OBAMA'S WAR ON TEXAS

With millions of dollars in its war chest and an Obama "wunderkind" named Jeremy Bird manning the controls, Battleground Texas is a big Democratic push to turn Texas blue. It is clear that "progressives" simply can't stand the success story that is Texas, and neither can they abide the Texas values that have made the state what it is.  For the Texas economy to lead the nation during the Great Recession is to show the world the horrendous fallacy of Obamanomics: and, from on high in D.C., the word has gone out that the flaws in the Obama rock-star facade must be obscured.  Consequently, Texas must be punished.

DEMOCRATS DEMONSTRATE AT TEXAS CAPITOL

If the great unwashed mobs showing up at the capitol during the Wendy Davis goings-on are any indication of the caliber of the foot soldiers involved in the progressive war on the Lone Star State, ignorant and offensive must be the maxims of this unholy crusade.  With chants of "Heil, Satan!" and "F--- the Church!" the pathetically degraded minds that represent Planned Parenthood and other such points of view, showed their true colors as they attempted to drown out the strains of "Amazing Grace" from pro-life demonstrators.

In the latest thrust from the leftist anti-Texas campaign, the Department of Justice has let it be known that it will do an end-run around the June 25th decision of the Supreme Court, which invalidated a key portion of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  At question in the court's decision were provisions that were enforced against certain Southern states or other jurisdictions deemed lacking in enforcing equality in voting rights, forcing them to obtain "preclearance" from the attorney general or from the federal court system before undertaking any changes in voting regulations or practices.  At the heart of the decision was the court's view that the legislation had served its purpose and that preclearance was no longer warranted.

Indeed, a close-up of  minority voting patterns in the states in question would reveal that discrimination is practically nil, and that minority office holders in the concerned jurisdictions represent percentages that are greater than the minority populations themselves.

However, now the attorney general has announced that, regarding Texas, Section 3 (c) of the legislation contains a "bail-in" process, whereby states that, in the opinion of the Department of Justice, violate other provisions of the Voting Rights Act may be forced into preclearance under orders from a federal court. Aimed at Texas sovereignty and the right of the state to create legislative districts and to institute such regulations as picture IDs for voters, this latest action is unmistakably designed to complement the long-range goals of Battle Ground Texas.

In taking a cue from Texas history, the rallying cry at Gonzalez in 1835 was "COME AND TAKE IT!" The opening shots of 2013 have now been fired, and those of us who care about states' rights and the constitutional guarantees of the 10th Amendment must stand strong in resisting the authoritarian tendencies of a central government that, day by day, becomes even more dictatorial.  Let us resist with all our might the racist politics and the despotism of the wayward Obama regime!

WHY DADS AND INTACT FAMILIES ARE IMPORTANT

Owing to a drunken driver, my mother died when I was nine.  Both my father and I were severely injured and spent almost three months in hospitals.

Hoping to create a home environment that would provide me with support and guidance, my grandmother, father and I made up an extended family.  Early on, I knew how very fortunate I was to have an intact home, after the tragic loss of my mother.

My dad made sure that we traveled together, enjoyed rivers and forests and museums, and that I was encouraged in my education and my church attendance.  I really cannot imagine anyone having a finer father.

By the late 1960's and early 1970's, American feminists began to claim their ground through organizations such as the National Organization of Women (NOW).  With my grandmother serving as matriarch and the president of our family corporation, I cannot remember her once complaining that she was somehow a second-class citizen. Therefore, I was somewhat at a loss in discerning what type of equality these women were striving for.  However, as it eventually came to pass, there was no question that the feminists were going from a campaign for equality to one in which they were seeking a privileged position at the expense of men in general.

One piece of dogma which most feminists seemed to hold in common was that women did not need the assistance of men to raise children.  Now, with the benefit of hindsight, it is so apparent that this was the beginning of a societal process that would imperil the American family and result in unprecedented harm to American children.

Hopefully, we have learned something by the 21st century. Children raised in single-parent homes are six times more likely to live in poverty than children living in homes with a mother and a father. But, today, only 59% of children are born into homes with two parents, while 40% of children born in the U.S. in 2012 were the result of illegitimate births. Education is a big determining factor for stable homes, as shown by only 8% of college-educated women raising children by themselves, but the figure for high school dropout females soars to 65%.  Even more startling is the figure that 71% of all children living below the federal poverty line in the U.S. are being raised by a single parent.

Looking at minority communities, nearly 75% of  all black births are to unmarried women, while the figure for Hispanics is over 50%.  Those who are concerned about crime, drugs and violence in those cohorts might reasonably make the connection that the lack of viable families is an ingredient in the making of dysfunctional populations.  The greatest gift any minority child could possibly have are two parents, both of whom are committed to the welfare of their children. And, correspondingly, the payoff for society is immeasurable,

Each day, I thank God for my father, a man who sacrificed so that his son might have the stability of a viable home life.  Without his love, my lot in life might have been far different.

COME OFF IT, MR. PRESIDENT, YOUR DESPICABLE RACE-BAITING IS NOT WORTHY OF THE OFFICE!

JUST ANOTHER VICTIM OF BLACK VIOLENCE

With a failed administration clouded by scandal, a lame-duck Barack Obama is left with few options for comporting himself during the waning of his presidency.  But, for the sake of presidential dignity, is it too much to expect that he would exercise some restraint with the faux -issue of white racism?

If our president is not aware that black Americans constitute 13% of the population but account for 35% of welfare recipients and 37% of the prison population, then he did not learn very much as a "community organizer."  With 1 in 15 black males experiencing jail time, they far outstrip any other group with this dubious distinction. Only 29% of black women are married and nearly 75% of their births are illegitimate.  Compounding matters are presidential economic policies which result in a 50% summer unemployment rate for black teenagers.  In short, Mr. President, black America represents nothing short of a national tragedy. If there are any leaders left in the black community, why are they not leading a movement to regenerate that community? And to spew forth verbiage which does nothing but perpetuate a permanent self-view of victimization  is certainly no way to raise self-esteem!

