Keeping the faith in 2021pe

Thank you, Door County.

​Cheryl Berdan

​          I AM NOW A ​​​PRIVATE CITIZEN, 

SHARING MY PERSONAL OPINIONS.

READ AT RISK OF GAINING SOME COMMON SENSE.

October 26, 2021

Just Wondering...

​I am going to make a statement that is not founded in science necessarily, but has been rolling around in my head. I confess that I received the Covid vaccinations after carefully weighing my personal situation. A few months later, some of my pre-existing conditions began to worsen rapidly, confirmed by tests. I am being treated and testing continues for autoimmune diseases. I know 4 other(vaccinated) people who are experiencing similar issues. I wondered if these situations might be related to the shots. There is no evidence of a link at this point, but are they looking?

Then I read an article this morning about overcrowded emergency rooms in Lansing, MI having nothing to do with Covid, but with worsening conditions of other issues pertaining to weakened organs (heart, kidneys, blood clots, etc.). There is no mention in the article of how many of these patients have had the shots.

All I am asking is that the medical powers that be collect and look at the data to ascertain if there might be a link.  If there is, scientific method can be used to save lives. If not, it puts it to rest.

Please use any influence you have just to see that the data is collected and analyzed. Write to your elected officials, media and medical facilities. I know that there are issues and side-effects with every treatment. I am not against vaccinations and treatments, and I get my flu shot each year. However, I have never experienced such a rapid decline in my condition, and some of my specialists have expressed the same surprise.

This could land me back in Facebook jail, but I am just asking an honest question as I am concerned about my present condition.

Here is the link to the article I read: Once practically empty, ERs struggle with a surge of pent-up sickness : NPR

​

January 10, 2021

​WHAT NEXT?

For those of us who reckon ourselves followers of Jesus Christ and who consider it our ministry to serve near the fire of political involvement, the outcome of the work of the last few months has been ... well ... scorching. Not at all what we prayed for. After a short reprieve of a socially distanced celebration of the birth of our Savior (and Happy New Year), we are facing the harsh reality of defeat on more than one front. It is exhausting, it is deflating - just plain sad.

I still believe that the election was stolen by cheating. I still hold that much of the hype and resulting actions by local officials and health experts is hyperbole and falsification. I strongly support Law Enforcement. However, I am struck by just how deeply the forces of "progressive" political ideologies are entrenched in our society, our government, our educational systems, judicial systems (minus some brave judicial heroes), the media and, yes, even religion. They had to show us their true colors to do what they have done, but their power over the masses has been successful. We Christian Conservatives are the bad guys, the ones that need to be "cleansed", neutralized and stopped.

But, folks, here is the good news (I read the end of the book) - they ultimately lose. Christ wins! Many have tried in previous centuries to stomp out Christianity. They have always failed and will always fail.

So, what do we do in the meantime?  I for one, will stay in the fray, close to the fire. I will continue to stay involved in politics at especially the local and state level. I believe that God has placed me in this time and place where that freedom exists and I will do what I can to make sure that the message of Christ is heard and that traditional values and the sanctity of life are part of the narrative. I hope that many of you join me in that.

But for the everyday, day to day experience, I will not lose hope. I was watching a traditional Gospel music program on TV this morning. The Booth brothers were singing. One was a song I didn't know, but the message was familiar - Our home is in heaven, not here on earth.

It brings to mind the song we used to sing, "this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through." It hit me between the eyes. It jolted me back to the real reality that "our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

My mission from God, regardless of who won what election or how much persecution we suffer, is just to be faithful while I keep my eyes on His promised return. 

I call on all of you who were able to resonate with what I just wrote, to faithfully pray, study God's Word, love your neighbor, be ready to share your faith and live in peace. Those of us living at this time are God's appointed ambassadors to teach our children and be a light to the world.

Our former Governor, Scott Walker, posts encouraging Scripture verses daily on social media, as many of you do. Whenever he does, there are a number of trolls who spew evil hatred in response to those verses. You have to wonder why it is so important for them to follow him as a private citizen and to comment on a simple Bible verse. It is the most powerful evidence that Jesus Christ is who He said He is. The mention of His name, the quoting of His Words bring up such fear from these people that they have to shout hateful things. It reminds me of when Jesus would cast out demons. The demons sometimes would shout hate at Him. The name of Jesus is powerful and the more we say it, the angrier the enemies will get. But do not fear them; they will not prevail. That is a promise straight from God. Hebrews 13:5,6 says, "... for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,'  so that we confidently say, 'The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?'"

I am praying for you!

​​

​September 3, 2020

​ I am here launching a new game show called, "Name That Hypocrite". I am compiling a list of totally insane things being done in the name of politics (yes, from both sides). So, I will pull my subjects from the news and my friends like you. Please send submissions right from the "Contact" tab on the top of this page.

Ready? Here are three off the top of my head.

1. Governor (and I use the title in protest) Evers and the mayor of Kenosha wrote President Donald Trump a letter, asking that he not come to Kenosha to tour the devastation left behind by the "peaceful protestors" of the last two weeks. They said it would be too divisive. Of course the local Board also wrote a letter encouraging him to come because they need his leadership and if you saw the reports (ignored by MSM) there were a lot of people welcoming and cheering him for coming. 

Now that would be ok, and not surprising, if they would have done the same thing to the other side of the division (it does take two sides to be divisive) and ask for candidate Joe Biden to stay away (preferably in his basement) as well. But, they didn't. He is being welcomed by them in grand style. He even criticized President Trump for going there and causing a distraction. But - there he is.

I name that Hypocrite - Joe Biden.

2. I feel real sorry for this particular hypocrite because she, first and foremost, is unable to wash and style her own hair. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived the other day at a Washington DC hair salon (which is supposed to be closed for any indoor service by order of the local Covid mandates), went inside without a mask and had her hair washed and styled (mind you, not cut). Apparently, her money can't buy her someone to come to her to perform this service. Anyway, it gets out. The world falls apart and she is soundly criticized. How does this top-ranking Democrat in the US react? She blames the salon owner for...wait for it...setting her up. San Fran Nancy claims that the owner accepted her request for service just to get her criticized. But maybe I am too critical. After all, perhaps Nancy didn't know the salon was supposed to be closed and that what she requested was illegal and an affront to all of us "despicables" who must follow the law.  Nancy, no one can set you up to break the law unless you actually do break the law.

I name that Hypocrite - Nancy Pelosi.

3. Here in Wisconsin, we have warring factions that, in the end, are all trying to accomplish the same thing, but just can't walk together without bickering. The Republican Party of Wisconsin has made some unfortunate decisions on its methods in the last few years. The latest of which was the Governor's election in 2018. Grass root participation was treated as irrelevant and on a lower level by the party heads who ignored input from normal human Conservatives. Cases in point were the warnings that marijuana and school referenda might throw a wrench into the election, and that a focus on phone calling and door knocking was needed. The party chose to focus on social media and big money. They were caught with their pants down when potheads and novice voters literally came out of the woodwork (spurred on by grass root liberal efforts) and voted. I actually witnessed this happening as I worked at the polls. So many new voters went to the booth and checked maybe 3 or 4 boxes (the short vote counts bear this out) on the ballot to make sure the referenda, the governor and the attorney general boxes were checked. BTW, I was on the Governor's staff, so I lost my job when he lost the election- a job I loved.

This election is a a huge deal. I get that. However, the grass root Conservatives who may not usually get out there and work for campaigns have been up in arms about the unreasonable and illegal tactics used by this Governor to keep Wisconsin locked down. The party, focused on how it feels the election should be run, have largely ignored this growing segment of voters. The latest mask mandate, clearly an overreach, has been perceived by voters to be ignored by the party and the Legislature. A couple of large "anti-mask" groups in Wisconsin have emerged on Facebook and other platforms and should have been taken seriously by the Republican party. Talk about a treasure trove of Conservative voters. The newest group to come out of this dissatisfaction is a couple of Recall Evers groups, one of which circumvented the wisdom of experienced political operatives and has filed to be able to accept signatures to start that process. They are working tirelessly and all over the state. They have so many people in these groups that they calculate that if every member gets 20 valid signatures, they will have over 1 million, which would be enough to force a recall election, probably early in 2021.

Instead of encouraging this type of valiant effort, including these people spending their own time and money in organizing and effecting this movement, the Republican party comes out, by means of some of its chairs and vice-chairs to try and discourage people from going ahead with this and signing the petitions. What?

Now, the party does have a couple of good points and maybe the groups should have waited. Yes, Evers will be able to raise a lot more money due to the recall threat and it might divert resources from the main objective of keeping Trump in office. But the only reason this is going on is that these patriots were not being respected by the Republican party heads. The party could have stopped this before it began, but chose to be bullies instead of allies. They chose to pretend to be supportive of the grass roots and the people saw it a mile away.

It is time for both of these sides to come together and work together, using the resources for both objectives. Working against each other brings about outcomes like 2018. We lost the best Governor. We can win if we stop the bickering and if the great political minds humble themselves and realize that the people on the front lines in their jobs, their families and their neighborhoods have a wealth of insight.

