Contributed by Katherine Baker
Controversy, really the news,
or striving just to find a view?
Information, massive supply,
but as of truth, it must be tried.
Supporters of the rights of speech, seek, pursue, to benefit each.
Obligation of nothing less,
express, relate, the facts we quest.
This truth gives us reality,
and the power to live as free. Duty of ideals and merit,
freedom keeps when truth’s apparent.
Contributed by Yvonne Moss
With a blast,
With much gusto,
Crazy as it might seem —
I miss the heat of August.
In the chill of the day,
Colors come,
As yellow, orange, red and gold —
Crusty, musty, dusty, gusty, busty, feisty, sex, lusty!
—
One With the Colors
By Yvonne Moss
Color is the highlight of my art.
I use it as motion to create a whole.
Where does it lead me?
When do I stop its motion,
Before it escapes?
Only the art paper knows.
Contributed by Dylan Manderlink
It’s going to be really dark there, they said.
How will you deal with the late mornings and early nights in Alaska, they asked.
Do you think the dark will affect you, they prodded.
I have no idea. I’ve never experienced anything
of the like, so how am I supposed to know.
Now, I sit at my kitchen table.
The window beside me is black.
I see my reflection and it’s too early in the evening for that sensation, I think.
How does one accept that it’s night, when it’s not night.
My window is an opening to an experience I’ve never had.
Existing in the dark when it shouldn’t be dark.
When I’m not used to it being dark, rather.
My window reflects my naiveté and skeptical acceptance of what has come.
All in the backdrop of the night that’s not the night.
When will I see the bright.
Contributed bt Vlastic Marek
Following collective madness of Anchorage assembly mask mandates said assembly blaming discord on everyone including Trump but themselves I'm offering simple math:
I'm single and everyday I meet 5 people at work. Those five go home and meet - say - another 5 people each. That's 25 for me when they get back to work. Those 25 each meet another 5 somewhere and now on 3rd day it's 125, then 625, and on the day 7th I was exposed to chain infection of 78,125 people and on day 9 it's more than number of people in Alaska.
It has been more then 365 days of so-called pandemic. We all have been exposed.
If you are still here - congrats, you made it. Back to our lives now, Thank you.
Contributed by Edna DeVries
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, if I could speak and/or write “THANK YOU” in every language on earth, it wouldn’t be more heart-felt that what I am saying at this time in English. You all are amazing, loving, and supportive. The results of the election are overwhelming; I thank you for your confidence in me and showing that confidence at your polling place.
My swearing in, and that of the newly elected Assembly members, will be in a public ceremony held in the Mat-Su Borough Assembly Chambers at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Please plan to attend. This is your victory also. You are the ones who posted lawn signs, waved signs on street corners, addressed envelopes, gave financial support, talked to your neighbors, prayed for me, asked questions, did your research, and held me accountable to uphold my message of individual freedoms, conservative values of life, second amendment support, following the US Constitution, State Constitution, and local ordinances and statues, and most importantly of all, continuing to fight for this great country founded by God with liberty and justice for all.
I will take office on November 22, 2021 and will have an office in the Borough building at 350 East Dahlia Avenue in Palmer. Please stop by, it is your building and the staff is paid for by your tax dollars, but I thank you in advance for always being respectful to each other as fellow human beings. I will be out in the community attending Community Council meetings, and other public and private meetings to which I am invited. I am the Mat-Su Borough Mayor for all the residents of this Borough. My personal cell phone number has been very busy during this campaign, and I will continue to use and answer that number. My Borough office phone number, as of November 22nd, will be 907-861-8682, and my email will be edna.devries@matsugov.us. I do not yet have a Borough cell number.
The Borough Assembly has an active agenda for the next few months, and then in April the annual budget meetings will be held in Palmer, Wasilla, and in the northern part of the Borough. Some of your questions during the campaign were regarding the Port, and the Borough Manager will be requesting the Assembly hold a special meeting on January 11th to update the Assembly and the public on Port operations. The International Association of Maritime and Port Executives has been under contract with the Borough to prepare a Strategic Action Plan for Business Development for Port MacKenzie. I would appreciate your thoughts and input; I am not in favor of another study being placed on a shelf (physically or electronically). This plan will need to be a “working document” or will need to be adjusted to our citizens and investors’ concerns to become a working document that benefits the Mat-Su Borough and its citizens.
Now that our voters have passed the 2021 Transportation Infrastructure Package by a large margin, and the $10M for Mat-Su pavement rehabilitation is available from the state, we need your input on the prioritization and calendaring of these projects.
On December 14th, the Assembly and School Board will hold a joint meeting. Tentative agenda items include an update from the Mat-Su Borough School District on their annual budget, an update on COVID-19, an update on the Houston High School construction project, and a joint resolution in support of healthcare pricing transparency and the All-Payer claims database.
I will chairing my first Assembly meeting on December 7th. Please stay in touch, and if you are not already, please become familiar with Borough’s website matsugov.us and the Borough’s Facebook page.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. If you, or someone you know, are in need of food or provisions, many of the non-profit organizations and churches in our area are reaching out to our community with offers of assistance. Let’s not let anyone go without this Holiday Season.
Thank you again.
