What makes America Great.

If you throw a hissy fit because a NFL player sits during the National Anthem, and think Charlottesville Alt-right gathering was to protect heritage and statues, then you are part of the problem. Here is why.
Stop treating the National Anthem like it has been around since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it wasn't written until 1814. The music is actually an old British Drinking song. The song wasn't adopted as the National Anthem until 1936. It is a symbol that I honor, but a person can choose not to and that is their right.
The pledge of Allegiance is another thing wasn't adopted until 1945 and "Under God" wasn't added until 1954. In truth the founding fathers would probably objected to an Pledge of Allegiance because it smacks to much of a monarchy or authoritarianism. If they would have written a pledge they would have made a few different choices and probably left out "Under God" because of their belief in Freedom of religion.
We have people who say we have to have "In God we Trust " on our money yet many of these same people put their Trust in Guns over God, shameful. I believe and support the second amendment but I will never put my trust in a gun when I have God. Even if I were armed and in a confrontation I would still put my trust in God to let me make the right decision, you cannot take back a bullet so listen to God first.
Statues, Statues of military leaders who took up arms against their own country are being worshipped by people who call themselves " patriots" yet they fly a flag that fought against The United States. Like Lincoln said, and he quoted Christ, "A house, divided against itself, cannot stand." And like Christ said," a man cannot serve two masters." Do you know how many countries allow flying of a flag of a vanquished enemy or defeated tyranny? America is about the only one. Even in Germany the Nazi flag is despised. How many Hitler, Goebbels, Goehring, Von Runestead, Rommel, or any other military leader from Nazi Germany are located in Public places in Germany? Zero why? Not because they think it erases the past but because they don't want to give Neo-Nazis a memorial, a shrine to worship at.
Do you think all these Statues in Southern States were put up after the Civil War? No, they were not. When were they put up? Try around the 1950s and 1960s during the Civil Rights era. Why? Because a bunch of White People in charge wanted to send a message that no matter what the rest of the country says, they would always hold onto their "Southern Traditions." Do you know what "Southern Tradition " they were talking about? It wasn't cooking, it wasn't church going, it wasn't anything like that, it was the belief they held that "White People" are superior to Black People, and "Blacks should know and stay in their place."
Now those monuments have become shrines, rallying points for not just people who want to hold onto heritage, but to the KKK, Nazis, Neo Confederates, and every other racist group. There is no place in America for such hate, and there shall be no monuments to those who fought to keep people as slaves, one of the most vile institutions in history.
Think I am UnAmerican after reading this? You are wrong. I love my country and I know what makes it great, not a flag, not words, not a song, but people, people of all races and religions that make this country great.

My opinion about racist protests.

Today I witnessed police officers, many of them black, have to face off against two groups. One group based on racism and hate, the other people against what the alt- right stands for, evil. I am sure those officers were called names by both sides and that is wrong, but one side can be blamed. White supremacists have no place in America, they are Un American and are not patriots but racist terrorists.
I, and probably anyone who served on a Ballistic Missile submarine or any part of this country's strategic weapons force, have been called some hateful names by protestors like "baby killers", but that was because of our job not are skin color. You can protest against policy, against nuclear weapons, against nuclear power, against anything, but you cannot protest against people because of race, religion, sexual orientation, or things along those lines because you are attacking people and not a policy, that is wrong. Racism is hatred, it is a choice a person has made to hate someone because of nothing more than skin color, it is there personal policy and when they choose to impose that on others, to spread hate, it is the right of all Americans to oppose that policy in the form of protest. Hate has no purpose but to breed evil, because it is born of evil. Racism is hate and shall not go unchallenged!

If you like Trump's approach to North Korea, I hope you like Strontium 90

Strontium-90, ever hear of it? Maybe if you're older or work in the nuclear field but I bet most have not. It's a byproduct of nuclear fission like from a nuclear weapon detonation, it is radioactive. Before the above ground test ban people downwind from nuclear tests were exposed to Strontium-90. Studies of downwinders, those that were exposed to the most fallout have suffered an increase in rates of leukemia and bone cancer. 

