MAGA

Has anyone seen the USA?  I haven’t seen it in years.  The weird thing is, I’m not sure when it disappeared.   It just vanished.  There’s some evidence of its existence.  I see American flags here and there, and we play with fireworks on the 4^th of July … what did they used to call it? … oh yes:  Independence Day.  We still hold elections on a regular basis and some of the laws from back in the day are still around.  We even celebrate all of the same holidays that we used to.

It’s like when someone you knew dies, but you didn’t love them or know them well enough to keep up with them. Then you stop and think, “Hey when was the last time I spoke with that person?”  They were here, now they’re not.  Gone. 

I miss the USA. It was a great place to grow up.  It was the kind of place where men were men and women weren’t men.  Sure it had its flaws, but what place doesn’t?  I know of some people that didn’t like living in Hawaii!

I always liked living in the USA. I still do, but this place is not the USA I’ve always known.  It’s a different “new Coke” kind of country.  It looks the same and it’s packaged the same, it even has some of the same ingredients, but it isn’t the same. 

Fortunately in our little part of the country (Helotes, Texas), the change hasn’t been as drastic.  In fact it still feels like home.  I thank God for that … around here, you can still do that without fear of ridicule.

Even politics aren’t the same anymore.   In the past it was normal for politicians to be dishonest, we expected them to be.  It didn’t matter if they were a Democrat or a Republican, moderate, liberal, or conservative.   The definition of an honest politician was …. well, there wasn’t.  But even that’s changed. 

Donald Trump was elected President of the United States of America.  Almost no one expected that to happen. When I say almost no one I’m talking about the people in politics, the media, and entertainment.  (in a country of hundreds and hundreds of millions of people, they amount to … almost no one.)

President Trump did something unimaginable:  he kept his word.   He’s doing things Republicans have always promised they would do.  That’s something new, something different.  Republicans and Democrats were blindsided by him.  And now politics will never be the same.   

MAGA … Make America Great Again. Did you know MAGA is the newest, meanest, vilest, racist, thing anyone can say in the new USA?  If you put it on a baseball cap it’s an even worse offence than actually saying it.  If you don’t believe me ask anyone at CNN or a college professor and they’ll tell you that themselves.   You might think that “Making America Great Again” is as harmless as saying “In God We Trust” or “One Nation Under God” … but you would be wrong.   They’re bad, too.

The new USA was fundamentally transformed and turned into an abomination (or is it Obama nation?).   It is now acceptable for laws to be ignored if the lawbreaker has the “right” political motivation and persuasion, or is an illegal immigrant.   In the new USA a completely naked man can have his picture taken with a young boy (that performs in drag on TV and for live audiences). Have it posted on the World Wide Web and no one bats an eye.  No media or social outrage.  In the new USA teenage boys that are victims can be turned into villains just for wearing MAGA caps.   The very same media and social outlets that stay silent when “one of their own” is caught in a vile act knowingly, willingly, and with purpose tried to destroy youngsters’ lives because they wore a cap.

I didn’t like New Coke. It wasn’t great. (To be honest I don’t really like original Coke …I’m a Dr. Pepper man.)  I hope the new USA disappears just like new Coke did and the USA makes a comeback, because I absolutely believe that we can Make America Great Again!

There you have it,
Eddie

2018 REPEAT OF 2017?

I don’t write much anymore. It’s not because there isn’t much I want to write about … there is.  There’s been a lot I’ve wanted to write about, but I haven’t.  It’s hard for me to gather my thoughts around just one topic to write about.  Like most guys I can’t multitask well … I guess I have a one task mind.

But lately (especially now that we’re entering the New Year) I’ve been thinking about what might happen next with President Trump and the Republican Congress.  They haven’t worked well very together and honestly I don’t see that changing in 2018.  I hope I’m wrong.  I’ve been disappointed with Congress and I know that I’m not alone.  Most of us that held up hope for a change of course and a correction from the previous administration haven’t been satisfied with Congress’s actions … especially since they’ve been given complete control of Washington D.C.   We expected a lot from them, that’s because we expect little from the other side. But they’re also Americans that have lost hope in the Republican Congress. 