Edna DeVries, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Elect
Contributed by Anonymous Whistleblower
GCI Properties and the Coronavirus Response Team have established a conference room where fully vaccinated employees can meet face to face.
GCI Discriminates the unvaccinated by making a room only for the vaccinated. To access the room proof of vaccination must be provided to the Human Resources Team. From there they will submit documentation to the security workforce team to receive administrative access to the employee badge so that they can enter the room mask free.
However, this room is not available for the unvaccinated. It seems that GCI has now favored the vaccinated and discriminated the unvaccinated to receive less luxurious entities in the workplace due to their personal Health Care Status.
Chief Human Resources Officer Joe Wahl and President & Chief Operating Officer Greg Chapados Team up to participate in division of their employees and removal of the unvaccinated. Chief Operating Officer Greg Chapados says on 10/19/2021 during an employee company meeting around 1:24 P.M.
“Senior Management including myself are VERY supportive of the Vaccine. This is no longer an internal debate for GCI. On September 9th President Biden has federalized issuing an executive order stating all federal contractors and subcontractors who are working on or in connection with a federal covered contract would HAVE to be vaccinated, regardless of if they are working from home or not.”
Greg Chapados says, “The executive order is written to be very, very broad and is deliberately intended and designed to capture as many people as possible. We have come to the conclusion that GCI’s operations are to be captured by the order. We did this as quickly as we could, although this took some real time to make sure that we did it right. ”
“The company GCI – “Alaska Born and Raised” has forgotten their roots and has chosen money over the people who has carried them to the money. We have worked effortlessly in harsh weather conditions and low pay to get the company to where they are now. Greg Chapados said it himself during the company meeting.”, says GCI’s Whistleblower.
Greg Chapados takes ownership of money over the employees during the company meeting by stating, “What’s happened is that this issue has become federalized, and we need to make a decision to comply or not. We have chosen compliance in-part because we have tens of millions of dollars of federal contracting revenue.”
“Secondly, our two largest customers in rural Alaska have told us that they insist that we use ONLY VACCINATED employees to work on our business’s”
GCI – Whistleblower says, “If I were the President of GCI, I would take the loss for my employees and stand for their freedoms. I would shut off and restrict the Federal Government of their use of our company. The employee’s support the business and we need to support our employees for their efforts and show that this is not about the revenue, but about our freedoms. Instead, the pressure is placed on the people when the pressure should be placed on the government. If they can exempt half of the government workers, this vaccine should NOT be mandated.”
“GCI has already discriminated and shown their proof of favoritism and where they lie as a business and corporation. They have already established a room just for the vaccinated, where they can be free and mask-less and see each other’s faces. It’s disgusting” says GCI Whistleblower.
GCI Meeting Space for Vaccinated Employees Only!
GCI Properties and the Coronavirus Response Team have established a conference room where fully vaccinated employees can meet face to face.
GCI Discriminates the unvaccinated by making a room only for the vaccinated. To access the room proof of vaccination must be provided to the Human Resources Team. From there they will submit documentation to the security workforce team to receive administrative access to the employee badge so that they can enter the room mask free.
However, this room is not available for the unvaccinated. It seems that GCI has now favored the vaccinated and discriminated the unvaccinated to receive less luxurious entities in the workplace due to their personal Health Care Status.
GCI does not care about their employees. They have chosen money over their employees who have dedicated years of their life to this company and in return are going to be placed under unpaid leave if they do not comply or receive a serious religious exemption or medical exemption which has not been stated what prequalification’s exist for these accommodations.
Contributed by Wes Keller
This world seems really harsh right now and from what we hear in the news, there is only uncertainty about a bright future. News media can be turned off/tuned out, but if you have recently lost your job; are crushed by the thought of national, state, or your personal debt; if you have Covid; lost loved ones; or any number of other challenges – feelings of thankfulness may seem harder to come by than they once were. To elicit thankfulness, we often remind each other to make a list of the things we ARE thankful for and focus on them, but sometimes saying we are thankful does not make it so. An analysis of the anatomy of “giving thanks” helps us generate the real thing.
It is an honorable deed to encourage your friends and family to BE thankful when we sit down to eat our traditional thanksgiving dinner! While nobody wants to be preached at about a responsibility to be thankful, most people appreciate the reminder. At its root, being thankful is an emotion, not a duty to be performed. Websters 1828, explains “gratitude” is an agreeable emotion of the heart initiated by a favor or benefit received from some benefactor. It is as natural as happiness generated by sunshine or birds singing. “Thanksgiving” (giving thanks), on the other hand, was defined in 1828 as an expression of gratitude…an act of will, an action spawned by gratitude. I cannot help but wonder why these nuances are now almost lost and the two terms, gratitude and thankfulness are used as merely synonyms. I suspect one reason is because emotions (gratitude, happiness, sadness, peacefulness, etc.) can all be disingenuous and we aren’t sure whether to trust their veracity, even in ourselves. We like feelings of gratitude but are reticent to trust them just because they are expressed, even if we are the ones expressing. For another thing, there is an implied “debt” to a benefactor involved, even if it may have nothing to do with the benefactor’s motives. We naturally want to do good things in return as part of the gratitude we feel. Children feeling gratitude are evilly exploited until they get “street smart” (wisdom on the nature of man), mature feelings of gratitude generate profound expressions of thanks. We also naturally resist the humbling reality we may “need” a benefactor in order to feel gratitude.
