Is Eight Enough? First GOP Debate in Hours

Is Eight Enough? First GOP Debate in Hours
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
August 23, 2023 5:20 PM EDT

The first 2024 Republican presidential debate from Milwaukee, WI is coming up on Fox News in a few hours. Normally, I tell people, I watch so you don't have to. DO watch. DO tune in tonight at 9 PM EDT.

A few pre-game thoughts:

The RNC has screwed conservative political commentator and one-time candidate for governor of California, Larry Elder. Apparently he had the requisite qualifications to appear on tonight's debate stage, but for whatever reason, he is not being permitted to appear. I like Elder and he is in my top five of the 13 announced GOP candidates.

I'm glad President Trump will not be participating. Make no mistake, if Trump is the GOP nominee, I will work hard to help get him elected, and vote for him in the general election.

Trump's presence would suck the oxygen out of, not just the debate stage, but all of Wisconsin. The eight candidates appearing tonight on the debate stage should collude to not answer a single question asked about Trump. Something like: "President Trump is not here tonight. I am running for the office of President of the United States, and am happy to answer any question about my candidacy, my policies, my plans for the future of our great nation."

As much as I like Newsmax, and I do, (probably a 50-50 split with Fox) I think they were wrong to criticize Fox for seemingly, initially, barring Trump surrogates from appearing during the post-debate Spin Room. They should be barred. If Trump is a no-show, not putting in the work, his people should not be rewarded with free media time.

Vivek Ramaswamy may be the "flavor of the month," and he has a future with the GOP, but he is painfully naive, and while he may be ready for prime time (remains to be seen), he is not ready for the White House. (I don't want to hear about how Richard Nixon was elected VP at age 39 - sworn in at 40 - he had previously served as an elected Congressman and Senator.) Ramaswamy must get his head straight on Israel. He also needs to answer for his link to the Soros family - something just doesn’t sound kosher in his explanation: https://www.newsmax.com/politics/2024-vivek-ramaswamy-donors/2023/08/22/id/1131678/ 

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum tore his Achilles tendon during a pick-up basketball game last night. He WILL appear on the debate stage tonight. I like Burgum, he’s done a very good job as ND governor, and hope he can stand for the two hour debate. Burgum will, as they say in the Peace Garden State, “Cowboy Up!”

All eight GOP debate participants MUST be genuine, MUST explain what sets them apart from the other candidates, especially Joe Biden, MUST explain how they will accomplish any goal they mention, and MUST NOT whine about anything - especially about being shorted 10 seconds compared to their competitors.

Going into tonight's debate, how I rank the GOP candidates - not electability, just my opinion:

Amb. Nikki Haley

Sen. Tim Scott

Gov. Doug Burgum

VP Mike Pence

Larry Elder

Gov. Ron DeSantis

Pres. Donald Trump

Vivek Ramaswamy

Perry Johnson

Gov. Chris Christie

Rep. Will Hurd

Gov. Asa Hutchinson

Mayor Francis Suarez

PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He would like to serve as the next Secretary of Education.

Dodgers Strikeout with Catholics

Dodgers Strikeout with Catholics
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
May 31, 2023

“The Dodgers have become the Bud Light of baseball,” said Brian Burch, President of Catholicvote, an organization that launched a $1 million campaign to boycott the Los Angeles Dodgers over an anti-Catholic group to be honored at Dodger Stadium on Pride Night.

Initially the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were invited by the Dodgers to participate in Pride Night, being held around Major League Baseball on Friday June 16. After some grumbling, the group was disinvited. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is not just an anti-Catholic organization, they are drag queens dressed as nuns in the most disrespectful manner possible. Following additional grumbling from the other side, the Sisters were not only reinvited, but they are slated to be presented with a Community Heroes Award. The Los Angeles Dodgers have surrendered to the woke mafia and sided with evil over good.

“They picked a side,” said retired MLB pitcher Curt Schilling, who was outspoken in his playing days, and some believe it cost him enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. “We would rather offend Catholics than the Sisters of Whatever Bad Dancing on Poles they call themselves - I don’t even know. Point being, they picked a side,” said Schilling.

Fox News showed a clip of some of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s antics. To call them horrific is an understatement of epic proportions. Too revolting for words in this column, the scene, so offensive, should send a message that the United States of America is in the throes of, not just a culture war, but a battle royale for the soul of America - a war of good versus evil. People of all faiths, not just Catholics, will be offended by this organization hell bent on bastardizing faith and religion.

Burch sent a letter to the Dodgers objecting to “not just inviting this group - vile, detestable, anti-Catholic hate group to participate, they are going to bestow on them an honor and a community award. So the Dodgers are saying this group in some way represents someone worthy of celebration - that they deserve an award. This group dresses up as Catholic nuns - they aren’t nuns - they’re homosexual men, whose purpose is to mock and defile the Christian religion. We sent this letter alerting them [the Dodgers] that we’re planning this million dollar campaign in hopes that we might have a conversation with them, a meeting, where we might convince them this is a terrible idea and they need to reconsider,” said Burch.

