REJECTING HATE: The #WalkAway Campaign is the Second Most Significant Political Movement of Our Time

Posted on July 2, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

WALKAWAY - Brandon Straka (WalkAway Campaign)

by Diane Rufino, July 2, 2018

The rejection of establishment party politics and politicians, of course, was the first. That movement led to the election of Donald Trump – probably our most ambitious, most singularly-focused, most America-centric, most Jeffersonian president since Ronald Reagan.

This new movement, the “#WalkAway Campaign,” is one of exposing the evil agenda of the Democratic Party and decision to reject and walk away from it.

The #WalkAway movement began on May 25 on Facebook. A young man named Brandon Straka, a gay hairdresser in New York City, posted a video of himself explaining why he was leaving the Democratic Party, thus inspiring an exodus from the party.

Introducing that video, Strake wrote on Facebook:

Today I’m kicking off the #WalkAway campaign by releasing my video about why I am walking away from liberalism and the Democratic Party. It is my sincere hope that you will join me in this campaign and that we may start a movement in this country which not only encourages others to walk away from the divisive left, but also takes back the narrative from the liberal media about what it means to be a conservative in America. It is up to all of us to make our voices heard and reclaim the truth.

The Democratic Party has taken for granted that it owns racial, sexual, and religious minorities in America. It has encouraged groupthink, hypocrisy, division, stereotyping, resentment, and the acceptance of victimhood mentality. And all the while, they have discouraged minorities from having independent thought, open dialogue, measured and informed opinion, and a motivation to succeed.

Please like and share my video, and please post your own #WalkAway video!!  If you are a former liberal who has walked away from the left, please share your story, or your message, or your thoughts in a video on the WalkAway Campaign Facebook Page.

If you are a lifelong conservative or non-Democrat, please share your story, message, or thoughts on what it truly means to be a conservative. Right now, the liberal media continues to perpetuate a false narrative about the “hateful” and “bigoted” right. Use your voice to let people know who conservatives really are. Be sure to use the hashtag #WalkAway.

Please like and follow me on Facebook and Twitter:

@usminority

The Unsilent Minority

And subscribe to my YouTube channel: The Unsilent Minority —  https://youtu.be/4Pjs7uoOkag

Straka’s video has quickly morphed into a major force on social media and beyond. According to an article last Thursday (June 28) in the Epoch Times, some five million people on Facebook and YouTube alone (not even including all those on Twitter) have seen his very honest and very thought-provoking video describing his awakening to the insanities of liberalism and the Democratic Party.

In his video, Straka explains: “I reject a system which allows an ambitious misinformed and dogmatic mob to suppress free speech, to create false narratives, and to apathetically steamroll over the truth. I reject hate.”

Brandon Straka’s video can be found on the Facebook page he created for the campaign – WalkAway Campaign (@walkawaycampaign) or using this link:  https://www.facebook.com/usminority/videos/486555651765405/

Straka began to question his political and ideological loyalty to the Democratic Party after the election of Trump. He began to research the so-called news put out by the left-wing (mainstream) media and found out that a lot of it was simply not true. And what wasn’t false was either greatly distorted or horribly biased. He had friends who had lost jobs because of Obama’s excessive government regulations. When he asked people from his small hometown in Nebraska why they had voted for Trump, they told him that Democratic government policies, and especially those of Obama (including his healthcare bill) were killing their small businesses. These business owners (job creators) hadn’t been able to grow their businesses in over 10 years and in fact, they were finding it harder and harder to even stay in business.

This was the reality that the mainstream media never talks about nor the problems that the Democratic Party wants to acknowledge or address.

And then came the Democrats’ campaign of fear and hatred, from the Women’s March last January, to the Antifa attacks, to the mean-spirited and filthy remarks of liberal so-called comedians, talk-show hosts, and members of Hollywood, to the most vile of threats and comments towards Trump, the first family, and members of the administration on social media, to the pictures and re-enactments and suggestions of a Trump beheading or assassination, and now to the Maxine Waters’ type narrative about “stopping the Republicans at all costs,” about “confronting them and harassing them” even at their homes and with their families at restaurants, gas stations, movies and shows, and letting them know “they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” (in their own country, in a country they pay taxes to, simply for having a different political opinion!).  The most serious, according to Straka, are the messages that, under the guise of free speech, are really intended to incite violence across the country. For many unhinged individuals, they don’t need much prompting; they are ready to snap at any moment. And the Democrats, and especially the mainstream media, are ever so ready to spin the tragedy into a political opportunity.

“This is a matter of the media specifically using and manipulating people’s deepest fears, based on legitimate traumas,” Straka explained.

“Can you imagine manipulating domestic violence just for political purposes?”

Although he was troubled and conflicted, he was afraid of losing all his friends. As he began posting things on social media which didn’t comport with the narrative of the Democratic puppet masters, people started attacking him and unfriending him.  He was being discriminated all over again. First homophobia, and now politiphobia.  He was being discriminated against for daring to be an independent thinker and for questioning the policies, the antics, and the motives of his political party.

But what finally pushed Straka to leave the Democratic Party?  What pushed him to make the video – to make his very public decision to walk away?

He said he needed to address the hate and the party’s manipulation. “I thought, ‘You know what, this is too important.’ Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a gay man and I’ve already been through this—people making up lies about what it means to be gay and trying to shame me. I was like, ‘I’m not doing it. I’m not doing this twice.’

As he explains: “The #WalkAway movement is so much more than a hashtag on Twitter. This is a testimonial campaign, a grassroots movement that is going to change the political landscape of this country.”

Straka has become the unlikely face of the new “silent majority of Americans” but he is not the only one. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.. they are just some of the social media outlets full of brave testimonials and self-professed walkers.

Here is the full transcript of Brandon Straka’s video. It is powerful:

Once upon a time, I was a liberal. Well, to be honest, less than a year ago, I was still a liberal. I became a liberal because I believed I found a tribe whose values aligned with that of my own. I staunchly reject racism of any kind, I reject the marginalization of any human being based off of their gender or sexual orientation. I reject tyrannical group think, I reject a system that allows an ambitious misinformed and dogmatic mob to suppress free speech, to create false narratives, and to apathetically steamroll over the truth.

I reject hate.

