I’m a bit late on this but since I went to the meeting, I figured I’d post the bits that I was interested in:

1. Town Beach Regulation (beach pass policy “returned” back to be residents (+ their guests) and not STR (Short Term Rentals like AirBnB, VRBO, et al, and hotels.
2. The town culvert failure that had water undermine and overtop my street. That failure ruined the front and back lawns of my neighbor across the street, caused the street to fail, and caused damage to the swale that was supposed to whisk that water away (rough images below).

But I was challenged by Selectmen Gus Benavides, after he described me, to post what he said on GraniteGrok. Challenge accepted, Gus!  And a bit more in that clip – after all, context IS important.

And yes, he took advantage of the discussion to make a bit of sport of me (heh!).  In the end, the Selectmen rose to the issue and said the Town will do the right thing for my neighbor for almost 40 years.

The full video of the discussion of the failure is also below. But first, the change in the Beach Pass policy. As I wrote on Youtube

The last couple of years, the ability of those in Short Term Rentals (STRs like AirBnB, VRBO, et al) and hotels buying passes to the town residents’ beach has caused much alarm and angst. As I testified, parking and use of the beach because of the “I paid my money” mentality and entitlement got to the point where I no longer felt welcome at the beach after living in Gilford for almost 40 years.

Tonite, after listening to the residents at the last meeting, Selectmen Chair Kevin Hayes rolled out the new regulation in response to that feedback.

It will be formally presented to the public on Feb 8.

And the entire discussion about the culvert failure:

This past Christmas, we had a massive snow storm go through NH. At the intersection where I live, the town owned culvert that diverted the two downloading (I liive on the side of a mountain – everything down down) streams that normally sends that flow under our streets failed due clogging.

Water went around the culvert and undermined the road to the point where our underground utility conduits were openly exposed. Further, part of the road failed.

There was a wide rushing expanse of water that ALSO overtopped the street, crossed over, and scoured the shoulder sending tons of “street dirt” into both the front and backyard of my across-the-street neighbor that has lived there as long as we have.

The swale…

“A shallow troughlike depression that carries water mainly during rainstorms or snow melts.”

…that separates her and my other neighbor across the street to my left is a swale which had silted up from the culvert runoff over the decades that also ruined her backyard. This was the hearing of her complaint – and yes, it seemingly (thus far) to turn out with the right decision.

 

It also happened a second time just a couple of days ago which I saw coming home from doing some errands:

 

Pictures from the Christmas storm damage. And those “red pipes” are the underground utility conduits for the entire neighborhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of that “street dirt” from the town road…

The post Gilford Selectmen Meeting – 1/25/23 – Where a Selectman Announces “I Adore You, Skip!” appeared first on Granite Grok.

I apologize for the last-minute email, but these bills snuck past me, even though our own treasurer, JR Hoell, co-sponsored HB 225. While both of these bills tackle the same issue, I personally feel that HB 225 is likely a better solution.

Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases to editor@granitegrok.com.
Submission is not a guarantee of publication.

Wednesday, February 1st, N.H. House
Commerce
LOB, Room 302-304  1:45 p.m. – SUPPORT – HB 225, relative to prohibiting the use of currency that could be detrimental to privacy rights. The bill seeks to ban a central bank digital currency from being used in New Hampshire as well as prohibiting any currency from being connected to a social credit score. We are seeing a globalist push to push ESG scores, which stands for “environmental, social, and governance” and have seen proof of this put into action last year during the trucker protests in Canada when protesters and their supporters bank accounts were frozen. This bill would prohibit these types of actions.

 Click here to register your disposition.
 Email the committee.

LOB, Room 302-304  2:15 p.m. – SUPPORT – HB 227, relative to fair access to financial services. This bill seeks to ban banks and financial institutions from discrimination. It is similar to HB 225, but applies more to financial institutions, whereas HB 225 is specific to currency itself and the actions of the state of New Hampshire.
 Click here to register your disposition.
 Email the committee.

The post Support Bill to Ban Social Credit Scores appeared first on Granite Grok.

So I recently put up a post titled A Screen Shot Worth The Proverbial Thousand Words … which was about Sun-King Sununu playing the role of token Republican who bashes real Republicans on a CNN Sunday morning show. What Sun-King had to say is draw-dropping … the Republican Party needs to stop fighting woke … both in public schools and in businesses.

Like much of what Sununu says his argument is nonsensical. With respect to public schools, he says that being for limited government means it is okay for local government to push woke … i.e., grooming and CRT … but it is not okay for state government to oppose woke. Being for limited government means that government at all levels does not push woke. In other words, it is limited government for state government to prevent local school districts from pushing woke.

Under Sununu’s twisted logic, local school boards, not state government, should decide whether the school district offers school choice. Yet Sununu supports state government allowing school choice in school districts where local government opposes school choice. This inconsistency proves that Sununu is actually pro-woke.

With respect to business, Sununu claims that it is not “free market” if government protects workers from woke … e.g., CRT indoctrination, mandated “vaccinations” with experimental drugs, etc.. This too is nonsensical. Banning CRT indoctrination, prohibiting business from forcing its employees to shoot up with experimental drugs, etc. has no effect on the actual business of a business. The irony … as anyone who lived in New Hampshire during the COVID era full well knows … is that the supposedly free market Sun-King totally interfered in the free market … e.g., deciding which businesses were essential and which were not.

A portion of the transcript:

DANA BASH: If I didn’t know better, I would think that that was a thinly veiled shot at your fellow Republican governor down south Governor Ron DeSantis, Because he’s made a point of picking fights with private businesses and schools over cultural issues.

GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU: I think — well, look, I think a lot of Republican leadership is getting behind this idea that we have to fight.

And I get it, as, in a leadership position, you have to be willing to have the fight. But we cannot have leadership that is only about the fight. I’m a free market…

BASH: Who is — who does show that they are leading only about the fight? Who are you referring to?

SUNUNU: Oh, I don’t think there’s any individual.

I think, look, a lot of Republicans are frustrated. A lot of conservatives, a lot of Americans, independents are frustrated, because they see this woke culture, this woke cancel culture invading our societies and in our communities. And we need to fight, to be sure.

BASH: But you argue that that — yes, but you argue that there’s too much of that.

SUNUNU: There is.

BASH: That there’s not — there’s too much of the focus on fighting that.

SUNUNU: My argument is, the government is not the solution to cultural issues, and we have a cultural problem.

But the government isn’t going to come down with a big heavy hammer and solve that problem.

BASH: Is Ron DeSantis doing that too much?

SUNUNU: It’s not about Ron. I think — I think the Republican Party as a whole just wants to get out and fight, as opposed to saying, look, let’s remember what we’re about, limited government, local control, believing in individual responsibility.

That’s the live for your die spirit in New Hampshire, and the model works really well.

 

The post Sun-King Sununu Tells CNN … Republicans Must Stop Fighting Woke appeared first on Granite Grok.

Mass shootings are tragic, as is almost any criminal shooting occurrence. Loss of innocent life is not reversible. Families, loved ones, and friends all suffer when they happen. Something does need to be done, and it should involve common sense.

But not the common sense that the anti-Second Amendment crowd is espousing, which is further restrictions on the firearms rights of law-abiding citizens.

Any time a shooting happens, the anti-gun crowd immediately jumps on the “evil guns” bandwagon to politicize the issue. I find it disgusting that Burden and others have done this repeatedly, most often with the four that have occurred in the Los Angeles area in less than two weeks. True to form, Burden steps up to the podium to blame the evil guns less than 24 hours after the event. The only sincerity in his actions is the opportunity to further his anti-Second Amendment policies.

Last I checked, an inanimate object like a gun can’t jump up and kill anyone. It takes a person to do it. Same with a knife, a rock, a hammer, a rented truck, or a pressure cooker.

It also can’t be overlooked that many, if not most, of these shootings, are happening in the parts of the country with the most restrictive firearms laws. Yep, all those laws are working wonders to keep the citizens safe from harm – NOT! It is interesting to note that the areas where the people are the least self-governed are the areas that have the most laws. That makes sense, right? The problem is that criminals are not self-governed against any particular standard.

I hear and agree with the call for more mental health care and social workers, which is a welcome change from past shootings. Heck, I even heard NPR suggesting that we have a mental health issue to deal with rather than dwelling on “pass more (useless) gun laws.” It is long overdue. But our current administration and the media largely dwell on more firearms control laws which would be nothing more than band-aids if they did anything at all. More laws won’t help. Criminals don’t obey the law, which is why they are criminals. More firearms laws only punish and endanger law-abiding citizens.

More firearms legislation is nothing more than a band-aid and a political stunt to show “we are doing something.” The real issue is that they do not address the root cause of the problem, which is the question of how our society produces individuals willing to carry out these heinous acts. I’ll suggest here that the root cause of the violence problem and so many others we see in America today is that we have lost our moral baseline, our moral compass. When there is no moral baseline, there is no good, and there is no evil. I’m not advocating for any particular religion here, but I suggest that the Ten Commandments of the Christian faith have been and still are a good starting point.

Clearly, the shooters in these instances have a vastly different view of right and wrong from that of most of society. People today live in an environment where they feel unconstrained by morals, that anything goes if they think it is “right” to do.

People, especially younger ones, feel “entitled.” The basic family unit has all but been eliminated in some demographics. The divorce rate is over 50%. Bullying in schools is a frequent occurrence and is not effectively dealt with. Troubled adolescents are not dealt with through counseling and love but are drugged. The “war on drugs” is an abject failure. Biological human sexuality is being conflated with gender identity. Sexualization of children is widespread both in the classrooms and in public libraries and is being treated as “normal.” Explicit adult toys are now openly displayed in stores like Target, Walmart, and CVS, where anyone can see them, including children.

The country is so politically divided over numerous topics that collaboration and negotiation across party lines are next to impossible. Groups like the white supremacists and BLM think that violence is OK in order to support their warped agendas, and some of our leadership encourages this. It’s OK to steal $900 or less of stuff from Walmart or other retailers because there are no longer any consequences. Work ethic, pride in accomplishment, and accountability for actions are all but gone in much of the population. The media only reports fake news on both sides of the political spectrum – journalism has been replaced by indoctrination.

Too many have zero pride in their cities or towns and so do nothing to improve the situation in them. The government has overreached its authority many, many times in recent years, and it is getting worse. Many in America promote the proven ineffective model of socialism because it provides for “free stuff.”

These and more are all symptoms of the root cause of a lack of a moral baseline. We should be focussing our attention and our dollars on fixing society by re-establishing such a baseline that discourages rather than encourages the actions described above. It starts in our cities and towns. It starts with support groups. It starts with education. It starts with churches of all kinds. It starts with individuals being committed and accountable to themselves and their community to restoring America to the once great country it was. It starts with people understanding that choices have consequences. How about these ideas to start with?