We may set out to humbly promote and grasp every inclination toward gratitude we feel in ourselves and determine to express them joyfully as a way of sharing our delight, but thinking about the “benefactor” and the “humbly” puts some damper on us! We don’t want to feel indebted to anybody (even if it is not the “givers” intent) because we want no strings attached to our autonomy. We also want to feel self-sufficient. If we avoid looking at the nuances, we avoid a deeper look at expressing gratitude. (Giving Thanks).
We must manage and control all our emotions, including gratitude. Part of the management of gratitude is to be able to answer related philosophical questions: Can you even feel gratitude if something good hasn’t been done for us? Does lack of gratitude reveal pride or callousness? Beware! You will encounter life’s most basic question: “Does God exist?” If He does, is the “Divine Providence” referenced in the Declaration something that generates gratitude? Having a national Thanksgiving ‘holy-day’ is certainly a wonderful event spotlighting godly thinking without establishing religion.
Back to the warm feelings of the traditional thanksgiving holiday. Expressing our thanks to/for other beings is the catalyst to generate more gratitude. A person who denies “Divine Providence” as referencing a benevolent God must limit expressions of gratitude to fellow human beings. Great Hymns, poetry, and music are expressions of gratitude primarily to God. I have never heard significant expressions of gratitude to an impersonal benefactor. Gratitude for life sourced from a formula (time + chance + natural selection) does not elicit the emotion of gratitude toward the formula. That would be ridiculous! Gratitude for created life sourced in the “I Am” of ancient Scripture is profound.
Choosing to “offer thanks” in any case is an honorable thing to do – in spite of the fact we may or may not feel appropriately grateful. If you deem yourself rebellious to God, you do still have valid things to be thankful for starting with your loved ones and family, but I suggest you are missing a much broader dimension. Atheist comedian Ricky Gervais promotes the opposite; “Atheists have more to live for because they’re not spending their lives anticipating what comes afterward. So they want to make the most of what they have.” For me, if what we see is what we get, it is much harder to accept covid deaths and suffering; covid masks, mandates, and over-reactions to them; shocking inflation; staggering debts; crimes; and wars. Trusting God offers a bigger picture AND promises ultimate solutions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wes Keller
WesKeller.com
Contributed by Edna DeVries
So what now—come to hear from the local legislative winners on their plans when they go to Juneau in January. Who’s on the first in the organization in the Alaska House and Alaska Senate.
Carol Carmen, district chairman, will be doing a presentation on How to keep track of Juneau legislative activities. You should still be involved. The race for good government in Alaska is just starting out not just completed.
Time for 2021 membership – pay your dues for 2021 and receive a gift: pin, Trump t-shirt (limited supply), or something else – your choice.
Election is Not OVER
Thursday, November 19; at 7 pm at Sunrise Grill in Palmer.
Not Lip-Service - Congress Must Honor our Veterans
Paul Robbins Jr., USMC
I wrote to our Senators and House Representative, as a result of my reflections from Veteran’s Day, to ask that they live up to the words I have heard over the years in their messages. They have repeatedly expressed their admiration and devotion to our active duty service members and veterans. But their service in Congress makes them complicit in the betrayal of veterans' sacred oaths and the voluntary sacrifices they’ve made.
Since the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the authority and responsibility of Congress to declare war has been eroded. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, yet our elected representatives have not debated and declared war since World War II. Instead, Congress has abdicated their responsibility and the power to make war to the President, resulting in numerous undeclared conflicts and the ongoing “War on Terror.” Generations of Americans have suffered due to our representatives being unable or unwilling to face their most difficult duty: determining when our troops should be sent to war.
Instead, Congress has put forth disastrous resolutions like the Authorization for Use of Military Force, signed three days after 9/11. Not only did this half-effort fail to name an enemy, but it also left the geographical scope undefined, no time frame, and no clear conditions for victory. Because of this, the 2001 AUMF has been used to justify U.S. military action at least 41 times in 19 countries (Congressional Research Service). And our nation’s longest war has cost an estimated $8 trillion and killed nearly a million people (Brown University’s Cost of War Project).
All but the most junior members of Congress are to blame for this continued betrayal of our troops. The Constitution demands appropriation for war shall be for no longer than two years, which means an opportunity for debate and proper declaration has been avoided every two years since September 18, 2001.
It is past time for all members of Congress to recommit themselves to the intent of our founding fathers, their defined powers and responsibilities under the Constitution, and their solemn duty to the men and women who volunteer to place themselves in harm's way in defense of the American people and this Republic.
I am asking our Alaskan delegation to lead this effort. For every Veteran we honored this day, and for every veteran to come.
Semper Fi,
Paul Robbins Jr.,
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
Contributed by Larry Wood
The recent passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Bill seems to be viewed by Alaska’s congressional delegation as something beneficial.