Why the increase in leukemia and bone cancer? Because Strontium is a close relative, periodic table speaking, to calcium and therefore the human body will treat it like calcium so it will be deposited in bones and teeth. Once in the body strontium will emit radiation as it undergoes decay and that radiation will damage other cells, genetic damage leading to bone cancer and/or leukemia. Remember, bone marrow plays a large part in production of blood cells, including lymphocytes a type of white blood cells.

But how does strontium-90 enter the human body? It can be inhaled or ingested, mostly it is ingested. Strontium-90 can contaminate water and plant matter like grass, grains, vegetables. Cow's milk is a big source of strontium-90 after a nuclear accident or nuclear war. Cows will eat grass that is contaminated by strontium-90 which then is excreted as part of milk in place of some of the calcium normally found in milk. The consumption of grass and the production of milk concentrates the strontium-90 making for a radioactive milkshake. This is why they warned people during the Cold War not to consume dairy products after a nuclear attack.

Even though strontium-90 contaminated parts of America during the above ground testing days it was not a large problem like it would be in the case of a nuclear war, even a limited one. There is a large difference in detonating a nuclear warhead every now and then in the desert or on an isolated island than multiple war heads exploding within minutes or hours over cities. With cities you increase fallout from debris made of material that was once, buildings, bridges, cars, trees, animals, and even people. That dust will be sucked up in the mushroom clouds and smoke from fires and spread for miles around, pretty much all over the earth. That fallout will be guaranteed to contain strontium-90 and other radioactive mater, which will then contaminate everything, including farms. For years on end, if you survive, every bit of produce you consume will be contaminated with radioactive material. Strontium-90 has a half-life of 28.8 years, meaning in 28.8 years half of the material will decay into another element, yttrium-90 which itself is radioactive.

Adults are at less risk of bone cancer or leukemia, but children, whose bones are developing, are at great risk, especially babies and toddlers. It is not just dairy you would have to look out for, you would have to worry about your child playing outside, or even if fallout was tracked into your house that would contaminate the rugs and floors where kids spent most of their time playing.

Why am I writing this? To let you know that if you think Trump is handling the North Korean situation the right way you should expect to have to deal with the after effects. It is too late to stop North Korea from gaining nukes, the only option left is to use the policy used during the Cold War, MAD, Mutual assured destruction. You attack us we attack you and no one wins. This is how the Cold War went and even though we claim close to Nuclear War, diplomacy won out. It will take the same diplomacy today. Either that, or deal with Strontium-90 and the other radioactive bad guys.

My rant about Trump! He is crazy!

