Open Mike

[Ventura Patriot]

  

By popular demand, we created this forum to cover almost any topic your heart desires.  The Forum name, "Open Mike" refers to the tradition that some comedy and music clubs have of offering all comers the opportunity to perform live impromptu at their establishments, with any material they come up with that is consistent with the theme and policies of that organization (in our case, the Mission statement in "Read Me" section), We'll even consider stuff not consistent, if you can persuade us that changes are needed.

 

Note to readers/posters: Reader comments are in chronological, indented sequence, with the newest ones on the higher-numbered pages below.  You must be registered on this site to post. You may have to scroll/page down to get to where you want to be. 

 

[Ventura Patriot]

Race Card

PDFversion

[Don W]

Thomas Jefferson Would Be Considered A Tea Party Extremist

If He Was Around Today

Thomas Jefferson was radically anti-tax, pro-gun and anti-central bank.  He loved precious metals, he openly acknowledged a “Creator” and he wanted to add an amendment to the Constitution which would ban the federal government from going into debt.  If he was around today, he would be considered a “nutjob”, an “extremist”, a “fascist” and even a “potential terrorist“.  But of course Jefferson was none of those things.

Rather, Jefferson was a great thinker, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and our third President.  Below, I have shared a list of 13 famous Jefferson quotes (13 for the 13 colonies that originally founded America) that show just how far America has fallen away from our founding principles.  I think that most of you will be very shocked when you read this list…

#1 “It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”

#2 “If we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy.”

#3 “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

#4 “I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries; as long as they are chiefly agricultural; and this will be as long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of America. When they get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe.”

#5 “To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.”

#6 “And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity in the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”

#7 “Paper is poverty,… it is only the ghost of money, and not money itself.”

#8 “It is said that our paper is as good as silver, because we may have silver for it at the bank where it issues. This is not true. One, two, or three persons might have it; but a general application would soon exhaust their vaults, and leave a ruinous proportion of their paper in its intrinsic worthless form.”

#9 “The incorporation of a bank and the powers assumed [by legislation doing so] have not, in my opinion, been delegated to the United States by the Constitution. They are not among the powers specially enumerated.”

#10 “That we are overdone with banking institutions which have banished the precious metals and substituted a more fluctuating and unsafe medium, that these have withdrawn capital from useful improvements and employments to nourish idleness, that the wars of the world have swollen our commerce beyond the wholesome limits of exchanging our own productions for our own wants, and that, for the emolument of a small proportion of our society who prefer these demoralizing pursuits to labors useful to the whole, the peace of the whole is endangered and all our present difficulties produced, are evils more easily to be deplored than remedied.”

#11 “Certainly no nation ever before abandoned to the avarice and jugglings of private individuals to regulate according to their own interests, the quantum of circulating medium for the nation — to inflate, by deluges of paper, the nominal prices of property, and then to buy up that property at 1s. in the pound, having first withdrawn the floating medium which might endanger a competition in purchase. Yet this is what has been done, and will be done, unless stayed by the protecting hand of the legislature. The evil has been produced by the error of their sanction of this ruinous machinery of banks; and justice, wisdom, duty, all require that they should interpose and arrest it before the schemes of plunder and spoliation desolate the country.”

#12 “I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its Constitution; I mean an additional article, taking from the federal government the power of borrowing.”

#13 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable Rights; that among these, are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness; that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

Sadly, great statesmen like Thomas Jefferson are in very short supply today.

At this point, most of our politicians are millionaires that have totally sold out to the elite.

And if “another Thomas Jefferson” did show up on the national political stage today, he would be treated like garbage.  The amount of abuse that is heaped on those considered to be “Tea Party extremists” these days is absolutely staggering.  The following are just a few recent examples that demonstrate this…

-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the following during a radio interview last Friday: “Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are.”

-An article that recently appeared on a prominent liberal news websites had this striking headline: “Frankly, Koch Brothers Deserve the Death Penalty“.

