Category: General

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Mid-Terms Over

It is all over but the shouting. The Mid-term election is past tense. Millions upon millions of dollars were spent in electronic media; the media loved it. The Democrats now hold a majority in the US House of Representatives and the Republicans retained a majority in the US Senate. There has been some shake up in which political party holds governorships and state legislatures. A few vote results remain in dispute. Challenges will continue for a time. Democrat strongholds remain the larger population centers on the east and west coasts while Republicans hold about everything in between where regular people, the “deplorables”, live.

But where are we as a country? For the past two years, Democrats have prided themselves on being the “Resistance”. We have heard loud criticism and complaints about everything. “Impreach 45” was a rallying cry from the far left. “Impeach Justice Kavanaugh” was another. The caravans from Central America heading for the United States border are nothing; they are a myth, say some. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, ICE, has been likened to the Ku Klux Klan by Senator Kamala Harris. Most of the electronic media, the New York Times, and the Washington Post have become propagandists for the liberal left. The Democrats in the House of Representatives now threaten to flood the political landscape with investigations upon investigations.

Oh, but the worm has turned. Now that the Democrats hold the House of Representatives, we will all learn whether they have anything to offer but bitching. They certainly have not for the past couple of years. What proposals do they offer to move the United States of America forward to a more productive and positive place? They can hide no longer. Democrats got what they wanted: control of at least part of the Congress. They have two years before the next elections to show whether they can do anything positive. My hunch is they cannot and will not. Their goal will continue to be resist President Donald J. Trump.

Ex-president Barrack Hussein Obama, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and their cadre of followers damned near tanked this country. We were on the edge of a cliff and really did not realize it. Our military forces were so depleted that we had to scavenge parts from equipment “grave yards”. We were told manufacturing jobs were gone forever. We were told that Gross Domestic Product growth would stay below 2% annually. We apologized to the world for our past. We continued to be the suckers in financing of organizations like NATO and the United Nations. We continued to allow countries all over the world to abuse us in trade. We allowed this country to be the “piggy bank” for the rest of the world while at the same time neglecting our own needs.

The next few months will be interesting, indeed. The jockeying for power will continue. President Trump is strong. Now we need to see some backbone from the United States Senate and something — anything — positive from the House of Representatives.

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The “Caravans”

The hordes may be coming.

Venezuela may seem far from the United State of America, but is it? We are already seeing thousands of people migrating north through Mexico from the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua and an already large number from Mexico itself. The southern border of the United States has been historically porous; millions have crossed it illegally and are literally hiding out somewhere in our country. It has been reported that over 100 countries are represented presently in our detention facilities, so people we know nothing about are coming from all over the world.

And why the concern about Venezuela? Venezuela is a failed state. Millions have already fled that country. They have gone mostly to Brazil and Columbia and, yes, to the United States of America one way or another. Columbia sits at the southern end of Central America as the north most country in South America and adjacent to Venezuela. Are you beginning to get the picture. There will continue to build a pressure for large populations to migrate.Where will they want to end up: the USA, the land of milk and honey.

Big problem. Too many people. Our social structure will be irreparably damaged by the needs and wants of thousands upon thousands of people we know nothing about. But now there may be a greater worry. Contagion from Venezuela’s economic meltdown is starting to spread to neighboring countries — not financially, but literally in the form of potentially deadly diseases carried among millions of refugees.

Venezuela’s health care system has collapsed. That country has become an incubator for malaria, yellow fever, diphtheria, dengue fever, and tuberculosis as well as for AIDS. Measles has returned. Dr. Irene Bosch, a research scientist who has studied infectious diseases in Columbia and Venezuela with the U.S. National Institutes of Health has said the current picture is one of a “perfect storm condition for a catastrophic medical situation”. People are contracting more than one disease at a time.

Since 2014, over 2.3 million Venezuelans have left that country. After Brazil and Colombia have had their fill, you can bet eyes will be turned northward past Central America, past Mexico, and become focused upon the United State of America, if they have not already.

If we want to keep our country, we must do whatever is necessary to prevent migration of millions from south of our border into the United States. The caravans are really tokens of what will come. Most are young men: uneducated, unskilled, and non-English speaking. Few are women and children or families. Doubt this? Just look at the pictures we seen every day in the media. Democrats seem to be totally, or more likely politically, blind to the truth about who is in those caravans.

