As committed as I am to Ozarkansas, I remain casually aware of political and cultural goings-on in Ohio. A news item out of Columbus caught my attention yesterday — the state Senate voted overwhelmingly, as had the state House chamber earlier, to override a veto returned by the progressive governor, and now Ohio becomes the 24th state to ban the abomination known as “gender-affirming care” of minors.
Congratulations, Buckeyes, on seceding from Mutilation Nation.
Three years ago, Arkansas — true to its distinction as “the least ‘woke’ state in America” — was the first to enact such a law, and our legislature also had to override a RINO governor’s veto. The Arkansas ban was blocked last year by a federal judge, but a new measure was drafted, passed and signed into law within a few months.
Ohio, like my adopted home state, also now blocks “transgender athletes” — what sober and intelligent folks call “men and boys,” or simply “males” — from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. It’s about damned time.
Almost half of US states have passed laws like this since Arkansas first displayed the legislative courage to protect mentally ill children from being filleted and poisoned. That’s not enough, but candidly, I think that’s about as many as we can hope for.
Speaking of courage, Texas is on the clock to react to this week’s disturbing ruling by the Supreme Court, which allows federal agents to remove barriers that the state put up along its border with Mexico. The governor issued a statement yesterday afternoon, giving us some pretty strong clues about where he stands. Excerpts:
“The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States. The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including immigration laws on the books right now. President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them.”
“The failure of the Biden Administration to fulfill the duties imposed by Article IV, § 4 has triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which reserves to this State the right of self-defense. For these reasons, I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas’s constitutional authority to defend and protect itself. That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary. The Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other Texas personnel are acting on that authority, as well as state law, to secure the Texas border.”
It remains to be seen whether that statement is an unequivocal declaration of defiance or merely political saber-rattling. Either the governor means what he says — and what he says most definitely reflects the sentiments of Texans — or it’s all bluster, only a show.
If he’s serious, America is entering waters it hasn’t sailed since 1860.
Half a world away, wars rage in eastern Europe and in the Middle East, with an ever-present threat in the western Pacific. Beyond the active participants — which may or may not include the US, depending on how much you believe of what our government tells us — are nations and peoples on the fringes of the battlefield, wondering if conflict soon will spread to their soil.
This is the spectre of World War III.
Governments in some of those countries have advised citizens, and I mean explicitly, to prepare for war. Sweden. Poland. Germany. The UK. They know they’re targets. They’re conducting themselves accordingly, and wisely.
Meanwhile, the US squanders taxpayer money subsidizing these wars, ever the interventionist, while maintaining that it’s not involved. Despite the lack of demonstrable national security interests, the US is involved — by proxy at least, and probably more than that.
Let’s acknowledge two truths here. First, the US isn’t yet as deep in this global morass as its Ruling Elite wants it to be. And second, our homeland is no less a target than countries bordering a hot theater.
We — you and I, that is — must prepare for war.
Our own government won’t tell us that. For political reasons, it just won’t. It can’t. This is an election year, dontcha know, and even if it wasn’t, the Permanent State needs to maintain the illusion of American invulnerability.
Besides, a prepared People do things and own things that this increasingly totalitarian State abhors — namely, we keep and bear arms. A prepared People aren’t dependent on government, nor do we seek the security it claims to provide.
So don’t hold your breath waiting for this regime to issue a warning. Ain’t gonna happen.
Most readers of this blog know what to do.
Crooked Creek won’t be running dry again any time soon, that’s for damned sure. Our rainfall-and-runoff-reliant region is about as saturated as can be without a lot of standing water. The air is heavy, fog persists, rain continues.
Patches of blue sky appear, taunting us, then vanish.
We’re catching a 36-hour break from The Wet Stuff, but Saturday is looking like a washout. The sun returns next week, with some afternoon highs in the 60s.
Up near the summit yesterday morning, I’d walk a ways and then stop to listen to the wet winter woods, water dripping from trees onto rocks and decaying leaves. When I was very still, I could hear the sound of rain and melting snow percolating into the earth.
It surrounded me. The longer I listened, the louder it got.
This morning, Deb expressed interest in exploring again the old equestrian trail that runs along the lowest boundary of our property. That’s where most of our wet-weather runs are likely to pop up, draining The Mountain’s east flank.
I love the idea. It’s been far too long since we’ve ventured down that way.
She has the weekend off. If we pick Saturday for our foray, we’ll probably get rained on. Then again, that may be the best possible time to go.
We’ll have to see if I can talk her into hiking on a rainy day.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB
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