1) Let’s enforce current firearms and other laws. If someone attempting to purchase a firearm through legal channels is found to be lying on their ATF Form 4473 (background check questionnaire), convict them of the felony they just committed. I won’t go into it here, but there are hundreds of federal and state firearms laws already in existence. I also won’t go into the whole debate about securing schools and arming teachers. Maybe another time. As a matter of fact, the firearms industry is one of if not the most highly regulated industries in the country. Yet firearms still fall into the hands of prohibited persons or, in many instances, someone who should be a prohibited person.

2) Let’s fund more drug rehabilitation and diversion programs. Arrest people for small amounts of drugs, and place them in jail or rehabilitation. Controlled drugs are also highly regulated, but the war on drugs has proven to be ineffective, exacerbated by the drug smuggling through our open borders. And now, many are advocating for the release of criminals convicted of drug crimes. We must focus on rehabilitation in some way other than what has happened so far because it is not working. The Just Say No campaign didn’t do much to solve the problem. People often turn to drugs when they have nowhere else to go. Our money would be well spent providing more programs to get criminals and gang members into jobs as productive members of society.

3) We need better and more readily available mental health programs. We send billions to other countries (witness Ukraine most recently), we waste millions on ineffectively dealing with an open southern border, we spend like a drunken sailor on social programs that produce no meaningful results, and we incentivize people to stay on welfare rather than get off of it. Why can’t we spend this much on improving our mental health care system in America?

4) In so many mass shooting incidents, the shooter was known to have issues. By his parents, his teachers, his friends… And nothing was done to address the potential problems that could result. Look at the six-year-old who recently shot his teacher. School administrators had been warned about the firearm three times and did not act. DHS is pushing the See Something, Say Something agenda regarding possible terrorist actions. It needs to be explicitly broadened to include suspicious or questionable activities that may lead to mass shootings. And once an individual is known to exhibit behaviors risky to others or themselves, we must act on it by providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that helps them manage anger, exert self-control, and deal with anxiety. It was found in Liberia that providing CBT, job training, and a little cash (with accountability) to risky individuals resulted in a 50% reduction in violence and crime involving those individuals as far as 10 years out. [1]. The idea was so successful that variants of it are now being implemented in Chicago. This idea should be widely adopted.

5) Parents should be held accountable for their kid’s actions if they were aware there was an issue and did not act on it appropriately. That action could include having a discussion with your child to ask hard questions, seeking counseling for him/her, asking friends about any suspicious activity, monitoring social media sites… You know, be an involved parent.

6) We need more transparency between parents and what goes on in the classroom. Parents’ rights in this regard are a hot topic nationwide at the moment. Transparency is crucial for parents to know what is happening with their kids in school. Are they being bullied or bullying? Have they been sent to counseling, and if so, why? Has there been a marked change in a student’s behavior? All of these could be indicators that the parents, who should be the final say, need to take action.

7) We need to stop the media from sensationalizing shootings as it relates to the shooter. People need to know what happens, of course, and have a right to know in most instances. But let’s not dwell on the shooter making him/her seem like some sort of folk hero to motivate others who may be considering a crime.

There is a lot we could do that may actually help prevent firearms violence and crime in general. But no – we focus on the band-aids instead. You can’t fix a problem if you do not address the root cause.

[1] https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23141405/violence-crime-cbt-therapy- cash-shootings?fbclid=IwAR3wTfCuz0LWFTTCeD- J47S41rotZ2noYFfS4Cwq4YPFoWM8SAypbIlTwuk

The post On Mass Shootings appeared first on Granite Grok.

I’m just going to leave this here for now. Been very busy with other things, but it sure does sound like a conversation starter. Someone has been paying a University (maybe two) to ‘store’ over 1850 boxes of “documents” for Joe Biden.

–  –  stuff for the Biden Presidential Library, but given all the squirreling of classified docs, it seems like a good idea to check them out.

Maybe it will turn out to be blackmail on the Clintons or Obamas. None of them like each other much, and they all hate the Bidens – but never enough to plow Biden under. That suggests to me that doing so would expose them.

You know what, I’m sure the media will tell us what it’s all about so we can go back to smoking weed and watching Netflix.

 

HOLY SHIT!! Biden documents scandal includes 1850 Boxes, enough to fill a tractor trailer, plus 415 GB of electronic records! The Senate Intelligence Committee is demanding Biden turn these documents over, but they are refusing to do so!! pic.twitter.com/ifLRnsWEan

— Matt Clark (@MattClarkReport) January 30, 2023

The post Another 1850 Boxes of Biden Documents Uncovered appeared first on Granite Grok.

Has there ever been a more meaningless phrase than “my word as a Biden?” Has there ever been spoken a more laughable collection of words? No is the correct answer, and when you hear Joe Biden use this phrase, you can rest assured what follows is a lie.

Nobody will ever accuse President Joe Biden of being a pillar of truth and credibility. Biden has been fabricating tall tales for so many years that it is impossible to separate fact from fiction. Some call his lapses from reality simple blunders. I am not that charitable when it comes to our President or when he was Vice President or Senator. Joe Biden has an affinity to lie, to the point that the truth may not exist in his mind.

The infamous Corn Pop, kids playing with his hairy legs in the pool, never speaking to Hunter about his business dealings overseas, to the claim that nobody making less than $400K a year would pay another dime in taxes. We need to remember that when Joe was running for President in 1987 and 2015, he had to withdraw on charges of plagiarism and embellishment of academic achievements. These two instances did not prevent him from entering the race in 2019. An honest man would have recognized he had his chance and had squandered it. After two embarrassing events at the highest level, he did not deserve a third. Unfortunately, he got into the race, and the American people elected him. We got what we deserved.

