HAVE AMERICANS LOST THEIR MORAL COMPASS?

During the 20^th Century, most people had never heard of a moral compass. A compass was a piece of metal with an arrow showing you which direction you were headed. Still a pretty handy item if you’re navigating in unknown territory. And then, a couple of decades ago, we started hearing the term “moral compass.” It first came into popular use in the year 2011. The Chief of Staff of the British Army observed that many UK citizens no longer had a sense of moral compass, while in the past, it would have been instilled in them by their parents. He said it would be up to the military to teach recruits the difference between right and wrong. When I hear that the majority of Americans are perfectly willing to vote for either Trump or Biden, you have to wonder. Have Americans lost their moral compass?

What is a moral compass? The dictionary defines it as : a set of beliefs or values that help guide ethical decisions, judgments, and behavior : an internal sense of right and wrong.

This doesn’t seem too complicated. Even little kids have a moral compass. They know not to hit or spit on one another if they’re mad. Teenagers with a moral compass don’t sell drugs or beat up on a guy they disagree with. It goes on through life. Even at my age, I know that if someone steals a package from my porch, that person lacks a moral compass.

We used to expect elected officials to show that they had a moral compass. Voters may not have liked Eisenhower, Truman, Ford or Carter, but they respected their integrity.

All that’s changed now. Few seem to care if the person they vote for has committed a crime or sexually harassed a member of the opposite sex. Lying and cheating seem to get a rubber stamp. If we look at recent polls, it would appear that voters in both parties are only interested in whether or not the person they elect can fulfill their personal wants and needs. No one seems to care about the common good, or uniting the country.

According to recent polls in Iowa, a majority of Republicans strongly support a presidential candidate who has been criminally indicted four times and been involved in numerous sexual harassment suits. The Democrats don’t care in the least that their man’s son had 40 different banks accounts in order to launder illegal payments to the current president’s family from foreign governments.

Both Biden and Trump have clearly demonstrated a lack of moral compass. If either one of these men are returned to the white house in the 2024 election, what does it mean? Have most Americans lost their moral compass? Or do they even know what one is?

June 28, 2023June 27, 2023

BRING BACK BORING IN 2024

A panelist on a public television program recently said that former Vice President Pence was boring. Therefore, she reasoned this would preclude him from consideration as a presidential candidate. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing Most voters are sick and tired of chaos coming out of the White House. We want a president who commands respect. While I’m not endorsing Pence or any other candidate, I’d like a leader who won’t make us the laughing stock of the world. Bring Back Boring in 2024.

Here is what I would not like to see in a candidate:

*Some one who has been indicted in several states for various crimes such as obstruction of justice and sexual assault.

*Shakes hands with ghosts, proclaims “God Save The Queen” after a speech about gun control, and calls someone a “lying, dog faced pony soldier. (whatever that means).

*Runs down his politicial opponents by using childish, school yard nick names. Builds himself up by running others down.

*Defends his son for failing to pay income taxes and child support. Says he’s proud of a man who’s debauchery can be seen all over the internet.

*Hides classified materials in his bathroom and refuses to return them to the proper authorities.

*Is suspected of receiving millions of dollars in exchange for favorable policies toward China.

*Will celebrate eighty plus birthdays while serving as president of the United States of America and leader of the free world.

Remembering Truman, Reagan, Eisenhower, this is what I would like to see.

Someone who:

*Conducts himself with dignity and respect for others.

*Hasn’t been indicted for a crime or involved in a scandal.

*Has distinguished himself as a defender of American Values.

*Enjoys a stable family life,.

*Works with the opposing political party to do what’s best for the American people.

*Respects all races, religions and social classes without pandering to any.

*Welcomes all immigrants, as long as they come into this country in a legal, orderly manner.

Above all, the president of the United States of America should be a statesman, not a politician. According to Dr. J. Rufus Fears, professor of the history and freedom, the two are not the same thing. He said a statesman must possess four critical qualities:

A bedrock of principles
A moral compass
A vision
The ability to build a consensus to achieve that vision

Does that sound too boring? ? I don’t think so. Bring Back Boring in 2024.

April 14, 2023April 13, 2023

DESPERATE FOR NORMAL IN 2024

Looks like neither Biden or Trump are very popular with voters. And yet, those are the only names we hear as serious presidential candidates in 2024. It’s hard to believe that these could be our choices in the next election. Surely, there’s a young, smart man or woman in all of these 50 states who could inspire Americans and salvage what’s left of this country. Desperate for normal in 2024.

Desperate for Normal 2024. We must find a better candidate.. — DESPERATE FOR NORMAL 2024. We need a better presidential candidate than either of these two.

