Thursday, January 3, 2019

Happy and Blessed New Year!

A Happy and Blessed New Year 2019 to all!

Today is also my birthday so I get to philosophize a little.....

I just read an article on CNSnews.com from a Rabbi about morality and how it applies to the border wall debates. Spoiler alert - I agree 100%. There is most certainly a moral component to this issue, but more importantly , there is always a moral component to everything we do and say. many people forget that on social media. I think we all have a duty to society, and ourselves, to try to be better people than we were yesterday.

The author states, "Among the most profound convictions of the Bible is that of personal responsibility. We are responsible to take care of and protect those we have freely chosen to live with: first our family, then our community and nation – in that order. One cannot shirk and displace this priority, this personal responsibility in the name of universalism or mankind."

Exactly right - religion teaches us about the virtues of personal responsibility while government and socialism teaches the opposite - everyone is a victim and has no control over their destiny.

Furthermore he goes on to say that we must DO something after we assume that personal responsibility, which is the action statement fulfilling your destiny. "Turning a blind eye to danger to those who directly depend on you, be it a head of a household or a president to his citizens, in the name of universalism is not moral. Morality is not what makes us feel good about ourselves or looks good to others, rather that which we ought to do, doing that for which we are personally responsible."

You see, once you assume personal responsibility, then the outcomes depend on your actions alone, and it is a call to do something about it. You can no longer sit on the sidelines and complain about your situation. Trust me, no one cares about complainers.

There is a direct biblical reference to helping strangers, but it is often misunderstood in the context of open borders arguments. The stranger was supposed to be respectful of the laws of the foreign land and its people, not an invader who takes what they want. That part is conveniently left out.

The reference is here, "Borders, distinct and sovereign nations are vital. No wonder when speaking to ancient Israel the universal God proffers the people with the following blessing: “And I shall protect your borders so that strangers and enemies not fill your camp and become a thorn in your side.” As with protecting one's home and family residents inside (Exodus: 22), so too the God of humanity prioritizes the legitimate need for protective borders and its citizens inside."


The full article is here... https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/rabbi-aryeh-spero/debunking-two-moral-questions-people-often-ask-support-lax-border

My goal for this New Year is to be more respectful of others - as it is defined in the Bible. That means accepting responsibility for my family and country and continuing to oppose invaders and their allies. I want all Americans to be safe, healthy , happy and prosperous. Like our president said, "Americans are dreamers too."

Let's all have a great year!

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Grave danger new "Red Flag" laws - Beware!

I have previously written about gun violence and how it is tied to mental health issues. This tragic incident highlights why I am RIGHT and we need to be extremely careful about how we make new laws.

According to this website a Maryland man was killed by police officers attempting to confiscate his guns because a family member complained about his state of mind...

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-15/maryland-man-killed-cops-trying-take-his-guns-under-red-flag-confiscation-law?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=idealmedia&utm_campaign=zerohedge.com&utm_term=68923&utm_content=2311730

"Officially called Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO), “red flag” laws permit police, healthcare providers, or family members (or pretty much anyone, really – let’s be honest here) to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves. A judge decides to issue the order based on statements and actions made by the gun owner. After a set period of time, the guns are returned to the owner unless another court hearing extends the period of confiscation."

"Gary J. Willis, a 61-year-old Maryland resident, was killed by police when they showed up at his home at 5 am to serve him with a court order requiring that he surrender his guns."

This is deeply troubling on many levels. There was NO CRIME committed. The person was never arrested. The police attempted to confiscate his guns, but NOT arrest him. DANGER. DANGER. DANGER.

I wrote previously about how we should not do this. If a person is deemed mentally unfit in any way, they should be removed from their homes and taken to a hospital for evaluation by a trained physician, not an irate relative or a clueless judge! Remove the PERSON from the guns, NOT the GUNS from the person. We must have due process for all or we will fall apart as a country. Anyone can claim you are mentally ill or stage a "SWAT event" calling in a fake report to get even with a personal enemy. If we do not have enough evidence to forcefully put a person in a jail or hospital, we should not act. taking away someone' guns leaves them defenseless and is a clear violation of their 2nd and 4th Amendment rights, maybe many more.