Why do you and Mr. Holder spend so much time on the issue of white-on-black violence, when, in comparison with black-on-black violence, it is virtually negligible?  Why is Mr. Zimmerman made out to be a "white-Hispanic" when he is an Hispanic of mixed heritage?  It is all too apparent, Mr. President, that you and the Holders, Jacksons, and Sharptons of this world would much rather expend energy in whipping up the racial resentments of the mob than to deal with the reality that black America is in terrible shape. No, the answer does not lie with more handouts and more dependency, for, at no time in history, have there been more opportunities for assistance for the less fortunate. If black America is to save itself, it must be from within.  And that might include the jettisoning of the rapper/thug culture, which fosters disrespect for women and a macho code of violence that decimates neighborhoods of the inner-cities.

While living in New York, my Latina wife would consistently cross the street when she saw young black males headed her way on the sidewalk.  Was this racism on her part?  No, not at all.  She was simply processing statistics which indicate that there are certain groups that are prone to violence in a ratio disproportionate to their numbers.  And, as long as that disjointed ratio exists, black America will continue to segregate itself with a ghetto mentality.

This is 2013.  George Wallace and Bull Connor are figures from the distant past of more than a half-century ago.  America is far from being the most racist country in the world, and one does not have to travel far to test the veracity of that statement.  The time for whining and constantly beating the racist drum is also past. Now is the time for tough love.  However, I fear there are few, if any, black leaders with the intestinal fortitude to tell the story like it is.

WHAT'S SO TERRIBLE ABOUT PROFILING?

While living in the Middle East during a time of frequent hijacking, I often had occasion to fly through the Athens airport.  At that time, Athens was noted for its haphazard security measures, and, in response, major airlines flying out of Athens set up their own security procedures.

I recall that the airline with the best security was El Al, the Israeli airline. Then, as now, El Al based its security operation on profiling, including perceived behavior patterns, appearance, contradictory statements, country of passport origin, language, luggage, nervousness and other personal characteristics.  Certainly, if one is traveling from a nation which has spawned terrorists and terrorist events, then that person would receive special attention.  And this is the essence of profiling.

If law enforcement authorities were looking for a 6'4" blue-eyed male weighing in the vicinity of 200 lbs,. with a white mustache prominently displayed on his visage, then I would certainly understand if I were stopped and questioned.  Furthermore, if blue-eyed, 6'4" Anglo males came from a group with a propensity for crime, drugs and violence, I would be surprised if I were not questioned regarding my activities.  In fact, I would go so far as to wonder if the authorities were doing a proper job, if they did not wish to ask me a few questions.  And, as a law-abiding citizen, I would feel obligated to answer those questions.

In the context of the "mobocracy" which prevails today in the United States, those of us who are law-abiding need to be asking a few questions that pertain to our security:

1.  If you are a law-abiding citizen, why do you use the race-card to manifest your attitude of non-cooperation?

2.  Does your racial or ethnic background bestow upon you special status that precludes your cooperation with the authorities?

3.  If your special group is noted for dysfunctionalism, crime, violence and drugs, rather than to play the race card, shouldn't you be about working toward getting your group's house in order?

4.  And, finally, if you are an American, shouldn't you be concerned about the security of the nation as a whole?

I AM ACUTELY CULTURALLY OFFENDED! NOW YOU OWE ME!

In retrospect, I suppose it all began my freshman year in college.  Filled with foreboding, I entered the classroom, as ready as I would be, for my first speech in Communication 101.  Thankfully, the ten minutes went by more quickly than I had anticipated, and I was able to return to my seat. However, I was stunned when my speech professor began her critique.  According to the instructor, I had a severe problem with a "Southern twang which would definitely work against success in life."  Furthermore, the most acceptable accent, the class was told, was Midwestern English, such as that spoken by Walter Cronkite  And so began my evening vigil before the TV in the dorm lounge, where I tuned in to the CBS News with Walter Cronkite and intently struggled to bend my accent into a semblance of Walter's acceptable Midwestern English.  Now that I think back on that experience, I am acutely culturally offended!

Early on in my college career, those who got to know me knew that, like many with a Southern heritage, I honored my ancestors and was proud of my great-grandfather and his two brothers, who rode with Company H of the 7th Missouri Confederate Cavalry.  In investigating family history, there was no indication that my relatives owned slaves;  but, rather, their involvement was as a result of Federal depredations and campaigns in and around their home town, coupled with resentment toward long-standing Federal tendencies to curtail states' rights.  When anyone even implies that my great-grandfather and his brothers were traitors, racists and criminals, I am acutely culturally offended!

Having spent a long-running career in higher education, I distinctly remember when it became the fashionable thing to have Black History Month, Hispanic History Month, or even Women's History Month.  For the life of me, I could never figure out what might have been wrong with having just a plain old American History Month.  But with the way fads take off in the education world, might we not hope, in all fairness, to have Anglo History Month, Italian History Month, Polish History Month, or perhaps Men's History Month?  So, when I am exposed to special groups having their special months and find that my group is left out in the cold, so to speak, I am acutely culturally offended!

Like many who heeded the Obama siren song, with its "bring us togetherish" lyrics, I cast my vote in 2008, hoping that a black president would be the ticket to enhancing national unity.  However, not far into Obama's first administration, it became crystal clear that togetherness was not what he had in mind. In fact, we are farther from being brought together than at any time in my recollection. Furthermore, presidential pronouncements and speeches revealed a president who was poorly prepared, especially in his grasp of the history of  world culture, language and politics, areas that could make or break foreign policy.  Thus, when I hear individuals insinuate that, owing to my opposition to the Obama administration, I must be a racist, I am acutely culturally offended!

