Thoughts On Orlando

There are almost no words to describe and or explain the terror that must have taken place this past Sunday morning at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
One thing is for certain and that this was an act of Islamofacsist terror, period. Omar Mateen called 911 during the carnage to pledge his allegiance to the Islamic State and cited leaders of the bloodthirsty group that controls part of Iraq and Syria. And the investigation is taking some real twists and turns including a report that Mr. Mateen made to trips to Saudi Arabia and that he tried to purchase body armor.
What is truly fascinating about this is the reaction and what should be the focus moving forward.
Shamefully it is falling along the political lines that have divided the United States for a long time now.
On the left, led by the Dear Leader, President Obama, there is a lack of willingness to call this act what it is. An act of Islamofacsist terror. There is no willingness to utter the words radical Islam. There is a push for gun control as there always is after a mass shooting. There is a lot of standing united with Orlando. There is the Pray for Orlando. And because the Pulse nightclub was a gay club there is the attempt to link it just to homophobia and or a hate crime.
On the right, the recognition that this is an act of Islamofacsist terror. That it will take a serious effort to fight against not just the Islamic State but those who act in the name of the Islamic State and or any other group that seeks to instill radical Islam in the West and the rest of the world. That while prayers are necessary it will take more than that to fight such a long-term war.
And let me make clear that there is a difference to have an opinion on the role of gays and lesbians in society in a  nation like ours. But it is more political than organized carnage that this act of terror was. The fact is that these are fellow Americans that died at the hands of the evil Mateen and I sure as hell don't care that they were mostly gay and or lesbian. They are Americans, period. To radical Islamic forces, this is an acceptable way to deal with those that are gay and or lesbian. Just note that in the Islamic State held lands, it is perfectly acceptable for the so-called authorities to throw suspected homosexuals off the top of the tallest building in any given town. And if there is not a tall enough building, stoning those people is perfectly acceptable. Before one uses an obscure Christian pastor who thinks this is a good thing, note that is in the minority and so far they have not carried out acts such as these.
The problem is that we need to put aside the politics and recognize that we are fighting a real enemy. An enemy that hates modernity (except for guns and pick-up trucks). They hate gays and lesbians. They hate Jews. They hate Americans. They hate anything that is non-Islamic. And they even hate those that they perceive to be not pure enough Islamic/Muslim. They carry out their hate in acts such as what took place in Orlando. In San Bernardino. In Paris, France. In London, England. Any and everywhere they see an enemy.
I will be the first to admit that there are people that agree on the basic need to take on these terror merchants but disagree on how to do so. But there are those that want to bury their heads in the sand and suggest that any true discussion on radical Islam is really just Islamophobia. It is sort of like when former President Jimmah Carter and his statement that we in the West, and particularly the United States, had an inordinate fear of communism.
What I fear is that what will happen is if we do not come to some kind of consensus policy on dealing with radical Islam, the more attacks that happen the stronger the possibility that there will be a bad backlash against good, patriotic Americans that practise Islam. I want to avoid such a backlash. We can do that if we try.
We need to do something good and unifying for those that died and were injured in Orlando. While I an sympathetic to those that are putting the Love Wins all over Facebook, I think it is time to stop trying to score political points and take on radical Islam as the United States of America.

