Visiting The 9/11 Memorial

Three years ago this month my wife and I traveled to New York for her work. We stayed in a 100 year old hotel in Tribeca, just five blocks from the World Trade Center Memorial. We could see the new Freedom Tower from our room.

We got there on September 17th and missed the 9/11 memorial service. But walking through that memorial was humbling and emotional. No one at our hotel was old enough to have been working there that day but I know the hotel would have been engulfed in smoke and dust when the towers fell.

The memorial is simple yet screams volumes. The number of names on those edges is staggering. There were roses scattered about on the walls, no doubt left by people in remembrance of family members and/or friends who perished. There was a large police presence - many armed with M-16s. And it was surprisingly quiet.

For $30 per person you could go up to an observation deck that overlooks the remainder of the Trade Center sight. We decided we didn't want to pay that much to see destruction, opting to just take in the newness built from the rubble. And three years later that's still good enough for me.

I never would have believed it but I loved visiting New York. There was far more to our visit than the memorial but this week I'm thinking of that. May God comfort everyone who lost someone that day, whether in New York, Washington DC, or Shanksville, PA.

 Many have forgotten. I'm not one of them.

Thoughts on 9/11

On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by a group of Islamic extremists. They took nearly 3,000 innocent lives. And yes, “Islamic extremists” is the correct description. The attacks were carried out in the name of Allah.

I was in a meeting at work when the first plane hit. When I got back to my office my secretary told me about it and I turned on the TV behind my desk. I sat in wonder watching the North Tower burn and wondering how it was possible that a commercial airliner went so out of control that it crashed into the World Trade Center. Then I watched in horror as the second plane hit the South Tower.

It was then that I knew we were under attack. Not long after came the report of a third plane crashing into the Pentagon and a fourth crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. The fourth one had been headed toward the White House but was brought down in the field when passengers revolted and attempted to take back control of the plane. We know this from narratives of phone calls made by passengers before the plane crashed.

We all watched in horror as the towers collapsed onto themselves, knowing that the chances of anyone surviving after that were slim. And we cried.

The events of that day were life-changing for many, myself included. That day most Americans sat around in shock wondering what our future might bring. Would there be more attacks? How many died? And how could this have possibly happened? Many of us had difficulty sleeping that night.

September 12^th dawned and America came together as a nation, united in sorrow, anger, and determination. As Allen Jackson said so eloquently in his song “Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?” – they “stood in line and gave their own blood.” They volunteered to help first responders search for bodies, living or dead. They donated food and water to first responders. And they vowed to never forget and never allow it to happen again.

How quickly they forgot. It didn't take more than a year or so before calling Islamic extremists exactly that became politically incorrect. “All Muslims are not responsible for what happened,” they said. And they were correct. But every one of the terrorists who hijacked the planes was Muslim and the attacks were committed in the name of Islam. That's just fact.

The political correctness got worse. When President Trump banned travel to the United States from seven Islamic countries critics called it a “Muslim ban,” even though it was seven out of 50 countries that are Muslim controlled. Seven. Hardly a “Muslim ban.” But that's what we were told. And some still believe it.

Today, if you criticize Muslims it's considered hate speech. Even if what you say is true. It's just not acceptable in today's woke society. The Taliban recently showed us what Muslim extremists can and will do... but many Americans just don't want to pay attention.

We don't need another September 11^th. We do need another September 12^th. We need people to come together in love for our country and each other, particularly after the last couple of years. We need to remember how quickly lives can be taken and how quickly everything can change. September 11, 2001, taught us that very well. Except years of mostly non-events have eroded the memories of many. And that is sad.

My Body, My Choice...?

We've been hearing that for at least a decade. "My body, my choice." Women have marched in the streets and held rallies wearing vagina costumes to make their points.

It's all about abortion rights and abortion on demand. Pro choice people believe nothing should interfere with "women's health care." I can agree with that. The part with which I disagree is that ending a human life is simple health care. Once the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall it becomes a unique, new, human life. That's science.

The State of Texas has been in the news lately because of a new law preventing abortion of a fetus after a heartbeat is detected. The reasoning is that once a heartbeat is detected the fetus is a human life. Somewhat surprisingly, the Supreme Court upheld the law 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John Roberts (not surprisingly) siding with the liberal justices against it.

I heard yesterday that Attorney General Merrick Garland is going to file suit saying the Texas law "violates woman's Constitutional rights." That should be interesting since as far as I know there is nothing in the Constitution giving women the right to have an abortion. Roe vs Wade was a Supreme Court decision but that doesn't make it a Constitutional right. It makes it a rule of law that can be challenged and/or changed by another ruling, not that I believe that will happen.

The interesting thing about "my body, my choice" is that many of the same people who scream that phrase about abortion don't feel the same way about mandatory vaccinations and masks. They want to force both on people to "prevent loss of life." And it's absolute hypocrisy. Forcing people to get a foreign substance injected into their bodies on the chance other people may not get sick (we already know it's not fool proof) is nothing but hypocrisy. And for those who believe a viable fetus is not a human life - I feel sorry for you.

