Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

I recognize that half of my readers may share my political point of view and half may not. I believe, now more than ever, in our right of free speech. I have always allowed both negative and positive comments about my blogs to be posted. There will be those who read this blog and will no longer follow it. That is your right.

I feel compelled to write now in defense of our rights and liberties. In our pledge of allegiance it says, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”  

It acknowledges that we are one nation, undivided. In the face of all that has occurred in our country this past year I no longer believe that, and I am concerned and fear for our country.

Our Constitution and its Amendments ensure our basic rights and freedoms and one of its bedrock Amendments is the very first one, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

These words establish six inalienable rights:

  • The right to be free from governmental establishment of religion (known as the Establishment Clause).
  • The right to be free from governmental interference with the practice of religion (known as the Free Exercise Clause).
  • The right to free speech (even hate speech).
  • The right to freedom of the press.
  • The right to assemble peacefully (and to associate freely with whomever you choose).
  • The right to petition the government of one’s grievances.

Our right to free speech is under assault by social media, the press, a certain class of elites and extreme elements within our county. The duly elected and still President of this county, President Trump, has been permanently banned from the social media site, Twitter, as have many of his supporters. The reason given is that they are instigating violence. Yet vile people like the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, those representing the Chinese Communist Party and Louis Farrakhan remain on Twitter to spew their brands of hatred. Twitter has become an exclusively liberal platform.

I have used Twitter for several years and I know if I were to retweet some things I would be banned as well. Several months ago, I migrated to Parler, an alternative social media posting site. Tonight, I learned the Apple and Google app stores are removing the public’s access to Parler’s app. It has also been reported that Apple is about to deplatform Parler and to stop hosting the site.

Fox News reported that CNN is pressuring cable providers to drop Fox from their offerings. CNN may succeed. I stopped watching Fox months ago and began watching Newsmax and OAN. But, my God, what is happening when a cable news station that leans conservative is under attack? What about the reports of employees being fired for attending the rally at the Capitol? Or the Senator from Missouri, Josh Hawley, whose book deal was cancelled because he led the opposition to question the Electoral College vote tally? What is happening in this country? Rather than trying to bridge our divide, the extremists are pursuing retribution.

This isn’t even close to McCarthyism. It’s worse. I am once again reminded of this,

“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the labor leaders, but I did not speak out because I was not a unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
As one day became another and others disappeared, gypsies, mentally retarded, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, criminals, anti-socials and emigrants, I remained silent because I was not one of them.
Then it was they came for me, but no one spoke for me because by then there was no one left to speak.”
Martin Niemoller,1945.

Under the guise of Covid, our right to practice our religions, as we wish, is also under attack. While bars, grocery stores and big chain stores remain open with crowds of consumers within them, churches and synagogues have been forced to go to court just to maintain their basic right to remain open.

Then there is the issue of the Second Amendment,  “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The current population of the United States is 326.7 million. There are more guns in the United States than people at 393 million. Did you know in 2020 there were 5 million new gun owners? Under the new administration there will be an assault on gun ownership. Make no mistake, their agenda is to disarm the people.

I am a proud supporter of President Trump. I make no apology for my political beliefs. It is your right to disagree and I would never support the suppression of your right. Do I like everything he has said or done? No, of course not. He should have come out on January 6th and as our President more forcefully condemned the violence at the Capitol.

There is absolutely no justification to attempt to impeach him again with less than 2 weeks left in his Presidency. Nor is it justifiable to invoke the 25th Amendment. The absolute hatred of Trump leads some to seek to destroy the man completely.

But he has many accomplishments that have been good for all of us. He reformed the Veterans Administration and criminal sentencing; created the Right to Try Act; created the Space Force; rebuilt our military; kept us out of war, began establishing a lasting peace process in the Middle East; built 450 miles of the wall; removed business regulations and reduced taxes; and made us energy independent – to name just a few of his accomplishments.

Our country is divided as has occurred only once in its history during our Civil War. The repression and vengeance directed at conservatives will only continue this county’s division. I am deeply concerned. Half of this country, the 74 million people who voted for Trump, should not be denigrated by being called fascists, racists , terrorists and Nazis. The repression and retribution that is happening now will only fuel the passions of those who voted for Trump and know the election was stolen.

I saw the following post on Facebook and so far it has not been taken down,

“Let me be clear, I am not a Biden fan. I think he is corrupt, a liar, a racist bigot, is in bed with China and probably suffering from dementia. He has done nothing to improve anything in his 47-year political career. But what has Trump done in the past 4 years?

The ‘arrogant’ in the White House brokered four Middle East Peace Accords, something that 71 years of political intervention and endless war failed to produce.

The “buffoon” in the White House is the first president that has not engaged us in a foreign war since Eisenhower.

The ‘racist’ in the White House has had the greatest impact on the economy, bringing jobs, and lowering unemployment to the Black and Latino population of ANY other president. Ever.

The ‘liar’ in the White House has exposed the deep, widespread, and long-standing corruption in the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and the Republican and Democratic parties.

The ‘buffoon’ in the White House turned NATO around and had them start paying their dues.

The ‘fool’ in the White House neutralized the North Koreans and stopped them sending missiles toward Japan and threatening the West Coast of the US.

The ‘xenophobe’ in the White House turned our relationship with the Chinese around, brought hundreds of businesses back to the US, and revived the economy.

This same ‘clown’ lowered your taxes, increased the standard deduction on your IRS return from $12,500 to $24,400 for married couples and caused the stock market to rise to record levels, positively impacting the retirement accounts of tens of millions of citizens.

The ‘clown” in the White House fast-tracked the development of multiple COVID Vaccines which are now available or will be soon. And yet we still don’t have a vaccine for SARS, Bird Flu, Ebola, or a host of diseases that arose during previous administrations.

The “clown’ in the White House rebuilt our military which the Obama administration crippled and fired 214 key generals and admirals in his first year of office.

I got it, you don’t like him. Many of you utterly hate and despise him. How special of you. He is serving you and ALL the American people. What are you doing besides calling him names and laughing at him? Some of you were even hoping that COVID would be the cause of his demise. (Ah, the left. The party of “tolerance”.)

Please educate me again as to what Biden has accomplished for America in his 47 years in office, besides making the whole Biden family richer? By the way, where is Hunter?

I’ll take the “clown” any day versus a fork tongued, smooth talking hypocritical corrupt liar. I want a strong leader who isn’t afraid to kick some butt when needed. I don’t need a fatherly figure. I don’t need a liar. That’s what Hollywood, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Daily News and the New York Times are for.

Call me a chump, a racist, or part of the basket of deplorables. I do not care!

God bless Donald Trump – the best, most unappreciated President in U.S. history.”

© Joyce Clark, 2021       

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