Dakota Beacon

The idea of Hillary Clinton on the chain gang or rock pile is attractive, but it is not good policy. We do not need to create a myth of the martyred Hillary Clinton.

It would be seriously unjust if Hillary Clinton were allowed to walk away with half the people thinking her reputation is intact.  

If voters in 30 of the 50 states want less government, its time Republicans deliver on their promises in accordance with their platforms of past election cycles. If they don't, a debt crisis of monumental proportions will make the “dirty thirties” look like a Sunday School outing. Congressman and Senators; don't you ever say you were not warned and didn't expect such an economic collapse! If such a calamity occurs due to your excessive federal spending, your jobs and pensions will be the first to be eliminated by those that replace you in subsequent elections!

If we forsake our traditional values of home, school and church, or if these institutions are undermined and eradicated from our culture, who will guard us? Who will secure us from a political takeover that would radically transform us into something our Founders never envisioned or intended -- a government too big, too powerful, too unforgiving and one which ignores our Constitution? Today’s leaders at the highest levels embrace a vision of America comparable with that of the secular, dying European culture.

As America’s election season culminates with the casting of votes by the Electoral College, it is worthy to reflect on where America is headed -- and why. Will the 21st Century become America’s recessional? And, what will a world look like without American leadership?

On Friday, Cuban tyrant Fidel Castro died at the age of 90. Since seizing Cuba in January 1959, Castro was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. In this article that first appeared at The American Spectator, Dr. Paul Kengor looks at the leadership of the despot and how—had he gotten his way in October 1962—Castro’s death count could have been in the millions. 

GOVERNOR SPEAKS OUT; THE FORUM EDITORIAL BOARD; PROTESTERS; A SEVERELY INJURED PROTESTER; COLUMNIST LLOYD OMDAH; SURPRISING DECEMBE; TRICKY RANKING If UND; MAMMOTH ICBM PROJECT; ELLEN CHAFEE; REGIONAL ND CITIES; JAMESTOWN’S ALBINO WHITE BUFFALO; EDWIN WILL DIE; DAKTOIDS

When voters chose ideology that matches their personal environment, select a candidate on name recognition, and when character and experience are offsetting negatives, the results can be expected to be similar to a coin flip. The more times you flip the coin, the closer the results.

When we vote only for “stuff for ourselves” is it any wonder our grandchildren will be the ones to suffer? On the anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

If proof of her sanctity were needed, it came in the form of the Gadarene frenzy of hatred she inspired in some quarters. Without knowing it (she never thought in political terms), Mother Teresa had robbed the Left of its self-endowed credentials as champions of the poor. When it came to the poor, they talked the talk; but the tiny nun walked the walk.

Today, George Washington would be spurned as a bigot, extremist, racist and partisan for issuing such a Eurocentric proclamation loaded with religious freight.

In the recesses of many hearts a sense of waning Christian heritage seeps slowly into our culture like fog in the night. Nevertheless, a remnant will carry on the Spirit of Thanksgivings past.

We can all exhibit grateful hearts. Without an attitude of gratitude, Thanksgiving is just another day of indulgence.

On a few college campuses across the country some students are protesting Donald Trump’s presidential victory. Have we seen this before? In April 1968, student protestors seized buildings on the campus of Columbia University in what was arguably the first real media-driven student protest event. In this article, Dr. Earl Tilford discusses the Columbia protests and how it relates to today. Tilford writes, “The current children’s crusade will rock on through Inauguration Day 2017. Then the kids will return to school, maybe learn something, and hopefully grow up.”

Months ago, Donald J. Trump eliminated another “Bush family” nomination toward election to the Presidency, despite being grossly outspent. Earlier this month Trump and American voters who supported him prevented another Clinton from “occupying” the White House. For those accomplishments alone, we should be eternally grateful. Hundreds, if not thousands, of highly qualified Americans will probably become interested in becoming President now that it has been proven that one does not have to secure the support of the politically elite, instead simply appealing to the expressed concerns of the American people. Listening skills had to have been important for Trump to succeed.

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.