For years now, I have watched as the left has devolved into intolerant, inflexible, illogical, hateful, misguided, ill-informed, un-American, hypocritical, menacing, callous, ignorant, narrow-minded rhetoric and at times, blatantly fascistic behavior. Liberalism has been co-opted and absorbed by the very characteristics it claims to fight against. For years now, I’ve watched as people on the left have become anesthetized to their own prejudices and bigotry and to the prejudices and bigotry of those around them who echo their values. I’ve watched these formerly-sensible people, who claim to reject racism, come to embrace the principles of universally hating and blaming all of society’s problems on people who have white skin. I’ve witnessed the irony of advocacy for gender equality morph into blatant hatred and intolerance of men and masculinity. I’ve seen this once-earnest fight for equality for the LGBT community mutate into an illogical demonization of hetero-normity and the push to vilify and attack our conventional concepts of gender. These same self-proclaimed victims of intolerance are turning on the gay community that they once attached themselves to to advance their agenda, now calling gay people ‘privileged’ and themselves ‘victims’ of injustice. I’ve watched as the left has allowed themselves to become hypnotized by false narratives and conclusions, perpetuated by social justice warriors who misrepresent and misconstrue facts and evidence and events to confirm their own biases that everyone who does not comply with their prejudicial conclusions is a Racist, a Bigot, a White Supremist, a Nazi… homophobic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, misogynist, and Al-Right Extremist. And I’ve watched as they’ve used these heartless and carelessly-assigned labels to intimidate, threaten, bully, silence, attack, un-employ, blacklist, and destroy anybody who dares to fight back. They’ll come for me and then they’ll come for you. And worst of all, the Democratic Party and the liberal media have embraced, affirmed, aided, and abetted this cult ideology. In an effort to gain voters and maintain power, the Democratic Party that I once loved has joined forces with the extremist left. The Democratic Party and the liberal media now believe their own ill-gotten conclusions and have ominously decided that they – and ONLY they – know the remedy for society’s ills.

The Left has decided that the solution to the problem of race relations in America is more racism. The Left has decided that attacking, insulting, and dehumanizing one group of people elevates another. The Left now believes there are no boundaries when telling lies, omitting the truth, or misrepresenting the facts when telling the news because their end justifies their means. The Left has now decided that its point of view is the ONLY acceptable one and that suppressing, censuring, and banning open debate is virtuous and progressive. The Democratic Party has adopted a deleterious belief system, happily and without skepticism, separating people into groups based off of identity and then organizing them into camps of ‘victims’ and ‘oppressors.’

If you are a person of color, an LGBT person, a woman, or an American immigrant, the Democratic Party wants you to know that you are a victim and destined to stay that way. They will insist that you are a victim doomed to exist in a system that is rigged against you, that you are a victim of systemic oppression, that you are a victim of your circumstances, and that no amount of hard work or motivational action will ever allow you to overcome your victimhood or the privilege of those around you.

This is the Democratic Party’s greatest and most insidious lie.

If you are a minority in American today, the leftwing politicians and the leftwing media don’t ever want you to discover this lie. So they bombard us with stories designed to reinforce this narrative that you are in danger and that you cannot succeed. They manipulate your fears and concerns by telling you that you are disadvantaged, dis-empowered, and disposable to everyone – except to them. They will tell you that you need them. They will tell you that you are only safe under their supervision. They will promise to liberate you from all that chains you. And then, they will do…. NOTHING for you.

Once upon a time I was a liberal. But liberalism has changed. And I will not be part of an ideology or political party that represents everything that contradicts the values of unity, equal opportunity, personal empowerment, compassion, and love. And so, I am walking away.

I encourage you to do the same.

Walk Away.

It’s one thing to break the physical shackles that restrain one’s physical freedom. But it’s another thing to break the shackles that restrain intellectual freedom, freedom of conscience, of thought and speech.

Real political Power comes from the individual, and not from a political party, although that may seem very hard to believe. Individuals who are respectful, intelligent, and articulate, like Brandon Straka, who can express genuine issues and concerns, are the ones who can get things done and the ones who can build bridges. Mob-style, un-intelligent, zombie-like group think is counterproductive. Submitting unconditionally and unquestioningly to a political party is an abdication of civic duty and a lazy man’s exercise of his fundamental first amendment rights.

The same party that supported the physical shackles of the 19th century continues to support the intellectual shackles today.  But luckily, some no longer want to be shackled.  They are deciding to put principle before party. They are deciding to put country before party. They are walking away from a poisoned political party.

It’s time to #WalkAway.

 

References:

Brandon Straka’s “#WalkAway Video” –  https://www.facebook.com/usminority/videos/486555651765405/

WalkAway Facebook Page –  https://www.facebook.com/groups/OFFICIALWalkAwayCampaign/

Celia Farber, “Viral ‘WalkAway’ Videos Highlight Growing Movement of Democrats Leaving the Party.” The Epoch Times, June 28. 2018.  Referenced at:  https://www.theepochtimes.com/viral-walk-away-videos-highlight-growing-movement-of-democrats-leaving-the-party_2578446.html

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Looks Like Whoopi Goldberg Put On Her “Thinking Cap” Again

Posted on June 28, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

WHOOPI GOLDBERG - Pussy Hat

by Diane Rufino, June 28, 2018

On this morning’s airing of “The View” (the show with cackling, often deranged, liberal women), Whoopi Goldberg addressed Supreme Court Anthony Kennedy’s resignation and her concerns over President Trump’s chance to pick a replacement for him. Apparently that news sent her into a frenzy. Using the opportunity to advocate for abortion rights (of which a woman has complete control over her right to terminate for any reason, and at any time, the life growing inside her), she launched into a tirade: “Get out of my vagina! If you take away my right away from me, I got a problem with that…..  You don’t want people to take your guns?  So get out of my behind. Get out of my vagina. Get Out.”

Let’s do a reality check, Whoops, shall we?  The Bill of Rights EXPRESSLY recognizes the right to have and bear arms in the Second Amendment. It’s historical roots are deep and firmly grounded. Let me look where the Bill of Rights recognizes the right of a woman to have complete control over her reproductive capability….  Hold on…  I’m looking…    Wait…  I’m still looking…..

It’s not there. A liberal (VERY LIBERAL, and socially progressive) Supreme Court pulled some legal magic and slight of hand to find that right. And let’s not kid ourselves. The facts and history behind the case (including commentary by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and later by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg) show that the decision was made essentially for two reasons: (1) to give women the flexibility they need to compete as equals to men in the workforce (a pesky pregnancy or an unwanted child can certainly get in the way!); and (2) to deal with all the unwanted pregnancies that would overwhelm our social programs.  The right to an abortion wasn’t so much about a right as it was about a solution.