Why have they lost hope? Well, they haven’t actually lost hope … they’ve lost trust.  They no longer trust Republicans.   A lot of Americans voted Republican for the first time because of Donald Trump’s message and passion. They still trust him and he’s going keep their trust. Why will he keep their trust? ...because he hasn’t done anything to lose it.  But that doesn’t mean that they’ll stay with the Republican Party, they’ll stay with him. If he’s gone - so are they.

President Trump is the only person in Washington D.C. that is focused on saving our country for Americans of today and for Americans of tomorrow.  That’s what I like about him.  I wasn’t always a Trump supporter but he’s earned my support by doing what he said he would.  I did not expect that from him. I misjudged him.  I do expect Republicans to do what they say they’ll do, even more so when they claim to be conservatives.  Yet, now with President Trump in office, we’ve see more than a few “conservatives” not keep their word and not honor their promises.   I don’t like that. I don’t think you do either.

The Republican Congress has a lot to prove and a lot to lose this year.  It’s an election year, had the Republicans taken advantage of their victories in the 2016 elections the country would be moving on to better things.  We might even be on the road to solving some of our long held problems: over spending and deficits, national security, immigration, healthcare, etc.  But instead in 2017 we heard too much of the same old arguments being fought by the same old people (other than President Trump) as always. 

Republicans have a lot of work ahead of them with very little time to do it in.  They must to do what they’ve promised to do and somehow win back Americans’ trust ... then keep and hold Congress.  That won’t happen if this year is a repeat of last year, and from what I’ve seen so far it’s already looking like a re-run.

There you have it,

Eddie

DC2DQ

I went to a town hall meeting, it was the 2^nd annual DC2DQ event held by US Congressman Will Hurd (that wasn't actually held at a Dairy Queen, it was held at Floore's Country Store in Helotes TX, but that’s not important). A lot of the people that attended it came with their own political agendas (i.e., lobbyists and organizations) and were not Helotes, TX residents (my home town).  I think that was unfortunate. On one hand because the space they took up actual Helotes residents could have had, and on the other hand because political action groups and lobbyists already have enough access to office holders.

I think Congressman Hurd intended the DC2DQ event to be for regular folk to come and attend so he can fill us in on what he's doing: what is happening in Washington DC, what we haven't heard about from the media, and to answer honest questions from the people that live in the area he's representing.  To be accurate, the congressman did not just hold the DC2DQ in my home town, he held them throughout the 23^rd US congressional district which he represents … he held a lot of them over the course of a week (twice a day).  His district also happens to be the largest geographical district in the country and includes much of the US/Mexico border.

In typical fashion my wife and I arrived early for the event. At first I thought we might be a little too early, but after just a few minutes I was glad we were.   That’s because I’d attended the first DC2DQ meeting, at the real Dairy Queen in Helotes, TX. I knew a good number of the people in the crowd.  Did I mention Helotes, TX is my home town?  I have relatives here.  The first thing I noticed at this year’s DC2DQ is that I did not recognize a single face.  Why is that you ask? … because many of the early birds were special interest groups.  I sat there and eavesdropped as they prepared and schemed as to how they would get the congressman to call on them. It kind of ticked me off.  

It ticked me off because the people from those special interest groups took up time and space that regular folk could have had with their congressman, which is why he held the meeting in the first place.  People are entitled to their opinions, and should feel free to voice them in our country, but hording in on a meeting …. well that isn’t cool.   It’s not cool to do it in Helotes, TX or anywhere else.

I’m not going to bring up the topics of discussion in this blog, because I’m still thinking that over, but I’ll leave you with this: The more we ask of government, the more government will demand (not ask) from us.