Conservative Catholic attorney, businessman, and philanthropist Tim Busch reminds people that the bottom line is still the bottom line. “...now it’s spreading to sports, and if you’re a shareholder of one of these companies, you should be very upset - why they’re in business in the first place, but this is what’s happened to America. This wokeness is kind of a pagan religion itself. People don’t have a faith, so they create one and this is what it is. I just don’t think we should be dividing people  in business or in sports. They need to be united regardless of their faith or their politics,” said Busch, an unconfirmed minority owner of two sports teams - one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom.

As millions of Americans have already made their financial voices heard regarding Bud Light and Target, clearly the Dodgers have learned nothing. Since March 21 of this year, Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch has lost $27 billion. In about two weeks since mid-May, Target has lost $13.8 billion. Both figures come from Fox Business. Other companies, such as Kohl’s, are facing similar potential losses, and for the same reasons - a woke agenda catering to a tiny minority with the biggest and loudest mouths. But, the silent majority is not staying silent any longer.

“Capitalism is a wonderful thing,” said Schilling. “What we’re doing to the companies that are going woke and the value that they’re dropping billions and billions of dollars needs to be the wake up call. In the last two years, have you seen a liberal-trans boycott that has negatively impacted the bottom line of a company to the point it’s been reported in the news? I haven’t. Do you know why? Because there’s not that many of them. I don’t care, I don’t watch it. But, I sure as hell know baseball fans don’t go to the game to see this crap, much less honoring these people,” concluded Schilling.

Conservatives and religious people of many faiths have expressed offense at the manner in which these companies are conducting business. Apparently, these companies and others are doubling down, as the Dodgers seem to have done, in emphasizing their support for the immoral, the depraved, and the offensive.

“They mock Catholicism and religion in general,” said Burch. This is more than just what they’re wearing. “They’ve turned Jesus on the Cross into a sexual prop. They’re motto is ‘go and sin some more.’ That tells you all you need to know. This is not the kind of group that should be honored. This is not a charitable group…. We now have the star pitcher of the Dodgers saying that he is against mocking the religion of anybody,” Burch said of future Hall of Fame hurler Clayton Kershaw.

Via the Los Angeles Times on Monday May 29, Kershaw said “I don’t agree with making fun of other people’s religions. It has nothing to do with anything other than that. I just don’t think that, no matter what religion you are, you should make fun of somebody else’s religion.

Kershaw’s Dodgers teammate, pitcher Blake Treinen, posted on Twitter on May 30: “I am disappointed to see the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence being honored as heroes at Dodger Stadium. Many of their performances are blasphemous and their work only displays hate and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.”

Also on Twitter, on May 30, Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams as well expressed his dislike with the Dodgers’ decision. “To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion, and the religion of over four million people in Los Angeles County alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization.”

The goal in any game is to score points and win. These points should be made on the field of play and not political points - from either side of the aisle. People want to go to the ballpark, have a beer and a hot dog, be entertained and to “forget about life for a while,” not be lectured to or at.

In an effort to mollify the religious crowd, the Dodgers announced they are relaunching their “Faith and Family Day.” Too little, too late - seems they are putting the proverbial lipstick on the pig. Quite frankly, all of these “group” days - Pride, various ethnic heritage days, even bringing your pet to the ballpark, should be discontinued. The teams should simply welcome all fans to the ballpark every day.

Being neither a Catholic nor a Dodgers fan, the question of why do I care is raised. Aside from being offended simply as a person of faith, I’m reminded of the words of Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) of Germany, found prominently on a wall at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC:

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Granted, the circumstances are nowhere remotely equal, but Niemoller’s words are more than a little poignant. 

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and an educator living in Westfield, IN. He is a charter member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

Is DeSantis the Anti-Trump or Trump Lite?

Is DeSantis the Anti-Trump or Trump Lite?
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
May 25, 2023

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially launched his campaign for president of the United States last night, Wednesday May 24. He rolled the dice on an unusual format and method, and came up snake eyes - DeSantis was snakebit by the failure of technology to provide him a smooth transition from will he or won’t he to I’m in.

While I have nothing against DeSantis, and should he be the Republican nominee in 2024 I will certainly vote for him. I have to ask, is this his time? Just reelected governor of Florida in 2022, he would complete his second and current term in office in early 2027, giving him an entire year before the Iowa caucuses and first in the nation primary, New Hampshire. With two successful terms as governor, DeSantis, currently only 44, will have concluded his electoral obligations to the people of Florida and have nothing but time to launch his campaign for 2028. While most of the 2024 candidates will have been vanquished in that election cycle, and less likely to run again, save for Vivek Ramaswamy, who at 37 years old today, could sit out even two DeSantis terms and still be one of the younger candidates in 2036, at 51.

If this is DeSantis’s time, with a growing field of GOP nomination seekers, his opportunity to catch and surpass former President Donald Trump becomes increasingly slim. Trump already has, depending upon which poll one reads, anywhere from a 25 to 35 percentage point margin over the Florida governor. On the other hand, with DeSantis officially in the race, voters may be more willing to support him and be able to close the gap with Trump. But it begs the question, if DeSantis is considered the best possible GOP alternative to Trump, wouldn’t it make sense for the rest of the field to bow out? That’s not to say the field won’t shrink organically, and as history dictates, the early frontrunner is guaranteed nothing. After all, was former Florida Governor Jeb Bush elected president in 2016? Or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 2012? Or former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in 2008? Or former New York Senator Hillary Clinton in 2008?