Trump-Russia investigation is now being considered a criminal investigation and not just a counter intelligence investigation.
All you law enforcement people out there know that judges do not grant search warrants without probable cause. They don't just say "I will take your word on it. Here is your warrant." And a predawn raid is not that common in a case like this one where it is just documents being seized. The Federal Judge had to be convinced Paul Manafort, Trump's one time campaign manager with close ties to Russia, had something he wasn't sharing before he signed off on the search warrant. I guarantee the FBI provided intelligence to back up their request.
After all that has happened with evidence mounting and getting closer to Trump himself, does law enforcement still endorse Trump? Consider that the evidence is starting to reveal Trump just didn't deal with Russian mafia, that is what the Russian Oligarchs truly are, but he most likely helped launder money for drug cartels, governments that support terrorism, and other criminal organizations through his real estate development company, The Trump Organization. Just FYI, the MS-13 gang Trump says he is trying to get rid of deal  and run drugs for those same cartel people Trump has had real estate dealings with. Not fake news, actual facts. Trump deals in real estate and that is the business easiest to launder money because transactions can still be done in cash, unlike other banking and investments which are screened to determine if the money is for criminal or terrorism purposes. I am sure that loophole will be closed after all the information on Trump's financial dealings discovered during this investigation are laid-upon the table.
How else do you think Trump went from being bankrupt and owing 900 million dollars to where he is, or says he is? Good deal making? Heck no. Except for his real estate business and marketing his name, his other ventures have ended in failure or bankruptcy. Now how did Trump survive the 2007 financial and real estate collapse when bigger businesses folded? Trump, according to himself and his sons before they  changed the story, were doing most of their business during this time with Russia. Sorry, there own words from interviews prior to Trump running for president prove this.
Now consider also how Trump said he would use his own money to fund his campaign but financial filing with the election commission show this to be far from the truth and he actually never forgave the loans, most anyway, he gave to his campaign. That money, his money, will be proven to have originated from dealings with people that law enforcement would normally despise because it is from criminal activity. Heck, the owners of Hobby-Lobby, a Trump donor, bought stolen antiquities from Iraq. Guess who stole them and sold them? ISIS of all people. No I don't think the owners of Hobby Lobby knew ISIS was behind it all, but they definitely knew it was illegal when they did it and those that were dealing with were criminals. How many soldiers may have died from weapons bought from the money from the sale of those antiquities? Hobby-Lobby, we don't want to pay for birth control or support abortion but we don't mind buying stolen goods that may help kill Americans. I hate hypocrites.
Evangelicals are not high on my list now because they support Trump unwavering though the man has shown time and time again his behavior far from Christian. And Dr. Robert Jeffress saying that the Bible gives Trump the Moral Authority to take out Kim Jung-Un, is about the most far from Christ's teachings there could ever be. I mean how does it match up to "Blessed are the peacemakers..." or " Turn the other cheek "? Not all. I believe that N.K. Should not have nuclear weapons. I can tell you that there are no good military options to change that. N.K. Knows if they attack anyone it would mean the end of the regime there one way or another. Even before they had Nuclear weapons they threatened to invade South Korea with there "overwhelming military " but they never did, they never do. Sometimes they do little raids, but they know anything more will be their end. And even before N.K. Developed nukes they could have overrun S.K. With conventional forces alone, but they knew America and the World would, wipe them out because China would not support them. But if America attacks first, China will support N.K. Trump says China is not doing enough, trust me they are. When China conducts a live missile fire exercise off the N.K. Coast it is not to show support from Kim Jung-Un it is to show exactly who is in charge and N.K. Better get in line. So Evangelicals can stop encouraging Trump to take actions that will kill millions of people, including Americans.

To some up my rant. Trump-Russia is a real investigation and not a witch hunt. The investigation is now a criminal one too. Not only is it quite possible the investigation shows Trump dealing with Russian mafia, but past criminal activities like laundering money for drug cartels, terrorist groups, etc.
Law enforcement should now pull their endorsement of Trump. Evangelicals need to Un endorse Trump and quit treating him like he is a savior, there is only one and that is Christ Jesus himself. Evangelicals need to stop encouraging Trump to go to war with North Korea because many will die, millions, not just from the war itself but the fallout from the war. Children in America, young ones will be most at risk to suffer the effects of radioactive fallout all over the world. Want to hold your child's hand while they endure chemotherapy for leukemia? Remember that the same President who can cause this to happen is the same one that wants to kick millions off healthcare.

