Happy New Year All!

The Peasant gives his warmest New Year greetings to you all,

my dear and wonderful readers! I'll be back with you after 

New Year's Day!

Holiday Cheer to You!

MEM

Christmas Greetings and Well Wishes!

To my fantastic readers, your jolly Peasant wishes you all 

a most beautiful and truly Merry Christmas! May you all 

be able to gather with all your family members and friends,

have grand Christmas dinners, and enjoy other Christmastime

events and activities together! 

God rest us and let's be merry, and let nothing dismay us!

We'll get together again on or about New Year's Day!

You all are my Christmas present! your support for this blog

makes me so very extra merry!

MEM

Necessary Things to Tend to

Aw, heck! Your duty-burdened Peasant can't be with you 

this week. But do not fret, I shall return very soon and with

renewed vigor! Thank you all for your indulgence and your

understanding. You're the very best readers a blogger can

ever have!

Your faithful Peasant needs to deal with some medical details

and will therefore have some medical appointments to tend

to, and will also have some personal administrative dealings

to take care of as the year winds down and Christmas draws

near. But please don't let your hearts be troubled, for I shall

be back just before Christmas, and will then take the week 

between Christmas and New Year's Day to be with family

and friends, returning right after the latter!

All of you, my loyal and fantastic readers, are my grand 

Christmas present every year, a gift which keeps on giving

and which keeps me going! 

MEM       

A Final Word re: The 2024 Election

 

WE'RE FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

  MEM

Thanks at Thanksgiving

Friends, we Americans have lots to be thankful for, especially

at Thanksgiving this year. Of  course, many of us have the

personal things we are thankful for: good health, good friends,

loving families (pets and all), comfortable homes, creature 

comforts, plenty of food, nice clothes, and many more such

things which we have but which so many of us take for granted.

Happily, many of the many who make up this great country 

of ours have not taken their freedom and their rights for granted

on Election Day earlier this month.  

The biggest benefit that we, as citizens of these United States

cherish and enjoy is indeed our freedom and the many ways in

which it manifests in our daily lives. We have the freedom to 

speak our minds, be it by talking, writing, publishing a blog

like this one which you are reading at this moment. We have 

the freedom to live how we want and do as we like, provided 

that we do not infringe upon the rights of others to do the same.

We have the freedom to defend ourselves, our families, our homes,

our businesses, and all our property from those with criminal 

intent. We have the freedom to raise our children as we see fit,

instilling in them our values and our faith, be it religious or secular.

We have the freedom to choose what kind of education we want

to give to them as well. 

And we can choose our representatives in government; local,

state, and federal. We can do so by voting in regularly held 

elections, and we have the right to cast our votes in the privacy

of the voting booth, and do not have to tell anyone how we 

voted -- especially some prying government official trying

to unduly influence the outcome of an election and to set up

a government not of the people, by the people, and for the 

people but of, by, and for an unwanted elite. We chose a 

government which best matches our desires for the kind 

of governance we want, replacing a government which 

governed against said desires, thereby breaking our trust

and confidence in it. 

Not every country in our world is this fortunate. We have so

many blessings by being citizens of our great and exceptional 

country we cannot possibly count them all. Let us keep this 

truth in mind as we enjoy our Thanksgiving dinners, our 

football games on TV, and the company of our families and 

friends on this and every Thanksgiving Day. God bless you, 

my wonderful and loyal readers! God bless us all!

MEM

Ronald Mulvaney, R.I.P.

Ronald Mulvaney was quintessentially God and Country.

Born in Brooklyn, New York ninety years ago, Ron was 

a United States Marine, rising to the rank of sergeant.

Moving later to Brookfield, Wisconsin, Ron got involved

in politics and ran as a Democrat for Congress; sadly he 

didn't win. He was a rarity, being a center-right Democrat;

unapologetically pro-life, supportive of a pro-U.S. defensive

posture coupled with a like-minded diplomatic posture,

favoring an estate tax but not ever-escalating income taxes,

and always, always a loyal and country-loving patriot. 

We met through a career building and job hunting workshop

group which met monthly. I had just moved back home from

Saint Paul, Minnesota, and wanted to get some helpful 

information on conducting a successful job search. Ron

was one of the mentors. We hit it off right away and got to 

be quite close friends. Ron also got me a job; he was at the 

time a sales associate at the Boston Store at Brookfield 

Square when that retail organization was around. Ron was 

in Menswear, I went to Housewares. 

Ron was a devout Catholic, one of the most such Catholics  

I have ever known. Ron put me to shame as far as devotion 

to the faith was concerned. and your faithful Peasant goes 

to mass each week and regularly partakes of the sacraments. 

Ron invited me to join him on a retreat at the Jesuit Retreat

House in Oshkosh, just up north a ways from the Milwaukee

metropolitan area and just barely before the COVID pandemic

hit. He said it would be the last time we would be able to get

together for a visit; Ron was then living in Georgia at a retirement 

home near some of his relatives, and he wanted to make our

visit a very special one. It was a silent retreat for Catholic men; 

no one could speak a word throughout the weekend retreat.

I never experienced such a thing, a gathering where no one 

says a word! I didn't think I could go the entire retreat without 

accidentally blurting out anything aloud, but I managed to do

just that. Ron and I were on the same wavelength throughout

the retreat, and we basked in the warmth of our friendship and 

each others' company at our prayer times, our meals, and 

the guest lectures by visiting clergy. I have never had such 

an experience with any other friend in my life, and it was 

heavenly and grand.

We also got together for lunch many times leading up to the 

retreat, meeting at a wonderful restaurant at the Mayfair Mall

in Wauwatosa. We talked of many things, Catholicism (Ron 

was Irish Catholic, much like me), Irish Fest (we were there

together with his charming wife, who went up before Ron), 

politics, sports, family --- our relatives and such, pets,

and travel. Ron was most erudite and worldly yet very 

connected to his faith, never taking it for granted. He treated 

for every meal; he never let me pay so as to treat him, although

I did get to leave a tip now and then. Generosity was another 

trait of Ron's which made him so endearing.

Ron was also an avid reader of this blog, too. He looked forward

to reading my latest offerings every week.