In truth, we do not need more and more immigrants. The time for massive immigration into the United States is long past. Yes, we have tens of thousands of job openings. The need is for skilled and/or educated people to fill those jobs. That is not what is in the caravans. We need to focus on training our own citizens, not importing from elsewhere. That is what will keep America strong.

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Acosta

The White House was ordered by a Federal Court judge to return hard press credentials to Jim Acosta; the CNN propagandist who wanted to lecture, argue with, disrespect, and dominate President Donald Trump at a press briefing. Acosta’s behavior was abominable. He would not relinquish the microphone when requested to do so. He resisted the intern physically when she attempted to retrieve the microphone. He should have been summarily escorted out of the briefing by security.

The 15 day temporary ruling was issued by Federal Court Judge, Timothy J. Kelly. We now have an oral court precedent that says the President of the United States of America does not have unilateral control over who is in or out of press briefings. Judge Kelly issued a verbal order and has obfuscated any request for a transcript of court proceedings. The only details of this matter known to the public are those reported by a biased press.

This begs a larger issue and that is what is the role of a free press in our Republic. It is not to behave like a Jim Acosta; a spoiled, unruly brat. It properly is to gather information and report in an objective and unbiased way to the population of this country. The Founders wanted to be sure the people knew what was taking place in government so they, the people, could make informed decisions about the future of the county.The electronic media, New York Times, and the Washington Post, for example, have lost their way. The record shows false reporting and bias dominate. The record shows over 90% of what has been reported about the President and his administration has been negative.

CNN argued two issues. The first was that removing Acosta violated the First Amendment to the US Constitution, the freedom of the press. Neither the President nor anyone at the White House attempted to limit what Acosta or anyone else in America could print or report, be it fact or fiction. The court did not address this claim.

The second issue, not even filed by CNN but injected by the judge, was whether Acosta and CNN were denied the right to “due process” under the 5th Amendment.

The press briefing is not a court room for a civil or criminal proceedings. It is the White House press briefing room. There is no “due process” or law against which to measure “due process”; yet, this is what the judge hung his ruling on. Apparently the judge believes there must be a set of rules of behavior for the “reporters” to follow and some procedure for discipline if those rules are violated. However, as noted, we don’t know exactly what the reasoning was because the judge will not make public a proceedings transcript.

President Trump says his administration will write up some rules. It is my opinion such rules should say the President has sole authority over who is present at a press briefing and that he may bar anyone he deems appropriate, no questions asked. And…. guess what? The President does have total say over whether there will even be press briefings. He said that if things in his judgment get out of had: he and/or those conducting the briefing will say “BYE – BYE”.

This would be a shame given President Donald Trump has given more access for the press than any President in history. He responds to questions readily about any time and any where in spite of the disrespect and “fake news” reporting. The major national news media have a well deserved label: “The Enemy of the People”.

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New Home

This is to be the new home of Kent Blacklidge Ph.D.

I have had a blog on WordPress.com for several years and am looking forward to learning WordPress.org for my own site and blog home. It will take time to get through the learning curve. Patience required!

I have chosen a subtitle name of “Kokomo Dispatch”. This was a newspaper first owned by Nelson Poynter of St. Petersburg Times fame, then sold to my great grandfather, John Arthur Kautz, who owned The Kokomo Tribune. The Dispatch name was carried in the Tribune masthead for decades. My father, Richard H. Blacklidge, followed JA Kautz as publisher and I followed my father. Our family owned the Tribune and Dispatch for over 80 years.

The Tribune was sold, but the Kokomo Dispatch name was not included in the sale. I have claimed it and will carry on a family tradition under that name. I grew up with printer’s ink in my blood and the sound of a newspaper press ever present in my memory. Those were the days when newspapers were tellers of truth and guardians for the public right to know.

I will carry on the traditions of the “4th Estate” as best I know them. I promise.

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The Soldier & President Trump

The Soldier & President Trump

To the NEVER TRUMPERS… Those who hate him will always hate him, no matter what. In his stead, I certainly couldn’t imagine Hillary or Obama making anything even close to this gesture. It was not for publicity or for the camera. It was a private moment.