-Professor Terrence Moore recently explained that it is now common practice for textbooks across the United States to use the term “fascist” for all “right-wing extremist groups”: “In the margin of the teachers edition, the teacher is instructed to explain the term ‘fascist’ to the students and to point out that the term ‘fascist’ is now applied to all right-wing extremist groups.”

The sad truth is that Thomas Jefferson wouldn’t have a prayer of making it to the White House today.

In fact, he would probably be blackballed by both major political parties.

America is in decline, and it is not because the principles that this nation was founded upon have failed.

Rather, one of the primary reasons why America is falling apart is because we have rejected the principles that were handed down to us by men like Jefferson.

Shame on us.

 

---

By Michael Snyder

http://www.rightsidenews.com/2014012133768/editorial/rsn-pick-of-th...

[John P. Sinek]

Fire the Speaker--Your signatures are needed. Sign the petition here:

https://firethespeaker.act.freedomworks.org/?source=GDNfirespeaker&...

John Boehner has been an utter disaster since before he cried tears on the floor. I can remember this fool applauding the other fool, Bush, as the president unconstitutionally diverted billions to medicare as a sop to seniors.  Boehner is a big government champion and needs to be sent searching for a job selling used Buicks.

[Ventura Patriot]

Extortion 17 Press Conference

By David LaRocque

Friends,

 

I have devoted a large part of my Sunday morning to listening to the entire press conference conducted on May 9, 2013 by Attorney Larry Klayman on behalf of the families of the Navy SEALs and the other victims of the unexplainable tragedy of the antiquated Chinook helicopter, built in 1964, which was heavily loaded with Special Forces personnel and flown into a hot zone in a mountain valley in Afghanistan and shot down.

 

There was no suppressing fire, no pre-launch landing zone preparation, no air cover, and strong evidence that the enemy had advance knowledge of the mission.

 

Navy SEAL Extortion 17 EXPOSED - Obama Failures

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqtJrJ40Cio&feature=player_embedded

 

 

Here is a list of the Navy SEALs who were killed on Extortion 17 on August 6, 2011:

 

Please take a moment today to remember the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen warriors of Extortion 17.  Two years ago on this day, August 6th, we lost 31 brave Americans.   These special operators were lost when their CH-47 Chinook was shot down while on the way to reinforce a group of Army Rangers who were engaged in the unforgiving Wardak Province of Afghanistan.  To the families of these brave men, we salute you and will never forget the sacrifices that were made for all of us.  We are forever grateful.

SGT Alexander J. Bennett
SPC Spencer Duncan
CWO Bryan J. Nichols
CWO David R. Carter
SSG Patrick D. Hamburger
TSgt John W. Brown
SSgt Andrew W. Haand 
TSgt Daniel L. Zerbe
PO1 (SEAL) Darrick C. Benson
CPO (SEAL) Brian R. Bill
PO1 (SEAL) Christopher G. Campbell
PO1 Jared W. Day
PO1 John Douangdara & Navy SEAL Dog “Bart”
CPO (SEAL) John W. Faas
CPO (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston
Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall
MCPO (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais
CPO (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason
CPO (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills
CPO Nicholas H. Null
PO1 (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman
SCPO (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff
CPO (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves
CPO (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson
PO2 (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar
PO1 Michael J. Strange
PO1 (SEAL) Jon T. Tumilson
PO1 (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn
SCPO Kraig M. Vickers
PO1 (SEAL) Jason R. Workman

http://navyseals.com/3101/extortion-17-remember-our-brothers/

 

 

 

The pain which these families are experiencing is palpable. One cannot watch this without being choked up. Yet these families are getting no answers to the many questions about how this happened. What they are getting from this administration is lies.

 

Charlie Strange’s description of his encounter with Obama at Dover AFB when his son Michael’s remains arrived in the U.S. is particularly outrageous.

 

These Americans are pleading with the American people to support them in exposing the lies and changing the way things are being done in our military services. The least we can do is to take the time to hear them out.

 

This tragedy, together with the Benghazi massacre, are two of the most dramatic indications that something is seriously wrong with our government and in our military services.