But the 2024 election campaign will be an unusual one - of course that goes without saying as it involves Trump, hoping to do his best impersonation of former President Grover Cleveland. And as anyone with a pulse knows, Trump is more than a bit polarizing. Make no mistake, if Trump is the GOP standard bearer in 2024, he will garner my vote. I voted for him in the general elections of 2016 and 2020. I just don’t see him winning a national race next year, in spite of Joe Biden’s glaringly, painfully, excruciatingly, miserable time in the White House - failures aplenty - gas prices, prices in general, weakening military, embarrassing Afghanistan surrender, mortgage equity debacle, a return to energy dependence, and of course, the invasion at the southern border.

All that said, Trump can’t get out of his own way - he’s still harping on the 2020 election, a “perfect phone call,” and will forever be blamed for January 6, 2021. While I agree there was chicanery and a less than honest outcome in the 2020 election, sans hardcore proof, there’s virtually nothing that can be done, and certainly not now, two and a half years into the next administration.

And the juxtaposition of Trump continues. He’s bombastic and more direct than might typically be expected of the diplomacy of a politician. On the other hand, as I told so many people who didn’t like Trump’s antics, but knew what a good job he had done as president, we’re not electing Miss Congeniality. And if history is fair, Trump will go down as one of the best one term presidents in American history, with, in my opinion, the likes of John Adms and James K. Polk.

So the question remains, can DeSantis close the gap and overtake Trump? Can DeSantis, a decorated Navy veteran with both legislative and executive experience as a member of Congress and governor, govern as successfully as Trump, but without the circus atmosphere that sometimes befell his administration? DeSantis has experienced tremendous success as governor of Florida, keeping the state open and vital during Covid, and welcoming more than 580,000 new legal Floridians in 2022. 

Even lifelong New Yorker Trump became a Florida resident in 2019, so all his grandstanding about Florida failing under DeSantis is Trump posturing as a candidate would. Yet, by doing so, by going after DeSantis with a sledgehammer, Trump is repeatedly violating Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of thy fellow Republican.” Sadly, Trump is not the only candidate to violate that commandment over the last many election cycles. Yet while Trump assails DeSantis, DeSantis in his kickoff speech, directed his criticisms appropriately after Biden; after all, it’s Biden that the GOP, whoever the nominee is, wants to defeat in 2024.

If not Trump, if not DeSantis, the GOP scorecard is fast filling up as South Carolina Senator Tim Scott declared his candidacy on Monday May 22 to join fellow Palmetto Stater Nikki Haley, the former governor and United Nations ambassador. Also declared are radio talk show host and attorney Larry Elder, who unsuccessfully challenged Gavin Newsom in the California recall for governor, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and the aforementioned Ramaswamy - any of this septet would be a far cry better than the current occupant of the White House.

I happen to be wavering in my support between the two South Carolinians, Haley and Scott, but Elder and Ramaswamy have solid ideas as well. But do any of that quartet have enough gas in the tank to get them across the finish line? And there’s still the possibility of former Vice President Mike Pence throwing his hat in the ring. I like Pence personally, but see the previous question. If it’s a choice between DeSantis and Trump for the GOP nomination, DeSantis can beat Biden. Isn’t that the goal in 2024?

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Indiana.

The Good Penny in the Subway

The Good Penny in the Subway
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
May 22, 2023

On Monday May 1 Daniel Penny and Jordan Neely were two among thousands of New Yorkers, commuters, and tourists alike to climb aboard a subway car in New York City, not knowing at the time their lives would intersect in perpetuity. When the F train reached its destination both men were on the floor of the subway car surrounded by witnesses.

Those very witnesses reported that Penny’s heroics saved many innocent subway riders from a menacing, threatening, erratic Neely who had to be subdued by Penny via a temporary chokehold, as well as by two other passengers who assisted Penny. Video footage supports the witness's statements.

Neely said, according to corroborating witnesses, “I would kill a motherf…er. I don’t care. I’ll take a bullet. I’ll go to jail,” as reported by a 66 year old female passenger to the New York Post. She also indicated Neely said he was “ready to die,” and “I don’t care if I die.” This same woman publicly thanked Penny for his heroics.

Other witnesses said Neely flailed his arms around wildly, slammed his jacket down on the floor, claimed he was hungry and thirsty while threatening other passengers. “He was hungry. He was thirsty. That he didn’t care about anything, he didn’t care about going to jail, he didn’t care that he gets a big life sentence, it doesn’t even matter if I died, he said,” reported Juan Alberto Vazquez whose viral video shows Penny and two other passengers restraining Neely. “He was trying to help,” Vazquez said of Penny.

Neely, 30, although unconscious when help arrived, still had breath in his body. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Afterward, Penny, 24, went to the police station, answered questions, and no arrest was made. 

When Penny did not face arrest, protesters took to the streets - or more accurately - to the subway tracks. On May 6 protesters literally lowered themselves into the subway tracks causing stoppages and delays preventing people from getting to their destinations. There is plenty of video footage that can be reviewed to determine who the scofflaws are as they should be arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law. These are not peaceful protests, but instead obstreperous - designed to disrupt innocent people’s lives. 

