Dakota Beacon

French fashion designer Sophie Theallet, who has created clothing for Michelle Obama, recently penned an open letter stating she would not design for Melania Trump when she moves to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. America has always given a very high precedence to conscientious objections, but increasingly, rights of conscience are being marginalized. In this article, Dr. Caleb Verbois compares this recent news to those bakers who conscientiously objected to making a cake for gay weddings and were subsequently protested, harassed, and sued. Verbois argues that fashion designers should, “have the right to make that decision free from threats of lawsuits and public harassment. In just the same way, religious photographers and bakers should have the right to politely refuse to endorse the practice of gay weddings.”

PIPELINE PROTESTERS; MAKING IT EXPENSIVE; POLITICAL INTERFERENCE; OIL PRODUCTION IN ND ELECTION DISASTER; GRIEF COUNSELING; SOCIAL OUTCASTS SPEAK UP; DEMS SWING LEFT; IMMIGRATION; POSITIVE NEWS; DIFFERENT OUTCOMES; PULITZER PRIZES; TRINITY HEALTH IN MINOT; DAKTOIDS

Last week—as the Dow futures plummeted by hundreds of points when Donald Trump achieved victory—some people hastily jumped to the conclusion that financial markets feared a Trump presidency. However, this is “not so,” writes Dr. Mark Hendrickson in his article that first appeared at Forbes.com. Stocks reversed the plunge quickly but the price of gold has fallen. Hendrickson looks at the significance of the price of gold and what it may mean about the economy.

Not since 1948, with the non-election of Thomas Dewey, have the presidential polls been so wrong. Why did this happen? In his article, Dr. Gary Welton looks at the polls and argues that the problem occurred not with the statistics and data, but rather through a methodological misstep.

ND DEMOCRAT BLOODBATH; HOW DID ND VOTE FOR PRESIDENT?; THE GAM; FIGHTING SIOUX; THREE CHEERS FOR HARRY MCGOVERN; CARSON WENTZ; MERCER COUNTY; SPLIT OPINION; THE MINOT DAILY NEWS; THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE; COLUMNIST LLOYD OMDAHL; CASS COUNTY ADMINISTATOR; SMALL TOWN SQUEEZE; REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT IN ND

The 2016 presidential election is upon us. What will it bring us? If John Podesta is not a household name today, he is on his way. Why? In this article, Dr. L. John Van Til looks at Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff and outlines how a Clinton-style government would look if it were managed by Podesta. Van Til writes, “Podesta is no ordinary chief of staff. He is, in fact, the most ideologically left person with similar power in living memory.” 

Another "too-big-to-fail" coming for Grand Forks

So I would say, now it matters.  It’s no longer conjecture.  You won.  Let’s see your tax returns, and let’s get those assets (if, indeed, they really exist) into an ACTUAL blind trust.  (If these assets DIDN’T exist before,I’ll bet it won’t be long before they do.)

As Mel Brooks says in The Twelve Chairs – “Hope for the best, expect the worst!”  We might be pleasantly surprised.  Who knows?  We could take the view that it could’ve been worse – Hillary was the other possible outcome.

Aside from this matter, I would say this:  that if the people who want to push this hard for a constitutional convention to “amend” or basically open the door to actually re-writing our Constitution, are willing to shut down free speech opposing their agenda, in effect, effectively prevent opposing opinions to be printed or heard, who are willing to go so far as to boycott someone for allowing a view differing from their own to be published, or even to go so far as to attempt to hack the website where such an article would appear, our liberty is not safe with them.

Our Founding Fathers were smart, educated and wise. They took to heart the sentiments of the Roman philosopher, statesman and lawyer Marcus Tullius Cicero when he said, “Nothing is more unreliable than the populace, nothing is more obscure than human intentions, nothing is more deceptive than the whole electoral system.”

