Questions of Perspective

By William L. Garvin

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. . . .”Charles Dickens, A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Recent Supreme Court decisions continue to define the cultural field of war and harden battle lines.  Chief Justice John Roberts continues to display amazing agility by ignoring plain language and resorting to “intent” in his ruling on Obamacare and then becomes a strict constructionist in his dissent on gay marriage.  Apparently he can have his cake and eat it too!

Now that he has extended federal subsidies for health care to those states without exchanges, what must they be thinking about all that time and money wasted setting up state exchanges?  It’s not as if they worked all that well anyway.  After more than $200 million, Hawaii closed down their state exchange as “economically unviable” and joined the shutdown ranks with Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, New Mexico, and Nevada.  So half the state exchanges have failed and proven to be bad ideas poorly executed and now turn to the federal exchange which is even more poorly executed and far more expensive!

In the meantime, all the promised Obamacare savings are gone with the wind.  Oregon expects more than half their plan premiums to be increased from 20 to 38 percent.  Blue Cross and Blue Shield have announced 2016 premium increases of 23% in Illinois; 25% in North Carolina; 31% in Oklahoma; 36% in Tennessee and a whopping 54% in Minnesota!  Furthermore, Aetna has bought up Humana and now Anthem and Cigna are in merger talks.  The “big five” may soon be the “big three” and consumers will have even fewer choices to bundle with their increased premiums and astronomical deductibles.

On the gay marriage front, battle lines center on the struggle between God’s law and Man’s law, between freedom of religion and a “no limits” interpretation of the 14th Amendment.  The ink was scarcely dry on the SCOTUS decision before a married couple in Montana requested a marriage license for a second wife.  Two sterling examples of leftist intolerance spit on Father Jonathan Morris during their gay pride parade.  Oregon levels a $135,000 fine against a bakery for not baking a cake.  After numerous threats and burglaries, the bakery closed down.  Adding insult to injury, Oregon has now issued a gag order and told them they cannot speak out on their views regarding freedom of religion while they appeal.  So no free speech for them either!  In their justification for the $135,000 damages, the plaintiffs allegedly suffered 88 symptoms such as “acute loss of confidence,” “excessive sleep,” feeling “mentally raped,” “resumption of smoking habit,” “impaired digestion” and “loss of appetite” which curiously also led to “weight gain.”

Meanwhile, all three clerks in Decatur County, Tennessee resigned their positions rather than issue same sex licenses.  An Alabama county has stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether.  Another judge has said he will no longer perform courthouse marriages.  Of course, the SCOTUS majority position assures churches and religious institutions that they have nothing to fear.  Apparently they think that the millionaire couple who will sue the Church of England to force them to perform their gay marriage could never happen here.  Tell that to the marriage chapel in Coeur d’Alene.  Tell it to the pizza parlor in Indiana, etc., etc., etc.  Tell it to the New York Times which advocated the loss of tax exempt status for churches saying they should be considered “political entities.”  Their premise is that the SCOTUS ruling makes “clear” that government shouldn’t be “subsidizing” religion and non-profits.

Finally, you’ve probably noticed that the illiberal left never asks a Muslim bakery for a cake or a mosque for a gay marriage ceremony.  Their activism is almost universally targeted at Christians.  So do not be surprised when more and more Christians engage in acts of civil disobedience based on sincerely held religious convictions and do not be surprised when God’s law prevails.  “When in the course of human events….”

'The Illiberal Left' and Tyranny

By William L. Garvin

"Liberals are supposed to believe in diversity, which should include diversity of thought and belief.  Instead, an alarming level of intolerance emanates from the left side of the political spectrum toward people who express views that don't hew to the 'settled' liberal worldview.  The passion for silencing isn't reserved for conservatives or orthodox Christians.  Moderate Democrats, independent minded liberals, and the ideologically agnostic become targets if they deviate on liberal sacred cow issues."

