Laugh at the Notion the Russians are Spreading Their Lies

    Truth's banner has never been so important, not for the United States. It is under assault as never before. There have been times people have questioned the free press. The study of the public's confidence in the press would be an enlightening one. Call it coincidence -- for whether it is, we do not know -- but I would not be surprised to find a decline in trust of the free press shifting in somewhere back in the days of the old Soviet Union. And, going wild just in these recent years.

   We have known all along the communists are into disinformation, propaganda. From the Cold War and before, they have long been its exponents. 

   And, they have become its experts. We speak of trade wars. No nation exports more disinformation than the Russians. Of all the trade deficits we have, none are more one-sided than this one. 

   Would you deny it? Would you suggest otherwise? If we told you Robert Mueller sat on Congress's witness stand and said that even as they were discussing the issues, the Russians were spreading their disinformation -- if we told you our intelligence agencies have warned us like this, would you still deny it?

   They have become the experts of the world, both in cybersecurity and disinformation. Believe otherwise only at the peril of our nation. Laugh at the notion they are destroying us even as they continue to destroy us. 

Is there Even Such Thing as a Peacemaker in a World of Red and Blue?

    Blessed are the Peacemakers, it is said. And, now would be a good moment for them all to step forward.  Let's run a little experiment, and see if we can get twenty of you to step forward as Peacemakers. Any takers?

   First, how many of you are willing to forgive those who assaulted the Capitol. You need to be someone who opposes Trump to qualify. You are not saying you justify the looting, nor anything else that was done that was wrong. But, you are forgiving them. And, you are offering them friendship. And, you are not calling them names, nor saying they are traitors, nor treasonous.  You are not condemning them. You understand them. You allow that they believed what they were doing was right. You allow they felt they were doing something to save the country. You might think they were misguided, but at the same time you are not condemning them. Do we have any takers? Any at all? Will any of you step forward to be this Peacemaker?  

   America has plenty people waving the red flag of Republicanism, and plenty of people waving the blue flag of Democratism. What we need are more of are those who are willing to raise the white flag of Peacemaking. Notice how when we refer to the flag as the Red, White and Blue, white is in the middle, even as a Peacemaker is in the middle, keeping the other two apart. If you took white out of the flag, there would be no stars and there would be no stripes. We would be left with but strife and contention in our land, with a sky of Democrats and a sea of Republicans.

   Peacemakers are not quick to condemn, but to forgive. There will be times they must condemn, but they will weigh the moment well before they walk that ground. 

   Peacemakers do not find fault, they forgive it. Who will be this class of Peacemaker for us? 

  Peacemakers are fair in their judgement of others. They look not for fault, but for fairness. So, let's look at the faults being cast, and see if we can find Peacemakers willing to drop their fault-finding, drop their aspersions, drop their name-calling, and accusations. Can we find even one who will fill this category? Speak up, if you will, for this is the hardest of all category to fill. I'm guessing there will not be so much as a soul who will be this type of Peacemaker. But, to help you along, that you might be this rare soul, let me point out that false accusations are the heart of contention. So, if we are to be less contentious as a people, we must cease our false accusations. We should consider the Ten Commandments, and how one of them is to not bear false witness. A Christian nation, it would seem, would run from bearing false accusations, would shun as a sin the bearing of false witness. 

  There are other types of Peacemakers close to the one just mentioned. There is the Peacemaker who does see a fault, but sees past it. They might find fault in a politician, and even verbalize it, but they reach a point of contentedness instead of contention. They allow others to disagree with them about that politician. They live with the facts. The show a measure of tolerance even though they do not approve of the politician.

  Peacemakers? Is there someone who disfavors Trump, but is willing to go without impeaching him? Ten days are left, and he will be out of office. Is there an anti-Trumper who will be willing to at least be that much of a Peacemaker?

  Here is a type of Peacemaker I doubt will step forth. There have been accusations made of everyone from Hillary Clinton to Robert Mueller. Is there anyone willing to step forth and say, You know, there really isn't any good evidence that Hillary is guilty of some of the things she is accused of?

  I suppose, on the flip side, some would ask those of us who feared Trump to likewise apologize. Realize, though, that now is the moment our fears have come to fruition -- at least in our eyes. Still, if there are things about Trump that have not proven to be more than unjust accusations -- in the name of being a Peacemaker -- are we willing to apologize?   

