The Gays And Evangelicals Both Need To Watch Their Step

Just as Gays are gaining acceptance throughout the country they shoot themselves in the foot.  Of course in some cases so do the Evangelicals.

It's not that they want certain rights but more how they're going about it. The same with the blacks. If anyone looks at them cross eyed their either racist, homophobes or anti-religion. Bull!

First, I wonder why anyone would want someone to bake their wedding cake, do their flowers or take their photos at their wedding if said person doesn't want to - for whatever reason.  If it's against their strongly held religious beliefs why shouldn't they have the right to decline?  Why should the Gays have the right to demand they go against those beliefs.

If they're not careful they're going to have even more people opposed to them then they do now.  In this country we're supposed to have freedom of choice.  Not have someone say I can do what I want as long as it's something they agree with or have to put up with being publicly smeared or even receive death threats for having a different point of view?  It's disgusting.

It shows, too, how civility and tolerance is becoming a thing of the past.  Everyone wants their own way and everyone else has to go along with it.  All it does is build resentment which leads to even more intolerance.

Personally I don't care if a person is gay or not.  I don't care if a person is black, brown, yellow or polka dot.  I don't care if a person is a born again, a Catholic, a Jew or a worshipper of the great outdoors.  Just don't get in my face and try to force feed me your beliefs. It's the quickest way to make me change from being non-judgemental to being very judgmental.  With that you'd lose my support and my friendship.  Put enough of us together you'll lose everything you've fought so hard to get - acceptance.  You're call.  Not everyone will cave to belligerance as easily as politicians.  

The Devil Is In The Details

So.  The framework for a nuclear deal with Iran is now a reality.  We'll have to wait until June 30 for all the bells and whistles which have been agreed to are spelled out if our President cares to share them.

I'd feel better if John Kerry hadn't been so loose with the sanctions.  No matter what he says, they cannot be "snapped" back in place should Iran renege on the agreement.  Sanctions were our ace in the hole, not war as the administration would like us to believe.

I wished I trusted Obama and Kerry but I do not.  If, however, Iran's feet can be effectively held to the fire it will be good but only to a certain extent.  I'm sure when the announcement about the completion of the framework phase hit the airwaves every Arab country in the region put Pakistan on speed dial if they weren't already there.

Not only is the United States not trusted, those in the region are smart enough not to trust Iran either. Therefore there will undoubtedly by an arms race with Pakistan and North Korea obliging. It's difficult to believe but if the war escalates it's likely to be bloodier and more devastating than the current war.  It will be Shia against Sunni and neither are particularly interested in any niceties of civilized warfare.  Such as they are.

I cannot help but wonder why Iran's aggressive behavior hasn't been made part of the deal.  As is they have carte blanche to continue with their march to take over the middle east and to ultimately destroy both Israel and the U.S.  

Unfortunately the original premise of preventing Iran from ever developing a bomb has been negated.  It's one more example of red lines being erased by this administration.

I hope I'm wrong in all of my summations.  I really do.  It's just that the personal ambitions of both Kerry and Obama overshadow what most people who know the region and the disposition of the involved countries warn against. I can't help but believe the many are more knowing than the two.

Time will tell.  An uneasy time at that.

On The Brink

We're seeing in real time what happens when the United States relinquishes its position of power in the world.  Forget this leading from behind rubbish.  It's an oxymoron, emphasize the moron.

Another more convoluted one would be negotiating a nuclear agreement with a terror state while the terror state continues to cheat on a current agreement. It is also spreading its tentacles into a multitude of countries in a scheme which will ultimately bring it face to face with ISIL, both wanting the same end.

The Arab States are coming forward.  The U.S. is nowhere to be seen in a leadership role anywhere. A civil war is brewing between Shites and Sunnis and it won't be pretty.  It isn't pretty now.

What's also puzzleing is why are we having these negotiations in the first place if Iran isn't looking to make a bomb, as they insist?  That seems to have gotten lost in the rush for a deal.  They're contridicting themselves by their actions.

This is a lead up to a concern I have about the next Presidential election and the Democrats in particular.  We currently have a President who thinks and behaves as though he is above the law.  He isn't but there is no recourse.  I don't think the founding fathers ever imangined such a person would ever assume the Presidency meaning the people would be to smart to elect such.  Wrong.  We elected him twice for all the wrong reasons.  The first time we misunderstood what he openly told us about his goals.

The second time, why? We didn't think Romney 'understood' the little guy?  We didn't trust his religion?  We knew Obama was on shaky ground with his Benghazi story although the bulk of it didn't come out until after the election.  The suspicions were there never-the-less.

We knew of the escalating flaws in Obamacare.  We knew trouble was brewing at the IRS, along with several other issues. Yet we re-elected him. Like a TV show, were we curious to see how it would play out? Well, we're seeing it.