Growing up, I was taught that church was a place to go to worship.  Consequently, I was expected to present myself in a respectful manner, in both my appearance and demeanor, and follow the order of worship in harmony with other worshipers. However, today, church has become a noisy place, sometimes even habituated by people wearing short pants and carrying water bottles to the pews.  Parents seem more likely, also, not to control raucous outbursts from their children, who spoil any chance of a meditational atmosphere for others. For this, I am acutely culturally offended!

Church was also a place where the Gospel was preached and not politicized according to the hot-button issues of the day. However, lately, I have even seen parishes of the denomination with which I am affiliated flying the LGBT Rainbow flag in front of their churches.  And even the presiding bishop of my denomination, Katherine Jeffords Schorri, cavorts in vestments and  a mitre displaying the Rainbow flag colors. Whatever happened to the regular colors of vestments according to the canonical year and the standard Christian flag? Bishop Katherine (aka "Rainbow Girl") and her minions have made me feel acutely culturally offended!

As one who taught college-level courses in Western civilization, American history and in the Middle Ages and Renaissance and Reformation, and who spent an eternity in university libraries researching and reading, there was no doubt that Western civilization, and particularly that side of it as represented by the United States, was exceptional.  In other words, all civilizations are not created equal.  But, now, we hear from on high that we are no more exceptional than Third World societies which have barely struggled from unenlightened existences into the 21st century.  And, even more preposterously, systems of law, economics and politics masquerading as religion but with a 15th century mentality are regularly spoken of as being on a level with the oldest continuously functioning constitution in the history of the world, the United States Constitution.  In this regard, I am acutely culturally offended!

For the past 7 or 8 years, I have noticed an increasing number of obese, tatooed, barely dressed individuals paying for groceries with food stamp cards in grocery store lines.  Invariably, many of these folks display attitudes of "You owe me!"  And, also invariably, they will exit the supermarket to automobiles equipped with mobile sound amplification systems, from which they proceed to pollute the airwaves with high-decibel bass poundings of ear-shattering, aboriginal-style "music."  Yes, and because of these "new barbarians," I am acutely culturally offended!

This litany of cultural offense could continue indefinitely; however, as it now stands, it would seem to make a sufficiently compelling case that I have been acutely culturally offended.  Thus, I am now able to join the increasingly numerous American tribalists in their never-ending chorus of "YOU OWE ME!"

EDMUND BURKE: INDISPENSABLE PRECEPTS FOR A CONSERVATIVE MIND

Edmund Burke (1729 - 1798) was an Irish peer and parliamentarian best known in America for his sympathy for the American Revolution.  However, Burke's sympathies for the underdog did not end with American revolutionaries, as he also was supportive of Irish Catholics and east Indians.

Burke was a thinker of no little depth, and is often credited with being, in the English-speaking world, the source of modern conservatism.  For Burke, the foundation of society was property, as property resulted in a salutary alignment of classes which served as a checkmate against monarchical power. For society as a whole, the sources of progress were curiosity, pleasure and pain, each in its own way serving as a basic impetus toward the advancement of civilization.

At the same time, human ambition led to enterprise and development, which, given the human state, should be directed toward nature.  But here, Burke issued a caveat:  progress could not always be deemed to be positive if it led to the diminution of human goodness.

In his Reflections on the Revolution in France,  Burke warned of excesses which flow from revolutionary fervor in which liberty and equality become the be all and end all of  revolution. Consequently, without some anchorage in a stable foundation, liberty and equality will lead to their direct opposite.  In other words, radical revolutionaries, especially those with little or no grounding in history, tend toward discarding traditions and practices which could lend elements supportive of societal stability,  in conjunction with newly- found liberty. Thus, Burke's historical synthesis is based on complex ideas stemming from the development of Western civilization.  And from these emerges a practical way of looking at great political issues.To be truly "progressive," the application of the past, in harmony with new means of problem-solving, will minimize the likelihood of regression.

Lately, in considering profound changes that are now afoot in America, I can't help but think of Edmund Burke.  Certain institutions in Western society that have developed over centuries and even millenia are now under attack. Sadly, I perceive that even national leaders, imbued with their peculiar brand of "progressivism," haven't a clue about the culture that nurtured them and endowed them with a developed  heritage of liberty and equality; and, it seems, they are totally unaware that liberty and equality should be bolstered by moral responsibility.

 If we remember but one thing about Edmund Burke, let it be that liberty and equality are admirable goals; but, if left unattended by a respect for the past, they may mutate into the very toxins that become our undoing.

DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN AND "THE NEGRO FAMILY"

DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, sociologist and politician, had an illustrious career, serving as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a senator from New York and as a member of four presidential administrations.  In 1965, as Lyndon Johnson's Great Society was moving into high gear, Moynihan issued a perceptive warning on the long-range social effects of certain government programs.

Moynihan's warning came in a report called The Negro Family.  His thesis was that foisting a welfare mentality on the black community would lead to societal dislocation and the disintegration of black families. Over the millenia, history has borne out that the family unit is the linchpin of civilization.  Intact families and children with a father and a mother have a much better chance of succeeding than do offspring from the dysfunction of divorce, crime, illegitimacy and single-parenting.

Regrettably, the social engineers of the 1960's did not heed Moynihan, and the result has been a black community literally devastated by the deleterious effects of an endemic welfare mentality.

Today, only 29% of all black women above the age of 15 are married.  Nearly 75% of black births are out-of-wedlock births.  One in every 15 black men are incarcerated. And 94% of violent deaths experienced by young black men are the result of black-on-black violence.

Many of the neighborhoods of the inner-cities look like war zones.  Inner-city schools are often no more than warehouses for permanent underachievers, and the most flourishing entrepreneurial activity is often the marketing of mind-altering drugs.