If you cannot understand the meaning of this, I feel sorry for you. Please try to understand the weight of this image. This soldier lost both arms. The feeling of a handshake is now lost to him. Trump realized this, and so touched his face so he can feel the human connection. This is what I see when I think of Trump’s motives. He gave up a billionaire lifestyle to now be insulted, dragged through the mud, and lied about on a daily basis. All to save this country and the people he loves.

God Bless and protect President Donald Trump.
[modified somewhat from an anonymous Internet posting]

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Honduran Mob

A Honduran mob is marching our way waving their fists and the Honduran flag. They intend to swarm through our borders illegally. They blew through Mexican forces attempting to stop them. Their numbers have swollen from 2000 to 7000.

Virtue signaling Progressives and Democrats clamor these are people looking for work and a better life. America is a wealthy country with jobs to spare, they declare. They tell us to open our hearts and borders. They indignantly remind us—America is a land of immigrants.

Who are we to believe? Border patrol agents tell us our capacity to process illegal aliens is beyond capacity and an average of 6000 illegals are caught every day. The courts are swamped and backed up. Our laws demand illegals be put in ankle bracelets and given a court date to adjudicate their claims. Once released, illegals cut off their ankle bracelets and disappear into our country. They don’t show up for court.

Should we believe the Nicaraguan woman who followed the rules to gain entrance to our country? She warns, “This is an invasion of our country. We don’t know who these people are. They aren’t carrying American flags. They are carrying Honduran flags. These people say they want jobs. They only want free benefits. We can’t allow this to happen.”

Do we believe our own eyes? When stopped on the bridge into Mexico, many retreated to the shores of the river. Main Stream Media told us they made the rafts we saw them riding across the river. How often have you seen large inner tubes and well cut boards lying around on riverbanks? Clearly these were paid for and made by those seeking to fund this mob. Videos show person after person being handed cash. Main Stream Media describes this mob as families seeking a better life. Look again. It is a sea of young males with a few women and children interspersed here and there. Corruption and skullduggery are surely afoot—but paid for by whom?

This nonsense HAS to stop. Our country admits more legal immigrants than any country in the world. Illegal aliens don’t contribute to the health and growth of our nation. They burden the benefit system paid for by our tax dollars and intended to help needy Americans. There’s no magic money tree to fund the growing costs of illegals.

It is time to stop listening to those who tell us we can afford all these illegals because we are a wealthy nation. The truth is we are teetering under the weight of a $21.5 trillion dollar debt and an unknown amount of unfunded mandates. Don’t forget it was Obama who doubled that debt.

The fault for our insane immigration policies lies at the feet of Congress. President Trump offered to help the Dreamers in exchange for funds to build the Wall. The “compassionate” Democrats said no. Speaker Ryan shamefully put three billion dollars into this year’s budget and next to build the Wall—far short of the 25 billion needed. Congress has failed to pass legislation ending chain migration, lottery migration, and catch and release. It refuses to fund the Wall. It refuses to mandate immediate turn back of any illegal aliens caught without need for court action.

President Trump inherited an economy so anemic most Americans needed multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet. We now have a surplus of jobs. We also have a long line of people waiting to immigrate legally. We must not surrender those jobs to the uneducated, unskilled, non-English speaking mob threatening our border.

President Trump has declared he will close our southern border and use regular military forces to stop this mob, if necessary. Congress should call an emergency session to fix our broken immigration laws. If we fail to stop this hoard, many more will follow and the sovereignty of the United States will be lost forever.

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Realization

As I approach the end of my 80th year of living, I came to a realization. For most of my biological offspring, I am no more than a sperm donor rather than the father that loved, nourished, protected, and provided for them. This dawned on me when spending time with family history. I have piles of records about my ancestors (and theirs) and personal possessions handed down that I deeply treasure.

In reality, my branch of the “Blacklidge” family tree has ended with me. One offspring earlier returned both a book about family genealogy and the beautiful roll top desk that was his great grandfather’s — the book now is in the public library and the desk is treasured by his uncle. Another was dishonest in a family business partnership with me. All have made the choice of non-acceptance of my choice of divorce from their mother nearly 40 years ago. Yet, two of them in their lives chose divorce; one multiple times. My decision 40 years ago was to live my life with a partner whom I love and for whom I am thankful and feel blessed every day.