Whoopi has nothing to fear from a conservative court.  A woman’s right to an abortion will not be taken away. It is too firmly entrenched in our society, much like the Miranda Warning is and much like the concept of the “Wall of Separation” is, both of which are legal fictions. And it is a very effective solution to an obvious social problem, albeit a heinous and unconscionable one. But what a conservative court might do is question the wisdom, the immorality, and the inhumanity of the broad right granted to women. A future court might address the conflict in such a policy when our very founding documents identify the right to life as one of man’s greatest inalienable rights. How do we reconcile that core American ideal with the right of a woman (and then a doctor) to terminate what is clearly a human life?  A conservative court might, one day, put strict limits on the right to an abortion so that two lives enjoy the rights guaranteed here in America.

The whole of politics doesn’t have to come down to the security of a woman’s unfettered and unlimited so-called right to terminate a life growing inside her. And it shouldn’t.  And I would like to think that women are capable of engaging in the political arena on issues that are far more important. They used to care about issues such as education, taxes, jobs, safety; they used to care about the issues that made it easier to raise their families, own a home, have job security, send their kids to college, save money, and be able to retire comfortably.

Whoopi has a limited understanding of the Constitution, which I suppose is a whole lot better than most Democrats, who have no understanding of it. I’m glad the organizers of the Women’s March in DC last January encouraged marchers to wear those funky Vagina caps (“pussy hats”). Putting those bright pink caps on their heads covered up the real pink matter that usually does one’s thinking – the brain. And it was totally fitting that they did so because the women (if you can even call some of them that) at that march DON’T think with their brains. Instead, they are only capable of thinking with their vaginas.

Whoopi showed us once again how true that is.

Whoopi attended the Women’s March in DC. She wore a pussy hat. And even more, she wore a shirt announcing how “nasty” she is.

Wow, women sure have progressed over the years.

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The Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s Travel Ban!

Posted on June 26, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

SUPREME COURT - Travel Ban decision (June 25, 2018)

by Diane Rufino, June 26, 2018

Today, the Supreme Court handed down its “opinion” in the case challenging Trump’s Travel Ban (Trump v. Hawaii), and it rejected the decision of the uber liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which struck the ban down as exceeding the president’s power under the Immigration & Nationality Act and as violating the Establishment Clause by selectively denying entry into the US to Muslims.

BACKGROUND:  In September 2017, President Trump issued Proclamation No. 9645 (the “Travel Ban,” aka, the “Muslim Travel Ban”), seeking to improve vetting procedures for foreign nationals traveling to the United States by identifying ongoing deficiencies in the information needed to assess whether nationals of particular countries present a security threat. The 12-page Proclamation is more detailed than any prior order issued under the Immigration & Nationality Act [codified at 8 US Code §1182(f)]. The Proclamation placed entry restrictions on the nationals of eight countries whose systems for managing and sharing information about their nationals the President deemed inadequate. Countries were selected for inclusion based on a review undertaken pursuant to one of the President’s earlier Executive Orders. As part of that review, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the State Department and intelligence agencies, developed an information and risk assessment “baseline.”  DHS then collected and evaluated data for all foreign governments, identifying those having deficient information-sharing practices and presenting national security concerns, as well as other countries “at risk” of failing to meet the baseline.

After a 50-day period during which the State Department made diplomatic efforts to encourage foreign governments to improve their practices, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security concluded that eight countries –Chad, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen — remained deficient. She recommended entry restrictions for certain nationals from all of those countries but Iraq, which had a close cooperative relationship with the U. S. She also recommended including Somalia, which met the information-sharing component of the baseline standards but had other special risk factors, such as a significant terrorist presence. After consulting with multiple Cabinet members, the President adopted the recommendations and issued the Proclamation.

The Proclamation (the Travel Ban) was challenged as unconstitutional by the State of Hawaii, three individuals with foreign relatives affected by the entry suspension, and the Muslim Association of Hawaii. They alleged that the Ban  violates the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Establishment Clause. The District Court granted a nationwide preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the restrictions. That is, the court “enjoined” or prevented the administration from putting the Ban into effect. Trump appealed the decision, which went to the 9th Circuit, and as expected, the 9th Circuit affirmed. It argued that the Ban contravened or conflicted with two sections of the Immigration & Nationality Act, or INA (§1182(f) and §1152(a)(1)(A).

1182(f) authorizes the President to “suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens” whenever he “finds” that their entry “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,” and §1152(a)(1)(A) provides that “no person shall . . . be discriminated against in the issuance of an immigrant visa because of the person’s race, sex, nationality, place of birth, or place of residence.” [The 9th Circuit did not address the Establishment Clause claim].

The decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, can be summarized by the following portions of the opinion:

(1)  The President has lawfully exercised the broad discretion granted to him under §1182(f) to suspend the entry of aliens into the United States.

(a)  Common sense and historical practice confirm that §1152(a)(1)(A) does not limit the President’s delegated authority under §1182(f). Presidents have repeatedly exercised their authority to suspend entry on the basis of nationality. According to plaintiffs’ logic, the President would not be permitted to suspend entry from particular foreign states in response to an epidemic, or even if the United States were on the brink of war. The language of the statute is clear. By its terms, §1182(f) exudes deference to the President in every clause. It entrusts to the President the decisions whether and when to suspend entry, whose entry to suspend, for how long, and on what conditions. It thus vests the President with “ample power” – near “plenary power” – to impose entry restrictions in addition to those elsewhere enumerated in the INA.

(b)  The Proclamation falls well within this comprehensive delegation. The sole prerequisite set forth in §1182(f) is that the President “find that the entry of the covered aliens “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.” The President has undoubtedly fulfilled that requirement here. He first ordered DHS and other agencies to conduct comprehensive evaluation of every single country’s compliance with the information and risk assessment baseline. He then issued a Proclamation with extensive findings about the deficiencies and their impact. Based on that review, he found that restricting entry of aliens who could not be vetted with adequate information was in the national interest.

