mere fact that some issues are  "highly controversial" often necessitates us taking a stance. With respect to controversial topics, like immigration, war, and the like, it may become necessary to take a strong stance....to hold your ground.

My stance, then and now, in support of children's welfare is unconditional. Having said that, I need to also acknowledge that others' opinions, like those of my uncle, carry legitimate weight, also.

Mary Powers (Evans)

Michael Kelly

Sounds as if Joe Biden has exhausted his intellect along with his associates in finding new ways to distribute the new Illegal Arrivals in this country. Now he is looking to other countries to take our excess illegals to their own countries courtesy of Good Ole Uncle Sugar, with free food, free housing, free clothes, and free medicine all at our expense, A crisis he willfully created, by reversing all of Donald J. Trump's polcies. You might be able to get a Free Trip to Paris, just renounce citizenship, cross the Border, Swim back across, turn yourself and your family in, and get a Trip to Paris with Kamala Harris, who says she hasn't been to Europe yet. Once in Gay old Paris you can enjoy the nightlife with the likes of Maurice Chevalier, who sang "Thank Heaven's for Leetle Giiiirls, they Grow up in the Most Unusual Ways" Meanwhile, Uncle Sugar is paying for your Vacation, in your new Found Home. Meanwhile, apply for some of the humerous Government Grants for more Free Money. 

"Socialism is great, as long as you don't run out of other people's money"  Margaret Thatcher

Frank Wiley

Hi Mary,  I do remember a Class when we had an assignment to read the three magazines.  I think we actually got a free (or very low cost) subscription to a news magazine our Senior Year.  It was a lot more fun being a Senior when I was at Camelback than being a Senior now.  To many aches and pains.  The good news is I don't have to go to class or go to work now.  Although I Love America and will remain here, I think Australia is a Great Country.  Although I hear all the time that England is our greatest ally, or Israel is our greatest ally, Australia and Korea were the only two countries that sent troops to support us in Vietnam.  One thing I really respect the Australians for is their immigration policy.  It is almost impossible to get into Australia and become a citizen.  Maybe being an island helps?  Switzerland though, is just as tough to become a citizen and except for being very cold is a great country.  On the firearm issue, one of the biggest problems is a general degradation of our society.  When we were growing up we were taught "right from wrong" and society placed limits on us.  Now it seems like anything goes.  Almost no behavior is "out of bounds" in many places!!

Earl Harris III

Mary,

I want to thank you for your most recent post. Sorry to hear about your friend who passed away and the couples who were faced with the task of putting down their dogs. Tough stuff! Many of us have experienced sad times like these. Thanks for caring and best wishes to you, your family and friends.

I took the time to read the links you listed in your post. Not only does it it take a lot of work to ferret out the facts behind controversial matters, the conclusions reached are often incomplete or inconsistent. We can only do our best to try to be as thoughtful and objective as we can, but often we fall short in terms of making sense of it all.

I do appreciate you putting in a plug for:

https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart

IMHO, the website makes a pretty compelling case for the importance of understanding bias, especially as it relates to news sources.

Here is what the website had to say:

“Why Does the Bias of a Media Outlet Matter?

News media, social media, and search engines have become so biased, politicized, and personalized that we are often stuck inside filter bubbles, where we’re only exposed to information and ideas we already agree with. When bias is hidden and we see only facts, information, and opinions that confirm our existing beliefs, a number of negative things happen: 1) we become extremely polarized as a nation as we misunderstand or hate the "the other side," believing they are extreme, hateful, or evil; 2) we become more likely to be manipulated into thinking, voting, or behaving a certain way; 3) we become limited in our ability to understand others, problem solve and compromise; 4) we become unable to find the truth.

It feels good to hear from people who think just like us, and media outlets have an incentive to be partisan — it helps them to earn ad revenue, especially if they use sensationalism and clickbait. But when we stay inside a filter bubble, we may miss important ideas and perspectives. The mission of AllSides is to free people from filter bubbles so they can better understand the world — and each other. Making media bias transparent helps us to easily identify different perspectives and expose ourselves to a variety of information so we can avoid being manipulated by partisan bias and fake news. This improves our country long-term, helping us to understand one another, solve problems, know the truth, and make better decisions.

Media bias has contributed to Americans becoming more politically polarized.

At AllSides, we reduce the one-sided information flow by providing balanced news from both liberal and conservative news sources, and over 1,400 media bias ratings. Our tools help you to better understand diverse perspectives and reduce harmful, hateful polarization in America. By making media bias transparent and consuming a balanced news diet, we can arm ourselves with a broader view — and find the truth for ourselves.”

