The Democratic Dilemma: Is There a Democrat in the House?

Another Democratic Debate and finally some fireworks! Instead of spending the entire night bashing Trump, the candidates at last got around to trying to defeat each other. And isn’t that the point during the primaries? Aren’t they supposed to be winnowing down the field and picking a candidate to represent their party in November?

Sadly, if that’s the case, it’s beginning to look like they won’t actually have a Democrat to nominate. The current front-runner is Bernie Sanders, an Independent. And a proud Socialist. That’s right, the Democratic Party could actually be represented by someone who doesn’t even feel the need to identify as a Democrat. Crazy.

The second choice at least claims to be a Democrat. Now, anyway. Michael Bloomberg (who used to be a Republican) is now apparently a serious contender to be the nominee. Of course, his performance at the debate was shockingly bad, but that just means he will have to spend more money on those annoying ads that got his poll numbers high enough to sneak into the debate in the first place.

Fortunately, he has plenty of money. The real question is does he have enough to buy the Presidency? Tucker Carlson recently reacted to this outrageous attempt to do so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVGwAZyEVKQ

There are actually a few Democrats still standing, but they are fading fast. It’s beginning to look like Biden, Warren, and even Mayo Pete are slipping out of contention. If that is truly the case, the nominee will hardly be a true representative of the party. Then again, who knows what the party even stands for anymore? Hatred of Trump? Killing babies? The Green New Deal? Higher taxes to pay for all the free stuff? Open borders?

So, what should the Dems do now? The best conspiracy theory is that the Party will somehow find a way to screw Bernie again (like last time) and raise the undead corpse of Hillary at the convention to run again. Wouldn’t that be great? Like Rocky II, the great rematch!

Of course, the real mystery is why the party supposedly all about diversity (who constantly attempt to demonize the wealthy) have nothing more to offer in a candidate than two old (rich) white guys! Anyway, on to South Carolina where another ancient Caucasian dude (Biden) is favored to win. At least he’s a real Democrat. Whatever that means!

Birthdays and Wisdom

I had a birthday last week. Not sure if it’s true or not that wisdom comes with age, but maybe I’m a little wiser than I was when I was younger. Either way, I did get a year older, and given the alternative, I guess I’ll keep having birthdays as long as I can and hope that I’m not too old to still gain a little wisdom along the way.

I guess I should give Facebook credit for one of the things it does well, which is remind people of birthdays. (On the negative side, of course, we get spying, targeted ads, and obvious political bias.) But on the good side, we do get the chance to easily share the important birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and relatives, many of which we would otherwise miss. Last week, I even discovered that two friends share my birthday! Or birthdate, to be more accurate.

Anyway, for the wisdom part of my sermon of the day, I’ll share a great story from the Bible. In the first chapter of 2 Chronicles , Solomon gets the most fantastic offer you could ever imagine. God appears to him and tells him to ask for anything he wants. Wow! What an amazing opportunity.

Taking a step back to provide a little context, his father David has died and Solomon has been anointed King of Israel. So, yes, he did already have some power and authority and probably considerable wealth, but still – when the God of the universe says “anything” you want? I think in all honesty, many of us would immediately start asking for all those material things that we dream about in our spare time.

Instead,  Solomon tells God he wishes to have wisdom and knowledge so that he can be an effective leader to his people. (He must have possessed some wisdom already as well, for his answer shows a keen insight.) I think even God is impressed. He mentions all those things Solomon could have asked for such as wealth, possessions, honor, the death of his enemies, or even long life. And because he didn’t ask for these things, God tells him he will give him the wisdom and knowledge he requested, and also the things he didn’t ask for - wealth, possessions, and honor greater than any king before or after him. Pretty nice reward!

And what exactly is wisdom? The Cambridge English Dictionary defines it as “the ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments.”

So, even though I got some nice birthday gifts this year (and in years past), my prayer is always  one of thanks for family, friends, health, and happiness, and a request for maybe a small helping of wisdom and knowledge. Couldn’t we all use a little more of that?

Let’s Stop Playing Follow the Leader

The Democrats are still debating and the primaries have begun, so let’s talk politics!

My biggest problem these days is the vast number of people who are so willing (and eager) to vote for candidates who espouse policies in direct contrast to their own personal beliefs. I made some people angry with a previous post questioning the stupidity or ignorance of certain voters. (https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/are-todays-voters-stupid-or-just.html) I’ll try and avoid that this time with a more practical approach. How about we all just stop following leaders who offer nothing beyond personality and charm and charisma. And let’s stop voting for leaders who have very clear and obvious policies and beliefs that contradict our own.

I’ll start with the elephant in the room (or White House). For those who absolutely detest our current President, I will freely admit that the man has flaws. There are plenty of videos to illustrate that he can be insensitive and offensive and misogynistic and so on, and so on … I would never encourage anyone to vote for him because he’s a swell guy. If I were to judge him based on his personality alone, I would certainly not be a fan, so anything I say beyond this point applies to him as well, but let’s get to the real issue here.