Treason should not be rewarded

we are at the point in the Trump-Russia investigation where talk of presidential pardons for players in  the collusion, no check that, treasonous dealings with Russia has hit the airwaves. Yes, the investigation being conducted by Mueller seems to be making Donald Trump nervous that he or those around maybe indicted for some crime. Heck, we already know that Jared Kushner, Attorney General Sessions, and General Flynn have more than likely committed at least one offense so far, perjury or something along that lines. Now Trump Jr. has provided the link that the campaign of Donald J. Trump was at least willing to work with Russian intelligence. Now there is a strong feeling that Russia funneled large amounts of money to Trump before the campaign and that Trump quite possibly aided in laundering of money for Russian Oligarchs, check that, Mafia. I know it is too early to know the exact details of Trump-Russia involvement or if there were any prosecutable crimes committed, but when the President start talking about pardoning his associates and himself you have to say something stinks even if you cannot see the rot.
So what happens if Trump goes on a pardoning spree? First, I don't think his pardoning himself would hold much legal water because it would mean that the president could commit any crime he wanted without any repercussions with the exception of impeachment. Second, by accepting a pardon those Trump pardons would be acknowledging their own guilt, at least that is what the Supreme Court said in Burdick V. United States in 1915. That ruling had to deal with if a person refuses a pardon is the pardon valid. Apparently this Burdick guy refused a pardon because, at least part of it, was it would be an admission of guilt and he did not want to do that for he believed he was innocent. Keep all this in mind as we proceed down this layman's analysis of this strange situation and Constitutional law road. Hang on, it's full of bumps.
Ok, let's say Trump pardons everyone, resigns, and the new President pardons the former president, what then. Trump and his minions get away with what could be the worst crime in Presidential politics. Keep in mind they received funds from Russia in the commission of the criminal act and Trump has profited from the Office. What a shaft job to the American people; well at least those of us not on the Trump Train to disaster. They should not count all that money just yet. Let's look at something Attorney General Sessions is pushing for drug cases and apply that same thing to Trump Treason, that is asset forfeiture. Sessions says that criminals should not profit from their crimes and he is right. You are saying, "But if Trump pardons people there will not be a trial so the government will not be able to seize assets." True, there will not be a "criminal trial ."
The thing about crimes, most crimes anyway, there is the criminal code part and then there is the civil part. Pardons only cover crimes. The civil part, restitution, or in this case the ill gotten gains, is a whole different ball of wax. The government has the right, and should exercise that right, to go after the profits Donald Trump and his associates made during their dealings with Russia. Trump would fight it but he would lose, and even if he were to appeal, the money would be tied up for years. Why would Trump lose? Remember that case I cited earlier on how accepting a pardon can be seen as an admission of guilt? Yes, the acceptance of the pardon would be enough to say that the profits were from a criminal act and therefore subject to civil seizure by the government. The beauty of the civil case is there is no need to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt", preponderance of the evidence is enough. Now think about the hundreds of millions , possibly billions of dollars, Trump and his family would lose. Even assets such as his properties owned by him and his family, even if held by the Trump organization, would be seized. After this is over, if justice prevails, Trump could go from the White House to flopping on someone's couch. So Trump can pardon himself and his associates, but in the end he will see that crime doesn't pay. Trump chose to dance with the devil and now the piper is awaiting his pay.

