Dakota Beacon

America appears to be mutating from a republic into something despotic.

Over recent decades America slowly drifted into a quagmire of laws the public does not even know exist. But the 3 million federal employees forming the administrative state know their slice of a given statute and stand ready to enforce compliance. On November 5 America elected new leaders. Priority must be given to cutting laws, rules, regulations, and the administrative state.

Government employees control healthcare, food production, education, social media, energy, and more. They watch the population through manipulative eyes. Whether curtailing oil and gas production or mandating alternative energy use or managing the people’s healthcare, elites force their preferences on the American people with the rationale that it is for their own good.

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

The predictable but weird reaction of many in the Harris camp to a clear decision by the voters last Tuesday really should be examined.  There are symptoms here of a very sick segment of our population.  I'm sure most Harris supporters are not in this condition. While I'm sure they feel disappointment, they are not all exhibiting these strange and disturbing behaviors.  Something is very wrong with some of these people - it's not normal.

The left media sees the increased vote of youth for Trump as a shade of right-wing white supremacy. The truth is, it is the result of organizing efforts of legitimate conservative organizations like Turning Point USA and Leadership Institute on college campuses over many recent election cycles.

These and other misconceptions of media due to the influence of “democratic socialism” will destroy the Democrat Party before the “democratic socialists” achieve their over a century long goal of destroying American Capitalism. This is the primary lesson of this election cycle. Are you listening, Democrats? Do ALL Democrats believe you have to destroy America to “Save it”? I hardly think so.

In his farewell address before a joint session of Congress on April 19, 1951, General Douglas MacArthur referred to the refrain of an old ballad that proclaimed "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away." True enough. But until he fades away, the Vietnam Vet will always remember his malignant reception home.

When someone thanks me for my service, my heart softens and the familiar lump returns to my throat. I can only murmur, "Thank you for acknowledging."

Tension is high.  Tomorrow is Election Day in the U.S.  Anything is possible, but it looks as though Americans want a change.  Will we "turn the page"?  At least it has been an interesting and novel ride.  The Republican candidate has been making and serving McDonald's french fries, riding in a garbage truck and dodging bullets.  The Democrat candidate has been tossing word salads and appearing somewhat tipsy on occasion.  Her V.P. nominee has some irreconcilable discrepancies in his whereabouts on a trip to China, said he has made friends with school shooters and has, in fact, been on a watchlist of our State Department for several years for his appearance of closeness to the CCP.  The final chapter involves a man's cowboy hat-wearing pet squirrel.  What will be next?  We'll know very soon.

The State of North Dakota is blessed with abundant revenue from its God-given natural resources that should benefit ALL of its citizens, not just those that receive the Farm Residence Property Tax Exemption or similar business-related temporary or permanent property tax exemptions. A farmer or rancher with a half million-dollar home should not be treated preferentially to the city dweller who works hard to make a living for the family.

Today we are hearing from both sides about P'Nut the Squirrel and Fred the Raccoon.  On the one side is outrage and hearbreak and on the other a callous indifference because, after all, P'Nut was "just" a squirrel.  That is NOT the point.

Before proceeding, I’d like to point out that I’m not one of those PLINOs (Pro-lifers in Name Only) who may render prescriptions such as what follow because, in their heart of hearts, they’re not authentically pro-life. Were I king, prenatal infanticide would be illegal — and, yes, this includes in cases of rape or incest. (Logically, you lose the debate upon saying otherwise. The contrary position involves the idea, after all, that you can kill an innocent unborn child because of the circumstances of his conception. Accepting this tacitly negates the “All human life is sacred” argument.) And what of the life of the mother?

While direct prenatal infanticide is never morally permissible, operative here is a principle called the “law of double effect.” In other words, you are allowed to take actions necessary to save the mother’s life if its legitimately endangered. If this results in the child’s death, this is known in theological/philosophical circles as “a negative unintended consequence of a morally licit action.”

So that’s the standard that, again, I’d apply were I king. But I’m not king.

Why you should vote YES on Measure 4.

It’s all about how you vote on election day.  Your vote makes a difference. Exercise your right to vote in the most consequential election in the short life of our country.  

This sounds like me -- because it is me. I looked back on some old columns from past election cycles and sure enough the reason my kids and other family members say I sound like a broken record is because it probably RINGS TRUE.  

Is this an important election? Yes. Will it matter who becomes President? Yes. Will it have consequences?  Yes. But those things won’t be as important as some of the other things going on behind the scenes.

What am I talking about?

Election Day arrives with hype and hoopla. How times have changed! New England ministers at our founding are forgotten men of the American Revolution. If remembered at all they are pictured as witch hunters, bloviating evangelists, and divinely ordained Colonial Gestapo. In fact, they were the most educated advocates of liberty leading up to and through the Revolutionary War. Following are extracts from Election Sermons taken from “They Preached Liberty” by Franklin Cole, Coral Ridge Ministries.

So keeping this piece short and sweet, I’ll simply say to the undecided voters, Trump the deep state and adVance toward freedom. Your kids, both born and unborn, are counting on you.