"This intolerance is not a passive matter of opinion.  It's an aggressive illiberal impulse to silence people.  This conduct has become an existential threat to those who hold orthodox religious beliefs.  But increasingly I hear from people across the political spectrum who are fearful not only of expressing their views, but also as to where all of this is heading…It's become clear that the attempts-too often successful-to silence dissent from the liberal worldview aren't isolated outbursts.  They are part of a bigger story."

When the previous sentiments are expressed by conservatives, the authors (whether local or national) are systematically attacked by a "politically correct lynch mob" that fabricates false motivations, repeatedly invokes the insipid "tin foil hat wearing kooks," and engages in politics of personal destruction and vituperation that ranges from kindergarten invective to patently vulgar name calling.  However, the foregoing passage was written by a lifelong liberal Democrat named Kirsten Powers in her book THE SILENCING; HOW THE LEFT IS KILLING FREE SPEECH.  She coins the term "illiberal left" and points out how they are most prevalent on campuses, in the media and how their "tentacles" are expanding into every sector of society.  Their goal is to quash dissent and debate of all "wrong" views and to demonize any who challenge the authoritarian thought police.  Maybe that's why Ms. Powers has seventy pages of footnotes and documentation to support her two hundred pages of text!

For example, in the chapter on "Repressive Tolerance," she notes that the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) documents that in the years 1987-2008, "…138 protests of planned campus speeches led to 62 incidents of an invited guest not speaking.  Yet in just six years-2009 through 2014, 151 protests have caused the cancelation of 62 speeches on campuses across the country."  Of course, conservative speakers are targeted at twice the rate of liberal speakers even though "…conservatives are far less likely to be invited to deliver speeches in the first place."  This is documented by another liberal author and FIRE president Greg Kukianoff in his book FREEDOM FROM SPEECH.

While free and open discussion and debate should be the hallmark of this nation and our educational system, many of the "illiberal left" have a different view of dissent.  For example, prominent environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that "I wish that there were a law you could punish them under" and the Koch brothers should be charged with "treason" for disagreeing with his views on climate change.  This fits in perfectly with the author's premise that "Any person who dissents from the illiberal left's settled dogma is viewed as an enemy to be delegitimized, demonized, and dismissed."

On campus, there is a school of illiberal leftist sharks constantly circling and searching for a real or perceived offense that they can seize upon in a feeding frenzy.  Safe spaces, micro-aggressions, triggers and trigger warnings are their bites for the unwary.  There's a reason why comedians as diverse as George Carlin, Chris Rock, Bill Maher and Jerry Seinfeld avoid universities and mock ingrained liberal hypersensitivity.  This authoritarian "thought police" is the antithesis of a liberal education, of robust debate, of a free and open exchange of ideas.  The entire college campus should be a free speech zone, not a small designated area where permission must be granted and scheduled for use!

Unfortunately, this absurdity has reached the point where a class of delicate hothouse flowers must be safeguarded from any thought, idea, theory or concept that might cause discomfort.  Should anyone deign to challenge their illiberal leftist dogma, they automatically propound that said disrupter is guilty of "hate speech" and must necessarily be destroyed by any means necessary.  There will be no debate; there will be no discussion; there will be no tolerance.  The illiberal left will wallow in their emotional angst, their sufferings "caused" by contrarian viewpoints, and use that fuel to justify retaliation, demonization, and the destruction of opposing voices.  Facts will be irrelevant; context will be irrelevant; truth will be irrelevant; means will be irrelevant.  The only thing relevant is the complete and total destruction of all opposition to their illiberal leftist thought and theory.  Read it and weep.

