Paineful Truth

Happy New Year! Just a quick recap of some highlights (or low points…?) of 2017: -Trump’s inauguration - Comey’s firing - Gorsuch nomination & confirmation - Paris Climate Accords - The Russia problem - Obamacare repeal (or not) - Hurricanes (climate change?) - Nazis & ANTIFA protests - Corrupt, immoral politicians - Gun violence - Sexual abuse scandals - Domestic terrorism -The end of Net Neutrality -Trump’s plan to move US Embassy to Jerusalem Now you may at first think the only thing they all have in common is that they all took place in 2017. But you would be wrong. The real thing they all have in common is that they were each individually hailed as the end of America, democracy, or even freedom itself depending on who you talked to. If I’ve learned anything from 2017, it’s that American freedom is a bit tougher than people give it credit. Looking Forward Looking back on 2017 should teaches us a few key lessons that we would

Well since the world failed to end in fiery oblivion when Net Neutrality was repealed last week, and then it also failed to end in catastrophic world-wide panic and death when Republicans passed the tax bill, I guess that means we get to enjoy Christmas this year. Until the next overly-hyped, mainstream media-created apocalypse comes along. Speaking of Christmas There’s something that’s really been bothering me that I need to get off my chest. First of all, I believe that everyone should celebrate Christmas. Even if they don’t believe in the main part of the holiday (which is Jesus Christ...it’s in the name really), the Christian virtues of generosity and love for your neighbor are reinforced this time of year. And for my money, those virtues are always a benefit to society.   Not only that, it’s a time of year where our attention is drawn (whether we like it or not) to the Biblical account of a Savior being born to save us from our sins. This mindset is a

There was an utter melt-down on the internet yesterday when the FCC voted 3-2 to repeal the so-called Net Neutrality (NN) policies. CNN proclaimed that the internet as we know it is over (and interestingly enough, that’s exactly what Bernie Sanders said too...coincidence…?). How big of a deal is it? This is an extremely complicated issue (believe me, I’ve been reading/researching on it for the last 2 days and it still makes my head hurt). There are excellent points on both sides. Being of the small government persuasion, I tend toward favoring any reduction in government regulation. However, the calls for caution from many who are “in the know” regarding this issue, gives me significant pause. So who do we believe? I have still not come to a concrete position in my own mind, so I can’t tell you how to think. What I can tell you though is that to the best of my knowledge, the internet operated without any kind of NN policies until 2015. For those of you who find math diffic

There are very few things that feel as good as being proven right. For years and years, I have been saying that morality matters. That character matters. That principles matter. Now suddenly the mainstream Left has decided that it is hip and fashionable to believe that morality actually matters in some way. This has been the position of the Right for ever. That's just the way things were. The Right consistently ran what many derisively called “old-fashioned, bible-thumping” candidates who believed in this crazy notion of morals. While most often, the Left would run “progressive, forward-thinking, modern candidates”, unbound by those archaic chains of morality. This happened time and time again. Sometimes the Right would win, sometimes the Left would win. Yet the battle lines were clearly drawn. Even though some would disagree with the position that morality mattered , they had to acknowledge the consistency . This consistency created credibility. And now that credibility

Sexual abuse scandals continue to flood the news. Their almost as common as cockroaches in government buildings apparently . As the scions of politics, news, and entertainments continue to fall, one by one , many of us have taken a step back and asked - how do we solve this problem? Well, if you ask Mr. Qasim Rashid , when it comes to women’s rights & stopping sexual abuse, the answer, obviously lies in Islam. You know, Islam, that bastion of civil rights, religious toleration, and equality...or something like that. Now, let me begin by saying I am in no way impugning Mr. Rashid’s motives. I believe that he believes everything he says. I further believe he truly has women’s best interest at heart. However, I believe the solution he offers rings hollow when certain facts are examined. The Argument Mr. Rashid begins by saying: “First, a woman’s attire, alcohol intake, marital status, and education level do not contribute to sexual abuse – abusive men do. Makes s