It continues - 13 states have red flag laws - lookout!!!

"Police Chief Timothy Altomare said the fatal shooting was a sign that the law is needed: “If you look at this morning’s outcome, it’s tough for us to say ‘Well, what did we prevent?’ ” he said. “Because we don’t know what we prevented or could’ve prevented. What would’ve happened if we didn’t go there at 5 a.m.?” (Shades of MINORITY REPORT coming true - my comments)

Can you wrap your head around that statement? I can’t.

As far as we know, Willis never harmed anyone. Yet, he is dead…because of a law that was supposedly enacted to save lives. If Willis had a history of violence or a criminal record, the police department would surely be talking about it, using it as justification for the man’s murder.

In reality, red flag laws are ripe for abuse.

In an article titled Gun Owners Must Oppose Red Flag Laws, Greg Pruett of Gun Owners of America warns,

A new wave of dangerous laws is being pushed across the United States. These laws don’t require due process and your rights are removed without a crime ever being committed. If this sounds familiar, then it may sound like something out of “Minority Report” with Tom Cruise. Sadly, it isn’t a Hollywood blockbuster, it’s the new America. At least it will be if you don’t fight back.

“Red Flag” laws, also known as “Extreme Risk Protection Orders” or Gun Violence Restraining Orders,” have now passed in 12 states. Even some Republican-controlled states (Indiana and Florida) have passed these laws. They are dangerous to freedom, unconstitutional, and should be more properly termed, “Gun Confiscation Orders.”

As of the time of this writing, 13 states have red flag laws: Connecticut, Indiana, California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Vermont, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Illinois. More are surely coming. Bad ideas tend to spread, and cries for stricter gun control have grown much louder and more common.

Red flag laws are implemented differently in states have have them. Some limit these gun confiscation orders to “immediate family” members, Pruett writes. “But some states, like Oregon, are already expanding their orders to include neighbors, medical professionals, teachers, and other school staff.”

As Scott Boyd of NOQ Report warns,

All it takes is a good story and a sympathetic judge to take away someone’s guns. In this case, it was a relative of the deceased who filed the petition after an incident that occurred in the beginning of the week. We don’t know the details so there’s no way to judge, but the notion that this incident is proof the law is working is the type of circular reasoning gungrabbers will use to encourage more confiscations.

Boyd concludes, Gary J. Willis isn’t dead because he tried to shoot someone. He is dead because someone convinced a judge that he might shoot someone, and now police are hailing this as a success. The PreCrime Departments are pleased with the results.

Red flag laws only benefit the government, and render “we the people” defenseless against the ever-growing police state."

Wake up America - there are socialists and tyrants working every day to take away our freedoms. Some of them are now called Police Chiefs, judges and legislators. There are people that wake up every day and try to figure out how to destroy America. We conservatives need to be vigilant and not give them one inch. We are already on the slippery slope. Freedom isn't free.

I recently attended a Convention of States meeting in Spring, TX and some of the comments were that conservatives mostly want to be left alone - i don't bother you - you don't bother me. Well, that is a great sentiment, but it is not pragmatic. life does not work that way -we need to be more involved. And yes, it is a time sacrifice. One person said, "You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in YOU!" What that means is that the Ocasio-Cortez socialists are working every day to control you and they don't care about playing fair. This is a war for American values and freedom.

On this Thanksgiving day, I am thankful for the opportunity to be free to write about these issues and spread the word before it is too late. I am also thankful for the SECOND Amendment that give us conservatives a chance to continue to be free. Please get involved and stay involved. We need to be vigilant to continue to protect our freedoms for our children and future generations.

Go here to get involved!! pass it along! https://conventionofstates.com/

It is still your country and your country needs you to fight for it.


Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Elections matter analysis

Well that was the craziest mid term election in a long time. I am sure everyone is glad it is over. the question now is - what does it mean and what did it prove? What lessons can we learn from it?

The tv pundits will all comment, but they all seem to want to put their spin on things. I would rather take the engineering approach and look at the facts first.

Facts - This election set records for turnout in a mid term. That is good! If you vote you are invested. I hope all these voters pay more attention now and in the future. When you vote you get a sense of ownership as an investment. I hope everyone who voted holds their elected representatives accountable. Promises are cheap. Execution and results is what counts.

The GOP gained in the Senate and lost in the house. So we will have a divided government. Newsflash - we had a divided government last week too. The R party was divided into several camps, conservatives, RINOs, Dems in disguise, etc. One of the R congressman who lost was Sessions - Conservativereview.com website rated him an F anyway. My comment is - so if a Dem is now the congressman, big deal. We had a guy who voted with Dems 50% of the time anyway and most likely did not support Trump.

For a detailed review of the results see this article: https://www.conservativereview.com/news/10-observations-on-the-failed-blue-wave/

My personal opinion on this is that in a polarized climate - if you are a coward and do NOT take a stand - you will get run over. There are more R congressman with F ratings who may soon follow Sessions out the door. I worked the polls and voters talked to me - some commented that we need new blood in both parties. I AGREE 100%. We have people who do nothing in both parties that obstruct and slow walk everything so they can maintain power. They hide under the radar and say as little as possible to get elected. That's a shame. See this quote "Are we going to continue with the same failed House leadership under Kevin McCarthy? We need Jim Jordan as minority leader for two reasons..."

I think a good house cleaning (pun intended) on both sides is in order.

Maybe my next election slogan will be - "Vote out the Dinosaurs!"


Some of the high points should be obvious -

1. The Kavanaugh hearings made a significant difference energizing voters to come out and vote R even if they did not care for their representative. The Dems overplayed their hand to the point they alienated moderates. The energized voters came from multiple demographic categories (I'm not telling!)

2. Beto energized Dems to vote like never before - but he still lost. NOTE: he is keeping his $MILLIONS of campaign contributions. Did you know that he can pay himself a salary from these funds forever? He does not have to return these funds. He can retire if he wants to.

3. Lukewarm Repubs who stand for nothing except the swamp are a liability - if they do not embrace Trump policies they may lose again. I don't think they care. I remember years ago we had Bob Michel as the R leader - They consistently lost and he was ok with that because he wanted to be bipartisan - he was a great loser. He let the D party walk all over him and all he said was "Thank you." That will be the legacy of Paul Ryan too. He is a never Trumper and an obstacle for moving along the conservative agenda. The article states -
here is the exact quote from the article..


"Republicans only stand to benefit by fully embracing a coherent conservative agenda on immigration, terrorism, crime, and health care to not only jazz up the base and turn out the new Trump voters, but to win back some of those lost suburban votes."


4. We may have gridlock for two years. That could be a blessing or a curse. Too soon to tell. My personal, humble opinion - If the Congress is divided - then the defacto result is that TRUMP has even more power. He can claim to win either way - he can compromise with both parties and look like a great uniter, or he can stand on principle for certain issues - half will criticize him, half will praise him. So.. more of the same. What no one is talking about is that the only pragmatic result of this election is that both parts of Congress made things worse for themselves and they increased Trump's political power. I bet none of the talking heads pick up on that. I guess the political speak for this is "triangulation".


I learned a great deal by working the polls and talking to real people who vote - some of that I am keeping secret! If you want to learn that, I encourage you to work for a candidate or at the polls. It is very hard work, but you will get an education.

I want to close with a very sincere thank you those who supported me and gave me encouragement. I met a very nice lady who brought her 18 year old daughter to vote for the first time. I encouraged her, and encourage all parent to educate their children on AMERICAN history! I will make myself available to speak to young people and anywhere we have an opportunity to teach the next generation about our wonderful history. I will continue my website at mikeryantexas.com and facebook @mikeryanforcongress (if they let me) to hold people accountable, I hope you join me in that effort.