(c)  The Proclamation comports with the remaining textual limits in §1182(f). While the word “suspend” often connotes a temporary deferral, the President is not required to prescribe in advance a fixed end date for the entry restriction. Like its predecessors, the Proclamation makes clear that its “conditional restrictions” will remain in force only so long as necessary to “address” the identified “inadequacies and risks” within the covered nations. Finally, the Proclamation properly identifies a “class of aliens” whose entry is suspended, and the word “class” comfortably encompasses a group of people linked by nationality.

(2)  Plaintiffs allege that the primary purpose of the Proclamation was religious animus and that the President’s stated concerns about vetting protocols and national security were but pretexts for discriminating against Muslims. At the heart of their case is a series of statements by the President and his advisers both during the campaign and since the President assumed office. The issue, however, is not whether to denounce the President’s statements, but the significance of those statements in reviewing a Presidential directive, neutral on its face, addressing a matter within the core of executive responsibility. In doing so, the Court must consider not only the statements of a particular President (once in office), but also the authority of the Presidency itself.

(3)  The admission and exclusion of foreign nationals is a “fundamental sovereign attribute exercised by the Government’s political departments largely immune from judicial control.” Although foreign nationals seeking admission have no constitutional right to entry, this Court has engaged in a circumscribed judicial inquiry when the denial of a visa allegedly burdens the constitutional rights of a US citizen. That review is limited to whether the Executive gives a “facially legitimate and bonafide” reason for its action, but the Court need not define the precise contours of that narrow inquiry in this case. For today’s purposes, the Court assumes that it may look behind the face of the Proclamation to the extent of applying rational basis review (least stringent form of review for constitutionality), which asks whether the entry policy is plausibly related to the Government’s stated objective to protect the country and improve vetting processes. Plaintiffs’ extrinsic evidence may be considered, but the policy will be upheld so long as it can reasonably be understood to result from a justification independent of unconstitutional grounds.

Plaintiffs challenge the entry suspension based on their perception of its effectiveness and wisdom, but the Court cannot substitute its own assessment for the Executive’s predictive judgments on such matters.

Accordingly, the government has set forth a sufficient national security justification to survive rational basis review and therefore the Proclamation (the Travel Ban) is upheld.

With today’s rejection and reversal of the 9th Circuit’s decision, the Trump administration has the green light to move forward with its ban. It can now go into effect.

 

Reference:  Trump v. Hawaii opinion (June 26, 2018) – https://www.scribd.com/document/382622622/Trump-v-Hawaii#from_embed

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We May be Great, But Can We Also Be Good?

Posted on June 26, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

 

- 2018 (gray shirt, April 19, 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Diane Rufino, June 25, 2018

I’ve been really troubled by all the hate and all the vitriol and all the race-baiting coming from the likes of Maxine Waters and coming from those in Hollywood, in the Entertainment Industry, and in the mainstream media. The harassment, the inciting of harassment (which we all know will lead to violence, just as it did on the softball field last year at the annual Congressional softball game), the targeting, the vilification, the name-calling, the death wishes and the wishes for physical harm, the treating of fellow Americans with contempt and without due respect is uncalled for and uncivilized. We are Americans and are supposed to be tolerant and respectful. We are supposed to be the example to the world of how freedom liberates the human soul and spirit and inspires one to great heights. We are not supposed to be the example of how a country predicated on human freedom is ultimately destructive of itself.

President Trump is without a doubt making the changes and implementing the policies that are making America Great Again. When America is great, the opportunities are passed on to ALL Americans. So let’s not pretend that Trump is not good for this country.

Yes, we are becoming Great Again. We can all take pride in that. We thought that after the Bush and Obama years, it would almost be impossible to see the country turn around so quickly and successfully. But Trump has made it happen.

The greater challenge, as it turns out, may be to put our differences aside, put our grievances, and put our personal agendas aside, and treat each other once again with love and respect. In other words, can we be good again?

In that spirit, I made the following meme.
MEME- America is Becoming Great Again, but Can She Become Good Again

 

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Next to the Democratic Party, the Entertainment Industry is the Largest Hate Group in the US

Posted on June 26, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

MEME - The Entertainment Industry (largest hate group in the US)

by Diane Rufino, June 24, 2018

I made this meme this morning. With all the extreme haters in Hollywierd and in the Entertainment Industry – Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Barbra Streisand. Jimmy Kimmel, Peter Fonda, Jim Carrey, Samantha B, Kathy Griffin, Ashley Judd, Tom Arnold, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Costner, J Lo, Alec Baldwin, the cast of SNL, Jay Z, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and more – I think it’s about time we call them out for what they are.

Under the Obama administration, Homeland Security was instructed to divert its attention away from true radicals such as Islamic jihadists and away from true hate groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam, or white supremacy groups, and instead, focus its attention on conservatives.

On April 7, 2009, an unclassified assessment by Department of Homeland Security (DHS), titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” was adopted by the Obama administration — a mere 77 days after his inauguration. The document was leaked shortly after its release to law enforcement officials across the country and made public by Roger Hedgecock on April 13, 2009. It laid out the new president’s legislative and executive priorities on terrorism, guns and immigration. Uniquely combining these three issues would become a predictable, coordinated pattern during Obama’s two terms in office. It would define the Tom Ridge and Janet Napolitano eras at the DHS. As Eli Lake, a journalist and the former senior national security correspondent for The Daily Beast and Newsweek, wrote the day after the document was leaked, “Since its inception in 2003, the department has focused primarily on radicalization of Muslims and the prospect of homegrown Islamist terrorism.” Under Obama’s leadership, attention was directed away from Muslims and Islamist terrorism and redirected towards limiting the Second Amendment, scrutinizing military veterans and expanding both legal and illegal immigration.

For political reasons, decent and honest Americans, whose only “flaws” were to believe in the ideals of our country and to be smart enough to understand the breadth and meaning of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, were targeted by the government and put under its microscope and its harassment and enforcement power. As we know full well now, this is just one example of how Obama used the full power of the US government to silence political opponents.

If Homeland Security had been programmed to look at conservatives as hate groups and potential terrorists, how much more convincing is it to make the argument that Democrats, BLM groups, progressives/liberals, and anti-fascist groups are the real potential terrorists and the real threats to our ordered society here in the United States. Obviously, as we are seeing their hatred play out – on the stage, in their businesses, in videos, in tweets, on the streets, in front of private homes, at Congressional baseball games, etc – safety requires it.