Despite all the dismal signs of a problem of gigantic proportions, most of those claiming to be "leaders" of the black community are silent, except when a sensational event of white versus black enables them to reach out for publicity and opportunities for enrichment.  Never, never do we hear any sermons of tough-love that might serve as a clarion call for black neighborhoods to get their houses in order, and certainly the organizers of sensational marches and demonstrations will never get directly involved in positive approaches to ending the prevalence of black-on-black violence.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, who by all rights should be serving a long sentence for inflaming deadly racial violence in more than one instance over the decades, is a case in point.  Instead, Sharpton is seen as a paragon of virtue, and is a well-paid television performer, as well as one who regularly does profitable shakedowns of corporations and enterprises.  Rather than sermonize on how his people could be helping themselves, he chooses, rather, to blather on, playing the blame game about profiling and other issues guaranteed to stir the masses.

Unfortunately, for the last half-century of American history, Daniel Patrick Moynihan's words in "The Negro Family" remained forgotten, while the shysters and hucksters of racial division continued to exploit America's racial chasm to the fullest.  In the meantime, we all continue to pay the price.

BROWNSVILLE: A MODEL FOR 21ST CENTURY AMERICA'S BRAVE NEW WORLD OF DEPENDENCY AND IGNORANCE?

It was as a twelve-year-old that I first visited Brownsville, Texas.  The city was characterized by broad thoroughfares, overhanging palm trees, friendly, well-dressed people and a vibrant bicultural ambiance.  It was little wonder that I eventually wanted to live there and work as a dean at Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas at Brownsville.  But now, fast forwarding to 2013, Brownsville has a population of well over 200,000, not counting untold thousands of illegal immigrants that are never part of an official census.  Today, its streets are strewn with trash, and, more often than not, used diapers account for a considerable amount of the refuse that one encounters in shopping center parking lots.

Ranked as America's poorest city,
with 40% of its citizens living under the federal poverty line, similar percentages reflect an overwhelming number of Brownsvillians on Medicaid and food stamp rolls.  Illiteracy is widespread, and local politicos are adept at using a woefully unsophisticated electorate to maintain their choke-hold on the reins of power in Brownsville's Cameron County Courthouse, the command center for the most corrupt county in all of Texas. It is in reality no laughing matter, but locals joke about the Democratic Party machine as being the northern version of Mexico's PRI, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which ruled Mexico as a one-party state for 70 years.

DILIGENT ENTREPRENEURS WORK ON THE RIVER SIDE

Cameron County's governmental leadership regularly crows about how much is being done for the "pobrecitos," the poor little people whose lives are marginal at best; and, although they talk a great game, the politicos have done virtually nothing to  change  the status-quo for generation after generation.  Nevertheless, in this Third World setting, the public servants keep demanding more and more state and federal money; and, in the meantime, more and more of their constituents are content to live out their lives on the public dole, while contractors in search of labor are forced to rely on hungry, undocumented workers from Mexico.  For too many in Cameron County, welfare is the preferred option to working for a living.  But it must be admitted that there are not a few in the population who have applied significant ingenuity in profiting handsomely in the cross-border drug trade.

DA INDICTED & CONVICTED

It has been relatively recent that federal authorities have  subjected the Cameron political establishment to intense investigation. Consequently, a host of attorneys, a district judge and even a district attorney have been indicted and convicted for racketeering and malfeasance.  And, from all appearances, the line-up of indicted officials at the federal courts is destined to become even longer.

Oftentimes, in trying to make a very bad joke, I tell friends that if they wish to see the America of the future as envisioned for us by the Obama Democrats, they should take in Brownsville. Indeed, it is all here and so very plain to see:  one-party rule, poverty, ignorance, an easily manipulated electorate largely dependent on governmental handouts, corruption, soaring rates of illegitimacy, crime, and too many youngsters who have found school systems more intent on state examinations than learning.  It is little wonder, then, that dominant D.C. interests have done next to nothing to secure the southern border, as new generations of amnestied would-be Americans emerging from the Brownsvilles of this country would assure them of perpetual political dominance. For certain, the Brownsville model looms large on the socialist blueprint for America's future.

FRANTZ FANON AND CHE GUEVARA: PERPETUAL SIREN SONGS OF THE FATUOUS LEFT

Ah, the heady days of 1960's radical chic!  There was always a demonstration to take in, and then there were the ever- present left-of-center speakers on campus, such as John Kenneth Galbraith, Saul Alinsky, RFK, Julian Bond and Eugene McCarthy, ready, willing and able,
it seemed, to accept administrators' invitations to speak at the drop of a hat to crowds of adoring young minds .

I first became familiar with Frantz Fanon as I prepared for a French reading competency test, which was a requirement in graduate school at that time. Brushing up on my French skills and with the aid of a French dictionary, I read the original French version, Les Damnes de la Terre, not at first realizing that Fanon was an icon of the political left.

Born on the Caribbean island of Martinique, Fanon served in the French army and was educated in France as a physician and psychiatrist.  Later, while living and practicing in Algiers, Fanon was imbued with notions sympathetic to the independence movement in Algeria, eventually joining in 1954 the Algerian Liberation Front.

Published just prior to the death of Fanon in 1961, Les Damnes de la Terre, makes a vigorous argument that people dominated by Western colonialism have every right to resist what has, by force and violence, been foisted upon them by the colonial powers; and, in fact, owing to the inherent unnaturalness  of their coerced state, they  should not be expected to adhere to ordinary strictures against violence and terror in fighting for their freedom.

Interpreted as a playbook for national liberation, Fanon's ideas have fanned the flames of such movements as the Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Palestinians in the Middle East, the anti-Apartheid movement in Africa, and even the Black Panthers in the United States.

The Argentine physician, Marxist, and Cuban revolutionary leader, Che Guevara, was a disciple of Fanon's thought and used it as a rationale for unceasing violence and terror against oppression.  Osama bin-Laden was very familiar with Fanon, and, along with his emphasis on Koranic entreaties to strike unbelievers, saw him as useful in proselytizing for terrorists in formerly colonial Muslim lands.

STUDENT OBAMA

In Dreams From My Father, President Barack Obama revealed that, as a student, he was immersed in anti-colonial thought and frequently spent many hours with other Columbia University students in which Frantz Fanon was a topic of no  little interest.