I name that hypocrite - The Conservative Political establishment. BTW - it is NOT too late to make it right.

Got others? Send them to me through the "Contact" tab at the top of this page. I know they are out there.

August 10, 2020

I am defeated!  It is useless for me to try anymore. It only took 4 days after returning home from a short, restful vacation to Door County to be thrust back into the horror that is life in the real world. 

My life comes with a lot of baggage, and I know I am not alone in that. One of the heaviest pieces of baggage of my childhood is overcoming attitudes and opinions gained in my adolescence in the 1960’s. I knew the attitudes about race and culture that my parents and all of their peers espoused were wrong. I knew that being biased against someone just because of the color of their skin was unfair. I rebelled like so many other young people. I was too young to be a hippie, although I tried. However my father’s constant pushing for me to excel in school was too strong. Then, in college, I heard for the first time (although I went to church growing up) that Jesus loved me personally and wanted to have a relationship with me. “I decided to follow Jesus” as the song goes and it transformed my life.

I was able to shun much of the baggage of my youth because my faith taught me that all of us are God’s children. I had close friends of all faiths, ethnicities and lifestyle preferences who I prayed for and shared with often.

Once I graduated from college and entered the working world, I continued in that path, but the words and attitudes of my childhood kept creeping in, wanting me to dwell on those biases, especially when it came to race relations. In my chosen career path, Human Resources in a Fortune 500 Company, there were frequent reminders of the stereotypes that I tried to bury deep in my psyche. I consciously worked at it for decades and I made sure that my attitude was to treat everyone with common human decency, unless a person would act to cause me to lose respect for them. It happened, but infrequently.

But now, in the current climate of our country, I find it very difficult, and this week it bubbled over into a rant that I have not as yet given up. The cause of this rant, unbelievably, came from happenings in my quiet, welcoming community of Wauwatosa, WI. In 2009, I became an alderperson in Wauwatosa and continued to serve in that capacity until April of this year when I tried unsuccessfully to be elected mayor and did not run to retain my seat. At this point, I thank God everyday that I am not a part of that elected body, which I feel has made a number of destructively bad decisions and has bowed to a mob of non-residents who have been demanding that the city change for them.

The city government has, in effect, given them the run of the city and it has turned tragic. After not getting their demands in short order, some of which are not in the power of the city to even deal with, they continue to shut down our streets, shutdown the state’s largest shopping mall and a nearby restaurant (neither of which had anything to do with the incidents). They have apparently done so, at least 5 times in 10 weeks.

That alone caused my ire to rise. These people, for the most part, are not our residents, nor,  judging by their behavior, are they desirable visitors. The Common Council and the Fire and Police Commission have been groveling and trying to appease them. The Council even gave them a free-for-all town hall type meeting where they spoke for 4 hours, verbalizing their demands and blatant threats to our city and to the officer himself (who, by the way, is also Black).

But Saturday night, oh Saturday night, all bets were off on my holding down the biases from my past because every stereotype was confirmed. After shutting down the mall and the restaurant, 50-60 of them noisily and illegally proceeded to the home the officer shares with his girlfriend and children where they shouted and vandalized the home. The officer, who by the way, is now unarmed because the mob intimidated the Fire and Police Commission into suspending him – with pay by law (which the mob was not happy with) confiscating his weapon, came outside to talk to the thugs (yes, thugs) and try to diffuse the situation in an effort to protect his family. Did the thugs appreciate the effort and communicate with him?  If you call assaulting him and his girlfriend in their yard as communication, which I guess it is. Why are these p*** not in jail? (I can’t call them “people”)  Do you believe that was all they did?  It isn’t. Some of them went around to the back of the house and shot a shotgun into the house – Yes, the house with children inside.

What did this young police officer do to conjure up such anger? He has, in the line of duty, shot and killed three men in 5 years. The first two incidents were investigated as per the law and judged justified by the Milwaukee County District Attorney because of the threat they posed. The third incident, which occurred in February, is still in the hands of the DA and a decision has not been announced. “Innocent until proven guilty” is a doctrine of the law that I am sure most people agree with – but not in this case. The mob wants him fired and convicted before the DA rules. The City Council and the Police and Fire Commission had no business taking the actions they did. One of the alderpersons even wrote an email to the FPC, asking them to fire him. Have they all gone nuts?

So, I say, “I am defeated”. I don’t know what else to do. Wauwatosa was, even recently, a city that was organically becoming a place that welcomed and respected everyone. Not a Utopia, but changing in a positive way because its people were working together to build strong neighborhoods and accept all who want to come. As mayor, that is what I wanted to cultivate. However, government stepped in and destroyed the good that has been done. Mayor Dennis McBride has called the city “divided” in a couple of his press releases. Mr. Mayor, the city was not divided prior to you and the Council bowing to the demands of people who are not welcoming to anyone who disagrees with them. Most of us were working hard on burying our baggage and not allowing it to determine our attitudes and our actions. Now, your actions have served to confirm the stereotypes and we by default have landed on a side. It started with the proposed structure of the Equity and Inclusion Commission that I fought against. I asked that it not be a group that would focus only on the police and the fabricated ill treatment of minorities in this city. I asked that it include all of the groups who are sometimes forgotten, like the elderly, the disabled, and other minorities, and not in their relation to the police who have always done a tremendous job. You soundly shut me down and I was called a racist. The only topic the Commission would talk about was the one that has divided our city. The chair of the Commission has spoken publicly more than once with very specific and divisive language. The other half of the city has been stomped on and not represented – you know them – the ones who just want to live and enjoy their lives with their families and are not in your face yelling their demands, because they elected you to maintain the city that facilitates their peaceful lifestyle. And in this case that would have been drawing a line in the beginning and then sticking to it.

Defeated and ashamed.                                         

  ​​July 21, 2020

​
There is an extreme, deep crisis pulling people apart and polarizing this entire country. It has nothing to do with race or the police. It isn’t even about the Coronavirus Pandemic, although related. It is the Great Masking Conflict (said with an echo effect). Whether or not to wear face coverings in public is the number one topic of conversation on and off social media. It reaches down to the local grocery store where maskless individuals have reported being berated, and called names by maskers. I personally have made enemies of family members, including a very respected one who called me an idiot for my stand on this issue.

I am not going to go into the points on each side. Everyone is convinced that their opinion is backed up by science and by the numbers and that their stance is the strongest. In addition, there is deep emotion invested in it. It is much more than just political – people are scared. They are fearful for their elderly loved ones, their children and themselves.

Due to the pandemic, many businesses have struggled since the Country was locked down in March and many are not going to be able to recover. People are out of work, people are lonely, children are uncertain and suffering. There is no one who is escaping the fallout.

And, in typical human fashion, the politicians and other powerful people on both sides of the spectrum have used their money and clout to make this into a political fight. We are the pawns in their stupid fight for power and we are the ones who suffer.

So where are we? This week, masks have been made mandatory both by law and by order in many cities and counties, even historically conservative ones. Businesses are being made to require them in their buildings. They have been threatened by insurance companies, by their corporate offices, by local governments and by health departments. And now, they are being inundated by calls, emails and letters begging them to keep customers and employees safe by mandating face coverings. The tide has turned, and masks will soon be required everywhere.

Although that vexes the maskless, it is where we are and most of the maskers in your neighborhood are just people who are scared. How they got that way doesn’t matter now, but it is a fact and we have to  deal with where we are and not with how we wish it was.

My recommendation is that we all come together and make sure that this issue cannot be used as a political ploy as we move into an election season. Let’s make mask requirements irrelevant as an issue and focus on the real differences in the candidates and the real issues that affect us. How do we do that?  We comply when required, and make it feel like a non-issue, like it’s no big deal.  If, in fact, the wearing of masks for a few weeks weakens the virus’ hold on us, then we can fight hard to bring back as much normalcy as possible. Let’s look ahead at figuring out ways to cooperate. Fight hard for your convictions honestly and without usurping the rights of others. Treat others with common human decency. Be loving and logical in what you believe and find places where you can agree.

Please remember that a piece of paper or cotton over your face is not the issue to stand on the hill over.

​                                           

                                                July 16, 2020

                                                                               ASK WHY

This week, I witnessed the defeat of two battles in which I was involved in my city. It greatly distressed me and I fell into a pit (although a shallow one) of despair. Now I have been experiencing the political decline of this city for several years, but I fought to keep common sense alive. I was an alderperson for 11 years and this year I ran for mayor (although soundly defeated in the primary partly because I was publicly accused of being “too conservative” and “too religious” to be elected –  and many like-minded people have moved to greener (or should I say “redder”)  pastures. I don’t blame them). I did not run to keep my aldermanic seat, so now I am a private citizen trying to fight the same fight. My defeats this week were both political, but they wounded me. I first reached out to God. After God reached back to strengthen me through the Bible, I also reached out to friends. I want to thank each one of you who took the time to encourage me. I was feeling like there was no one supporting me. Even some colleagues who I thought understood, bowed to the pressure of the mob and the elitists.