Now we face 2016 and Hillary.  She expects no challengers yet she has a sack overflowing with ethics questions, misdirections and a paper trail destroyed by her own hands.  We'll soon be free of one who has treated the office of President as his own personal dictatorial pedestal.  Why on earth would we want another to occupy it?  For that is exactly what Hillary wants. We should topple it, never to allow it to rise again.

Come on Democrats.  Harry Reid is retiring.  Hillary will have to groom her own personal savant willing to blindly do her bidding.  I'm sure she will have that in Chuck Schumer if he assumes the leadership.  Promise him face time before a camera and he'll be putty in her hands.

Isn't there anyone wearing the Democrat brand who sees this for what it is and will challenge her for the sake of the country?  Please?

Personal Animosity And The Nuclear Arms Race

It is no secret that President Obama has little time for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.  He has been less than politic about his feelings while Netanyahu has bitten his tongue and remained civil.

A large part of the issue is what the U.S. demands as part of the two state solution for the Palestinians and what the Israelis are willing to do.  Netanyahu declared during his recent re-election campaign that there would be no Palestinian state as long as he was Prime Minister. He backed off the statement by saying he wasn't altogether against it but now isn't the time.

Why not now?  Because he is surrounded on two sides; by Hezbollah on one and Hamas on the other.  Both are terrorist groups who have declared their intent to drive Israel from the face of the earth. I'd see no reason to negotiate either with that as the prevailing attitude.

For some reason, however, our President is determined to punish Netanyahu for not acquiescing to him.  Obama wants him to embrace the nuclear negotiations with Iran. He's also determined to punish us by threatening to go around Congress with the secret details and go straight to the U.N.

To add insult to injury we have declassified what had been a secret agreement with Israel not to make public the extent of their nuclear program.  That they have one is no secret, but to break our word and make the details available to anyone who cares to look does no more than insure there will be an arms race in the middle east.

I don't believe the Israelis would use them unless hopelessly cornered and I believe the only country that would try to corner them is Iran if they had the same capabilities.  We're making it possible for them.  Add to that the Sunni/Shite strife among the other countries you can bet everyone who can will get either a ready made bomb or the technology to make their own.

I'm sure negotiations have long been underway between the Saudis and Pakistan or North Korea.  To me, Obama has now, with this latest action, set the match to the fuel that needed the smallest of parks to ignite the region.

Who knows how this will play out but it seems to be an awfully big risk just to justify his Nobel Peace Prize and pave the way for John Kerry to get his.

A Mid Eastern View Of The U.S.

When there are blocks of time when I disappear I'm usually off somewhere I love.  This time it was March in Montana for the Charles M. Russell Art Show and Auction.

The best part of it is looking at work by artists who depict imagery of what made this country great.  Stalwart men and women doing what needed to be done.  I wonder what they would think were they alive today.

They did make this a great country through sweat and hard work and belief in our way of life and the willingness to do whatever was necessary to preserve it. Until modern times when self-interest and an arrogance among our leaders, of both parties, thinking they know better than the rest of us what's good for us and the world.

We've been fighting that arrogance for quite awhile now and those around the world who have been our friends are wondering what happened to us. I need not go into detail about the recent presidential snit over Netanyahu's visit and re-election. Or the petulance over the nuclear negotiations with Iran.

A would be friend, Egypt's President Al Sisi, is trying mightily to bring about change in Islam to where it is reformed just as was Christianity over the centuries.  It is a mighty undertaking and will take decades to change the mind set of a large portion of the world.  It is an insult, not an oversight, he has not been invited to the White House since his election for the worst of reasons.  He replaced the radical Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi and no matter how bad he was, Morsi was our man.

As matters in the Mid East continue to disintegrate Mr. Al Sisi asks for us to assume the responsibility that is ours due to the strength we have achieved through the greatness of the people I have described.

In assessing our retreat from the region and why we should not continue to do so he had this to say in a Wall Street Journal interview:

The United States has the strength and with might comes responsibility.  That is why it is committed and has responsibilities to the whole world.  It is not reasonable or acceptable that with all that might the United States will not be committed and have responsibilities toward the Middle East.  The Middle East is passing through the most difficult and critical time and this will only entail more involvement, not less. 

This is exactly why the world is wondering what has happened to us.  From the generals on down this is accepted as fact.  Only the highest levels of the administration and unfortunately the ones who set the policy, have turned their backs on a region in need of our wisdom, guidance and support.

It's indeed unfortunate that that very highest level of our elected officials have chosen for whatever reason to turn their backs on a world in need.  Include Russian aggression in the package.

As we should heed the words Netanyahu spoke about Iran so should we heed the words of President Al Sisi and live up to the obligations of the super power we are.  Or were.

Because we haven't and under this administration won't, it is not an easy time to be a proud American.