At a beginning salary of $174,000, how do so many members of Congress become multi-millionaires? Yet, some of them want more of your hard-earned tax dollars!
We must simply vote out hypocrisy, greed and feckless behavior this November!
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
June 23, 2018
Are Trump’s failures more important to progressives than America’s wins?
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
June 22, 2018
Liberal Democrats are exposing their true colors, and they’re not “red, white and blue.”
Let’s be clear. Americans are keenly aware of issues impacting them. And frankly, what people are “seeing and feeling” regarding the Trump presidency, versus what progressives are “telling and selling,” simply don’t align.
The “Trump Effect” has our nation improving in nearly every single metric, yet liberals continue to rail against every word, every step, every action taken by Trump. When called on it, the lame liberal response typically expresses a desire for our nation to be successful “under any president,” even Trump. They just don’t see our president as being successful.
Really? Putting liberal and conservative bias aside, and looking only at metrics that help make America prosperous and peaceful, what possible failures can be leveraged against Trump? Nearly every issue important to the American voter has improved since Trump took office!
Our economy is thriving. Per a January CNBC column by Patti Domm, the first year Trump was in office he was able to help our economy do something it’s been unable to do since 2005 – maintain a 3 percent GDP growth rate for three quarters in a row, which is a critical indicator according to most economists. And our outlook is healthy, per other key economic indicators, through 2018 and beyond.
Jobs are on the increase. A Fox Business column by Brittany De Lea in January recognized that about 2.1 million new jobs were added to the economy in 2017, per government statistics.
“From economic growth and job creation, to the surging stock market, business has boomed in America over the past year,” De Lea wrote. The column went on to attribute much success to expectations following Trump’s delivery on his promise to overhaul the U.S. tax code.
The result? The number of people collecting food stamps has declined by more than 2 million under Trump, per USDA data.
Remember ISIS? A December 2017 column by Alex Pappas of Fox News titled, “Trump ends 2017 with big wins on economy, taxes, ISIS and more,” tracks Trump’s success in crippling the Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The column shares data from U.S. military officials reporting ISIS had lost 98 percent of the territory once held, “with half of the terror group’s ‘caliphate’ having been recaptured” since Trump took office.
American intelligence, at that time, assessed fewer than 1,000 ISIS fighters remained in Iraq and Syria, down from a peak of nearly 45,000 just two years ago.
Illegal immigration is something I believe Trump has come to understand in terms of the implications on families, not just criminals.
Last week, a CNN column by Lauren Fox and Jeff Zeleny revealed CNN learned from three sources Trump is headed to Capitol Hill this week to discuss immigration with the House Republican conference. Discussions will include the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and funding for Trump’s border wall. I anticipate the president will strike another deal overhauling U.S. immigration policies in an historic manner.
One thing I’ve learned from the Trump presidency is that vermin in the Washington “swamp” scurry down both sides of the aisle. I find it ironic that while these card-carrying members of the genus “Rattus” phylogeny despise Trump, they actually empowered him through their feckless leadership and failing policies.
And these “never Trumpers” are slowly painting themselves into a lonely corner. Rooting against America won’t be popular in November.
Mark Caserta is a Cabell County resident.
President Trump greets Kim Jong-Un during historic summit in Singapore.
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
Jun 15, 2018
In October 2009, President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” per the official website of the esteemed award.
The mainstream media nearly wet themselves. A host of media outlets extolled the recognition as historic. An ABC column by Mark Phillips, claimed Obama had “changed the tone of American diplomacy,” alluding to the fact many considered Obama’s approach “ground breaking” in nature. French President Nicolas Sarkozy claimed awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama embodied the “return of America into the hearts of the people of the world.”
Well, the notion that Obama deserved this recognition has since been disavowed by many, including then secretary of the Nobel Committee, Geir Lundestad, who revealed in his 2015 memoir he regretted awarding Obama the prize, since Obama had obviously done little to qualify him for such recognition.
Fast forward to Donald Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and compare the tone of the media.
In early May, 18 House Republicans sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, formally nominating President Trump for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, citing recognition “of his work to end the Korean War, denuclearize the Korean peninsula and bring peace to the region.”
CBS News, HuffPost and The Washington Post each published a column mocking or condemning the idea that Trump could ever be deserving of such recognition, despite his successful diplomatic global efforts.
Many liberal media outlets, such as CNN, framed Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as caving U.S. diplomacy! But no prior president has ever been in a position of strength as the Trump administration in dealing with the rogue nation. Rather than succumbing to extortion or employing a strategy of “appeasement,” Trump has made it clear all options are on the so-called “table,” from which he’s also willing to walk away if his demands aren’t met as shown.
