Tag Archives: mark caserta

Mark Caserta: My advice: Stay the course with President Trump

24 Dec

trump wall

(President Trump talks about a version of his proposed border security wall)

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor for Free State Patriot.

December 24, 2018

 

Progressive Democrats and “Rino” Republicans are in shock that President Trump would be willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill his promise to the American people.

Donald Trump promised he would address illegal immigration head-on and build a wall making it much more difficult for illegals to cross the border. A promise, by the way, which helped him get elected in an electoral college landslide.

Progressive Democrats still don’t get it, and never will.

Politicians have become so used to lying to voters to get elected, they lose their minds when someone actually does something honest and keeps their word, even if it’s controversial and could cost them votes.

If self-centered, elected officials would work as hard keeping their word as they do lying their way back into office, their approval rating may rise to the level of hemorrhoids and herpes, which it’s currently below.

Our U.S. government shutdown is well into its first week. But lawmakers displayed their concern by leaving Washington for the Christmas holiday, leaving their constituents feeling there is no sense of urgency to resolve President Trump’s demand for more money to build the border wall to protect Americans.

And we pay these people for what, again…exactly?

It’s disappointing and maybe even a bit criminal the way our elected representatives fulfill their responsibilities to their constituents. Don’t get me wrong. There must be some committed to their job, but not many.

In fairness, I’m disappointed President Trump hasn’t vocalized how he expects Mexico to pay for the wall.

That certainly was an integral part of his “stump” speeches during his campaign. I believe it would go a long way in negotiating with Democrats if he could present his plan to Americans as to how the Mexican government would ultimately foot the bill. It would absolutely add to his negotiating position.

Now, let’s be clear, $5 billion dollars for wall construction on the U.S.-Mexico border is a relatively small amount by Washington standards. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the United States provided roughly $49 billion in 2016 in Foreign Aid to other countries, which included military and security assistance. This accounts for about 1.2 percent of the federal budget.

And we can’t spend $5 billion for our own protection? Trust me when I tell you this isn’t about money!

It’s about ending President Trump’s winning streak. And once again, what’s best for Americans couldn’t possibly factor less in liberal Democrats pursuit of this progressive prize. Their actions are guided by their passionate hatred of Donald J. Trump.

Also, understand, the argument Democrats leverage in their opposition of the wall that it’s “wasteful and ineffective” is hogwash!

As a senator, Barack Obama once praised border control legislation much like that proposed by Donald Trump!

“The bill before us will certainly do some good,” Obama said on the Senate floor in October 2006. He praised the legislation, saying it would provide “better fences and better security along our borders” and would “help stem some of the tide of illegal immigration in this country.”

Obama was talking about the “Secure Fence Act of 2006,” legislation authorizing a barrier along the southern border passed into law with the support of 26 Democrat senators, including party leaders such as Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer.

So, what’s changed? Which would be more “ineffective” – a fence or a wall? The argument doesn’t pass the smell test.

These Washington parasites have become so accustomed to lying, they don’t seem to believe “honesty” is a competency important to their position as a public servant.

Yes, President Trump is very, very different from politicians we’ve elected in the past. His mission is not to be re-elected. His mission is to be the most successful president in history. Having read several books and strategies on negotiating, I have a deep belief that many of his actions are not what they appear on the surface.

Successful negotiating calls for achieving a “win-win” for both parties. Most often, this takes time and planning. But one “must” be willing to walk away from the table. That’s negotiating 101.

And that’s exactly what President Trump has done with the Democrats in border wall negotiations. He made Dems an offer in 2018 which included protection to undocumented immigrants born in our country in exchange for border wall funding and they refused it.

That’s how negotiation takes place – offer, counter offer, deal or no deal – period. And one can never negotiate from a position of weakness!  And a wide gap is a traditional starting place for seasoned negotiators.

President Trump, with all his short-comings, is in the process of building a foundation for future wins. At times, it may feel uncomfortable, but understand, Donald Trump is thinking in terms of years, not days or months.

My recommendation is to stay informed, stay engaged and stay the course.

 

 

 

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Mark Caserta: It’s time for Huntington, WV to stop losing to the Deep State.

16 Dec

deep state

(The Deep State in America is real and poisoning communities with progressive policies)

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor for Free State Patriot.

December 16, 2018

 

A call to action for our readers:

There is a segment of our nation’s community, mostly liberals, who hate Donald Trump more than they love their country. Ironically, this more accurately resembles the definition of “deplorable”, despite the declaration of their progressive queen, Hillary Clinton.

Their defeat is paramount to the continued success of our nation.

Progressives have but one goal – destroy the presidency of Donald J. Trump and the conservative movement. Sadly, they’re willing to sacrifice everything – including our country’s most foundational principles.

Understand, this mindset is closer to home than you may think, right here in Huntington, WV.

In my lifetime, I can’t recall a more destructive, manipulative media than we currently have in the United States. Fake news is a very real dilemma in our lives. In fact, the scales may finally have tipped to the left when weighing news, genuinely designed to inform, versus news pre-meditatively fashioned to influence, in support of one’s agenda.

In this writer’s opinion, most of our media resources, including our local newspaper, The Herald Dispatch, (for which I was the “token” conservative opinion contributor for 14 years), intentionally slant the news away from President Trump’s successes and toward anything they can spin as a loss.

And frankly, it takes a lot of effort to avoid reporting Trump’s successes. They’re everywhere!

Consider this for a moment. If the liberal media or the deep state had evidence of even the slightest crime committed by this president, don’t you think it would be plastered all over the news?

Liberal assailants have nothing, but continue to seek vindication while wasting millions of your tax dollars conducting one witch hunt after another looking to bring down the man who embarrassed liberal Democrats in the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s election, over liberal prognosticator’s odds, exposed them for the feckless, progressive minions they’d become.