Further, this bill did not even include $25B to complete the border wall to end the invasion by migration that is part of the Democrats’ Cloward-Piven strategy to destroy this country’s sovereignty and economy. Letting this violation of Article 4 of the Constitution remain shows that they forget their oaths to that Constitution and allow the suspension of the rule of law by the Biden Administration to continue unabated.
The failure to stop the Biden agenda threatens the middle class, which will be erased by cheap illegal labor, the dream of the elitist billionaire traitors who fuel this insanity.
Inflation from the excessive spending will be like a gas fire, burning hot and destructive, insuring that there will be no recovery, encumbering future generations in debt and slavery.
One has to wonder why at this time it was necessary to give the Democrats victory for any part of Biden’s communist agenda?
Why did they buckle at this time when Pelosi and Biden were on the proverbial ropes, without a hope of victory?
Senator Lisa Murkowski’s support for Biden was a given, she is a RINO. Kelly Tshibaka is the hope to end her reign.
The Congressional Budget Office had yet to produce a report estimating the impact of this bill upon the economy and the American people.
2022 is not that far off in the scheme of things political.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was failing time and again to gain enough support to pass Biden’s coup de gras to the Republic that contained in his agenda. The President was frustrated and expressed his frustrations by going to Congress to speak with the Democrats in the House several times before the vote with no success in gaining the support he needed. This showed the fractured Democrat majority.
The Nov. 2 vote in VA and elsewhere rattled the Dems in Congress who could see the outcome of 2022 all too clearly. That unease meant the House majority was no longer at the beck and call of the Speaker.
As the clock wound down for this session of Congress, the blood was on the ground, given that Biden was getting weaker with each failure and each new poll. Had the infrastructure bill not passed, the rest of Biden’s term was going to be very adversarial, given his plummeting political and popular support. He was down to 38% approval.
Such a failure would have ended Pelosi’s political career and sidelined her before 2022.
Where were the Republican wolves who should have harried and tired the wounded Democrat hyena that is the Biden Administration? The blood was on the ground, the signs clear, the beast was dying, screaming in frustration and anger at its failures, mortally wounded as demonstrated by the poll numbers. Instead of finishing the beast, 31 Republicans gave the wounded beast succor and new strength. Fools.
2022-2024 would have been a nightmare scenario for Biden were the Republicans to gain the House and Senate in 2022.
Pelosi was stonewalled in passing Biden’s agenda, the full $3.4T package divided into an infrastructure package and a separate social agenda package that would move the communist goals in those bills forward into the next decade.
What would have happened had they fought to delay until after the 2022 elections, given the estimates of a Republican sweep of the House and Senate?
A Republican majority in Congress from the 2022 elections would be able to halt the insanity of the move to communism by the traitorous Biden Administration.
Pelosi was done. She could not produce the victory for the President’s agenda. It looked like the Biden agenda was on hold until after the 2022 election.
And, then came the saving grace for the Joe the big guy Biden’s agenda. It was 13 Republicans in the House and 19 in the Senate who voted to save the Biden’s agenda and the Speaker’s reputation and standing instead of letting this failure be the end to a reign of incompetence and terror growing in power every day.
All six of the communist ‘squad’, AOC, Omar, Talib and the others, voted against the bill, because it was not what Biden had promised. Granted their vote was a face-saving gesture. What they are hoping for is a U.S. style Venezuela outcome for the Democrat communist assault on this country. Rep. Young’s and Senator Sullivan’s weakness and Senator Murkowski’s complicity with the Biden Administration have advanced that goal.
Our great grandkids will hate us for allowing the slavery that will come down to them by our failure to prevent this communist Cloward-Piven strategy of collapsing every sector of this government to raise a communist Venezuelan utopia.
Yeah, the situation is that serious. Why do you think VA went red?
In the meantime, we need to demand accountability from our congressional delegation. Rep. Don Young is up for reelection, so is Senator Lisa Murkowski. We can deal with Senator Dan Sullivan when he comes up for reelection.
MAGA, America First!
Contributed by Marilyn Bennett
Those who have never had children think they know it all, just as those of us who have had children once thought that we knew it all.
Having the responsibility of bringing up children makes even the slowest of us Grow Up. Since every child is a separate individual it takes someone who knows them and loves them to understand how to help them make the right choices. Normally speaking, the best person to make those decisions for their child is the parent. That is not to say that the parent is always right, but certainly, he or she will make a better decision than a bureaucrat who lumps all the children into groups that have been predetermined by "Intellectuals"
Thank God, parents are beginning to wake up and realize what their children are learning. It is important that the parents understand what is being taught to their children. This doesn't mean the parents are necessarily correct when they object to a particular lesson. However, it is incumbent upon the school to be respectful of the concerns of parents and be willing to make accommodations for children to be removed from learning subjects that are problematic to the parents. It is not easy being a parent in this age of the internet and schools which seem to be unconnected to the concerns of the community. I am really glad more parents are becoming aware of what is going on in our schools.
Education does a lot in determining moral values, appearance, and the future role of citizens. So parents are understandably concerned when they see such things as “white privilege” and “critical race” doctrines like the 1619 Project and “gender identity” theory being taught in their child's school.
It probably was a good thing when the schools went to remote learning during the pandemic as it gave parents a look into wha twas happening at the school. The education system may need some huge changes as they seem to have forgotten their mission. They should get back to teaching writing, reading and arithmetic and stop propagandizing our children.