In January, Trump raised the curtain on his strategy, after Kim called for improved relations with South Korea, reminding the world he has a nuclear button on his desk.
Trump responded on Twitter that his button is larger and more powerful, adding, “my Button works!”
In March, South Korea’s presidential security director, Chung Eui-yong, after visiting Kim in Pyongyang, reported Kim was willing to discuss the fate of his nuclear arsenal with the U.S. Shortly afterward, Trump accepted an invitation from Kim to meet.
In late May, amid rattling sabers, North Korea hints the meeting could be canceled, protesting U.S.-South Korean military exercises. A senior North Korean diplomat calls Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy” and says it’s up to the Americans whether they “meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at (a) nuclear-to nuclear showdown.”
Unshaken, Trump announced hours later he’s walking away from the table and pulling out of the summit.
But, it was no surprise that following major media outlets finding fault with Trump’s decision to meet with Kim, they proceeded to find fault when he pulled out.
Sadly, Trump’s “failures” are more valuable to liberals than America’s “successes.”
But despite liberal prognosticators, this past Tuesday, the president successfully brought North Korea’s leader to the negotiating table. And now, his efforts to build a working relationship with Kim could very well lead to permanent, verifiable, nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula.
Now, that deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger and regular contributor to The Herald Dispatch.
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
June 8, 2018
Ever wonder why progressives incessantly attack God’s Word?
Well, if it weren’t for the Holy Bible, God’s incarnate Word to His children, by what standard would we live our lives? From what premise would we measure the principles of “good” and “evil”?
Now, I understand the question is inconsequential for those who theorize mankind evolved from a “big bang” in the universe. But, which requires more faith – the belief that man evolved from a cosmic explosion or that man was created by an Almighty God?
The Bible tells us in John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This scripture, while too profound for a man to rightly discern, explains not only the origin of mankind, but the principles by which God planned for His children to live their lives.
So, at this point in our earthly journey, what if those “words” were either removed or left to question moving forward?
The effect would be the same as uprooting a tree in a mighty wind. Without it’s securing roots, the tree would be blown any direction the wind would take it. It would seek sustenance and fulfillment wherever it may land.
My friends, this describes the modern-day, progressive movement and the need for discounting God’s Word in our lives.
Have you ever seen a liberal attack the Quran, the religious text of Islam, the Vedas, the writings of Hinduism, or even Tao Te Ching, the ancient text of Taoism? What makes the Bible so threatening as to draw relentless fire from liberals?
Through the years, I’ve observed numerous ways liberals attack the Bible. While some audaciously declare it to be nonsense, others are subtler, simply bringing to question certain portions of text. Understand, it doesn’t take a “theologian” to prey upon someone with little faith and convince them to question the story of “Jonah and the whale” or Jesus feeding 5000 followers with five loaves of bread and two small fish.
Of course, these events cannot be comprehended by man. They’re miracles!
I submit, if even one scripture from the Bible can be brought to question, we could never believe the others are the infallible, inerrant Word of God? And progressives know that.
Additionally, modern-day liberals seek to rebut certain principles of God’s Word by equating them to bias or prejudice. They often decry Christians as discriminatory or xenophobic when their religious beliefs aren’t inclusive of liberal passions. But Christians are the intolerant ones!
The entire premise of the progressive movement is standards should “adapt” with changing times. They present the Bible as antiquated and methodically challenge it, usually before a younger, less Biblically-rooted audience.
Liberals also use “desensitization” in their pursuit of change. They tenaciously test the “accepted norm”, gradually de-programming the population into a subliminal acceptance. If they can eventually gain an “inch,” that’s a win for a progressive. They understand inches equate to feet, to yards, and eventually miles.
God knew we would face these challenges. That’s why we must not allow God’s Word to be discounted. Knowledge of scripture and the provisions God’s made for us in our lives is essential to protecting our future.
So be steadfast and unafraid to stand firm, even in the face of ridicule. We are told in Romans, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
As for the progressive movement, we already know they lose in the end. They just don’t know it yet.
But, we will all have the answers, soon enough. Just from different venues. So, keep the faith.
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
6.1.2018
There’s a new political faction that’s risen in our nation. Conservatives call it the “deep state.”