Checks and balances were intended not only between branches of government. They extended to the selection of elected officials as well. The Founding Fathers feared the tyranny of the 51% (mob rule) as much as they feared centralized government (a king). For this reason they instituted checks on the popular will. That, in good measure, is why we elect the President and Vice President through the Electoral College rather than by popular vote.

Beware the hue and cry to abolish the Electoral College. Liberals and progressives would love to stack the deck by manipulating the popular vote, reinforcing it with illegal aliens, allowing anyone and everyone to vote unchallenged and keeping school students ignorant of American Constitutional history.

VIEWS ABOUT THE PIPELINE; CLAY JENKINSON'S; IS MESSAGE BEING LOST?; THE ENLIGHTENMENT COALITION; BURGUM ENDORSEMENT; NAEP; LOOK BENEATH THE AVERAGES; HE’S BACK; REUBEN AND CLARICE LIECHTY; WHO ARE YOU KIDDING?; EXCEL AT YOUR OWN RISK; GANDY DANCER; DAKTOIDS

The ichneumodinae are a kind of wasp.  Like many of their kind, they are predators.  The female injects her eggs into a host insect’s body.   She doesn't kill it, however.  She merely stuns it and injects her eggs into the insect's body.  The insect goes on as though living for itself, but as the host grows, the eggs hatch and eat it alive.    This might be an allegory to consider with regard to conservatives who are calling for a constitutional convention. . .

Is Roe v. Wade a story about how activists (maybe even including some Supreme Court justices) successfully supplanted the democratic process? And, has jurisdiction over abortion laws been taken from democratically elected representatives? Just this past summer a Texas law requiring abortion-providing facilities to meet the same health and safety standards as outpatient surgical clinics was declared an “undue burden.” In this article, Dr. Joseph Horton details “Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe V. Wade” a book written by Constitutional scholar Clarke Forsythe. Horton argues that there may only be one way to return jurisdiction to the people. 

There’s a price to be paid for everything — even for being politically correct in a “politically correct time.” A new poll shows that the main cause of the National Football League’s much discussed ratings drop is, in fact, the National Anthem Protests sparked by the very ignorant and callow Colin Kaepernick.

But here’s the really bad news for the NFL: some of the boycotting fans may never come back.

Trump is neither a Democrat nor a standard Republican; he is neither a liberal nor a conservative. He has been identified by some as a pragmatist – a goal-oriented person who is focused on solving problems. He sees a problem and understands it must be fixed.

The choice is not difficult. One candidate is a scandal-ridden, ambitious elitist under FBI investigation and engaged in the politics of personal enrichment through her use of public office. The other is an outsider, not a professional politician and who would not be beholden to special interests, outspoken, not politically correct, a very successful problem-solving businessman who connects with people and who truly has a heart for America.

And -- he is neither driven by nor intimidated by the mainstream media.

THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE; JAILS ARE OVERFLOWING; MIKE MCFEELY; HE SEES REDNECKS; THE FORUM EDITORIAL BOARD NOT ENDORSING; UND PRESIDENT MARK KENNEDY; DOUG BURGUM; WENTZ PREVAILS; BOBBY VEE; 
GERMAN TO THE CORE; DAKTOIDS

THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE; JAILS ARE OVERFLOWING; MIKE MCFEELY; HE SEES REDNECKS; THE FORUM EDITORIAL BOARD NOT ENDORSING; UND PRESIDENT MARK KENNEDY; DOUG BURGUM; WENTZ PREVAILS; BOBBY VEE; 
GERMAN TO THE CORE; DAKTOIDS

On October 14, referring to a supposedly forthcoming U.S. cyber-attack on Russia as retaliation for hacking into the Democratic Party’s computers, Vice President Joe Biden stated, “We’re sending a message … It will be at the time of our choosing and under circumstances that will have the greatest impact.” In this article, military expert Dr. Earl Tilford looks at Biden’s statement and argues that this isn’t just a case of “ole Joe just being Joe” because it places America’s national security in harm’s way.