The ever hypocritical US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called Penny a murderer, demanding he be arrested and charged with murdering Neely. AOC’s fellow “Squad” member, US Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) called the death of Neely a “lynching.” In the case of AOC and her hypocrisy, she shouts from the mountaintop for the defunding of police, yet she and her ilk become apoplectic when the inevitable happens - ordinary citizens protect themselves and others when in harm’s way. She wants to defund the police, then demands the police step up and arrest Penny for murder.

This is not a murder; that was neither the intent nor goal of Penny - he simply wanted to get Neely under control for the betterment of the other passengers. Even the bought and paid for by George Soros District Attorney Alvin Bragg understood that as Penny surrendered himself on May 12 facing charges of second degree manslaughter. Penny voluntarily surrendered himself at the Fifth Precinct. He “did so with dignity… that is characteristic of his history of service to this grateful nation,” said Penny attorney Thomas Kenniff of the former United States Marine. Penny, from West Islip, NY (Long Island) served four years in the US Marines, earning seven medals.

While Penny, having no arrest record, served his country, Neely, in a juxtaposition, served time - arrested 44 times. Among the violent career criminal’s greatest hits, Neely attempted to kidnap a seven year old girl. Additionally, Neely punched a 67 year old woman in the face breaking her nose and fracturing her orbital bone. But, as Neely family attorney Donte Mills correctly asserted, Penny did not know of Neely’s excessive arrest record, calling it “a non-factor,” and called for more stringent charges against Penny.

It’s true - Penny did not know of Neely’s extensive arrest record. Penny acted in response to Neely’s erratic, harassing, menacing, behavior frightening fellow passengers. But, the City of New York certainly knew of Neely’s aberrant behavior and arrest record. According to the New York Post, Neely appeared on New York City’s Top 50 homeless people in need of urgent help. With 44 arrests and a history of mental illness, why was Neely on the streets in the first place? Where was the Neely family attorney Donte Mills?

Penny’s attorney Steve Raiser described the scene in the subway car. It’s a “small area underground where the doors are closed and locked. It’s a scary situation because there is no escape. When you see someone who’s being threatened and you have nowhere to run, the only thing you could do is to wait for the police. But it could be too late by the time the train stops, the doors open, and you get a police officer. In fact some people won’t even have cell service down there to even call a police officer. And no policeman is just going to show up there at that moment. It’s just not going to happen. So they’re stuck there with this threat.

So when Danny [Penny] stepped forward, he didn’t know what was going to happen. He didn’t know if he was going to be successful in restraining Neely or not. He didn’t know if he would become the victim. He didn’t know if he’d be overpowered or even if Jordan Neely had a weapon. He didn’t know. But he took a chance… to save those other people on that train. He took that chance and he is the one who put himself in danger. To save who? All the people on that train - black people, brown people, white people - it didn’t matter to Danny,” said Raiser.

On May 12, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams - the first black speaker in New York City - commented on the charge of second degree manslaughter, and chalked it up to systemic racism. It’s “systemic racism that robs us of our basic humanity in life and death should no longer be denied after being on full display for the past 11 days… This should be an inflection point for our city to focus on ensuring New Yorkers have access to the essential services needed to be healthy and safe, and we make the budget investments and policy changes necessary to achieve this,” said Adams.

Yet, with billions of dollars spent by New York City, Adams insults the residents of the city with her statement, especially after city leaders called for defunding the police, making subways and other public spaces unsafe. And how does a man with 44 arrests walk free among the people?

Civil rights attorney Richard St. Paul took issue with Adams’ statement. “We’ve got to stop that narrative of race here in this particular situation because there are a lot of other things at play that come before race just because Penny happened to be white and Neely happened to be black. Penny was arrested, so let’s kill that narrative. It really boils down to mental health issues and what the city is doing to keep people out of the subways who have mental health [issues]. This could have been prevented. It’s politicians who make irresponsible statements about race - it’s just not responsible…. As a New Yorker we’ve got to stop and take account of what we’re doing to combat mental illness and crime in this city,” said St. Paul. 

Perhaps New York City, and quite frankly, all of the United States, should stop spending money on services for illegal aliens - hotels, food, drugs, and put money into the schools and mental health services for citizens and legal residents.

Ron Kuby, an attorney who represented one of the teens shot by Bernhard Goetz in a New York City subway on December 22, 1984, debased the entirety of the Penny-Neely interaction to race. “Penny is a white Marine and his victim was a mentally ill, homeless, queer black man. So that’s the agenda of white supremacy playing out right there,” said a clearly convoluted Kuby.

“Danny put his life at risk to save all those people - it had nothing to do with race,” said Raiser.

Neely no more knew Penny was a Marine, than Penny knew Neely was homeless, queer, mentally ill, or a 44 time arrestee. Neely suffered from depression following the 2007 murder of his mother by his step-father, but Penny could not have known that either. Clearly, the system failed Neely (partial solution above), but he didn’t do himself any favors with his recalcitrant behavior either.