This deep state consists primarily of left-leaning liberals who endear their progressive proprieties above the prosperity of our nation. Many are in a position of power in that they have a bully pulpit or conspicuous corner from which to callously influence races, genders, religions or persuasions of people. Some of these divisive derelicts are opportunistically driven to polarize our nation, hoping to achieve success through attrition of the adversary.
Currently, this deep state is singularly minded – destroy the Trump presidency at all costs. If they’re successful, they’ll become more than an offshoot of a political party, they’ll become an oppressive power equipped to perpetuate their liberal agenda and socialist views for generations.
I firmly believe our children will be subject to liberal-leaning decisions by Supreme Courts for decades. Our schools will function primarily for indoctrination, while jobs and the economy will be squelched at the behest of government regulation. Religious liberties will be crushed and open reverence to God and country will be suppressed and pressured to loyalist dissension.
Yes, this deep state exists. It’s tenaciously attacking every step, every word, every action of President Trump. Truth, honor, integrity? To hell with it. Let’s get Trump.
Fake news generated by major media outlets has been an integral source of the attack. Fake news is defined as news designed to “influence” rather than “inform.”
If the mainstream media defaulted to informing the public rather than influencing them, Trump’s approval ratings would be through the roof. But the more success this president has, the more anti-Trump propaganda is spewed from the media.
Anyone able to comprehend socio-economic indicators understands our nation is doing amazingly well. Our economy, prosperity and respect on the world stage have all been restored.
Yet, liberal Democrats continue to focus on Trump’s tweets, relationships or political incorrectness as justification for eradication of his presidency. Either they don’t understand the success, or they don’t care about it.
The truth is, Trump loves America. I couldn’t say that about his predecessor.
If Obama had even a miniscule amount of success as compared to Trump, it would be an incessant “Mardi Gras” in the streets with liberals voting to remove term limits on their progressive president.
But let not your heart be troubled! There’s a wave of conservatism sweeping our nation unlike any we’ve seen in recent years. Recent polls show Trump’s approval ratings continuing to climb, especially among independents.
Even in the deep blue state of California, we see cities voting to reject the state’s “sanctuary city” policies, urging officials to strike down the state’s immigration laws protecting illegal aliens and risking lives of law enforcement.
The common sense of American citizens and the rule of law will prevail.
Remember two things.
Many believe Christian conservatives are the largest demographic in the U.S. If we turn out to vote, we won’t lose.
The same folks telling us there’s a “blue wave” coming in November are the same pundits who told us Trump would lose in a landslide.
It’s time for conservatives to unite, as we did in 2016. We can mold our nation’s future if we stay the course.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
Doug Smith: Historian and Social editor for Free State Patriot
5.29.18
Listen…
Can you hear it? That stillness, so quiet it seems to pull the very air from your ears.
A quiet you only hear in special places. On the green at Lexington, on the slopes of Valley Forge. Shhh… Listen. It’s quiet now, it wasn’t then, when those names meant something. Listen to Vicksburg, to Gettysburg, to men, boys really, who labored in heat and noise, shot and shell, fear and pain, standing fast, standing firm, till they fell.
Do you hear them? At Chickamauga, at bloody Antietam, in the Wilderness. In Belleau Wood, and the Argonne Forest, in the now quiet rows of white above the beaches of Normandy where the Bedford boys and thousands more of the 29th Division finally hear only the wind flapping the Stars and Stripes, quiet now are the Higgins boat, the 88s, the MGs, the screams of the wounded.
In a low place with a glassy black wall in Washington, over 50,000 names hear the dead silence echoing. The rifles and mortars are quiet now.
52 Submarine crews no longer hear the depth charges, or the sounds of the hull caving in, just the silence of the bottom of the Pacific.
Its quiet today. Do you hear it? The sounds of battle and struggle are over. And a multitude of warriors are at rest, having given it all right up till they no longer could.
Men and women. Boys, mostly, less than 19, answered the call, and stood to in the fury and thunder of battle. And by the thousands, they laid down their young lives to defend the weak, the oppressed, the victims of bullies.
Today… they are quiet. Today… they rest.
So, listen. Hear that? No bombs, no bullets, no invaders.
Listen to the quiet they hear.
And remember them.
Bravo Zulu, brothers.
Doug Smith served our country proudly as a submariner on the USS Gato SSN 615, as Chief Petty Officer and was an Instructor, IT school at the Naval Submarine School Groton. He maintains contact with many of his Naval friends and refers to the Gato as the “Best boat in the fleet”!