Again, Mary, thanks in showing an interest in participating on the CHS message Forum. Keep up the good work! Your effort at evenhandedness is well noted and appreciated. Your kind and helpful comments resulted in me going back and taking another look at Dennis Moran’s and Michael Kelly’s past comments in a slightly different light.

Frank Wiley

Google: "20 year old Jordanian in Texas learning to build bombs."  I wonder when he crossed the Mexican border?  N.S.--An excellent TV Show is "Media Buzz"!  Howard Kurz is the host and critics many major news stories, INCLUDING Fox News stories that are distorted.  Check, but I think you can find it on FOX News Channel (cable) on Sundays at 8:00 AM Arizona time.  He pulls no punches!!

Earl Harris III

Michael Kelly,

I’d like to take a moment to address the last two paragraphs of your post, #11479. I think it is reasonable to assume that this message was directed at me, though you did not say so. Whether your post stands as a response to mine, #11469, or was meant to address others left of center, I would like to challenge some of your assumptions and assertions. 

First, you say that you detect a soft peddling of the truth, because of a concern over certain people’s feelings, specifically that they might be “hurt”. You then went on to state that you’re absolutely sick of assertions made with no justifiable facts to back them up, resulting in “worthless discourse used to cover the real Truth”. You chose to characterize the tone of my comments as a kind of playing of the violin, similar to the playing of the violin in World War II.

Michael, if I may respectfully ask: Could you have possibly misread my post? Do you understand the primary purpose of my post? 

It certainly wasn’t for the purpose of trying to protect members from feeling “hurt”. We’re all adults here. 

Rather, I was trying to make the case that the tenor of much of the discourse on this Forum has become quite unhealthy at times, IMHO. Repeatedly, we have been talking, indeed, yelling, past one another. Bumper sticker slogans abound that IMHO aren’t particularly helpful. Often repeated, they don’t lend themselves to  the kind of quality edification that you called for in your post. At other times things have gotten highly personal. While I’m generally seeing less vitriolic name calling and cruel, out-of-hand dismissal of others’ points of view, when it does surface it can be hatefully ugly and…yes, wait for it…hurtful, as well. 

Secondly, I tried to make it clear towards the end of my post that  the five links I sited were not being offered so much as an argument for or  against ‘open borders’, per se. Rather, my hope in including the five articles and Wikipedia entries was to expose the nature and complexities of various types and forms of border policy. The range, or gradations, along  with their attendant pros and cons, successes, and failures are worth noting. I concluded by encouraging others to consider taking a look at these varied outside sources and respond with posts with questions, comments and/or opinions if so moved. 

Jim Coats

I do not need a history or sociology lesson.  I don't care who owned slaves 200 years ago.  Nobody in this country owns slaves EXCEPT for criminals that radical left DA's and Judges seem to shield every day.  I can see what is right in front of my eyes and it appears the left on this site cannot see beyond the hoods of their EV's.

WE, the United States, Israel and the remainder of the free world are in a battle for our very existense.  It is, as has been stated many times, a battle between good and evil.  I react to truth and the truth is plainly displayed every day by the radical left in our country who are determined to tear down the United States.....and they are doing a good job.

WE....The People....have to do something and stop dithering and equivocating.  We are surrounded and can attack in any direction to attempt to save our country.  That means VOTE....use your brains, open your eyes and VOTE the left out of office.  We MUST take back the Presidency and increase the Republican margin in the House.  And, of course, we must take the Senate if we are to get anything done.

My "bumper stickers" are below and if you do not understand or accept the meaning of each one, then you are a left winger and will never admit their validity.....so have a nice day.

SECURE THE BORDER!!  ENFORCE THE LAW!!  AMERICA FIRST!!  PARENTS RIGHTS!!  FOLLOW THE MONEY!!

Frank Wiley

These "peaceful" Palestinian protesters chant, "Palestine must be free, from the river to the sea!"  Just so people understand what they are saying----it's that they want to eliminate Israel.  Disgusting slimeballs!!

Earl Harris III

Classmates,

I have mentioned in the past that I believe it is important from time to time to check in with other news sources in an effort to gain a more comprehensive, and possibly more balanced view, of controversial topics.

It's not always easy for me to switch channels from MSNBC to Fox for, example. Conversely, for those who have tried this in reverse, I would suspect that many of you may have found yourselves shocked, even disturbed by the experience. The views often expressed on these competing cable news networks are at opposite ends of the spectrum. It's like we're living on two different planets.

