“Christians” Defying Executive Orders....

This message is specifically to those who call themselves Christians.  I don’t like or want to wear a mask in public any more than the next person.  With my claustrophobia and some breathing issues, wearing a cloth or surgical style mask was a daily exercise in fear.  And while I have a doctor’s note excusing me from wearing one, I found a work around.  Still, given a choice, I would rather not wear one.

But here’s the problem:

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king,” 1 Peter 2:13-17 NASB.  

The KJV renders verses 13-14 this way:

 “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”

I hear a lot of people who call themselves Christians saying they will not comply with the executive orders issued by our governor. Like it or not, agree or not, under Michigan black letter law, specifically MCL 10.33 and MCL 30.405(3), passed by duly elected Michigan legislators and signed into law by the duly elected governors in power at those times in accordance with the Michigan State Constitution, determines that failure to obey an executive order is a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail. I would like you to take a moment to think seriously about how that attitude squares up with God’s clear instructions through Paul.

I don’t like it, but I will comply until such time as her directives instruct me to violate God’s Word.

When the Governor Sanctions Confrontation — and Violence?

A statement from Gov. Whitmer’s press conference on 7/9:

“... Human behavior is the thing that is going to determine what direction we’re headed in. We [the government- added] will do everything we can to encourage the right choices. But at the end of the day, it’s on ALL OF US [emphasis added] to do our part, to educate the people around us, whether it’s in the store or it’s in our household, or it is in our neighborhood or in our workplace. We’ve got to implore one another to step up and to do the right thing. And Michiganders are smart. We’re tough. We can figure out how to do it politely, but also forcefully because it’s on all of us...” emphasis added.  

We have already seen incidents in which those not wearing masks have been driven out of places of business, even threatened with violence, by their fellow customers.  Now the governor says it’s on EACH OF US to COMPEL the appropriate behavior, “the right thing”, FORCEFULLY?!

That’s either a really bad choice of words, or the governor has just sanctioned such behaviors.

Time to Retire the Pledge of Allegiance....

I grew up beginning each school day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.  I knew it, I believed it.  It embodied what I hoped America would be.

Sadly, I have come to see that, more and more, the lofty ideals it contains have very little correlation with the realities of America, especially in recent decades.  And if we do not return to those ideals, then it is a lie - and it should be relegated to history.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.”  Our states are not united in any way, shape, or form.  We are a loose federation of self-serving states, each one intent on pursuing it’s own interests and agendas - and the good of the nation and the Constitution be damned.  And no, I can think of no more appropriate way to characterize that outlook.

“And to the Republic for which it stands.”  The account is given of a conversation between Benjamin Franklin and Mrs. Powel of Pennsylvania:

“Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?”

“A republic,” replied Franklin, “if you can keep it.”

The Founders strenuously resisted setting up a democracy.  They recognized that democracies all meet the same fate: they devolve into struggles between factions and die.  Thomas Jefferson said, "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine." Benjamin Franklin observed that “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.”  And Alexander Hamilton, lionized in the musical, Hamilton, stated, “It has been observed by an honorable gentleman, that a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved, that no position in politics is more false than this. The ancient democracies, in which the people themselves deliberated, never possessed one feature of good government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity.” 

The idea of a Republic, based on Constitutionally defined principles and God-given rights protected from government intrusion and infringement was the goal.  It wasn’t perfect.  It initially incorporated compromises that were intended to be short-term, that were enacted in an effort to hold the fledgling Republic together.  The Founders were fully cognizant of its shortcomings.  That’s why they built in mechanisms by which laws - and even the Constitution itself - could be changed to eventually protect the rights of ALL of our citizens.  The incorporation of the amendatory process was the poison pill for the institutions of slavery and misogyny.

Instead, the citizens of our country have overwhelmingly chosen the tyranny of democracy.  Our schools and universities incorrectly teach and promote the misconception that we are a democracy.  The warning given by Hamilton (who, by the way, was an elitist who bought slaves on behalf of his family and was far from being the abolitionist the musical portrays him to be) has become a reality.  In its quest to be a true democracy, this country is destroying itself.  The Republic is dead.

“One nation.” We are not one nation, we are a conglomerate of many nations and interests, each intent on serving itself and imposing its will on others.  Once upon a time, those who came to America did so with the idea and intent of becoming as American as possible.  They gave up their native languages and learned english.  They learned new cultural norms. And they encouraged their children to fully adopt their new identity, to become AMERICAN.  They personified what Teddy Roosevelt wrote in his essay, “True Americanism”: “... We do not wish German-Americans and Irish-Americans who figure as such in our social and political life; we want only Americans, and, provided they are such, we do not care whether they are of native or of Irish or of German ancestry. We have no room in any healthy American community for a German-American vote or an Irish-American vote, and it is contemptible demagogy to put planks into any party platform with the purpose of catching such a vote. We have no room for any people who do not act and vote simply as Americans, and as nothing else...” That I am of german and dutch ancestry is incidental to the fact that I am an AMERICAN, yet this country has turned that idea on its head.  We are not “one nation”, we are a collection of nations in which everything comes before -American: german-american, mexican-american, asian-american, african-american, the list goes on.  And every flag, linguistic, and ethnic designation takes precedence over the idea that we are, first and foremost, Americans.