There you have it.

Eddie

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

Some people haven’t come to terms with his term …. in office, that is.  I can understand Democrats having trouble believing that he is the President of the United States and I can even understand how some political independents would still be in disbelief.  It’s somewhat natural for them not accept it.  I’ll admit that I never fully accepted Barack Obama as President.  After all, he did not stand for anything I supported in any way - as I’m sure Donald Trump doesn’t represent those that opposed him. Truthfully I didn’t care much for Donald Trump myself until after he won election.

What doesn’t make sense to me is why so many Republicans, conservatives, TEA Partiers, etc., still haven’t come around to him.   All of them, including Donald Trump, have been singing the same tune. Unless I’m wrong,  they all want to protect and defend the United States from radical Islam, end Obamacare, secure the border, balance the budget, simplify taxes, and so on and so forth.  

The American voters have given Republicans what they asked for: control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency. Not only have they been given control in Washington DC, they’ve been given control in most of the state capitals (they’ve had the states for a while now).  But they haven’t decided to come together for the good of the nation.  It seems they may rather have had Hillary Clinton win the election instead of their own Republican Party candidate. Sounds absurd doesn’t it?

You might remember that some Republicans were hoping for a “Convention Miracle” in which Donald Trump would not, could not, secure the party nomination.  The truth is, a Convention Miracle wouldn’t have satisfied them because they hated Ted Cruz, too (maybe even more than they hated Trump).  The point I’m making is this, there are a lot of political leaders we used to trust (when I say we, I mean you and me, Jane & Joe Average America) that do not trust us.

What has President Trump done wrong? If you listen closely you’ll hear this: nothing.  That’s because he hasn’t done anything wrong at all. Other than win our votes. That’s it.  Is he trying to keep the country safe? Yes, he is.  Has he been working to secure the border? Yes, he has. Has he been trying to do everything all candidates have promised to do year after year? Yes, he has. Are they helping?  I’ll let you answer that. 

Now that we have a President that is willing to work hard at getting things done, wouldn’t it be nice if we had Republican leaders working just as hard and taking their jobs just as seriously as he is? Republicans have every tool that they’ve wanted us to give them; it’s time for them to come together and keep the promises they’ve made to us…before they lose their “Trump” card.

There you have it,

Eddie

THEN AND NOW

When I was growing up there was a group of people that thought they knew it all.  They had it together, they got it.   Remember the hippies of the 1960’s and ‘70’s?  They were mostly young city kids.  They came from all over the country and they covered the spectrum of the US population.  Of course, they were not all kids but mostly kids and the young at heart.   

I grew up in ’60s and ’70s … I was a kid then.  It was an era of great sadness, struggle, and victory.  It was a time of change.  It was a time of marches, set-ins, slogans, and chants: make love, not war … turn on, tune in, drop out.  These always come to mind when I think about those days.  Did I mention the riots? Yes, it was also a time of riots.

It was a time of revolution in the US. There was the drug revolution, the sexual revolution, the feminist revolution, and a few more. The drug revolution gave us a new culture - the drug culture. Hippies played a tremendous role in that, especially the college hippies (after all they were the smartest, most put together of all the hippies). They were the “activist of activists” in a time of activism ... or at least they thought they were.

I’m not going into a history of the ’60 and ’70.  That would take too much of your time.  I’ll just say that history has shown that much of the activism of the era hasn’t helped make this country better off or happier (with the exception of African-American civil rights).

Hippies are still around today.  We don’t call them hippies anymore, but they’re still hippies and they still come from the same old places as they did before.  They still believe that they have it together and that they get it. Well, they didn’t back them, and they don’t get it now.  They’re still pushing the same old anti-American, anti-family messages they always have.  There’s nothing new about them other than their faces.

