Shouldn’t the Focus Be on the Funerals for the Victims of the Charleston Shootings, and Not on a 150 Year Old Debate That Shows No Sign of Easing?

I think there’s a couple of misplaced issues in the Charleston massacre, that can wait for a while.

Instead of focusing energy on the victims, their families and making the church that was attacked whole again, a great deal of political capital and energy has been shifted to going after the Confederate flag, which continues to fly on state capitol grounds in the South, or is on license plates.

The Confederate battle flag debate has been ongoing for 150 years and shows no signs of going away anytime soon.  In fact, retailers can’t keep the rebel battle flags in stock; they’re flying off the shelves since the controversy re-erupted in the wake of the Charleston church massacre.

That was expected.  When a movement gains steam, it often spikes sales of whatever item is in the political crosshairs.

The flag debate can be put on hold until after the victims’ funerals are held.   The second item is the gun debate that lib Dems keep rehashing.   That can wait too.

Political activism should not supplant honoring the victims, and comforting their families.

Kid Who Shot Up Charleston Church Cannot Claim Insanity: His “Last Rhodesian” Manifesto Makes Clear Who He Doesn’t Like, and Who He Was Going to Go After in Charleston

The person who shot up the Charleston church on Thursday night and killed nine people will not be able to claim insanity, in my opinion.

The reason I say that is because of his website and manifesto.   It lays out his hatred of people who are non-white and broadcasts his intentions to attack a target in Charleston and hurt people.

His photos are particularly troubling, with various references to neo-Nazi propaganda.   His web site is going to be of particular interest to the prosecution, with regards to his rumored intention to plead insanity.   It might have had some traction if the web site and manifesto didn’t exist, but the manifesto was too well-researched and organized (I disagree with the entire thing, by the way), even though it was bizarre rant.

The photos establish his hatreds over a long time period, with various neo-Nazi references (the 1488 thing, which I had to look up), stomping on, spitting on and burning the American flag, and similar photos involving apartheid-era Rhodesian and South African flags.  

It will be hard for him to claim temporary insanity with the web site and manifesto anchor wrapped around his neck.  

He’s competent enough to stand trial and pay for what he’s done.

Senator Tells Pope to Stay Out of Climate Change Debate: “Do Your Job and We’ll Do Ours!” OK, Except Congress Shouldn’t Be Involved in the Climate Change Debate Either!

This is a good one. 

The Senate chair of a climate change committee is tired of Pope Francis speaking out about climate change, telling the Pope to “do your job and we’ll do ours.”   I happen to agree that the Pope shouldn’t be involved in this mess of a debate, but the Senator overlooked something very critical:

Congress shouldn’t be involved in the debate either.  No politician has any business in an ongoing and unsettled scientific debate.   They’ve already screwed this situation up almost beyond belief, and on an international scale.

This is a scientific debate that hasn’t reached a final conclusion about what’s really going on with the climate.  The scientific community involved in the climate change debate is a train wreck, and keeps coming up with contradictory theories to explain things.  And the politicians love to turn these things into talking points.  

The disaster of carbon credit markets is one example of politicians to make more money off something that they have absolutely no control over and barely understand.  Political snake oil….

The scientific community is too polarized by this issue to give our leaders sound advice on what the facts are.   Settled science?  I think not.

Honesty from the scientific community will do more to further our understanding of the world around us far more than politicians taking a stand.   The politics can wait until the science is actually settled.

Recent Government Paper Manipulates Climate Change Data so Blatantly that Even Climate Change Scientists Are Balking: Sad State of Affairs in Global Warming Alarmism Movement

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released a report that manipulated climate change data AGAIN which changes the data to show nothing but rises in global temperature over the last seventeen years and not any kind of pause or cool down.

This kind of blatant data manipulation is EXACTLY the reason that people like me doubt the official (and government approved) narrative about global warming.   The NOAA report is a political document meant to silence political opponents of global warming.   This is also what happens when politicians enter a scientific debate.   

But climate scientists themselves are publicly challenging the NOAA report, saying that the manipulated data does nothing to further understanding of what’s actually happening,    The NOAA-branded report is just adding fuel to a fire that the government wants to go away.   But they keep engaging in science fiction instead of science fact.   And they’re being called on it by people on their own side of the equation.

Pretty sad state of affairs for the global warming alarmism side when they criticize a report meant to silence their opposition.

It will be interesting to see if the people criticizing the government report change their tune in coming weeks, or if they stick to their guns.

No Progress on Straightening Out Primary Calendar: All States Should Set Their Primaries Earlier as a Show of Support for Challenging the Unbalanced Primary System

During the last primary season, Michigan was one of several states that the DNC and RNC singled out for punishment for daring to draw attention to the unfairness of two states getting the lion’s share of attention from the candidates due to their first-in-the-nation primary elections, and the respective (not so respective) National Committees of both parties going along with the system.

Michigan’s electoral votes were cut in half as a result by both parties.   Thanks for nothing, DNC and RNC.   I selected a side and wrote in Mickey Mouse.   That’s what I thought of my half-strength vote.

New Hampshire and Iowa have different issues on their plates than Michigan has.  Here’s a sample of issues in the headlines in those three states:

Iowa has been focused on ethanol, gasoline taxes, drone surveillance, “telemed” abortions, state aid for broadband access and same-sex marriage. 

New Hampshire has been focused on marijuana legalization, sexual orientation discrimination, the death penalty, immigration,  Common Core and Indian gaming. 

Michigan is focused in on its economy, deer hunting, bird flu, Common Core, fracking, repealing the state’s prevailing wage law, wolf hunting, recreational marijuana legalization, insurance premiums, funding for schools and roads, and guns.

Are Michigan’s issues any less important than New Hampshire’s or Iowa’s?  I think not.

During the last primary season, Michigan bumped up its primary election in violation of the rules so that our issues could be heard in all the racket emanating from Iowa and New Hampshire.

I hope more states cross the red line and schedule their primary elections early next year, and really stick it to both the DNC and RNC.   And if they do to those states what they did to Michigan, I hope all kinds of people write in Mickey Mouse or vote for “none of the above.”    

Much more to follow on this issue in the coming weeks and months.