When you look at the makeup of the Biden Administration, the first thing you see is diversity. Every box is checked except qualified. You have white, colored, straight, gay, transgender, male, and female, but each is as inept as the next. One consistent thing is a lack of honesty and credibility. Take Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary. He checks off the Cuban box and has been lying about the Border since 2021. Whenever he sits behind a microphone, he proclaims that the Southern Border is closed and secure. Take a minute, Alejandro, to review the tapes, then circle back to us with the truth.

Look at Karine Jeanne-Pierre, black, female, and gay but absolutely useless in her job. Unless she can read a prescreened answer in her binder, KJP has nothing. She has no ability to think on her feet. We knew we could not trust her predecessor, Jen Psaki, but we admired her ability to think on her feet and formulate an answer. Maybe wrong or a lie, but she was believable in her delivery.

Energy Secretary Granholm Continues to tell us that Joe Biden’s policies are saving dollars at the pump. Prices are high because of Biden and to say he is responsible for falling prices ignores how they got to five dollars in the first place. Keep gaslighting and lying, and your disciples will lap it up.

And then there is Hunter, the most intelligent man Joe Biden has ever known. He goes on network interviews and says he would have nothing if his name were not Biden. That may be the only truthful statement ever uttered by a Biden. Hunter’s life is a lie filled with drugs, hookers, and high-paying jobs for which he is not qualified.

In Joe Biden’s circle, it is impossible to distinguish between truth and lies, black and white, but listen to Joe as he tells you to take him at his word as a Biden.

The post My Word as a Biden appeared first on Granite Grok.

Merrimack, NH– Today, Melissa Blasek released the following statement announcing her candidacy to be the Chairman of the New Hampshire Young Republicans.

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Submission is not a guarantee of publication.

“I am excited to announce my bid for chair of the New Hampshire Young Republicans. Looking forward to the 2024 election, it is important that the New Hampshire Young Republicans help the party engage with young voters through expanded social media campaigns, grassroots efforts, and emotional, impactful messaging. I am confident I can lead a creative and enthusiastic team to connect with young voters and candidates.”

Melissa Blasek is a former State Representative from Merrimack and the current Executive Director of RebuildNH, a grassroots, non-partisan advocacy organization.

 

 

Reminder: Content about candidates or by candidates is not an endorsement by GraniteGrok.com or its authors.

The post Melissa Blasek Announces NHYR Chair Bid appeared first on Granite Grok.

Like before, another submitter has asked to be anonymous – which is perfectly fine by me.  And yes, some light editing by me but not in changing the message. Emphasis mine  -Skip

Hi Skip,
I saw your GG piece about being denied entry into the GOP meeting. FYI, I was a State Committee Member so I attended. Three things I noticed:

1. Real America’s Voice reporter Heather Mullins was there, and so was Liz Willis of Right Side Broadcasting.  So “they” (the presiding officers) were definitely letting smaller news-outlet reporters enter.  [I think you were denied because GG sometimes criticizes Sununu?  Oh, the horror……]
2. There was favoritism in deciding who was allowed admission.  I was seated in the very front row with Rockingham County Members.  Sitting directly behind me was Gail Huff Brown, Scott Brown’s wife, and two other women.  NONE WERE CERTIFIED COMMITTEE MEMBERS OR AUTHORIZED MEDIA.  They just got passed through the Secret Service gates to “see Trump” apparently.   I don’t know how many non-credentialedtialed, “special” guests were present but 3 were enough to infuriate several of us.
3. There was much unhappiness about how disorganized things were – and how the conference would be running late into the evening.  Everyone knew Trump would speak for an hour.  But a big mistake happened when U.S. Representative William Hurd (R, Texas) appeared out of nowhere — and wanted to address the crowd.

We had just “passed the hat” to collect NHGOP donations from the audience, so Rep. Hurd began by declaring he was tossing a “$5,000 check” in the donations pile before he proceeded to blather on with an unproductive speech for 20 minutes.  Can’t prove it but – I suspect the person who floated the “passing-the-hat” for funds idea to us via an email earlier last week just wanted to let Rep. Hurd speak — in exchange for a measly contribution.

I’ll throw this in – trying to audition to be Trump/someone else’s Veep?  -Skip

Hurd really screwed things up with his interruption of our meeting.  He spoke for too long — and we were already “behind schedule.”  Many Granite Staters drove a long way to get to Saturday’s meeting.  They were there to discuss motions — not hear from Hurd (who has 0 chance in the ’24 primary).   As a result, some folks sitting in the nose-bleed sections of the auditorium moved to “table all remaining items and adjourn” — with most of the Motions and Resolutions yet to be considered.  Who the heck thought it was a good idea to disturb the flow of a long business meeting by bringing Hurd in?  Was $5K really worth it?  And why not invite several other prospective 2024 candidates as well?

Other incidents also left me feeling the entire meeting was being orchestrated in a politically heavy-handed but oafish manner.  For example, Karen Testerman offered a By-Laws amendment that would require GOP primaries to be “closed primaries” – in order to prevent Party cross-overs from strategically requesting Republican ballots.  Those on stage presiding over Saturday’s meeting stated Testerman’s wording “didn’t seem to fit into any particular section of the By-Laws” – so her motion should therefore be discarded.  A nonsensical  “argument” for tabling.  They refused to allow friendly amendments to the motion.

At that point – people began leaving.  One person even shouted:

“This is why the Republican Party loses elections!”

DDespitethe negative spin the MSM has been putting on his NH speech, Trump was well-received and devoted his time to explaining his record of success – which is all he really needs to do in order to win in 2024.