This morning I read a Facebook post by someone I don’t know in one of the groups I follow. Her middle school son, after hearing that school this fall will only be part time with a slew of “guidelines” in place, asked her, “if masks work to keep us safe, why do we still have to stay 6 feet apart from other people?” What a great, simple question! Good job. However, it is one question that too many people are not asking.

Why aren’t we asking it? Another good question.
 
Unless Americans, people who are free to ask “why”, don’t start asking and answering that question for themselves, we may find ourselves in the situation of no longer being free to ask it. Look at China and other socialist and communist countries.

The first, step, however, in asking “why” must be a proper view of human nature. There are some wonderfully loving and honest people in this country who have been taken in by the charlatans. I understand them. My late husband was one of those people. Inside, he was so trusting and innocent through his love of God, that he could not conceive of anyone having any dishonesty or negative motives. That hurt him in life and in business. I tried to explain Matthew 10:16 to him. Jesus said, “Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” He didn’t really get it, but he relied heavily on me, because I have a touch of larceny in my soul. I tried to explain that the biblical truth “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” means that everyone has a sinful nature, even him. We have to start there. Asking the “why” question is easier if you don’t immediately discount the possibility of deceit as one of the alternatives.

Anyway, that being said, start asking “why” to what you see on TV or online or are told by others. Why do we have to stay 6 feet apart if masks work?  Answer is, we don’t and they don’t. The answer is that as far back as the flu pandemic of 1918 and as recently as March of this year, medical professionals have determined that masks are useless in stopping the spread of a contagion. Now, here is the big one, and you should do research and find the answer for this one, if you haven’t already – don’t take my word for it – Why, then the big push to wear masks AND keep a 6-foot distance? I have searched long and hard for the answer, and I have only recently come across it because I listed all my “why” questions together and found that they form a pattern, a straight line that becomes incredibly obvious. But when we know the answer, it is easier to counter it.

Here are some examples of my why questions:

1. Why did the coronavirus show up when it did right on the heals of the failed “Russian collusion” investigation? Coincidence? Why was China allowed to hide the information, especially since the lab that held the virus (for experimentation on a super-vaccine) is funded by Bill Gates, George Soros and Dr. Anthony Faucci? One question leads to another. Why did Anthony Faucci, a longtime respected expert in contagious diseases, not know how masks work, having first told us that there is no reason to wear one and now telling us they are essential?
2. Why did the virus show up just as the impeachment process of President Trump was failing?
3. Why is there a spike all of a sudden in cases? (that one is simple) But then why are hospital and death rates not spiking in the US to match? Why aren’t the homeless being wiped out by the virus if they are not practicing any “guidelines”? Why haven’t people been getting the virus in grocery stores?
4. Why aren’t the protestors and rioters being plagued by this disease after the death of George Floyd? Why are cities prohibiting church attendance but allowing the protests and riots to continue unfettered?  Why have police been told to stand down and not impede the destruction of businesses, historic monuments, homes and other property?
5. Here is a harder one. Why are there as many, if not more white people protesting and rioting for racial equity and Black Lives Matter than black people?  Oooo, a racial question. Can we have an honest discussion on that? Why not?
6. Why are businesses (especially large retailers) this week running to get on the “mask mandate” bandwagon after proving that people can shop safely in their stores by just using common sense hygiene?
7. Why do people hate President Trump so much?  Why did the politicians divide the country into “essential” and “non-essential” businesses and keep it that way for so long, destroying what was a booming economy with incredibly low unemployment, especially when we knew early on that this was not a deadly disease (contagious, yes)? Why could people shop safely at grocery stores and liquor stores and not at furniture stores, or clothing stores, etc.?
8. Why are police being targeted now to be defunded and weakened? Who benefits from that?
9. Why doesn’t the mainstream media cover any of these questions? Why aren’t they investigating and reporting on the discrepancies in the coronavirus case counts? Seriously, some of them could be like Woodward and Bernstein for answering those questions. Why don’t they want that fame and fortune? Why aren’t they trying to find out about these groups that are destroying our cities and bullying our elected officials?
10. Why are we hearing so many reports, that are buried by the media, that numbers of cases and numbers of deaths are being grossly inflated?

The list goes on, but I fear I have lost many of you already. You can add your own “why” questions, which may start answering the “who”, “what”, “how”, “when” and “where” questions.

To me, the straight line is clear as I have been asking and researching these questions as they come up. It is not a pretty picture.

I absolutely believe that God is in control of what happens. There have been so many things that I am sure anger him, but, at least at this point, He is leaving it to us. Even if we feel that this is all the will of God, the prophesied end times (which I do), God has left us here and I firmly believe He wants us in the fight.

If you don’t want a short Bible exposition, stop reading now, although I hope you won’t.

I have been studying the book of Philippians this week. It is about how we are to conduct ourselves in times of suffering. Paul was writing from prison. He tells the Philippian citizens to:

Let their love abound more and more (1:9)

Discern what is best (1:10)

Be righteous (an action word meaning “do the right thing”) (1:11)

Proclaim the gospel, even in chains (1:15)

Pray (1:18)

Stand firm, strive together for the gospel (1:27)

Do not be frightened by those who oppose them (1:28)

Rejoice in the Lord (3:1)

Press on toward the goal (3:14)

Stand firm (4:1)

Let their gentleness be evident to all  - in other words, get out there and emulate Christ (4:5)

Pray more (4:6)

Think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy – only the Word of God is all of those things. (4:8)

Put all that they have learned into practice – don’t just think about it (4:9)

Remember that it is God who strengthens them (4:13)

And:

The grace of God will be with their (and our)  spirit (4:23)

Amen and amen!

​July 10, 2020

My head is spinning. Not in a dizzy way, but in a suspicious way. It is usually not hard for me to see the straight line in a situation and discern motives to get to the truth. And most of the time situations involving science are the easiest because science is supposed to be based on facts and experiments that prove the facts. For example, figuring out of the truth of so-called "Climate Change" is not hard. The motives are clear and that puts all of the hype in perspective. But that is for another time. However, the science behind this coronavirus or Covid-19 is totally baffling. There is no straight line. It is all over the place and changing at will. 

Now I know that "New World Order" people are behind much of it, so you can see where the line runs - demolishing everything we hold dear. The Democrats are behind a lot of it, and their motives are clear as well - the election in November. But we also have groups like Black Lives Matter, whose founders are Marxists (who, by the way, hated ethnic minorities) and Antifa (joining BLM) who are just plain anarchists and will join any fight, which is now dismantling the police in the name of ending racism (or so they say).

A friend sent me a link to an article that really helped me sift through the unrest going on in cities. I am sharing it here because I believe it is an important piece of information in putting this all together.

It is:  https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/07/how_antifa_and_black_lives_matter_compare_with_satan.html?fbclid=IwAR2U2CaIDmu5Skm6KOAkUB1PVm2Omcms41NufRmJbu2pqrU5CFZMgI05d6g

(If it doesn't show up as a clickable link, you might have to just copy and paste it into your address bar, but I think it is worth the time)

Anyway, back to my straight lines:

We worry about the rioting and destruction and our safety on the bigger scale, but, at least for me, it really gets personal when we think about our health. Science should be able to tell us by now what is going on with this virus. We should have some definitive answers at this point. The greatest medical minds in the world are working on this, but cannot get a handle on it. I cannot find the straight line. Is it because these brilliant scientists are not up to the task or do they have answers that they are not telling us? Or...are the well-connected and funded political minds mentioned above throwing the proverbial wrench into the works?

We don't know really how the virus is most often caught. First it was through the air, then it might be on surfaces, then it might not be on surfaces, then it might only minimally be caught by casual contact. Now you can be infected just by being without a mask in public.

First, the protocol was to hospitalize patients right away and use a ventilator. But now maybe that was the wrong thing. Some say people died because of this misguided treatment regimen. Maybe some established anti-viral medications may help, but no, but then yes. 

Maybe wearing masks will help, but maybe not. But maybe. Then let's make them mandatory, even when you are walking outside. Let's lock everything down - close businesses, schools, churches, everything. No, let's open things up. Now let's close things again.

The only line I can see is a squiggly one that goes back and forth between the scientists (whose lifeline is the government) and the politicians who want to control the political landscape and are willing to manipulate our economy and our safety to achieve their agenda. Politicians step in and make the confusing and ever-changing rules.  They are using their pressure to convince corporations and healthcare conglomerates that it is their truth that must be upheld, not the scientists. And the scientists acquiesce.

We don't have the truth because the scientists keep changing their recommendations to match the political pressure. WE DON'T HAVE THE TRUTH! We don't have the true basic information we need to make our health decisions. Do we stay home? Do we attend social gatherings? Do we host them? Do we wear masks?

I have even recently seen some common sense medical professionals writing that they now recommend that people do wear masks "just in case". It doesn't make sense. 

I am in a "high risk" group because of my age and recent health concerns. My mother lives with me. I don't want to infect her either. What do I do? There is no straight line to a decision. The scam is too perplexing to unravel and we are caught in the middle.