This may not always the case, however.

Last night I had the opportunity to drop in on Stephanie Ruhle, the host of the 11th hour on MSNBC. I found that it dovetailed in many ways with some of the talking points found on more conservative news outlets.

Case in point. In a deeply moving interview with three female college students, she explored the degree of hateful threats being leveled at Jewish college students by fellow students and their university professors.

Stephanie's probing questions revealed for me the seriousness of this deploarable problem. The following YouTube video clip was quite informative with the highly articulate female students showing great analysis and amazing intelligence. I found their highly personal stories and comments touching accounts of real events.

Regardless where you might be on the ideological and political spectrum, I challenge you to take a look at this highly informative interview.

https://youtu.be/OOBSFlo9rgA?si=wO0W8m_yr8ZaQizj

Later in the interview, Stephanie Ruhle also interacts with two other invited guests about what is happening in Gaza as it relates to the advantages of a ground war versus an air war in rooting out Hamas terrorists, including exploring disadvantages in a temporary cessation, or pause in Israel's military operation. It led me to re-read Jim's responses, supported by others, on this very topic. In order to see what I'm talking about, you might consider watching the entire broadcast episode. I think many of you might be able to view it in its entirety by clicking on this link, though I'm not entirely sure. Give it a try if you are interested.

https://www.nbc.com/the-11th-hour-with-stephanie-ruhle/video/the-11th-hour-11323/9000314495

Let me be clear: this post is not being shared in a nefarious attempt to arm wrestle anyone else to another point of view. I am simply suggesting that the occasional viewing of opposing news might be edifying. It might lead to better understanding and connection with the diversity of opinion existing on this site. Taking a look at broadcasts, such as the one above might even surprise some of you.

I'd be interested  your responses having sampled this broadcast. I'm also interested in taking a look at clips you think I another's might benefit from watching.

Earl Harris III

Frank,

The war currently being waged in the Middle East is referred to by most as the "Hamas-Israeli War" for a reason. The stated aim of the Israel government and its citizens is to completely root out, capture and kill Hamas terrorists.

I don't believe it is helpful to refer to all Palestinians as "slimeballs" dedicated to eliminating the State of Israel anymore than I think it would be fair to say that all Israelis are incapable of making the distinction between innocent men, women, and children and terrorists. Nor do I believe most Israelis are hell-bent on wiping Gaza and the West Bank from the face of the Earth.

There have been attempts in the past to reach a "Two State Solution". Despite the fact that we have not reached any thing close to a lasting agreement, and may never, doesn't erase the fact many Palestinians and Israelis want to live in peace. It does not erase the fact that many Palestinians and Israelis coexist today. Many are supportive of one another, indeed, friends.

DeWitt Bacon

Mary, I read with great interest your post. Would I be correct in thinking that you are a centrist, whether loft or right?  I try to see both sides and feel that centrists on both sides can come together for the good of our country. But when I see the left go so far to the left that they seem to be bordering on Communism, that's when the conservative in me speaks out loudly against them. I feel that being far-left or far-right is not good for our country. I believe in our Constitution and the Constitutional Republic with the liberty and freedom it provides. We are a democratic nation with the right to choose our leaders in a fair and honest election.

I remember a teacher at Camelback (I don't remember which class) illustrating the difference between left and right as a circle rather than a straight line, the top being the center. The farther you go to the left, the more you get into Communism. The farther you go to the right, the more you become Fascist.  Either extreme you go to, you end up at the bottom with Authoritarian dictatorships.

So now you know where I am at politically. You are apparently a well-educated person, and I like the way you use logic and reason to see both sides. You also use common sense, which doesn't seem to be that prevalent on this forum. Keep up the good work. I hope to see more of you on this forum. 

David Rainwater

There has been some discussion of the desirability of even-handed news coverage.  In that regard, may I suggest the news magazine called The Week?  Fairly brief coverage of major events with three sections in the main articles: what happened; what the editorials said; what the columnists said; with plenty of quotes from both sides of the political spectrum.  There are a lot of other features that I enjoy.  I’ve been reading this since US New & World Report went away/digital and Time went bananas.  I would be curious to know if folks on the conservative side feel that perspective is well represented.

Bill Kaehler

Frank- I really like your post #11492.  You quote some of our domestic "protesters" as saying "Palestine must be free, from the river to the sea!".  And you say that is just shorthand for eliminating Israel.  I just want to go one step further by saying that the elimination of Israel is just a subset of their stated end goal, which is to kill every Jew.  These are not Palestinian protesters, these of genocidal protesters.