Released on $100,000 bail, Penny is expected back in court on July 17 to face the grand jury. Whether a grand jury, or juries from potential civil or criminal trials, a jury of Penny’s peers should be chock full of subway riders. Public opinion certainly seems to side with Penny as more than $2.7 million has been raised for his legal defense as of May 22.

“I know Manhattan very well. The reality is that there is not a single living, breathing New Yorker, particularly anyone who rides the subways who can’t relate to exactly the sort of situation that my client was in,” said Kenniff on May 12 on WABC radio.

Penny, who potentially saved numerous lives, does not deserve to be punished for stepping up instead of standing down and acting like an emasculated bystander. More Daniel Pennys should ride the subways of New York City and elsewhere. Good Samaritans are few and far between these days, and that’s to the detriment of honest law abiding citizens.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. Born and raised in North Jersey, he is no stranger to the NYC subways.

Biden-Harris Insult Memories of Nashville Six

Biden-Harris Insult Memories of Nashville Six
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
April 27, 2023

In the wake of the Nashville, Tennessee Christian school shooting tragedy, when given the opportunity to do the right thing, count on Joe Biden to do just the opposite. With emotions and tensions strained, instead of quelling them, Biden fanned the flames by inviting the “Tennessee Three” to the White House on Monday April 24 instead of any members of the families of the six slaughtered Christians. Lost in the slaughter at Covenant School: Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs, each age nine, as well as school employees Mike Hill, Katherine Koonce, and Cynthia Peak.

On Monday March 28, in a premeditated act, a former student of Covenant School armed with multiple firearms entered the school, slaughtered six people - three nine year old babies and three school employees, before police killed the murderer. Arriving in under 10 minutes, Nashville police prevented an even greater loss of life. https://sanfordspeaksout.blogspot.com/2023/03/trans-slaughter-of-christians-sends.html

Two days later, on March 30 a raucous protest took place at the Capitol Building in Nashville calling for greater gun control and reform. Three members of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson - all Democrats - not only participated in the protest in the Capitol, but their protest spilled over into the House chamber where Jones and Pearson took to bullhorns, bellowing, among other rants, “power to the people.” Their actions, “knowingly and intentionally bring[ing] disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives,” as well as not having been recognized to address the chamber is what led to the resolutions to expel the members.

HR-63 ousted Pearson by a vote of 69-26 in a House that has 99 members and 66 votes required for expulsion. HR-64 spared Johnson an expulsion by a one vote margin, 65-30, and HR-65 ousted Jones by a 72-25 vote. These votes were cast on April 6, and the oustings created the need to fill the two vacancies, which, in both cases, returned Jones and Pearson to their seats - temporarily. They must both stand for a special election to fill the seats through the end of the term. This is the fourth time since the War Between the States that Tennessee House members have suffered expulsion.

Jones, 27, a freshman representative, represents District 52 which includes parts of Nashville and Davidson County. The Oakland, CA native attended Fisk University in Nashville is an activist who supports CRT - Critical Race Theory. He won the 2022 Democratic primary by a 53.2 to 46.8 margin and skated to victory in the general election facing no opposition. In 2019 Jones led sit-ins and protests to remove a statue of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forest. Governor Bill Lee (R) supported the removal, which after a lengthy process finally occurred in 2021 - long overdue as Forest was the first Grand Wizard of the KKK from 1867-69.

Pearson, 28, also a freshman representative, represents District 86 which includes parts of Memphis and Shelby County. The Memphis Native attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Pearson won a Democratic primary held following the posthumous reelection of Barbara Cooper. With 52 percent of the vote, Pearson won the special election defeating nine other Democrats. No other party’s representatives filed for candidacy. Pearson co-founded a grassroots organization called Memphis Community Against the Pipeline and succeeded in stopping a crude oil pipeline that would have been laid throughout backyards in South Memphis.

Both Jones and Pearson could have productive futures within the Tennessee body politic. Clearly they are spirited young men eager to represent their constituencies, but they need to remain in the legislature to do so. That means they must learn and adhere to the rules of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Getting expelled will get them nowhere. Loose cannons rarely last long.

Johnson, 60, is in her fourth non-consecutive term, representing District 90 which includes parts of Knoxville and Knox County. The Denver native attended the University of Tennessee and is a retired school teacher. In 2022 Johnson won an unopposed Democratic primary followed by a general election win over her Republican opponent 57.9 percent to 42.1 percent. Johnson attributed her not being expelled from the House because she is white and her colleagues, Jones and Pearson are black

But this isn’t so much about these three Tennessee legislators - they are anti-gun props for this administration. This is more about the continuing tone deafness of the Biden-Harris administration as they once again lack decency and humanity.

The meeting at the White House focused on “the need to have more gun violence prevention,” said Pearson. 

“If you stand up for kids, you’re standing up [for] our communities and democratic values,” said Biden.

No one stood up more for children than the three adults who were murdered at Covenant School. Or the policemen who, in doing their jobs, protected a couple hundred children on that fateful day.

Yet, instead of inviting any family members of the Nashville slain six to the White House, or the heroic police officers, Biden invited three malcontent legislators who behaved like reprobates and were appropriately brought to task. Jones and Pearson were expelled for cause. Biden has yet to visit any of the families in Nashville either.