Lastly, remember these words:

As a congressman, James Garfield had stated at the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1876: “Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. … If the next centennial does not find us a great nation … it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”

Demand better! God bless.





Friday, November 2, 2018

Border caravans simple solution

This is going to be a short post. I know there are many opinions on the approaching border caravans, but as a true conservative, one of my strongest reasons for supporting TRUMP is that we must , as responsible adults, support the rule of law. That does not mean we suspend our values or our common sense! Color me guilty, but as an engineer, I always revert to what i think is a simple, effective solution. i am not , as I have said before, loyal to any party. I am loyal to the Constitution! I wish more people would come out and say that publicly.

So, in a nutshell, here is my answer to not allowing the caravan(s) - yes, plural, into our country.

The military has or will be deployed to the border. great first step. the president has stated they will not get in and should return. great second step. Well, if they do get close, president Trump has said that throwing rocks should be considered equal to firearms. I get it. he has to make a stand and say something dramatic.

But the reality, and I have been to the border many times in person, is not so simple. But I am a simple guy. Just ask my wife! many news organizations are playing up this controversy and it makes the sane, reasonable people like myself get stressed out and worn down by all the noise. (clue)

Why doesn't anyone talk about the new SONIC non-lethal weapons we have to disperse crowds - we can use them at the border, this is the perfect application! We don't have to shoot anyone. We only need to keep them away from the border and this solution works!!

If they get across, they have to be dealt with by the legal system, which would bog down , and that is the whole point of this Demoncratic sponsored invasion. if they never reach our soil, we don't have to deal with any legal issues at all.

So... how do we do that without shooting at anyone? Gee... guess what - your tax dollars hard at work have the answer.

see this link: V-MADS, Vehicle Mounted Active Denial System

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmuyLIrSjxI

Finally a government program I can support 100%!!

My next post will be about a lesson on the 14th Amendment - woohoo!

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

The latest on deceptions and misdirection from both parties.


I am really tired of people misusing the English language, and as a conservative, I encourage everyone to educate their children on the proper definitions of words. As Rush Limbaugh says, “words matter.” (Forgive me in advance if my grammer is not perfect - I am an engineer! My wife is the English major.)


https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/terence-p-jeffrey/argument-chuck-schumer-doesnt-have-courage-make



This article combines two topics- the lie about what is defined as reproductive rights, and the misdirection about the R party caring about abortion.

You see, when a D uses the term “reproductive rights” you can bet it means just the opposite. Remember when your little kids used to play “opposite day”? I feel like I am stuck in a time warp every time a D opens their mouths. For the record, CHINA restricts reproductive rights when they force couples to limit their families to only one child. Restricting a birth event is restriction of reproductive rights.

Murder is illegal. Seems like a simple concept to me. I have two doctors in my family, and as I remember from my former medical business experience, their code is simple - “First, do no harm.” IF a pregnant woman is simply left alone, she will have a baby in 9 months. That satisfies the code of medical ethics.

Sometimes they use the term “fetus” to make it sound like a less personal term. I took 3 years of Latin in high school. Guess what the term fetus means in Latin… Bueller? Fetus = baby.

For the record, if you were to take the Libertarian point of view literally you would come to the conclusion that the principle of “you are responsible for your own actions” would also apply here. You can drink and drive, but if you hurt another person, you violate their rights to freedom. If you smoke pot, that’s on you. If you hurt someone else because of that - it’s also on you! The same logic applies to pregnancy. If you agree with that logic, then the only argument left is whether or not a fetus is a baby. I refer you to the above Latin definition and the medical code of conduct.

