Open Season on Conservatives

                             

  For fifty years, Liberals had cornered the market on mainstream media. Once upon a time there were only three networks reporting the news. They were free to set the narrative of the day on any story they wished. They were almost literally free to tell the American people what to think on any given issue. For a very long time the only conservative you might see on TV was the late great William F. Buckley. And as brilliant as he was, and as much fun as it was to watch him take down any liberal brought before him, he was usually limited to the friendly confines of public television. But with the advent of the Internet and conservative news outlets like the Fox News Channel, the beginnings of conservative talk radio with Rush Limbaugh, and websites like The Drudge Report, and Daily Caller, conservatives were finally gaining the voices they had been denied.

  But as with most things in the age of Trump, things for conservatives have changed dramatically. While supporters of Donald Trump are enjoying watching the economy take off, and a President who has obvious love for his country and puts it and its citizens first, the traditionally liberal mainstream media has its collective panties in a such a bundle that they can no longer hide not only their hatred and contempt for the President, but conservatives in general.

  Recently, James Damore, a former Google engineer filed a class action lawsuit against the tech giant for discrimination. He claims that Google is actively discriminating against white conservative men. Also, according to a recent article on the “Daily Caller” website by Tech and Law reporter Eric Lieberman, Google has now added a “fact-check” feature when conservative leaning websites or publications are searched for. It seems that liberal leaning websites like the Huffington Post and Daily Kos do not get the same sort of scrutiny.  And not to be outdone when trashing conservatives, Project Veritas’s James O’Keefe has come out with a new undercover video featuring Twitter employees explaining a practice called “shadow-banning”. If a conservative tweets out something, it can be banned and left in the dark so no one sees the content. This is apparently done by algorithms. What was also revealed was that there are approximately 50 identifying key words for “redneck”. Just exactly who gets to define redneck? Is this supposed to somehow be synonymous with “conservative”?

  So quite a few questions come to mind, are we to believe that these are the most tolerant and inclusive among us? If that is the case why are they afraid of someone who might have a different point of view? Are these titans of social media also convinced it is their job to tell Americans what to think? Have they heard of a little thing called the First Amendment? Just exactly what is so intimidating about conservative views that they must protect Americans from them? Could it be because of the fact that Conservatives have come of age having to know early on how to articulate their views. They have had to be prepared at any moment to defend their arguments, and they have had plenty of opportunity for practice.

  If you ask your average conservative if when liberals say something that they disagree with, they will most likely tell you that yes, they absolutely disagree with it, but they have the right to say it. They do not babble on about boycotts or shutting people down/up. Try finding that attitude with a liberal. Best advice; do not hold your breath while doing it. In the age of conservative media, liberals are having a tough time defending their positions; they had never really had to do it. Well, in the immortal words of that great political pundit Oprah Winfrey, their time is up.

 The presidency of Donald Trump and the ascendency of conservatives is scaring the hell out of the Left. Make no mistake about it nothing will be off the table in terms of bringing down the president and those who support him. The ends justify the means. It is quite literally for them a matter of life and death. But this should not keep conservatives from standing up and speaking out again, and again, and again. Be brave, be bold. Andrew Breitbart once told an aspiring blogger, when asked for advice for someone just starting out and taking their first steps into the political fight he told them, “Get in their face”.

  Definitely words for conservatives to live by.   

Iranian Protests: Has Spring Come Early?

                      

  True Grassroots movements are rare, so when they occur we should stand up and take notice. Sometimes they are only around as long as they are useful, other times they do incur real change. The New Year has literally started off with a bang as protests have sprung up all over in a place that perhaps no one would expect, Iran.

  Those of us who are old enough to remember the Iranian revolution of 1979 do not have a good experience with Iranians rising up. Iran went from a modern prosperous nation in the 70’s to an Islamic Theocracy almost overnight, and the results have not been good for a variety of reasons, most of which have to do with the sponsoring of terrorism. Most Americans are no doubt cautiously optimistic about what is happening in Iran, but at least on the surface, this is not your mother’s uprising.

  What you will read here comes from someone on the ground, right in the thick of protests. For obvious security reasons this individual cannot be identified, so we will call him “Hamid”. “Hamid” is a forty year old medical professional who lives in Tehran. He is close to the average age of not only protesters but roughly half the population in Iran which is under 35. Most news outlets are saying that the unrest began because of increased prices of basic staples like food and gas. “Hamid” says that things began to take off in Tehran and other non-religious cities and ironically spread to religious cities like Mashad and Qom. When the new budget was released it revealed that millions of dollars had been allocated for religious and military institutions. According to statista.com, as of 2016 the unemployment rate in Iran was 12.45%. It has hovered around 10% for the last decade and topped out at 14% in 2014. This and massive government corruption has angered a population  of which half currently live below the poverty line.  

  But what began as economic protests have morphed into massive political protests and unrest. Chants of “Death to the Dictator” and the tearing down of pictures of the Supreme Leader Khamenei are also taking place. As of this writing 50 are dead and 2000 have been arrested.