“Under God.” This is self evident.  We have declared ourselves to be a secular society.  Humanism is the religion of America.  Religion has no place in the public arena.  The ten commandments are removed from court houses.  Religious sculptures are removed from the public square.  People who declare themselves to be “Christians” divorce themselves from what they claim to believe in order to vote for individuals who in no way, shape, or form exemplify God’s values, arguing that we don’t elect a “pastor-/theologian-in-chief”.  Yet we continue to invoke God’s blessing on the USA.

“Indivisible.” Do I really need to say more about this?  We are divided and fractured along every conceivable line.

“With liberty and justice for all.”  While we have come a long way in this regard, we have far to go. Discrimination is an ever-present factor in our society.  Delivery of justice is arbitrary.  We are far from achieving the goal enunciated by Teddy Roosevelt in his essay: “... We believe in waging relentless war on rank-growing evils of all kinds, and it makes no difference to us if they happen to be of purely native growth. We grasp at any good, no matter whence it comes. We do not accept the evil attendant upon another system of government as an adequate excuse for that attendant upon our own; the fact that the courtier is a scamp does not render the demagogue any the less a scoundrel...” It is an indisputable fact that blacks were brought here as slaves, that laws have been promulgated over the years to keep them “in their place,” and that they were exterminated in large numbers when their usefulness ended.  It is an indisputable fact that chinese were brought here as indentured servants to build our railroads, work canneries in Alaska, and man our laundries.  When a section of the railroad was completed in the Snake River canyon, hundreds of chinese workers were herded into a cave and its mouth was dynamited.  It is an indisputable fact that, in no small part, our nation’s infrastructure and wealth was built in the back of slaves and indentured servants.  And it is an indisputable fact that many who call themselves “Christians” have coopted, contaminated, the message of the Bible to justify their treatment of minorities.  We have and we continue to deny justice and liberty to all.

There are many things that I am NOT saying here.  There is simply not time or space to cover everything, so please don’t PRESUME that you know where I stand on an issue based solely on what I have said here; you will likely be wrong. But it has become painfully evident to me that the Pledge of Allegiance has no correlation with the realities of life in America.  It is time to stop pretending otherwise.

Michigan H.R 5717...

Members of the Michigan state house of representatives are trying to make use of the pandemic to push through H.R. 5717, a bill that will impose a 30% tax on firearms, a 50% tax on ammunition, raise the age to buy both firearms and ammo to 21, and require a FEDERAL license to purchase both.

This law is unConstitutional, already declared so by the Supreme Court - in 1943.

Murdock v. Pennsylvania, 319 U.S. 105 (1943), from the syllabus:

“Murdock v. Pennsylvania

No. 480

Argued March 10, 11, 1943

Decided May 3, 1943*

319 U.S. 105

[...] A State may not impose a charge for the enjoyment of a right granted by the Federal Constitution. P. 319 U. S. 113.

5. The flat license tax here involved restrains in advance the Constitutional liberties... and inevitably tends to suppress their exercise. P. 319 U. S. 114...

7. Since the privilege in question is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution, and exists independently of state authority, the inquiry as to whether the State has given something for which it can ask a return is irrelevant. P. 319 U. S. 115.

8. A community may not suppress, or the State tax, the dissemination of views because they are unpopular, annoying, or distasteful. P. 319 U. S. 116...”

Yes, this law is VERY unConstitutional.

Gov. Whitmer: Refund Motorized Watercraft Registration Fees....

Governor, 

Since according to your EO’s and your interpretation of them we can’t use our motorboats or other motorized watercraft, it is only right that all registration fees paid for this year be refunded to all affected owners.

Mr. President, Rescind The Prohibition Against Truckers Exercising Their Second Amendment Rights...

“The 15,000-member SBTC is calling on federal authorities to preempt state and local laws regarding the right to carry a firearm.

Therefore, in accordance with the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, we hereby request the U.S. Department of Transportation please issue a preemption order nullifying any and all state and local laws that restrict truck drivers from carrying firearms across state lines throughout America in order to enable them to protect themselves and their cargo as they engage in interstate commerce.

As this is now a matter of life and death, please issue same forthwith.”

