Yes, the campaign was wild and crazy, and the aftermath is, too!

Commentary by James Shott

The election of Donald Trump on November 8 set off waves of emotion, both positive and negative. Usually, such feelings wane and normalcy returns after several days, but three weeks later much of the negativism remains, and may have intensified.

Some of the reactions to the election strike many as farcical, even phantasmagoric. Many of the reactions strike directly at the very traditions and history of America and its people. Unsurprisingly, much of the craziest stuff arises on college campuses.

** A liberal arts college in western Massachusetts has taken down the American flag on campus until next semester in hopes it will free up students to have a “direct, open, and respectful conversation.”

You see, some view the flag at the center of the Hampshire College campus as a symbol of racism and hatred, and following the election, some students called for its removal.

The flag was pulled down and burned early one morning, and quickly replaced. But then the College Board decided the flag would be flown at half-staff, a decision that angered veterans and military families. The solution, the College decided, was to take the campus flag down until next semester, but not to ban all flags on the campus.

** Among the nation’s highly respected institutions of higher learning is the University of Virginia (UVA), founded nearly 200 years ago by Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States.

After UVA President Teresa Sullivan quoted Jefferson in a campus-wide email encouraging students to stay resilient and hopeful while trying to recover from the distress suffered after the election, some students and faculty objected to the Jefferson quote.

A letter reportedly signed by 469 students and faculty said, in part: “For many of us, the inclusion of Jefferson quotations in these e-mails undermines the message of unity, equality and civility that you are attempting to convey.”

One might expect students and faculty at an institution of higher learning to be capable of appreciating that a positive message including a quote from the school’s famous founder is not necessarily rendered meaningless by the fact that Jefferson owned slaves. Such efforts by the easily offended on the left to erase elements of the nation’s history they don’t like in order to create the pretty and clean image that matches their fantasy is fundamentally dishonest.

While much of this activity has taken place on college campuses, it seems this craziness exists elsewhere in the U.S.

** An anti-Trump organization named “The #NotMyPresident Alliance” has exposed electors of the Electoral College to the whims of people who don’t want Trump to win the Electoral College vote by releasing personal information on the electors, including the personal phone numbers, addresses, religions, races, genders, and candidate preference of the electors. 

According to Buzzfeed.com, “The group hopes that its members and citizens around the country will contact electors and persuade them to change their vote from Donald Trump to another candidate before Dec. 19” when electors meet to cast their votes.

One wonders how many electors will be threatened by Trump opponents?

** Here’s an item that might produce cries of “Yes! Go for it!” People in the Golden State are calling for secession.

"The relationship between California and the federal system just isn't working," said one of those leading the protest, complaining that federal tax money paid by Californians “isn't adequately supporting aging infrastructure and public programs in the state.” He and a small group paced in front of the state capitol, chanting, "What do we want? Calexit! When do we want it? Now!"

Amid signs proclaiming "Free Hugs" and "Not my president," and some profane Trump chants, he said Trump’s election proves that America is failing. “So then the question becomes, do you want to go down with the sinking ship, knowing that you have a ship that's able to sail the international economy on its own?" California dreaming is alive and well.

** The Department of Justice charged the Denver Sheriffs Department for discriminating against illegal aliens in the hiring of deputy sheriffs. In response to this outrageous development, the Sheriffs Office did precisely the wrong thing: it worked out a settlement that included a $10,000 fine and agreed to change its job requirements to allow illegals to apply and perhaps be hired. The appropriate response: “No dice. We’ll decide who is qualified to serve our citizens, and illegal aliens in our country and state are not qualified.”

Why would anyone think it’s acceptable to hire people who broke the law when they came here to serve as law enforcement officers? It is not discrimination to exclude illegals and criminals from these jobs; it is common sense.

America is not about the majority bowing down to a minority who want to change long-standing traditions and practices they don’t like. We can’t allow ignorance and emotion to rule.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving, expressing our gratitude for the blessings we now have. Looking to next Thanksgiving, perhaps these misguided Americans will have realized that these things and the thoughts behind them are not what America is all about.

Cross-posted from Observations

The Chronically Offended. A Malady, Perhaps?

The Chronically Offended. A Malady, Perhaps?

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

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It makes no difference what you do or what you say, these days, you can bet that someone will be offended.

Oh, yeah, I know people were offended back in the day. Truly they were, but… there was one major difference. Back in the day, we understood that for an offended person to protest was a sign of weakness on the offended’s part. And frankly, they were too embarrassed to protest because they knew society would see them for what they were, weak.

Things changed. In the mid to late 20th century, and early 21st century, American society began to celebrate weakness in individuals. Whole organizations sprang up to serve the chronically offended. (And while they were doing that…. milk them of all their ready cash, as well!)

How could this have happened? Political Correctness, that’s how. Marxism by another name. As of today in America, the weak, and the minorities, have more power than the strong majority. The tables have turned. Natural law has been turned on its head.

When I was growing up one of the signs that you were, indeed, growing into adulthood was the skill at which you were able to handle disappointment… and… being offended.

Stoicism is no easy thing for me. I am Scot-Irish, Dutch, German, and a healthy dose of Native American. So you can see the how the fiery temperament of the Irish, and the combativeness of the Scots, and the dogged determination of the Germans, and stoicism of the Native Americans was, and is, always at war in my mind.

However, after a few bloody noses and split lips, and broken teeth, I managed to get a grip on myself and I learned a valuable lesson. It is better to keep your mouth shut and not whine when you are offended! The main thing to remember is… do not whine! Strike, if you must, but do not whine! What I forgot was… my size disadvantage. Quite often the attacked was physically larger than me and I got the tar beaten out of me!

So what did I learn for these confrontations? Not a whole lot… if you ask those who know me personally. I STILL tend to attack windmills! I love lost causes. But, it did build character. It gave me understanding into the mind of the chronically offended.

I have learned that the chronically offended are sad, lonely, people. They perceive themselves as without power and influence and they crave recognition, by anybody, for any reason. It is a form of inferiority complex.

To get that recognition, if only to force someone, anyone, into confirming their existence, they will cause a commotion about the smallest of things they may deem an infraction, or an abuse, or an offense to their sensibilities. No matter that society might accept that which offends them, that fact has no value to the Chronically Offended. Their self-centered nature rules out any pleas for common sense from the un-offended. .

And now THEY are in charge! Well, maybe not directly… with hands-on control… but they certainly have the power to browbeat the remainder of society like water torture.

If man had not fiddled with Mother Nature’s Natural Selection, these people would not be among us. But we did, and they are here. And… they are a royal pain in the butt to all of society.

Political Correctness has empowered them. And now WE are powerless to dis-empower THEM!

J. D. Longstreet

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Conservative+Offensive+Politically-Correct+Marxism