We now have leaders who think the average person should have no say in his or her life choices, or those of their children Case in point is the Governor who didn't think parents should have any right to question teachers about their children's education. It is unbelievable that school boards are trying to wield such power over parents. We have to be very careful in our Local Elections.
The "Crazies" are taking over many of our communities because we have not been paying attention. Children are told that they should be able to make their own decisions no matter what their parents think. Children are being taken from their parents because the parent won't let them have surgery or take meds to change their sex. Adults are told that teachers should have more rights over what to teach the children than the parent who dearly loves this child. This is backwards from the way life has been lived for thousands of years.
It bothered me at the way the Federal Government decided to sic the FBI on parents whose only faults were being super concerned about their children. This is totalitarianism at its worst. It doesn't even matter what the parents are upset about, they should be given a respectful hearing. Certainly, if the parents do something illegal at these meetings, the local police should be called. To send the FBI out after these parents is wrong no matter how rowdy they get. We must all be willing to go out to School Board meetings even when the government is calling us terrorists. We have to stand up and stand out, or who is going to do it? If we wait for the other guy to stand up for us, we may be too late.
Are Parents Necessary? No one is better suited to bring up a child than a loving parent. The parent knows the child better and is more invested in what that child is taught than anyone. Let's let parents be parents and teachers stay in their historical station of teaching the child what he or she needs to learn in order to succeed in this country. Let the Federal Government stay out of our towns, as we have local authorities that are perfectly capable of handing the disruptions at local School Boards without calling parents terrorists. Yes, Parents Are Necessary!
I would like to end this with a quote from Rod Serling's 50's TV show "The Twilight Zone" as this seems to be where we are heading.
You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Where doctors must conform to the elite ruling class or be vaporized. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone!"
Contributed by Paul Mitchell Johnson
From day one this is what the Citizens of the United States and the rest of the World have seen from the Harris – Biden Administration. Anwar, the Keystone XL Pipeline and any other Drilling, Fracking and/or Exploration on Federal Lands were halted. At the same time this Administration green lighted Russia’s Nord Stream II Pipeline supplying Germany and the EU. A market the U.S. could have supplied and profited from since we were the World’s leading producer of Oil before Biden’s Executive Orders gutted our Energy Industry. Now his Administration is begging Russia and Saudi Arabia to pump more Oil to help reduce the cost of the Energy Crisis they created. Are you happy now?
To detract from the outrage over destroying our #1 in the World Energy Sector, America’s Back decided to do just that with our Southern Border, turn his back. All he had to do was nothing and to allow the Wall to be completed. But that was a Trump program and that just wouldn’t do. Instead he, actually We the People, paid contractors Five Million Dollars a day, NOT to Build The Wall. As of the end of October there have been over 1.7 Million known illegal Border Crossings documented by CBP. That does not include an estimated ¾ s of a Million Got-A ways. Human Trafficking, Sex Trafficking, Phentenyl & other Drugs, Guns, Gang Members and even known Terrorists on the Terrorist Watch List have come across our Southern Border in numbers not seen since our Government started keeping track over forty years ago. A Caravan of 20 to 60 Thousand more are headed this way as you read. Are you happy now?
Then along came the disgraceful, humiliating, disgusting and tragic Surrender and Retreat from Afghanistan, with 13 of our Brave Men & Women paying the Ultimate Sacrifice for this Administration’s mistakes, while Biden checked his watch, as the Caskets came off of the plane. No one bothers to mention the other 20 plus personnel seriously wounded with missing limbs and TBIs. This Administration left nearly 85 Billion Dollars of some of our best Military Equipment over there for the Taliban to seize, along with hundreds, if not thousands, of our Afghan Allies and American Citizens. Private Organizations are still pulling out Hundreds a week as others and their families are tortured and beheaded. Intelligence estimates that within 6 months to 2 years, Al-Qaida will have the ability to conduct another 911 type attack on The American Homeland. Biden turned his back again. Are you happy now?
Just in time to distract from the Afghanistan debauch all, another surge of 15,000 Illegal Immigrants crossed the Southern Border. When a news drone started showing the magnitude of the problem, this Administration immediately grounded the drone for Security Reasons, even though the same drone had been flying the Border for over two months. It took a Court Order to get the drone back in the air but by then many of the illegal’s had been bussed off and flown off to destinations of their choosing. This practice continues to this day and happens primarily in the dark of night. There’s nothing to see here. Please move along. Are you happy now?