All chose to blame me and their step-mother of over 32 years now for “family” disruption. None lived the marital relationship between their mother and me which began when I was only 19 — hardly a mature adult but rather a very confused and depressed young male. All have chosen to side solely with their mother and her stories.

When their mother was living 2,000 miles away in California, things were different. A beginning was made toward a blended, loving family — that is what we wanted. We wanted to include all, including her, if all behaved as respectful, mature, caring, loving adults. But when she returned to Indiana, that was not to be. Chosen sides were set in concrete never to change with walls always up and relationships severed. The stream of insults and affronts never ended.

As a result, the loss and sorrow has been great. It is not only tragic to lose connection with one’s own bio offspring, but even worse to not be a part of sharing the lives of grandchildren. The grandchildren will never know the loss, not of their choosing, they have suffered. Family ties were irreparably severed. It is like a death.

For those who are facing a divorce, particularly for any offspring, I offer some thoughts. Consider carefully before taking one side or another. Consider that you, with certainty, do not know the extent and details of a marital relationship between any two other people. Consider that stories told may well be tainted, untrue, fabricated, self-serving or incomplete. Consider that you have not walked in the shoes of another….. ever. Consider that every truth may yet to be told.

A thought comes to me: “Judge not, lest ye be judged”.

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Women Respected?

Went to Starbucks this afternoon to purchase a couple of fraps. This is a treat we enjoy every once in a while. When walking in the door, I noticed a couple sitting at a table; both on computers. Both appeared to be pretty young, like in their 20’s or 30’s. The male was dressed in typical American style; informal, jeans, etc.. He had a neatly trimmed beard. Nothing unusual.

On the other hand, the female was covered from head to foot with draped cloth. She had only her eyes and hands showing. I admit I was a bit startled to see this in our town. I couldn’t call her dress a burka but it may as well have been. My reaction: not good.

In fact, I wanted to head over to the male and say this was disgusting. Muslim women are very frequently treated as chattel, not equal to their male companions. To me, this is degrading, demeaning, and a form of slavery of women. I notice this, too, when ever seeing on television a picture of prayer time in a mosque. No women present, only “superior to thou” men. Ridiculous. It seems to me that many sects of the Muslim faith are about 2,000 years behind times. They live in the Middle Ages with practices common to that era.

I have another picture burned into my memory. It was of a man, woman, and children walking down a sidewalk in Dearborn, Michigan. The man was about 10 steps ahead of the rest of the family; too good or superior to walk side-by-side with his wife and children. Again, disgusting.

I have to admit I have much concern about any increase in Islam believers in the United States. There are far too many that would impose Sharia law rather than accept the Constitution of the United States as the ultimate law authority in our country. I believe Sharia law is already operating behind closed doors in some communities.

The true feminists of the US need to take a real hard look at what is going on here. Disrespected women. No assimilation to USA values, customs, and norms. Does this make me “Islamophobic”? Are my concerns unwarranted? You decide.

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Letter from a German Nurse

[A Nurse in Germany sends a message to the world. Read this! President Trump is trying to take care of America.]

Nurse says…

Yesterday, at the hospital, we had a meeting about how the situation here and at other Munich hospitals is unsustainable. Clinics cannot handle the number of migrant medical emergencies, so they are starting to send everything to the main hospitals.

Many Muslims are refusing treatment by female staff, and we women are now refusing to go among those migrants! Relations between staff and migrants are going from bad to worse. Since last weekend, migrants going to the hospitals must be accompanied by police with K-9 units.

Many migrants have AIDS, syphilis, open TB and many exotic diseases that we in Europe do not know how to treat.

If they receive a prescription to the pharmacy, they suddenly learn they have to pay with cash. This leads to unbelievable outbursts, especially when it is about drugs for the children. They abandon the children with pharmacy staff with the words: “So, cure them here yourselves!” So the police are not just guarding the clinics and hospitals, but also the large pharmacies.

We ask openly where are all those who welcomed the migrants in front of TV cameras with signs at train stations? Yes, for now, the border has been closed, but a million of them are already here and we will definitely not be able to get rid of them.

