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)

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Debate is between two visions. This is how two party elections work.

Harris/Biden TOP 10 Desires.
(regular stuff from Dems)
1. Higher taxes - redistribution of wealth by force
2. Open Borders
3. Socialized medicine - National healthcare for world
4. Abolish fossil fuels
5. Use taxpayer funds to support abortion.
6. Take guns - abolish 2nd amendment
2020 new stuff from Dems
7. Restructure the Supreme Court
8. National mask mandate
9. Use racism and segregation to “fight” racism.
10. Class warfare urban wealthy academic coastal elites vs rural working class

By Lonnie Bullock..
​
As we move into early voting and the last few weeks before the election, I have been thinking often about the filters I use in selecting the person I will vote for. Beyond party alignment, beyond fear, beyond media hype, beyond the deception of advertising, I find myself asking, "What will influence my decision when I mark my ballot?"

Here are some of the filters I am using to determine my vote:
1. I am a Christian who values the teachings of the Bible so that is my first filter.
2. I have and will forever be a defender and voice for the unborn. I will never silence by voice by voting for a person who devalues the life of the unborn.
3. I value our history of being a republic of states, united under one constitution.
4. I believe government should be as small as possible and exists to serve the people not for the people to serve the government.
5. I believe all people are created equal and should not be used as pawns to accomplish political agendas.
6. I believe in capitalism and that government exists to encourage private ownership and not government control.
7. I believe those who have much, much is required as individuals find ways to serve the community.
8. I value religious freedom and believe the church is essential to the health of communities and our nation.
9. I value law and order equally administered and enforced.
10. I will support those who best match my filter and who love their country.

I am proud to be an American and am excited to participate in our great democracy by voting. I encourage all of you who live in America to do the same.

Snooze for 30 days is excellent.

This cancel culture mantra of think this, say this, or unfriend me is terrible. The costs in the long run are terrible. Life is not a video game that can be reset easily. Friendships and relationships are the keys to our future prosperity. Popularity is not all that valuable in the end. We don’t have to agree but we should find a way to stay connected.

I celebrate others success. I mourn their failures. I wish I could do more to help. I do all that I can without sacrificing my own family. I revel in the beauty of others testimonies in word and deed. As a conservative minded libertarian, I am branded by others. In a free country, I still get to speak and vote as I choose. This seems to be changing.

I think it is extraordinary process that more of my friends are posting honestly on social media. Dealing with pain and emotion and stress with healthy coping mechanisms is key to progress. It is a hard thing to hear when others speak their truth. It is not my view. It IS theirs and the struggle and burden to listen and hear them is on me.
This reverses as well. I have lived out loud on media platforms for over a decade now and even I struggle with sharing bad news and emotional instability. It is human. MY truth is that I have little patience for the victim culture of blame. The shame game regarding speech is futile in a country built on free speech.
I reject collectivist consumerism in favor of rugged individualism. Talking openly about my beliefs and principles is not easy. It has consequences for real. Sharing pain and sorrow without becoming a attention seeking victim is a difficult balance point to identify. It is not easy. I am confident that few hear me. They listen with their viewpoint and then debate or seek to debate line by line point by point. I am listening more carefully to others now and hearing more completely. Agreement is not required for respect and tolerance. It is helpful, and peaceful to be in the majority, and to be popular, but it is not reality.

check yourself as you listen. Speak boldly and do not be bullied into silence and compliance. Respect and consider others as the extraordinary children of God that they are. Realizing and seeking to clarify the divide is useful. Building a new bridge which accepts the differences but connects hearts and minds is key to our future. All of this begins with a foundation of honesty and relationship rather than blame and punishment.

Progress is hard bu necessary.

The stark reality is that each of us IS a journalist and a news contributor and an editor in the social media infused frenzy of the 21st century. We are curating our feeds and our contacts and presenting our daily editions with content. The platforms of social media are an exceptional megaphone for free speech. Only the individual can decide what is or is not appropriate for their mind feed intake channel.

As in all things, some are more skilled that others but the tiered value system has yet to fully evolve. Twitter and FB models which monetize the person as the product and then censor the content reach based on the “platform” editorial and political view are a disaster. The ensuing echo chamber segregation is destroying lives and families and communities and remaking the world.

I want to hear what people say and think. I don’t care what the platform thinks I should hear. To submit to this ongoing filtering is anathema to authentic dialogue and freedom. The best ideas, managed well, succeed at scale and duration. Only individual skills and local communities based on shared context with relationships pass the gating criteria for phase future.

New normal. Online speech is not free speech. This is particularly true if your speech is not in line with the editors’ political views. Perhaps this has long been the case with journalism, letters to the editor, and talk shows, but Twitter and FB are now raising the message control game to a new level. We the people don’t seem to understand the principles of free speech and the implications of allowing this message management.