Making matters worse, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke of the school slaughter in such benign words as to suggest the shooter, a transgender individual, was more the victim than the perpetrator. Jean-Pierre went so far as to offer a warning to the trans community of Nashville and suggested they arm themselves. So, the administration seeking to discard the Second Amendment, now encourages a select segment of the population to take up arms. She also did not refer to the school as a Christian school.

Adding insult to injury, Kamala Harris did, in fact, go to Nashville. On April 7 at Fisk Memorial Chapel, Harris spoke vociferously about gun control, not about the slaughter of six people at a Christian school. She also met privately with Johnson, Jones, and Pearson. At no time during her brief visit to Nashville did Harris speak with anyone connected with the Covenant School or any of the families of the six victims.

Had the murders of three children and three adults taken place at a charter or public school in the South Bronx or East St. Louis, Biden and Harris would both have been there - attending funerals and posing for photos with the family members of the murdered children. As he has done all throughout his term in office, Biden plays favorites, demonstrates bias against people of faith, sides against small business owners, shows favor for illegal aliens - witness the end of Title 42, takes the immoral stance more often than not - abortion rights, destroying Title IX in favor of biological males, siding against parental rights and notification, and supporting his administration spying on its citizens. Nashville is but a microcosm of where this country is and, sadly, where it continues to be headed - a downward trajectory toward continued lawlessness and G-dlessness. We the people can turn this ship of state around before it runs aground like the S.S. Minnow.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.

Trans Slaughter of Christians Sends Frightening Message

Trans Slaughter of Christians Sends Frightening Message
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
March 30, 2023

While the unhinged transgender community has announced its “Trans Day of Vengeance,” after one of its own massacred six innocent Christians - three children and three adults - at Covenant School in Nashville, there is no call from the Christian community to slaughter anyone from the transgender community.

This event, slated for April 1, is no April Fool’s joke. Those who do not take this seriously would be the fools. Their flier/poster/advertisement says “We need more than visibility,” and “Stop trans genocide.” Where is this alleged trans genocide supposed to have been committed? When? Committed by whom? How could this even be possible when the trans community is one of the most protected groups of people in these United States. 

This isn’t China, Iran, Russia, or Saudi Arabia where transgenders, homosexuals, Christians, Jews, Uyghurs, and even foreign journalists live in genuine fear for their mere existence every single day. Yet, right here at home in the United States of America, it is Christians and Jews who are being targeted. (Anti-Semitism is at a disturbingly high level, but that’s a story for another day.)

Six innocent Christians - three children - babies at age nine - Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs - slaughtered in their elementary school on Monday March 28, which should be one of the safest places for them to assemble. The three adults, Mike Hill, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Cynthia Peak, 61, should also have been in a safe haven - each an employee at that school. May their memories forever be for a Blessing.

Located in the idyllic Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Covenant School, a private Christian school founded in 2001 educates just over 200 students from prekindergarten to sixth grade has about 50 staff members as well. It’s not just the dead who will be mourned, but the entire school community who have suffered a trauma unlikely to ever be forgotten, that may very well alter the trajectory of their young lives, most certainly their mental state. 

But the deranged murderer knew all that as this individual, age 28, whose name will not appear here, was an alumnus of Covenant School. Heavily armed with three supposedly legally acquired firearms upon entering the school, maps of the building were found at the murderer’s home. Additionally, the murderer wrote a manifesto, yet neither the Nashville police nor United States Attorney General Merrick Garland have indicated there is knowledge of the murderer’s motive for this massacre, although they have seen the document.

“They are hiding the facts because it is devastating to their narrative and is devastating to the delusional demonic wing of people in their party,” said Sean Davis, a Nashville resident as well as founder and CEO of The Federalist. “They do not want anyone to know that this murder, this massacre of children, was done by someone because of the evil transgender ideology. And you see it with Twitter, you see it with the police, with the D.O.J., with Biden - they know what went down and they want to make sure that you don’t,” continued Davis, appearing on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Wednesday on Fox News. 

“This is a battle not about politics, it’s not about policy, about Republicans versus Democrats. It’s about good versus evil and truth versus lies. And if we don’t stand up for it, who will,” queried Davis.

Davis, along with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA), and journalist Andy Ngo have been banned by Twitter for merely mentioning the upcoming Trans Day of Vengeance. For exercising their First Amendment right of free speech and expression, these three are no longer welcome on the social media platform that, after being procured by Elon Musk, was said to welcome back all its exiles. This at a time when a House committee is exploring the censorship by, and weaponization of, social media platforms as well as the complicity in such censorship by the Biden administration.

As the aforementioned three banned from Twitter were being silenced on that platform, NBC News ran this headline: “Fear pervades Tennessee’s trans community amid focus on Nashville shooter’s gender identity.” It was the shooter who “outed” him/herself as a member of the trans community.

No headlines expressing concern or outrage over the slaughter of six Christians, including three children, could be found. This crime should be treated as a crime specifically against Christians - not some randomly selected school, or some randomly selected act of violence - the murderer, as noted earlier, attended Covenant School some years prior.