When does it become a baby? When we detect a fetal heartbeat? At the moment of conception? Apply the logic above in a cold engineering-like manner. What happens if you “do nothing”? It becomes a baby. The R party is a party of cowards, they say they will end funding for Planned Parenthood, but constantly dance around the issue. Magically, the issue goes away whenever it is combined with military and deficit spending priorities. Using classical Socratic logic would indicate that the R party doesn’t care about abortion except as a bargaining chip for more military and deficit spending. Too harsh? Look at the facts. Results matter, not intentions. If you believe that intentions count more, well….. “Hey, officer, I was not trying to speed.” “You still get a ticket.”

The big riots over Justice Kavanaugh were all about abortion. According to many articles I have read, it seems that abortion was a court ordered mandate, not a true law. As such, it may be overturned through a legal process, possibly with a new court decision. That is why everyone is up in arms in the D party - they knew it was never a real law, but legislating from the bench.

Thank GOD Justice Kavanaugh was confirmed. It seems that the search and destroy tactics may well have backfired on the D party. I can tell you from personal experience what the next class of “woke” people is. My wife is furious over these latest antics. She is normally very reserved and does not like to discuss politics, but this is the straw that broke the camel’s back.

The other night one of our children asked us to define ‘feminism”. I thought I was going to answer, but my wife took over and gave an extended version speech about the lunatics on display protesting SCOTUS.

Many conservative women do not talk about politics, but they do have a father, brother, husband, son, etc. that they love. The last thing they want would be to have a family member be falsely accused of a crime by a “feminist.” According to our laws, you need more than one credible witness to convict a person of a crime. That legal principle is rooted in the Bible and other religious texts as well. It is perfectly logical and righteous. We can all relate to some horror story of dating or meeting a less than desirable person of the opposite sex. Some people, men and women, are flat out crazy. But that is a small percentage which can do outsized damage if not confronted with evidence. The talking heads are now saying Dr. Ford was “speaking HER (my emphasis) truth.” What the heck is that? That is not a TRUTH, it is defined as a “perception”. The TRUTH is what the facts indicate. Words really do matter; this is more deception and misuse of language. My wife said, "Feminism is a positive movement, but the Democrats' antics over the Kavanaugh hearing was a gross perversion of it."

My son likes my college story about my rigorous engineering education. That is an understatement; it was brutal. We had a mechanics professor who was very strict and our tests were simple on the surface. 10 questions, 10 points each. Many of the women in the class would go to the professor and ask for partial credit on an answer. “I did the math right, my answer was 3.72 instead of 37.2; I was only off by a decimal.” He would calmly respond, “You build bridge, bridge fall down, NO partial credit.” True story. Then I told my son a few years ago, a bridge literally did fall down in Minnesota. Many people died. Another bridge fell down in Florida, I think, and many more died. Recently another bridge fell down in Genoa, Italy too. Do you want someone like me trained in this manner to design your car’s brakes or the engine in your airplane? Or would you prefer someone who got partial credit?

To all those who D members who tried to derail Justice Kavanaugh - you get no partial credit!

To all those R RINO politicians who use Planned Parenthood (PP) as a bargaining chip to get more funding for deficit spending - you get NO partial credit.

We need to remove completely the issue of government funding for PP and any other issues related to those not specifically mentioned in the TENTH Amendment.

The conservative women of America will vote, I predict, in the greatest number ever in the next election. I hope they do.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Harris County Flood Bond - Vote NO!

I know I am going to get some people mad at me, but every word I say here is the TRUTH. We do not need any stinkin' bonds. This is yet another government tax and spend scam. Please hear me out.

Early voting started Aug. 8 for the $2.5 billion bond referendum proposed to fund the Harris County Flood Control District projects for flood prevention. Early voting continues through Aug. 21, and election day is Aug. 25. I get it, we need money for infrastructure improvements - no argument at all.

First question -Did the state ask and developers to contribute money?? Are they off the hook for overbuilding in many areas???