We stayed in touch by telephone and online, as we were both on 

Facebook. It was through Facebook that I learned of his passing,

having left us just two days ago. Relatives entered the news on his

FB page. Although I knew that his health was fading, the sorrowful

news still hurt greatly. Our last visit on the phone, or at all, was

two weeks before his end, and although sounding weak Ron

was in high spirits; he told me many times that our chats on the 

phone gave him a lift. They certainly did that for me!

Although our visits have all come to an end I am comforted knowing

that Ron is just a prayer away, and we shall be together in

spirit in this way. Your grateful Peasant is most grateful for 

having known and enjoyed a twenty-two year friendship with 

this remarkable gentleman! Our world could use some more 

folks like Ron Mulvaney!

Requiescat in pace, old friend.

MEM

Veterans Day Greetings and Gratitude

Today is Veterans day, the day when we give thanks to our brave

veterans and show our appreciation for their service and sacrifice,

although it is certainly rightful to do so on any day during the year.

As your grateful Peasant always maintains: Freedom isn't free; 

freedom costs. But it isn't a luxury, but rather a necessity!

Thanks to all U.S. veterans! Folks, if you love your freedom, 

thank a vet!

MEM

VICTORY!

WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!! WE WON! WE WON!! WE WON!!! WE WON!!!!

Did I mention that WE WON?  

MEM

 

Red State Blue

While it's true that our country will have a national election

to, among other things, determine who will be our president,

held this day November 5, we have an election happening

every day. While on the first Tuesday in the coming month

we will be voting with our ballots, many Americans are voting 

with their feet to show their preference for life in the red states

(Republican run) over life in the blue states (Democrat run),

leaving the latter for the former every day. The results thus far 

show a landslide for the red states.

Since 2004, American families have made this choice in ever-

increasing numbers. The red states offer lower taxes along with 

either lower or no state income taxes, more robust job growth

making for lower unemployment numbers, and laws which 

protect children from the crackpot left-wing social and 

educational ideas du jour. The blue states offer the exact 

opposite of each of the benefits of red state living. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic the red state schools were 

open and the children were maskless; the blue state schools 

were either closed or required the students to mask up.

In the former, churches and other houses of worship were

open; not so in the latter. In the red states businesses were

open for business; in the blue states they were either 

shuttered or operating with their staff working from home.

State economies were strong in red territory; weak as 

water in blue. 

What the American people and their families desire so fervently

is for government to foster freedom, not bind them up in 

condescending paternalism. They are certainly making their desire 

known by moving from states like California, Illinois, New York,

Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington (the state and D.C.), and

Maryland to states like Florida, Texas, South Carolina, South 

Dakota, Idaho, and Tennessee. On this day, November 5, they'll

also make their preference known by marking their ballots. 

MEM

The Peasant's Endorsement for President (As if You Couldn't Guess!)

After all we've been through in the last four years as a nation,

we American voters (especially we conservatives) have but one

clear choice for the presidency. Our votes will decide if we are

going to regain the prosperity that we enjoyed for four brief

but wonderful years, or if we are going to continue to suffer 

increasing deterioration of our economy and the consequences 

of it. If we are going to work and live with reasonable regulations

affecting our lives, or if we are to stress and strain in the yoke

of runaway red tape and overly-restricting and oftentimes 

unconstitutional laws. If we are going to have a free hand in raising

our children as we see fit, or if we are to be dictated to by the state 

as to where we send our children to school, what kind of curriculae

they are to be educated or, more likely indoctrinated under.

Whether or not to recognize and refer to people in accordance

with their natural genders, or if we are to acquiesce to laws which 

demand we recognize their being of some different gender, even a

made-up gender --- a product of a wild imagination, and refer to

and address them by some mandated pronoun. If we are to restore

the sanctity of human life by protecting humans throughout their

lives, from natural beginning to natural end, or if we are to further 

cheapen the value of human life in accordance with the desires of

selfish or utilitarian parties, including those believing that if a 

human being does not measure up to the expectations of said

parties then the aforementioned human being in question

can and must be disposed of. If we are to be the dependable ally

to those countries in need of our help in case of threats from 

countries seeking to do them harm, or if we are simply going to 

twiddle our thumbs and do nothing or next to nothing. 

If we are going to take a stronger stand in regards to our trade 

policies vis-a-vis nations which want to take economic advantage 

of us (China comes to mind), or are going to be ripped off. 

If we are to protect and preserve our cherished freedom of 

expression guaranteed by and in our constitution, or are we 

just going to let radical bullies dictate to us what we are to 

speak, publish, and promote. If we are going to have free and fair 

elections for all elective offices, unsullied by corruption, or are 

we going to have our government representatives and leaders, 

all the way up to and including the presidency, selected by an 

elite few rather than elected by a majority of the eligible 

citizenry. If we are to continue to be the nation that our forefathers

meant and made us to be, or if our nation is to be remade into 

a place we would not recognize and would want nothing to do with.

Return Donald J. Trump to the White House.

And please don't stop there; we must elect a House and a Senate

with substantial, conservative Republican veto-proof majorities 

to work together with President Trump to reform and repair that

in our great country which has become in need of repair after the

last four years. Elect conservative Republican governors in your 

states, and Republican-held legislatures; mayors and councils in

your cities and towns; and county boards with same majorities.

Also, if your state has early voting, take advantage of it!

You will in effect be banking your vote, so in case you find yourself

unable to go to your polls on the day of the election you will have 

the satisfaction of knowing that you already did your duty. If enough

of us vote early (your faithful Peasant did!) then we will have a large

enough turnout and tally to claim victory!

I know that I gave my endorsement here on this blog to President 

Trump twice already. Please forgive me for sounding like a broken

record; this election and the urgency we face is so important that I

had to make extra sure that I got word out re: my endorsement.

We have a lot to do in order to clean up and fix our United States.

But we have the ability, the drive, the determination, and the grit

to get the job done. Let us put our bodies, our minds, and our

energies to the task; the rest is in God's hands.

MEM

Good Tidings!