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
May 25, 2018
Just 20 weeks into 2018, we’ve already had 22 school shootings in the United States where someone was hurt or killed, per a recent CNN column by Saeed Ahmed and Christina Walker. Averaging over 1 per week is simply incomprehensible.
The column had a U.S. map inserted identifying the locations of the shootings by bullet points. The graphic eerily reminded me of a “firing range shot grouping” surrounding the Tri-State area. The column and graphic can be viewed at: https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/02/us/school-shootings-2018-list-trnd/index.html.
Gun control advocates are dangerously off-base with their notions of taking weapons out of the hands of law-abiding citizens. When you restrict guns from properly vetted, trained, law abiding citizens, you broaden the window of opportunity for a criminal who will not abide by the law.
Recently, The Heritage Foundation published a commentary, originally appearing in The Daily Signal, by Steven P. Bucci, a visiting fellow who focuses on cybersecurity, military special operations, and defense support to civil authorities, entitled, “4 Steps to Better School Security.”
In the column, Bucci lays out definitive steps we must take to protect our children from the malicious, domestic attacks we see escalating in our nation’s schools.
The first step mandates a “Pre-emptive Response.” Most school shooters have had some sort of mental health or social interaction issue of which someone took notice. In nearly all the school shootings, there were clear warning signs which emerged before the shooting occurred, whether on social media or interactions with others.
The second of the 4 steps involves, “Controlling Access to School Facilities.” If an unauthorized person is attempting to enter the school or if someone is attempting to bring in a weapon, they must be denied access. Bucci recommends schools have limited points of entry (one or two, at most) that are monitored and controlled. Allowing people to enter without authorization is a huge point of vulnerability and will be exploited by the shooter. No provisions should be made for convenience!
Third is “Securing Classrooms.” Classrooms are usually the teacher’s only option for sheltering in place, particularly for younger children. Bucci recommends classroom doors either not have windows or a speedy way to cover them in an active shooter situation. The doors must be lockable from the inside and have a quick “blocking” mechanism as well.
Interestingly, there are now bulletproof sanctuaries that can be put inside classrooms and double as “story corners.” While this may seem to be beyond the budget of some schools, one must weigh the alternative cost. I strongly believe this should be a serious consideration.
Finally, “On-Site Response” is critical. Per Bucci, schools must be equipped with the ability to confront and stop an active shooter on-site. Most active shooter scenarios are done in three to six minutes.
It’s simply become irresponsible for schools not to have trained, armed security in place. And if a teacher is adequately trained with a firearm and how to respond in an active shooter scenario, he or she should be allowed to carry.
Protecting our classrooms is a huge responsibility and one every parent should support. This disturbing trend of dying children must stop. If we can spend millions of dollars providing resources to protect our nation’s leaders, we can certainly spend the equivalent protecting our future leaders.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
5.18.18
Trump “nukes” Iran Deal
The defining measure by which Donald Trump will be judged will not be his tweets, his relationships or even his politically incorrect style. President Trump will be remembered for the peace and prosperity he ushered in for all Americans.
Prosperity has been added for millions in tax cuts and jobs. As the president establishes a foothold in global leadership, he’s working toward achieving peace through strength. As a skilled negotiator, Donald Trump understands you must operate from a position of strength.
Weakness is a poor strategy for winning.
It was the Obama administration’s policies espousing apology and appeasement that diminished the strength of the U.S. on the world stage. Sadly, this sort of negotiating prowess gave Americans the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA), I believe this deal, between the U.S., Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union, was nothing more than a “paper tiger” for Barack Obama. From the beginning of his campaign, Donald Trump promised Americans he would “nuke” the deal if elected president.
True to his word, after attempts at renegotiating the deal, President Trump announced last Tuesday the U.S. will withdraw from the JCPA and reimpose economic sanctions on Iraq. In a show of Trumpian strength, the president added that any nation helping Iran in its quest for nuclear weapons could also be strongly sanctioned by the U.S.
Understand, the Iran nuclear deal was never an official treaty. President Obama never secured the support of the Senate for the deal. Congress did pass the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act in 2015 that requires the president to certify to Congress every 90 days that Iran remains in compliance with the deal and that sanctions relief remains in the national security interest of the United States.
Also understand, the JCPA wasn’t intended to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons. It’s “sunset provisions” allowed Iran to continue pursuing nuclear proliferation after about 10 years.
But the immensely nave premise overshadowing the deal required the U.S. to “trust” Iran to adhere to the provisions of the agreement. Remember, this is a nation whose head of their army, Abdolrahim Mousavi, recently threatened to annihilate Israel in response to tensions escalating between the two countries, per an April column in The Telegraph, by Rana Sweis.
