Conservativism and the Second Amendment Break the Bank

Citigroup, one of the country's largest financial service firms

has recently announced that it will no longer require retail clients

to restrict gun sales as a condition of service, clarifying that Citi

"does not discrimination the basis of political affiliation in the 

same way we are clear that we do not discriminate on the basis 

of other traits such as race and religion." This is a reversal of the

policy enacted by Citi in 2018 on the heels of the Parkland, 

Florida shooting that informed that Citi would no longer do 

business with retailers that sold guns to individuals under 21,

along with other restrictions. The change in policy came about 

after Republicans became increasingly alarmed and angry over

the possibility of politically driven de-banking a' la that which

was used against the Canadian truckers who protested against

Canadian anti-Covid lockdowns three years ago. 

President Trump also brought up the subject of de-banking

at the World Economic Forum, and Republicans in Congress 

have introduced legislation to prevent it from being implemented

in the United States. Yet another sign of the new times which have

taken hold in our country with a most refreshing and necessary

change of leadership.

MEM

When Less is More

Much to the shock and the consternation of the Democrats,

The Republicans have announced plans to reduce enrollment 

in Medicaid, the program which pays the medical expenses

incurred by low-income people. But to the contrary of the 

Dems' fears that the GOP is dismantling most of the program,

the Republicans are actually redirecting the money in the 

program from going to ineligible people whose incomes are 

higher than the threshold of eligibility to be in it to go instead 

to those people whose income is under the maximum income

barrier. They are also kicking illegal immigrants off the rolls

of Medicaid that got signed up in those states (largely blue)

and never should have been recipients in the program.

Furthermore, Obamacare expanded Medicaid to cover the 

disabled and the children that the latter was created for.

And Medicaid's status quo shows its enrollment rate is 

actually double the poverty rate (!) and able-bodied folk

are being covered while disabled people and children are

on waiting lists for lengthy periods of time. With these 

reductions, there will be more money to channel to 

both the disabled and the children, with more of them

enrolling and not have to be on interminably long waiting

lists.

In summation, making Medicaid solvent simply requires 

spending less money on it and covering fewer people,

whether the Democrats like it or not (and believe me,

they don't). But the taxpayers will love it!

MEM

Who the Real Radicals Are

During the mercifully short time that Joe Biden was in the White 

House this misbegotten president has done the bidding of the most

horrible elements in our political arena which, of course, put him

into the Oval Office to be their point man, or puppet, or however

you wish to term him. He made sure that they got their quid pro quo,

hence his nickname "Quid Pro Joe". Among these payoffs were getting

the tech firms with their social media to censor the entries made by

political conservatives of various stripes and religious faiths that

the aforementioned people behind President Biden were 

uncomfortable with, labeling some of the latter as domestic terror

threats and investigating them for terroristic activity, and even 

comparing traditional Catholics, i.e. those supporting the Latin Mass

and holding conservative views on the family, abortion, contraceptives,

homosexuality and so forth to "Islamist ideology". 

It turns out that in February 2023 a former FBI agent leaked a memo 

from the bureau's field office in Richmond, Virginia, warning about the

supposed emerging threat posed by "radical traditionalist Catholic 

ideology." When summoned by Congress to explain about the memo,

FBI Director (at the time) Christopher Wray tried to dismiss it as merely

the product of a single office and claimed that it was never the basis for 

investigation. But then internal documents obtained by U.S. Senator

Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) suggest more targeting of traditionalist

Catholics, and more widely performed. The memo also looks like it is

part of what was supposed to be a sustained effort. An effort born of 

bigotry, prejudice, and a thirst for unbridled power.

One would think that such activity takes place only in countries with 

totalitarian governments. Would that it were so. This episode is some-

thing that our recently re-elected President Donald Trump should 

order an investigation into.

MEM

Who Really is Defending Democracy

Recently the House passed, 220 to 208, the Safeguard American 

Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This piece of legislation would require 

those who wish to register to vote to present proof of citizenship. 

Now, it is already illegal to, under federal law, to falsely claim to

be a U.S. citizen. This is just an extra layer of commonsense 

protection to make the U.S. Code more enforceable.

Many Americans agree; roughly two-thirds of likely U.S. voters 

preferred in an April survey by Rasmussen Reports favored the

SAVE Act. Just four House Democrats joined the Republicans

in voting for the bill, just enough votes altogether to pass it.