Earl Harris III

 Jim,

I take umbrage with the "facts" and opinions expressed by you in post #11491. You can chose to respond or not to respond to my comments anyway you wish.

 1. The lasting effects of the history of the slavery from the Civil War that left over a half a million Union and Confederates dead and injured have profoundly affected our nation over the course of more 150 years. Even as recently as last year, the courts have waded in on a number of race-related policies and issues. 

2.  You allege that only criminals own slaves that radical left DAs and judges seem to shield every day. This is patently false on several levels. Criminals do not own slaves. You do not offer any proof whatsoever that radical left DAs and judges DAs shield them. You left out the fact that many of these judges from lower courts to the Supreme Court were appointed during the Trump administration, hardly ones that we would claim to be "radical" lefties.

3. Your attempt at a childish insult where, with dripping sarcasm, to describe those on the left on this site as uanable or to see "beyond the hood of their EV's" is laughably pathetic I drive a mid-sized, four-cylinder pickup truck and I can see the issues and controversies before us that will take all of us working cooperatively to address.

4. Your claim that the "radical left" is doing a good job of tearing  down the United States is a misrepresentation of the truth. Many of us participating on this message forum who are progressive or lean very strongly to the left have expressed dismay with the hyper-partisan and radicalized views of the left...and right! Many forms of extremism have been effectively addressed on this Forum. I can assure you that we here on the left will continue to participate in our democracy. The vast majority of us of us are highly patriotic.
 

5. It is simply false for you to claim that you, and you alone, are in possession of a singular set of clearly identifiable "truths".  Life is not always reducible to simple claims of right or wrong, black or white, good and evil. My refusal to knuckle to the "validly" of your "bumper sticker"  approach to examining real issues during this difficult time will continue. And, I certainly reject any attempts on your part to label me as a person wishing to tear this country down.

Earl Harris III

David Rainwater,

I will certainly look into "The Week.". Thanks for suggesting that as a possible avenue to gaining more "evenhanded news ".

 DeWitt Bacon, 

I salute you for your thoughtful comments directed at Mary's post. The fact that you try to see both sides of controversies impresses me. Still, you have some strong convictions. That's expected and as it should be. Even though we might disagree on some of the issues, support of our Constitution and our Constitutional Republic is something we both embrace. Fair and honest elections are the key to what will hold us together.

Our precious freedoms and our democratic way of life is what makes me feel so grateful that I live in this wonderful country of ours.

Thanks for letting Mary and the rest of us know where you stand on extremism. I have studied and I have lived and worked in countries that had more authoritarianism than I felt comfortable with.

Frank Wiley

I said the slimeballs are the people saying, "From the river to the sea".which means the elimination of Israel.  I wasn't referring to all Palestinians.  I posted on the 8th or 9th of October that since the United Nations was instrumental in the land given to Israel for them to create their Democracy, the U.N. Should be way more involved in the protection of Israel.  Hamas and Israel were in a "ceasefire" agreement when the Hamas roaches crossed into Israel.  There are "rules of war" and Hamas has broken every one of them.  I'm happy to give Israel some slack in their retaliation.  Israel will not purposely kill civilians, murder babies, and rape women.  Israel cannot stop Hamas from using civilians as human shields.  

Mary Powers (Evans)

David R:  I'm glad you brought up The Week.  Yes I've read it, and agree that it presents the facts and commentary from both sides in an easy to read format.

DeWitt:  Interstingly, at the same time you were posting, I was researching online political quizzes.  Most are on the continuum of conservative to liberal, and one is a square/diamond which adds Libertarian and Authoritarianism.  I'll post more later with the links.  I like the teacher's visualization.  Looks like we got a good education at Camelback.  

DeWitt Bacon

OK, Katie. Here you go.

1. You asked me this before, but there were many posts after that, so I didn't have the time to answer. How about HR2- SECURE THE BORDER ACT? It was passed by the House and included things like finishing the wall and hiring more border patrol, among many other sections.

2. Or I should say, 2.1. You asked how many were passed. Not how many were presented by President Trump. Even in a Republican-controlled House and Senate, not everyone was convinced that these proposals would work. As we have seen by 2021, These plans were working quite well. It was not working perfectly, but it was better than Biden's plan. Now, on to question 2.2, which you called 3. The Republicans' plan is to return to the border policies of President Trump, which were fair and allowed those with visas and work permits to come in legally and allowed the Border Patrol to do its job.