Some Disconcerting Disconnected Dots

By William L. Garvin

“Some people’s idea of free speech is that they are free to say what they like but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage.”  Winston Churchill

When the Obama administration normalized relations with Cuba, the story was that after fifty years of failed policies, it was time for something new.  After fifty years of failed policies (and $15 trillion dollars!), isn’t it time for something new in the war on poverty?  In his column, Thomas Sowell points out that in the fifties, black poverty was worse than now.  White racism was also worse than now but black crime was less!  In fact, the murder rate was going down among blacks.  Black children mostly had two-parent families and among black married couples, the poverty rate was in single digits.  What changed?  Maybe the “great society” has removed a significant part of society from accountability, responsibility and consequences similar to the white underclass in Britain.

 

Now we have “protestors” marching down the street screaming “What do we want?  DEAD COPS!” and “When do we want it?  NOW!”  Any sensible person would be appalled at the dearth of common sense and decency as they exercise their freedom of speech but it’s a sad fact that their wish is being granted.  Felonious police officer fatalities increased 89% in 2014 over 2013 according to the FBI.  But of course, that’s not news according to mainstream media.  Everyone knows it’s the police who are to blame.

Even in Baltimore, where there is a majority black city council, a black mayor, a black police chief, and nearly 50% black police force, it is still the police at fault.  Remember in March of this year when President Obama and his task force on “21^st Century Policing” praised Baltimore’s police force for “implementing national best practices for policies and training” and for “use of force reforms”?  No, of course you don’t because then you would have to explain the disconnect that occurred in the last two months!  After four years in office, four long years of governing and satisfaction capped by presidential praise, suddenly the Baltimore mayor calls for a DOJ investigation of Baltimore police because of “widespread civil rights abuses.”  The new attorney general is only too happy to oblige.  As per Charlatan Sharpton’s request, one more city is falling under the web of federal consent decrees and we are inching closer to a nationalized police force.

Then there’s disconnected Chris Rock, normally a very funny guy: “It’s not that it’s gotten worse, it’s just that it’s part of the 24-hour news cycle. What’s weird is that it never happens to white kids. There’s no evidence that white youngsters are any less belligerent, you know? We can go to any Wall Street bar and they are way bigger assholes than in any other black bar. But will I see cops stop shooting black kids in my lifetime? Probably not.”  Newsflash for Mr. Rock:  in 2012, the last numbers that I have, 326 whites died in confrontations with police while 123 blacks did as well.  Nobody in the liberal media cares when a white or black cop kills a white teenager or when blacks kill other blacks.  You should care about the truth but apparently you don’t.

Of course, he’s not a journalist but Brooke Baldwin of CNN is.  She added to the “out of control cop” mythology:  “I love our nation’s veterans, but some of them coming back from the war, they don’t know the communities and they are ready to do battle.”  In one stupendously stupid sentence she manages to slur both veterans and police!  Finally forced to apologize, one can’t help but wonder if it was only because she was caught!

Another dot may be, as Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee University warned: "There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs. There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well."  There is also a certain class of “not colored” people who wallow in emotional angst, search for “micro aggressions,” absolve criminal acts but discount hard work as luck, and who excuse crime as an aberration (unless it’s a cop then of course it’s “systemic abuse”).  There’s also a political party that profits by keeping certain segments of society on the voting plantation.  Guess which one! 

Curiouser and Curiouser!

By William L. Garvin

It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the tenor of the times since "the rules" are changing so rapidly.  For instance, did you know that if you labeled someone who burns buildings, loots stores, and throws rocks and concrete at police officers as a "thug," you are a racist?!  According to Baltimore politicians, "thug" is just code for "the n-word"…they should be addressed as "our children" and "misdirected youth."  The Baltimore mayor said it was appropriate that her administration "…gave those who wished to destroy space to do that…."  After all, according to Rep Elijah Cummings, this is "the civil rights cause of this generation."  Of course they now say they are taken out of context and misquoted even though the police "stood down" and did nothing to protect local businesses.  CNN and NPR both noted that Asian properties in particular seemed to be targeted.