Additionally, in this humble columnist’s opinion, it is an act explicitly void of patriotism to fight against the success of America simply to foster the failure of Donald Trump. He is working diligently to honor his commitment to Americans who hired him to deliver our country from the bonds of impending socialism and ruin, manufactured by his predecessor.

And the fact that Trump is having unprecedented success, drives liberals absolutely, out of their minds.

For the first time in my lifetime, the U.S. energy system is largely independent. One portion, that runs on renewables, such as nuclear, coal and natural gas is energy independent. While the U.S. continues to import a fair amount of its oil supply, even that is on the decline and will eventually shift toward a greater amount exported than imported.

President Trump accomplished this energy independence without a single Democrat, a handful of Republicans and little to no media support.

The nation’s unemployment rate is at an all-time low, for every single demographic. Jobs are on the increase along with the labor participation rate.

The Obamacare individual mandate, which forced you to purchase health coverage, even if you didn’t want it, so it could bolster coverage for others, is gone. This has been a huge boost to our economy, and jobs.

When was the last time you heard a news story about an ISIS beheading or attack? They’ve been decimated through President Trump’s leadership.

The most devastatingly compromising deal in our nation’s history, the Iran Nuclear deal, has been terminated, aligning with Trump’s “America first” policy.

The Paris Climate Accord, which placed the U.S. in an unfair position fighting the myth of man-made climate change has been eradicated.

Jerusalem has been officially recognized by this administration as the capital of Israel and the U.S. embassy has been relocated accordingly. Despite other president’s promising this action, it was only important enough to Donald Trump to do so.

Based on President Trump’s decisiveness, business savvy, and negotiation prowess, the United States is once again, respected and revered by other nations. And the only thing that changed was the man in the oval office, and the favor of Almighty God.

Yes, Donald Trump is certainly not a politician. Thank God.

In fact, he’s possibly the most politically incorrect person ever to hold political office, especially the presidency. But, I believe Trump has changed politics forever. Americans now know they have other options in leadership.

Trump has effectively negated the Obama presidency in just two years. Now, that’s worth cheering about! If Barack Hussein Obama had accomplished even a portion of Trump’s wins, He would be anointed by the media as the greatest president in U.S. history.

Sadly, in addition to his poor policy choices, Obama missed a unique opportunity to unify our nation as the first African-American president in history. He chose, rather, to divide us with his progressive, socialist belief system. I believe his legacy will be one of failure. It could have been much worse if his failures weren’t aptly corrected by his successor – Donald Trump.

Thanks God America was spared long term devastation.

We must understand, as citizens of Huntington, we face similar devastation at the hands of progressives determined to ride our fair city all the way to the highest level of power possible. And, it appears, our city’s leaders are also willing to sacrifice everything, simply to fundamentally change our city to align with their liberal aspirations of power.

May God continue to bless our nation as we head into the new year. I predict, that while President Trump will, no doubt face continued challenges from progressives and the complicit, liberal media, 2019 will be a banner year for our nation. Despite liberals working against the president, America is great again. And the best is yet to come.

May God also intervene on our city’s behalf and send someone to return Huntington to greatness. As citizens of Huntington, we face issues, on a local level, that are being fostered by the same, liberal policies which were incorporated on a national level during the Obama administration.

This is unacceptable.

May our state and local leaders adopt “Huntington first” policies so we, also, may also be spared long-term devastation from liberal, deep state progressives.

The call to action? Get informed and engaged. It’s time to stop losing to the Deep State.

 

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Mark Caserta: Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” offers perspective for us all

8 Dec

 

charles dickens

(Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol” offers a timeless reflection on life)

 

me

Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor for Free State Patriot

December 8, 2018

 

Perhaps, we should all take some time to reflect on the chains we’ve forged in life this Christmas season.

The brilliance and imagery of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol,” offers a timeless reflection of the magical benefits of human kindness. Through the years, there have been over 50 different adaptations of Dickens’ story, each yearning to recreate the tale of an Ebenezer Scrooge character experiencing a life-altering epiphany of his self-centered denouement on others.

One of the very first portrayals of Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol”, was in 1935, when actor Seymour Hicks, toured England with his own, non-musical adaptation of the story through the late nineteenth century. My family and I have enjoyed it many times and consider it to be one of the most enjoyable ever during the Christmas season!

Of his tale, Dickens wrote,” I have endeavored in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.”

And “haunt” us it has for over 150 years with its sustained relevance for mankind and its sobering look at the sanctity and purpose of life.

Ebenezer Scrooge was a man lost within his own maize of anxiety, stripped of his compassion for others whose significance diminished as his wealth and prominence grew. Yet, Scrooge, although unworthy of his journey of recompense, was given an opportunity to witness the chains he forged in life from the third person as he was accompanied on a journey by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

I can only surmise Dickens chose Christmas as the setting of his tale of repentance because of the depth of purpose he envisioned it had for his fellow man and the opportunity it offered for reflecting upon one’s life choices. Perhaps he, too, was convicted by the season.

I do, however, submit Dickens is prompting each of us to invoke similar introspection. What would your legacy be with those whom you’ve shared your life’s timeline?

How would your journey fare with the three apparitions with whom Scrooge shared his evening?

How sound are the choices you’ve made in the “past” regarding the care and compassion of your fellow man?

Yes, today’s life choices are exceedingly complex and follow a path dimly lit and laden with distractions commensurate to our times. But are they subject to a different standard?

A popular phrase over the years has been, “What would Jesus do”?

Psalms 25:4 says, “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.” More than ever before, we need a spiritual compass to help guide us each day in our decision-making.