 

The post Another Observation From Another NH GOP State Committee Member about Saturday appeared first on Granite Grok.

If you are one of those … WE ARE A RED STATE! I DON’T CARE IF THE LAST TIME THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE GOT MORE THAN 50% OF THE VOTE WAS 1988; I DON’T CARE … then stop reading, because this is going to “trigger” you.

I recently received an email from Cornerstone regarding the turnout … lack of turnout, that is … for an anti-woke bill:

There was a public hearing on HB 396 on Thursday, January 26 before the House Judiciary Committee. We’ve heard from many parents in multiple school districts that their daughters’ privacy is being violated by biological males in intimate spaces such as restrooms and locker rooms. Cornerstone has worked diligently to advance a bill to address these threats to the safety of our women and children.

On Thursday night, a parade of progressive and transgender activists showed up to voice their opposition to the bill, as well as many powerful lobbying groups, and Governor Sununu’s far-left, activist DOJ, which opposes any separation between the biological sexes in sports or private spaces.

However, only one brave parent, Samia, showed up to testify in favor of HB 396 …

And there you have it. So now the cowardly House NHGOP can say … there was no public support for this bill; so can we please get back to what really maters: CUTTING BUSINESS TAXES!!!

The Left in New Hampshire … AND THAT INCLUDES SUN-KING SUNUNU AND HIS COTERIE OF SYCOPHANTIC GRIFTERS … has so anathematized ANY opposition to woke that nobody dares to challenge woke.

I believe that Lenin said something to the effect of … give me just one generation of children and I’ll transform the world. He was right. New Hampshire is WOKE. It is NOT a Red State; it is NOT a PURPLE STATE … it is a DEEP BLUE, UBER-WOKE STATE.

The post The Battle For New Hampshire Is OVER … And WOKE Has WON appeared first on Granite Grok.

Today’s article is a follow-up to one from last August. At that time, I addressed two situations. One was the bill introduced by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) to protect children from surgical mutilation in the name of Gender-Affirming Care. The other was a sidebar about a gentleman named Billboard Chris. Chris Elston is a Canadian-born activist who travels across North America wearing an old-fashioned sandwichboard alerting people to facilities that are butchering children to facilitate their gender reassignment. Today, I would like to update the stories of these two individuals connected by cause.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launched her “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” last August, which details that anyone who “knowingly performs any gender-affirming care on a minor” is guilty of a class C felony, carrying a punishment of 10 to 25 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

HR 8731 (117th): Protect Children’s Innocence Act was co-sponsored by 49 other Republican Congressmen but was allowed to die without ever coming to the House floor for debate or vote. Apparently, the protection of children was not an important issue for then Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Congresswoman was on Fox often to talk about her piece of proposed legislation, but it is incredible how many of these pieces never see the House. You would think something presented to protect our children from harm would receive unanimous support. To think so would be wrong. The bill has not been re-entered for consideration yet in 2023.

Billboard Chris continues his effort to get people to understand better what is happening to young children. Though his actions are quiet and peaceful, some people’s reactions to Chris are anything but peaceful. Last August, Chris was protesting in Montreal, Canada, when he was approached by a group of people disguised in black, so identities were protected, and they proceeded to beat Chris Elston.

A video of the Canadian incident shows a small crowd of black-clad people (one wouldn’t dare assume their gender for fear of invoking their violent wrath) surrounding him. At one point, armed with a traffic cone, one of the attackers charges and repeatedly whacks Chris with it. They broke Chris’ arm inc the skirmish. Nobody has been arrested or charged for the attack, and it is safe to say nobody ever will. This attack on Elston is what the Left calls mostly peaceful protesting.

What does this say about the Democrat Party that claims to be the Party of the people? It doesn’t connect. The Left continues to call protests “mostly peaceful” when property is destroyed and police cars burned. The logic is that you cannot call it violence when the victim is inanimate objects like buildings and vehicles. Destroy a city, but it is peaceful if no one is hurt. How warped is this thinking?

The Left is Pro-Abortion, Pro-infanticide, and Pro-Transgender. How does that square with being the Party of the people? It doe not. Throw in the damage that the education system doe to our children, and you can say that the Democrat Party is not only pro-illegal immigrant but anti-children. Is this the Party you want in charge in America? Not if you want a future for our children and grandchildren.

If you are a supporter of the Democrat Party, you really need to do some introspection. This Party is anti-children and anti-American.

The post Does This Look Like Mostly Peaceful appeared first on Granite Grok.

In case you missed it, the people at the Associated Press (AP) responsible for the style guide tweeted out an amendment to their preferences. It’s a common practice, but this level of ridicule is not.

 

(Daily Wire) In a tweet posted Thursday morning, the AP Stylebook instructed journalists who work with the organization not to use “dehumanizing” collective terms for people, such as “the French.” …

“We recommend avoiding general and often dehumanizing ‘the’ labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled, the college-educated. Instead, use wording such as people with mental illnesses,” the AP Stylebook wrote in the now-deleted tweet. “And use these descriptions only when clearly relevant.”

 

Even the French Embassy got in on the ridicule.

 

I guess this is us now… https://t.co/YFybgfI2AB pic.twitter.com/LrKvgjiw1X

— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) January 26, 2023

“We just wondered what the alternative to the French would be,” French embassy spokesman Pascal Confavreux told The New York Times. “I mean, really.”

 

The apparent difficulty here, as noted in another mocking tweet (this one by Elon Musk), is that by suggesting the change, the Associated Press dehumanized itself.

 

“So then why do call yourself ‘The’ Associated Press”

 

Good news for Ukraine, of course. They must have seen this coming.