Your civic-minded Peasant went to vote yesterday, as it was

the first day of early voting in Wisconsin and I wanted to be

among the first voters to "bank" his vote in the presidential 

election. Republicans and conservatives in general have taken

this idea to heart, as it helps to get out more of our votes by

getting out more of our voters ahead of Election Day, the idea

being that more of us will have voted already come the afore-

mentioned day so that if something trips us up for time, i.e.

falling ill or injured, a sudden commitment (perhaps a funeral?),

then we will have the comfort and satisfaction of knowing that

we have done our civic duty as well as having done our bit to

return Donald J. Trump to the White House and to give him

a solidly Republican House and Senate to work with. This 

ingenious idea has as of this blogging been adopted by 47 states 

and the District of Columbia; Alabama, Mississippi, and 

New Hampshire have yet to follow suit.

And was my polling precinct crowded! I vote at my city hall

and yesterday I saw the longest line by far on an election day

in the years that I have voted there; come to think of it it was 

the longest line I've ever seen in all the years I've been a voter

in all the places I've lived! It did my heart good to see so many 

of my neighbors come out to vote, and to vote early --- especially

since New Berlin is a conservative political stronghold located

inside a larger one, that being Waukesha County. It is fine to have 

a brand of politics which one loyally adheres to, but it's essential

that one act on the said politics in order to help bring about the 

desired political governance. I was at my polling place for a total

of 48 minutes and it was time that I considered an investment in my 

country's governance as well as general betterment. 

In a similar vein, I've heard on the news that Trump has caught up to

and edged ahead of Kamala Harris in both the preference polls and 

the early voting in the battleground states, Wisconsin being one. 

Democrats around the country are in absolute conniptions (good!)

over it, and don't know what to do. 

At present, my grand readers who live where there is early voting, 

take advantage of the provision and vote early. You'll be so glad,

especially if something unexpected comes up on November 5. Not only

will you have the deep glow of accomplishment, but you'll have

helped your respective states to have enough votes banked so that you 

shall coast to a large enough quantity of votes, most of them for Trump 

and down-ballot Republicans so that you'll have pulled your

communities and states into the GOP column, helping to elect a 

GOP president along with GOP office holders down the line!

We'll meet here again before November 5. Until then!

MEM

Columbia's Selective Enforcement of Fairness and Civility

Columbia University recently established a task force 

on antisemitism. After it interviewed almost 500 students,

its report stated "The testimonies of hundreds of Jewish

and Israeli students have made clear that the University 

community has not treated them with the standards of 

civility, respect, and fairness it promises to all students."

One of the members of the task force said that "There has 

been a view among some that this is not a real problem, 

so we thought it was important to demonstrate what is 

actually happening to students." 

Dozens of Columbia faculty responded with a signed open

letter slamming the report: "We write as Jewish faculty,

... (the report) contributes to a hostile narrative about

Columbia," they claimed. It is "marked by conspicuous

neglectful omissions of context and climate ... conflates

feelings with facts." Esther R. Fuchs, a co-chairman of

the task force, replied saying she was "gobsmacked"

by the rebuking letter. "It's just sad, and it's tragic for 

students on this campus to have a group of faculty 

dismiss their experiences as just feelings."

It's just sad that some university bigwigs are so dismissive

of certain groups of students' complaints due to the former's

political blinders making them blind to the truth. 

MEM

Belated Thoughts on the Republican National Convention (and My Endorsement)

Your ever-pressing on Peasant, sadly, failed to gain entrance

to be able to attend the Republican National Convention this

last summer here in Milwaukee. I had trouble getting credentials

to be able to attend, as I would have had to travel all the way 

out to American Family Field (the home of the Milwaukee

Brewers) to get an outlet there to obtain said credentials,

then make my way back downtown to the site of the 

convention. And with the heavier than usual traffic about

town (because of the convention) it would have taken me 

an ungodly amount of time to return with any hope of seeing

anything of the standout goings on, i.e. votes taken for planks 

in the party platform and such. 

But having spoken with a few of the delegates as they made their

way to and from the convention hall I got a feel for what had

transpired thus far and chit-chatted with the delegates about their 

impressions of Milwaukee; they all rather liked the city and 

the sites, and were enjoying the convention. I'm so sorry for

not posting my own impressions of the convention until now,

three months later, as your inundated Peasant had an influx of

stories to comment on and some non-blog related business to 

take care of. 

But know this everybody: The Republican National Convention

did the one most important thing which it could have done during

its duration: it nominated once (and, please God, once again) 

President Donald J. Trump to be the Republican nominee for 

President of the United States. And yes, Donald Trump has your 

ever-loving Peasant's endorsement once again.

Election Day is November 5. My wonderful readers, you know 

what to do.

MEM

Democracy vs. Dictatorship in Venezuela

On July 28 Venezuela held a presidential election. 

I know, believe me, I know that it is not normally 

earth-shaking news, as Venezuela has been in the 

totalitarian grip of a Marxist dictator, one that had

succeeded one immediately before him upon the 

former's passing, both men "elected" by the people

of the once-prosperous nation in questionably-con-

ducted elections. But please note the following:

Before the latest election took place, the current 

El Jefe, Nicolas Maduro, barred a handful of 

candidates from running. One candidate, however,

wound up on the ballot: Edmundo Gonzalez, a 

former diplomat, emerging to represent the 

opposition. How did he do? Gonzalez won handily.

The most credible international election observers

were in agreement on the result. But Maduro 

refused to vacate the office, and he cracked down 

on dissent and protest with an iron fist. Dictators

will be dictators. Donald Trump, take note; for you

can be a wonderful ally for the people of Venezuela

in their quest to take back their country, voicing your 

support should you be returned to the White House.

We know that Kamala Harris won't do anything nor 

say mum on the matter! 

But the Venezuelans have been incredibly courageous 

in standing up to the left-wing regime running their

country into the ground. Democracies the world over

should help them in their quest for freedom, and the 

United States without question should spearhead the 

effort. The Chavez-Maduro regime is showing cracks

from the strain of beating back the dissidents and 

from taking mounting opprobrium from various nations

for their repressive ways. The freeing of Venezuela 

from the clutches of this rotten regime will be a rebuke

as well as a defeat for socialism, another reason why it

can't come soon enough. 

MEM 

Fifteen Fabulous Years With You All!

On September 23 the calendar marked, in addition to this date,

the fifteenth anniversary of the Peasant wielding his pitchfork.

Your overworked Peasant got so busy that I nearly forgot to 

note this milestone and its date, and I humbly apologize.