They’re chanting again, creating silly slogans again, rioting again, and dreaming up even more cultural destruction … it’s what they do.  Some of them will grow out of it, just like they did in the 1980’s and ‘90’s (I hope).  As for me, when I came of age I was so removed from their way of thinking that I’ve never taken them seriously.  And I believe there’s a next generation coming up that sees the foolishness of this current crop of hippies as well.

It is has been said “the more things change, the more they stay the same”, that’s how I see where our country is today.  I wish it weren’t so.  I pray it weren’t so.

 There you have it,

Eddie

DEMOCRACY

Yes, my friends we do not live in a democracy.   What?!   I can hear it already.   There goes Eddie again.

We live in a representative republic.  You may have to do some study and research to understand exactly what that is, because I’m not going to go into the details, but that is how the United States was intended to be governed.

If we had a simple democracy, then we’d be ruled by 50% plus 1 … or in other words “majority rule”.  By and large, that’s how our “democracy” works. Most of our elections work in this way.  Not so much when laws are passed in Congress, or when the constitution is changed.  Sometimes there has to be a “super majority” (more research for you to do).

The more I learn about the framers of the constitution and how well thought out the document is, the more impressed I am with them. It is the longest lasting document of its kind on earth.  Why is that? Because it works! … that’s why!  And it will continue to work as long as we elect “representatives” that honor and respect it.  I happen to believe that all of our elected officials (including the President of the United Stated) are first and foremost “representatives” of “We the People of the United States of America”.  I also believe the same is true about unelected judges (but I’m not going to talk about them right now) and other holders of high office.

We should be glad and feel blessed that we do not live in a true democracy where we might be subject to rule of a “simple majority”.  Have you ever seen a mob?  It isn’t pretty.  The framers knew that.  They studied history, knew human nature, and had seen firsthand the terrible results of what an all too powerful government is capable of. 

Today we are living in a land where we choose our leaders.  Some people don’t agree.  They say we do not.  Simply because they don’t understand the wisdom of the how the most powerful elected official in the country comes into office.  The Electoral College is the how the states elect the President.  That’s right I said “the states”.  Not the people, or the majority, or this party or that party, it is decided by the states. The states choose their electors and they have their own rules that vary from one to the other … that’s their right. The electors usually vote along with the popular vote of the state they reside in. As far as I’m aware, the states electors have always voted along with the will of the people of their states.

Why do we have this system? … to protect the week from the strong. It is as simple as that.  Don’t get philosophical on me, this is politics. The framers built in a way to keep us from having a 50% plus 1 debacle. Take a look at a “red state-Republican”, “blue state-Democrat” map broken down by counties from the 2016 election (or any of the past elections) and you’ll see that there’s a lot more red than blue in this country. If you were to look at the actual number of votes, you’d find that they aren’t that far apart. 

Out of a population of around 300 million, roughly 130 million votes were cast in 2016. Of those, there was only a difference of about 3 million votes.  That’s a very evenly divided population … or so it seems.  Many people are complaining that the winner of the popular vote should have won the election since we are a “democracy”.  This is true if math were the only thing that matters … that is also where the framers wisdom shines through and their understanding of our republic is dim.

Have you looked at the maps yet?  You should.  Sheer numbers would not fairly represent the nation in the White House and the Founding Fathers knew that.  The process has been changed over time but has never been (and never should be) left to a purely popular vote.  Otherwise we would be left to the will of the people from concentrated areas with similar ambitions, thoughts and ideas, wishes and beliefs, prejudices, political leanings, and economic conditions dictating to the rest of country who the President will be.  That would lead to disaster.

To become President of these United States requires winning the states through the Electoral College. The Electoral College provides the larger states a greater number of votes than the smaller states (each state receives the same number of electors as they have members in Congress - 2 for each Senator and however many Representatives they have).  The system is fair in that it forces candidates to win each state at the polls.  Winning the most states will normally bring in the most Electoral College votes and the Presidency.