Given Obama's Kenyan roots and the fact that his paternal grandfather was involved with the Mau-Mau revolutionaries against British rule, Fanon and Obama would seem to be a good fit for each other. In fact, a Fanon skeleton in a White House closet might shed considerable light on the rationale for certain presidential actions since Obama has occupied the White House.

With the Churchill bust controversy seen as a deliberate snub to America's closest ally, that episode may be viewed also as a harbinger of things to come in President Obama's world view and America's place in it. From Obama's earliest presidential comments, it soon became clear that America, in his mind, was no more of an exceptional place than any other country.  As for Israel and its prime minister, they could be left waiting in the wings, while the president set about apologizing to the world for any and all assumed American transgressions. Now, with a nominee for our U.N. ambassadorship who is known for her opposition to Israel, Obama is putting the icing on his cake.

Lately, the anti-colonialist cabal at the White House has had some setbacks, not the least among them being the fall of Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.  And dare we ever forget intelligence adviser General James Clapper's view of the Brotherhood as a "secular group." Then, there is Syria, where this administration seems to have no idea that its support of the anti-Assad forces will place Syrian Christians in grave jeopardy.

In addition, there is always race. Certainly, for Fanon, race was paramount, as it was expressed in another of his works, Black Skins, White Faces.  While apologizing to the world for this, that and the other, President Obama has kept his own country in constant turmoil with a steady diet of race-charged partisanship.  From the "Beer Summit" in 2009 to the Zimmerman trial of 2013, the racial chasm in the United States has grown steadily wider.  But, of course, to see neocolonialism in the United States as a great bogeyman, the president must have a permanent racial minority as an underclass, which may be exploited at will for the aggrandizement of presidential power.  Hence, the White House goes out of the way to confirm minority groups as permanent victims of white racism, which is merely a disguised form of neocolonialism.  And so, regardless of America's declining role in the world, a race- and colonialism- fixated president pursues his disastrous policies.

I, for one, can think of no other time in which this country has come so close to following a blueprint for a Third World dictatorship. It is also clear that those in power in Washington who are following the lead of Barack H. Obama  are mightily persuaded that, somehow, the United States must be punished for the sins of Western colonialism.  May God protect our American Republic!

RACIALIST REVERENDS HIT THE JACKPOT: THE FINE ART OF SHAKING DOWN

With millions in their bank accounts, the two " reverends" of Jackson and Sharpton have demonstrated how purveyors of the art of racially-tinged confrontation can sell the idea of victimization at great profit.

The Reverend Mr. Jackson has come a long way from his quarterbacking days at North Carolina A & T, accumulating a net worth of more than 10 million dollars, three plush homes, stock options from major corporations, admissions to private schools and top universities for his children and a sympathetic foundation willing to pay child support for a love-child resulting from an affair with one of his staffers. Among the corporate donors raining dollars on Jackson's causes have been Coca-Cola, A T & T, Citigroup, IBM, Boeing and General Motors.  Perhaps modeling his sales tactics on the Roman politician Crassus, who sold fire insurance to those who did not wish to experience Crassus-induced fires, Jesse Jackson has parlayed a career as a Baptist preacher and race- hustler into entrepreneurial success.

Somewhat behind Jackson' net worth of 10 million, Sharpton, some 13 years younger than his mentor, checks in with a net worth of 5 million.

With an innate ability to pack his public utterances with super-charged verbiage, Sharpton has long been in the middle of events that have led to violence.  For example, in 1991 in Crown Heights, when a car in a Rabbi's motorcade veered off course and fatally struck a black child, Sharpton, delivering the child's eulogy, made remarks concerning Jews and diamond merchants. Subsequently, black youths stabbed a rabbinical student to death, looted Jewish-owned shops and pummeled Jewish passersby.

Sharpton has never shied away from bigoted language, on one occasion saying, "If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin back those yarmulkes and come on over."  And, as for Mitt Romney's presidential candidacy, his words were:  "As for one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that."

Two fake causes associated with Sharpton were the faux-rape of 15-year-old Tawana Brawley in 1987 and bogus accusations of  the rape of a black stripper by the Duke University lacrosse team, in 2006. Though initially generating an outpouring of support, both incidents were eventually proved to have been contrived.

In 1995, the United House of Prayer in New York, a black church, directed a Jewish tenant to evict a black subtenant from property housing a record shop.  In an inflammatory speech, Sharpton said, "We shall not stand by and allow them to move this brother so that some white interloper can expand his business." On December 8, a black protester entered the shop, opened fire on customers and set the building ablaze. Subsequently, seven employees of the shop died of smoke inhalation.  Sharpton apologized for use of the term "white interloper," but accepted no responsibility for the protester who torched the shop.

The operational mode of the racialist reverends is to seek out victims, or would-be victims, create a  constituency for a cause and then drum up support. Just like Rahm Emmanuel, they don't allow a crisis to go to waste. Money will flow, "donations" will be solicited from any and all sources, and situations will be exploited to the fullest, not withstanding reputations maligned and lives ruined. And, all the while, the racialist reverends will give no heed to black on black violence in the ghettos and to the rapper/thug culture which has captivated so many young blacks.  Neither will we hear impassioned pleas from these men of the cloth for strong family units in the black community and solidarity in efforts to build viable neighborhoods, based on hard work, regard for education and mutual support. In short, the racialist reverends have abysmally failed the people they so ardently proclaim they are working for.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN THIS COUNTRY?

Living in Cameron County, possibly the most corrupt county in all of Texas, there is very little about lawyers, judges and courts that shocks me anymore.  Over the past couple of years, a steady procession of the legal elite, including several lawyers, a district judge and a district attorney, has lined up for sentencing in Brownsville for racketeering and malfeasance.  And, from all appearances, there will be several more of their colleagues joining them behind bars very soon.