"My body, my choice" only if it concerns something you agree with? Sorry, wrong.

If "my body, my choice" is going to be your rule it needs to apply all the way around. Want to get vaccinated? Do it. Want to wear a mask? Go for it. But if you believe in "my body, my choice" for yourself then give others that same option without condemnation. Otherwise you're being completely unreasonable.

January 6th - The Worst Capitol Incident Since 1814?

Democrats and the left-wing media are fond of saying that the disturbance at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6^th was the “worst thing that has happened in the Capitol since it was burned by the British in 1814. But is that true?

The protesters on January 6^th broke windows and damaged doors. They entered both the House and Senate chambers and several offices, including that of Nancy Pelosi. They fought with police in various areas. One person was killed – an unarmed woman shot by a Capitol Police officer.

The incident was tragic but was it the worst since 1814?

On March 1, 1954, four members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party entered the House chamber with handguns. They unfurled a Puerto Rican flag and opened fire indiscriminately, wounding five members of Congress.

On November 7, 1983, a bomb tore through the second floor of the House North wing. It was planted by members of a group called the “Armed Resistance Unit,” who called the switchboard minutes before the blast to warn people. It did significant damage to the building.

On March 1, 1971, the Weather Underground planted a bomb in a men's room directly below the Senate chamber. The bomb destroyed the restroom and caused the doors of the Senate barbershop to disconnect from the frame and fly through a window into a courtyard.

On July 24, 1998, a visitor to the Capitol building set off a metal detector. He immediately pulled out a gun and killed the officer on duty at the metal detector, then wounded a second officer and a civilian. He then made his way to an office used by Congressman Tom Delay where he shot and killed a Capitol Police detective.

In my opinion, vandalism and trespassing are not quite as serious as the murders of two Capitol Police, nor the shooting of five House members in the chamber. The January protesters did not kill anyone. Some officers were injured during the melee but the only person killed was killed at the hands of police. (And that still has yet to be explained.)

The protest that day wasn't worse than bombs going off inside the building, in my opinion. Bombs do more damage than breaking windows and damaging doors.

People say “It was insurrection, an assault on our democracy.” But it wasn't. It was a “mostly peaceful” protest in which some people got carried away.

I read an article this morning in which a history professor said the reason the January incident was worse is because “it was done by a large group.” Personally, I'd rather have a large group vandalizing things than one or two people with guns killing and wounding people, or people blowing things up. But that's me.

January 6th Committee - Pelosi's Latest Fraud, Waste and Abuse

 

I listened to the Chairman of Nancy Pelosi's partisan, biased House Select Committee on January 6th lie to the world about what happened that day. He said because of what occurred that day we "did not have a peaceful transfer of power" and said "the goal of the insurrectionists was to overthrow the government." Benny Thompson doesn't believe either of those things because he knows they're untrue. Yet he stated them as fact. He set the tone for the farce that is this committee.

Next, Liz Cheney, a "Pelosi Republican," spent a few minutes trying to justify why she is serving Nancy Pelosi, calling herself a "conservative Republican." She's no more conservative than Mitt Romney.

This committee consists of Democrats and Trump haters, period. They want to prove to the world not that angry Americans acted out in a vile and disgusting manner out of frustration but that Donald Trump somehow ordered the attack and that all Trump supporters are the enemy.

Listening to the police officers testify reveals they were obviously hand selected by the committee. I support law enforcement 99.9% of the time but these four officers are using the same words and phrases... "insurrectionists, terrorists, assault on our democracy...." - the same words used by the committee chairman. Spontaneous witnesses do not echo the chairman (or a prosecutor) unless they've been coached. Funny thing is... of the just over 500 people arrested and charged for the incident none have been charged with insurrection, terrorism or treason.

At least two of them said the incident on January 6th was the worst thing they'd ever experienced. The first witness, introduced and praised for his service in Iraq, said the Capitol riot "was worse than anything I saw in Iraq." With all due respect to his service as a soldier and a police officer, if that's true he saw no real action in Iraq. Al Qaeda had guns, rockets, mortars and vehicles of war and their mission was to kill Americans. Comparing that to a riot is ridiculous, unless you have no combat experience. I know. I've been in the middle of a full blown riot. I never once considered it to be like a military combat zone.

The black officer said he and other black officers were attacked because of their skin color yet offered no evidence except that there were Confederate flags being waved by some protesters.

One said Trump caused the riot because of his ego. Another said there were white supremacists in the crowd and that "people who follow Donald Trump are more likely to belong to those groups." Another mentioned "the MAGA people" and said he compared the incident to someone hiring a hit man. He wants the perpetrators punished as well as "the person who hired them." No bias there, huh?

I keep hearing the officers and politicians talking about "defending our democracy." That's not what happened. They quelled a riot. Anyone who believes that 800 to 1000 citizens armed with sticks, bats, bear spray, etc., could somehow overthrow our government is a fool.

Chairman Thompson asked one witness about heroic actions he saw that day. That's all well and good but what has it to do with finding the cause of the incident?

