Posted originally on the CTH on October 7, 2023 | Menagerie
#Breaking News: Reports are coming in that Israel’s Iron Dome system is down after Hamas sent over 5,000 missiles targeting airports and military positions.
Hamas is currently on the ground as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to the Israel Defense Forces Headquarters… pic.twitter.com/II6ZN0cn9D
I also read a comment elsewhere saying the military wing of Hamas Al Qassam Brigades have entered and captured military bases. Please be sure to note, this is totally unconfirmed information I saw only in a comment.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
QUESTION: Marty; There are those who say Scalia was wrong for he claimed the civil war was correct and he changed the meaning of the Second Amendment. You are the real constitutional scholar on these issues. Is there a right to secede by a state? Did Scalia really change the Second Amendment?
Thank you so much for your diverse background.
Kirk
ANSWER: As far as the question of the Civil War, Scalia answered a question for a movie and it was simply a letter and not a court decision that he rendered. Saying that question was decided by the Civil War and that the precedent was that there is no right to secede was not his opinion, but the established law of the Court. Scalia could not respond otherwise for that was in fact the law, right or wrong. The decision of the Court was not Scalia’s. The argument for secession is not nearly as clear-cut as people think. The Supreme Court in 1869 ruled that secession is illegal.
Texas v. White, 74 U.S. (7 Wall.) 700 (1869), was a case argued before the United States Supreme Court in 1869 where Texas sought to recoup its bond losses. The case involved a claim by the Reconstruction government of Texas that United States bonds owned by Texas since 1850 had been illegally sold by the Confederate state legislature during the American Civil War. Texas filed suit directly with the United States Supreme Court under the Constitutional provision giving the Court original jurisdiction.
The court ruled that Texas had remained a state of the United States ever since it first joined the Union. The fact that it joined the Confederate States and was at the time under military rule. Therefore, they decided on the merits of the bond issue. That is where the Court held that the Constitution did not permit states to unilaterally secede from the United States. Consequently, that meant that all the acts of the legislatures within the Confederate states were “absolutely null” and void. Hence, that decision was mandatory or the US would have to also honor the bonds of the Confederate States. That is why the 14th Amendment was passed stating that the Confederate states would not question the debt of the North, but there would be no compensation for the debt of the South.
Therefore, those who ridicule Scalia are just typical soap-box lawyers who pretend to know things they do not. Scalia’s response was correct for that was the precedent and we see that the same position is taken in Europe. Once you join, there is no divorce. We see the war in Ukraine is also over the secession of the Donbas. This was the difference between Lenin and Stalin. Lenin believed that the states could secede from the federation and Stalin said no way.
Scalia is correct. The power of the federal government will NEVER acknowledge any right of any state to secede. Scalia said that the Civil War decided that issue which is correct because any secession today would also have to be by force of arms – not in some court.
What people seem to wrongly think is that Justice Antonin Scalia made some ruling on this subject. Scalia was responding to a letter from a screenwriter working on a comedy dealing with secession in 2006. Scalia wrote he could not imagine such a case ever reaching the Supreme Court. Scalia wrote in 2006:
“I find it difficult to envision who the parties to this lawsuit might be. Is the State suing the United States for a declaratory judgment?
But the United States cannot be sued without its consent, and it has not consented to this sort of suit.”
Scalia said that the last attempt at secession also established a clear precedent.
“If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede.”
Scalia is correct insofar as Texas v White established that there is no right to secede. However, there is no strict construction of the Constitution to support that. Many historians and legal experts also say the Civil War clearly established there is “no right” to secede. However, that was by force of arms – not law! Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution lists acts that states cannot undertake, and secession is not on that list. That was a decision that was biased and necessary at the time to prevent having to pay the debts of the South. The real question is when the United States breaks up, I seriously doubt that it will be a legal case asking permission. I personally believe that the Constitution does NOT prohibit secession. That is simply the self-interest of Washington and thus the only real right will be by force of arms. Anyone who claims otherwise is a toss-up between an idiot and a fool.
As far as Scalia’s decision in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA et al. v. HELLER back in 2008, his strict construction came shining through. Many people who want to eliminate gun ownership argue that bearing arms was only for a militia that has been supplanted by a standing army and therefore the Second Amendment is no longer valid.
It was Scalia who shot that argument down. He held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Pp. 2–53.
(a) The Second Amendment’s prefatory clause announces a purpose but does not limit or expand the scope of the second part, the operative clause. The operative clause’s text and history demonstrate that it connotes an individual right to keep and bear arms. Pp. 2–22.