I fully agree.  Truckers are background checked.  They are susceptible to violent crime, especially during times of social unrest; truck stops are not the safest places on the interstate.  It is not possible to provide protection to every truck on the road; the right to defense of those who transport the necessities of life must be protected.

Please sign this petition!

White House Petition to Rescind the DOT prohibition Against Truckers Carrying Firearms

Gov. Whitmer: A Word Regarding Chloroquine And Covid-19....

From the CDC:

“Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine

 “Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are oral prescription drugs that have been used for treatment of malaria and certain inflammatory conditions. Chloroquine has been used for malaria treatment and chemoprophylaxis, and hydroxychloroquine is used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and porphyria cutanea tarda. Both drugs have in-vitro activity against SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and other coronaviruses, with hydroxychloroquine having relatively higher potency against SARS-CoV-2 [1,4,5]. A study in China reported that chloroquine treatment of COVID-19 patients had clinical and virologic benefit versus a comparison group, and chloroquine was added as a recommended antiviral for treatment of COVID-19 in China [6]. Based upon limited in-vitro and anecdotal data, chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are currently recommended for treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in several countries. Both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have known safety profiles with the main concerns being cardiotoxicity (prolonged QT syndrome) with prolonged use in patients with hepatic or renal dysfunction and immunosuppression but have been reportedly well-tolerated in COVID-19 patients.

Due to higher in-vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 and its wider availability in the United States compared with chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine has been administered to hospitalized COVID-19 patients on an uncontrolled basis in multiple countries, including in the United States.  One small study reported that hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with azithromycin reduced detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in upper respiratory tract specimens compared with a non-randomized control group but did not assess clinical benefit [7]. Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are associated with QT prolongation and caution is advised when considering these drugs in patients with chronic medical conditions (e.g. renal failure, hepatic disease) or who are receiving medications that might interact to cause arrythmias.
Hydroxychloroquine is currently under investigation in clinical trials for pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and treatment of patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19. In the United States, several clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection are planned or will be enrolling soon.  More information on trials can be found at:  https://clinicaltrials.gov/external icon.
”There are no currently available data from Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) to inform clinical guidance on the use, dosing, or duration of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.  Although optimal dosing and duration of hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 are unknown, some U.S. clinicians have reported anecdotally different hydroxychloroquine dosing such as: 400mg BID on day one, then daily for 5 days; 400 mg BID on day one, then 200mg BID for 4 days; 600 mg BID on day one, then 400mg daily on days 2-5,” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/therapeutic-options.html, emphasis added.

No, it isn’t a proven therapy.  Certainly not the proven cure the president appears to make it out to be, but the fact is that Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine, particularly in combination with azithromycin, are being used WITH GOVERNMENT APPROVAL to treat coronavirus, apparently with at least some beneficial effects.  You are wrong to threaten to penalize doctors for using a therapy that even the CDC recognizes to have potential therapeutic effect.

I do not support Pres. Trump.  I take what he says with a healthy dose of skepticism.  However, just as I did not automatically dismiss everything said by former Pres. Obama - despite my disagreements with so many of his policies and positions - so I also do not automatically dismiss everything said by Pres. Trump, despite my many disagreements with him and general disregard for his character.  But let’s not make the mistake of allowing disagreements with, or disregard for him to prevent us from making use of all the tools we have at our disposal for fighting this virus just because he is the one advocating for it.

A petition calling on the governor to rescind this ban can be found here: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/gov-whitmer-rescind-your-ban-of-off-label?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=&quote_id=quote4&title_id=title2&recruiter=15451848&loc=dashboard

03/26/2020: US Reaches 1,000 Coronavirus Deaths....

In related news, the mortality rate for pneumonia in the US SO FAR this season is 7.1% (compared to a mortality rate of 2-3% for coronavirus), just .2% under the threshold of 7.3%, the point at which an epidemic is declared, with 38 million flu illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths from flu.  Per the CDC, the rate of children getting the flu this season EXCEEDS the rate experienced by children during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

But we're not hearing about any of that.

A little perspective.

No, the World Health Organization is NOT Advising Against Using Ibuprofen....

I took the following screenshot from the World Health Organization’s Twitter page.  You will notice the March 18, 2020 date.

Careening Towards Bankruptcy...

Ok.  Unless we can get a grip on the panic the media are driving regarding the coronavirus, we are literally going to bankrupt people.  The stock market lost thousands of points last week, and it is gearing up for more losses this week.

There are illnesses out there that have put more people in the hospital and taken far more lives in the US alone than the corona virus has worldwide.  And because the media are feeding a steady stream of gloom and doom, sky is falling hysteria, the retirements of thousands of people are on the verge of being wiped out - your parents, my parents, anyone with an investment-based retirement.

This has gotten out of hand.  It cannot be allowed to continue.  We cannot afford to buy into the hysteria.

The panic ends here and now.