What about the “present” day? As you woke this morning and prepared to interact with others, what was your motivation? Was it to serve your purpose or to serve the purpose of others? Which offers the greater reward?

James 1:19 tells us, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…”

No doubt, it would benefit us all to heed this simple instruction.

What about your “future”? Surely, thoughts of our future should consume us? After all, we’re taught from an early age to prepare for this period in life. Entities all around us work to influence our focus on preparing for the future.

But isn’t that exactly what Ebenezer did? Today is yesterday’s future! God doesn’t want us to be consumed with hoarding riches in this life. Matthew 6:10 advises, “Do not store up yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

God wants us to live each other and build our eternal riches in Heaven. Our life here on earth is “but a vapor” per the scriptures. But a precarious vapor if allowed to cloud our eyes to our purpose!

Ebenezer Scrooge had some ghostly mentors to influence change in his life. Dickens ensured his writings paved the way for his repentance by allowing time for Scrooge to alter his future.

Unfortunately, none of us have Dickens’ script guaranteeing our life tomorrow. Could tomorrow be too late for any of us to begin a new path, one pleasing to God and benefitting our brother or sister?

Perhaps, we should use Christmas, as Dickens did, to reflect upon chains we may have forged in life and begin eliminating them, one link at a time.

And perhaps, encourage others to do the same.

May God Bless us – every one!

Merry Christmas!

 

 

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Mark Caserta: Progressives never accept blame for unintended consequences

2 Dec

PROGRESSIVES

(Progressives march on behalf of LGBTQ and inclusiveness)

me

Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor of Free State Patriot

December 2, 2018

Progressives are the most innocent among us and should never accept blame.

Right.

Last week, I wrote a very thoughtful column on the progressive movement and their tenacious attempt to desensitize the most innocent among us, our children, to their liberal ideology. Understand, this progressive mindset always involves “skirting” or challenging God’s Word and insists morality be placed on a sliding scale.

After all, how could God’s Word or the U.S. Constitution be relative to today’s society, hundreds and even thousands of years (in the Bible’s case) after they were penned?

The meat of the column dealt with “Drag Queen Story Time” coming to Pullman Square in Huntington. I offered solely facts about the Rainbow Pride of West Virginia’s sponsored event which included free admission, cookies and hot chocolate. The books to be read were, “And Tango Makes Three” a book that “focuses on the contemporary, philosophical issue: What constitutes a family?” and “Jacob’s New Dress”, which openly “introduces children to the idea that all people are worthy of love and respect and in all clothes!”, per the graphic promoting the event.

“Jade” and “Giselle” are to be the featured readers of the books to the children. As I mentioned in last week’s column, I can only assume Jade and Giselle are men dressed as women. We saw record views on www.freestatepatriot.com dealing with the event and Mayor Williams’ recognition by Rainbow Pride of West Virginia for his policies on inclusion.

After writing opinion for over 14 years, I’m fairly, tough-skinned when it comes to feedback. It’s been my policy never to respond to criticism. Right, wrong, fair, unfair, that’s my policy. I learned early on, it’s impossible to win an argument conversing online via email or forum. I simply present fact-based thoughts and allow the readers to decide.

Now, this lack of attention to their complaints drives liberals crazy. They are so needy and high maintenance. C’est La Vie.

I also requested, via the column, as well as on The Tom Roten Morning Show, last week, that if this reading event was truly meant to sponsor “inclusiveness” and “tolerance”, allow me or someone equal time to attend and read from God’s Word.

Is that an unfair request? It must be, since I’ve not gotten a response.

Once you understand progressivism, it’s really, quite easy to identify a liberal by their argument and “who” or “what” they attack. Progressivism 101 prescribes eliminating any pre-conceived foundational principle which doesn’t support liberal ideology. Once the rules have been re-defined, it’s simply a matter of executing a constant barrage of challenges, usually under the guise of compassion or tolerance. For a progressive, baby-steps is accepted modus operandi.

And progressives are never willing to accept blame for any unintended consequences – period.

One of the dissenters to my column shared, quite inappropriately, that she fielded phone calls for a suicide hot-line. Now, this is an honorable and worthy cause for which I’m grateful she has a calling. I pray she has tremendous success in her mission.

She was adamant that my opinion column was damaging in that people were calling her hot-line upset at me for presenting my conservative stance. I assume it was confusing and maybe even hurtful for them to read what I believe in my heart to be the truth.

But wait! Is it fair to accuse a third-party opinion columnist for the confusion and hurt these individuals felt? Who confused them in the first place about their gender? Who led them to the fork in the road advising them they have a choice whether to identify as a man or a woman? Who enabled them to acquire the disability of gender confusion? Who intentionally removed the teaching of God’s creation of man and woman from their childhood teaching which couldn’t be clearer in our Creator’s intent.

To a liberal blinded by the darkness, it must be a Bible believing, Christian conservative. One only need read some of the responses I receive to my opinion columns to see who spews hatred and intolerance. It certainly isn’t conservatives.

The liberal argument will always be, Christians couldn’t possibly be acting in love if they don’t condone or enable a lifestyle which conflicts with God’s Word. And they may truly believe their position, since they don’t understand the Love of God.

Jesus loved everyone, but He didn’t condone a sinful lifestyle. But in moments of true repentance, He was faithful and just to forgive, after which He told them to “go and sin no more”.

My Associate Editor at Free State Patriot, one of the most brilliant historians I know, was quick to remind me that Drag Queen Story Time coming to Huntington is simply a symptom of a much larger problem and we shouldn’t get bogged down focusing on a single incident.