Anyway, I’ve had it with actors, actresses, other members of the entertainment industry, including musicians and singers (except country music). I’m tired of their hatred, their foul language, their holier-than-thou attitudes, their loathing of this country, their attacks on our president and his family (no conservative group did that to the criminal, Obama), and their commitment to everything good and decent that the average person values. I’m boycotting them. I’m boycotting their movies, boycotting their shows, and boycotting their concerts (except those who support America). I’ll boycott them even though everyone knows how much my life revolves around movie releases and concerts. And everyone knows and how much I love to promote them all and write and publish reviews for those I enjoy. It will make me sad to look for other ways to be entertained, but I’ll gladly to do to exercise my First Amendment right of free expression.

Please Join Me. Send the haters the only message that matters to them — send them to irrelevancy. Affect their box office successes.

 

Reference:  A.J. Caschetti, “Department of Homeland Security Targeting the Wrong Enemy,” Gatestone Institute, July 26, 2016.  Referenced at:  https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8549/dhs-rightwing-extremism

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IMPEACH MAD MAX !! (Maxine Waters)

Posted on June 26, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

MAXINE WATERS - Impeach Mad Max

by Diane Rufino, June 24, 2018

Maxine Waters needs to be impeached and removed from Congress. Her actions are detestable and unconscionable, and her conduct is unethical and un-American and unbecoming a member of the US Congress. She clearly is suffering from mad cow disease and a horrible case of racism. She serves no useful purpose in Congress and is nothing more than a destabilizing and divisive figure in this country. On top of all that, she is dishonest and corrupt as all hell.

And impeachment is the proper form of Congressional discipline for Mad Max. For members of Congress, the grounds for impeachment are not set as high as for president. In the past, members of Congress have been brought up for impeachment on such grounds as corruption, supporting the Confederacy, “disorderly conduct,” bribery, criminality, “ethically repugnant behavior,” and even disloyalty to the US. Clearly, several of those apply to Waters.

The conduct of Maxine Waters, as well as the conduct of other Democrats (including Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general), and including the mainstream media (who they are in bed with), and the Obama administration FBI and DOJ, are telling. These are the desperate acts of a desperate party. We are witnessing the Democratic Party in its death throes.

One final thought:  Maxine Waters and Democrats are encouraging (and have been since the election of Donald Trump) harassment and even violence against Trump supporters, to “convince” them not to support and align themselves with the president. It’s sort of like what the KKK did to African-Americans and to other Republicans.

I see the Democratic Party hasn’t changed a bit.

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IMMIGRATION: A Pawn in the Bigger Political Game

Posted on June 22, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

 

IMMIGRATION - Brandon Darby pic (illegal children crowded in detention center)

(Picture Credit:  Breitbart Texas, 2014)

by Diane Rufino, June 21, 2018

In 2014, Breitbart Texas (reported Brandon Darby) broke the story of how child border crossers were being crammed into detention centers and facilities by the Obama administration, revealing a number of exclusive photos that went completely unmentioned by the establishment media. The pictures were posted on twitter.

Mr. Darby is an embedded journalist, unlike so-called journalists from the mainstream media, unlike members of Hollywierd, unlike most of DC’s Democratic members of Congress, and unlike almost every progressive/liberal/Democratic opponent of immigration laws. He spends at least 10 days every month at the border in Texas, at the ICE detention centers, and also in Mexican territory, including areas controlled by the vicious and violent drug cartels.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll put more credence in the articles and reports written by Darby and Breitbart Texas, as well as their posts, than on anything put out by the mainstream media or any misleading comments and false accusations hurled by Democratic legislators. I’ll listen to those who use facts rather than those who project on mere emotion. Laws are emotion-free; laws are neutral and serve the nation’s best interests (rather than the interests of foreigners). And of course, we are a nation of laws. That, in the end, is what separates us from Mexico and what separates us from the countries and regimes of South and Central America.  Europe is finally beginning to understand what President Trump means when he says that a nation that can’t control its borders is not a nation at all, or won’t be for very long.

Brandon Darby and Breitbart Texas posted pictures of children being packed into a cement room at one of the detention centers (“holding facilities”) back in 2014, during the Obama administration. No one cared. It was not worthy of being mentioned by the mainstream media.  That picture, by the way, just happens to be the one being circulated as being taken currently at the Texas detention center, hoping to trick Americans into believing this is what Trump is doing.  Back in 2014, Brandon Darby and Breitbart Texas posted pics of the chainlink partitions in the holding facilities at the border (ie “the cages”) with children of illegals inside them. Again, no one cared. And again, it was not worthy of being mentioned by the mainstream media. These “cage” pictures all of a sudden are now the top priority of the mainstream media.

All of a sudden, US journalists – and Democrats – decide that they care about what migrants experience at the border after not giving a shit for many years.

But Democrats and the mainstream media would have you believe – they WANT you to believe, they NEED you to believe – that the “separation” issue (the separation of children from their illegal parents) is a unique consequence caused by President Trump’s horribly inhumane immigration policy. They trust that an ignorant American population will be moved by emotion rather than use their God-given brains. They know that liberals, progressives, and Democrats ignore facts when heartstrings can be manipulated instead….   which, quite frankly, is almost all the time.

But we Americans are NOT stupid, we’re not gullible, we know that facts matter (they aren’t the “pesky little things” despised by Democrats), and we believe very strongly in the Rule of Law. After all, since we are all documented and tracked by the government (and have been, most of us, since we were born), anytime WE break the law, we surely pay the consequences and we suffer the blemish on our records.

I wanted to give a short overview of the “Separations” issue that all-of-a-sudden has everyone up in a roar, has Hollywood actors calling for Barron Trump to be ripped up from Melania’s arms and thrown into a cage with pedophiles, has Hollywood and the mainstream media vilifying Ivanka for posting pictures on social media of her children, and has everyone blaming President Trump.

This is NOT a new issue and this is NOT a situation created or caused by President Trump. The problem is the result of following the very laws and court mandates that govern illegal entry into this country. The difference between the Obama administration and the Trump administration is that the Obama administration let illegals free into the country after 20 days (to get around the child separations issue) while making them promise to report back to ICE for their detention hearing (which NO ONE ever did.; they simply “disappeared,” undocumented, into our country). President Trump has refused to allow that situation to continue.