It hardly seems like fifteen years have passed since this blog's

debut! so much has transpired on our political landscape at the

time, and so much more has transpired since then, especially 

this year. And we took a gimlet eye view of all the stories as

they appeared, sorting out the good from the bad, the bold from

the bashful, and the valiant from the cowardly. We now should

take a few moments to acknowledge and to celebrate this grand

occasion.

Your dedicated Peasant established this blog for the purpose of

commiserating and informing American conservatives about the

dangers inherent in the liberals' legislative schemes and their 

consequences, misbehavior by liberal politicians as well as that

by conservative politicians and castigating both, being harder on 

the latter as they are our people and as such we expect better from

them. Of course, we also point out the stupidities committed by 

both, i.e. conservatives letting themselves be hoodwinked into 

backing legislation which does more for the liberals than the 

people, and some of our people are too dense to see this. 

Additionally, we take a moment to see how the political 

leaders in other countries are doing, and how their countries

are doing as a result, applying these same principles.

Furthermore your faithful Peasant has, while not making this 

a habit, endorsed some candidates for office, especially the 

presidency. The decision to endorse certain candidates is due 

to the sense of urgency dictated by both the times and the 

circumstances with their consequential events. This particular

year with the presidency up for grabs and all that has happened 

during this year is a prime example. The Peasant shall have more

on this very shortly.

Along the way, we have picked up a growing, enthusiastic readership

from other countries. Some of our biggest followings outside of the

United States are Singapore (which has bypassed by the U.S. in 

readership!), Russia, Germany, Canada, Great Britain, France,

China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Portugal, and Spain. 

To be sure, there are conservatives in at least some of these

countries along with other people of different political persuasions

there that enjoy learning about the politics and governance of 

the United States and have taken a liking the Peasant and his Pitchfork.

Even those who don't agree with what I have to say and perhaps never

will enjoy reading this political blog.

We also have observed the passing of some stellar conservatives, 

paying tribute to them as we've (and they've) gone. It's hard to part

with good friends and staunch allies, but all of us must exit this 

earthly stage; the question to be answered is what have we done to 

make our countries and our world a freer, more prosperous, more just,

and freer place? Those who have worked diligently at this work are

noted and praised here, as well they should be.

Finally, your pitchfork-wielding Peasant works to sow the seeds of 

these fruits for the benefit of our great country and our beautiful world 

via this blog. And may we all participate joyfully in both the planting

and the harvest. May there always be this food for both body and soul 

in our storehouses! The Peasant is grateful to and for each and every 

every one of you!

Here's to another fifteen years, with many more to come afterwards!

MEM

My Irish Holiday (in Milwaukee)

Folks, I just had to get a piece pertaining to another subject,

one of great importance; at least, of greater importance than

your favorite Peasant having an Irish frolic, posted. I do 

apologize, and hope you got a lot out of that particular piece.

Here, then, is the postponed piece for your perusal and enjoyment.

The fest seemed to have a bigger crowd than usual, and Irish Fest 

always packs 'em in each year! I have no attendance numbers handy

to do a comparison but I can vouch that the event was well attended 

to be sure. I always meet up with a close friend from my song circle,

and normally we easily pick each other out of the crowd; not this time.

We did meet up but it took several tries, there were so many people

everywhere! We did have fun though, including having a couple of 

good dinners and some ice cream treats together. But here was the 

best (!): we spend Saturday evening with my cousins Finbarr and 

Donal Clancy, having drinks while enjoying Donal and Rory Makem

perform --- they are the new generation of Clancys and Makems,

and they perform together just as their fathers Liam and Tommy had!

They joined us after their show and we had a ball, getting caught up 

on the latest with each of us, talking about the High Kings' (Finbarr's

band) tours, both last year's and this year's, our health, our other 

family members, and the upcoming tribute show at the fest honoring

the recently departed Sinead O'Connor with my cousins among the

musicians and singers at the fest who were invited to participate.

The tribute show took place the next day and it was fantastic!

I'm sure that Sinead was, now that she is in the Great Beyond, 

quite thrilled to be remembered in such a beautiful way, with the

performers playing and singing many of her most memorable songs.

The other musical talent on hand were a fine treat as well, as was the 

weather, even with the rain we had Friday afternoon (wasn't much, 

really). And seeing old friends along with relations, some of whom 

I haven't seen in a year or more, that, as always, is the biggest kick

for me! I attend a few other ethnic festivals here in town each year

as well, and I love 'em all; my favorite one, I have to say, is the

Milwaukee Irish Fest --- my annual Irish holiday. Going to Ireland

without leaving the country! One day though, and that day is being 

planned for, The Peasant shall visit the Emerald Isle itself! More on

this in time to come.

See you, my fantastic readers, next week!

MEM

In Observance of Constitution Day

The Peasant wishes to make amends for a error of omission;

I have not, at least not on this blog, made any mention of let

alone paid attention to the meaning of this day and its significance

to us as Americans: Today, September 17, is Constitution Day.

And this year, this grand document is 237 years old.

This day is the anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution

of the United States, the foundation of our rule of law. May it be

around and in full force for us all to observe its birthday, if you will,

and its continuation in guaranteeing the rights which we enjoy as

Americans, for it is under attack by people who think they know 

better what is best for the governance of our country and the

way we should live our lives and conduct ourselves. 

But for now, let us give our respect and homage to one of the most 

remarkable documents ever devised and drafted by man. 

And on Election Day, November 5, let us also defend it by voting

for constitutionally-minded and disciplined candidates for public

office, from local offices to the presidency. We still have this one 

simple but exquisitely powerful weapon at our disposal to stand

up to the con artists, the glad-handers, the elitists, the totalitarians,

and all the other grubby, grabbing, grafting scumbags who want to 

take that and all else we have as citizens of this magnificent country

founded as an example of freedom and liberty for all the world to 

see away from us, leaving a country which we would not recognize

and would not want to live in.

We have much to be grateful for. Let us show our gratitude at this 

crucial time to friend and foe, from without and from within.

MEM

The Democrats Lose a "Biggie"

Yesterday I heard something which would have been shocking

had it happened a few years earlier, but when you consider the 

tenor of the times it simply makes one mutter to oneself 

"That figures". 