And he was right.

drag queen story time

The larger issue is we have city leaders who are embracing a “San Francisco-esque” sanctuary policy of tolerance and permissiveness that will continue to cripple our already foundering city. And while crime continues to grow, city leaders are more focused on enabling debilitating behaviors than they are building an infrastructure to support healthy growth and prosperity.

We must demand a “Huntington first” policy from our city leaders and work toward making Huntington great again. I don’t believe that’s going to happen with the elected officials currently at the helm.

Forming an LGBTQ and Diversity committee with the mission of brainstorming ideas on how Huntington can become more tolerant of alternative lifestyles sounds innocent enough. Everyone deserves respect and an equal welcome to our town, but frankly, I’ve not seen anything otherwise.

Trust me when I tell you, it’s simply a step toward more progressive, open-ended decisions that will erode the fiber of morality in our area, one stitch at a time.

We must be proactive in our approach to protecting our city, as the Mayor and his deep state minions are in fundamentally changing it.

It’s time to get informed, engaged and involved – before we lose our city to career liberal politicians.

Make Huntington Great Again! (MHGA)

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Mark Caserta: Progressivism “smacks” Huntington, West Virginia

24 Nov

drag queen power of one

(Huntington Mayor Steve Williams recently honored by Rainbow Pride of West Virginia)

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and founder of Free State Patriot

November 24, 2018

 

It would seem Mayor Steve Williams would like for Huntington, West Virginia, historically one of the most conservative cities in the Mountain State, to become the East Coast distributor for progressivism and liberal ideology.

In prelude to this column, understand that in a 2015 Herald-Dispatch opinion piece, regarding the mayor, I wrote, “I’ve always considered Mayor Williams an honorable man, with a successful track record, committed to making Huntington a better place to live.”

The column was meant to offer a calm voice of reason during the 2015 controversy involving allegations by my brother, former City Councilman Scott Caserta, regarding the legality of a payout of nearly $34,000 to former Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook for accrued sick leave.

My position, at that time, was unpopular with many, including my brother, with whom I’ve spent the last few years rebuilding a relationship I inadvertently compromised by offering perspective that I felt Mayor Williams was attempting to “do the right thing” even if his action was ultimately a mistake.

Now, I’m not naïve enough to think that one executes leadership without facing the challenge of difficult decisions and the realization that not everyone will be pleased.  But the majority of the people must benefit. When the effectual results of a leader’s decisions do not ultimately improve the peace and prosperity of those they serve, the people have the right and yes, the responsibility, to offer dissent.

Consider this column a clarion call for the citizens of Huntington, WV. to rise and take an active role in protecting our city from progressive demise.

I’m going to attempt to give this information all the honor and dignity it deserves. I have no doubt, there are good people involved.

But while God called us to love all people, He didn’t call us to enable or condone their miss-steps or their attempts to disingenuously influence others, especially the most susceptible among us – our youth.

I’ve spent much of my adult life studying liberalism and the progressive movement.  I understand the power of progressivism and the tenaciousness of liberals.  Most liberals understand the steps in their movement aren’t taken in large strides, but “baby steps”.

The film industry wasn’t able to thrust adult content into prime time television overnight.  They strategically tested the networks by inserting lascivious content and gradually desensitizing viewers.  Understand, they began with poisoning programming designed for younger viewers.

A perfect example would be when Disney renamed “ABC Family” to “Freeform” hoping the name would reflect the “edgier” content it added to its programming.

Liberals can be the most patient of “visionaries”, understanding that in a few years, these “children” will be adults who will want an even “edgier” product, one with even more “shock and awe”.

I recall, growing up, the movie, “The Exorcist”, was terrifying in its portrayal of demonic activity.  Today, the shock factor of such a movie is minimal compared to the progressive evolution of modern-day fright films.  As a baby boomer, I admittedly can’t watch modern-day shockers.  But movie moguls realize millennials and “next gen” folks demand this level of intensity.  Hence, progressivism.

It saddens me greatly that I feel the very same progressive movement is being propagated by Mayor Williams and “supporting cast” dark state members in our community

In April 2018, Mayor Steve Williams was honored by Rainbow Pride of West Virginia as part of “The Power of One”.  The group’s website read as follows:

“Under Mayor Williams’ leadership, Huntington City government has embraced diversity and has actively sought inclusiveness for its employees and its residents. Williams formed  citizen-based LGBTQ and Diversity advisory committees.  Working together they formed the “Open to All” diversity campaign pledging to maintain a welcoming and safe environment for all.”

I reiterate, God forgive and deliver me if I have a single racist or bigoted bone in my body.  But I believe a portion of Mayor Williams’ path to “inclusiveness” includes an intentional attempt by progressives to indoctrinate our children to an alternative lifestyle contrary to God’s Word.  And we should be infuriated at this covert influencing of our children’s lives by exposing them to an event obviously marketed by Huntington city leaders.

drag queen story time

“Drag Queen Story Time” is coming to Pullman Square in December.  The reading of the book entitled, “Jacob’s New Dress” entices children of all ages with “free admission, cookies and hot chocolate” and is promoted as introducing “children to the idea that all people are worthy of love and respect and in all clothes.”

Another book, entitled “And Tango Makes Three” focuses on the “contemporary, philosophical issue: What constitutes a family?

One can only assume that readers, “Jade” and “Gisselle”, are men dressed as women, with a mission to challenge the Biblical definition of family under the guise of promoting love and respect for everyone.

The liberal argument here is that anyone not subscribing to the progressive, inclusive definition of a family, couldn’t possibly be operating in love and respect, but from hate and intolerance.

The Christian conservative argument is we can love and respect all people without condoning or promoting a lifestyle which conflicts with our religious beliefs.

How do you suppose Rainbow Pride of West Virginia members would respond if I wanted to join their event and request equal time reading from God’s Holy Word?