The current problem, and the issue the media is focused on (obviously), is the “Separation” problem, as I’ve mentioned. The “Separation” problem stems from the Trump administration’s ZERO TOLERANCE immigration policy which, pursuant to federal law [Title 8. Section 1325 of the US Code, as well as Section 275 of the immigration & Naturalization Act – the two have the same exact language) requires ICE to detain and prosecute every person (regardless of asylum claim) who makes an “improper entry into the United States.” The laws make it a misdemeanor (crime) to enter illegally and also provide for civil violations as well. President Trump is merely enforcing the law and making sure everyone who enters illegally is prosecuted. To be clear, there are several “legal” ways to enter the country, as well as legal avenues to seek asylum, but the border issue is one of “illegal entry.” The ZERO TOLERANCE policy aims to prosecute, and prosecute as quickly as possible, ALL illegal border crossers. But, because of a 1997 Court order (Flores v. Reno (aka, the Flores Settlement Agreement), children cannot be detained for longer than 20 days with their parents. Under the Flores Settlement agreement, children are to be detained along with their parents, but after 20 days, they have to be removed from their parents and given to a relative or a caregiver or agent or to some licensed facility (such as the shelters run by the Dept. of Health & Human Services, HHS), OR the entire family unit is released – which we saw a lot of during the Obama administration.

During the Obama administration, the family unit would be kept in detention (a detention facility) for 20 days and then released – but with a court order to appear at some later date for a hearing on their detention (their prosecution of their illegal entry). Unfortunately, records show that only 3% of the detained and released illegals ever returned for their hearing during the Obama years. So, they didn’t just break the law once (illegal entry); they broke it a second time by ignoring the court order. They are repeat criminal offenders.

This is the loophole that President Trump has been talking about; this is the loophole that allows illegals to escape prosecution and evade our laws…. because of the Flores detainment limit for children. This is why he instituted the ZERO TOLERANCE program.

Anyway, it should be noted that children cannot be prosecuted for illegal entry (as their parents can) because they are children and have not come here of their own volition. So “Separation” has been the US policy with respect to the prosecution of illegal crossers. Add to the Flores decision a law that was passed in 2008 by Democrats in a Democratic Congress (and signed by President Bush) designed to combat human trafficking. The law is called the 2008 William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. Section 235 (g) of that act states that unaccompanied minors (unaccompanied by their parents, that is) entering the US must be transferred to the custody of the Department of Health & Human Services Offices of Refugee Resettlement (rather than to the Department of Homeland Security). The law was expanded to include minors brought into the country illegally (human trafficking, sex slave trade, etc). The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals expanded the 1997 Flores Settlement in 2016 to include children brought into the country illegally. What does this mean?? It means that children suspected of being brought here illegally (being brought by adults not being their parents or having a custodial relationship) are separated and put into a separate detention center (Dept. HHS). If illegal crossers cannot prove, thru documentation, that the children they are bringing are biological or are under the legal custody of the adults, then those children are separated until verification can be made.

Trump’s ZERO TOLERANCE policy ends the separation of children from their parents, but it also calls for the ignoring of the Flores settlement. When 20 days comes, if the illegal crossers have not yet been prosecuted, the children continue to be detained with their parents. I’m sure Trump’s Executive Order will be challenged in court, but it won’t be by Republicans. If Democrats challenge it, we’ll quickly see how much they care about the welfare of the children because President Trump is NOT going to release illegals into our country UNTIL they have first been prosecuted, and he is not going to fall for the guise that “we should do that for the sake of the children.”

Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order temporarily closing the loophole and ending the requirement that children be separated from their parents. As it stands now – until Congress acts, which is should, but which Democrats have obstructed for many years – illegal children will remain with their illegal parents through the prosecution period. He is seeking, at the very minimum, a stand-alone Loophole bill to quickly address the problem and fix the “Separation” situation.

The only reason the separation of children from their parents at the border is an issue at this time is because the Russian investigation has turned out to be a bust (there was no collusion, but the FBI and DOJ sure have a lot of ‘splaining to do !!), the Inspector General’s Report came out (and doesn’t look good at all for the Dems), the gun control marches didn’t work, no one cared a bit about Stormy Daniels and her sex allegation, and Trump is about to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a much-needed peace on the Korean peninsula and for the denuclearization of that seemingly rogue nation. The Democrats, and their bed-partners – the left-wing media (mainstream media), need something to distract from the success of President Trump and from their own high-level crimes.

Hope this helps.

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Sorry Dinesh D’Souza: Your Comparison of Trump to Abraham Lincoln Evidences a Gross Misunderstanding of American History

Posted on June 17, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

DINESH D'SOUZA - Death of a Nation (Saving America a Second Time)

by Diane Rufino, June 15, 2018

Dinesh D’Souza’s latest movie is an excellent example of the kind of hogwash that writers and historians can put out there when there is a gross misunderstanding of our country’s history and its leaders.

The bottom line is this:  POLITICAL CORRECTNESS has no place in a society that values intelligence and truth.  WE’VE GOT TO PUT POLICIAL CORRECTNESS AND GOVERNMENT INTEREST ASIDE and  TEACH OUR HISTORY ACCURATELY.

Dinesh D’Souza has a new movie out in theatres. I just learned about this. The movie is titled DEATH OF A NATION (Can We Save America a Second Time). In its advertising, Dinesh uses the movie to make the comparison between Lincoln and Trump – both men elected to be president yet in both cases, the Democrats refused to accept the outcome.

Dinesh explains. “Not that they’re the same people, but that they’ve fallen into the same situation. Not since 1865 have Democrats so dramatically refused to accept the outcome of a presidential election. … The left has been playing these cards against conservatives for a decade. We explore if the fascist-racist tail should be pinned on the Republican elephant or the Democrat donkey.”

OK, first of all, I understand Dinesh’s need to make comparisons between Republicans and Democrats, and to use history to make his point, but in this case, the connection or comparison is a bit flimsy. The country is a far different place than it was when Abraham Lincoln ran. The country was divided along geographical lines – North vs. South.  It was economic pure and simple. In 2016, the divide is along ideological lines – Democrats v. Republicans. Neither party is the same party it was when Lincoln ran. NOT EVEN CLOSE. I can go into detail, and maybe I will at some later time, but the Republican Party was an evil and despicable party. There was nothing redeemable about it, although revisionist history paints them with a noble and compassionate brush.