3. I DO NOT support children being separated from their ACTUAL parents. Families should remain together. But there are so many men and women bringing children across the border who are not their parents for the purpose of selling them to the drug and sex trade. These are the children who have disappeared. They must be vetted by DNA or other means of testing. If you recall, it was Obama who separated the children from their parents and put them into cages. These were Obama's cages, not Trump's.

4. 15th century wall? Are you kidding me, or just plain ignorant? This wall, or fence if you prefer, was designed by modern engineers and incorporates the latest hi-tech devices for monitoring it. Not just the actual reinforcement of the wall but the latest in cameras and detection equipment. Much of which Biden has ordered turned off. There are also many confidential systems incorporated into it. The wall is not climb-proof as we have seen with ladders, but it is climb-resistant and requires constant patrols by the Border Patrol like we had when it was built. 

I agree with several of your suggestions, but some don't fit with American ideology or facts. Or even the Constitution.

1. Agreed. But Nikky Haley has lost a lot of confidence with Republicans. Her claim that 50% of drugs crossing ports of entry is without merit. Where is her evidence? Besides, under Biden, the entire border has become a port of entry. 

2 Agreed

3. How about not allowing them to cross the border in the first place?

4.  Kamala Haris, our bright and intelligent VP, Went to the triangle countries to study these ROOT CAUSES and returned with egg on her face. She accomplished nothing. She was jeered and laughed at by the citizens. How can you study the root causes in a country that doesn't want you to and will not cooperate?

5. I agree that children should be taken care of. If they need food, clothing, and medical care, give it to them. However, keep in mind that some of these children, perhaps most, are under threat of their families back home being murdered if they cooperate with them and not seek out their 'uncles.'

I'm sure that you will disagree with me on some or most of this, but that is what liberals and conservatives do. They disagree with each other. lol

Michael Kelly

Earl Harris  Although you took it yourself in a personal way what I wrote in the last two paragraphs of my Post wherein I mentioned that sometimes the Truth get sacrificed in order to avoiid injuring someone's feelings, I was not thinking specificall of you. Rather it was the overall lack of candor of folks who make Broad Sweeping Statements about the folks who think opposite of them in order to justify their opinions. So that I am clear, those who I detect are in the habit of doing so, I do make the Broad Sweeping Judgment Call  I just wont address what they say as having crecibility. It is a waste of my valuable time. It reminds me of the Ronald Reagan Joke about the young aspiriing Republican Politician who was making the rounds in small towns making Speeches in favor of his Campaign, An old farmer listened to his Speech and invited him to come to his Farm and make the same speech for the farmer's wife. So the young  politician went to the Farm, the Farmer's Wife came outside to listen to the Speech. The young man looked for a place to stand, but could on fine a mound of dried cowmanure so he climbed up on it and made his Speech, He got done and the Farmer and his Wife clapped and cheered. The Farmer thanked him saying "Thank You, Young Man, thatls the first time my Wife has ever heard a Republican Speech" The young  man replied 'Well thats the first time I have ever made a Republican Speech from a Democratic Platform.".

I generally try to stay within the current parameters of the subject matter of the day without a lot of garnish, though some might say differently. But, I have a Strong BS Detector that is always operating and sometimes the attempts at discourse really mean to me only thinly disguised attempts at propagandizing, or worse yet, CHANGING THE SUBJECT FROM THE TEN CITIES IN THE USA WITH THE HIGHEST CRIME RATE, AND WHAT PARTY HAS GOVERNED THEM, TO THE SUBJECT OF WHICH TEN CITIES ARE THE MOST IMPOVERISHED IN THE USA, AND ATTEMPTING TO BLAME REPUBLICANS FOR IT, RIGHT, SURE, THE SAME CITIES PROBABLY SUFFERED THE COMPLETE, OR NEAR COMPLETE LOSS OF INCOME GENERATION FOR THAT CITY, SUCH AS THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY SOURCES OF INCOME BEING IMPEDED BY BIDEN'S JANUARY 21, 2021 COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OF THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY'S GENERATION OF INCOME FROM RELATED JOBS IN THAT INDUSTRY. 

I believe it was DeWitt who mentioned that we need to take different factors into consideration when we make broad sweeping generalizations and I may be Guilty of the same, perhaps, though highly unlikely and it might have been an off day for me which does not occur more than say once every decade, or so, maybe!

I would really like for the World to be a perfect place and it will be someday, when, according to the Bible, Christ will return to Reign over the World he Created Free from Sin and Death.