I am officially making the request. This is an official request to the Mayor’s office as well as to Rainbow Pride officials.  Let’s see if “inclusiveness” leans both directions.

Citizens of Huntington:  It’s time to become equally as tenacious about having our voices heard above the fray as those who would fundamentally change our city.  We do not have to surmise what would become of our city if we allow Mayor Williams and our city’s dark state to continue down this road of destruction.  All one need do is look at the city of San Francisco, where illicit behavior and filth abound.

We must get informed and speak out against progressivism in our city.  Our children rely upon us to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  They also rely upon us to protect them from those who would prey upon their innocence.

God give us the wisdom and desire to prevail.  Convict our hearts should we step out of your will.  Empower and embolden us in its pursuit.

Let “the Power of One” emanate from the “One God Almighty”.

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Mark Caserta: Don’t complain about what you permit.

11 Nov

divided

(We must be men and women of action.  A half-hearted attempt at greatness will result in mediocrity)

me

Mark Caserta is a conservative columnist and editor for Free State Patriot

November 11, 2018

 

A wise preacher I once knew said, “Don’t complain about what you permit.”

That challenge has resonated with me for the past 35 years. How often in life, do we find ourselves complaining about the world around us, but do absolutely nothing to enact change?

Christians, listen up! We have permitted way too much! It’s time to get off your backsides and make a difference!

  • We should not be “okay” with the murder of an unborn child just because someone made a poor choice and the pregnancy has become an “inconvenience” to them.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with a few far-left liberals wanting to redefine traditional marriage simply because they think we’re being homophobes and intolerant conservatives.
  • We can’t be okay with a few liberal loons in society eliminating gender identity simply because they don’t believe a man or a woman should be restricted by their God-given anatomy.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with a man being allowed to go into a women’s restroom simply because a few liberal nut jobs believe if a man identifies as a woman, we must honor that identity crisis, even in the face of peril for a child.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with the legalization of drugs simply because a few progressives want to profit from the death of people and the destruction of our society.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with anti-gun extremists who want to ignore the Second Amendment and take away our right to “keep and bear arms” to protect our families.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with politicians who want to take more of your hard-earned money to recklessly spend on pet projects and line their pockets with your wealth.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with re-electing representatives who lie to their constituents and refuse to live up to their campaign promises, year after year.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with liberal Democrats who are willing to undermine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and remove the presumption of innocence until proven guilty just to protect their progressive agenda.
  • We absolutely cannot be okay with liberals resorting to intimidation, mob rule and childish temper tantrums simply to get their way.
  • We simply can’t be okay with a liberal media incessantly filling the airwaves and print with fake news designed to influence, rather than inform.
  • We should not be okay with liberal Democrats wanting open borders to allow more “undocumented Democrats” to enter and vote for the hand that feeds them.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with liberals maligning the 1st Amendment of the Constitution and telling us we cannot pray or worship in public.
  • We shouldn’t be okay with our local Health Department providing needles to penniless addicts under the guise of preventing disease.
  • We shouldn’t be “okay” with the progressive agenda which removes God and boundaries of decency from our schools and society so a few liberal buffoons can sew “wild oats” of immorality in the minds of our youth.
  • We also shouldn’t be okay with liberals who would re-write history to disparage our nation’s greatness and exceptionalism in the annuals of antiquity.

We must be men and women of action. No battle was ever won through apathy and indifference. And a half-hearted attempt at greatness will always result in mediocrity.

We must be resolute in standing up for right over wrong! If Christians don’t, who will?

Don’t simply complain – do what you can do to fix it.

 

 

 

 

 

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Mark Caserta: Liberal Dark State Employs Mob Rule Antics

10 Nov

mob

(Mob scratches at door to Supreme Court during Brett Kavanaugh’s oath of office)

me

Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor of Free State Patriot.

November 10, 2018

 

Liberals never cease to amaze me at their incessant ability to create new forms of evil in our nation. In fact, it’s all they’re capable of producing.  Without God’s precepts and the resulting parameters of decency, the dominating influence in their lives is their carnal passion.

And passions of the flesh represent the antithesis of God’s Will and will always propagate iniquitous behavior. Progressives can blame the volatile, political environment encompassing our nation on President Trump all they want.  But they, alone, are responsible for their reprehensible actions.

And given the fact that liberals have endured such an overwhelming political blow resulting from the election of Donald J. Trump, they’ve lowered themselves to a form of political discourse known as “mob rule”.

For decades, we’ve witnessed political unrest in foreign nations inundated with mobs of angry dissenters. In Hamburg, Germany, as world leaders gathered for the G20 summit in July, 2017, a group of radical leftists, known as “Antifa”, for their anti-fascist position, set fire to cars and property, terrorizing residents and injuring more than 200 police officers.

But foreign nations no longer own the market share of political dissension. For now, in these United States of America, we have our own form of contentious, malevolent behavior resulting from varying political ideologies – political terrorism.

In Washington, DC, October 2018, Protesters clawed viciously at the doors of the Supreme Court during the swearing in of Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh, chanting, “This is what democracy looks like!”  While liberal news outlets, such as CNN, reported this behavior as “protests”, such violent behavior is far from the free speech protected by the Constitution.

And as with all “political mobs,”, these domestic terrorists have their sponsors.

In June 2018, Rep. Maxine Waters, a liberal, California Democrat, called for a “total social warfare” against the entire Trump administration.  She said Trump administration officials should not be allowed anywhere in public and should be excoriated for supporting the president.

“If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome any more, anywhere,” she told the cheering crowd.

In September, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his wife, Heidi, were forced to leave a restaurant in Washington, D.C. by a group determined to intimidate and terrorize the couple for the Senator’s support of a Trump Supreme Court nominee.