That’s when the Cargo Ships started piling up at Anchor off of all of our Coasts. A Supply Chain Crisis that this Administration didn’t see coming. As a Heavy Equipment Operator & Oil Field Worker, I saw this coming 30 years ago. That’s when CDLs started being required for people who had done those jobs, along with Trucking for decades. Around the same time you had to Pee in a Cup to get a job anywhere, not just High Risk jobs. After that came the Fit for Duty Testing, testing that now allows Corporations to deny you employment based solely on your Lifestyle/Blood Pressure. Very much like the new OSHA Rule, “No Jab, No Job.” Since then they have upped the ante even more, lowering the Blood Alcohol level of a CDL Licensed Driver, even in their own personal vehicle. As well as other elevated standards of compliance in regard to Traffic Laws, even in their own personal vehicles. Over Regulation has created this situation, not The Wuhan, China Virus. Add to that, Mandates, Restrictions and Regulations and you have the mess we’re in now. Now we’re being warned that Thanksgiving Dinner will be the most expensive Turkey Dinner in the history of the Holiday and to reduce our expectations for a Christmas filled with Great Food and Great Gifts, they simply may not be there. It seems to me nobody is thinking all of these Regulations & Mandates through. This Administration is crippling or killing every Industry that we need to recover from the Pandemic. Yet they refuse to reverse their direction on any of the issues already mentioned. Joe’s back is being turned again. Are you happy now?
But wait, there’s more. The Whitehouse colluded with the NSBA who then sent a scathing letter to the DOJ, calling Parents with concerns about Curriculum, Domestic Terrorists. Merrick Garland then issued a directive to the FBI to investigate any Parent who was considered a harasser, one who threatens violence or commits violence against any Elected Official. The FBI has no legal authority to do this but Garland knew the threat alone would have a chilling effect on the Parents Rights to Freedom of Speech and having a say in their Children’s education. In effect saying, they are our Children now. We’ll decide how they are programmed. Are you happy now?
None of these things seem related to each other until you follow the timeline and fit the pieces together. Destroy the Oil & Gas Industry and hand Russia the keys to Europe. Stop building the Wall and open the Borders to change the demographic of the United States in the hope the illegals will favor Democrats in the future. Close Small Business’ and Religious Gatherings while favoring the Major U.S. Corporations. Indoctrinate our Children into the Left’s Neo-Marxist-Socialism. Eliminate Traditional & Religious Holidays. Cancel anyone or any group that doesn’t fall in line and The New World Order will fall into place. We are witnessing the Corporatization and Socialization of our beloved United States of America and it seems there is nothing anyone can or will do. This Administration wants to control our mobility and energy consumption through Higher Prices, Executive Orders and Mandates. They want to control where we Shop, what we Buy and how much, where we can Eat and Drink and if we can Smoke or Vape there. And they are turning our
Children against each other and America... Are you happy now?
Contributed By Doug Ferguson
I just finished reading well-known economist and social commentator Thomas Sowell’s memoir, “A Personal Odyssey” that he wrote in 2000 about his chaotic life that shaped him from a poor black kid from North Carolina into what many feel is one of the true great intellectuals of the our generation.
His description of life in the stateside Marines during the period in the 1950’s, when the Korean War was just starting, reminded me of my experiences in Basic Training as a Reservist in the Army at Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1961 after the Korean War was over. There were similarities and also differences. Reading it inspired me to write about these and how I chanced to see some true unsung American heroes during my training.
The main difference was that when Sowell was in the Marines stateside, many of the cadre and officers he came in contact with were “peacetime” soldiers and had never been in combat. Few combat veterans had yet returned from the Korean war and were active stateside. As a result his account of military life after basic training was more critical as it reflected the bureaucracy of the peacetime military. Despite that, his Marine traditional basic training was far more difficult than mine in the Army as a reservist.
When I was at Fort Dix in 1961 virtually all my basic training cadre were either Black or Hispanic Korean War combat veterans and career soldiers. As a result, these guys knew what it took to survive in combat and what really made good soldiers.
I came to respect these war veterans and after re-living my military experiences while reading Sowell’s memoir, vowed to write more about them. With Veteran’s day being held this month, it seems a good time to do it.
Our Platoon Sargent was a tall, lanky black guy, originally from a farm in North Carolina who had been injured by shrapnel in combat. He had been returned back to Fort Dix to join the Basic Training staff there. He walked with a slight limp due to his injuries.
Our Field First Drill Sargent was a tough and well built Puerto Rican man with a slight moustache and a stern jaw who could bark out commands in classical “Field First Drill Sargent” style! He had completed his tour of combat duty and had returned to the stateside army. He re-enlisted for five years while we were in training. I remember his emotional return to our barracks the evening he did.
Both were career soldiers, having joined when they were very young. Each had small private rooms at the end of the barracks building where our platoon bunked in traditional “open” Army barracks style. During our eight weeks of basic training there was virtually no time when one of them was not there looking after us. The rest of our training cadre all had been in combat, were mostly made up of minorities and were all career soldiers.
Virtually all of the members our training company were reservists from New York City, exceptions being me and another guy from Upstate New York. I found out later that such training companies were nicknamed “Goldstein’s Army” by the cadre because the Reservist Recruiting officer in New York City’s name was Goldstein! Our platoon housed in our barracks building consisted of about half of this company.
I had heard the term, “City Hicks” before, but as our training progressed, I got to see how accurately this applied to this group! Most of them had never driven a car in their life nor had lived anywhere other than in an apartment with their parents! Their outdoor experiences in nature were restricted to Central Park or the beaches of Fire Island. Yet they thought they were really “hip” and tough! To them the whole territory between Newark and the Los Angeles was a wasteland, excepting only Chicago, as having any modern civilization! That included us rural “hicks” from Upstate!