 

The message below was sent to a friend and colleague at TWA who is also a fellow naval aviator, and whose son is a Navy SEAL with the rank of admiral in the Navy. In past correspondence, Tom has disagreed with me with respect to my concerns about what happened on Extortion 17 and at Benghazi. I am hoping that he may be ready to reconsider his views.

 

DL

 

From: David LaRocque [mailto:[e-mail]] 
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2014 7:33 AM
To: XXXX
Subject: Extortion 17 Press Conference

 

Tom,

 

Have you seen this video? It is a bit long, but every minute of it is powerful:

 

Navy SEAL Extortion 17 EXPOSED - Obama Failures

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqtJrJ40Cio&feature=player_embedded

 

 

If nothing else, I highly recommend that you hear the part starting at 2:13:40 which leads into comments by Billy Vaughn and his wife Karen Vaughn, parents of NAVY SEAL Aaron C. Vaughn, who was killed in the attack on Extortion 17.

 

I would be interested in your thoughts on Mr. Vaughn’s remark as well as those of his wife.

 

Dave

[Ventura Patriot]

Bill Clinton's Amazing Military Career:

Oh! You didn't know he had a military career?

Bill and Hillary got about $12 million for their to-be written memoirs. Here's some help for them since their memories are getting old.

Bill Clinton registers for the draft on September 08, 1964, accepting all
contractual conditions of registering for the draft. Selective Service Number
is 326 46 228.

Bill Clinton classified 2-S on November 17, 1964.

Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on March 20, 1968.

Bill Clinton ordered to report for induction on July 28, 1969.

Bill Clinton refuses to report and is not inducted into the military.

Bill Clinton reclassified 1-D after enlisting in the United States Army Reserves on August 07, 1969, under authority of COL. E. Holmes.

Clinton signs enlistment papers and takes oath of enlistment.

Bill Clinton fails to report to his duty station at the University of Arkansas ROTC, September 1969.

Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on October 30, 1969, as enlistment with Army
Reserves is revoked by Colonel E. Holmes and Clinton now AWOL and subject to arrest under Public Law 90-40 (2) (a) - registrant who has failed to
report...remain liable for induction.

Bill Clinton's birth date lottery number is 311, drawn December 1,
1969, but anyone who has already been ordered to report for induction is INELIGIBLE!

Bill Clinton runs for Congress (1974), while a fugitive from justice under Public Law 90-40.

Bill Clinton runs for Arkansas Attorney General (1976), while a fugitive from justice.

Bill Clinton receives pardon on January 21, 1977, from President Carter.

Bill Clinton becomes the FIRST PARDONED FEDERAL FELON ever
to serve as President of the United States .

All these facts come from Freedom of Information requests, public laws, and various books that have been published, and have not been refuted by Clinton.

After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, President Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.

After the 1995 bombing in Saudi Arabia , which killed five U.S. military personnel, Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.

After the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia , which killed 19
and injured 200 U.S. military personnel, Clinton promised that those
responsible would be hunted down and punished.

After the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, which killed 224 and
injured 5,000, Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.

After the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 and injured 39 U.S.
sailors, Clinton promised that those responsible be hunted down and punished.

Maybe if Clinton had kept those promises, an estimated 3,000 people in New York and Washington, DC , who are now dead would be alive today.

THINK ABOUT IT! It is a strange turn of events. Hillary gets $8 Million for her forthcoming memoir. Bill gets about $12 Million for his memoir yet to be written. This from two people who spent 8 years being unable to recall anything about past events while under oath.

Sincerely,
Cdr. Hamilton McWhorter USN (ret)

P.S. Please forward this to as many people as you can!

We don't want this woman to even THINK of being President!
seems like that is all she is thinking about lately

[Nancy Larned]

I have already watched the entire video, and parts of it twice. There has been no real investigation of this tragedy. I can only come to one conclusion. Our soldiers were sacrificed for political reasons, and the people in charge of this mission...all the way up to the top...are EVIL!

[Ventura Patriot]

I hope this poster circles the globe.

If it weren't for the United States military,

There'd be NO United States of America .


THE FINAL INSPECTION

The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'no, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'
~Author Unknown~

It's the Soldier, not the reporter

Who has given us the freedom of the press.