Second question - based on FACTS - see this website - https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/2016/september/rainy-day.php The state’s ESF balance at the close of fiscal 2016 was $9.7 billion. According to a recent study by the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), that’s equivalent to about 18 percent of Texas’ annual general revenue expenditures, nearly three times more than a nationwide average of 6.5 percent among states with similar funds. If the 2017 legislative session doesn’t tap the rainy day fund, it should contain about $10.3 billion by the end of fiscal 2017 and $11.9 billion at the end of fiscal 2019. We need $2.5 Billion - we have $10 billion in the BANK!! Texas has the "Rainy day fund." It rained for one solid week, I was here along with all of you.

Second question - Why do they insist on taxing us when we have cash in the bank?? HELLO - it's called a RAINY day fund - what do you think a flood is? The argument about matching federal funds is another scam. Those "matching funds' are just more of our tax dollars. Where does the federal gov't get it's money - from us! Are we such sheeple that we just believe everything the politicians tell us and blindly agree to tax us more - the money is already in the BANK - all Texas has to do is spend it now. We don't need any bond issues.

A third point - according to the latest federal spending numbers - the feds collected record revenues from taxes - BUT they also continued to run a $683.9 BILLION DEFICIT! We do not have the money - those matching funds are just another excuse for tax and spend policies. They say it won't increase taxes - hmm, not buying it. It will 100% increase LIABILITIES! and federal DEFICIT Spending. We can avoid the whole scam by just saying NO and forcing the governor to spend the money Texans already have in the bank. NO DEBT, NO INTEREST, No future obligations for our children.. Too simple?

I want to be the (only??) adult in the room that says we don't have the money - but Texas already does. And it won't cost us a penny!! There are only two kinds of money - Money in the bank - called an asset - and money loaned under debt - called a liability. We are not being wise here - we have assets to use, so why are the politicians wanting more liabilities? easy - They want to keep the "rainy day fund" to fund political PORK projects like business incubators! Enough already! Private business doesn't need government "help". Neither do we Texans.. Vote NO on this bond and force the politicians to spend the money in the bank - for its original purpose.

Monday, July 30, 2018

Are tariffs a good thing? Study history.

On several occassions I have spoken with younger folks from the party and had many discussions about the income tax. Everyone loves to hate it, fair enough. BUT - I get blank stares when I ask what I thought was a simple question - How did the USA get along and pay our bills, fund a military, etc BEFORE the income tax was created - by the 16th Amendment around 1902.

Easy - Tariffs were the answer. I was recently interviewed by a conservative group for a possible endorsement - and this question came up. I stated I remember that our founding fathers were big supporters of tariffs, but even I did not know how much until I read this article from Pat Buchanan. From CNS news.com dated 7/23/18. "Patrick Buchanan: Did tariffs make America Great?" https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/patrick-j-buchanan/did-tariffs-make-america-great

The short answer is YES! Please read the article. a few quick points to share: people who wrote or spoke favorably about tariffs:
George Washington
Alexander Hamilton
Henry Clay
John Calhoun
James Madison
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
Daniel Webster
Abraham Lincoln
Justin Morrill (Vermont Congressman, author of the Morrill tariffs.)
William McKinley (pre-president and author of the McKinley tariffs) he said, "Free trade results in our giving our money ... our manufactures and our markets to other nations. ... It will bring widespread discontent. It will revolutionize our values." His future vice-President Teddy Roosevelt also agreed with him. he said, "Thank God I am not a free trader."

Not tired of winning yet? Calvin Coolidge (Fordney - McCumber tariff)

Joseph Wharton (steel magnate)

These policies worked and caused the USA to grow at a rate unseen in human history - That is what made America great the FIRST 100 years!! Study history or be doomed to repeat it. Note: I am in favor of Tariffs IF we could also eliminate the IRS. That is the best solution. The FIRST 100 years worked well, so why change it? If not, then we need to move toward zero tariffs for all. But that creates a policing problem and if any country cheats there should be severe penalties. Many jobs would be lost before the government reacts.