While listening to Jay Weber, one of the wonderful conservative 

voices on Milwaukee radio, I heard him announce the news that 

legal scholar and civil rights specialist from Harvard University,

Professor Alan Dershowitz has publicly broken with the Democrat 

Party after many years as a stalwart member. A political liberal,

Dershowitz never let his politics influence his understanding of

and application of the rule of law. He also never looked down his

nose at people with whom he disagreed, i.e. conservatives. The

professor also was a friend and guest of William F. Buckley Jr.

on the latter's TV show "Firing Line"; your admiring Peasant had

seen them together on Buckley's show several times and they've 

always been cordial to each other. Professor Dershowitz is one 

of the few legal scholars of his views that I have any respect for,

and I have plenty for this gentleman, who deserves better than he 

has gotten from his political brethren; they had slammed him as a

Benedict Arnold for standing up for former President Trump

when the Dems had brought him up on 34 charges, all groundless

and politically motivated, to keep him from becoming president

again and to imprison him. Never mind what and who We the People 

may want!

Professor Dershowitz had left the Democrats and become an 

independent, although he still maintains his liberalism. He gave

as his reason his increasing disgust and appalment with his now-

former party becoming increasingly "anti-Zionist", as he stated 

it. The final straw came when the Dems gave legitimacy to 

anti-Israel speakers and anti-Israel protesters outside of their 

national convention in Chicago in July, according to Dershowitz.

"It was the most anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, anti-Zionist convention

I've experienced ... I was disgusted at the Democratic National

Convention. Absolutely disgusted." 

It also didn't help things between Professor Dershowitz and 

the Dems when Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris did not 

attend when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed

a joint session of Congress. The event was also given a miss by 

Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Sanders is apparently

more devout about his socialist politics than he is with his Jewish

faith and heritage. And then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Netanyahu's

speech before Congress "inappropriate" (?!). These lefties and many

more blame Israel for what they believe led to the invasion of their

country by Hamas and their Iranian allies, and castigate Israel for

doing anything to defend itself. Today is 9-11; do they also blame

the Jews in their homeland as well as here in the United States

for the attacks we sustained on this day twenty-three years ago?

The final insult in Alan Dershowitz' book was that "they had more 

anti-Jewish, anti-Zionist people who were speaking ... and by giving 

them platforms, what it says is that when AOC does call Israel a 

genocidal country and rails against it, she now has the imprimatur

of the Democratic Party," according to Professor Dershowitz.

All of this has led Professor Dershowitz to conclude that all this, along

with the pro-Palestinian protesters yelling for Israel's destruction, 

"is not my party". According to Jay Weber, many more American Jews

are coming to the same conclusion, and they're going to say it with 

votes on November 5.

And The Peasant says "Bravo!". The Democrat Party has become even 

more racist than it was in the 19th century when they kept black people

under the thumb of the law by Supreme Court rulings giving the OK to

racial segregation, i.e. Plessy vs. Ferguson, as well as various federal,

state and local laws calling for same. It's simply that the new target of

their racial opprobrium happens to be the Jews, both those in Israel  

and here in the United States. The Democrats need to do one of 

two things: either sweep clean their ranks of extremists that 

promulgate their poisonous politics, or to be so kind and truthful as to

cease to call themselves the Democratic Party, for they no longer 

support nor promote democracy; they should thus rename their party, 

giving it a name which is consistent with its present values and

objectives. Dems: May your helpful Peasant suggest 

"the Totalitarian Party"?

MEM

Oh, No! Not Again!

Sorry everyone, your favorite Peasant is chock full 

of very busy business again this week so we cannot

get together at this time. Fear not, I shall be back with

you all next week! I just need to take care of a lot

of things that cannot be postponed.

When I finally return I shall share with you the highlights

of my attendance at the Milwaukee Irish Fest. It's not for

nothing that I call it my annual Irish holiday!

Be of good cheer!

MEM      

Stuff is Piling Up!

Your loyal Peasant faces a backlog of stuff, making a rather

lofty mountain for me to climb. Therefore, climb it I must;

as a long-ago mountain climber answered when someone 

asked him why he was going to climb a particular mountain,

"Because it's there!" Well, he was referring to the irresistible 

challenge that the mountain posed, as if it were taunting

the climber "You can't do it! You can't climb up to my tippy-

top!" My mountain is not taunting me in this way, but is 

nagging me with "Time is fleeting and you've got to take care 

of all this stuff, so get cracking!" 

So, my wonderful readers, I shall be cracking this week. 

However, I shall return to you once I leveled this mountain

into a parking lot. Thank you for your understanding and 

support, and we'll get together again soon!

MEM   

The Weird Couple

Well, Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris has her

running mate picked out, not long after becoming the presumptive

nominee of her party on the heels of President Biden stepping down 

from being a candidate for a second term. Your faithful Peasant 

doesn't know if Harris picked her second or if the party bigwigs did, 

but the Dems' ticket is set --- the Vice Presidential nominee is

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Who is Tim Walz? Simply the most radically left-wing candidate 

ever to run for Vice President on a major party ticket. How so?

Here's a sampling from his record as Minnesota's governor thus far:

1) Walz has worked hard at transforming Minnesota into a model of

what he would like to see the country become: he signed into law a 

bill establishing abortion as "a fundamental right" in the state. 

2) He also endeavored to refashion Minnesota into a "trans refuge" 

for transsexuals, complete with rights to use the women's rest rooms 

and locker rooms, and to "gender-affirming care".  Another 

"fundamental right" in his book, I suppose. 

3) The guv also thinks that illegal immigrants should have drivers' 

licenses; toward that end Walz has supported and continues to 

support this dubious idea.

4) And who can forget the slow-as-molasses response by Walz to the 

2020 riots following the death of George Floyd while he was in police 

custody? Gov. Walz at last sent Minnesota National Guard troops to 

the City of Minneapolis, only after the riots began and fires were

started by the rioters, including burning down a police precinct

building (!), not to mention the endless looting of stores after  

many millions of dollars worth of damages were incurred. I don't 

know how many injuries and deaths were caused, but the carnage

made Minneapolis look like a war zone; in a real sense, it was.

There are more, many more, examples of Gov. Walz' extremist 

governance of Minnesota, to be sure. But here are but four which are 

enough to illustrate that Walz and Vice President Harris are two of

a kind, the kind that the United States can absolutely do without.