I also understand the obsession Dinesh has (and I’m happy for his obsession for truth) to explore the roots of America’s racism and its claims of fascism. The left has been playing these cards against conservatives for a decade – maybe more. Anyone who thinks differently from a Democrat or a liberal/progressive is, of course, a racist. Not that anyone even knows what that term means anymore; most obviously it’s the left that doesn’t have a clue. It’s merely a term used to shut down intelligent conversation and to promote perpetual victimhood. And ANTIFA, a violent leftist movement much like the KKK, is a movement that accuses the right of supporting fascism. In his movie, Dinesh makes the case (strongly, as he has done in his prior works) that it has been the Democrats who are responsible for our racist history and who are, in fact, fascists.

The movie, first and foremost, is predicated on the comparison between Lincoln and Trump.

It’s hard to make an analogy between the two figures when both the country is so fundamentally different and when the political parties are so fundamentally different.

But that’s not my big issue with Dinesh’s movie DEATH OF A NATION. The racism and the fascism component is not my issue either.

Judging by its advertising and its poster, Dinesh believes that Abraham Lincoln saved the nation back in 1860.  As Dinesh wrote on Twitter: “Lincoln united his party and saved America from the Democrats for the first time” in the early 1860’s.” He then suggested that this is what Trump’s biggest challenge is and what he must do to “save the nation.”

Lincoln saved America from the Democrats??  Is Dinesh serious??  He writes this as if it were a good thing?  He says this and articulates this point in his movie as if it were a good thing? The Democrats, back then, were the party of the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence; they were the party of limited government and the party of the inherent “right of the People to alter or to abolish it [government], and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”  The Republicans, on the other hand, were the party of big government, the party of an ambitious government, and the party violently opposed to the right of self-determination. They were the party that believed that despite the Declaration’s assurance that in America, government is always temporary, always tasked primarily to secure the rights of the individual and always subject to happiness and satisfaction of the people, government in fact, has the primary objective to seek its own power and its own security and permanence, even when the people reject it and seek to abolish or alter it.

So, it was a good thing, Dinesh, that Lincoln and the Republicans “saved” the nation from the Democrats?

History is history. It should be taught and studied for what it was and what it is. It should be examined and studied for what it teaches all of us about the particular time period and about the people, the norms, and the views and politics of that era. It should NOT be taught or studied to suit current thought, and it should never be taught to conform to current norms, to a current agenda, or to a progressive agenda.

I am terribly disappointed in Dinesh in characterizing Lincoln as a great American leader and using him as a role model. I’ve read many of his books and I’ve usually been impressed with the research he’s done to support his views, but in this case, he has failed to do his due diligence on Lincoln, on the Civil War, and on our nation’s early history. The Civil War was the single most grievous decision by any US President. The Republican Party was an evil party formed for the sole purpose of destroying the South and subjugating its people through a highly confiscatory tariff scheme. It was not the party formed to abolish slavery. (that decision was merely a war measure, designed to encourage massive slave revolts against the women and children in the South and to discourage Britain and France from entering the war on the side of the Confederacy). The Democrats, on the other hand, merely wanted the federal government to respect the interests of all areas of the country equally, according to the Constitution. [Note, Congressmen from the North (Republicans, in both House and Senate; 7 Southern States had already seceded) passed the original 13th Amendment which would have cemented slavery in the United States; it would have completely prohibited the government from any attempts to abolish it]. If slavery is what the Democrats really wanted, the Southern States would have accepted that amendment and rejoined the Union, but they didn’t. They didn’t even consider the amendment.

This is what I wrote in response to Dinesh on Instagram: “Lincoln didn’t save the nation; he destroyed it. He re-made it, but on the most un-American and anti-revolutionary terms (reference to the principles the colonies fought for in the American Revolution). All the problems we have in the country right now can be traced to the government system that resulted from Lincoln’s purely political decision to instigate the war, his willing rejection of our founding principles, and his absolute incorrect re-characterization of our federal union and our Constitution. Thanks to Lincoln, there are no more effective checks on the power and ambition of the federal government. The government of our Founding Fathers is dead. To say Lincoln saved the Union (“saved America”) by fighting the Civil War is like saying a man saves his marriage by beating his wife. Submission by violence is NOT freedom.”

I have no problem bashing and criticizing the current Democratic Party. They voted to take God out of their platform 3 times at their Convention in 2016, they are violent, they are rude and offensive, they are hypocritical, they are un-American in their views, they work incessantly to undermine our country and are now vocal in their hopes that our country fails (just to be able to blame Republicans), and they are highly antagonistic to our essential freedoms. BUT, I am ever so disappointed in Dinesh D’Souza for enlisting Lincoln in any attempt to elevate the modern-day Republican Party.

 

- 2018 (BEST BEST, gray shirt)

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Robert DeNiro at the Tony Awards: Another Member of the So-Called Entertainment Industry Goes Full Retard

Posted on June 12, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

ROBERT DeNIRO - Tony Awards (WT News)(WT News photo)

by Diane Rufino, June 11, 2018

At the Tony Awards last night, Robert DeNiro delighted the audience with these words: “I’m gonna say one thing: F— Trump!” As he spoke, he clenched his two fists in the air, with great dramatic flair, probably hoping to be considered for another award.

What we have here is another liberal member of the so-called entertainment industry who has gone full retard. In the movie Tropic Thunder, Robert Downey Jr warned his fellow actors: “Everybody knows you never go full retard.” Apparently, DeNiro wasn’t paying attention.

Downey’s entire line went like this: “Everybody knows you never go full retard. Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, ‘Rain Man,’ look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho’. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, ‘Forrest Gump.’ Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain’t retarded. Peter Sellers, “Being There.” Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. Never go full retard. You don’t buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, I AM SAM. Remember? He went full retard, went home empty handed…”

DeNiro went full retard. Up until last night, he had been acting essentially like an over-inflated, entitled, whining liberal crybaby. But on that stage last night, tasked with introducing fellow libtard Brice Springsteen, he went full retard.

In the court of public opinion, which is the realm where intelligent people exist, the empty-headed go home empty-handed.

In other words, good luck finding fans who give a damn about you or your movies anymore.

It’s true what they say about Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)…… Those afflicted simply can’t get Trump out of their heads. The fact that he is president is enough to ruin every minute of their day and to cause them to turn every event and every conversation into an opportunity to insult him or to wish for his failure or his death.

Robert DeNiro, like Meryl Streep and Samantha Bee and Kathy Griffin and Bill Maher and Joy Behar, has gone bye-bye. He has left the building. He’s checked out of the world of sane people.

Let me put it another way……..