I support the system, but that doesn’t not mean I’m not open to altering it.  I don’t think the Presidency should ever be left to a popular vote, but I wouldn’t be opposed to eliminating the Electoral College.  I’ve been thinking about the framers of the constitution’s original intent.  I believe that winning the states was the key.  Here is my compromise: let the person that wins the most states by popular vote win.  Each state would count as one. No more magic 270.  The candidate that wins the majority of votes in a state wins the state. The candidate with the most state victories (not the most popular votes) wins the White House. What do you think about that?

There you have it,
Eddie

COUNTRY OVER PARTY

When I was younger I didn’t think that there was much of a difference between the Democrat Party and the Republican Party.  Like most people, I really didn’t pay all that much attention to politics.  I had the same thought process that most people did …. that all politicians are liars.  

As I got older and started to become more aware of things (not just in politics, but life in general), I started to lean toward the Republican Party.  Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were the reason for that.  Carter was not a very good president and the nation was not doing well under his and the Democrat Party’s leadership.  So even though I did like Jimmy Carter, I didn’t think he should remain in office.

I first learned about Ronald Reagan when I was a senior in high school, and to be honest I didn’t think that he would be any better a president than Jimmy Carter.  What a difference four years makes.  By the time it came to re-elect Reagan I was a firm believer in him.  The country recovered from the Carter doldrums and young people like me (at the time) found out it was OK to be proud to be an American.

But I still wouldn’t call myself a Republican … but  I didn’t call myself a Democrat either.  I liked to refer to myself as an independent.  I didn’t even consider myself to be conservative … I called myself a “moderate”.  Looking back, I don’t think I ever really was all that moderate … I just didn’t know who conservatives actually were and what they stood for. 

Then came the first Gulf War and talk radio was introduced into my life …and NPR (National Public Radio).  NPR lead me to local news talk radio and then ….. Rush Limbaugh!  I’ll admit I didn’t like Rush at first, but it did not take me long to change my opinion of him.  Listening to him lead me to research history and government on my own.  Why is that? For one reason, after listening to his show I’d want to check things out for myself.  Rush would always talk about the “Federalist Papers”.  I’d never heard of them.  I began looking for them, so much so that one Christmas my wife, Lisa, surprised me with a copy of them!

From there I began reading Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and so on.  I read Abraham Lincoln; I read all I can on American government and the Constitution.  I won’t go into all that I’ve read; I will only say this: our system of government, if used as originally intended, is foundationally strong.  What weakens it, and has sent this country down the road to disaster, is the two-party system.

The founders warned against political factions.  They foresaw the troubles that excessive partisanship would bring to a nation.  Unfortunately, those we have elected are not as astute as the founders were.  I’ve just completed reading a book Dr. Ben Carson has written about the U.S. Constitution.  The Constitution was written without party politics in mind.  There aren’t any party rules in it or any party leadership offices listed.  The Constitution makes it perfectly clear that all power comes from the people, not from Congress, or the courts, or from Washington DC.  Power doesn’t even come from the President of the United States … and especially not from political parties.  We the People are the rulers, we’re not the ruled!

If this latest political season hasn’t revealed to us that the same old politics is the root cause of our malfunctioning government what will?  Attacks of our constitutional rights and the document itself are meant to distract us from the true reason our government is malfunctioning.   The reason why our government does not work for us is the fact that government has not adhered to its constitutional responsibilities for nearly one hundred years!  Party over country rules the day in Washington DC, and for that matter, in state capitals, and city halls, etc.

The founders said that our country would function best with an educated population.  I believe by “educated” they were speaking of an informed population ( as most Colonial Americans were not formally educated).  Colonialist took part and engaged in their government. They learned and knew how it worked.  We should too.  The two-party system is obsolete.  The founders would not believe that the U.S. population living in the information age would still be relying on it.   History has placed “We the people” in the position of defending our Constitution from those we’ve elected to uphold it … in order keep and hold “a more perfect union”.

There you have it,

Eddie