Imagine if the social media platforms decided that coverage of riots was not appropriate for the greater good. What if we aren’t allowed to hear and see what the government or police are doing?

Free speech is messy and even dangerous, but it is free. The alternative is unthinkable. We the people can educate ourselves and choose how we proceed. If we do not, the messaging overlords will do it for us. This idea is deplorable.

The 2020 surveillance state in public is a good thing. Video is the most reliable way to capture events for the record. The sheer volume of mobile devices and cameras in the US forces us to consider our actions and choices. We the people can judge for ourselves in many cases. This is good. We have no expectation of privacy in public and on social media. The quality of mobile device video has improved so dramatically that we can all contribute to the record in a meaningful way. Authority figures and bullies are held accountable as it should be.

if we can develop more respect for one another this won’t be an issue. Public is public.

Each of us should now consider ourselves “armed” with the ability to record. Each of us must assume that we are being recorded.

​ I’m armed in other ways as well when I’m in public. You should be too. It makes us all safer. #1A #2A

Diseases. Not new.
Death. Not new.
Partisan division demagoguery and misinformation dissemination. Not new.

Americans celebrating their utter dependence and conformity to “the government” - experts, leaders, academics... NEW

My country and world view is built on a foundation of self reliance, work ethic, faith in God, and an overwhelming desire to better myself in pursuit of success. The descent into dependency and fear over the past months is staggering. We the people have allowed and encouraged a narrative which preaches that contact with neighbors and family will literally kill you. The pervasive spirit as of May 16 is that the government will save you if you just follow the rules.

Government leaders do NOT know the answers nor the way forward for me and my family. I am not dependent on them, they are dependent on me. This paradigm shift is core to the American dream. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.... give me liberty or give me death... Why are 300 million Americans acting like sheep? They have forgotten what it means to BE American. Our wealth and entitlement lifestyle has insidiously infected us with a self focused fear. In place of rugged individualism, we the people now lift up and celebrate conformity, collectivism, and consumerism as the apex of a fallen culture. This is not American. This is not the way.

I will not comply. Perhaps I never really did, but at least I see more clearly now. The future is built on faith and family and Americans acting like Americans, taking care of one another, stepping up boldly and leading the world.

sheeple, snowflakes, Karens, and cowards should step aside and follow. American? Yes, yes I am and I approve this message.

Many of my liberal friends seem to expect me to be sorry or feel bad that I’m a conservative libertarian minded patriot. I don’t feel that way at all about them. My views allow for theirs. This is most interesting when people who KNOW me pass judgement on me rather than my ideas. Demagoguery is destructive and devastating. Debate and dialogue are the cure. Decisions require voting rather than demeaning morality judgements. Respect given is respect received and vice versa.

If I have made anyone feel diminished I apologize. That is never my intent. My opinions and actions are mine. I like it when we agree but it is not required for friendship and love. Free speech is messy but freedom Is like that. Stand up for what you believe. Be. Love. Serve. Repeat.

Relationships are what matter. Period.
​

When you chose to live in a densely populated city you chose dependency on the system of infrastructure to sustain you.
when you chose to live in a suburb you chose to live close to others in homes virtually identical to yours.
When you chose to live in a rural community you chose a path of accountability and a do it yourself first approach.
When you chose to go to college you chose education as your path.
When you chose to go to work as an apprentice or in a trade school you chose to produce and earn as you learn.
When you chose to take a particular job you chose a path to dignity and protection for yourself and your family.
When you chose a life partner you chose to be joined and not alone in all future choices.
When you chose to have sex outside of marriage you chose accountability for the life of a child.
When you chose to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior you chose eternal life.

Each choice and decision has a consequence. Some choose to pursue choices and freedom, others choose the simpler path of doing as they are told. This is how our lives work. The downstream outcomes arise from so many key choices. Most, if not all, successful outcomes are a consequence of time, and attitude and a series of good decisions. The chain holds the weight of it all.
Happiness flows from a personal acceptance who you are and who you want to be.

When you choose to condemn another’s choices your own path is altered. My choices are not yours. I am not you. Free will doesn’t mean free from consequences of your will. it is hard enough to carry the load of your own chain. Choosing to carry and control another’s chain is deadly and toxic.

I feel kind of proud that I finally said something worthy of the thought police. Ridiculous to consider how they would classify such a post as hateful... to who, and exactly why? #idiotsincharge never cease to amaze.

amazing that FB algorithms don’t preclude them from trying to get me to pay to boost a post that they previously flagged and I actually deleted to be in “compliance” with big brother.