Whole Foods and Five Guys also failed to keep up with the times as they furnished sandwiches to the National Guard who had been called in to maintain a semblance of peace and to protect lives and property.  The social backlash became so severe that Whole Foods deleted their publicity post on Facebook.  Chick-fil-A will never even have a chance to upset anyone at Johns Hopkins University since the latter voted to NEVER allow a C-f-A outlet on campus.  Of course they didn't allow their distinguished alumnus, neurosurgeon, and now presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson to speak at their commencement either.  The intolerance of the radical left is staggering and pervasive.  Dr. Carson will soon get the Clarence Thomas, Sarah Palin, Robert Bork character assassination treatment.

Curiously, a four-year old girl in Colorado was not allowed to eat the Oreo cookies her mother had packed in her lunch and her mom received a rude reprimand via a note in the girl's lunchbox.  Oreos must be very controversial as a Pennsylvania school needed signed parental permission to eat ONE Oreo cookie that was being used as a science demonstration.  Undoubtedly, since three of the six officers arrested in Baltimore are black, we'll be hearing more comments along this line.

Another curiosity is occurring around the Supreme Court hearing regarding same sex marriage.  A couple refused to bake a cake for a same sex wedding because they thought it was morally wrong.  A GoFundMe page was set up to solicit funds to assist them in their defense but GoFundMe shut it down.   Apparently they think such a page is morally wrong!  They also shut down a page designed to support the Baltimore police officers but of course liberal "minds" see no inconsistency.

Michael Moore not only wants to shut down these types of pages, he also wants to shut down and disband ALL police departments.  The "Reverend" Al Sharpton thinks that the police should be federalized.  Maybe if he would pay his taxes, it would help to fund such an undertaking.  His fellow MSNBC anchors Melissa Harris-Perry and Toure Neblett might also kick in their unpaid taxes to aid the "cause."  It would also be helpful if the IRS took the bonuses paid to their employees and credit them toward their unpaid taxes!  By the bye, how does tv anchor Sharpton get to decide whether Fox reporters can ask questions of Baltimore's beleaguered mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake?  No conflict here, move along, nothing to see!

As for you men, if your legs are too far apart when you ride the subway, busses, or trains, you are guilty of "man spread" with your "masculine power dynamic" and "a misbegotten notion of urban masculinity."  However, according to Jin Goh of the Northeastern University Department of Psychology, if you treat women with "kindness and love," or even smiling and showing common courtesy, you are guilty of "benevolent sexism."  "It's a very paternalistic, protective view of women, and it seems kind of appealing as a sort of chivalry," Goh said, "but it does contribute to inequality, because these men don't expect women to achieve high goals."  No wonder you guys are still living at home with your parents and playing video games!

The final curiosity comes from Hillary's "vote for me because I'm a woman" campaign.  "Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will," she asserts.  "And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed."  The Clintons have always believed themselves to be above man's laws.  With access to millions and millions of shady dollars, it wouldn't be at all surprising if she thinks she is also above God's laws.  Her acolytes will welcome such arrogance and breathlessly wait for St. Hillary to ascend man as well as God's throne!  May God save us all!

Here are some thoughts for this week.

While I appreciate the passion in your Op-ed last week, I do not think your conclusions are justified by the facts. I know a lot of "conservative, white Republicans" but have never heard any of them "spew hate" toward Blacks. Thugs of all colors, that's a different story.

You said "Just wait until police on a regular basis gun down white people." The last figures I have are for 2012 and in that year, 326 whites died at the hands of the police as did 123 blacks. Did you know that? It's also important to note that in 2013, white thugs committed 4,396 murders but black thugs (only 13% of the population) committed 5,375 murders. As I'm sure you know, most crimes are committed within one's own racial grouping and as many as 93% of black homicide victims came at the hands of other blacks. Yes, there is a war on blacks but it isn't by law enforcement--it's by other blacks and the Planned Parenthood!

By the way, Officer Brian Moore of NYPD has now died at the hands of a black man. Does anybody even remember the names of the two NYPD officers who were executed by a black man earlier this year? I do. Do you remember all the riots, burning stores, and senseless looting, or the presidential commiseration for these events? I don't because they didn't happen. You of all people should know better than to trust the media or the politicians to tell you the truth. If you have any facts that will show me to be in error, I'm willing to have the discussion because this is important.