On our first bivouac march through the “piney woods” of Fort Dix at coastal New Jersey, I recall a very funny event typifying “City Hicks”. We were plodding along single file with our M1 rifles and heavy backpacks through an area with few trees, but lots of scrubby bushes growing out of the sandy soil. Suddenly several guys directly ahead of me began shouting and jumped out of the path we were taking and scattered into the brush! With the path now cleared, I could now see what caused them to scatter. It was a small common garter snake!
I yelled, “It’s only a garter snake!” and eventually our single file march resumed. As our training progressed there were many other such events, but I will always remember how this “hip” and “street wise” group reacted to their first encounter to a creature in the wild!
Our combat hardened cadre, especially our Platoon Sargent, did their best to shape these city kids into some semblance of real soldiers without getting into trouble themselves. To a one, they exhibited a dedication and patience to this task, in spite of it’s frustrations that impressed me then and sticks with me to this day.
To me they were great Americans and were among the “Unsung Heroes” that reflect why our America was great in my lifetime.
Doug Ferguson is a retired engineer living in Palmer Alaska who has had a life long interest in nature, science, human behavior and American history.
Contributed by Sharon Aubrey
On Christmas Eve of 2018, my brother, Julian Eddie Myers, was brutally killed by his son in Wasilla.
Known by family as Eddie, it was a horrific shock to us to learn of his sudden death. When details unraveled in the case, I learned from Troopers, Eddie was shot eleven times at point blank range by his son, Mark. His other two sons were also present and served as witnesses against Mark. A few days later, I went with a dear friend to clean up the scene, hoping spare my nephews the agony of seeing once again the blood stains in their home. When I arrived, much to my dismay I saw my brother’s handwriting on the wall, “I have nothing left to give.” The heartache in Eddie’s final words tore my soul in two. Later learn of his extreme frustration working out of town only to find his money squandered and bills unpaid. It seemed so senseless that he’d spent his whole life pouring into this children, only for it to end so tragically. After 6 hours steam-cleaning blood out of the carpet, it had to be cut out. I also cleaned blood off the walls and doorways and spent hours with a magic eraser trying to remove those terrible words from the wall…but they remain permanently etched in my memory.
Originally, Mark told our family that the gun misfired. It had been new to him, bought second hand, and he realized only afterwards that someone must have filed down the firing pin so it shot automatically. He stated he hadn’t meant for it to go off like that, but the State Troopers proved otherwise. There was nothing wrong with the firing pin. Ballistics proved the gun operated as it should for a semiautomatic. Mark indeed pulled the trigger eleven times.
Our family, like most Alaskans, are no strangers to guns. From the time we were young all of us, including Eddie’s boys, were taught gun safety and the proper handling of firearms. We did not blame the gun for Eddie’s death, we laid blame where it was due, on Mark. As more details came out, our family learned of Mark’s intention to kill Eddie texted on a cellphone and told to more than one person. So it was no surprise when the Grand Jury found Mark guilty of Murder in the Second Degree as well as having Extreme Indifference for his crime. To date, Mark has not apologized for his crime to our family.
In spite of the convictions by the Grand Jury and the testimony of Mark and his brothers to the loving and caring status of their father, Mark continue to play the victim and plead not-guilty. The District Attorney eventually informed our family that Mark’s attorney was planning to take a slanderous tactic against Eddie’s character. They would paint him as a constant violent man requiring Mark to use deadly force. That lie infuriated me beyond comprehension, as it would anyone who truly knew my brother. My other nephews didn’t want to relive that event again, for a second time in trial court, and our family didn’t want to see Eddie slandered either, so the District Attorney called for a meeting in which we were informed based on statistics, Mark had a 99.7% chance of be found guilty at trial. But the stress in waiting for trial and the trial itself would be extremely emotionally difficult. For the sake of Eddie’s other two sons, the DA offered a plea deal. We were told Mark refused the deal twice. When COVID delayed the courts, the DA informed us he had been instructed to reoffer the plea deals, despite Mark’s previous refusals and was pending trial. We were not happy.
The deal was for aggravated manslaughter, 15 years with 5 suspended, leaving 10 to serve throwing out Murder 2. However, with “Good Time” a third of the sentence would be erased, leaving Mark a little over six years to serve. It was not truly justice, but the DA hoped it would send a clear message: You are responsible for the death of your father. The message wasn’t received.
At sentencing, I employed the judge to ensure mental health treatment for my nephew, but Mark and his attorney fought against the requirement. Thankfully, the judge agreed with me. With Mark’s sentencing in June, I hoped things would emotionally calm down for the next four years or so while Mark served his allotted remaining time. You can imagine my family’s surprise when we received notice in September Mark was requesting early release on parole in October. We felt utterly betrayed by the system tasked with providing justice for my brother’s violent death. Apparently, having killed Eddie while SB-91, a heinous piece of legislation, was still technically on the books allowed Mark the right to apply for early parole this year and potentially early furlough next year, something the District Attorney assured us was not supposed to happen. Yet, it has.