As an octogenarian, I can get away with saying both Biden and Trump are way too old. They might have a suntan or smear their faces with pancake makeup, but things aren’t working nearly so well inside their bodies. Especially after 70, physical fraility begins to accerate. There is no fountain of youth. While your kids may say you’re “sharp as a tack,” they don’t realize all of the aches and pain you’re trying to conceal as you navigate through the golden years. Yes, your mind may be clear, but it doesn’t process information quickly. Solving a crossword puzzle takes longer than it used to.

It comes on gradually and may not show up right away, but 33% of those over 65 have Alzheimer’s dementia. Let’s assume that both Trump and Biden are in that lucky 66% who will not develop the disease. Pretend they are as fit as any 50 year old person. Even if that were true, both of them have way too much baggage to command the respect needed to lead this country out of these troubled times.

Do we really want a president who’s being charged with tax fraud, voter fraud, and Lord knows what else? On top of which, his personal life is a mess, with children by three different women and past relationships with porn stars and models.

Consider the alternative: Does a man who smells women’s hair, has a son who does business with China, and abandons our servicemen in Afgahnastan have the credentials needed to serve as president of these United States?

As an Independent voter, I throw up my hands. What in the world is wrong with die hard Republicans and Democrats who can’t see that these men are way past their prime. Both have done some good things , but now is the time for them to go . A younger, more , respectable person must lead this country out of the quagmire that we’re currently in. We’re desperate for normal in 2024.

October 22, 2022

WOULD YOU VOTE FOR A YARD SIGN?

Now is the time for a plethora of ugly yard signs dotting the landscape. Candidates seem to favor busy street corners near stoplights. Usually, you’ll see at least twenty signs lined up in a row or jammed in a muddled mess. I suppose if you’re riding shotgun, they give you something to look at. But if you’re driving, they’re mostly a nuisance distraction. I find it hard to believe that signs garner many extra votes, but then maybe they increase familiarity for a certain name. Would you vote for a yard sign if you had no idea of the person behind the name?

Early voting started last week in our county. About 300 people cast their ballots at all the voting centers on the first day. and the media considered that quite a crowd. By the time I voted the following Tuesday, there was only one other person before me. That doesn’t sound like an early voting crowd to me. However, in the State of Georgia, it’s another story. It’s a different population than ours, demographically, and folks have pretty strong feelings one way or the other, depending on which candidate they dislike the most.

Some reporters believe that the number of yard signs for a certain candidate has a predictive value. I didn’t see that with the last presidential election. There were Biden signs all over town, and yet Trump carried our county by a wide margin. I guess the Trumpers were the silent majority.

Personally, I never vote a straight ticket. I’m always amazed that anyone would do that, especially in a small town, where we’re familiar with most of the local candidates. Anyone who watches the news or reads the paper should have formed an intelligent decision about the incumbents. It’s not as easy with the challengers, but there are threads of familiarity in most of them. You knew the family, or they went to your church, or their kids ran around with your kids.

Sometimes, I don’t vote at all. As an example, there were 14 candidates for the school board. I only voted for two—one an incumbent and the other with an impressive track record in the community. Yes, I could have picked another name from a yard sign, just to fill in the blanks, but that would be fairly risky. What if the unknown came from out of nowhere, and has no credentials whatsoever?

I feel sorry for the candidates who spent a pile of time and money on yard signs, and lost anyway. You wonder what do they do with the old signs. Store them in hopes of a future run? Must be a pretty sad day when you burn them in a bonfire or take them to the city dump.

Nevertheless, my sympathy has it’s limits. If I had my druthers, there would be no yard signs allowed. But it’s a free country. Would you vote for a yard sign? I wouldn’t.

March 28, 2022March 28, 2022

BIDEN’S SELF FULFILLING PROPHECIES

Biden hadn’t been in office more than a couple of weeks when his pessimistic predictions began. “The virus is going to get worse before it gets better,” he said on Jan 21, 2021. Sure enough, it did. One year later, he announced he would be sending out free virus testing kits and N29 respirator/ masks to all Americans. They arrived here in our town around the 2^nd week in March, 2022. By then, new cases had plummeted, so the costly distribution of kits and masks were no longer needed. Biden’s passive, self fulfilling prophecies fail the American public.

On August 18, 2021 he stated that “chaos was inevitable in the withdrawal from Afghanistan.” He surely was right about that. Especially when he pulled the plug so quickly that thousands of Afghans and numerous American service men lost their lives. . Just a little bit of foresight, and a gradual withdrawal, would have made all the difference.

In February, 2022, Biden said inflation was going to get worse. He was right. It has. He also predicted it would taper off soon. It hasn’t. Why would it, when so many people in America received stimulus checks they didn’t really need? And even for those who did need the money, it paid them more to stay home than to go back to work. Printing unearned money can only be paid back in one way: inflation.

He also predicted Russia would invade Ukraine. It did, especially after he showed his hand and promised that no US troops would ever be on the ground there. He continues to encourage the Russian aggression by assuring them there will never be a NATO supported no fly zone over Ukraine. Is that how you play poker?