It's the Soldier, not the poet,

Who has given us the freedom of speech.

It's the Soldier, not the politicians that ensures

Our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It's the Soldier who salutes the flag, 
Who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag.

[Charles Wierzbicki]

After immense backlash and a boycott from the Republican National Committee, MSNBC President Phil Griffin has issued an apology for a tweet sent out on MSNBC's official Twitter page yesterday accusing "right wingers" of hating biracial families. Here is the full apology, courtesy of Dylan Byers at POLITICO:

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/01/30/msnbc-presiden...

[Charles Wierzbicki]

Far-left congressman from California, Henry Waxman, a 40-year House veteran, announced his retirement Wednesday, blaming the pro-constitution, limited government Tea Party movement. 

“It’s been frustrating because of the extremism of Tea Party Republicans,” said Waxman. “Nothing seems to be happening.” Waxman may have forgotten about Obamacare, which is a takeover of 1/6 of the American economy, placing the nation’s healthcare system under control of politicians and bureaucrats. 

Waxman joins a growing surge of democrats who have recently announced that they will not seek re-election. 

http://www.tpnn.com/2014/01/30/leftist-congressman-henry-waxman-ret...

[Charles Wierzbicki]

Cheerios recently released a commercial (video below) where a mother and father explained to their daughter that she was soon to have a baby brother. The commercial was a nice, wholesome commercial that left the viewer feeling good. However, the cynical bigots at MSNBC just had to ruin it for everybody.

Because the parents in the commercial were biracial, MSNBC used it as an opportunity to display their prejudice and attempt to lash out at conservatives but, instead, came off looking terrible. MSNBC tweeted:

 

While I cannot speak for every single conservative in America, I can honestly say that when I saw the commercial, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. I did not witness a biracial family but, instead, just witnessed a family and cutesy commercial.

While race still remains a tricky issue in America, it seems clear that the wounds of racial tensions are not being ever-widened by conservatives, but by self-claimed “tolerant” liberals who, at their core, are anything but.

This isn’t the first time this has been an issue. In fact, it has been exactly one month since the last inexcusable racial tirade from MSNBC.

On December 29^th, 2013, Melissa Harris-Perry was joined by a panel of fellow elite liberals in a comical segment to try and caption photos taken from throughout the year. As it was a light-hearted segment centered around comic relief, Harris-Perry could be forgiven for a bit of off-color humor. However, humor turned to ugly bigotry in short order as the seething liberals laid eyes on a Romney Family picture that included Kieran Romney, Mitt Romney’s adopted grandson who is black.

Immediately, the gasps and muted laughter rang out from the panel and as Harris-Perry calmly asked for a caption for the photo, Pia Glenn, off camera, began singing “One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just isn’t the same”- a Sesame Street song that highlights the differences between objects.

The panel continued to laugh and a panelist offered his prejudice disguised as wit by saying, “It sums up the diversity of the Republican party and the RNC, where they have the whole convention and they find the one black person.”

Disgusting.

It was a month before that that MSNBC’s Martin Bashir lashed out at Sarah Palin by discussing specific punishments for slaves that included urinating and defecating in another slave’s mouth, which Bashir suggested would be an appropriate act to be wrought upon Sarah Palin.

That came several days after MSNBC’s Alec Baldwin hurled anti-gay slurs at a photographer on the street.

The list goes on. MSNBC has a long history of intolerant behavior and yet still, amazingly, has the gall to try and label conservatives as intolerant.

Pointing out the hypocrisy is all well and good, but things need to change. We on the right have been abused and labeled as intolerant for too long when it has been the race-hustlers and the liberal elite bigots that continue to pick at the scab of racial tensions in America.

If we are going to progress as a nation in terms of race relations, we must be willing to out the bigots who preach tolerance, but too-seldom practice it.

WATCH

 

http://www.tpnn.com/2014/01/30/msnbc-and-the-bigotry-of-the-liberal...

[Don W]

KVTA to drop Mark Levin!

Starting Monday March 3rd Mark Levin will no longer be broadcast by Ventura's KVTA 1590.