How dare they do this to us?  I, for one, am going to keep fighting. I am going to look in every nook and cranny that I have access to and try to expose the lies. I am going to  keep on informing people of what I know to be true.

I will not be guilty of complacency. I will vote and I will shout the names of those candidates who are also trying to uphold truth. 

But my head is still spinning.​​

June 25, 2020

I don't know how to start this one. I realized on my birthday two days ago, that I must have lost a number of friends. Thank you to those of you who have hung in there with me as I have taken the risk of sharing my personal opinions freely for the first time in a long time. When I worked for County and State government, and for the 11 years that I served as an alderperson in Wauwatosa, I filtered my words carefully so as not to reflect negatively on those I represented. I had to retire from the State in January 2019 because my boss, Governor Walker, did not prevail in the 2018 election (most unfortunately). Then I ran for mayor of Wauwatosa as the Covid-19 lockdowns were happening, but was not successful and did not run to retain my aldermanic seat. 

Now, part of me is very glad that I am not an elected official as this pandemic madness plays out and as the death of one person has sparked violence and has shown the total lack of common sense on every side. However, the other part of me feels helpless because I no longer have a seat at the table to try to inject some logical thinking into what is not a conversation, but is undeserved, blatant racial shaming. 

Yesterday, rioters unlawfully shut down Mayfair Mall and blocked traffic to march to the police station to make demands, led by the same instigators who direct the disruptions in Milwaukee.

We, in Wauwatosa, have a tremendous police force who take their job very seriously to protect and serve. They are always ready to put their personal safety aside to maintain the quiet, peaceful quality of life that keeps us here, and they do so fairly. They also get involved in the community in many positive ways. 

How are our fine servants with a badge being treated? The Common Council is bending to the pressure to insult, weaken and handcuff them. In my personal opinion, it is not only shameful, but it is dangerous. I tried to fight against this intimidation as an alderperson, but I was shut out and called a "racist". 

There are a series of meetings coming up that anyone who has any common sense should attend and get others to go with them. In addition, write to and call your alderpersons. It is the majority voice that is not being heard now. That is up to us. 

Here is a quote from the Wauwatosa Patch news that outlines what is coming up. It starts tonight with a meeting of the Wauwatosa "Equity and Inclusion Commission" whose goal has always been to weaken our police, and then continues in a series of meetings by the Common Council committees and the Council itself. People need to show up. 

​https://patch.com/wisconsin/wauwatosa/wauwatosa-officials-take-police-reform-questions?utm_term=article-slot-1&utm_source=newsletter-daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

I do have an alternate solution for you if you fail to have your voice heard supporting the police: Arm yourself and be ready to protect your family on your own. I do not say that lightly.

​

June 20, 2020

A friend of mine sent me this link:

https://ifapray.org/blog/?single=44393

That should instill fear in anyone who is an average human being, regardless of political or religious convictions.

We have been experiencing evil and hatred in this country recently, but this goes to a new level. People who worship the devil usually hide their opinions and their rituals in the dark, but now they are coming out into the daylight.

Do you need any more evidence that America is at a tipping point and needs God to bring stability?

If you are a Christ-follower, it is above all imperative that you pray - not just at church - but every day. Yes, pray for our country, pray for our leaders and pray for yourself. Pray for boldness in sharing Christ's love and your faith among those people that God has put in your path - and step out and do just that. It is the winning strategy. It is what confounds the ungodly forces the most - our steadfast faith. They would rather we get out and march and yell and scream. They can deal with that, but they can't deal with love. Proverbs 25:21,22 says, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head."

If everyone who professes saving faith in Jesus Christ would just love the people around them, it would fill this country and the world. The devil-worshippers, the race-baiters, the false religionists, etc. would not have a platform. At the base of it, all people want to belong and to be loved. Why aren't they getting that from us?  Fill our churches. Make them the center of love and then show your workplace, your neighborhood and your family what real fulfillment is. We are not going to win those who are so deceived, but we can be a line of defense for those at risk of following the wrong path. Just love them. Just share why you have peace. It is simple, but not easy. We have to risk being rejected, but that is ok.

The stakes are high right now for our children. Look at what they are seeing and hearing. Be an alternative that isn't violent or hating or scary.

Step out in faith and influence who you can - God has you where you are for a reason. I have renewed courage to do just that.

June 15, 2020

Today is a day of musing and remembering. I do have to start by saying that this weekend, it was a joy to be invited to two small post-lockdown gatherings of friends. I enjoyed just being there and sharing their friendship. Even my "Introvertedness" didn't make me pause for a moment in accepting the invitations. Thank you all for that.

However, the musing today is because it is the day, 6 years ago, that my husband, Bill, suddenly passed away. It was Father's Day 2014. I can't believe it has been 6 years, but as I look back on this unexpected journey, I definitely see God's gentle hand protecting me and comforting me all the way. 

The impetus for this post, however, is a Facebook post I received today. It is a list that someone has compiled on what President Trump and his cabinet have accomplished since his election. I cannot verify all of them, but I just present this list for your review. To me, if even half of them are true, we certainly have been well led.

So, here it is:

Dude has been in office for 3 years.... what has he done? Other than dodging the darts the media and Pelosi have thrown?!?

what have PRESIDENT TRUMP and his cabinet accomplished.....