Only a couple weeks ago, while Fox News Host Tucker Carlson was at his work desk, just hours before his 8 p.m. live show, he suddenly began receiving multiple, desperate text messages from his wife.

Political terrorists with bull horns, were verbally assaulting the Carlson home, obviously with the intent of emotional and possibly physical damage to the family.  These terrorists had no way of knowing the Carlson children were not at home with their terrified mother.

“I called my wife,” Carlson told The Washington Post in a phone interview. “She had been in the kitchen alone getting ready to go to dinner and she heard pounding on the front door and screaming.

Someone started throwing himself against the front door and actually cracked the front door.”  Thinking it was a home invasion, Carlson’s wife locked herself in a pantry and called 911.

Yes, this is exactly what democracy, otherwise known as “mob rule”, looks like.  That’s why we should thank God, we live in a Republic.

But our Republic is under attack from within.  If liberal Democrats can’t win in the theater of ideas, they’ve shown their willingness to steal, cheat, ravage, and indeed, terrorize to regain their threshold of progressive influence on our nation.

Now, let’s be clear about where this could end.

Understand, this political reign of terror may only be accompanied by chants, name-calling and disrespectful behavior in our nation’s capital.  But in rural areas, to include the hills and valleys of Appalachia, a man isn’t going to simply turn his back and walk away when a political terrorist is confronting his family in a restaurant or attempting to break down the door to his castle.

I believe we all know what will happen.  Someone will die.

While, this level of political unrest has not yet arrived in our local communities, it’s important to realize we have local leadership, in the form of a “dark state” that is sympathetic to the liberal rule of law or lack thereof.

We have a local newspaper, The Herald Dispatch, intent on protecting their liberal agenda, with local columnists applauding the progressive antics of individuals who do not share your values or care about your peace and prosperity.

Don’t wait until someone’s pounding on your door.  Don’t allow the dark state, national, local or otherwise, to turn thwart our Republic with mob rule antics.

Get informed and involved – now.

 

 

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Mark Caserta: Why do we keep electing losers to represent us?

29 Oct

 

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Mark Caserta is an opinion columnist and editor for Free State Patriot

October 29, 2018

 

Per the most recent Gallup poll results, Congress’ approval rating is at a whopping 16 percent.  That’s the lowest it’s been since July 2016, when it hit 13 percent.

Politifact research revealed 53 percent of Americans had a higher opinion of hemorrhoids than Congress!  Admittedly, both are pains in the backside.

So, why do we keep electing these people?  Is it name recognition? Peer pressure? Do we simply love losing that much?  Or could it be most of us simply aren’t engaged enough to know better?

Sadly, many people don’t become informed or involved until it impacts them directly.  Even sadder, it’s impacting them now, even if they don’t realize it.

The good news for America, is Donald Trump is helping us win despite many being disengaged from the facts.

Donald J. Trump became the first billionaire to serve in the Oval Office when he was inaugurated in January 2017. At the time of his inauguration, his net worth was around $3.1 billion, per estimates from Forbes.

At 71 years of age, Trump certainly didn’t need the presidency.  He could have (very comfortably) chosen to enjoy the rest of his life, with a beautiful, talented wife and family, traveling and playing golf at his club in Mar a Lago, virtually unimpacted by the downward spiraling economy thrust upon Americans by Obama and his liberal minions.

But his love of country forbade that destiny.

He chose, rather, to leverage his business acumen and leadership talents to literally save our nation from becoming akin to a third-world, socialist country.  And he’s done an amazing job in returning our country to greatness midway through his first term in office.

Per the White House’s website, the Trump administration has “scored 81 major achievements in its first year,” making good on campaign promises to provide significant tax cuts, boost U.S. energy production, crack down on open borders and restore respect to the United States.  The site goes on to applaud over 100 other minor achievements, which didn’t receive much recognition.

Leadership made all the difference.  Anyone being intellectually honest would admit the Obama administration didn’t, and liberals still don’t, think much of America.  Proof you ask?  Well, the proof is in the pudding.

Look around you.  While quite cliché, are you better off now than you were 2 years ago?  By all measurable factors, we all are!  If liberal Democrats truly cared about your peace and prosperity, would they be supportive of policies that “win” for the American people?

The truth is liberal Democrats hate Donald Trump and conservatives more than they love their country.  And I challenge them to prove me wrong.

So why do we keep electing losers to represent us in office?  Why don’t more people keep track of their representative’s voting records and hold them accountable for their campaign promises? Not enough people are engaged with politics, local or national.  And sadly, we’ve reaped the dividends.

Frankly, that’s why candidates spend so much money placing their name in front of you with hundreds of election posters, photos and slogans.  They understand, many people tend to vote based on “name recognition” rather than proposed policies and voting records.

We must stop voting solely on name recognition!  Stop it now!  Would you vote for Satan just because you recognize his name?  Well, you just might!

And I’d go further to warn not to vote solely on “words”.  Actions speak much louder than words.  The next level of uninformed voter is one who votes based on “one-liners” and “slogans”.

Remember Obama’s slogan, “Fundamentally Changing America”?  Ouch!  How’d that one work out for you?

Here are simple steps to cast an informed, fact-based vote:

  • First, voting is not optional. It’s your civic duty – period.
  • Go online and search a sample ballot for your voting district.
  • Ignore the letter “R” or “D” by the name. Politicians will often change to the consonant that resonates most with their region.
  • Spend time researching candidate platforms, proposed policies and voting records if available.
  • Pray for wisdom and discernment. Ignore talking heads and political pundits on television.  Remember, many of these “experts” are simply paid contributors designed to perform a “balancing act”.
  • Decide which candidate would best serve your ideals and belief system.
  • Take a marked ballot with you to the polls when voting.
  • Confirm your vote is accurately and completely logged at your polling place.
  • Pray against voter fraud and error. Report any suspicious activity.
  • Trust God.