And with all the concern for the trans community, and not condemning their upcoming day of vengeance, there was yet another attack against non-trans people - this time in print, and it cost someone her job. Josselyn Berry (@joss_berry), now the former press secretary to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D), resigned after an outrageous posting to Twitter depicting a woman holding a gun in each hand with the caption reading “Us when we see transphobes.” Clearly this is meant to be a threat, yet was Berry banned from Twitter? No.

Postings like Berry’s are egregious and could incite to violence, yet went unchallenged by Twitter. On the other hand, the heinous massacre in Nashville of six innocent Christians affiliated with Covenant School comes on the heels of the state of Tennessee’s wise decision to ban the medical transitioning of minors. The state of Tennessee clearly has the best interest of its children at heart by protecting them from themselves at such young and vulnerable ages.

Simultaneously, there is the juxtaposition of NPR encouraging the trans community to arm themselves, while the federal government continues its quest to strip American citizens of its Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Gun violence will not end by confiscating firearms from honest, law abiding citizens. Criminals will always get their miscreant hands on guns - they’re criminals, after all. Schools should be better armed and protected, not less - even places like Covenant School are susceptible. When the government - members of Congress, the president - seek to disarm its citizenry - run - run fast - to your nearest gun shop. The Second Amendment is designed to protect we the people from the tyranny of the government. After all, how did gun confiscation work out for the Jewish people in 1930s Germany under Hitler?

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.

Biden, Buttigieg Fiddle While East Palestine Burns

Biden, Buttigieg Fiddle While East Palestine Burns
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
February 23, 2023

Should the residents of East Palestine, Ohio trust their government - state or federal? This question most certainly isn’t new, as it currently pertains to government response, or lack thereof, to the Norfolk Southern train derailment on Friday, February 3 near the East Ohio-West Pennsylvania border.

During an August 12, 1986 press conference President Ronald Reagan said, “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” No truer are those words today than ever before.

While the remnants of a mushroom-cloud plume of smoke hovered over the residents and their homes in East Palestine, Michael Regan Environmental Protection Agency administrator, as well as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) attempted to assuage the fears of the village of 4,761 (as per the 2020 census) that the air is safe to breathe and the water safe to drink. But skeptical residents believe quite the contrary as evidenced by the spate of headaches, nausea, rashes, people coughing/spitting up blood, lingering odors from chemicals, oil-like slicks on ponds and creeks, dead fish and animals.

Hundreds of concerned and angry residents packed the gymnasium at East Palestine High School on Wednesday, February 15 demanding answers to questions, as well as demanding to know where allegedly important people were to answer those questions. They left with more questions than answers.

“I just want answers for the future,” said longtime resident Luke Glavan. “I played football right here. Is it going to be another ghost town, or what? What have we got to look forward to?” continued Glavan, asking what just about everybody was thinking.

“We have to find some answers. There has to be answers somewhere,” said East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway. “I started working with our congressional representatives and some senators to try and hopefully get some answers. I’m just [at a] loss for words. I don’t have the answers and I’m trying to get them,” continued a clearly beleaguered Conaway, really through no fault of his own.

Frustrated residents kept hearing all is well from the EPA administrator. This is reminiscent of the scene in Animal House where Kevin Bacon’s character, clad in his ROTC uniform, screeching in a high-pitched voice, “remain calm, all is well!” as the homecoming parade was under siege.

The Norfolk Southern train stretched 1.9 miles, contained 158 rail cars, of which 38 cars derailed, and 11 contained hazardous materials, such as benzene and butyl acrylates, both flammable liquids. One of the derailed cars carried the butyl acrylates, all of which was lost. The crux of this disaster came from five derailed cars of vinyl chloride - an extremely flammable, colorless, and toxic gas, as well as hydrogen chloride. One must wonder why frozen vegetables and wheat were included with the flammable, toxic cargo. The crew conducted a “controlled release” of these materials in an effort to avoid an explosion. The resulting chemical fire did not do the residents of the Village of East Palestine any favors either. According to the American Chemistry Council, nearly a billion tons of hazardous materials are shipped by rail each year.

Vinyl chloride is a compound known about for at least 100 years. Ever since the mid 1970s people have contracted a rare form of liver cancer called hepatic angiosarcoma, after years and years of exposure, according to Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicology physician. Even short term exposure to vinyl chloride can be dangerous, she noted. Symptoms, according to the CDC include burning and irritation of the skin, shortness of breath, dizziness and drowsiness, as well as headaches and vomiting. Residents should look out for liver damage and cancer.

Yet, Johnson-Arbor reported that vinyl chloride, while a very volatile chemical, will vaporize and evaporate into the atmosphere within days. After about a week or so, the chemical is gone from the air. It can also vaporize from the water into the air, but that doesn’t happen right away, she said, adding people may see a “chemical sheen on the water.” One of the biggest problems with vinyl chloride is its ability to seep “into the soil and affect the groundwater and so that’s what we need to worry about now. We need to test the water and make sure that’s safe and so people who have wells can continue to bathe and drink the water without having fear of being poisoned,” said Johnson-Arbor.

East Palestine resident Chelsea Simpson said it’s important to “make sure we are taken care of. There’s gonna be a lot of families displaced from this. I don’t feel comfortable going back. That has to be in our soil. In a few years from now, that could come up in our water. How is he [Biden] going to help the people who do not feel comfortable or safe because of all the unknowns in the future,” asked Simpson.