The post The Associated Press Dehumanizes Itself With Latest Style Guide Update appeared first on Granite Grok.

From the Women’s Defense League of NH

On February 8th,  there will be multiple gun control bills heard in the New Hampshire House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.

It appears that all the draconian gun control bills will be heard in one day, so take a day off and support your 2nd Amendment rights in New Hampshire.

It doesn’t matter that New Hampshire is consistently one of the safest states in the country. It doesn’t matter that New Hampshire has ‘Constitutional Carry.’ What matters to gun controllers is out-of-state legislation that will intentionally harm Granite Staters and infringe upon your fundamental human right to self-defense.

The most important gun control bills are listed below:

House Bill 32 – AN ACT relative to possession or discharge of a firearm in a safe school zone.

This bill makes it illegal to possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a public or private school. This means that if you are a woman who drops your children off at school and carry a firearm to protect yourself and your children, you become a criminal unless your firearm is unloaded and ‘in a locked container’ in a motor vehicle. Essentially, this law renders women who seek to protect themselves and their children useless to protect themselves against a stalker or abusive partner.

This bill enables violent criminals to make easy targets of their intended victims.

House Bill 59 – AN ACT requiring a background check prior to any commercial firearm sale.

This bill has been resurrected from the depths of Hell for at least a decade. And as always, this bill will make it so anyone who provides firearm training, other than those who are already FFL dealers, will NOT be able to provide firearm SAFETY training. Year after year after year, we have explained how this bill harms those who seek gun safety training but year after year after year, gun controllers don’t care. They claim to be all about gun safety, but when it boils down to facts and reality, it’s more about control. They care nothing about actual gun safety.

House Bill 76 – AN ACT imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm.

This bill seeks to stop law-abiding Granite Staters, who pass a federal background check, from taking the legally purchased firearm home for 3 days. If you’re a woman with a stalker or abusive partner and don’t have a restraining order, you’re SOL when it comes to protecting yourself and practicing your fundamental human right to self-defense. NH’s 2A doesn’t mention anything about a waiting period, neither does the Constitution. The only people who want a waiting period are those who seek to enable criminals.

House Bill 78 – AN ACT repealing an act prohibiting the state from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential Executive Order that restricts or regulates the right of the people to keep or bear arms.

Last year a bill was signed into law states the following: “…the state of New Hampshire, a political subdivision of this state, or any person acting under the color of state, county, or municipal law shall be prohibited from using any personnel or financial resources to enforce, administer, or cooperate with any law, act, rule, order, or regulation of the United States Government or Executive Order of the President of the United States that is inconsistent with any law of this state regarding the regulation of firearms, ammunition, magazines or the ammunition feeding devices, firearm components, firearms supplies, or knives.”

HB 78 seeks to repeal this law because gun controllers seem to really want the federal government controlling New Hampshire’s 2A laws. These representatives seem to forget they ‘represent’ Granite Staters, not the swamp rats in D.C.

House Bill 106 – AN ACT relative to extreme risk protection orders.

NYC billionaire Michael Bloomberg is bringing back his ‘Red Flag’ bill once again. This legislation is one of the most destructive pieces of gun control to ever be brought to the New Hampshire State Legislature. It is absolutely ironic that the New York State Supreme Court just ruled that their Red Flag law is unconstitutional. You can find out more details about Red Flag laws, including information about HB 106, by visiting www.stopredflaglawsnh.org

House Bill 351-FN – AN ACT relative to the negligent storage of firearms and relative to firearm safety devices.

This bill is adding increased criminal penalties if a firearm isn’t stored according to existing law. The bill is specifically referring to children under the age of 16 who may gain access to a firearm. It’s unclear the need for changing this existing law. There doesn’t seem to be a rash of children intentionally or accidently shooting people in New Hampshire. This is another gun control measure to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

House Bill 444-FN – AN ACT prohibiting possession of a firearm at a polling place.

This bill makes it a crime to carry a firearm at polling places, unless you are law enforcement. It doesn’t matter if you are legally able to posses a firearm. It doesn’t matter that there has NEVER been an issue with Granite Staters carrying at polling places. This bill seeks to make people less safe. Once again, another bill that will allow criminals, stalkers, and abusers to be able to easily prey on innocent victims who will not be able to protect themselves.

Not one of these gun control bills will stop criminals. ALL these gun control bills are looking for solutions to problems that do not exist in New Hampshire. Again, New Hampshire is consistently one of the SAFEST STATES in the country. These bills have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with control.

It doesn’t matter that these bills will probably fail in both the House and the Senate. What matters is Granite Staters continue to fight against these bills written by out-of-state organizations and pushed by extremists in the legislature who seek to infringe upon our fundamental human right to self-defense.

If you cannot make the hearings, you can email the Committee members and ask them to vote Inexpedient To Legislate (ITL) on each of the bills above. Even if you can make the hearings, you should still email them:

Amanda.Bouldin@leg.state.nh.us

Amy.Bradley@leg.state.nh.us

linda.harriottgathright@leg.state.nh.us

Jason.Janvrin@leg.state.nh.us

Dennis.Mannion@leg.state.nh.us

David.Meuse@leg.state.nh.us

Nancy.Murphy@leg.state.nh.us

Alissandra.Murray@leg.state.nh.us

Jodi.Newell@leg.state.nh.us

Ray.Newman@leg.state.nh.us

Kevin.Pratt@leg.state.nh.us

Mark.Proulx@leg.state.nh.us

Karen.Reid@leg.state.nh.us

Jennifer.Rhodes@leg.state.nh.us

Terry.Roy@leg.state.nh.us

Loren.Selig@leg.state.nh.us

john.sytek@leg.state.nh.us

Jeffrey.Tenczar@leg.state.nh.us

Jonah.Wheeler@leg.state.nh.us

Granite Staters deserve better than to be treated like criminals for simply practicing their rights and protecting themselves and their families from ACTUAL criminals.