People almost never dispute the observation, “There are good people on both sides.” While the numbers on one side may be gigantic, large, in the majority, a minority, small, even infinitesimal, I have never found a “side” without at least one and usually even a few good people. This goes for countries as well. Good people can be found, even in a most tyrannically brutalized country.

This is why former President Trump famously said “There are good people on both sides,” obviously referring to the honest disagreements over removing statues and re-naming army posts. He was not referring to white supremacists, neo-Nazis, or Marxists and socialists that are trying to tear our country apart by capitalizing on those honest disagreements.

Since the attack on New York’s Twin Towers, America has waged war on terror. The military component knows what to do and how to do it when dealing with terrorists. They developed the doctrine, the tactics, and the training to accomplish the mission. Unfortunately, the political decision-makers have their collective heads where the sun does not shine. The political class will receive the best military advice. But, if ignored in favor of political gamesmanship, if used to besmirch and attack political opponents rather than terrorists, then the advice becomes worthless. Why should the American people volunteer their sons and daughters to a military run by an incompetent political class along with woke generals and admirals? Who wants to become a pawn for someone else’s political gain and career enhancement?

Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban now harbors al-Qaida and Isis currently being re-constituted, reorganized, and re-equipped with US material and munitions. We will hear from them soon enough within US borders.

If only about 5% of Red State Republicans take this lazy approach to voting, Democrats will win the popular vote nationwide. And every time a Republican wins the Electoral College while losing the popular vote, the Democrat media machine foments a fervor for elimination of the Electoral College.

Bottom Line

If you agree with our nation’s founders that the electoral college is the fairest way to elect a President, get your lazy butt to the polls and vote. Otherwise, future presidents will be chosen by California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois… and the rest of the states, including North Dakota, will not matter.

Because the NDGOP turned most of the legislative races over to the Odney Advertising firm over 10 years ago and gave undue influence to his firm and the former owner of the company. A political PAC has been formed called the Brighter Future Alliance which allows money to be shielded from who is behind these attacks.

When you have an outside firm doing all of this work on behalf of the party, the money flows through them along with voter-access lists. Lists that volunteers and various campaigns have spent thousands of hours and dollars building, only to be used against them. It is like the gestapo now in control. They choose to do whatever they believe is best.

One thing I am certain of, if this is not addressed satisfactorily, we will lose all faith in our elections.  When we at last have a final, true tally we can go back to normal politics and stop accusing each other of fraud and “denial”.  Then we can get back to the business of saving America.

Fact checkers – start your computers!

Evidently the corporate media, Democrat power brokers, and assorted “moderate” Republicans teeter on the verge of insanity from their hatred for former President Donald J. Trump. Their many failures to exorcise him have altered their mental state.

Earth’s atmosphere is constantly working to balance Earth’s “Energy Budget” – the amount of shortwave radiation energy from the Sun entering Earth’s atmosphere versus the amount of longwave (infrared or thermal) radiation energy reflected back into space. Earth’s “albedo,” the fraction of sunlight reflected back into space, reduces the amount of radiation that reaches the surface of Earth. NASA has, since year 2000, observed a decrease in the Earth’s albedo due to reduced global cloud cover.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” So states the second paragraph of America’s Declaration of Independence.

Is it possible that some Americans have no problem imposing tyranny on other Americans by denying them their pursuit of happiness? A requirement for societal compliance by some people seems to outweigh the pursuit of happiness by others. Beware of social change agents!

Elections involve the right for citizens to choose, and we all know that choices have consequences! Through the democratic process, we elect our representatives. The same system gives us a chance to check those outcomes (or the lack of) with initiated measures.

This year North Dakotans have 5 ballot initiatives.

As I stated, elections have consequences not only who you elect to represent you in Bismarck, Washington, or Washburn but this election the people actually get to vote on some issues that have consequences in Constitution.

I would encourage all citizens to take a few moments away from the NFL, MLB, the harvesting of your garden or reality TV shows and get informed on the issues that are so consequential to our family’s future and get out and vote and let your voice be heard!

Some readers will recall their experiences with FEMA following the disastrous 1997 flood in the Red River Valley.  For many, FEMA left a bad taste.  We saw a lot of corruption at various levels.  Sadly, it looks like FEMA is, if anything, worse now that it was then.  As the champions of our Second Amendment observe, when you have seconds, help is only minutes away.  It's been a good long week now.  Where's FEMA?  

Tim Walz:  "I became friends with school shooters . . . "

I struggled over this piece.  On one hand, I hate to bring things down, to draw attention to the failure of a Republican candidate, but on the other, there are too many points left untouched by JD Vance in last night’s debate.  This was JD Vance's to win.  What happened?

Imagine for a moment a hypothetical situation. Envision Trump elected as President but unable to finish his term. Who then becomes President? J. D. Vance. Does anyone think for a nanosecond that attacks from the Ruling Class, both left and right, would halt? That they would proclaim “Mission Accomplished?” Don’t be silly! WE are the objects of their wrath. WE are the ones to be bullied, defeated, and silenced to the point that “we the people” will never again consider electing a rouge who threatens the establishment – the permanent political class.

If Trump goes down, we’re next. The Ruling Class will ensure there are no more Donald Trumps to upset their establishment apple cart -- ever again! “We the people” will be regulated into oblivion.