I Have Given Up On Fox News

For the most part, it is true.
I, your humble blogger have given up on watching Fox News.
Before I explain why, there are two shows worth your time to watch.
That would be Special Report with Brett Baier and The Greg Gutfeld show on Saturday nights.
After that, you are better off looking at the Fox News website or even any other news source.
The question is, what gives? Why would I, a conservative that believes much of what we call the Mainstream Media or MSM, is left-biased give up on the only conservative if not equal time to the left-wing media bias?
Because of the Fox News cheer leading for one Donald J. Trump and his chaotic quest for the Republican nomination for president.
And folks, now that Mr. Trump in the presumptive GOP nominee,  it is only going to get worse before it gets better.
Until this election cycle, I found Fox News to be fair to all the GOP candidates in each consequential election cycle. The 2004 one does not count for then President George W. Bush had no Republican opposition. There was no cheer leading for one candidate over the other. Once the nominee became clear, yes there was no question that the opinion hosts were going to be for the GOP over the Democrat no matter who or she was.
But this cycle it became very clear from the moment that Mr. Trump made his bizarre announcement of candidacy to now that the opinion hosts were almost falling in line and more like fawning in line to Mr. Trump. It has, dare I say it, seeped into the news coverage as well. maybe not in the same way of say Sean Hannity, but there is no question that Fox News Channel can now be called the Trump News Channel.
Take the prime time lineup.
Starting at 4:00 p. m. (All times are Pacific as after all, this is Right View From The Left Coast!) with Greta Van Sustren. The question I have is what member of the Trump family does she NOT have on?! Yes it is clear that she is a solid Trumpette.
Then there is as radio talker Mark Levin calls Bill O'Reilly, the Eight O'clocker (Five O'clocker here on the left coast). He will claim that he is down the middle whenever he interviews Mr. Trump. Which seems like every day to me. But in the same breath he will say that he is trying to help Mr. Trump whenever he is in trouble. Hey, Eight O'clocker! You're job is not to help Mr.Trump in any way but to ask really tough questions and get answers. Especially during the heat of the primaries. No, you are not down the middle with Mr. Trump, Eight O'clocker. You are and have been an enabler.
But not Meghan Kelly and the Kelly File at 6:00 p. m. She has been tough as nails and Mr. Trump has not liked it. There is a truce of sorts between Mrs. Kelly and Mr. Trump, but overall it is clear that Mr. Trump knows he will be challenged and he does not like that in the least.
But I can't even watch Mrs. Kelly the way that I used to
Which leaves  the aforementioned Mr. Hannity.
I have to say that I liked when it was Hannity and Colmes. I guess that Alan Colmes just got tired of being Sean's punching bag night after night. I do not know. But since it has just become Hannity, it is just unwatchable. And Mr. Hannity fawning and drooling over Mr. Trump is rather revolting. For years on radio and television, Mr. Hannity has railed against those that he believes are not real conservatives. He has held himself up as the real deal. Yet once Mr. Trump announced, he jumped on that Trump Train head first.
Now there are those on the weekends, led by Jeannine Pirro, who are also on the Trump Train in nauseating fashion.
Look, they have the right to be open as to who they favor as they are opinion people, not the news people. But what I expect, especially when voters are making up their minds in the primaries and caucuses is not cheer leading for one candidate. I expect when other candidates are getting face time that they are not given an inquisition and the candidate of favor being fawned upon.
As a conservative this all reminds me of what we righteously accused the MSM of doing with one Barack Hussein Obama. Of fawning. Of not asking tough questions. Of making excuses when a certain candidate makes numerous faux pas. Of elevating someone that we did not think was all that qualified to be president.
I feel that I am living in an alternate universe when it comes to Fox News and Donald J. Trump.
But to be fair, the MSM does not get a pass. They have at a level given Mr. Trump a free ride. But the Trump News Channel, er Fox News Channel has taken it to another level.
My biggest concern is that Fox News has long been seen as a right-wing outlet. I would argue that it has simply been equal time to the left-dominated MSM. But this Trump-love, no Trumpaganda is too much for this conservative.
BTW, why to I recommend Special Report and Greg Gutfeld to still watch?
Special Report is Washington based and has been truly down the middle. And any show that features Charles Krauthammer is a must-watch.
Mr. Gutfeld is the only consistent opponent of Mr. Trump and has had the testicles to call his fellow hosts out on their fawning of Mr. Trump. Mr. Gutfeld needs to be given support.
This conservative has given up, for the most part, on Fox News for selling out to the Trump Train.
I hope that Fox News comes back after the election but until then, one is no worse watching or getting news from an MSM source.