Furthermore, this political gruesome twosome are a stark example 

of just how radicalized the Democrats and their party have become 

in recent years. There was a time when such extreme candidates

would much more likely be heading up a radical third party ticket

(the various socialist parties that have come and gone are examples).

Now, they have taken over one of the two major political parties in

the country and have shoved the moderates and what few conser-

vatives there were aside. Outgoing President Joe Biden may be 

a far lefty in his own right, but he looks like a Reaganite next to 

these two! And these two horrors call Republican nominee, our

former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate Sen. J.D. 

Vance "weird"?

In the meantime, more than a few Democrats have openly complained 

that they have been denied a chance to state their preferences for 

a candidate to replace the not-quite-so-healthy seeming President Joe

Biden as their presidential nominee, that the party big shots and 

big money donors made the choice for everyone making the upcoming

Democrat convention in Chicago a mere formality. The Republican 

Party chided the Democrats for this power move and have begun to

make political hay over it. Let's hope that it will be instrumental in 

spelling victory for the GOP in November! In the meantime, the Dems 

made this maneuver to keep whatever hopes they have of retaining

the White House alive, what with Biden's health and his governance

making a shambles of the national economy and the country's standing

among our friends and enemies abroad. It is a curious hybrid of a 

power move and a desperation move, and my money is on the whole

shebang collapsing, taking down the Dems' hopes with it. 

The Democrats have also been trying to manufacture a feeling of 

excitement and exuberance in the ranks of their party and in the 

Democrat constituencies over the prospect of electing the first

woman (and a black woman to boot) president. However, Vice

President Harris has never been a favorite among Democrats 

in Washington, among party operatives, nor among the Democrat

voters; presidential preference and opinion polls have shown 

shockingly low favorable ratings for Harris. And let's not forget,

when she ran for president in the Democrats' primaries and 

caucuses she didn't last long beyond the Iowa caucuses

which are at the start of the two major parties' journey to their

nominating conventions. Kammie has never been the favorite 

flavor of her party, it seems.

And the Democrats are not the favorite flavor of the nation either.

This will be made manifest on November 5.

MEM

Time for My Irish Holiday!

We are now in the middle of August and by now you all,

my magnificent readers know that the Milwaukee Irish Fest

is close at hand. Beginning tomorrow your proud Irish-de-

scended, American born and bred Peasant will be at the fest

for the entireity of each day it is to be held. We shall, to be 

sure, regroup and reunite after the event and resume our

picking and poring over the political and financial news 

of the day. 

In the meantime, know that I'll be thinking of you all during

my rest periods in between the shows, the features, the Irish 

stage productions, meals, snacks, and some always wonderful

Irish drinks! On my return I shall share with you the wonderful

time I had with my family and friends from near and far, from

Milwaukee to Ireland, and our activities together. 

Jaysus, I love me yearly Irish holiday! It does me a treat!

MEM

Some People are Hard to Satisfy

Some people are hard to satisfy. New Jersey's Gov.

Phil Murphy (D) and his fellow Dems who have 

solid control of that state's legislature are frantically 

trying to get their hands on money --- a lot of it ---

even with an increase in tax revenue of 35% over 

the past five years (!). Add to that Murphy's promise 

to let a corporate tax increase lapse. So the guv 

gets the bright idea to bring back a 2.5 % surtax

on corporate income, atop New Jersey's current 

corporate rate of 9%. And just last year Gov. 

Murphy bragged about allowing a 2.5% corporate

surtax on income above $1 million expire (!!),  

stating that a lower tax rate would increase business

investment in the state, thereby resulting in an increase

in jobs.

Well, that was then and this is now. The aforementioned 

surtax lapsed at the end of 2023, and Gov. Murphy now

wants to bring it back and tack it onto income above 

$10 million, RETROACTIVELY TO THE START OF

THIS YEAR (emphasis mine)! What gall!! The Governor

claims that the surtax will hit only the wealthiest businesses 

--- many of which are based in other states. This is another 

crock of you-know-what. New Jersey taxes corporations 

based on their share of revenue, including but not limited to

business-to-business sales, rents, royalties, dividends, interest,

and capital gains that they generate in the state even if they 

are headquartered outside of the state! Businesses presently

in New Jersey would have strong incentive to move to 

states with lower or no corporate income taxes, i.e.

Florida. And bear in mind, the Dems in charge in Trenton

are lusting after all this money even when the economy

is doing rather well!

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D), wants to spend 

the proceeds on property tax relief and other money for

seniors, while he and the rest of the Dems hope like mad 

that voters will forget that they exploded the state's 2% 

property tax cap just last month to get even further into 

the good graces of the teachers' unions.

The Trenton Democrats are as trustworthy as a bunch of 

sidewinders. It's time to seal the snake pit.

MEM

Bidenomics: Spending Has No Negative Consequences

President Biden has a method to his madness

(or so he fantasizes) which is his economic

philosophy: Spending has no negative conse-

quences; rather, it has only positive ones! 

He believes that the federal government can 

spend and borrow limitlessly, and tax more as 

well, with no economic risk whatsoever. 

Free-market economists laughed at this notion,

as they know, and many of us know, that history 

is loaded with nations that attempted to spend,

borrow, and tax their way to prosperity, only

to compound whatever economic difficulties they

may have had at the outset. The list is long:

The ancient Roman Empire, Germany between

the World Wars, Postwar Britain, Argentina, 

Bolivia, Mexico, Greece, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela.

Left-wing governments in some of these countries 

made lame excuses as to why their plans didn't work. 

President Obama's administration here in the U.S.,

gave as an explanation why Obama's big-ticket

$800 billion stimulus plan didn't yield anywhere

near the promised 4% annual growth in its billing;

they claimed that they hadn't spent enough!

Economic ignorance or chutzpah? 