A Foolish Charge by Liberal Quixote’s

By William L. Garvin

For some time, media has enabled the Democrat party to lob the social grenade that Republicans hate women and in fact have a “war on women.”  The latest contrived chapter in this fantasy tale is the “equal pay for equal work” canard being foisted upon the American public.  It’s quite disconcerting to watch intelligent people mount liberal steeds and tilt at this fantasy windmill.  Naturally, their trusty Sancho Panza of mainstream media never deigns to correct this deceitful charge. 

You undoubtedly heard that the feminist movement dubbed April 14^th as “Equal Pay Day.”   This is based on the erroneous premise that women make only 77% of what men make and they have to work that far into 2015 to “catch up” with what men made in 2014.  Even the American Association of University Women joined in with a mass mailing perpetuating these falsehoods.  So let’s drill down on these outdated numbers and false premises.

First of all, the 77% number was derived from comparing the median income of all full-time working women and the median income of all full-time working men.  This percentage is not only outdated, it’s virtually useless.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that in 2012 “women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $691.00.  On average in 2012, women made about 81% of the median earnings of male full-time wage and salary workers ($854).”  Using current and accurate figures, “Equal Pay Day” was a month late and should have been March 10th!

A second factor that liberals ignore (for whatever reason) is the amount of time actually worked.  The Department of Labor’s Time Use Survey finds that the average full-time working woman works 7.75 hours per day while the average full-time working man works 8.14 hours per day.  That alone could account for one-quarter of the purported wage gap.  If men work 5% longer, is it surprising that they would make 5% more?  According to economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth, when you compare men and women who both work 40 hours weekly, the gap is even closer at 88%.

Another variable seldom considered is vocational choice.  Men will often pursue more dangerous positions when the money is better.  Men dominate fields such as iron workers, loggers, fishers, policing, manufacturing, mining, and construction which are high-risk, high-reward occupations.  As a result, 92% of work-related deaths in 2012 were men. 

It is also important to look at education.  In 2012 (the latest data available), the Department of Education shows that women earned 57% of bachelor’s degrees, 60% of master’s degrees, 51% of doctorates and nearly half the doctor of medicine and law degrees!  Significantly, a Georgetown University study of academic majors that lead to the greatest compensation found that women were the majority in only one discipline:  petroleum engineering (87% male); pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences (48% male); mathematics and computer sciences (67% male); aerospace engineering (88% male); and chemical engineering (72% male).  In contrast, women chose and dominated four of the five least remunerative majors:  counseling/psychology (74% female); early childhood education (97% female); theology and religious vocations (34% female); human services and community organizations (81% female); and social work (88% female).

Finally, many studies such as those by former Congressional Budget Office director Professor June O’Neill and Professor Marianne Bertrand of the University of Chicago show that when women work at the same jobs as men, with the same accumulated lifetime work experience, they earn essentially the same salaries.  If you compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges, the equal pay myth quickly goes up in smoke.  So the question is why this myth continues and why is it so readily accepted? 

There are already laws on the books such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963 that requires equal pay for equal work and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that allows compensation disputes due to discrimination to be filed (with no statute of limitations!).  It is factually clear that there is no nationwide collusion to keep wages of women down.  There is no evil corporate conspiracy.  What more do feminists want?  Why do Barack Obama, Andrew Cuomo and Patricia Arquette continue to purposely mislead?  Is it ignorance or is it malevolence?  Why do liberal Quixote’s continue to tilt at an imaginary windmill when there are real problems that need to be addressed?  Is it a political conspiracy designed to subordinate truth in pursuit of victory?  Just as Harry Reid is unapologetic about his lies regarding Mitt Romney, so are those who perpetuate the “war on women” and the “equal pay” falsehoods…and that includes the puppet media who fail the American people on a daily basis.  

