We, As a Nation, Are at a Crossroads ....

I have been following all of the #MeToo posts and stories, well the highlights at least. It's been too hard for me to bear witness to explicit details having been a victim myself. Nonetheless, I sincerely admire the courage of others have shown by coming forward in order to share their deeply personal stories, followed by the aftermath of trying to find 'normal' once again --some of us never truly find normal again, maybe we must invent a new normal for ourselves. Anyway, the sharing of these courageous women --and men-- gives me a profound sense of hope ... Hope because the sharing of these stories reveals a long-hidden, ugly truth in our western society, namely the false-narrative that power can be used to prey upon others for the purposes of a misguided need for sexual gratification at the expense of an unwilling participant. By sharing these stories we remove the mask of stigma from the victims and refocus the blame where it should rightly reside, namely upon the perpetrators and their enablers. We've begun to shrink the cover that 'polite society' used to provide for these monsters and started a conversation that stands to fundamentally change how we deal with sexual harassment and assault in our modern-day society. Those who prey upon the innocent, our children, are perhaps the worst among the predators. For these innocent we must remain ever-vigilant, being the eyes and ears who will watch for any and all signs of abuse and then move swiftly to protect the innocent.

All of the above being said, however, I find myself deeply troubled by the allegations being brought against the Republican Alabama Senate Candidate, Judge Roy Moore, in the aftermath of the Alabama primary election and just weeks before the main election is to be held. While the allegations, if proved to be truthful, are horrible and wholly inexcusable, I find myself EXTREMELY uncomfortable with the timing of these allegations, especially in light of the fact that these allegations date back thirty, or more, years making the allegations all the more difficult to conclusively prove, by legal standards, within the limited time-frame leading up to the election.

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As much as it pains me to say, given my own experiences of sexual abuse, I firmly believe Roy Moore deserves his day in court.  I do  not think this because of Roy Moore's character or his policies, or the fact that he happens to be Republican.  I would be making this very same argument if Roy Moore were a Democrat as well.  Due process is the right of all citizens and it is a fundamental part of who we are as a nation.  Due process is what separates us from countries like North Korea and Iran.  To my way of thinking we, as a nation, are at a crossroads. We stand to set an incredibly dangerous precedent for trying post/primary political candidates in the “court of public opinion”, without the due-process of law, where information --both true and false-- in this 'courtroom' spreads like wildfire in this day and age of global social media and the 24-hour cable news-cycle.  The repercussions of such a precedent will be long-lasting and detrimental to the fundamental underpinnings of our representative democracy, because now moving forward any candidate can be unfairly targeted with non-legally binding charges, in any political campaign, without due-process.  The game-changer of course in the "court of public opinion", now verses decades past, is the velocity--both speed, as well as multi-direction-- at which damage can be inflicted upon an intended target in our present-day technological web.  So which candidates are likely prevail in such scenarios, without the benefit of due process? Probably those candidates who are well-connected, both in terms of finances as well as media backing, with the financiers having their own hidden agendas. And who will want to even run for political office, given the risk of being unfairly targeted and smeared? Probably not the best qualified candidates, with the best interest of “we the people” at heart.

The Democrats are quite the hypocrites, given their unwavering support for President Bill Clinton in the aftermath of his sexual misconduct with a young White House intern, in the Oval Office no less, even in the aftermath of Congressional impeachment.  Let us not overlook the fact that the Democrats stand to win a much needed Senate seat in the aftermath of scandal, a seat which could potentially shift the Congressional balance-of-power, thereby derailing President Trump's agenda for “Making America Great Again.” And shame on establishment Republicans for rushing to throw their fellow Republican immediately under the bus? Timing IS everything. Even if these allegations of sexual misconduct prove to be true, we are all being played. Are we really okay with this?  If Roy Moore is forced to withdraw from the race, then the puppet-masters win again and they win BIG, not just today, but tomorrow and in every future political race that has yet to play.  I say, Judge Roy Moore deserves his day in court. Let the election play out, with the legal proceeding moving forth simultaneously. Then, if Roy Moore winds up winning the election and IF he is found guilty, by legal standards, then have him removed from office, where-after a replacement can appointed by the Governor of Alabama, as the established electoral guidelines in the state of Alabama dictate. To do otherwise risks damaging our democracy in so very many ways, ways which will go on to have lasting repercussions on our nation for decades upon decades to come.