There are several things this committee will not reveal during this hearing. They will not talk about or show the video of the Capitol Police moving barricades and opening doors, inviting the protesters in. They will not allow questions about the FBI informing senior Capitol Police officials three weeks in advance that there was a very real possibility the Capitol would be attacked that day and why they did not prepare for it. (One officer said they didn't know there was going to be a riot. That doesn't mean his bosses didn't know.)

They will not allow questions to be asked about what Nancy Pelosi knew about the pending incident. These are the reasons Pelosi refused to allow Republicans Jim Jordon and Jim Banks to serve on the committee. She knew those questions would be asked. And if the two "Republicans" were interested in truth they would ask those questions anyway.

And they will not reveal a valid reason for the killing of Ashli Babbitt.

Next I watched the other Pelosi Republican first getting all teary eyed then trying to say there were probably guns being carried by the rioters even though there is absolutely no evidence to support his claim.

I won't even talk about Adam "Russia Collusion" Schiff. He's not worth my time... although watching him choke up (real or not) was amusing.

So far the committee, through testimonies and videos, have established there was a violent incident in the Capitol that day. Gee... we needed this committee to establish that?

I'm not going to watch anymore of the Trump hating committee hearings. The committee's findings will be whatever Speaker Pelosi dictates. The entire thing is just one more stunt by Trump haters, just like the impeachment trials. And once again the Democrats are wasting taxpayer money on a witch hunt.

Observations of Democrats on a Tuesday Morning

 

Dallas Justice NOW, a group associated with Black Lives Matter, recently sent letters to Democrats who have supported BLM in Highland Park, Texas, one of the wealthiest communities in the state. The letter asks them to sign a pledge that they will not send their privileged white children to ivy league schools, or any of the 50 top ranked schools, because to do so would take away school availability from people of color. They actually asked people to go online and publicly sign a pledge that they would do this. No, really.

DJN told these wealthy white citizens that they may not know it but they made their money by oppressing people of color and it's time to right the wrongs of inequity. They also told them if they don't have pre-college age kids they should pressure their friends and neighbors to keep their kids out of top-ranked schools. It's bold - I give them that.

Apparently Dallas Justice NOW believes people of color cannot get into these schools on their own merit if they are competing against white kids. That is racism. Believing one group of people is inferior to another because of skin color and/or ethnicity is the very definition of racism.


The Dallas Democrat Party is soliciting donations of supplies and/or money to send to the Texas Democrats who fled the state so they wouldn't have to do their jobs. These deserters are asking for "Dr. Pepper, salsa, hard candy, hairspray, travel toiletries, hand sanitizers, sewing kits, and first aid kits" and the Dallas Democrats are asking these things be donated or that people donate cash  to pay shipping.

I've been to Washington D.C. at least six times and I can say with certainty that every one of the things on the list can be purchased in grocery stores, CVS and Walgreens. And these rogue "freedom fighters" (pronounced "cowards") are still collecting their paychecks and $221 a day in per diem while they're on their little vacation. Seems to me that $1000 a week should be enough to buy Dr. Pepper and salsa. Oh, maybe not. I guess it depends in which hotel they chose to stay. And of course, the cost of the charter flight.

What is little known is that Texas representatives make only $600 a month in salary plus their per diem and only while they are in session. That's because being a state representative is a part time job. Unless a special session is called representatives work only 140 days during their two year terms. Most, if not all have full time jobs from which they take leaves of absence to attend to state business.

If there are Texas Democrats in D.C. who are truly running out of money perhaps they didn't think things through well enough.


And finally - how long will Jill Biden and the Democrats allow President Biden to humiliate himself on national television? The man has cognitive issues - anyone observing objectively can see that. CNN and the like still try to blame it on a stutter but I'm pretty sure a stutter doesn't make one forget who they're talking about nor make one ramble incoherently. It's getting to be sad and embarrassing. Is Dr. Biden in denial or does she want to be First Lady so badly she just can't let go? Only she knows.

It Wasn't That Long Ago

 

Remember last year when Joe Biden basically said if a vaccine was developed and ready under the Trump administration he wouldn't take it? Remember when Kamala Harris said if a vaccine is ready before the election she wouldn't get it? (Because vaccines apparently know who is President and are very discerning...)

Both Biden and Harris criticized the vaccines and questioned their safety. Remember how Facebook, Twitter and the media did not challenge or censor them for saying those things?

Remember when Doctor Fauci said masks were not necessary, before he said masks are necessary, before he said two masks might be necessary? Remember how Dr. Fauci told us all to follow the science then last week told us all kids ages three and up should be made to wear masks - even though the science says it's not necessary?

Remember when Dr. Fauci got a magazine cover and a sweet book deal for his role in the fight against the pandemic?

Remember when big tech didn't censor ideas and opinions but provided an open platform of exchange? Remember when the government didn't conspire with big tech to censor ideas and opinions with which they disagree? Remember when the government wasn't actively working to restrict First Amendment rights?

Remember when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both got the vaccines developed under the Trump administration?

It wasn't that long ago...