The post SAVE THE DATE – Gun Control Hearings on February 8th appeared first on Granite Grok.

Memphis is famous for The Blues, Elvis Presley and Graceland, Barbeque, crime, and now … police violence. Don’t be offended if I left something out, and on that note; we might want to dig deeper into the question of police violence (sort of).

Related: Uncomfortable Fact: More Black Americans are in Prison Because of Democrats

Several of the “Cops” who beat Tyre Nichols to death might be Vice Lords Street Gang Members who were embedded into the Memphis Police Department after it allegedly lowered its standards in a desperate need to get bodies into uniforms.

In other words, it might be a gang hit.

 

REPORT:

Not only did Mayor Strickland reduce the qualifications to become an officer at Memphis PD, The academy was directly told to not fail anyone out due to their desperate need for officers.

They were literally letting anyone in.

— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) January 30, 2023

 

Here’s a screengrab of Lauren’s follow-up tweets.

 

I can neither confirm nor deny the allegations. We’ll need to wait to see what shakes out, but if you’ve not seen the five now former MPD officers arrested for the murder of Nichols, here they are.

 

Five former Memphis police officers have been indicted and jailed in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, who died days after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith each face several charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

 

We can probably agree that they were not motivated by racism, leading us back to police violence but with a twist. Black Lives Matter had an itch to cut urban police forces. It also wanted more representation from the community in those that stayed the course. Memphis, like most other Demcorat-run plantations, was happy to oblige. Following the rules set out by the Progressive identity politics axe-grinders and their BLM water carriers, we are not permitted to presume that not all officers of color are like these five.

Their rules, not mine, so while I can disagree – I care very little for the hypocritical nonsense that passes for liberal thought – they are bound and subject to appropriate levels of ridicule.

Memphis is not a safe place to live. At the end of 2021, one site ranked it the most dangerous city in America. Area Vibes, which curates details for prospective home buyers, gives Memphis an F for Crime, Schools, and Employment.

Related: Black America – Democrats Are Not Doing This for You, They Are Doing It for Themselves

If you run an increasingly street gang, it’s a great time to get some guys on the inside. 

 

Memphis leaders are making plans to reduce crime rates. However, it is reported that the city needs more police officers. According to a tweet by the City of Memphis, MPD is offering a $15,000 signing bonus.

Another link from Lauren confirms that the MPD was struggling to find new officers.

 

REPORT:

Not only did Mayor Strickland reduce the qualifications to become an officer at Memphis PD, The academy was directly told to not fail anyone out due to their desperate need for officers.

They were literally letting anyone in.

— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) January 30, 2023

 

If you haven’t already lost your mind, I’m not saying this isn’t police violence. It is. This confirms what we’ve been saying for a long time. City Police, their Democrat-run unions, and these Democrat-run cities are responsible for everything. They’ve had a stranglehold on leadership for generations and plenty of time to address issues they talk about every chance they get. But Democrats refuse to own the generational poverty, inadequate public schools, crime, and the cop culture that is a reflection of their uninterrupted rule.

Memphis is over 64% black. The “arresting” officers were all black. And people are rioting; why? Police violence. And excuse changing the subject away from Biden’s classified document scandal? Well, ‘cuz reasons?

Tyre’s family has said no one should riot, it’s not what he would have wanted, but that didn’t seem to make a difference. Do you know what else hasn’t but might? These incidents happen in cities bought and paid for by the Democrat machine whose elected representatives run everything and control everything and have for decades.

Memphis is Blue; that’s why police reform is such a struggle.

If you want to riot for change, start by voting for someone other than a Democrat and not just one office but all. And not just once but every election for the next (at least) ten years. The Dems broke everything, and no one can fix that overnight.

Or keep doing the same thing about nothing’s going to change.

 

 

The post The Death of Tyre Nichols Proves It’s Not about Race It’s about Democrats appeared first on Granite Grok.

They’re flying so thick and fast it is amazing.  Take heart – there will be a Meme Overflow and almost certainly a Friday Meme Overflow-Overflow.  Last week’s Overflow-Overflow.

Remember, ridicule and mockery are effective weapons:

1. Ridicule cannot easily be fought
2. Ridicule makes the enemy angry, and angry people make mistakes
3. For those in the “squishy middle” a Thought Splinter (and Part II and Part III and Part IV) can often be hidden inside humor.

Now, let the mockery and mayhem begin.

 

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

And a hat-trick of past essays:

A Crisis of Trust – Urban Scoop

Things Fall Apart… With A New Cartoon “Getting Ready for the Spicy” and its sequel Things Fall Apart 2

Ideological Superorganisms – Granite Grok

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

WEAPONIZED TRUST

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

But first, a random sampling of three of my cartoons.  Please note these are my concepts but I pay a professional to do them.

 

 

—

 

—

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

Look at the time differences.  Never mind just the money debasing… the time span.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

Life imitates art.  There’s a line in the scifi novel Dune, from memory, where the arch-villain says “If I scattered sand in front of them and told them it was grain, they’d peck at it”.

Same thing here.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Pick of the post:

 

 

Remember this charmer?  This is the attitude so many had towards anyone not buying in.