Interesting discovery while researching urinalysis and law enforcement

Recently, I took part in a discussion on why people receiving welfare should be subject to drug testing before they receive benefits. The discussion was set off by one of those "like if you support mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients " memes. I am one of those people who can see why there is a need for a certain program and why that system cannot be implemented without running afoul of the constitution, specifically the 4th amendment. It simple to see why there is a problem because saying the government will not help you unless you agree to drug testing could be viewed as a coercive way of having someone's 4th amendment right concerning search and seizure, unlawful ones. Still, I know there are those who use public assistance to support their drug habit and that is wrong. That argument is for another day because while reviewing the reasoning of one of the participants arguments I discovered things are not always as they seem and sometimes you find ugliness where you least expect it, law enforcement. I should not say law enforcement as a whole but a small percentage that is enough to cause concern.
The person arguing that welfare recipients undergo drug tests for welfare just like they have to to maintain their employment in law enforcement. As a former military member I know about drug testing because I was subject to the random urinalysis program all members of the military agree to when enlisting. In the Navy, and I assume it is the same for other branches of the military, a number is drawn when someone decides that a random testing is to be conducted. If your last digit of your social security number matches the number selected then you had to provide a urine sample under the watchful eye of a senior enlisted member or officer. It happened that day, under view so no one could get away with bringing in a thing of clean urine or anything to mess up the test. We were never warned in advance so there was no way to prepare beforehand. You always assumed you would called to pee everyday. I had no problem as I am quite the anti drug drug type and though I live in a state with legalized marijuana I will never partake, heck I don't even drink alcohol anymore.
Not being familiar with law enforcement policy on urinalysis, I am sure each department has their own way of handling it, I decided to research and compare the most common procedures with that of the military. I mean the person arguing that all welfare recipients undergo urinalysis made it seem like where they worked was about as strict in conducting urinalysis as the Navy. To my surprise I discovered much of the information on law enforcement and urinalysis doesn't concern the programs but methods to beat urinalysis and what not to worry about. Right now you are probably thinking one of two things: either you thinking I am anti cop and trying to slander law enforcement with bogus claims, or that I am saying cops are dirty and using drugs like meth, heroine, cocaine, or marijuana. Wrong on both accounts. First, what I found made me concerned for the safety of the public and the officers. Second, the thing I found out is that they are cops using steroids as a means of bulking up to stay on top of their job.
Where did I find this information? One, forums about bodybuilding and law enforcement. These forums can be found with Google search and since I am unclear about the legality of reprinting messages from these forums I will just paraphrase so to speak, better yet just cover the gist of the discussions. There were more than a few individuals who were concerned about if their steroid use would be detected during the preemployment intake urinalysis. I was shocked to read by the responses. First, most agencies don't test for steroids or growth hormones because of cost. Some were never tested at all. Second, most stated they were only tested once and that was the one before they were hired. The only drug they said to be concerned about were illegal narcautics. No one claimed to use illegal drugs or promoted the use thereof, only steroids and illegal supplements.
After this discovery I next searched for information on how prevalent steroids maybe in law enforcement. This lead me to this article by the Drug Enforcement Administration under the department of Justice. https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/steroids/lawenforcement/
Apparently this is a known issue and the DOJ has a program to address it, but since it seems voluntary I don't think it is used much. Also I don't think that police chiefs, sheriff's and other higher up law officials are aware they may have a problem in their respective departments. I don't see those in charge promoting the use of illegal substances, steroids and growth hormones, are illegal without a prescription. Plus, steroids and growth hormones are a danger to the users health. What is the trade off? Short term strength to subdue a suspect only to suffer a premature death from the effects of steroids? I know that law enforcement officers put their lives on the line everyday but do they also need to further put their lives in danger for a rockhard intimidating body? Let's say you retire from law enforcement and now plan to kick up your heals with your family and relax. If you used steroids or growth hormones chances are that will be a short retirement and your rockhard intimidating body won't mean anything to anyone but the worms once you're lowered into the ground.
In my life I have watched a few funerals for police officers killed in the line of duty, it tears the heart out me like it does everyone else. Seeing parents burying their child, wives receiving a folded American flag, the fallen officers children who will never see their parent again or see what they do in life, it is gut wrenching. The same picture can happen to a law enforcement officer using steroids to keep up, but instead of some punk putting them in the ground it will be their own hand, unintentionally but the result and picture will be the same.
I could go into the legality of this and say that every officer who uses illegal substances like steroids are crooks but what would that do? These are the men and women who put their life on the line Day in and day out, their intention is not of malice and whose to say what we would do or feel in their place, I would wish that there would be a guiding hand and voice that would say there is a tradeoff and it is not worth it. A bruise can heal, a bad heart will fail.

Why Donald Trump wants voter data.

So Trump's voting commission wants every state to send them data on every person registered to vote. What data? All personal info plus party affiliation, voting history and military status. Why? Trump believes 3 million people voted illegally and that is why he didn't win the popular vote. Using the data he wants he can claim that any republican, military personnel, veteran, or anyone who voted for a republican in the past must have votes for him and had their vote changed. Trump thinks all republicans, veterans, military, and law enforcement love him and would not vote for Hillary Clinton,  This is Trump's motivation. His cronies? They would like to use the data to purge voters from the roles, mainly those they believe will vote democrat. One of the rights accorded to the invidual states is how they run elections from local, state, and federal. By Trump meddling in how states run their election he is walking a fine line between violating the rights of people's privacy, states rights and those of the federal government. Like one's belief system, how a person voted or votes should be treated as sacred, to do otherwise would stab at the heart of the freedom we as a country have fought for over the years. The only fraud in the last election was Trump himself.