Here you go.
* Trump recently signed 3 bills to benefit Native people. One gives compensation to the Spokane tribe for loss of their lands in the mid-1900s, one funds Native language programs, and the third gives federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana.
* Trump finalized the creation of Space Force as our 6th Military branch.
* Trump signed a law to make cruelty to animals a federal felony so that animal abusers face tougher consequences.👀👀
* Violent crime has fallen every year he’s been in office after rising during the 2 years before he was elected.
* Trump signed a bill making CBD and Hemp legal.👀👀
* Trump’s EPA gave $100 million to fix the water infrastructure problem in Flint, Michigan.
* Under Trump’s leadership, in 2018 the U.S. surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of crude oil.
* Trump signed a law ending the gag orders on Pharmacists that prevented them from sharing money-saving information.
* Trump signed the “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act” (FOSTA), which includes the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” (SESTA) which both give law enforcement and victims new tools to fight sex trafficking.👀👀
* Trump signed a bill to require airports to provide spaces for breastfeeding Moms.
* The 25% lowest-paid Americans enjoyed a 4.5% income boost in November 2019, which outpaces a 2.9% gain in earnings for the country's highest-paid workers.
* Low-wage workers are benefiting from higher minimum wages and from corporations that are increasing entry-level pay.
* Trump signed the biggest wilderness protection & conservation bill in a decade and designated 375,000 acres as protected land.
* Trump signed the Save our Seas Act which funds $10 million per year to clean tons of plastic & garbage from the ocean.👀👀
* He signed a bill this year allowing some drug imports from Canada so that prescription prices would go down.
* Trump signed an executive order this year that forces all healthcare providers to disclose the cost of their services so that Americans can comparison shop and know how much less providers charge insurance companies.
* When signing that bill he said no American should be blindsided by bills for medical services they never agreed to in advance.
* Hospitals will now be required to post their standard charges for services, which include the discounted price a hospital is willing to accept.
* In the eight years prior to President Trump’s inauguration, prescription drug prices increased by an average of 3.6% per year. Under Trump, drug prices have seen year-over-year declines in nine of the last ten months, with a 1.1% drop as of the most recent month.
* He created a White House VA Hotline to help veterans and principally staffed it with veterans and direct family members of veterans.👀👀
* VA employees are being held accountable for poor performance, with more than 4,000 VA employees removed, demoted, and suspended so far.
* Issued an executive order requiring the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs to submit a joint plan to provide veterans access to access to mental health treatment as they transition to civilian life.
* Because of a bill signed and championed by Trump, In 2020, most federal employees will see their pay increase by an average of 3.1% — the largest raise in more than 10 years.
* Trump signed into a law up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for millions of federal workers.
* Trump administration will provide HIV prevention drugs for free to 200,000 uninsured patients per year for 11 years.👀👀
* All-time record sales during the 2019 holidays.
* Trump signed an order allowing small businesses to group together when buying insurance to get a better price👀👀
* President Trump signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act that provides funding for states to develop maternal mortality reviews to better understand maternal complications and identify solutions & largely focuses on reducing the higher mortality rates for Black Americans.
* In 2018, President Trump signed the groundbreaking First Step Act, a criminal justice bill which enacted reforms that make our justice system fairer and help former inmates successfully return to society.
* The First Step Act’s reforms addressed inequities in sentencing laws that disproportionately harmed Black Americans and reformed mandatory minimums that created unfair outcomes.👀👀
* The First Step Act expanded judicial discretion in sentencing of non-violent crimes.
* Over 90% of those benefitting from the retroactive sentencing reductions in the First Step Act are Black Americans.
* The First Step Act provides rehabilitative programs to inmates, helping them successfully rejoin society and not return to crime.
* Trump increased funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by more than 14%.👀👀
* Trump signed legislation forgiving Hurricane Katrina debt that threatened HBCUs.
* New single-family home sales are up 31.6% in October 2019 compared to just one year ago.
* Made HBCUs a priority by creating the position of executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs.
* Trump received the Bipartisan Justice Award at a historically black college for his criminal justice reform accomplishments.
* The poverty rate fell to a 17-year low of 11.8% under the Trump administration as a result of a jobs-rich environment.👀👀
* Poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans have reached their lowest levels since the U.S. began collecting such data.
* President Trump signed a bill that creates five national monuments, expands several national parks, adds 1.3 million acres of wilderness, and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
* Trump’s USDA committed $124 Million to rebuild rural water infrastructure.👀👀
* Consumer confidence & small business confidence is at an all time high.
* More than 7 million jobs created since election.
* More Americans are now employed than ever recorded before in our history.
* More than 400,000 manufacturing jobs created since his election.
* Trump appointed 5 openly gay ambassadors.👀👀
* Trump ordered Ric Grenell, his openly gay ambassador to Germany, to lead a global initiative to decriminalize homosexuality across the globe.
* Through Trump’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) initiative, Federal law enforcement more than doubled convictions of human traffickers and increased the number of defendants charged by 75% in ACTeam districts.
* In 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismantled an organization that was the internet’s leading source of prostitution-related advertisements resulting in sex trafficking.
* Trump’s OMB published new anti-trafficking guidance for government procurement officials to more effectively combat human trafficking.
* Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested 1,588 criminals associated with Human Trafficking.
* Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services provided funding to support the National Human Trafficking Hotline to identify perpetrators and give victims the help they need.
* The hotline identified 16,862 potential human trafficking cases.
* Trump’s DOJ provided grants to organizations that support human trafficking victims – serving nearly 9,000 cases from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018.👀👀
* The Department of Homeland Security has hired more victim assistance specialists, helping victims get resources and support.
* President Trump has called on Congress to pass school choice legislation so that no child is trapped in a failing school because of his or her zip code.👀👀
* The President signed funding legislation in September 2018 that increased funding for school choice by $42 million.
* The tax cuts signed into law by President Trump promote school choice by allowing families to use 529 college savings plans for elementary and secondary education.👀👀
* Under his leadership ISIS has lost most of their territory and been largely dismantled.
* ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed.
* Signed the first Perkins CTE reauthorization since 2006, authorizing more than $1 billion for states each year to fund vocational and career education programs.
* Executive order expanding apprenticeship opportunities for students and workers.
* Trump issued an Executive Order prohibiting the U.S. government from discriminating against Christians or punishing expressions of faith.
* Signed an executive order that allows the government to withhold money from college campuses deemed to be anti-Semitic and who fail to combat anti-Semitism.
* President Trump ordered a halt to U.S. tax money going to international organizations that fund or perform abortions.
* Trump imposed sanctions on the socialists in Venezuela who have killed their citizens.
* Finalized new trade agreement with South Korea.
* Made a deal with the European Union to increase U.S. energy exports to Europe.👀👀
* Withdrew the U.S. from the job killing TPP deal.
* Secured $250 billion in new trade and investment deals in China and $12 billion in Vietnam.
* Okay’d up to $12 billion in aid for farmers affected by unfair trade retaliation.👀👀
* Has had over a dozen US hostages freed, including those Obama could not get freed.
* Trump signed the Music Modernization Act, the biggest change to copyright law in decades.
* Trump secured Billions that will fund the building of a wall at our southern border.
* The Trump Administration is promoting second chance hiring to give former inmates the opportunity to live crime-free lives and find meaningful employment.
* Trump’s DOJ and the Board Of Prisons launched a new “Ready to Work Initiative” to help connect employers directly with former prisoners.👀👀
* President Trump’s historic tax cut legislation included new Opportunity Zone Incentives to promote investment in low-income communities across the country.
* 8,764 communities across the country have been designated as Opportunity Zones.
* Opportunity Zones are expected to spur $100 billion in long-term private capital investment in economically distressed communities across the country.
* Trump directed the Education Secretary to end Common Core.👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
* Trump signed the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund into law.
* Trump signed measure funding prevention programs for Veteran suicide.👀👀
* Companies have brought back over a TRILLION dollars from overseas because of the TCJA bill that Trump signed.
* Manufacturing jobs are growing at the fastest rate in more than 30 years.
* Stock Market has reached record highs.
* Median household income has hit highest level ever recorded.
* African-American unemployment is at an all time low.
* Hispanic-American unemployment is at an all time low.
* Asian-American unemployment is at an all time low.
* Women’s unemployment rate is at a 65-year low.
* Youth unemployment is at a 50-year low.
* We have the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded.
* The Pledge to America’s Workers has resulted in employers committing to train more than 4 million Americans.
* 95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future— the highest ever.
* As a result of the Republican tax bill, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.👀👀
* Record number of regulations eliminated that hurt small businesses.
* Signed welfare reform requiring able-bodied adults who don’t have children to work or look for work if they’re on welfare.🙌🙌
* Under Trump, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs than ever before in history.
* Reformed Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors on their drugs—saving seniors 100’s of millions of $$$ this year alone.👀👀
* Signed Right-To-Try legislation allowing terminally ill patients to try experimental treatment that wasn’t allowed before.
* Secured $6 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic.❤️❤️
* Signed VA Choice Act and VA Accountability Act, expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care.👀👀
* U.S. oil production recently reached all-time high so we are less dependent on oil from the Middle East.
* The U.S. is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.
* NATO allies increased their defense spending because of his pressure campaign.
* Withdrew the United States from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord in 2017 and that same year the U.S. still led the world by having the largest reduction in Carbon emissions.👀👀
* Has his circuit court judge nominees being confirmed faster than any other new administration.
* Had his Supreme Court Justice’s Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh confirmed.
* Moved U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.👀👀
* Agreed to a new trade deal with Mexico & Canada that will increase jobs here and $$$ coming in.
* Reached a breakthrough agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports.
* Imposed tariffs on China in response to China’s forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and their chronically abusive trade practices, has agreed to a Part One trade deal with China.
* Signed legislation to improve the National Suicide Hotline.👀👀
* Signed the most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever into law, which will advance childhood cancer research and improve treatments.
* The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by Trump doubled the maximum amount of the child tax credit available to parents and lifted the income limits so more people could claim it.
* It also created a new tax credit for other dependents.
* In 2018, President Trump signed into law a $2.4 billion funding increase for the Child Care and Development Fund, providing a total of $8.1 billion to States to fund child care for low-income families.
* The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) signed into law by Trump provides a tax credit equal to 20-35% of child care expenses, $3,000 per child & $6,000 per family + Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) allow you to set aside up to $5,000 in pre-tax $ to use for child care.
* In 2019 President Donald Trump signed the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act (CARES) into law which allocates $1.8 billion in funding over the next five years to help people with autism spectrum disorder and to help their families.👀👀
* In 2019 President Trump signed into law two funding packages providing nearly $19 million in new funding for Lupus specific research and education programs, as well an additional $41.7 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the most Lupus funding EVER.
* Another upcoming accomplishment to add: In the next week or two Trump will be signing the first major anti-robocall law in decades called the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence.) Once it’s thelaw, the TRACED Act will extend the period of time the FCC has to catch & punish those who intentionally break telemarketing restrictions. The bill also requires voice service providers to develop a framework to verify calls are legitimate before they reach your phone.
* US stock market continually hits all-time record highs.
* Because so many people asked for a document with all of this listed in one place, here it is. No links provided to remove bias as Google search is easy. Print this out for family, friends, neighbors, etc. I encourage you to drop this list off to voters before the 2020 election too!
*Trump did all of this while fighting flagrant abuse and impeachment charges.
——-please explain to me why you have a problem with OUR president? Because he has misspoke a few times? Tell me when you find a perfect person, please....I’ll wait! I’ll tell you why, because the media has skewed him in such a negative light and unfairly report his accomplishments to undermined those achievements! Why? Because the media is complicit in every single thing this man is trying to undo! Start thinking for yourself!

​

June 3, 2020

Telling the Truth

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am called to live my life a certain way. That “way” is clearly laid out for me in the pages of the Bible, and my love for my Savior compels me every day to endeavor to follow His way. Perfection in this is not in my experience, but I know that God honors my efforts and my repentance when I fail. I preach this sermon to myself.

One of major commands in the Bible is to “love one another”.  John 13:34,35 is one place that gives this command. I am to love others, even as He loves me. That is a lot of love. That doesn’t just mean people who look like me, act like me, speak like me or love me back. It means everyone. Each one of us is created by God in His image. I take that very seriously. How is Jesus’ love for me an example of how I should love others?  It is sacrificial. I must put aside who I think I am in my pride and treat others the way I want to be treated. That is hard in today’s environment, isn’t it? I want to hate the people who are trying to destroy the country I love with their hate, but I cannot. Instead, I have chosen to stand up for what is right, which can mean exposing what is wrong, and which very often gets me called names, criticized, marginalized and belittled.