Among those sentenced were individuals who had compiled enviable records in leading law schools and had gained the public trust as legislators, county judges and the like. Nevertheless, when their behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing was revealed, it was clear that they  could have held their own with the most blatant practitioners of corruption on the southern side of the Rio Grande.  However, just when I was convinced that Cameron County was unique with its legal monkey business, Florida has shown us some judicial shenanigans.

MS. COREY WADDLES TO COURT

Incredibly, the whistle-blower IT director in the Florida state attorney's office charged with conducting the Zimmerman case who had revealed that State Attorney Angela Corey had withheld crucial evidence taken from Trayvon Martin's cell phone during discovery, was on Thursday terminated from his job by Ms. Corey. The malicious Ms. Corey also recently made spiteful calls to Harvard Law School in reacting to critical comments made by Professor Alan Derschowitz about her office's handling of the case. Rather than firing an ethical IT employee, it might make better sense to disbar Ms. Cory and remove her from any position of public trust.

From reading most accounts of the legal establishment these days, I am constantly wondering what law students are being taught.  Formerly, courses in legal ethics were required for law degrees.  For all intents and purposes, that no longer seems to be the case. Perhaps that is why I would be much more comfortable visiting a dentist's office as opposed to an office in which I might encounter a modern day practitioner of the law.

ZIMMERMAN VERDICT: A SETBACK FOR THE RACE HUSTLERS?

From presidential inclusion in what should have been solely a matter for local authorities, to Department of Justice operatives fanning racial discord and orchestrating anti-defendant sentiment, the recently concluded Zimmerman trial is a case history of how racial politics has been instrumental in widening even further the already broad racial chasm in the U.S.

Given Florida law and the existing evidence, it would be difficult to see how the jury in the case could have arrived at any other verdict.  Nevertheless, it goes without saying that race hustlers will berate the jury and continue to subject America to their tired, old refrain

of "Racism! Racism!"

In cases of black on black or black on white violence, the hustlers are mute.  But when it comes to white on black and even half-white on black, the race hustlers hit the streets in an effort to create a cause-celebre, and, in the process, create bigger bulges in their overflowing billfolds.  In effect, the race hustlers have created their very own profitable cottage industry, which requires constant promoting in the form of contrived incidents and an ongoing marketing plan based on race-baiting.  Coupled with a president who is unable to distinguish the greater good of the nation from his own race-centered parochialism, racialist entrepreneurs are well positioned for grand remuneration.

In the rapper/thug culture that is endemic in the lives of many in the inner portions of big cities, young black men regularly perpetrate mayhem and murder on one another.  But, in these instances, the hustlers are absolutely mute, owing to the diminished odds for personal gain.

Until the wealthy so-called "reverends" begin to preach against the sickness at home which condemns individuals like "star witness" Rachel Jeantel to bleak lives without hope of intellectual, moral or cultural advancement, I, for one, shall continue to question their motives.

DOES ANYONE CARE?

As an undergraduate, one of my favorite courses was  taught by an inspirational  professor by the name of Stephen  Wasby, who was known for his expertise in constitutional law.  Quite eagerly, I threw myself into the course work, voraciously reading case histories, briefing and trying to put all that I learned into my understanding of the vast saga and panoply of American  history.  I emerged from that experience with an enhanced appreciation of the Constitution of the United States, the oldest continuously existing written constitution in the history of the world.

PROFESSOR STEPHEN WASBY

Also during that period of my life I had an able instructor in ancient history, who awakened me to the history of Egypt.  I vividly recall reading of the work of James Breasted, an Egyptologist of the first order.  Breasted told of finding an inscription on one of the stone blocks at Gizeh, which roughly translated from the hieroglyphics, carried  the meaning, "And no one cared."  Speculation on what  the words inferred has varied, but the gist seems to be that no one cared about the doom that had befallen those who labored on the pyramids.

Sadly, as I began to consider the latest horror story emanating from the Department of Justice, I began to recall those professors and courses and what import they might have had in my understanding of current developments and their implications for our constitutional Republic.

From civics courses in grade school, it became my understanding that justice was blind and that judges, juries and the highest legal authorities in the United States should be impartial.  But now, as I understand it, a unit of the Department of Justice, the Community Relations Service, dispatched personnel to organize demonstrations in Florida and to orchestrate public opinion against George Zimmerman, who was accused of the murder of Treyvon Martin. This, combined with the president injecting himself into the matter with his "If I had a son..." remark is an out and out travesty and an indelible blot on our Constitution.

There could be nothing more stupid than to place the security of our constitutional Republic in the hands of individuals who seemingly have no regard for the Constitution.  But that, lamentably, seems to be just what we have done.   As more and more surfaces about this administration, it seems less and less likely that Barack H. Obama could have taught constitutional law at a reputable institution of higher learning.  And, could it really be possible that Eric Holder graduated from Columbia Law School?  These two men are not worthy of the offices they hold, for not only did they commit misdeeds against George Zimmerman, they also have sullied the Constitution of the United States.

With every day that passes,  more and more evidence emerges that confirms that we are a nation in distress.  In evaluating our era, will future generations of historians conclude that, of all of us who knew better, there was no one who cared?

WENDY DAVIS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!

TEXAS STATE SENATOR WENDY DAVIS

Looking at the bio of pulchritudinous Democratic state senator Wendy Davis from Fort Worth, one cannot fail to be impressed.  Growing up with a single mom raising four children with no child support, life was tough. Married at 18 and a single mom herself at 19, Davis's climb from poverty took her to Tarrant County College and TCU, where her academic record was a sterling one. Complementing her grades and aspirations for success with an especially charismatic personality, Davis went on to distinguish herself at Harvard Law and returned to her native state to enter practice.