Until now, the number of unemployed in Germany was 2.2 million. Not it will be at least 3.5 million. Most of these people are completely unemployable. Only a small minimum of them have any education. What is more, their women usually do not work at all. I estimate that one in ten is pregnant. Hundreds of thousands of them have brought along infants and little kids under six, many emaciated and very needy. If this continues and Germany re-opens its borders, I am going home to the Czech Republic. Nobody can keep me here in this situation, not even for double the salary back home. I came to Germany to work, not to Africa or the Middle East!
Even the professor who heads our department told us how sad it makes him to see the cleaning woman, who has cleaned every day for years for 800 Euro’s and then meets crowds of young men in the hallways who just wait with their hands outstretched, wanting everything for free, and when they don’t get it they throw a fit.

I really don’t need this! But I am afraid that if I return home, at some point it will be the same in the Czech Republic. If the Germans, with their systems, cannot handle this, then guaranteed back home will be total chaos…

You — who have not come in contact with these people have absolutely no idea what kind of badly behaved desperadoes these people are, and how Muslims act superior to our staff, regarding their religious accommodation.
For now, the local hospital staff have not come down with the diseases these people brought here, but with so many hundreds of patients every day of this is just a question of time. In a hospital near the Rhine, migrants attacked the staff with knives after they had handed over an 8-month-old on the brink of death, who they’d dragged across half of Europe for three months. The child died two days later, despite having received top care at one of the best pediatric clinics in Germany. The pediatric physician had to undergo surgery and the two nurses are recovering in the ICU. Nobody was punished.

The local press is forbidden to write about it, so we can only inform you through email. What would have happened to a German if he had stabbed the doctor and nurses with a knife? Or if he had flung his own syphilis-infected urine into a nurses face and so threatened her with infection? At a minimum he would have gone straight to jail and later to court. With these people so far, nothing has happened.

And so I ask: Where are all those greeters and receivers from the train stations? Sitting pretty at home, enjoying their uncomplicated, safe lives. If it were up to me, I would round up all those greeters and bring them here first to our hospitals emergency ward as attendants! Then in to one of the buildings housing the migrants, so they can really look after them themselves, without armed police and police dogs, who sadly today are in every hospital here in Bavaria.

[Coming our way?????]

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To Mitch & Paul

3-23-2018
Senator Mitch McConnell
Representative Paul Ryan

Sen. McConnell and Rep. Paul Ryan:

I hate to say this but you both and the Republican held Senate and House are a damned disgrace. I say this as a very angry life long and old Republican. What you did with the 2300+ page Omnibus bill was to hold the President hostage and screw the taxpayers of this country. The President and all of us in fly-over country absolutely wanted the military to be properly funded. However, we wanted, too, for the Wall to be properly funded and DACA to be dealt with including stopping chain migration and the Visa lottery, and wanted lowering legal immigration numbers. You have let the Democrats  and RINOs run Congress. You, obviously, are among them. Shame, shame on you.

I am placing a bet today that Congress will be controlled by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer after the coming November election. Too many Republicans will simply stay home they are so disgusted with the way you have performed since November 2016 when the President carried the day for most of you.

Get off of your asses! You really do not know how angry people are. All Congressional incumbents need to be defeated except for the Freedom Caucus members and other likeminded Representatives and Senators.
In Indiana, we are going to do everything we can to see that Rep. Todd Rokita is defeated in his run for the US Senate. He represents the Establishment (SWAMP) just like the two of you do. In one of his current ads, among other things he claims he will push for term limits. We know that is simply BULL.

We do not understand the corruption in Washington DC. On top of the screwing up by the Republican Congress, we have an Attorney General that has totally given in to the other side. He has no backbone to do the right thing with Rosenstein, Mueller, and all the rest of the law breakers in or formerly with the Justice Department, State Department, and FBI. He has not pushed for pursuit of justice for any of the Clinton cadre.  More Republican disgrace. Another independent Special Counsel is needed badly. Hopefully it would be one from outside of Washington DC where it appears the majority there are corrupt.

People are angry. They will not forget.
Regards,
Kent H Blacklidge
Past Publisher/ The Kokomo Tribune