But I digress. The command that I want to focus on today is that I be truthful. I am called to be the same inside and out. I look to Ephesians 4 (actually the whole chapter), but for this I focus on verses 24 and 25 which tell me to put on the "new self" in holiness and speak truth to one another. Don’t lie, don’t cover up, don’t subvert for an agenda.

There are other commands that I endeavor every day to obey, not that my behavior gets me any points with God, but because I want to be a person who does right by people. I want others to see Christ in my attitudes and actions.

But back to honesty and integrity. This is the era of “fake news” where anyone will say anything whether it is true or not to further a political agenda, and it is especially abhorrent to me when it is someone who calls themselves a servant of God, a shepherd of a flock of congregants, a member of the clergy.

Ok – here comes the political part.

Did you read the story about President Trump walking across the street from the White House to historic St. John’s Church where many presidents and other government officials worship? He stood by the church and held up a Bible. Now that church had been the site of some of the “peaceful” protesting over the weekend. The Washington Post reporter said that tear gas was used on the protestors there and then many other news outlets picked up that story (clearly without verifying it). Almost immediately, Rector Gini Gerbasi, who was on the scene helping Black Lives Matter hand out water to the protestors, told the media that tear gas was used there to move the crowd back so the president could have a photo op with the Bible at the church. The Episcopal Bishop of Washington D.C., Mariann Budde also chimed in, saying she was not told that they were coming or that they were going to use tear gas. (Please realize that it is not a practice of the Secret Service to telegraph every place any President goes, especially during a time like this – for obvious reasons) (https://www.axios.com/st-johns-church-trump-visit-bible-george-floyd-2d7013fa-337c-42ef-9d1d-2acffbe59bbb.html)

Fast forward to the press release of June 2, 2020 from United States Park Police acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan. (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/uspp/6_2_20_statement_from_acting_chief_monahan.html) Oops, what? No tear gas?  Not peaceful protesting? But wait, the Rector and the Bishop both said it happened and the Rector said she was there. Obviously, someone was lying. It certainly couldn’t be  someone entrusted with teaching the Bible and shepherding believers, could it?

I am not surprised at the media jumping on the story and lying. Happens daily. What is most distasteful to me was the member of the clergy of that historic church picking up and furthering the lie, aided by a Bishop.

So who do you trust? I trust God, I study the Bible and I gauge my attitudes and actions on the only absolute Truth there is. The Bible calls me to be a loving, honest, responsible human being – contrary to lies told about it, mostly by people who have never read it.

Believe it or not, the Truth of Scripture in its entirety is the answer to every conflict between people and to all of the problems we are experiencing in this world. It is as simple as that, and as difficult as that. It requires humility, self-sacrifice, faith and ego-busting. But it is the answer and always will be.

If you made it this far with me, thank you and God bless you.

May 28, 2020

Disclaimer: This is a very un-politically correct post. If such things bother you, you have been warned.

People are starting to talk about "the new normal". Our lives have the possibility of being altered for the long term as us ordinary citizens try to live our lives as best we can through medical blunders, political blunders, economic blunders, etc.

What I don't hear anyone talking about (Send me articles or speeches that I may have missed) is how our "new normal" may destroy many environmental, political and financial "gains" that the eco-activists have worked hard to instill in us. The move to stay safe from Covid-19 mandates practices and products that we have been told over and over are bad for the environment and contribute to global warming, climate change and whatever other environmental crisis is being preached. Now, all of a sudden, those practices and products are needed. I call it "the age of unintended consequences."

All leftists in the world were lining up behind the Coronavirus and the medical mandates that closed businesses, churches, social events, schools, etc. and made us all wear face masks for no reason. It was the perfect crisis to ensure that President Trump would not be re-elected. But now, some of those mandates, that they are now forced to agree with, work vigorously against their agendas. Some of them must be tearing their hair out. Unintended consequences!

First, we must start with what the goals of this crisis were. I mentioned getting rid of the President Trump as a primary goal. Fortunately, in 2016 we elected the right man and he, although not always in the most dignified fashion, proved that he is up to the challenge. I admire and respect his tenacity and tireless defense of our Constitution. The left tried to sink him by accusing Russian Collusion, by impeaching him and then by destroying the economy through these lockdowns of "non-essential" businesses. Not only are those tactics not working, the environmental left is losing ground big-time.

For example, the left majorly supports mass public transit as the future of transportation. They are going to get us out of our cars at all costs, and they were experiencing much success. Not any more. Bus lines were cut or eliminated all together and trains were stopped. Our own personal cars are much safer than communal commuting, and Americans took to that right away.  We were told to stay home, but if we must go out, we have to drive ourselves. Bus rides were restricted to essential trips only. That has worked against the public transit crowd. And if this virus is around for awhile, it will get worse. The car is once again king! Oops!

Another vital issue in the environmental mind is packaging. We use too much plastic and styrofoam packaging according to the eco-police. Many municipalities banned straws and were moving to ban all the plastics used in takeout food. Well, they closed dining rooms in restaurants due to the virus, but let them do carryout or delivery. Americans love their food, any way they can get it, so we started to call Door Dash or Grubhub and drive to our favorite restaurant to get our favorite food wrapped tight in . . . plastic and styrofoam. Plastic wrapped plastic silverware, straws and containers meant to hold food, keep it from leaking and keep it warm are now preferred over anything reusable because they can just be discarded. Tons and tons of plastic, and many of the re-opening guidelines in many cities around the country specifically enumerate that plastic and styrofoam need to be used. I tripled the amount of garbage I have been putting out each week. Oops!

​Not to mention all the disposable masks and gloves.

The economy crash was another move that was supposed to break America's spirit. But really, what it served to do was show just how little our tax money means to our politicians. They are spending it like water over Niagara Falls. Stimulus, extra unemployment, etc. has been flowing. But there are two unintended consequence here. First, especially in states like Wisconsin, it shows the incompetence of the government because they furlough state employees and then whine that there aren't enough workers to process the huge influx of unemployment claims. Many still have not been paid. Oops!  Second, since so many citizens are now paying more attention to what the government is doing, we are seeing the level of greed and hypocrisy of sitting elected officials at all levels. Some of the items that have been slipped into these stimulus bills have been simply obscene. The left thought they had us docile enough worrying about staying alive, that we wouldn't notice. Some of the things got through, but many were stopped. Drain the Swamp!

Also, let's look at churches. Deemed non-essential, they have been forbidden from meeting in groups. It was a leftist strategy to weaken citizens, especially Evangelicals, who tend to support Trump. But what it has done is actually strengthened the resolve of believers to meet together and I believe that the "bear has been poked" and Christians are now getting more involved because of the insult to our freedoms has hit home - our faith. I hope this is a big oops!

Finally, schools. They closed the schools telling us that it was for safety, but it was really to add to our anxiety so we give in to their way of thinking and become obedient lambs. I have heard, at least locally, that the closing of schools has had some unintended consequences. Children are actually spending time with their parents. That is what our public education system tries to avoid at all costs. Parents should not, under any circumstances, have a clue that they can effectively bring up their own children, and especially  must believe that the only people qualified to teach their children are the "professionals". I was told this by educators and other "intellectuals" many times during my 19 years of homeschooling my kids. But now, locally, I hear of parents being appalled at the attitudes and values that their children have learned in school and they are trying to counter that as right now they have control over their children's education. I also heard from a friend that a teacher she knows says that it is really hard to have the virtual classes because the kids are bringing in attitudes that they have picked up from their parents, one of which being respect for President Trump. Parents and grandparents, take advantage of this opportunity. Oops!

I am sure there are more unintended consequences, but those are the top on my list. Maybe we will actually move closer to a "normal" that has balance and takes everyones' opinions into consideration. Let's not let them break us and let's be creative and find ways to meet our goals, pushing back as needed.

May 11, 2020

I am waiting, along with many of you to hear the Supreme Court ruling, although it seems less urgent with each day that passes. Today, Governor Evers has "turned the dial" a little by allowing more stores to open (not restaurants or bars (or malls) yet because we are just not responsible enough to know how to distance ourselves appropriately.

Anyway, a little Main Street gift shop in Minocqua can open, limiting the number of customers allowed in the store at one time to 5. A large Hobby Lobby or Marshalls or TJ Maxx in Milwaukee can open, limiting the number of customers to 5. Yes, 5. I guess we are not smart enough to figure out how many customers can be in a large store safely. My Pick N Save in Wauwatosa can have 215 customers inside at once. But remember, it is all about safety, certainly not control. Governor Evers actually told a reporter, in response to a question, that restaurants, bars and hair salons cannot open yet because he is not sure that those businesses can maintain appropriate social distance. Not control. And certainly no respect. Evers also said that he doubts that larger stores would want to open if they can only allow 5 at a time.