In 2021 the then-new Biden Administration concocted

a budget with FOUR TIMES (emphasis mine) the spending 

of the Obama team. Even President Trump, a Republican,

made the mistake of  enacting a Covid-relief spending 

rampage. Biden persuaded Congress to put $4 trillion

into social-welfare programs, corporate-welfare grants,

(can't leave anyone behind, the Biden team figured) 

college and healthcare subsidies, and other goodies for

still other individuals and groups. Despite the fact that

the economy was already making a comeback as businesses

reopened. The Biden bunch congratulated themselves for 

having invented a mechanism that would make the economy 

run more efficiently by helping the country to "build back

better", to quote a Biden slogan. Instead, we got the worst 

inflation in 40 years. They even tried to con the American

people into believing that the economy is doing marvelously,

and that the inflation will soon subside! These people are,

among other things, two-bit charlatans!

Although Biden and company tried to take credit for a rise 

in the average weekly earnings employees of 15% between 

January 2021 and May 2024, prices for goods and services 

shot up 19%, so the weekly earnings of employees suffered 

a loss in real terms. Despite the trillions in handouts, working

Americans' average real income declined by more than $2,300

in today's dollars. To date, not a single economist in the U.S.

(or anywhere else) has backtracked on their glowing claims 

about and praises for significant spending programs and backing

them with borrowing and taxing the likes never before seen 

anywhere in the world. Perhaps they're in hiding.

MEM

Bedlam on Tap!

When one is a blogger covering political news,

one never runs out of subject material. Not for 

a week, not for a day, not for even a minute.

Over a mere 1 1/2 weeks so much has happened 

that your dazed Peasant almost couldn't keep up with 

it all! An attempt on the life of a former U.S. pres-

ident-turned candidate for the same office, at a 

rally for the again candidate for the office, two 

days before his political party's national convention 

right here in Milwaukee, at which the ex-president

(and hopefully president again) gave a most rousing

acceptance speech to cap off the event; the current 

president stepping aside from the top of the

ticket of the opposite party in favor of another

candidate, at this particular time most likely 

the vice president --- but the Democrats' ticket

will be established at their national convention

in Chicago next month, so be on the lookout for

a possible surprise; then an investigation into the 

assassination attempt on the ex-president and the 

Secret Service detail assigned to protect the one-time 

POTUS as some carelessness on their part made it  

possible for the gunman to get off some shots --- 

one grazing the ear of the former president, 

two, each wounding two bystanders, and most tragically

killing a former fire chief defending his family

who was with him at the rally by throwing himself 

over them to protect them; finally, the head of the 

Secret Service, after stating that she would not resign

from her position resigned from her position in disgrace.

Bear in mind that all this happened in the space of 

ten days!

A twenty-year-old gunman tried to shoot former 

President Trump and was finally shot dead by the Secret 

Service only after the harm was inflicted to the aforementioned

people. Kimberley Cheatle, the freshly-resigned Director of

the Secret Service, e-mailed her resignation to her staff.

Her resignation followed a hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday,

July 22 in which Cheatle testified before the House Oversight

Committee. Numerous lawmakers from both sides of the aisle

had called for Cheatle to resign. All during the hearing, Cheatle

refused to divulge information, citing the ongoing investigation

into the assassination attempt on former President Trump,

angering the lawmakers. Meanwhile, Trump commented on the 

news in a post on Truth Social, the social media platform he 

had founded: "The Biden/Harris administration did not properly

protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for democracy ...

IT WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO DO SO! (emphasis Trump's)"

In written testimony, Cheatle stated that the tragedy was "the most 

significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades."

She continued "I am keeping him and his family in my thoughts,"

and that "I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the 

family of Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief and a hero,

who was killed in this senseless shooting. I would also like to 

also acknowledge those who were injured in Butler, Pennsylvania,

David Dutch and James Copenhaven, and I wish them a speedy

recovery." Cheatle, however, also had to do some explaining 

in regards to the terrible incident, as eyewitnesses reported that they 

tried to warn authorities about the shooter minutes before the attack,

but the Secret Service agents failed to stop the gunman, let alone 

capture him, before he could get off any shots. A tidbit about Cheatle:

in 2003 she said in a CBS News interview that as Director of the 

Secret Service diversity would be a major priority. In other words,

Cheatle would be more concerned with having certain percentages

of agents from certain categories such as race, skin color, gender

and gender preference, and so forth rather than hiring the best 

qualified candidates for openings on the Secret Service team. 

There is so much of this occurring in government these days, and 

to the detriment instead of the benefit of all concerned. Could this

also be applied to the squad assigned to protect Trump that fateful

day in Butler, Pennsylvania? And what of the fatal consequences 

to Corey Comperatore? And the wounding of the two bystanders?

Furthermore, the former president has dangerous enemies in certain

areas of the federal government that would love to remove, or see 

him removed, from the presidential election and were certainly happy 

to see him lose the presidency in a re-election bid marred by accu-

sations and possible electoral fraud committed from within the 

government. Could this be a factor in the almost successful 

assassination attempt on former President Trump? 

The Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee last week  

came off without any such incidents, and was a success in terms of, 

among many other things, the security of Donald Trump, his family, 

and the attendees. I had an opportunity to chat with a few of the  

delegates to the convention and found them quite galvanized in their 

mission to nominate and come November re-elect Trump. The attempt 

on Trump's life made these folks all the more bold and determined.

On the other side, President Biden announced that he was going to 

resign as the nominated candidate for the presidency, necessitating the 

Democrats having to choose a new nominee. The buzz from 

Washington has it that Biden was pressured by some within his party, 

including some big-money donors, to step aside due to concerns about 

his health, especially his cognitive powers. This has long been 

troublesome for the Dems, and the matter became more serious in the

wake of the disastrous showing by Biden in the one and only debate 

with Donald Trump, punctuated by ever-declining poll ratings which

were dropping like a stone in the Potomac well before the fateful 

debate and its bitter fruits.

The favorite choice of the moment for the Dems is Vice President 

Kamala Harris, but she's no sweetheart among the nation's electorate

either; as a matter of fact she is not terribly popular among the Demo-

crats themselves! Not much personality, not much of a grasp on the 

issues of the day, and an irritating cackle which she makes when asked

a question to which she has no clue as to how to intelligently answer.

Also, she has been a put-off to many Democrats in part because of 

these aforementioned drawbacks. Besides, let us not forget how short 

her last campaign for the White House went; she bowed out of the 

Dems' race for the party's nomination before the Iowa caucus --- 

Iowa is the first stop along the presidential campaign trail for both 

Democrats and Republicans. Not a positive harbinger for Harris.