(c) The Court’s interpretation is confirmed by analogous arms-bearing rights in state constitutions that preceded and immediately followed the 2nd Amendment. Pp. 28–30.
(e) Interpretation of the Second Amendment by scholars, courts, and legislators, from immediately after its ratification through the late 19th century also supports the Court’s conclusion. Pp. 32–47. That shows what I am talking about with strict construction. The liberal view would have said the right was tied to a militia exclusively. He wrote:
” We are aware of the problem of handgun violence in this country, and we take seriously the concerns raised by the many amici who believe that prohibition of handgun ownership is a solution. The Constitution leaves the District of Columbia a variety of tools for combating that problem, including some measures regulating handguns, see supra, at 54–55, and n. 26. But the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table. These include the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home. “
So I do not see where anyone can say that Scalia somehow rewrote the Second Amendment to deny gun rights. All things, including speech, have limits and regulations. It is not free speech to yell fire in a movie theater. Judge Amy Coney Barrett has vowed to follow Scalia. It was Apprendi v New Jersey, the decision championed by Justice Scalia was based upon strict construction. Before then, it was Judges deciding facts – not juries. The denial of a right to a jury trial was common practice in the United States. It was Scalia who change the Judiciary and defended the people. No other judge would protect citizens and finally, Scalia was able to convince others that this was a violation of the Sixth Amendment. Anyone who disparages Scalia must be a leftist who loves government power. Scalia had no problem ruling against the government.
When I got to the Supreme Court, they ordered the government to explain how they were keeping me in prison on civil contempt without a trial indefinitely when the law, 28 USC 1826, said the maximum sentence was 18 months. They were rolling it every 18 months. Only when the Supreme Court ordered the government to respond, then I was released and they told the court the case was “moot” for I was suddenly released. Without Scalia, I would probably have died in prison. He at least stood up for the law and 18 months was one-term, not indefinitely, where the NY judges protect the bankers. Trump will NEVER get a fair trial in NYC. From what I saw with others, nobody gets a fair trial in the Second Circuit or State court. When my case began, my lawyer, Richard Altman, said NYC practices law differently. Boy was that an understatement. Nobody should do business with any bank domiciled in NYC.
Texas State House Representative Shawn Thierry, D-Houston, joined with Republicans to support Senate Bill 14 which would restrict gender modification in children. As a Democrat from the Houston area, Mrs. Thierry came under blistering assault from organized alphabet activists in her decision to support the House version of the Texas bill.
Facing threats, ostracization, ridicule and direct personal attacks against her, Ms. Thierry stood against the rage of the mob and voted to support the bill. Explaining her position, Representative Thierry delivered eloquent and powerful remarks on the issue to the House chamber. WATCH:
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At times it feels like we are living in a dystopian era well beyond the prescient writing of George Orwell. Indeed, I think we can all feel the shift that has taken place as the battle between commonly accepted right and wrong has morphed into a spiritual battle between good and evil.
Joe Biden was installed as a one-term disposable Cloward-Piven opportunity for the most destructive elements of political activism. Every left-wing fantasy operation is now enveloping the United States and tearing at the fabric of the nation. In this era, any Democrat who stands up for moral values with an intent to protect the children becomes a mortal enemy to the tribe of wicked enterprise. Shawn Thierry should be appreciated for taking a stand against the raging mob.
TEXAS – Texas is one step closer to banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors who live in the state.
On Friday, the Texas House of Representatives voted to preliminarily advance Senate Bill 14, a measure that would prohibit the administration of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to people under 18 years old who are transitioning.
Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, told lawmakers from the House floor that he believes gender dysphoria should be treated with counseling rather than gender-affirming care.
“In contrast to experimental medicine and surgery, professional counseling and psychotherapy is a proven alternative that helps children overcome gender dysphoria,” he told lawmakers.
The legislation is one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priorities and has already passed the Senate.
Under the Senate version, minors currently on transition-related medical care would have to stop their treatment after the bill goes into effect in September.
The version passed Friday in the Texas House, however, would give transgender minors a period of time to wean off treatment.
Still, trangender-rights advocates say the legislation is hateful and will have a negative effect on the lives of transgender minors.
Sofia Sepulveda, the community engagement and advocacy manager with the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Texas, said SB 14 is just one of many measures targeting people in the LGBTQ community.