There will be an open, non-denominational prayer vigil, November 5th, at 6 pm. At Christ Temple Church (2400 Johnstown Road, Huntington, WV.) the evening before the mid-term election.

Feel free to join!

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Mark Caserta: November mid-terms will impact politics forever

21 Oct

NOVEMBER ELECTION

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Mark Caserta is a conservative columnist and editor for Free State Patriot.

October 21, 2018

 

 

Since the election of Barack Hussein Obama, the trend has been to vote out Democrats.

Per multiple news outlets, including the Washington Post and Fox News, since 2008, Democrats have lost over 1200 seats in state and federal Democrat posts, including congressional and state legislative seats, governorships and the presidency.

So, what’s changed that would cause this trend to turn with the November mid-term election?

Absolutely nothing.  If anything, given the wins President Trump and the GOP have had for the American people, the trend should be embedded even further.  Unemployment is at a record low for all Americans, taxes are lower, wages are higher, and the economy is thriving.  Our nation’s presence on the world stage is, once again, admired and respected.  We don’t even “hear” tales of ISIS activity or the numerous horrific attacks we witnessed during the Obama era of emboldening our enemy.  Illegal immigration is being addressed and “the wall” is under construction.

In other words, midway through his first term as president, Donald Trump has successfully placed our nation back on the path to greatness in every measurable metric.  And he did it, often opposed by members of his own party!

So, why do we keep hearing of the impending “blue wave” of Democrat victories about to sweep the nation?  I’ll tell you why.

Because Democrats and the complicit liberal media are afraid.  They’ve already seen the balance of the Supreme Court tilt to the right for generations.  They continue to see the fervor at Trump’s rallies and the excitement in the air over his presidency.  They’ve fallen victim to the ridicule brought on by their feckless behavior and fake news.

They are losing, and they know it.  Liberal Democrats and the adverse impact of their progressive policies have been exposed. And, as any animal backed into a corner, about to experience demise, they are taking a defensive posture and attacking with everything they have at their disposal – which isn’t much – except for the support of the liberal media.

Listen carefully to the Democrat political ads inundating the airwaves. What good thing happening in our country can Democrats take credit for?

They offer no promise of policies that will benefit the American people.  They want to raise your taxes, return the individual mandate of Obamacare, return government regulation that kills jobs and forces more families into the trap of supplemental aid from the government, and once again, apologize to the world for being an exceptional nation.

Democrats have been reduced to mob tactics of intimidation and fear-mongering.  While this isn’t a new strategy for them, they’ve never employed it to the degree our children are observing from their nation’s leaders, as they are now.

Recently, in an interview on CNN, Hillary Clinton told the nation that civility in America can only begin if the Democrats win back the House or Senate this fall.

“You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about,” Clinton said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “That’s why I believe, if we are fortunate enough to win back the House and or the Senate, that’s when civility can start again. But until then, the only thing that the Republicans seem to recognize and respect is strength.”

Far-left fanatic, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) called for her supporters to publicly confront Trump officials to condemn the President’s zero-tolerance policy on illegal immigration.

“Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up,” Waters told a crowd in her home state. “If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd, and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

This sort of irresponsible rebel-rousing from leaders of the Democrat Party has resulted in officials and their families being confronted, harassed and literally made to leave public establishments.

Are these the type of elected officials you want representing you?

This outlandish, over-the-top, behavior nearly resulted in the death of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) in 2017, when a radical leftist began firing upon members of the GOP during an annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity.

Liberal Democrats know this mid-term election is a referendum on the presidency of Donald Trump, which has been extremely successful.  They know they’ve hit rock-bottom in terms of their promise of a political platform that will be better for our country than what we have now.

The only hope Democrats have in November is to convince you to stay home.

Don’t let that happen.  We can’t reward the behaviors they are leveraging during this election.  If we do, we’re telling them that it works.  At that point, it will be a strategy that will be employed forever in politics.

Is that the America you want for your children?

 

 

 

 

 

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Mark Caserta: President Trump really has divided America

15 Oct

But not in a bad way…

divided

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Mark Caserta:  Free State Patriot editor

October 15, 2018

 

Yes, President Donald Trump has, indeed, divided America.  But not in a bad way.

The “Trump Factor”, which employs many successful attributes, is exacerbated by an unapologetic approach by the president to put “America first” in every decision he makes.  This lack of “political correctness” has exposed a growing dichotomy of ideology in our nation and driven people into their metaphorical corners.

In the first camp, we have patriots who love America and seek the continuation of our founding principles. These are God-fearing people who believe our nation is built on Biblical principles and our founding fathers sought direction from the Almighty in framing our U.S. Constitution.

In the second camp, we have dissenters who believe America is the problem and would fundamentally change society to align with their liberal passions.  They believe principles and morality are on a sliding scale and our Constitution is antiquated to our modern-day challenges.

Many of those who’ve lost hope in perpetuating their progressive agenda, suffer from “Trump Anxiety Disorder”, causing them to act and respond irresponsibly to even the simplest of issues.  While funny to watch, it’s disconcerting that many are so hopeless, they now advocate eliminating civility and conversation in lieu of intimidation tactics, up to and including violence.

Keep in mind, these morally depraved individuals are a minority and would be quietly whimpering in the corner in the fetal position, if it wasn’t for the liberal media giving them voice.  Trust me, when I tell you there isn’t anything progressives won’t say or do if it means convincing Americans to disavow the Trump presidency.