Aggravation is the "pot calling the kettle black"

My big aggravation today, however, is the concerted effort to discredit the "Plandemic" movie that is going around and is being removed by Facebook and You Tube as quickly as people are putting it back up. I cannot personally vouch for how true that video is, but if you are someone who likes to read both sides, check it out and check out the attacks on it, then decide for yourself.  The article I read today, trying to debunk the movie is from Forbes. The link to the article is:

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/tarahaelle/2020/05/08/why-its-important-to-push-back-on-plandemic-and-how-to-do-it/#7f855a295fa3

Read this article looking specifically for what facts and scientific evidence the author uses to prove her point. Also, read the article that this author says debunks the movie the best. The link to that article is:

​http://vitals.lifehacker.com/if-you-found-that-plandemic-video-convincing-read-th-1843339002

I had intended to write quite a tome about this, going through the lies, innuendo, unscientific attitudes, etc. one-by-one because they are numerous and egregious, but I trust you and if you want to investigate it, you will.

Today's Milwaukee City/County Update

The entire focus of the update today was testing. Even if you do not have symptoms, you are being encouraged to be tested. Why? Of course, even if you are negative, they need your personal information to help the health departments have the data they need.. What data do they need on those who are negative? They want to be able to contact trace you later if they need to. Apparently, there were hundreds of scared and compliant people waiting in line for the testing sites to open this morning. People are so scared. It is crazy. 

And I have news for those who are pushing testing just as the state begins to open up (funny how those two things are happening at the same time. What a coincidence). Here it is. Ready?  With more people suddenly out and about, the... wait for it... number of cases will rise. But is that a bad thing for the healthy majority of our population? No. It is what should have been happening.

What about going to church?

Do you know what no one is talking about in the media, and what not even one reporter asked Governor Evers at the press conference?  What about churches? I think we are at a tipping point for religious freedom. Are there evangelical pastors out there who are willing to band together and take a stand against these anti-religion orders?  I understand that at first, when none of us knew the character of this virus, that pastors would be protective of their flocks. But now, it is clear that the doomsday predictions were overblown. How much longer are we going to allow "them" to keep us apart?  Protect the vulnerable and take common sense measures to minimize germs (as we usually do during cold/flu season) - But let's start by preaching against this tyranny, by taking a stand on the truth vs the lies and letting our congregations decide what they want to do. There are a myriad of options outside the box. We are smart enough to figure it out. Someone suggested "home churches" like when the church was first formed during ministry of Paul and the other Apostles after the Resurrection. Let's start talking about it. And take action.​

May 8, 2020

I didn't think I would be posting again so soon, but things are heating up again and I am going crazy, waiting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to rule on the Safer at Home order. I hope the delay doesn't mean that the court is crafting a compromise that really doesn't help put people back to work and play. 

So, in the meantime, more random thoughts:

​​First: "Essential" never should have been a criteria for what businesses stay open. It is too subjective and is the wrong focus. If the government's real motive was to save lives instead of getting President Trump out of office, the criteria for businesses being open should have been their ability to meet the long-accepted guidelines for reducing opportunities for infection.  If the business could do that, they should have been able to stay open. We have proven that large stores can do business and not spike the caseload of Covid-19. Every business should have been afforded the chance to do it. We would not be in this economic and unemployment crisis. It is not too late to correct that. I hope that SCOWIS sees that.

 Second (And an opportunity to vent): I don't often get the chance to say, "I told you so", but I started homeschooling in 1989 and did so for 19 years until my 4 kids graduated from high school. I decided to keep my oldest home when she turned 6, not because of what the schools were teaching (we had bought a house in the district we wanted for schools), but because I felt it was best for my daughter for just a year or so. However, I continued homeschooling because I was becoming more aware of the indoctrination that was being taught in the public schools and I wanted to bring my kids up in truth, not the lies that became part of curricula. It was over 28 years ago that I started sounding the alarm to Christian parents about the schools. I received much disrespect from the school administration who was telling me that they were in a much better position to teach my children than I because they were professionals. But what I didn't expect was the reaction I received from brothers and sisters in Christ, including pastors who looked down their noses at me because they felt that their little children should be "missionaries" in the public school. In reality, the diligent Christian parents spent more time countering what the kids were learning at school than I did teaching mine. Now, so many years later, and in this time of messed-up politics, teachers and administrators are insulting parents and telling them that only trained professionals are qualified to raise their children. So here it is, "I have been telling you so for the last 28 years." When will Christian and common sense parents get involved en masse in the schools and force the administrations and teachers to teach academics and not socialism? And I risk pushback by saying this, but I believe it is time for churches to be leaders and risk lower attendance and community criticism by publicly standing up for Christian imperatives in politics.  Please protect your children from the indoctrination camps that we call "public education". 

Also in the news today:

Milwaukee Mayor Barrett is offering free Covid-19 testing for African Americans, Latinos and Tribal members. Why? Hmmm, let me think.

The State DHS has published guidelines that would forbid any type of in-person graduation ceremonies. From what I read, I believe that would include a drive-by pick up your diploma if any kind of audience is present. Again, why?

​

May 7, 2020

This is titled "Deception". I listen to everyone talk on both sides of issues. I believe it is really the only way to make a wise decision. So, in the process of that, I hear a lot of lies - I mean a lot! You probably do too. Today, I was listening to Milwaukee City/County's daily Covid-19 response. During that virtual press conference, the unelected bureaucrats disseminating the information (spattered by  a few generic comments by a mayor or county exec) still spew the same garbage, even though numbers do not bear them out. I am surprised I didn't hear "Flatten the curve" today - even though Fox 6 is still broadcasting that commercial. 

The thing that hit me today was the expansion of testing. Now, you don't even have to exhibit symptoms to get a test. They want everyone to come in. How can they say this? It is because they are getting positive outcomes to many asymptomatic individuals and that can inflate their numbers. Many people with Covid-19 don't even know it. Why is that important? It isn't, except for those of us who stand by our assertions that this virus isn't as much of a scourge on mankind as we have been indoctrinated to believe. My daughter and her husband (both in retail) got infected. They were home for two weeks and were pretty sick, but now they are both returning to work, pretty much back to normal. So, the question is, do the bureaucrats really believe deep down in their hearts that the numbers and rates we see are so dire? Are they not seeing how many recover? Do they believe that masks make a difference? Are they just trying to deceive us, or are they that self-deceived? I wish I knew.

The other example of that is when Dr. Fauci says that he hopes we haven't reached herd immunity yet, until the vaccines come out and give that immunity. What? What is the difference if we get immune because of herd immunity or because of a vaccine?  Well, I will tell you. It has been shown that Dr. Fauci is an investor and a principal in Bill Gates' organization that runs the Patient 0 lab in Wuhan. He stands to earn a lot of money with a vaccine. Is the money really not his motive when he tries to keep people from getting the virus yet? Is he selflessly only thinking about the well-being of people? You decide.

Postscript: Please watch for the State Supreme Court Decision, which should come soon. When it does, make sure you contact your local mayor/village president and alderpersons/trustees and find out if they have a local ordinance linked to the DHS order and if they plan to extend it, even if the state order is stopped. These orders are being enforced by local police in the areas that have passed these ordinances and could continue if they are allowed to pass extensions. These need to be viral calls. If you are one of the people complaining about things being closed up, you had better make sure this isn't happening in your city/village/town or you will have a rude awakening. Milwaukee Mayor Barrett and County Exec Crowley have already said in the media that they will extend their ordinances and will "encourage" the suburbs in Milwaukee County to do the same. Don't say you were not warned.

May 5, 2020

​Who are “they”? Everyone, including me, has been writing about what “they” are doing to us in this time when our freedoms are being sacrificed for “the greater good”. But who are ‘they’? Who has enough power to bring all of us obstinate, free-thinking capitalists to our knees? We blame Congress, our Governor, our local governments, DHS, the Democrats, Dr. Fauci, etc.

Is it one person at the helm, or a coalition? "They" have done such a good job of coordinating their lies all along, even the nuances of change like switching to an emphasis on wearing masks, just as protests are starting to catch on. Also, today there is talk that 15 children in New York (and 1 in California) have come down with an inflammatory condition that “they” believe is linked to Covid-19. (https://ktla.com/news/coronavirus/15-kids-hospitalized-in-nyc-with-inflammatory-syndrome-possibly-linked-to-coronavirus-health-alert/) And this, just as schools are deciding whether to re-open in the fall.

It is hard to tell if someone is lying unless there is a “someone” to point to. We don’t have an elite ruling class in America that can snap their fingers and people do their bidding. Or do we? In my opinion, it was just too easy to bring us to our knees. I do not point a finger at the President. That is not his style or his conviction. He has steadily worked to strengthen our country economically, spiritually and militarily. Who is running the show then? I have my suspicions, but no actual proof. I know who it is not – It is not Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats. They botched first the Russian “collusion”, then the Kavanaugh accusations, then the Mueller investigation and finally the impeachment process. They were out of gas as to how to defeat Trump this coming November (although mail-in balloting might do it), but then the Coronavirus miraculously showed up. All of a sudden, Pelosi, Schumer and the Dems moved out of the way and let the real pros run that crisis. The lying Chinese, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and who else? Hmmm. Let’s think about that. That must be the boogie man we call “they”. The ones with the money and the power to pay people to lie, and to whisper in their family, friends and neighbors’ ears about how devastating this illness will be. And they didn’t just start working now. “They” have been working for years, nay decades, to infiltrate our school boards, our local city councils and town boards and, most insidiously, our judiciary with people loyal to the “progressive” ideals. “Their” goal is to fundamentally change this country and they have succeeded because they work subtly. Now we see just how much we have abdicated to them. In 2018, the number of marijuana and education referenda, along with their powerful propaganda machine, changed the makeup of US Governors. In 2020, 26 states have Republican Governors and 24 have Democrats. In 2016 it was 33 Republicans to 16 Democrats. Those liberal Governors are keeping the Covid-19 crisis alive by longterm restrictive guidelines, backed up by liberal local governments blindly adopting those Executive orders as law for their community.