The November 8 election will have serious consequences for national defense. General Newbold’s conclusion opposing women in combat units is direct and brutal. “If I am wrong, the cost may be denied opportunity to strong and impressive young women. If you’re wrong, our national security is shaken and there is a butcher’s bill to pay. Make your choice.”

When our elections are being undermined there already is a threat to our republic and a constitutional crisis — and a grave one.

Shining the light of truth on this is not the disease, but the cure. Oh, it can be painful in the way nauseating cancer treatments or excising a malignant tumor can be so. But far worse is sitting by, head in the sand, as metastasis proceeds and death grows nigh.

To ignore corruption is to perpetuate it and become complicit in its spread and institutionalization; it is to descend into Third Worldism. And to sit idly by as someone steals your vote and your civilization isn’t the behavior of a gentleman, but of a coward. 

With less than three weeks until election day, the candidates continue to ramp up the rhetoric. But how much of what they are saying is true? One of the candidates will win the election on November 8, but will the American people win? In this article, Dr. L. John Van Til examines the possibility of applying a morality test to this election process. He writes, “This election is surely best described as a disaster for American presidential politics. No matter which candidate wins, American citizens lose. There is, however, a lesson to be learned here.” 

What the coward-cons miss, in their infinite lack of wisdom, is that unanswered corruption means our national fabric is already being rent.  And their prescription is to allow corruption to fester, to grow, to become status quo? It’s as with cancer: attacking it early involves some pain, perhaps enduring nauseating treatments or an operation to excise a malignant tumor. But ignoring it, refusing to face reality, means a metastasis that will consume the whole body and lead, ultimately, to death. Tolerate a bit of visible rending now — or risk having nothing left to rend later.

The coward-cons are the people who get elected to office…and then get nothing done; they’re the weak sisters who never saw a culture-war battle they couldn’t lose. If you suspect your vote has been negated by electoral fraud, would you want those charged with ensuring the system’s integrity to look the other way? Or would you want the matter sifted to the very bottom?

If the coward-cons would choose the former, then they’ve earned their place in the history of American ignominy.

It is one way out of a terrible dilemma for decent voters this year. . . In a year of surprises and roller-coaster unpredictability, this seems entirely possible.

Mainstream media, left wing media, corporate media or big media – these are different names for the same elitist press that regards itself equivalent to the fourth branch of government. This pertains to CBS, NBC, ABC, CNBC, NPR, PBS, New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Times and a slew of others.

For decades America has been lied to, manipulated and set up by the big media. The big media has become the defender and protector of liberal and leftist administrations – and when necessary, moderate Republican officials and administrations.

Aside from complaining, what can be done? First, ignore the corporate media. Consumption isn’t worth the time, effort or frustration. Second, do not accept the reporting without question. Do not accept their premise and do not form an opinion based on their spin. Third, (this requires a little proactive effort) find alternative news sources outside the mainstream media. A brief and far from exhaustive list includes: websites (Breitbart, Heritage Foundation, Gateway Pundit, Infowars); magazines (Weekly Standard, National Review, Claremont Review of Books, First Things, Commentary); and Radio/TV (Fox News, Fox Business).

Whatever course of action is adopted, remember that the mainstream media betrayed the public trust long ago.

EQUILIBRIUM AT UND; TOM DENNIS; LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES; THANKS FOR NOTHING; JAMESTOWN; DIDN’T SEE NFL POTENTIAL; MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK; A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT; THE DAPL PROTESTS; MORTON COUNTY; HOW ARE PROTESTORS SUSTAINED?; BIZARRE EVENT OF THE WEEK; DAKTOIDS

There is a danger in rushing to nominate or elect someone who is outside of the political world.  It might sound “healthy” to those who don’t think much about it.  After all, our founding fathers were not “professional” politicians, weren't they?  But they WERE.

How many issues do conservatives need reassurance on before they commit to Trump?  How many could Pence have done great service in addressing?