On March 9, he predicted gas prices would rise. They have. Like about 58%. I guess he thinks that’s okay because after all “I told you so.” That’s not good enough. How about doing something to increase oil production here in the US. What about fossil fuels to the rescue? Why not wait until we’re back on our feet before pursuing “clean energy.”

Three days ago, on March 25, he announced , ‘there are going to be food shortages.” Going to be? Like, we don’t already have food shortages? How many of you have tried to buy saltine crackers, canned soups, and hundreds of other items, only to be greeted with empty shelves? But now, it’s apparently going to be OK, because Biden gave us a heads up. So how will consumers react to that last warning? For those who can afford it, they will stock up on anything that will keep: flour coffee, meat, baby formula, just to name a few. All of which will drive up demand and increase prices even more.

I don’t understand how the Biden Administration’s dire warnings are doing much of anything to solve problems. A pessimistic, passive approach is not what America needs right now. We need a leader who not only foresees the problems , but figures out how to keep them from getting worse.

January 2, 2022January 2, 2022

UNSUBSCRIBE TO BIDEN & TRUMP

My emails have been piling up incrementally during this pandemic. I used to get about 10 a day, but lately, it’s been closer to 100. Not being too tech savvy, I tried to unsubscribe the hard way: by slowly opening the email on my desktop, then searching the fine print that lets me unsubscribe. Very time consuming. Just found out that my smart phone makes it much easier. Most of these spam emails on my iphone have a bright blue UNSUSCRIBE link at the bottom. One quick click, and the pesky ads from clothing and insurance companies vanish, and don’t return. Now. I wish to unsubscribe to any news flash coming across the screen that contains the name Biden or Trump.

There was a time when I was actually interested in hearing about what those two were saying or doing. That was way back before the pandemic began. Everyone either hated Trump and loved Biden, or vise versa. You had to stay on your toes to defend your president of choice whenever the subject came up—which was often. But the truth is, nobody really cares anymore.

Trump rants and raves, but his base is dwindling and you pretty much know what he’s going to say. Biden only got elected because of Trump’s handling of the Covid Crisis. Just about any of the more viable Democratic candidates could have won. Biden’s made mistakes and he’s not getting any younger. You get the feeling the country is being run by a bunch of suits in a back room who are telling him what to say and when.

So, what I’d like to do is block anything coming across my newsfeed or email that has the name Biden or Trump in it. That would probably cut down of at least 50% of my spam e mail and Iphone news flashes. . But where would I find out what’s going on? How could I keep up with current events? Probably, the old fashioned way. By reading newspapers and magazines, I could go back over any story and sort out fact from opinion.. Most big city newspapers are pretty liberal, And you know that certain magazines are predictably conservative. But at least you can cut through the chaff and figure out for yourself what’s going on without relying on Twitter and AOL.

I wish I could unsubscribe to Biden and Trump. But I can’t.

November 8, 2021November 7, 2021

VOTERS FINALLY GOT NORMALCY IN VA

Most people who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 did so because they didn’t like Hillary Clinton. Then, they decided they really didn’t like Trump all that much so they voted for the only alternative—Biden. But neither president has had much appeal for ordinary people. Trump’s name calling, orange hair, frequent firings and bizarre phone calls didn’t look or sound very presidential. By the same token, Biden’s hair smelling, whispering, hiding in the basement, and breaking wind at the COP26 climate summit, don’t exactly make us proud. Finally, the voters got what they’ve been looking for in the VA gubernatorial race. A normal, middle aged guy. No pancake make up. No napping in public. No hair spray or fake smile. Youngkin came across as a down-to-earth person who calmly and clearly articulated the concerns of average men and women.

voters finally got normalcy in Virginia — VOTERS FINALLY GOT NORMALCY IN VA. They elected an ordinary middle aged man with common sense.

I’m really hoping this trend will continue. Trump accomplished a lot during his presidency, but then he messed up the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. In his defense, I’m not sure anyone else would have handled it any better, because no one had been through such a crisis. However, Trump continues to draw crowds and give speeches. He undoubtedly has a base, but as the saying goes, “every dog has its day.”. Why can’t he be content with that and go on with his very privileged life?

Everyone knows that Biden’s election was mostly due to a strong disapproval of Trump—especially among women voters. But honestly, I believe several of the Democratic contenders for the presidential nomination could have won. And it seems to me that someone like Amy Klobuchar would have done a better job with border security and handling of the pandemic, for starters. And I doubt she would fall asleep on television during important meetings.

Okay, it’s done. Our country will survive the current chaos in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the US government. We’ve been through worse. Time to move on and elect younger, smarter, common sense candidates who can unite and inspire us. And it won’t hurt at all if they don’t wear a shirt and tie when campaigning.

Voters finally got normalcy in Virginia. We have it here in Indiana with Governor Holcomb. Hope it’s a coming trend throughout the United States of America.