Former DNC Chair Pulls Back the Curtain on the 'Great and Powerful Oz'

"This is really a full scale indictment of the entire power structure at the DNC." ~Byron York, Washington Examiner

I have to give Donna Brazile --DNC chairwoman who took the over the job the day before the DNC primary, when D.W. Schultz was ousted-- credit for having the courage to finally speak out, revealing the Clinton stranglehold on the DNC which led to the rigging their of their party's primary. That being said, however, I cannot help but wonder how the election might have turned out had Brazile spoken out prior to ballots being cast.  Timing is indeed everything.  I am also left wondering if the Bernie Sanders supporters will continue stick with the Democratic Party in light of such damning revelations?  Are the Bernie supporters tired enough of being used and played by the Democratic Party such that they will now find the courage (and organization) necessary to start their own party?  Will these events wind up being the impetus for the emergence of true "third party" in American politics?  If nothing else, perhaps these events will prove to be the closing chapter in the era of Clinton political aspirations?

11/9/2017 Relieved to see most on the left chose not to partake in the organized childish anti-reality "scream at the sky" event yesterday.  The lack of turnout for this event gives me hope for those on the left after all, particularly millennials.  The latter might have it in them to organize in a meaningful, truly representative way, moving forward after all and that will surely do wonders for our representative democracy.   
11/12/2017 I like Greg Gutfeld's suggestion, that the DNC should give Hillary R. Clinton a "life-time achievement award."  Greg notes, paraphrasing here  "[In Hollywood, and the music industry, people always seem to go away after they receive a lifetime achievement award.] " 

Politics of Perception: Choose Your Battles Wisely ...

I'll say it again:  TIMING IS EVERYTHING!


Rick Santorum's statements regarding contraception have said --during the course of this current campaign-- that while he personally does not believe in contraception an individual has the right, under our constitution, to make that decision for herself [“right to choose”].  Santorum also made another profound statement in one of the earlier debates, where he stated that when he voted against some bill mandating 'right to work' in his state.  He had done so not because he disagreed with the bill in principle, but he voted the "will of the people" that he represented at the time. It was very refreshing to hear a politician recognize and affirm this: "the will of the people" ... so many elected officials seem to forget this when they go to Washington. These two statement by Rick Santorum were among the main reasons --along with his other economic ideas (e.g., his plans to return manufacturing jobs from overseas back to America)--  I began to consider Rick Santorum as a viable candidate for President of the United States. Santorum’s statements, coupled with his Senate voting record, illustrated to me that he clearly understands the true nature of our Representative Democracy: "a government of the people, by the people and for the people." 

Rick Santorum is obviously a man of devout faith, which is a good thing. It seemed to me, however, that Mr. Santorum clearly understood the difference between holding a personal (moral) conviction and the infliction of those convictions upon others. The ability to make this sort of distinction is critical for the success of any elected politician in effectively serving his constituents … be they a congressional district, a home state or the entire United States of America.

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The fact that we are such a diverse nation, with a corresponding diversity in our religious beliefs and practices, is why our Founding Fathers built a "Separation of Church and State" into our United States Constitution. I agree, this provision was not put into place in order that we would become a secular nation, as is the interpretation of the current administration and its supporters. The latter being said, I don't think that this issue should be at center of campaign narratives in the current Republican Primary.  To me, a candidate who ventures into this ideological argument runs the risk of getting off message and losing potential voters in the long run.


You should  be proud of your faith, Mr. Santorum.  To many, your faith will serve as evidence of your moral character and your ability to be trustworthy and ethical in your execution of the office of President of the United States. The latter being said, I don't think faith vs. secularism in government should be a critical issue of your election campaign. You have to get into office before you can effect change in the latter respect. Once in office, the change in attitude will naturally occur by the type of administration you put into place, appointments you make and the people that you will choose surround yourself with. I fear, however, if you start an ideological campaign on the issue of faith vs. secularism in government you might just loose the votes of mainstream American voters who may misconstrue your current focus for an inability to address the real concerns facing our nation:  sky-rocketing gas prices, no true energy-independence, people who have given up looking for work to give a false sense of "true unemployment", a soaring national debt, and weak foreign policy posturing that now heralds a potentially nuclear Iran.


Maybe, to quote your own words, Mr. Santorum ... You need to "take one for the team" and refocus your campaign narrative back onto the BIGger issues concerning all Americans.


3/2012 Update:  Rick Santorum's Plan for His First 100 Days in Office