MAMA CASS LOOK-ALIKE STRUTS HER STUFF

Elected to five terms on the Ft. Worth City Commission, Davis showed early on that her emphasis would be economic development and the revitalization of neighborhoods.  As a newcomer to state senatorial politics, Davis was initially elected in 2008; and,  in 2009, Texas Monthly named her as the legislature's "Rookie of the Year."  During her career in the Senate, Davis has served on  several senatorial committees, most notably on Open Government, Economic Development, Transportation,  Education, and  Veterans Affairs and Military Installations. Despite her involvement in the senate, Ms. Davis did not gain statewide attention until her recent filibuster against legislation that would limit abortions to a timeline of 20 weeks and require abortion clinics to have hospital admitting privileges while being in close proximity to hospitals granting the privileges.


Democrats in Texas are in bad shape.  With no statewide offices to their credit in almost 20 years and a state legislature in which Republicans enjoy almost total dominance, Texas Democrats tend to base their hopes for the future on a watershed demographic shift.  Despite that, Democrat prevalence is now limited to the hinterlands of corruption in south Texas and to reliably Democratic areas in and around Austin, Houston and San Antonio.  The looked for demographic shift may, in turn, be a pipe dream for the present, as Hispanics in Texas have a lamentable record of low voter participation.Further shooting themselves in the foot, Democrats chose a discredited politico from totally corrupt Cameron County to lead their party.

Would-be political analysts on the left should also keep in mind that, although Governor Perry has announced his intention not to  run for reelection  in 2014, Republicans have a very attractive alternative in Attorney General Greg Abbott.  Coupled with that is a Republican Party which is definitely of a rightward shade and enjoying the support of millions of Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists, who view a 20- week abortion limit as more than a little too liberal.  To those voters who focus on the 50 million abortions performed since Roe v. Wade, the issue is seen in light of a war on babies, rather than one on women.  Then, too, the ill-mannered comportment of the thousands of boisterous and unkempt looking demonstrators descending on the capitol and its galleries will not be a feather in Wendy Davis's cap in terms of  statewide appeal.  Sorry, Wendy, Austin may be weird, but Texas is not.

ARE THERE CONSEQUENCES TO RACIAL POLITICS AT THE WHITE HOUSE?

THE BEER SUMMIT

Over a lifetime during which eleven separate presidents have occupied the White House, I cannot remember a time, such as now, when a chief executive directly inserted himself into local events having the potential of inflaming racial passions. And this seems to dovetail with the fact that I cannot recall an era when there was such a racial divide in the United States.

In 2009, rather than allow local procedures to run their course toward the corroboration of Professor Gates and his  version of an encounter with Officer Crowley and representatives of the Cambridge, Massachusetts, P.D., President Obama chose to make statements concerning racial profiling and followed that up with a media event that became known as the "Beer Summit."

At the time of the shooting of Treyvon Martin by George Zimmerman, the country was regaled through the media with stories implying that Zimmerman was a would-be vigilante whose actions were likely motivated by racism.  Rather than to remain presidential in tone and bearing, President Obama once again included himself in what would become a media circus by stating that if he had a son, that son would probably look like Treyvon Martin.

Simultaneous with the presidential statements on the case, African American nationalist groups, such as the Black Panthers, were issuing provocative statements about Zimmerman, which led to random attacks on white citizens across the country, supposedly in revenge for the death of Treyvon Martin.  Now, as the Zimmerman trial runs its course, evidence is pointing in the direction of an acquittal for  George Zimmerman.


By once again wheedling himself into what should have remained a legal matter in Florida, our president has made it more and more likely that a local incident turned into a national cause will have the potential, in the event of Zimmerman's exoneration, to further widen an already tremendous racial chasm and to  lead to mayhem and violence in various locales.  And, as this post is being written, officials in Broward County are encouraging their citizens to be calm and not to riot, regardless of the outcome of the trial.

A RACIST POSTER DIRECTED AGAINST ZIMMERMAN

Presidential attention at this point should be focusing on how the occupant of the White House can amend his previous inappropriate and prejudicial statements about Treyvon Martin and George Zimmerman and present himself as a wise and judicious leader intent on calming passions.  Surely, that is not too much to expect from our president.  The United States is too great a nation to be held hostage by racial politics.                                                                                                          

THE THREAT OF AGENDA 21: A GRADUAL PATH TO SOCIALISM, POVERTY AND SERVITUDE

It was probably three years ago when I first heard of Agenda 21.  Friends in New Mexico advised me that the Santa Fe County Commissioners were considering adopting provisions of a non-binding United Nations treaty that promoted a new catch-all term known as "sustainable development."  After attending a public presentation on the implications of Agenda 21 for Santa Fe County, my interest was piqued, and I was startled by what a closer look at Agenda 21 revealed.

                                                                                 

The threat of Agenda 21 comes not from the possibility of direct intervention of the United Nations in the affairs of the United States, but instead from the efforts of misguided county and city officials seeking to adopt the provisions of the treaty in their various locales.

Under the guise of environmentalism, Agenda 21's goals are to fight poverty, protect bio-diversity and improve public health.  But a closer look reveals that these goals are to be achieved through restricting private property, limiting the ownership of private homes and private automobiles, and cutting back on private ranch lands and farms. An especially deplorable goal is the scaling down of private living space to what one would expect to find in the Third World.

At the same time, advancing Agenda 21 goals would severely limit human access to water, electricity and transportation; and, in meeting the overall goal of sustainability, Americans would lose access to their open spaces and wild rivers.

Since Americans tend to focus on political developments coming out of Washington, relatively little vigilance is given to county courthouses and city halls.  In recognition of this, two state legislatures, in Missouri and Alabama, have passed legislation that would make any action against private property coming out of Agenda 21 illegal in their states.  As public awareness of Agenda 21 grows, it is expected that additional states will follow suit.

On June 9, 2011, in pursuit of his self-proclaimed mission of growing the government while pursuing a radical environmental agenda, President Obama signed Executive Order 13575, which established the White House Rural Council.  According to the order, the executive branch of government will "coordinate and increase the effectiveness of Federal engagement with rural stakeholders, including agricultural organizations, small businesses, education and training institutions, healthcare providers, telecommunications providers, research and land grant institutions, law enforcement, State, local and tribal governments, and nongovernmental organizations regarding the needs of rural America."   In effect, the government now has in place the means to implement a total takeover of rural America.