Again, I will try to avoid using the words stupid or ignorant. How about we just use some basic common sense? Whether you are a gun owner of not, if you believe in the 2^nd Amendment and the right of citizens to bear arms, then you should not vote for someone who proudly proclaims that he will come and take away your guns. (No matter how cool you think he is on his skateboard! Okay, I know, Beto’s gone, but Bloomberg and others are just as serious about this issue.) It really is that simple.

If you think that the average American is already paying more than his or her fair share in taxes (or if you believe that even rich people have a right to keep some of their money), then you would be foolish to vote for someone who openly promises to raise your taxes. Especially if they will then use that money to fund other causes you do not support. Keep reading for more examples.

If you believe that our immigration policies have created a crisis at the border allowing drugs and criminals to pour into our country with little or no resistance, then you should never vote for a candidate who believes in open borders. Believe it or not, there is an actual legal process for becoming an American citizen. And saying that you will uphold the actual laws involved doesn’t make you a racist. Again, pretty simple, right?

Allow me one last example (although I could go on for days). If you are against abortion, where do you go to hide your conscience while voting for someone who thinks it is perfectly okay to abort (murder) a baby even after birth? Recently I read an article that said over 75% of Americans believe there should be some restrictions on abortion, yet the Left seems intent on abolishing any limits or restrictions of any kind. (https://www.npr.org/2019/06/07/730183531/poll-majority-want-to-keep-abortion-legal-but-they-also-want-restrictions) And yet, people keep voting for politicians who insist on “abortion on demand” and they keep passing laws to make it easier and easier to get an abortion. And sending tons of taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest single provider of abortions.

The reality is that if you support a candidate, or vote for that candidate, or help elect that person, then you have endorsed the actions taken by that candidate. Deny it all you want, but you are accountable.

Apparently (based on the Democratic debates), the Left no longer even attempts to disguise their extreme beliefs. Instead they are relying on their supporters to ignore their positions and policies and vote for them anyway, I suppose for no other reason than they are more likeable than the other guy. And sadly, that might work. I hope not, but there are an awful lot of voters who have drunk the Liberal Koolaid. And if you’re not familiar with that particular expression, maybe you should look it up, preferably before you jump on the bandwagon of your favorite charismatic leader who promises you paradise.

Are Trigger Warnings Necessary for Writers?

I follow a lot of writers on Twitter and I recently came across a long series of tweets regarding trigger warnings in books and stories. I laughed initially, until I realized that these people were actually serious. And angry. And might I add, delusional. But mostly just angry, and demanding.

So, since we’re living in an age of outlandish political correctness, let’s talk about this somewhat controversial concept. According to Dictionary.com a trigger warning is “a stated warning that the content of a text, video, etc. may upset or offend some people, especially those who have previously experienced a related trauma.” Originally, the idea was suggested to help PTSD sufferers avoid situations that would “trigger” flashbacks to the traumatic event itself.

Now, of course, we are living in a society that encourages victimhood and praises anyone who is woke enough to be offended by pretty much everything in the world around them. (Incidentally, many psychologists are now coming to believe that trigger warnings are ineffective and that avoidance doesn’t help in the treatment of such disorders as PTSD. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/03/21/new-study-says-trigger-warnings-are-useless-does-mean-they-should-be-abandoned) It may actually be more helpful, you know, to learn to deal with things instead of always running away.

So, should authors preface all their works to warn readers about hatred, and prejudice, and violence, and rape, and the ever increasing list of taboo subjects that might offend someone? Most of the long list of commenters on Twitter would answer with a definite yes. For me, I would have to go with a solid no.

I’m not denying that there really are some people with serious enough conditions to actually be triggered by certain media. But for the average person out there, if reading about certain subjects is going to traumatize you, then be more selective about your choices or just stick to children’s books. Although, reading a kindergarten book about Steve and his two dads would probably upset me! But then, I’m an ADULT! I’m not likely to get all butthurt and cry and beg for a safe space if I get offended by reading an opposing viewpoint. Seriously.

Here’s the only warning you will ever get for my books – read the book description and if it sounds interesting, read it. If not, then don’t. Admittedly, my books are pretty tame, but let’s get real. If you pick up a book of erotica, don’t be shocked to find graphic sex scenes. If it’s a book about a serial killer, or the Mafia, or a true crime, do you really need a trigger warning that the book just might have some descriptions of violence? Have some common sense!

Another hot topic for writers these days (that really bothers some readers) is the whole idea of cultural appropriation. Some people have decided to be offended because the author doesn’t share the same gender, or race, or ethnicity of the characters. So, I guess I’m only allowed to write about old white guys? BS!

I may not understand every aspect of another person’s life experience, but still, I write characters based on real people I know and have known. My books include a gay character. Also, some people of color. And some women and children. If it bothers you that a straight white male has actually dared to write such diverse characters, again, don’t read my books then. (I’ve heard American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins is very good, but if the author’s race bothers you, then read something else. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/american-dirt-controversy/605725/ )

I love to read. I’ve read lots of books by lots of authors and I will continue to do so. Sometimes I come across disturbing scenes, but I manage. If they’re too bad, I mark that particular author off my list and move on to someone else. But I keep reading. Let me encourage you to do the same.