   

Uncivil Liberties

By William L. Garvin

Apparently many on the fringe left never had mommas that told them "you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."  Then again, many of those same persons seem to have little interest other than forcing their agendas down the throats of everyone else.  Unfortunately, their indiscriminate use of freedom without a concomitant exercise of responsibility does nothing to further rational discussion and only serves to further polarize the nation.

For instance, the left is screaming about the police waging a war against black men.  Then, true to "confirmation bias," they select the few examples of white officers shooting black men all the while ignoring black officers shooting either black or white suspects or police officers ambushed and murdered by blacks.  They complain about the "lack of trust" between the police and minority communities but only focus on law enforcement responsibilities.  There is nothing advocated in regard to changes the minority community itself should be making.  Then you have the "Black Brunch" bunch that thinks it's perfectly acceptable to march into eating establishments and target white people and make them "uncomfortable" with their antics.  They chant the names of their "victims" like Trayvon Martin and Eric Brown perpetuating the "hands up, don't shoot" mythology and shout "for shame."  Since their "minds" are made up, don't confuse them with facts about their cause célèbre.

Another example is occurring on university campuses which kowtow to leftist demands that the movie AMERICAN SNIPER not be shown.  That is, until the backlash occurs.  On one Michigan campus, "protestors" jumped on stage and refused to leave while the movie was being shown.  It's not enough to simply avoid the screening; no, they had to try to prevent others from seeing it as well.  The left continues to pursue its tyranny of the minority.  These delicate souls could just as easily have retreated to their "safe space," a recent college innovation that allows them to be protected from any thoughts or ideas that might conflict with their liberal dogma or actually require logical discussion.

William F. Buckley once noted that "Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views."  Ironically, leftists seem oblivious to the heinous offenses they perpetrate on others while raising "being offended" to an art form.  Take the Memories Pizza Parlor case in Indiana.  An obscure reporter sought out this Christian business (they never seek out Muslim businesses!) and posed the hypothetical improbable "would you cater a gay wedding?"  The odds of this ever occurring are astronomical so the question itself is absurd.  Nonetheless, the owner said she had no problem serving gays in her establishment but she could not participate in a gay wedding ceremony because of her Christian faith.

As soon as her answer was published the wrath of the LGBT community came thundering down.  Hundreds of negative reviews immediately showed up on YELP; the phone lines were constantly ringing and phony orders couldn't be distinguished from legitimate orders; and then came the threats of arson and death.  The pizza parlor had to shut down.

If someone didn't want to cater your wedding, why would you force them to?  If someone didn't want to photograph your wedding, or provide flowers, or make your wedding cake, why would you force them to?  A reasonable person would simply find an alternate source of service for their affair.  A reasonable person would remember the signs that said "no shirt, no shoes, no service," and "management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone."  A reasonable person would understand there is a delicate balance between freedom of religion and non-discrimination that must be sorted out.  An informed person would know that the Indiana law did not give anyone the right to discriminate--it only allowed religious conviction to be raised as a defense should there be a conflict.  Unfortunately, the leftist agenda is not satisfied with just accepting gay marriage, you must support gay marriage.  In fact, the leader of Wyoming Equality posted that "churches that lobby to have freedoms and rights taken away from ANYONE should absolutely have their 501(c) 3 status revoked!"  In other words, if you believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, your church should be punished!

A GoFundMe page was set up for Memories and in a little over a week, nearly 30,000 people (including non-heterosexuals) contributed $842,000.  Memories will make some improvements, has reopened, and will share their new fortune with "disabled children, a woman's help group, firefighters, police trusts, Christian churches, and Washington florist, Barronelle Stutzman, 70, who was fined ($1,000) after declaring she would not serve a gay wedding."  Just as with Chick-fil-A, Memories reopened to a full house.  Most Americans do not like obnoxious bullies of any persuasion.