This so-called “fake news” is simply a reality of the world in which we live.  Understanding its existence is the first step to returning our country, state and city to greatness. But understanding its purpose, will help each of us circumvent it in our daily lives.

As a reminder, the definition of fake news is “reporting designed to disingenuously influence” rather than to genuinely inform.  The ethical principles of journalism, in stark contrast, have no place in progressive reporting.  Truth in reporting will never stand in the way of a manipulative story for liberals.

Remember, Hillary Clinton, while campaigning for president in 2008, told a story in a speech at George Washington University how she landed “under sniper fire” during a 1996 trip to Bosnia.

“There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport,” Clinton reminisced, “But instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.”

Too bad the Bosnia war ended in 1995.  The Washington Post debunked her claim with old news footage taken when Clinton landed.  It revealed the former first lady calmly walking away from the plane and greeting people on the tarmac, while an 8-year-old Muslim girl read her a poem.

One can see how this could easily have been mistaken for sniper fire.

How about the 2015 admission of Brian Williams, then a very popular news anchor on NBC, falsely claiming to have been on a helicopter shot down by enemy fire while on a news reporting trip to Iraq in 2003?  Williams told the story numerous times, of how his Chinook helicopter was forced down by rockets and small-arms fire.

But factually, per crew members aboard the craft, Williams and his crew landed prematurely due to an impending sandstorm about to erupt in the Iraqi desert.

Interesting how a seasoned field reporter mistook sand and wind for a ground to air attack.

In both instances, the purpose of these prevarications was to disingenuously inform and influence behaviors conducive to their success and the progressive movement.

An underlying lesson one might also extrapolate from these outright lies, is that liberals welcomed both Clinton and Williams back in their good graces.  Their assets in the progressive theater, obviously outweighed their liability as liars.

Liberals are very predictable in the use of fake news to mislead and influence marginally-informed people around us.  Frankly, without the liberal news media, far-left progressives would be virtually powerless in propagating their agenda.  The bully-pulpit lends itself to impacting the masses.

In a recent study conducted by such authors as Stephen Hawkins, Daniel Yudkin, Miriam Juan-Torres, and Tim Dixon, entitled, “Hidden Tribes: A Study of America’s Polarized Landscape,” most Americans fit outside the camps of “hard-left” liberals and “hard-right” conservatives.

However, conservatives, in the general sense of the term, far outnumber radical or even moderate liberals.  Christian conservatives continue to be the most powerful voting demographic in the country, when we bind forces.

Based on the report, 25 percent of Americans are traditionally or devoted conservatives.  Of course, that metric varies greatly, depending on geography.  But only 8 percent of Americans consider themselves progressive activists, with views far less typical than either conservatives or moderates. If that 8 percent also varies with geography, the percentage must be miniscule here in Appalachia.

How did Huntington get so lucky to have most of them set up camp downtown?  And if these numbers are accurate, why does the liberal fringe seem to have the loudest voice in the room?

2 reasons: Among the 8 percent, fall the liberal media. They leverage their venue to the fullest. Secondly, Christians are way too lazy and complacent.  In many cases, we’ve simply allowed liberals to have their warped way with our city and our families while we sit on the sidelines waiting on Jesus to return.

I believe Jesus is going to have many hard questions to ask of those who didn’t join the battle.  Our savior took 12 men and shook the world! What have you accomplished with all you’ve been provided?

Consider this colossal attempt at molding history with fake news.

How many media outlets or journalistic pundits predicted Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election? None, but not only did they not predict his victory, they amused themselves before their audiences with the incredulity of the Donald even running for the office!

No doubt, this liberal faction was split among those to whom the possibility of a Trump presidency was so revolting, they couldn’t bring themselves to adequately assess reality, and those who truly believed the American people were so disengaged they couldn’t possibly understand how frustrated most Americans were with failing liberal policies.

Either way, the same liberal loons who assured us of a Clinton victory are the same ones promising us a “blue wave” during the November mid-terms.  Once again, liberal Democrats are attempting to leverage the progressively complicit media in convincing the American people to stay home.

Liberals know the game always must be rigged for them to achieve victory.  And trust me when I tell you, they are shameless in doing so.  All’s fair in love and politics to progressives.

Understand what’s at stake in this November election.

If liberal Democrats regain power in the House of Representatives or the Senate, the least that can happen is the Trump agenda will be slowed.  But the worst is not beyond speculation.

Liberals will work diligently to accomplish the following in a very short period of time:

  • Eliminate Trump’s tax reform and raise your taxes.
  • Seek total and lasting elimination of parameters on abortion.
  • Re-instate EPA powers of regulation over energy industries, including coal.
  • Implement Obamacare to the fullest degree, to include the individual mandate. Once this fails, expect a government orchestrated healthcare system trapping you in its socialist net.
  • Despite our thriving economy, they will work to eradicate all Trump has done to rebuild it.
  • Liberals will work hard to impeach President Trump and Justice Brett Kavanaugh – and anyone else in their way!
  • Return us to the dysfunctionality of the Obama era, to include a lack of respect for America on the global stage.

The list goes on.

Additionally, understand, this liberal agenda will be supported 100% by our liberal leaders right here in Huntington, WV. who sadly, have their priorities for our city upside down.  All one need do is drive through our historic streets to witness first-hand the heartbreaking economic decay.

And as with Washington and the liberal media, our local print media is complicit with Huntington’s progressive agenda.  The leadership of The Herald Dispatch, have caused such degradation of the paper, it’s difficult to read.  And they’re surely no supporter of President Trump’s winning strategies.

Truly the only reason to vote Democrat is if you’re simply tired of winning.

Don’t listen to the media’s fake news.  We can own this election if we get out to vote.

Let’s shock the world and liberal media, once again, by keeping America great and making Huntington great again!

 

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