Israel, a nation cognizant of the Iran threat, wisely maintained vigilance over Iran’s nuclear aspirations. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed conclusive evidence Iran had not been complying with the JCPA and was, in fact, hiding its nuclear arms capabilities from the world.
From the Diplomatic Room in the White House, President Trump aptly described his reasoning behind killing the deal on behalf of the American people.
“The Iran deal is defective at its core. If we do nothing, we know exactly what will happen,” Trump said. “In just a short period of time, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons.”
Thankfully, many of Obama policies that crippled America for eight long years are disappearing under Donald Trump. But the eradication of the JCPA may have been Trump’s greatest accomplishment thus far, benefitting not only Americans, but Israel and the world.
Peace through strength, simply put, is a possession of power that never has to be demonstrated. This can only be achieved through true leadership.
Our enemies and allies once again revere the power of the United States and presume an unwavering resolve from our president in his negotiations on behalf of all Americans.
This will be the legacy of President Donald J. Trump.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
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Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
5.11.2018
Last week, I was honored to be asked to participate in the National Day of Prayer celebration on the Cabell County Courthouse lawn and lead a prayer for our nation’s media.
Here’s an excerpt for our readers:
“Good afternoon. It’s truly an honor to be here among brothers and sisters who believe in the power of prayer.
“On this National Day of Prayer, we’re not just celebrating a day, but our ability to communicate with God the Father, the Creator of the universe, on behalf of our great country and our great people.
“There’s a progressive movement in our nation that would like to shut down this sort of celebration, under the guise of the 1st Amendment. But, the phrase ‘separation of church and state’ isn’t found anywhere in the Constitution. It does say Congress should make no law respecting one religion over another, but it also says they can’t prohibit the free exercise thereof!
“Why do some wish to shut down events like this? The Bible tells us the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much! The left simply doesn’t want prayer influencing their agenda.
“While the National Day of Prayer is a noble day of celebration, it’s important we pray for our nation’s leaders every day.
“It’s equally important to pray for an influential media that report on events relative to leaders and events around the world, as well as right here in our own city.
“So, please bow your heads with me as we pray for our nation’s media on this National Day of Prayer.
“Gracious Heavenly Father, we come before you in the name of Jesus, the Christ, your only begotten Son, who gave his life freely, so we may have life and have it more abundantly.
“We thank you first for your Grace, Love and Mercy. We thank You for every good and perfect gift, as we know it comes from Above.
“Father, we thank you for our nation’s media. Throughout the years they’ve been integral in sharing the Gospel. We’ve been blessed with journalists who’ve honored the principles of journalism and objectively reported truth in a virtuous manner.
“But Father, as the enemy often does, Satan has attacked and prejudiced some media on his behalf. And we know, his only purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.
“Father, we refuse to allow evil to gain or maintain a foothold in our nation’s media. We recognize various attacks across the country and God’s people will not be shaken!
“So, today we take on the whole armor of God on behalf of the media.
“Ephesians 6:11-13 gives God’s people instruction in preparing for battle:
“‘Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’
“So, Father, prepare us for battle. We take up the shield of faith to quench the enemy’s fiery darts, we take on the helmet of salvation and most importantly we prepare for battle with the sword of the Spirit – God’s Word, which endures forever.
“Father, we know your Word will not return void. Let this day be marked in history as the day we crippled the enemy’s attack on our media.
“And all God’s people say,
“AMEN.”
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
Doug Smith: Free State Patriot historian and social editor
5.4.2018
US Constitution
Article 1, Section 8
Congress shall have power to… (among other things)
To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws about Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
Article 2, Section 2
The President
He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law: but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.
Article 3, Section 2
The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority;–to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls;–to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction;–to controversies to which the United States shall be a party;–to controversies between two or more states;–between a state and citizens of another state;–between citizens of different states;–between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states, and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens or subjects.
Evidently, we no longer teach civics in the public schools of these United States. Equally evidently, we neither teach it nor require it as basic knowledge of judges, or members of congress, or presidents. If you like the extra-legal decisions made in support of your desired position, you may cheer this fact. You should not.
Case in point.
Yet another judge has chimed in to make his ruling that President Trump cannot stop the DACA program because his decision to do so is arbitrary, and besides, he is Trump. Now this judge is entitled to dislike the President. After all, I did so for the previous 8 years. But he is no more able to stop the President’s decisions because of that than I was.
