When a “friend” says that you are not needed in their life because of your world views on liberty and life... listen to them and move on. Don’t stop loving them. You may even grieve their loss but do not allow their choices power over yours. Each of us will be held to account for our choices. In this world, tyranny of thought and idea divides, excludes, and destroys. The liberty way is the only way to include.

I’ve lost many friends recently and I grieve their loss but principles are more important than principals.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” —C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (1970)

Healing a relationship and asking another to heel are not the same thing. Ask yourself which one you seek when you have power. Consider what outcome your choices require when you do not have power.

Authentic community (family) is what we all seek. A faith community must above all be authentic and honest. It’s focus must be on Jesus Christ and the great commission. Social services are not optional but neither are they the goal. If the seeker sees men first and foremost it is difficult, nearly impossible, to see the good news clearly. We must not be obstacles.

Rigging, manipulation, and influence are not the same thing as a global illegal conspiracy. It seems to me that we the people have bowed in fear and outsourced our intellectual and physical freedom. It is indeed time to circle up and plan legal protests with local civil disobedience coupled with disciplined planning for the next elections. The media and big tech will NOT play fair. 72 million Americans is a strong start. We, conservatives, must align and look to the future.

I’m disappointed that my fellow Americans have embraced this systemic threat to individualism and liberty in favor of corporate communism back by force and fire of government. Cest la vie. When these policies fail in coming years, I and many like me will be far less tolerant, likely less civil, and follow the protest playbook we have seen as a roadmap. Times ahead could be pretty vicious. It seems we are at war for the souls of our states and thus our republic.

Biden’s DARK WINTER is indeed coming and will extend well into 2021 and beyond. Consequences will be far reaching beyond just surviving Covid. We have >99.8% chance of surviving that threat. The societal threats could be far more deadly as families churches and businesses are literally blown up. The blame game is done. We must look to the future. Let’s roll.

Should Trump concede the election?
no.
Did he win the election? I doubt it but I can’t tell. Personally, think that the irregularities are the result of incompetence rather than malevolent intent and a global conspiracy.

He has every right to complete his legal challenges, and present evidence for rulings in the courts given the questions and environment.

i am mostly concerned with the emotions and the potential for explosive and violent division in the near future. I’d like to hear a speech where he explains his decisions to proceed without all of the Trumpian hyperbole and vitriol. Continuing to escalate and use semantic bullying with limited communications discipline is what is ripping up both sides. All sides. Everyone really. These constant fear bells are destabilizing our sanity individually and collectively. The buck stops with Trump on this one. It IS his fault but it is not only his fault.

we are all so freaking tired. I want it to be OVER but it must be a fair and trusted result.

Ask yourself what would be happening if the Biden Harris campaign felt that the election had been “stolen” and their court cases were pending. We all know the answer. Violence. Burning. Destruction. I am confident of this.

We lose nothing by letting the legal challenges play out over the next few weeks. In the end, there can be only one. Question is when. I hope it is soon and very soon.

There are some big wins in this election cycle/debacle.
Americans are learning how important their state governments are. The elections for Secretary of State and Attorney General matter immensely.
We better understand the differing roles of states and federal govt.
Many of We the people are reading and studying the constitution, Declaration of Independence and even federalist papers.
This knowledge is a proven foundation for hopeful future. States matters matter.

Questions that should be asked directly to the Va Governor Lord Northam. 

My whole family had Covid19 and is actively sought after to give blood to help with the treatment of other Patients now that we are recovered. Why should we be forced, along with 11 million plus other Americans to wear a mask and live restricted lives? We are available to help Covid patients and have virtually zero risk both personally and to others.

Will you admit openly that this choice should be ours and not yours? 
Once the population has received the vaccines and the state has reached a herd immunity status, the mask and social distancing mandates will be lifted correct? If that is true, then why are recovered patients being treated differently now? As a physician you know intimately how the immune systems work, if our immune systems will work then, then why don’t they work now? 
Why haven’t you provided an exception in your pseudo science executive orders for recovered Covid patients?  
Recent studies are showing immunity is likely to last for a very long time, highlighting the importance of the effective vaccination plans.
Given the science, do you believe that Covid Recovered Virginians should continue to have their lives restricted? And if so why?

How would your Covid advisory explain the recommendations outlined in the Great Barrington Declaration?

What are you doing now to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in jobs, domestic violence, mental health and educational achievement brought on by recent decisions and requirements? 
As an informed and educated citizen of this great commonwealth, I would love to meet with you and discuss these concerns in person.

​ I’ll wait.

To voluntarily show respect for another person is a powerful testimony. It is essential to civility and community.

To force respect may be an oxymoron. Compliance can be forced. Respect is earned. Choosing to show disrespect erodes all respect sadly.

When a parent, mentor, teacher or elder sacrifices the wellbeing of their child, family, and student for their own well-being a tragic betrayal occurs. It is a blasphemy to the natural and ordained order. The wound created is deep and persistent.