“It feels like every other day there is legislation or there’s a hearing targeting the trans community,” Sepulveda told reporters Friday morning. “We are literally fighting for our lives.” (read more)
The ideological leftists have gone totally nuts on this issue.
Their activism on the mutilation of children is evil. These are not issues that can be debated in nuance and soft pastels.
Protect the children.
The mentally ill alphabet people are filled with psychosis.
Where is the Nashville mass murderer’s “Manifesto”?
Happy early Mother’s Day to the women in charge with shaping our society. The vital role of a mother, arguably the most important responsibility one can take on, has been dismissed in recent years as society changes drastically. The woke agenda feels that the word “mother” is offensive and wants to replace the term with “birthing persons.” I have not heard anyone refer to fathers as “inseminating persons,” as part of the woke agenda is to eliminate the importance of women in society. Economic conditions have made it nearly impossible for the average family to survive on one income. Yet, those who can and do choose to stay home deserve appreciation for the role they play in our society.
The Biden Administration recently took a jab at stay-at-home mothers, claiming they are hurting our economy. His administration supports sending “free” money to “hard-working families” as long as they are receiving some income tax revenue. The schools can raise our children according to their way of thinking.
The cited report from the BCG refers to parenting as “unpaid caregiving”as it lowers the number of taxable workers. Instead of staying home with your children or elderly relative, the government believes you should move into “paid caregiving.” “About 1.8 million critical-care jobs, including nursing assistants, home health aides and childcare workers, are open, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,” the report noted. The report also noted that these jobs often have terrible pay and poor benefits. Furthermore, the study noted that 40% of caregivers have missed “more than five days of work over the last year simply because their paid-care support has fallen through.” Other countries will laugh at the US for that one. They also talk about implementing a “government-run childcare system that begins at birth.” That is sad prospect. Even dogs have an 8 to 10 week grace period before their puppies can be adopted, a luxury not provided to women living in the financial capital of the world.
Caretaking roles are only seen as essential is they benefit the government. It is almost impossible for one 40-hour salary to support a family comfortably. Preschools and childcare centers often cost more than the salary a parent would bring home. And they wonder why there is a steep decline in the birth rate. The nuclear family has no place in woke America. Whether you stay home or choose a career, a mother’s role is essential.
Posted originally on the CTH on May 11, 2023 | Sundance
Elon Musk has reportedly hired Linda Yaccarino as the CEO of Twitter. Unfortunately, this decision is the exact opposite of what everyone hoped about Musk’s intentions with the platform.
Ms. Yaccarino is the head of NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships [Example Here], and she is the tip of the spear in the creation of DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) indexing and corporate scoring. You might be familiar with ‘DEI’ as a result of the Bud Light woke advertising campaign to promote beer for transgenders. Well, that’s DEI in action, and Ms. Yaccarino is one of the pioneers in the advertising industry.
Additionally, Linda Yaccarino is the Chairwoman of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Taskforce on Future of Work. As she noted in her position, “every CEO and executive needs to look inward, and build workplaces that ensure our employees, current and future, can always succeed amid rapid transformation.” Overlaying the Diversity Equity and Inclusion mindset, you will note Yaccarino says, “long-term benefits for the unemployed, women, and communities of color.”
Why would Elon Musk bring the most woke NBC advertising executive to become the CEO of Twitter? Obviously, he is focused on generating revenue, and Yaccarino can bring woke credentials to the platform luring corporate advertisers. Unfortunately, in order to achieve that objective, the platform content will have to be modified.
That means the public square of Twitter needs to become a platform of non-controversial NPCs (Non Player Characters) which generally are identified in memes [SEE HERE]. The content on Twitter must fit an approved standard for advertising. Leading this effort to control platform content through the control of the monetization, is literally what Yaccarino has done in her work at NBCUniversal. Thus, her efforts to promote DEI take on a new level of importance.
Ms. Yaccarino also supports Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and follows him and his fellow influencers through her Twitter account. Politically this puts her in alignment with Elon Musk and the acceptable Republican group that promotes the Florida Governor.
Keep in mind, for DeSantis, the “woke issues” are political tools to achieve an objective; nothing more. Ms. Yaccarino supporting Ron DeSantis is not a misnomer, it’s just politics.
Similarly, for Elon Musk, it appears Ms. Yaccarino brings a greater financial value to the table offsetting any contradictions in his belief system about wokeism as a danger to speech and culture. Obviously, this hire says Musk is more concerned about revenue generation than actual free speech.