So there's going to be a tussle over who's to head the Democrats' ticket

in Chicago, and we'll have to wait and see who the Dems will pick

as their new presidential hopeful. 

In closing, The Peasant is going to conclude with this bit of advice 

to you, my wonderful readers: buckle up good and tight, because the 

next four months are going to be a wild ride!

MEM

Making the Good the Enemy of the Perfect

Your intrigued Peasant read a rather interesting letter 

in the June 14 edition of the Wall Street Journal which

cries out for commentary. In the letter titled "Every 

Generation Has Faults", the author of the letter was

responding to a previous letter to the WSJ (June 10)

titled "Who Can Fill the Greatest Generation's Shoes?"

In the response letter the author, a professor at Brown 

University (a lefty from an Ivy League university,

of course) said that first letter "typifies the adulation 

often lavished on America's so-called greatest generation

(ah, you can sense the contempt that the respondent has

for this generation of Americans!). But the generation 

that did 'Storm the beaches to protect freedom' also

practiced segregation, which deprived that generation's

black citizens of freedom, as well as accepting the 

internment that deprived that generation's Japanese-

American fellow citizens of theirs." The professor's

letter finished "Let's face it: Every generation is a 

mixed bag."

Well of course every generation is a mixed bag! 

We are talking about people --- human beings ---

and humans are capable of doing great good and 

committing great wrongs; that is a large part of 

human nature. But do we castigate an entire generation 

because it is guilty of the latter while also being credited 

with the former? Our Greatest Generation had a huge role 

in saving the world from fascistic tyranny through a most

incredible effort and frightening sacrifice. And this 

professor from Brown might be interested to know 

that many of this same Greatest Generation would go on

to right the wrongs of racial discrimination in our society 

along with the obscenely unjust incarceration of Japanese-

Americans during that world war in which our Greatest 

Generation distinguished itself, with more than a few 

Japanese-Americans fighting side by side with the white, 

Anglo-Saxon Americans and the African-Americans

against the totalitarian foes from Europe and Japan.

They, too, were part of this, our Greatest Generation,

and left an indelible mark on our country's history

with their service and sacrifice. But this prof considers 

the good to be the enemy of the perfect, and wants 

only the perfect --- nothing else will do.

Yes, the Greatest Generation was a "mixed bag". 

But the blend's ratio was many parts positive to

few parts negative, and this made all the difference.

MEM 

James Inhofe, R.I.P.

Former U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) was a stalwart

conservative in his political career; uncompromising on

principles, a loyal public servant to his constituents, and

a well-rounded gentleman. 

Inhofe, who died on July 9 after suffering a stroke over the

holiday weekend, served in the Oklahoma legislature and 

as mayor of Tulsa as well as a member of the U.S. House 

of Representatives for seven years, then nearly 30 years 

in the U.S. Senate. A military veteran, Inhofe was the ranking

Republican on the Senate Armed Service Committee when he

retired, and had previously been the chairman of the committee

succeeding the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). He has been 

praised for being a driving force for growing and modernizing 

the U.S. military, as well as for being a strong proponent of 

The U.S. energy industry and an opponent of the present 

climate science pronouncements. As chairman of the Senate

Committee on Environment and Public Works he once brought  

a snowball onto the Senate floor in an attempt to disprove global

warming, earning many headlines in the process. Speaking on 

the Senate floor at the time Inhofe said "Climate is changing and

climate has always changed ... The hoax is that there are some 

people who are so arrogant to think that they are so powerful they 

can change climate. Man can't change climate." Sen. Inhofe wasn't 

one to mince words.

In addition, the late senator had long advocated for making English 

the national language of the United States, pushing for its inclusion 

in an amendment to immigration legislation.  A military-trained pilot,

Inhofe once helped a plane fly around the world. In Congress he was 

instrumental in passing the pilot's bill of rights, which he championed

when the Federal Aviation Administration cited the senator in 2010 

for landing on a closed runway. 

When campaigning for what would be his final term in the Senate

at the age of 85, he faced openly stated concerns about his age and 

its effect on his ability to perform his senate duties. His response was 

to fly a plane upside down to announce his candidacy for a fifth term.

"When I can no longer fly a plane upside down, then I'm too old to be

in the United States Senate," he declared in a campaign ad. 

A most remarkable man, a fine public servant, and a solid patriot. 

We were lucky to have him with us for these past 89 years. 

God rest you, Senator, and thank you for your many services.

MEM

Our Nation's Birthday is Nigh

Independence Day, a/k/a the Fourth of July, is close at hand.

The Peasant wishes all of you, my wonderful readers, a most

magnificent Independence Day, and let us not forget our 

Founding Fathers who gave us this great nation and the 

special day that is our nation's birthday. 

And, of course, let us not let anyone, from outside or inside of

our borders, take away that which these remarkable men have

bequeathed to us, having sacrificed much in order to do so.

This is why we keep informed on the state of our nation. 

This is why we take an active position on the governance 

of our nation, on both who governs us and how we are to be 

governed. 

And this is why we are, and pray God shall always be, a strong,

independent, sovereign, and exceptional nation among all 

the nations of the Earth; a shining beacon of hope and freedom

for humanity. 

MEM

One Lone Hero

From a report by Sharon Otterman in the New York Times:

A story headed "An Inside Look at the Student Takeover 

of Columbia's Hamilton Hall" with the subheading 

"Maintenance workers had a firsthand view of how 

protesters seized the building, and wondered why the 

university failed to stop it." Mariano Torres, a janitor

at the university, greeted masked protesters who entered 

Hamilton Hall by asking "What the hell is going on?"

Their response was "This is bigger than you!" One of 

the protesters said that he, Torres, was not paid enough

to handle the situation, while another protester offered 

Torres "a fistful of cash", according to Torres, to which

he replied "I don't want your money, dude. Just get out 

of the building!"

One lone, lowly janitor did what none of Columbia's 

bigwigs would do; he took a stand against members of 

a disorderly mob that barged into a place on campus where 

they had no permission to be, trying to protect the premises. 

It looks like the wrong person or persons are running the 

school. Applause for Mr. Torres! And applause for all people

on college campuses and elsewhere who stand up to these 

extremist bullies to preserve our right to freedom of expression

as provided for in the First Amendment of the Constitution!

MEM