When society exercises this same power collectively terrible things transpire. Terrible terrible things.
​
#musing on the importance of family and responsibility and sacrifice for the future. Leaders lead by example at home first and foremost.

We must have the freedom to say anything and the personal wisdom and discretion to not say everything.
You don’t choose for me and I don’t choose for you. That said, each of us MUST choose carefully what we say and to whom because the consequences are real immediate and local.

I am sincerely happy that so many friends are encouraged by the words of PresElect Biden. Rhetoric is a powerful tool. Practical progress in change management policy is a very complex process and it certainly begins with awareness and desire.

The arc of my experience has shown me that desire must be followed with knowledge and ability at scale and duration. Results are measured and reinforced. This is the way.

The danger zone in governance is the addiction to power and the reliance on power to achieve. The power approach does not past the test.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” —C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (1970)

It is difficult if not impossible to find oxygen to breathe elegance, beauty, integrity, excellence and love in a room filled with the fires of hatred, discord, disgust, and demagoguery. As artists, we have a role to play. We must use emotions to influence but not inflame. Fire burns and consumes. It destroys its creator and becomes a living but dead thing. We must extinguish the flames, and then we can begin the process to build. We can make our world great. Will we?
Virtue flows from a focus on higher things. We must stand and be counted but we must stand on a foundation that is solid rather than molten. We as a society have elevated virtue signaling above virtue, and as a result, everything is burning. That is a real challenge that burns in my mind over and over. #Inspiredbyfriend ​

A Biden Harris 2020 win could be disappointing but it should not be devastating.  There is a path no matter the outcome in coming hours/days. 

1. The GOP held the US Senate. This is the key.
2. Conservatives have a solid majority on SCOTUS to ensure constitutional compliance. 
3. The razor thin margin win is a repudiation of radical principles on either side. Most importantly, the concept of restructuring a GreenGreat2020+ socialism driven society is not going to happen en masse ANY time soon. 
4. Biden really is an incompetent bumbling elderly puppet.  Harris and the squad’s will not win nationally due to the previous point so her candidacy for future is likely dead. 
5. Republican bench of policy driven, populists with more moderate communications skills is deep. 
6. The Trump loss will allow the NeverTrump Rs to come back to the right where they should have always been.  
7. The GOP can hold the Senate in next election and very possibly take the house as the Biden Harris administration will be doing almost nothing effectively.  
8. The massive tax increases promised will go nowhere. 
9. The media and entertainment industry must come to grips with the fact that the United States is solidly split and partisan.  Continuing to demonize and demagogue conservatives as evil, misogynistic, racist bygones will fall on deaf ears.  A new message must emerge. 
10. The GOP will be emboldened and empowered to fight right more aggressively following the Trump models, but staying more tempered in message. 
11. The CovidCrisis will end, and every day Americans will see that Biden did nothing significantly differently from Trump in practical application. 
12. State and Local races will be much more impactful for average voters going forward. From school board meetings, to economic development/zoning, to funding and support for police, the people will be motivated to engage and make changes local local locally.
13. Free speech will remain free… and violent protests/actions against conservatives will be repudiated.  This might be a stretch, but I am hopeful. 
14. The liberty minded conservatives across this nation will be bolder. As Dem policies are tested for scale and duration, they will fail and the DNC will not be able to run and hide. 

— unity of purpose is hard enough. Uniformity of action is utopian. If your premise requires ALL to comply then it is unachievable in a free society and indeed silly, naive, and utterly useless.

FB psychosis creates and encourages some really bad behaviors online.  I believe that I've come up with a solid formula to keep it healthier.   I actively filter my FB "friends" and it has helped tremendously.  

Here are three questions that set the bar/filter. 
1. Do I ACTUALLY know you? If I see you in grocery store, do I know you well enough to speak to you and say hello?
2. Do I want to talk to you and hear what you have to say? respect, civility, tone... all matter.
3. Do we have an ongoing context for relationship?  other friends, politics, church, music... 

​The reality is that FB is NOT an effective public publishing forum, but it can be effective, to a point, at connecting me with other people.  I can't prove that as I don't really know how to quantify success, but it is my hypothesis. I know that I want to remain connected to my FBfriends and that in most cases, I desire for those FBfriend relationships to progress into deeper personal friendships.  It rarely happens, but it has happened.. and it is possible.  
The list is constantly changing. New friends enter, old friends exit. The filtering is essential to keeping friends relevant and fresh and to ensure that the most valuable relationships get priority. 

Elections are about raw power. Authority lies with each of us and comes from our creator. Power and authority are not the same thing. #PSA2020 #InspiredByChief

1A 2A ProLIFE Pro school choice ProStatesRights ProPolice ProMilitary AntiWar AntiRaiseTaxes... Principles that matter.

Biden is elderly with the esteem and credentials of a big government statesman. He IS the archetype for establishment politician.
Trump is a brash undisciplined populist lightning rod with unparalleled policy results hindered by an overt exploitation of partisan division.
Principals that matter?

Draining the swamp smells at first. It still must be done.