“We need help. We do. We need President Biden,” said East Palestine resident Kristina Ferguson. “People are getting sick. We should not have been let back into town until all this was done,” added Ferguson.

So where has Joe Biden been? The residents of East Palestine have heard nothing but crickets from the White House and the Biden administration. During his State of the Union address on February 7, Biden referenced the forgotten men and women of the United States, yet failed to utter a single syllable about the distraught residents of East Palestine. 

The very next day, Vice President Kamala Harris gave a speech on environmental issues, and again, not a word about East Palestine or Norfolk Southern. A week later, on February 15, Biden spoke about rail, but still, no mention of the disaster in East Palestine. And, adding insult to injury, Biden spent President’s Day half a world away, kissing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s tuchus and handing him another $500 million dollars while America’s infrastructure continues to crumble beneath our bicycles, automobiles, trucks, and trains.

And where was Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg? In addition to telling a reporter he was “taking some personal time,” both he and Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw were no-shows at the high school on February 15. They both claimed to fear for their personal safety. Ever hear of Zoom, you guys? Buttigieg surrendered an incredible opportunity to be the face of empathy and compassion of the administration simply by showing up and giving a damn. He thinks he wants to be president one day? He will forever be reminded of this, and his many other failures while Transportation Secretary. This should not be a partisan issue, but because this is a town not fitting Buttigieg’s narrative, he has been non-responsive. The Village of East Palestine is a middle class community of modest financial means with a median household income of $44,498 as of 2021. Nestled 20 miles south of Youngsgtown, Ohio and 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, East Palestine’s population is 89 percent white. Twenty days after this disaster occurred, Buttigieg, either under public pressure or that former President Donald Trump announced his own visit, will finally make a cameo appearance in East Palestine. He visited East Palestine on Thursday, February 23 20 days after the derailment. Perhaps if this derailment took place in East St. Louis, Illinois, Biden and Buttigieg would have had boots on the ground and brought FEMA with them. 

Trump visited East Palestine on February 22 bringing palettes of water and cleaning supplies. He also bought dinner for a group of firefighters and clean up crews. “Somebody has to do something for those people, I said. When I announced that I was coming, they [Biden administration] changed their tune. It was an amazing phenomena,” said Trump from East Palestine.

According to the DeWine administration, “FEMA continues to tell Governor DeWine that Ohio is not eligible for assistance at this time.” On February 17 DeWine himself said “Although FEMA is synonymous with disaster support, most typically involved in disasters where there is tremendous home or property damage - tornadoes, flooding, hurricanes - that’s why we do not expect that FEMA will come to East Palestine.” FEMA or no FEMA, there are other jurisdictions that have doubts. Cincinnati is closing its Ohio River intake as a precaution - about 300 miles from East Palestine. The Kentucky Water District is also closing its Ohio River intake.

The impact to the air, water, and soil for the long term are, at present, indeterminable. And that is more than just a bit worrisome. Ohio freshman Senator J.D. Vance (R) wants Norfolk Southern to pay, but he also wants his constituents to be able to live freely and safely in their town. “If the EPA administrator wants to stand here and tell people the tap water is safe, by all means they should be willing to drink it,” said a skeptical Vance. “People say that the air is clean. I would like to believe that that is true. I have also been here for almost three hours and it doesn’t smell great to me. I can’t imagine being a member of this community seeing dead fish, dead birds, dead crawdads in the community where you live; and children play in that [Leslie Run] creek. I took a stick and stuck it in the bed of the creek and pulled it along, and chemicals bubbled out of the ground,” said Vance, adding that he would not drink the water.

Norfolk Southern has offered $1,000 payments to any individual in East Palestine who wanted one, and has doled out more than $2.2 million for that and other expenses, thus far - clearly an admission of guilt. It’s inconceivable to consider anyone would either want to stay in the village or move there. A class action lawsuit is already underway, but instead of making lawyers rich, here’s a solution to cut out the middleman. Norfolk Southern should buy any house, home, farm, or property any East Palestine resident wishes to sell. Norfolk Southern should pay fair market value, from before the derailment, plus 20 percent, as well as moving expenses. Norfolk Southern should also pay lodging expenses in the interim for those who do not wish to stay in their homes while researching a new place to live. Granted, it is not easy to uproot a family - some living there for generations, some with children in the midst of their school year, as well as jobs not easily transferable. 

Over the last day or two Governor DeWine said tests show “the municipal water system in East Palestine is free from contaminants from the wreck, but that the EPA will test the water every week out of an abundance of caution. The EPA said the air quality has been tested in some 560 homes and they also show that they are free of contaminants from the wreck.”

The EPA said…, the government said…, Buttigieg said…, DeWine said…. Coming full circle, should the residents of East Palestine trust their government? To once again quote President Ronald Reagan, with perhaps his three most famous words, “TRUST BUT VERIFY.” The residents can hear what the government is telling them, but they should verify with independent tests conducted by neither Norfolk Southern nor the government - federal or state, but paid for by Norfolk Southern. The residents of East Palestine deserve much more than what the government is giving to millions of illegals who continue to invade the United States of America at will.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.