Regarding opposition or alignment with what is colloquially called “wokeism”, Ms. Yaccarino is somewhat of a touchstone. Her bona fides on DEI make her a subject matter expert on the weaponization of advertising to advance a cultural objective.
Just accept things as they are and not as you might wish them to be. That way you are not disappointed later.
Accept the Musk selection of Ms. Yaccarino as exactly what it says for the Twitter platform. First, money is the most important issue right now; revenue generation for Musk is the #1 priority. Second, the content of the platform will modify accordingly.
Brave women in Iran have been defying the hijab law despite the risk of death. The Iranian government is now installing cameras throughout the nation to see who dares to defy their orders. Those found guilty will be fined 2.5 billion rials ($60,000) and their bank accounts will be frozen. Iranian women have been protesting throughout the nation since September after a 22-year-old girl named Mahsa Amini died in police custody after she refused to wear a hijab.
Canada’s PM Trudeau began the trend of freezing protestors bank accounts after he invoked the Emergencies Act during the Freedom Convoy. Trudeau even targeted people merely associated with protestors. Iran is employing the same tactics as the government plans to shutdown businesses who permit women to enter without a hijab. The government has the ability to message citizens via text as soon as they see them defying laws. This is far worse than anything Orwell imagined.
The Western left thinks they are so oppressed and our top leaders refuse to acknowledge women exist, saying they cannot be properly identified. Simone de Beauvoir popularized the term “The Second Sex” in her book by the same name, pleading for women’s rights. The French writer said that men were the default while women were simply “other.” Women could not even open a bank account in America until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. Women no longer exist in the West, according to the disturbed media and politicians, and women elsewhere face death for not adhering to laws implemented by men.
Governments want us to move to a CBDC so that they can immediately freeze our finances and track everything we do. They may not implement hijab laws in the West, but they could track whoever is behind on boosters, anyone who supported an unpopular politician, or any deemed a nuisance to the new world order.
QUESTION: Marty; Does Socrates show anything with regard to the status quo of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem? I recently visited the site and I was shocked to hear that the temple plateau that once held two ancient is just a tad over 37 acres. That is one of your key numbers in the Economic Confidence Model 8.615 x 4.307 = 37.1 which is a strange coincidence. But then taking 365 days × 24 hours = 3600 hours and that amounts to virtually Pi 31536000 seconds in a year.
Do you have anything on Israel long-term?
Thank you
Jeff
ANSWER: What I can say from personal experience, is that I traveled all around Israel. I even climbed Masada as they did in ancient times rather than take to lift up. I climbed Masada which sits on the Dead Sea. I had hair then. By the time I reached the top, I had looked like Moses. The wind carries the salt off the seas and my hair was pure white but in an Afro wind-blown combination of Moses met Einstein. Probably the best movie of all time was the Mini-Series – Masada of 1981.
What I will say after touring all of Israel, I found that absolutely every site that was holy to the Jews and Christians except for Calvary seems to have been the same site that the Muslims also claimed was holy to them for different reasons. The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem marks at its foot the place of Jesus’ arrest, in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the top of Mount of Olives, is where tradition places the Risen Christ ascended into heaven. Tradition says he left a footprint on the rock.
Before Christianity was legalized in 313 AD by Constantine the Great, whose mother Helena was an avid Christian who scoured the Holy Land to mark every place related to Jesus, Jerusalem’s Christians used a cave near the summit of the Mount of Olives for gatherings and Mass. That cave was remembered reported as where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer, and it is still revered as such in the Paternoster monastery complex. I just found it curious how almost every spot was claimed by all three religions
The Temple Mount is what the Jews refer to it and the Muslims call it the Dome of the Rock. It contains a huge rock that the Jewish tradition says is that this is where Abraham was told to sacrifice his son. To the Muslims, the rock is the spot from which the Prophet Muhammad was taken up into heaven for an encounter with God (an event known as the Miʿrāj). Thus, it is the same rock and this symbolizes the clash between the two religions. At least Jesus did not do anything there for in his time, the Jewish Temple stood there until 70AD.
The Hebrew tribes settled in Canaan around c. 1200 BC. Add Pi, 3145 years, and you come to 1945. Israel’s declaration of independence took place on May 14th, 1948 (1948.367). The United States, the Soviet Union, and many other governments quickly recognized it. Then came 1967 in June when Israel was once again thus into war for the third time – but it was the shortest.