  So what happens from here? It appears that a young, internet savvy population have grown tired of elderly Islamic hardliners who are denying the people the right of freedom of expression and free speech. “Hamid” also says that back in 2011, the son of the late Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi became the most popular Iranian figure on “Radio Farda”, the Persian Radio Voice of America. He goes on to say that he believes that the majority of people protesting do want regime change. He says that those who are advocating for regime change want a secular, more pro-western government.

  So how long can this go on? Will it be successful? “Hamid” has several thoughts on that possibility. One of the things that is largely misunderstood by Americans is that hatred of America comes mostly from regime leaders. Images of American flag burning come from government leaders and those who support them. “Hamid” says that unlike many other Middle Eastern countries, rank and file Iranians have, for the most part a friendly attitude towards the United States and Americans. And while President Trump has pledged help and support for Iranian protesters, “Hamid” says that for this movement to be successful, the rest of the free world must get behind the protest.

  Another big question might be what of the plight of Iranian women? Will a change to a secular government end the practice of treating women as second class citizens? Will they be able to do something as simple as leave their house without wearing a hijab? Right now if that happens they are subject to arrest and possible jail time. An even bigger question is where are those ardent feminists like Linda Sarsour and Ashley Judd? Why are they not shouting from the rooftops for immediate equality for Iranian women? Is it because they are not true feminists? That their quest for equality for women does not cross international borders and only hinges on political ideology and affiliation?

  “Hamid” says that on a personal level, he is excited about what is happening in his country. He says that people have been depressed for a long time and now he sees a general feeling of solidarity and hope, and that he would definitely like to see a democratic government emerge in Iran. Those feelings of unity and promise could take the movement a long way. “Hamid” says that his greatest wish is to be able to see his seven year old daughter be able to “grow up in freedom”.

  The people of Iran are not just fighting for economic security, they are risking their lives for free speech and freedom of expression. When any people at any time engage in this fight, nations all over the world who value these God given rights must get behind those who fight. “Hamid’s” wish for his daughter is a father’s wish the world cannot ignore.  

State Religion

                                           

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

  The First Amendment is first for a reason. It is the foundation for all others. It is what sets America apart from the rest of the world. There are very few other places on the planet where a nation’s citizens are free to speak out, about their government, about their leaders, about anything else without the possibility of censorship and even prison time or death. People came to America to enjoy all of these rights.

  While America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, people of all religions and no religion have come to America with the assurance that they would be able to worship in the way they choose without fear of harassment. But what happens when you or your children actually do experience some form of persecution for what you believe or don’t believe?

  Recently, a Louisiana mother sued the Webster Parish Louisiana School District for what has been called “unconstitutional and pervasive promotion of Christianity” in the district’s public schools. Some of the incidents alleged in the lawsuit filed by Christy Cole with assistance from the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of her daughter Kaylee include what Cole describes as “pressure” being put on her daughter to recite prayers and participate in various religious rituals. Cole went on to claim that Kaylee was “mocked by teachers for questioning religious doctrine they espoused”. Other instances include classmates mocking her for sitting during a prayer, a Christian rap artist invited to perform at assemblies and pep rallies where student attendance was mandatory, and teachers calling evolution a “fairy tale” and slamming a bible down on Kaylee Cole’s desk insisting that its contents be taken literally.

  Not many will argue that the South is a place where people are Bible-believing Christians and go to church. Most Southerners will readily tell you that their faith is interwoven into their everyday lives. On the whole, Americans applaud this, and point to their God-given right mentioned in the Constitution to do so. But what about Kaylee Cole’s right to not be harassed and forced to participate in things that as a student enrolled in a public school she should not have to participate in?

  America is full of religious schools. Catholic, Lutheran, non-Denominational and otherwise. If one enrolls their child in one of these schools prayer and religious studies are to be expected as part of the curriculum. Public schools are different. Yes most public schools dance on the line by putting on Christmas programs, but in large part those programs are of a secular nature. A teacher employed by a public school district has every right to believe in the biblical theory of creation and to scoff at evolution. What they do not have a right to do is to pick one over the other to teach when there may be plenty of students in their classroom who are being taught different values at home.

  Included in the lawsuit is the fact that Kaylee Cole was raised in the Baptist and Methodist churches but currently considers herself an agnostic. Is this the grounds for the intimidation and harassment she now receives? Is it not the responsibility of the school district to make sure that the lines are not blurred when it comes to matters of religion or a perceived preference for one popping up in their schools?

  Another big question to consider is how is this teaching kids to be considerate of those who are not like them? At some point the hope is that Little Johnny will graduate, and go out into the world where not everyone will think and believe the way the good folks of Webster Parish believe. How does Little Johnny go on to college and ultimately become employed and work with different kinds of people? The behavior that is apparently being condoned here is not teaching the students of Lakeside Junior/Senior High to work and play well with others throughout their lives.

  Former Lakeside Principal, now the Superintendent of the district Johnny Rowland is reported to have said that he would not stop daily prayers in the school. It is alleged that he went on to say, “I will stop when someone makes me stop”.

  That time may have come.

*Some information provided by the Shreveport Times