The new schedule will include:

Rush Limbaugh 9 to 12 noon

Shawn Hannity 12 to 3 pm

Glenn Beck 3 to 6 pm

various junk 6pm to Midnight

I suggested saving Levin and fill the 6 to 9pm slot with his program.

They weren't receptive.

Anyone want to help here?

[Don W]

After CPAC: What conservatives are still missing

By Allen West

One of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s statements at CPAC 2014 has my complete agreement: “you have to convey the message of what you are for, not just what you are against.”

One of the lessons I learned early on in my military career that I have carried since is “anyone can tell what the issue is or state what the problem is, but a leader tells you what the solutions are.”

For conservatives it is time we turn principles into policies – not get all tied up in details that confuse, but focus on simple points that reflect the concerns of the American people.

A great example is the issue of education. Right now the progressive socialists of the Democrat party are lining up on the side of the teachers’ unions. We recently reported on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s attack against the Success Academy Charter School in Harlem. Why aren’t we hearing more conservatives talk about school choice, vouchers, charter schools – in other words, better educational opportunities for America’s children, especially minority children?

No conservative should be lining up behind the insidious common core education initiative, basically an expansion of big government into the realm of education, which should be a local issue. Where are the conservative voices talking about a 21st century education policy vision that is consistent with our principles?

How do we present a roadmap that makes education relevant and develops productive members of our society, rather than test-taking drones? How do we examine the means by which we promote critical thinking skills and skill development by educational partnering with the private sector?

When I think of how conservatives can connect across every community and demographic in America on this subject… here is a clear example of policy inclusiveness, not outreach. We just need to take the message out there. I can’t imagine any mother who would reject a plan to better educate her children and prepare them to achieve greatness and success through maximizing their opportunities.

What I saw missing from CPAC was an understanding that Americans hunger for a particular image. Americans thought Obama possessed it — an image of concerned and caring leadership. It is an image that exemplifies the best of America and reflects the triumph of the indomitable American individual spirit.

It does not spring from numbers and detailed calculations. It is conveyed by someone Americans believe they can invite into their homes who cares for them and their future. The image should not be of someone who offers handouts, but if there is no compelling alternative, voters willingly lower their standards and fall for the giver of gifts.

My mom taught me that “self-esteem comes from doing estimable things.” and sitting home in Section 8 housing waiting for a “gubmint” check ain’t promoting self-esteem. Conservatives need someone who honestly relfects what America is and what she can be as we restore this Republic. Someone who can explain in simple terms a vision of growth, opportunity, and prosperity — not shared — but policies and conditions that create the pursuit of happiness — not the false promise of guaranteed happiness.

The other key aspect of leadership, woefully ignored at CPAC, is the importance of the Commander-in-Chief, a warrior-statesman who not only makes sure the American people know he or she cares — but convincingly demonstrates they will be protected.

Such a leader must be strong enough to sit down at a table with autocrats, theocrats, despots, dictators and garner their respect, if not fear. Consider when Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and told Mr. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”

That simple statement inspired a drive for liberty and freedom behind the wall which eventually resulted in its collapse. Today we are faced with a threat from Vladimir Putin who seeks to rebuild that wall.

America is looking for a leader who won’t call Putin for a 60- or 90-minute dissertation, but places a five-minute call to state the case and the consequences, and then hangs up — because the actions will speak for themselves.

We need leadership that looks square in the eyes of the mad mullahs and ayatollahs and lets them know Islamic totalitarianism and terrorism is a non-starter — and will be crushed. America is looking for a leader who lets the Chinese know our allies in Japan and the Philippines will not see their sovereign territories subsumed by aggressive actions.

We need a leader who tells Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah and Hamas that Israel is our ally and no solutions are viable as long as terrorists abide under their umbrella of protection.

The world knows President Obama is a liar and his progressive socialist agenda is failing. America needs to know what conservatives – constitutionalists — will do to restore the exceptionalism of America, and the dream that says regardless of where you were born or where you come from, your greatness can be achieved here in this place: the land of the free, because we are the home of the brave.