Israel succeeded against all odds and prevailed over the armies of three of its neighbors. In May 1967, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser announced that the Straits of Tiran would again be closed to Israeli vessels. He also ordered the mobilization of the Egyptian military along the border with Israel. However, he further ordered the immediate withdrawal of all UNEF personnel a clear sign that war was about to start.
On June 5th, 1967, as the UNEF was in the process of leaving the zone, Israel launched a series of pre-emptive airstrikes against Egyptian airfields and other facilities. It effectively destroyed the entire Egyptian airpower. By June 10th (1967.441), the Six-Day War was over. Israel’s capital city, Jerusalem, was reunited. For the first time in 19 years, the Old City was open to believers of all faiths and Jews could access their holiest sites. I was fortunate to have visited everywhere in the lat 1970s.
Tensions are once again rising since Israel allowed Jews to pray on the Temple Mount. The Jews have been praying at the base of the Temple Mount where the old Temple Wall still remained. Jordan was the custodian of the Dome of the Rock and is now demanding that the government cease Jewish prayer on the mount which began about five years ago. The Israeli government avoids addressing these silent prayers formally. They are taking place on the eastern side of the Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount, albeit without traditional Jewish prayer items such as tallit, tefillin, or siddur.
Meanwhile, Israel is in a constitutional crisis where there is an attempt to reduce the power of the judiciary. Allowing the prayer on the Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount is an encroachment that will eventually lead to a major confrontation. Our computer is projecting rising confrontation and looking to 2024 and beyond.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 11, 2022 | Sundance
The anniversary of the attacks on 9-11 presents a day to reflect, remember and pay tribute to those we lost. I am sure most of us remember exactly where we were at the moment when we found out our nation was under attack. Our nation was forever changed by those moments on September 11th, 2001.
Perhaps we can share our memories together as we think about the anniversary of this date.
Where were you on that day? And what memories are most vivid for you?
~ The Better Option ~
He stared toward a cloudless sky; a tear was present in his eye. What did he see I wondered aloud – this man of strength did not look proud.
Transfixed we watched through a camera’s lens, strangers before, now oddly friends. What are his eyes held witness to? What’s stirring such tears of painful hue?
Electronically we were connected, our lives attached, a stopped nation affected. What horror was there, upon his gaze? – What caused such pain amid the haze?
Some sounds not known were heard aloud – and people screamed amid the crowd. We struggled to sense what view they saw; the fireman’s face was present more.
His sorrowed eyes bleeding despair – my God, what was he seeing there? I could not move, we stood transfixed, my view of hell would soon be nixed.
He bore my witness through those flames, this hell on earth from terror planes. Our Eagle screamed….. the metal cracked; two once proud towers stood attacked.
The human toll still yet unknown, our feeling safe was overthrown. Finally, as I stared, I recognized….. what was causing those tears in that fireman’s eyes.
Oh – My – God, humanity was being lost – and helplessly we saw the cost. The sound of people,… people, jumping down, from towers strong in our New York town.
Locked in horror, frozen, all there stood – bewildered eyes saw nothing good. We viewed a scene of great despair…amid evil, smoke, and hate filled air.
Connected witness we became, to terror’s rage and human pain. Trapped atop a blinding heat, were once moms and dads upon the street.
A “better option“?… caused by hate – to leap the flames and own your fate. More horrid thoughts we’d never known, not from before the glass had blown.
Theirs was not an option for the stair, their only choice hands locked in prayer. I cannot grasp the thoughts that crossed – the minds of those loved, soon to be lost.
As victims now…. their life soon ceased, a hurling body – soul released. and for those who bore witness, my God the pain; those memories seared will long remain.
Connected all we stood aghast, all witness to the terror blast. Their bodies torn; their spirit lost; memories now……. a priceless cost.
But what we have now to decide; reflecting on this place they died. The Blood-soaked ground, the empty skies, our throat in knots, our tear-filled eyes.
A memory now so deeply burned, their sacrifice for us was learned. The hurt, the pain, the bitter sorrow, must guide us now toward tomorrow.
For those we loved, and families lost, no gold of man can count the cost. Through the eagles’ tears our nations price, we must honor those of sacrifice.
How do we honor such courage bold and warm our souls despite the cold. A daunting charge ‘mid our mortal stage – to reflect that courage amid our rage.
Two decades past and now we find – our hearts, our souls, our tears, our mind. Still harken back and feel those tears; the wound -the scar- through many years.
Memories honored must remain, our task in life to cherish that pain… For souls we lost, and sorrow bound – we must always respect such hallowed ground.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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