To be clear: DACA is not a law. (See above. Congress never passed any law upon which DACA is based, this was simply a decision by the President, carried out by the Secretary of DHS, to “fail to faithfully execute existing law”, to wit, immigration law, because he did not like it. President Trump, whose instincts in the matter are to faithfully and vigorously enforce immigration law, nevertheless tried to do the right thing. He announced that he was going to rescind the arbitrary decision of President Obama, and begin enforcing the law once again. However, he also tossed the ball to Congress, whose ball it was, and said, if you folks want to do something about the people affected by this decision, well do your job. Write a bill, pass it and send it to me, and THEN we can have a law to execute.
That is the sound of crickets. No bill. No law. (By the way, President Obama had a totally Democrat Congress for 2 full years. He could have gotten a law enacted then. Or, he could have compromised with the GOP, and still gotten some sort of law to deal with the situation of DACA aliens. He chose not to)
So, President Trump announced that he would end the program of failing to enforce a law that Barack Obama did not like, because, well, it IS the law. And evidently, from the actions of Barack Obama and the Congress for 10 years, that is what they WANT the law to be.
Now judges may rule that laws do not pass the Constitution, and require review if SCOTUS upholds them. What judges may NOT do, under our Constitution, is infringe upon the power of the President to enforce “existing law.” (The judge may try ruling the Law to be unconstitutional, and start the judicial review process, but he may NOT, as Judge Roy Bean did, tear a page out of the law book with the words “That’s a bad law. I repealed it.”) So, a judge may no more rule “You can’t stop enforcing the laws on immigration for non-citizens brought here illegally as children” than he can rule “You can’t stop anyone who drank milk as a child from stealing milk.”
Congress may make such laws. But not the courts. When they do, it costs a lot of money and time and suffering of injustice before they are finally slapped down by SCOTUS. For the left, it has become the game plan, because one judge can usurp Congress’ authority and keep things going their way for a long time, without the tedious necessity of actually winning elections, then letting Congress do their job.
Tedious, and a losing proposition, because Dems are typically pressing minority opinions against the will of the people by using the court ploy.
Before you applaud the strategy, consider its cost, and danger. King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket were at odds over the appointment of judges, resulting in Becket s murder and Henry nearly losing his throne. A war ensued.
Arbitrary tax laws and judges resulted in King John facing the Barons at Runnymede, and the Magna Carta being signed.
The city of New London, backed by perhaps the worst decision in SCOTUS history, took a house from a lady named Kelo under eminent domain, so they could sell the property to a developer to build a headquarters for Pfizer drug company and bring them tax money. (Congress ought to pass a law overriding the Kelo decision, but that is for another story.) However, in a case of cosmic justice, the HQ was never built, and Pfizer left the state completely due to Ct tax increases. Today the site is an empty lot, overrun with weeds.
Historically, arbitrary judges are not without consequence. And you should fear and loathe them. You can predict the actions of a judge who is bound by law. You can read the law and know they cannot take your home, or car, or fine you, or force you to pay higher taxes, just because they want to. You can know that if Congress raises your taxes and you don’t like it, you can toss the bums out. Not so a judge, who rules that your area MUST charge you more taxes to pay for something he decides they should pay for. (That is making law from the bench.)
You may cheer today when a judge rules against Donald Trump because you don’t like him. But if judges can rule based on their personal likes and dislikes, tomorrow, or next year you may encounter a judge who doesn’t like, well, YOU!
Do you want him to be able to rule on your life, liberty, or pocketbook based on that dislike? Or would you prefer him bound by the laws we all think we live under?
Our judiciary needs to be taken to school on the Constitution which is the source of their authority. It does not matter that they don’t like it or think it antiquated, it is our law. And they should have to abide by it, just as should POTUS, and Congress.
Abraham Lincoln noted that our Civil War was going to determine whether “government of the people, by the people, and for the people, would perish from the earth.” Four years of war, and half a million deaths was not enough to kill it in sound and fury.
We should not abide arrogant people usurping it and causing it to perish by dry rot, either.
We, the people are a mighty force, when we remember that fact.
We, the people, established the Constitution, and this form of government.
We, the people, fought a great war to preserve this form of government.
We, the people, need to reach the point of looking at the lack of common sense and decency flowing from those directing our institutions and shaping thought and say, Enough!
Read the Constitution. Then decide that you are going to hold any leader, from a judge, to a School Board Member, to a President, to that standard. This is our law folks. It’s done well for over 2 hundred years. Let’s try it again.
Free State Patriot 