   We are a nation divided. If we are to quit fighting, we have to quit finding reason to fight. If we no longer see the need to condemn our neighbor, we can love him or her like the Bible suggests. 

 I will repeat: Peacemakers do not find fault, they forgive it. And, if that is not true, this is: The Peacemaker might see a fault, but forgives it. (That does not mean they say those doing wrong should not be punished. ) The warmaker invents the fault and refuses to forgive it. 

  False accusations are the heart of contention. So, if we are to be less contentious, we must cease our false accusations. 

  Well, I was going to rewrite this before posting it. It rambles and isn't organized enough. I'll go ahead and post it as is. Maybe I will rewrite it and post a better version in the future. 

  One last thing. I uppercased Peacemaker throughout this post. The roll of a Peacemaker is such that the person filling it deserves that uppercase treatment. 

Three Answers to Claims of Election Fraud

Were envelopes bearing the voter signatures destroyed? (Cobb County, Georgia)

  The envelopes destroyed were not the signature envelopes. It is deceitful that social media posts are saying they were. The envelopes with the signatures were placed inside another envelope, a privacy envelope. It was those, outer, envelopes that were destroyed. Whoever came up with all the social media posts saying the signatures were destroyed either didn't check their facts or knowingly ignored the truth and posted the falsehood anyway.

Were people locked out and not allowed to be vote challengers? (Detroit, Michigan)

   The video of people locked out and not allowed to come in and be challengers doesn't take into account that there were already at least 400 challengers there. It reaches a point where you have to say, We can't fit any more in. Security and Covid restrictions both dictate that you put a limit on how many are allowed. The limit was 134. They soared way past that before they realized they better cut it off. The video is deceptive. It would have you believe they weren't allowing challengers. Four hundred or more, though, were there. Once again, this is a case of the Trump people being deceptive.

Was a suitcase of ballots dragged in that hadn't been there the night before? (Fulton Co., Georgia)

   Rudy Giuliani or someone presented a tape of the Fulton County election, but it was an edited tape, showing only parts of the video. Then, though those parts were omitted, Giuliani declared, "The video tape doesn't lie. Fulton County Democrats stole the election. It is now beyond doubt." To begin with, there were no suitcases brought in containing the new ballots. They were standard containers. They were simply the containers the election workers use. And, they were opened and prepared for counting in full view of observers. Nobody waited for everyone to go home and then pulled out these hidden "suitcases" and ballots and viola, there they were the next morning, a suitcase of ballots that hadn't been there the night before. Trump's people (Giuliani or whoever) selectively edited the video footage to make it appear to be the way they wanted. That, too, like so many other things they have alleged, is deceitful. Why would Giuliani do this? It would seem he would know he was being dishonest. Or, if it was an honest mistake on his part, eventually he must have found out the truth, and he failed to take back his false accusation. 

Dustin Luftin and the Thousands He Stopped on the Sidewalks

    We should maintain some love for those who attacked our Capitol, though that love should only be felt by them in measured essence right now. If we could sit them down and talk to them, what would be the right script? If we could lecture them, what would we say? 

   Let's have an imaginary exchange, to suggest what might be said.

   "Hey, guys, how goes it?" Dustin Luftin said as the thousands who stormed the Capitol a few days were walking by. 

   They nodded, but kept on walking.

   "Mind if I have word with you?" Dustin asked. "Come over. Sit down. Let's talk."

   Some of them looked at him distrustfully, but they all stopped. Bags were thrown on tables. Some of them found places to sit. Others stood, their arms folded belligerently across their chests. 

   "You guys are fighting for freedom, I take it?" Dustin asked.

    They shouted back in the affirmative, some using more expletives than others.

   "Well, its good to want freedom, you guys. That is not a bad thing to be chasing."

    More expletive-laced language proclaiming that was, indeed, all they were after. 

    "Guys, you are great to want freedom. We all want it, too. Guys, I don't want you to think I approved of what you did, but I do want you to know I respect that you were searching for freedom." Dustin was searching for the right thing to say, even as he spoke. He marked it a great blessing that he had seen them coming down the road, a great blessing that he had encountered them on these sidewalks, that he should have chance to speak to them. 