But it still begs the question, who is pulling the strings? Obviously, George Soros has the money, (although you don’t hear his name as much as you do the conservative Koch Brothers, right?) but he stays out of the spotlight. Former Obama minion, Eric Holder has tried to meddle in Wisconsin elections since 2016, and succeeded in knocking out Governor Walker in 2018. In 2017, Obama set up a “shadow government” with some of his cronies and we didn’t hear from him a lot after that – until now. Bill Gates is another name that is popping up recently. He funded the lab in Wuhan China where the virus came from (allegedly – we are having trouble getting at the truth there) One of his advisors/investors is none other than Dr. Anthony Fauci, who, at President Trump’s side was touted universally as the smartest man in the room regarding infectious diseases. But he has subtly altered his message recently, disagreeing more with the President and going out on his own. Curiouser and curiouser.

I am sorry that I don’t have enough to accuse anyone, but I do know that thinking Americans have got to stand up. I am going to keep looking under every rock to confirm my suspicions of who is dictating the “Deep State”. On your part, getting involved in your local politics is something each of us can do now. They are controlling a lot. My city council is discussing tonight whether to extend their emergency declaration that would make it harder for businesses to open. That is a lot of power. Support the local businesses that want to open. Let’s rip that collective dog collar off our necks and take back our rights.

 I know the Wisconsin Supreme Court is hearing arguments today on Governor Evers’ Safer at home extension. Let’s pray that logical heads prevail and Evers (and by that, his puppet masters) is cut off at the knees. Then let’s get moving.

May 3, 2020

Random Sunday thought. I read today that Dr. Deborah Birx, Coordinator of President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force said this on Fox News Sunday about the protestors in Michigan who “stormed” their legislature: "It’s devastatingly worrisome to me personally because if they go home and infect their grandmother or their grandfather who has a co-morbid condition and they have a serious or a very unfortunate outcome, they will feel guilty for the rest of our [sic] lives," Birx said. "So we need to protect each other at the same time we’re voicing our discontent." (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dr-birx-michigan-protests-devastatingly-worrisome-vaccine-possible-by-january/ar-BB13xE52?ocid=msedgdhp)

How very nice of her to be so concerned about the vulnerable grandparents of the protestors. Do you see what is behind that comment?  She thinks that those protestors are just uneducated, grimy hicks who are not smart enough or care enough to figure out how to live their lives and protect their family. That is how the “elite” of this country see us. We are the “despicables”, the “unwashed masses”. That is why they must make our decisions for us. And believe me, we did not get that reputation from being uneducated or grimy. We got it for being Conservatives. We got it because we care about traditional family values. Maybe we are religious. Maybe we love our country and support our military, our police and fire.  Whatever it is, that is our label simply because we disagree with them. Their goal is to neutralize us so they can usher in their "New World Order". The response to this virus is all part of the plan. They have to keep us scared and in crisis. What are we scared of?​

May 1, 2020

Right after I read the USA Today article that I referenced on Facebook this morning, I saw that my municipality has followed other cities in canceling their Independence Day Parade for 2020. There isn’t going to be a parade on July 4th. I am especially saddened because I worked on presenting that parade for over 10 years and was chair for a good portion of that. There will be no public celebration of the freedoms we enjoy – sorry – the freedoms we did enjoy before non-medically trained government bureaucrats began to rely on fake reports of a major pandemic that never came. They took action to shut us down and they succeeded. In my opinion it was too easy for them to bring us to our knees. What happens when the next pandemic comes along?  Are we just going to put on our masks and stay home? We have to do something now to show that our indominable spirit as Americans is strong. Each of us can take action. If every thinking person just talks to the people in their sphere of influence, it will make a huge difference. Many people are hiding because they don’t know there are others who feel the same way out there. Band together. We have been duped and it has cost lives and livelihoods.

Speak up. Let’s get this state open for business again. Let’s put people back to work. Let’s hold the media responsible for what it reports. 

Find out which government officials are trying to get the truth out and support them. This all starts local: City, County, State. 

April 29, 2020

We have to wake up. Today, researchers are saying that new antibody tests* are showing that this is a much worse pandemic than any other this century.  Of course, the new antibody tests have not as yet been completed, nor results reviewed - information is just "trickling out", but they say it shows how bad this Covid-19 pandemic is. Do you know why it is bad? (and here is where the "logic" comes in) They are saying that so many more people than we know are getting infected, but they just recover and go on with their lives without being tested. So, because they (The researchers who get paid handsomely in research grants that come from our taxes) cannot track their numbers, it appears as though Covid-19 is not as bad as it really is. But wait? If so many people get it, endure it, recover and go on with their lives, why do we need to know that? Isn't that just how the plain old, every year flu is? (Oh, btw, did you notice that many states, like Wisconsin, stopped keeping track of how many were recovering? Why would they do that? They say it is because their software isn't capable of tracking that. Wink wink.) And if so many more people are dying of it than is reported, why are we not hearing reports of large numbers of unexplained deaths? Where are those bodies? Wouldn't funeral homes or families be sounding the alarm?

The numbers coming out of the studies are factual, but those numbers are being publicized too soon so they can be manipulated and skewed and then an opposite spin put on them to be used to keep us in fear and confusion.

I am not normally Chicken Little with a "sky is falling" message. I believe the message of hope and power in Jesus Christ and this situation is not outside of God's Sovereignty. But that doesn't mean that God wants us to allow ourselves to be walked all over by those who covet the power themselves and desire to control our freedoms. How despicable it is that these power brokers are willing to put people out of work, shut down the economy and weaken our freedoms - needlessly. They (Political leaders, usually the local and state ones, being manipulated by Federal elected representatives who did not succeed at impeachment) are also willing to continue to keep us from getting the routine and diagnostic tests, medical care and even surgery that can lengthen our lives. Hospitals should be able to figure out how to do it and should have been allowed to do so as soon as it was clear that the big numbers expected to overwhelm our healthcare system were not going to happen. That was about a month ago. For heaven's sake, some hospitals are furloughing employees because they have nothing to do!  What is "their" motive? And when you understand what it is, you should be really, really angry.

Please get informed on the issue. Read and watch all sides and then logically decipher what is being pounded out. We as individuals have the responsibility to take the necessary safety precautions to care for ourselves and our loved ones - Not the Government! Don't we always refrain from close contact during cold and flu season? Businesses also need to take every precaution they can to keep their employees and customers safe from infection. Large-scale "testing" is a lie, not a cure. 

​​*(see https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/antibody-tests-support-whats-been-obvious-covid-19-is-much-more-lethal-than-flu/2020/04/28/2fc215d8-87f7-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html) 

Extra project if you are totally bored with this quarantine: Look back on the words and writings of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. Trace him from the beginning of this pandemic in January 2020 until now. See if you notice any difference between his words then and what he is saying now. Also research his relationship with Bill Gates, and "immunity cards", and a certain lab in Wuhan, China. This man sucked us in, made us trust him and how he is transforming before our eyes. Be careful. 

Another quality read:  https://www.maciverinstitute.com/2020/04/why-the-wisconsin-supreme-court-must-strike-down-the-safer-at-home-order/

Thank you for reading, and by all means, do whatever you have to in order to be safe and healthy - it is your decision.

 April 27, 2020

Here are my thoughts from today after watching the Milwaukee City/County Covid-19 update (Monday, April 27, 2020): 

How about every thinking citizen in Wisconsin begins questioning the news and edicts proceeding from our city, county and state government regarding COVID-19?
We are truly being brain-washed. The house of cards that the liberals have created is collapsing and they are going to even greater lengths to keep us down as obedient dupes.

I admit that I was caught up in the fear, but it is getting ridiculous. Examine the 'statistics', listen to what they are saying. We are supposed to be a free country, but we let ourselves be oppressed by a virus. Our city, county and state governments do not believe that we have the common sense to keep ourselves safe.

Guidelines, ok, but forced shutdowns? If grocery stores can figure out how to stay open and sell their products, so can other businesses. Open up our state.

And why, you may ask, are the liberal-run local governments around the country (like Wisconsin) continuing to depress the economy and sacrifice our families? Simple political gain. They want to keep us suffering so we blame the President and he gets voted out in November.

Are we that stupid? I hope not.