Your unperplexed Peasant would not have expected anything 

better from the Dems. The four were courageous standouts, and

they deserve our thanks and praise for their votes. The rest, well,

they voted in typical Democrat fashion. For a political party which 

professes to love and revere democracy so much they have done

nothing in this instance (or at any other time) to protect it. 

Hypocrisy uber ales with the Democrats.           

MEM

Fulfillment of a Desire and More!

At the end of June your grateful Peasant had been given

the wonderful opportunity to engage in something that I

have long wanted to do but didn't get the opportunity 

until now at 67 years; two-thirds of a century! Sometimes

something is better late than never.

What is this wonderful thing, you ask? The Peasant took 

part in a political debate. My first ever. Both it  --- and I --- 

were great! Three days before the event I received a call

from an old friend and fellow conservative activist who 

asked if I would like to be in a political debate. My response 

was "When and where?" After getting the details I made my

 arrangements to be there where I would be joined by my

conservative friend and two liberal friends, one of whom

was the organizer of the event and its host. He brought along

two hourglasses, one with a one-minute flow and the other

a two-minute instrument. We each chose a political topic and 

were given two minutes each to present our topics, after which

the others would have one minute to respond either in agree-

ment or in opposition. Then the presenter of the topic would 

get a minute to rebut the latter. We would go around the table 

to get everyone involved in the various roles in the proceedings,

then close and have refreshments together; we were at an ice

cream parlor in Wauwatosa and had fantastic ice cream and

cool beverages, which were an even bigger treat because we 

were at an outdoor table on an oppressively hot afternoon

complete with unrelenting sun.

My topic was "President Trump is Not a Fascist", in which I first

defined what fascism is, then gave examples of how our president 

has not governed as a fascist and is therefore not a fascist. 

My conservative chum gave a fine speech in corroboration while 

our liberal friends did their best to poke holes in my points but to

no avail. Amazingly, astonishingly, and almost shockingly, there 

were no angry words, no angry outbursts, no rancor at all. Even

though we all are good friends we walked through dangerous 

territory which could have resulted in the hardest feelings and

serious feuding. But with our strong bonds of friendship, and our

desire to have a debate without any negativity we accomplished 

what we intended. Furthermore, we have established a debate club

which will meet on a monthly basis and at various venues, be they

our homes or restaurants, pubs, parks, or indeed ice cream parlors.

We want to show that it is possible, desirable, and necessary to 

have discussions of the issues of the day while taking a calm,

measured approach and even a bit of collegiality to the activity.

With the divisiveness in our country in which even friends and 

families are acrimoniously divided, we could promote healing 

and, dare I say, friendship.

I am proud to be a charter member of such a fine group of people

with this shared purpose and these goals. I shall be sharing the 

related events as they unfold over time, among which I hope to 

include the club and its concept catching on. And boy, debating 

is a lot of fun!

MEM

Independence Day Thoughts and Wishes

249 years a nation, sovereign and proud. Our United States

of America is celebrating another birthday in two days, and 

we her people have a lot to celebrate in addition to her birth-

day.

We have Donald Trump back in the White House. Thanks to 

President Trump, we are having a reduction in the rate of infla-

tion. We have all but sealed the southern border, and far fewer

illegal entrants have gotten in; many of them, however, have 

been caught and deported --- not released, as was the procedure

in the Biden era. Countries with whom we trade with in the 

world marketplace are now treating us with respect and are 

no longer imposing stiff tariffs on our goods, blocking them

from being sold while we have very low, if any tariffs on 

theirs. 

We are cracking down on allowing males to compete against

female athletes in college sports, resulting in far fewer injuries

to the latter by the former as well as the latter winning events

on a level playing field. Enemy nations are now realizing once 

again that we are not to be trifled with and must be taken seriously

lest they become imperiled. And best of all, we have a head of state

who commands respect rather than draws scorn and ridicule.

At home we are regaining our constitutional rights, i.e. freedom of 

expression; high tech firms are less willing to block or censor us

on their public media sites because of our expressing certain political

beliefs. Freedom of worship without being placed on any political or

governmental organizations' list of alleged extremist groups, such as

the Southern Christian Leadership Council drawing up such a list and

placing pre-Vatican II Catholics and conservative activist groups such

as Moms for Liberty. I could go on, quite easily, but you get the gist.

Our country is embracing once again what it was meant to be, created 

to be, and is once again deemed by her people to be; a free, sovereign

republic ruled by its people and not by a self-proclaimed elite behaving

like gods on high, treating the people like peasants or children. And 

in light of the events of recent years it's none to soon.

Happy Independence Day!

MEM