On October 19th, our family met on Zoom with the Parole Board in Mark’s case. Having never participated in such an event, I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by the members of the Parole Board who were thoughtful and pointed in asking questions in this case. They appeared to have a wonderful grasp on the justifications for parole and kept in mind the safety of society. Equally as impressive was the fact, they desired genuine accountability from the offender, not only regarding his crime but in real progress made towards rehabilitation. As I listened to their contemplative questioning, it became evident to more than just me that neither of those standards had been met in Mark’s case. Early release parole was thankfully denied.
This entire experience has been soul-wrenching and exhausting. In spite of the failure of SB-91 and all the negative implications it still has on families like mine around the State, I feel a sliver of hope remains for justice within the members serving on our State’s Parole Board. I am truly grateful for the Parole Board members’ candor and commitment to serve in often unrecognized and unthankful positions. Those in our society who have not had to experience tragedy like mine are being protected by the Parole Board members’ service, though the public probably doesn’t fully understand the dynamics of this protection yet.
Therefore, I wanted to say to each and every parole board member, “You are making a difference.” And my family humbly thanks you for your service.
Contributed by Linn McCabe
Political decisions are not really made by the majority, but by the majority of those who participate. “We The People,” is not “They the People,” or even “You the People.” We get the government we deserve; thus if we are not engaged in the process, we are affecting the outcome of elections and the ensuing results. Doing nothing is doing something! Staying out of the fray because we “don’t like politics,” or we don’t like such and such party, is allowing others to control outcomes and set our course. Just as the construct and steerage of the rudder, and the power applied, control the direction and speed of a ship, so too does the size and shape of the input, affect the course of our government. The ship of government is headed somewhere and if we are not at the helm, most assuredly, someone else will fill the void and direct the course.
Over the past several months, as the reality of what WE have allowed to transpire, whether it be through apathy or complacency, has become clear, people have begun to show up at meetings and engage in the dialogue. Many of these newly-engaged Alaskans are fearful about current events and they know they need to “do something,” but they are unsure what that something looks like. They are drawn to like-minded individuals, and organizations with which they can align, in order to make a difference. There is an almost feverish fervor in their demeanor as they begin to recognize the seemingly insurmountable problems presented by the past apathy of conservative Americans and Alaskans.
Perhaps you are one of the large numbers of conservative Alaskans who abhor party politics. Do you disagree with the party platform, or do you disagree with the people who are the face of that platform? There is a difference. Many of us more independent thinkers ascribe to the live-and-let-live philosophy and reject the party, choosing to be Undeclared or Non-partisan, just as I was a few years ago. We conclude that while we are out in the wilderness of non-conformity, none of what happens within the party, or in the political realm, can be ascribed to us. Again, however, doing nothing is doing something. The people who are elected were put there by participants. But they were also installed by non-participants whose involvement may have changed the course of the election and the direction of our country and our state.
The Republican Party is designed to be a bottom-up organization, made up of districts, the State Central Committee, and State Executive Committee, within each state; each state then contributes through chosen national committee members to the national makeup. Adherence to the tenants of the platform is affected by each person involved at the local level and upward. Concerned and engaged citizens can become involved inside the party, or they can throw stones from the outside. Which is most effective? When we come together, as conservative Alaskans, pushing OR pulling in the same direction, we are most effective. Organization, structure, and the numbers of engaged Alaskans, determine the direction and the momentum of our government.
In order to impact the speed and direction of our government, it is important to provide opportunities for collaboration. We need to encourage participation in our team, brainstorm together, set goals, initiate long-term strategies, and educate those who are beginning to wake up. We need to unite behind common goals, and motivate and empower people to accomplish those goals. Where do you fit in?
There are several conservative organizations, and public meetings in the MatSu where participation in the political process may begin. Choose a couple, or choose one, and begin attending meetings. Focus your energy on a couple things so as not to become overwhelmed. Chances are you will meet mentors who will help you along and become great friends as you engage together in the battle for our children’s future in Alaska and America. I encourage you to check out these groups.
This list may be incomplete, but it’s a good start:
City Councils, Assembly, School Board—( Matsu Borough website)
Mat-Su Young Republicans – (Facebook)
Valley Republican Women’s Club – the next monthly meeting is November 18th, 7 PM at the Matsu Family Restaurant. Membership is not required for participation. (Facebook)
Matsu Republican Women’s Club Est 1947 – the next monthly meeting is Nov 20, 2021 at 10 AM at the Matsu Family Restaurant, Kimberly Straussel is the guest speaker. Membership is not required for participation. (Facebook or Website)
School of Government and associated homeschool group – (Facebook)
Region 2 Republican Districts—currently undergoing reapportionment. Locate your district, contact the current board, and find out when they meet. (akgop.net)
I have painted many landscapes of Alaska, but recently I feel like the traditional formats do not always work well for Alaska's expansive space.
Read moreThis year you will once again be able to kick off your Christmas shopping at The Alaska Vintage Holiday Market at the Alaska State Fairgrounds.
Read moreLocal Sutton publishing house, Relevant Publishers LLC released their latest children’s picture book, Curious Cooper Have You Heard About Sharks by author Samantha Rezente.
Read moreWinter can be a very dangerous time of year for your dog. There are a variety of weather-related issues that can cause major problems for your canine family members.
Read moreLast month The Musk Ox Farm in Palmer welcomed a new member into their herd of over 80 musk oxen.
Read more