De-Niro is de-ranged! The Taxi Driver has driven off the planet. The Raging Bull is full of rage and bull.

 

 

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Football Players Abusing Their Forum and Disappointing Team Fans (No White House for You!)

Posted on June 11, 2018 by forloveofgodandcountry

COLIN KAEPERNICK - Time Magazine cover (taking a Knee)

by Diane Rufino, June 8, 2018

A few years ago, the talk of the media was professional football player Tim Tebow. He took a knee, not during the National Anthem and not in protest of any sort. He took a knee before and after each game he played (from his sophomore year in high school through his time in the NFL) to “thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and to put things in perspective.” He was absolutely vilified for doing so. It was an abomination and offensive to the fans and to those watching his games on TV, according to members of the media.

“I never did anything during a national anthem but stand and support my country,” he explained.

And that’s what the playing of the National Anthem is all about….. recognizing that the game is being played in the “Land of the Free” and being grateful for that. It’s about supporting the country we all live in.

Then we have different football players who have been taking a knee, during the National Anthem, to make a very public protest over what they don’t like about the country. The more left-leaning media has continued to praise their courage and support their right to protest as they see fit.

So this is what we’ve been told:  Kneeling During Anthem — Good; Kneeling To Pray – Bad.

But that’s from the leftist media’s point of view.  The President, however, feels very differently, and he happens to be joined by the majority of Americans. President Trump views the “taking of the knee during the National Anthem” (or any variation of that protest) as a contemptible act. He views it as an act of disrespect to those who serve the country unconditionally and who have died for their loyalty and devotion. Trump criticized the NFL for allowing protest during what he called the “country’s love song,” and to some extent, his criticisms have had an impact.

To the leftist media, the protests by the NFL players are rightful expressions of outrage over social injustice, forced nationalism, and forced patriotism; the protests, they say, are rightful expressions of free speech.

The President, on the other hand, holds the opinion that the football field is not the place for such protests and certainly not during the playing of the National Anthem. Men and women have given their lives in support of the rights of Americans to exercise their rights freely, regardless of their personal political views or their religious affiliation. President Trump believes that out of respect for their service to all Americans equally, players should not hijack the National Anthem to make their political statement.

I’m glad President Trump cancelled the celebration at the White House for the Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL has ceased to be about the sport of professional football, which it was organized for, and has become both a forum for politics and a vehicle for it. It has offended too many Americans who pay far too much to merely enjoy a good old-fashioned game of football, usually with their buddies or with their family members.

The players sign a contract to play football, to entertain people who PAY to watch them play. Their contract is not like one for Jimmy Kimmel or Joe Scarborough or even Tucker Carlson, who are paid to express their political views. When patrons attend a game, these players essentially take them hostage and force them to hear (or view) their politics, which often includes the disrespect of the country they love, a history they appreciate, and the sacrifice of men and women who give their lives defending the flag and our ideals. Why do I say that the patrons are “held hostage”? I say that because after paying a lot for the ticket, and also probably paying too much for beer and stadium food, and looking forward to watching their team play, they are usually willing to tolerate the political messages the players express. But make no mistake, they are being forced to hear (or see) their protests. They did not buy a ticket to be held as political hostages. Players are just like every other American – they have a role as an employee and a role as a private citizen. Almost every American cannot use their jobs as a platform to espouse political views. In fact, HR makes it very clear that the workplace is a neutral place – nothing can be said or displayed to make it hostile for any other employee. As a private citizen, however, each person has a political voice and can use that voice however he or she sees fit, including using all possible outlets (social media, phone calls, emails, yard signs, tee shirts, letters to the editor, visits to their representatives, protests and marches, rallies, etc). The NFL is a forum for sports and as players (as paid employees of the NFL), they should be required to respect a neutral environment for their fans and not create a hostile environment for those who don’t share their same political views. They are public figures, they can use their voices off the football field.

With that in mind, I am glad President Trump did-invited the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House. The sports-White House tradition is just that – a tradition. It is a celebration or recognition of the historic and traditional love affair that Americans have (maybe “had”), pure and simple, with sports and competition. It has always been a non-political love affair and a non-political tradition. Making it political destroys everything. And because it does, there is no need to continue the tradition of having the winning teams to the White House because that, in and of itself, now becomes a political statement.

We all know Colin Kaepernick and how he started the “take the knee” movement. We know why he did it – to protest police brutality against African-Americans.  As he said when he first started taking a knee: “”To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave, and getting away with murder.”  His “taking the knee” protest led to the “standing with arms locked” movement, leading to the “staying behind in the locker room” movement, leading to the “fist in the air” movement. They are all various forms of the very visible protest movement started by Kaepernick. But let’s be honest, the NFL players (and in particular, the Philadelphia Eagles), used the very public “National Anthem protest” controversy to show their lack of support and indeed, their contempt, for President Trump and his administration. They turned a wholesome sport into a political vehicle. I am sorry folks, but Kaepernick was wrong for starting this movement and he has done a lot of damage and caused a lot of resentment in this country. He has “politicized” many fellow players. He has brought disrepute to professional football and to himself and fellow players. At least, that is how I see it from the comments made about the current status of the NFL. He may have a legitimate gripe but the football field is not the place to make it. He and his fellow protesters should have been taking their concerns to President Obama, who was hugely obsessed with the treatment of African-Americans by law enforcement. President Trump is working very hard to improve the lives of African-Americans (for ALL Americans, let’s be clear) and to improve the status of their communities. Political disrespect to this President on racial issues is just inexcusable.

No one takes a spoiled grossly-overpaid professional athlete seriously. And many see the protests over injustice against African-Americans by the police as hypocritical. They complain about racial profiling and over-policing in African-American communities yet they themselves are often brought up on drug charges, carrying an unlawful firearm, brandishing a firearm, threatening others with a firearm, manslaughter, gun violence, killing their girlfriend (and sometimes the babies they are carrying).  If they really care about the issue and if they really want to be the instruments of change and meaningful dialogue, then they should work to come up with solutions, point out where the problems lie, exactly (on both sides), admit to the failings in the African-Americans communities that cause over-policing, donate their money to the right causes, become role models to impoverished and crime-ridden communities…. What they shouldn’t do is merely take a knee or hide in the locker room to make a statement. That does nothing but foster division, send wrong or mis-messages, and increase tensions. They are nothing more than attention-grabbing opportunities that end up creating more controversy. 

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