   As he spoke, a thought shot through his head. He wondered at how much they were manipulated. See, Dustin was of the belief that there are forces in our world, people who spread seeds of discontent and division. He also knew that those forces hardly wanted any love to exist between Americans.

   "Just want to say I love you," Dustin continued. "Hope that doesn't sound to corny. Now, I've got a thought, and I hope you will listen to it, hope you'll try it."

   Dustin paused, and they all looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

   "Whose your enemy?"

   The answers filled the air: Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Robert Mueller . . . Government, Government, Government. 

   "Guys -- and when I say 'guys,' I mean it in the non-specific-sex way. I'm speaking to you gals, as well -- Guys, Love your neighbor. Is that too much religion for the moment? I'm serious about it. Love your enemies. If that is Pelosi, Schumer, Mueller, Clinton, the Supreme Court, or whoever, love them."

   The air filled with outrage as Dustin concluded, some of the response using expletives, others not. Some spit into the ground. Some rolled their eyes. But all vocalized their utter contempt for what Dustin was saying. 

   Well, most of them, that is. Surprisingly, some took Dustin's words to heart. And, as he got up and walked away, he could read the lips of those who mouthed the word, "Thank you."

   Even so, love is a silent force. While all the world rages against it, it silently persuades yet a few. 

'Tis Wrong that They are Suspending the President's Twitter Account

   'Tis wrong that they are suspending President Trump's twitter account. The right to tweet should be protected by the First Amendment. It will be argued that Twitter is a private company, and they should be allowed to set their own rules governing Twitter accounts. It is their forum, so they can pick who they allow on it. 

   But, Twitter is more than that. It is, in essence, a public utility. And, it is more than that. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others are forums for public speech. They are public forums.

Here's Inviting You to be One of Three Types of a Peacemaker

 Blessed are the Peacemakers, it is said. And, now would be a good moment for them all to step forward.  Let's run a little experiment, and see if we can get twenty of you to step forward as Peacemakers. Any takers?

   First, how many of you are willing to forgive those who assaulted the Capitol. You need to be someone who opposes Trump to qualify. You are not saying you justify the looting, nor anything else that was done that was wrong. But, you are forgiving them. And, you are offering them friendship. And, you are not calling them names, nor saying they are traitors, nor treasonous.  You are not condemning them. You understand them. You allow that they believed what they were doing was right. You allow they felt they were doing something to save the country. You might think they were misguided, but at the same time you are not condemning them. Do we have any takers? Any at all? Will any of you step forward to be this Peacemaker?  

  How many among us are there sincerely believing the election was robbed? We do not have to believe they are right, and we might consider in our minds how they have been led astray, but can we respect their opinions? Are there any readers here willing to take up being this category of Peacemaker? To qualify, you must be someone who feels the election was not robbed. But, you are not mad at them for believing as they do. You understand their reasoning. You do not tell them to shut their mouths as all they offer is just falsehood and disinformation. You may believe it is, indeed, falsehood and disinformation, but you allow them  the right to believe as they will and express their beliefs. 

   There is also room for Peacemakers on the other side of the aisle. Though you might be sure in your heart of hearts the election was stolen, you are considerate of those who believe the election was fair. You do not say that we all know that it was stolen, and anyone who can't see it is not being honest with themselves. For, no, we don't all see it that way.  How many of you would volunteer to be this type of Peacemaker?

   I could go on, and probably will offer tomorrow or the next day a much more thoughtful version of this post. So, when you see it, know it is a new-and-improved take. But, from what I have written, I do not know that any of you should decline to be a Peacemaker. I've identified three ways to be one. Tell me which of the three you would like to be -- or why you can't be any of the three.

   

Let Us not be so Quick to Call it Treason

   Let us not wield the title of treason too quickly upon those we disagree with. Great damage is occurring in America, as a result of those who are fighting against the election results. It does amount to insurrection. It does qualify as sedition.

   Today's assault on the Capitol underscores the gravity our nation is facing. But, were these acts treasonous? These are not people who want to destroy America. However misguided, they do love our nation. 

  On the flip side, there are those among the Republicans who have in the past tried to cast their enemies as being treasonous. James Comey is but one who has been so accused. And, I find a headline that says, "New evidence shows it is time to charge Joe Biden with treason."

   When either side reaches the point where they are able to toss the other side in jail for treason, that is the point where government rule by a single ideology imprisons our land.