Alarming is the fact that numerous personalities from executive departments with histories of supporting Agenda 21 will be in charge of administering the WHRC.  Furthermore, the International Council for Local Environmental Issues (ICLEI) was consulted throughout the drafting of the vast amounts of verbiage contained in Executive Order 13575.

The ICLEI is an organization composed of local and county governmental units moving toward adoption of Agenda 21's agenda.  In South Texas, there are two municipalities that are members of the ICLEI, Edinburg and South Padre Island.  Hopefully, citizens of those communities will voice their opposition  to the support their elected officials give to the organization.

 Of those nations that might wish to follow the lead of the United Nations and Agenda 21, the United States has the most to lose.  Any effort to scale back in conformity to Agenda 21 standards will essentially entail the redistribution of wealth on a massive, worldwide scale.  For patriotic Americans, it is clear that Agenda 21 is not in the best interests of the United States.  We simply cannot abide this attempt bring us into conformity with the nefarious goals of  those who would wish to see the demise of the American Republic.

WHY DOESN'T LIBERAL "SENSITIVITY" EXTEND TO CHRISTIANS?

6/26/13 COVER SANTA FE REPORTER

Lately, the community of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was roiled by an extremely callous and uncalled for caricature of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which appeared on the front cover of The Santa Fe Reporter. Showing the Lady of Guadalupe garbed in a bikini and downing a margarita, it is obvious that Andy Dudcik, editor of the Reporter, wanted to contrive a controversial cover to spur readership, in total disregard of the place that that the Lady holds in the hearts and minds of millions of Christians in the Southwest

Having spent a great deal of time in Santa Fe and having engaged in a considerable amount of research on the apparition and its implications for religion and culture, I am appalled by the journalistic shoddiness and the open contempt for a symbol that has brought love and compassion to many who might not otherwise have had those elements in their lives.  And, this is not even taking into account the Virgin's role as a common denominator and unifying force for those who trace their origins to Mexico and Latin America.

As for Mr. Dudcik's ideological persuasion, I have little doubt that he is likely aligned with what passes for "liberalism" these days. Earlier in life, I considered myself a political liberal and stood strongly for equality of opportunity, freedom of expression, and academic freedom, tempered by respect for others and their traditions.  These days, I find that practitioners of the type of questionable journalism represented by Mr. Dudcik and his ilk have discarded common decency in favor of  mean-spirited sensationalism.

Sadly, the disgusting cover on Mr. Dudcik's publication is all too typical these days of leftist elements and their efforts to demean Christians in the United States.  Also, I find it more than a little perplexing as to why political correctness and multiculturalism do not extend their insistence on understanding and toleration of various ethnicities, viewpoints, and sexual orientations to forbearance for Christians.

In answering objections to the Reporter's June 26 cover,  Mr. Dudcik had this to say:

"The intent of our Summer Guide cover design was not to insult or denigrate any religion or ethnicity, but rather to incorporate an important part of Santa Fe's culture into an image that also unites other diverse cultures that flourish in our city.We do, however, appreciate our readers' perspectives on the issue, as we hope they appreciate ours."

Oh, Mr. Dudcik, give us a break!  Your words are so wimpishly self-serving as to bring on nausea! And, no, I shall never appreciate your perspective on something that should never have been an issue. To use  terminology that is so much in vogue on the left these days: Mr. Dudcik, your publication is guilty of nothing short of rank bigotry and hypocrisy.  If you are any sort of a gentleman, an apology should be forthcoming.

NEGRA MODELO AND " CREEPY-ASS CRACKERS"

Recently, on the way to New Mexico, a stop was made in Austin to see family members.  Our visit was made more than a little memorable, owing to the mercury on that day topping 108 degrees; but, happily, I was met at the door by my attorney step-son, who almost immediately placed a cold Mexican beer, a Negra Modelo, in my hand.

RACHEL JEANTEL

As I lustily poured the chilled libation down my parched gullet, I began to praise the Negra Modelo brand in no uncertain terms.  Very quickly, the young attorney shushed me, letting me know that there was a teen birthday party in process on the premises, and my voice, which has been known to carry over long distances, might cause discomfort  for the African-American youngsters in attendance.  Although making light of my step-son's comment by recommending that he undertake legal action to remove the offending "Negra" from Negra Modelo,  I began to lament that political correctness has taken us to such an extreme that, as Americans, we are now so conditioned to racial and ethnic labels of one type or another, that we in effect have imposed a divisive type of multicultural apartheid upon ourselves.  And, to a degree previously unknown, there is such self-awareness that even the most inoffensive language is capable of giving offense.

In recent coverage of the George Zimmerman trial,  it came to light that star witness Rachel Jeantel had used the term "creepy-ass cracker" to describe defendant Zimmerman.  When pressed by the defense attorney to confirm if she recognized her colorful descriptor as a racial epithet, Ms. Jeantel at first appeared dumbfounded, but  eventually stated she saw no racial slur in her language.

Incredibly, our society in the year 2013 appears so immature that name-calling is becoming an all-too-frequent occurrence.  More and more, one hears certain  individuals referred to as "apples," meaning that they are red on the outside but white on the inside.  Then, there are "coconuts," who are are brown on the outside and white on the inside. "Oreo" has been outdone by verbiage that is now so common that its usage  will undoubtedly see it gaining acceptance in what now passes for English. In the meantime, our sensitivity to the most innocent use of language is growing by leaps and bounds.

If it is true that we define ourselves by our language, we might want to consider the direction in which the utilization of various  terms seems to be taking us.  Will we be a strong, united Republic, or will we become simply a collection of quarreling and name-calling tribes, intent on our own narrow interests and following our  separate and selfish roads to ruin and despair?  From this vantage point, it would appear that the day of reckoning has arrived.  And, perhaps, the hour of decision is now upon us.