No, I do not forgive.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Palate Cleansers:

Sound on!

 

https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1_5091443760995238684.mp4

—

 

Now THIS is spin!

—

 

Sounds like a lot of my fishing trips.  I remember the last one; as people were landing fish to my left, and landing fish to my right, I wondered if there was a sign in “fish-ese” on my line saying NOT THIS ONE, GUYS!

The post MONDAY MEMES appeared first on Granite Grok.

I’m thinking about changing my byline again. I was a Lying Dog-Faced Pony Soldier. After Biden, the source for LDFPS, alighted his stumbling ass upon the Offal Office, I became a Browncoat (Firefly Reference if you missed it).

But now, I might be Auntie Vaquser because Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary has decided to amend its definition of the term anti-vaxxer. I stumbled on it while surfing Substack.

The old definition included “a person who opposes the use of vaccines or regulations mandating vaccination.”

The new one goes something like this: 

a person who opposes the use of some or all vaccines, regulations mandating vaccination, or usually both.

Since a vaccine has been redefined as almost any syringe-based medical intervention promoted by the state or its mouthpieces (so-called public health experts, alleged journalists, celebrities, athletes, or Instagram influencers), are those opposed to lethal injection or the death penalty anti-vaxxers?

Yes!

More good news. Intravenous drug users are not “vaccine” hesitant; they are self-vaccinating, and if you oppose this it might make you an anti-vaxxer. As you know, the government is not doing much, if anything, to stop the flow of self-medicating intoxicants from China, through Mexico, and into the US, ergo, approval.

We should assume that any regulations against these individual “medical” interventions might be anti-vaxxer.

And it all turns on the redefinition of a vaccine.

 

Check out @CDCgov’s evolving definition of “vaccination.” They’ve been busy at the Ministry of Truth: pic.twitter.com/4k2xf8rvsL

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 8, 2021

Maybe you shouldn’t have let them get away with that because not long after, they changed the definition of fully vaccinated and the efficacy of medical masks, etc., as the list of things that were once one thing then another is quite long.

And when it became clear these interventions did not prevent or stop the spread (presumably of COVID), they told you the answer was more of the same.

At some point, they admitted to a risk of myocarditis, and recently – after months of saying you should get the COVID and Flu vaccines together, doing so might increase the risk of stroke.

As the list of conspiracy theories becomes truth (see also science), a few of the so-called public health experts, alleged journalists, celebrities, athletes, or Instagram influencers have asked for amnesty. Sorry about all that; water under the bridge, okay.

Not okay.

But you can call me Aunti Vaquser anyway, at least until I change it again.

 

Edited and updated after publication.

The post You Might Be An Anti-Vaxxer If … appeared first on Granite Grok.

This is something that has been irritating me for a long time, and has now reached the point that it pisses me off. What is ‘this’?

Demanding tolerance of the abnormal.

What’s worse is this demand is being made by people who are intolerant of anyone who disagrees with them. It’s hypocrisy.

One of the left’s primary goals has always been to convince us that we are not normal if we do not affirm its ideology, a well established tactic among totalitarians. People who believe in normal things are under attack in America. We are assaulted on a near continuous basis by leftists who practice and promote behavior that is clearly abnormal. Frighteningly, some of this behavior is not merely abnormal, it’s evil.

The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides many definitions of normal. Among them are: “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern, characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine; according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, procedure, or principle; occurring naturally.

If we contrast these accepted definitions of normal with many policies and practices of the left, a trend emerges. Much of what today’s left promotes does not comport with what is recognized as normal. Instructing children how to think and behave like racists, as happens in many government schools through variants of Critical Race Theory, is not normal. It’s harmful.

They have relabeled pedophiles as “Minor attracted persons”. But they are pedophiles, predators hurting and damaging children. Yet we’re supposed to tolerate them? Some seem to support grooming children for activities that should never be imposed upon children. Yet we’re supposed to tolerate this? Abortion right up to the time of birth…or even after? An abomination…yet we’re supposed to tolerate this?

Claiming obesity is healthy and promoting it as such while castigating those disagreeing with them as “Fatphobic”. Working out is “Fatphobic”. Eating healthy is “Fatphobic”. Yet we’re supposed to tolerate this dangerous falsehood?

Examples of this nonsense abound.

Ordinary people are often intimidated into going along with abnormal ideologies because it’s easier than being screeched at by somebody who demands we affirm their abnormal behavior. This intimidation prompts many people to tip-toe around the fact that much of what we see in America today just isn’t normal and sometimes, we keep quiet even though we know it’s not normal. This is how normal becomes redefined.

–snip–

None of this is to suggest we should discriminate against people with such beliefs as they try to do to us. Many of these people have been deceived, coerced or extorted into affirming abnormal behavior and ideas for self preservation or a false sense of power. By the same token, other Americans have every right to withhold their acquiescence of abnormal behaviors without fear. A little more ‘live-and-let-live’ would go a long way. But live-and-let-live is a two-way street.

It’s time we tell the folks pushing this nonsense too far and that “We ain’t gonna play their game no more.” Normalizing the abnormal is just one more step in the decline and fall of any society. Remember the fall of Rome.

-DCE at Weekend Pundit (Thoughts On A Sunday)

Ever notice that it is always some from the Left that is telling us that “this stigma” has to be removed from Society?  And it can be a whole bunch of things like those enumerated above. Add to it illegal drugs, hookup society, victimhood narcissism, drag shows for kids, basic human biology is irrelevant, feelings over reasoning, reverting back to tribalism, denigration of Judao-Christian moral values, separating kids from their parents by pushing transgenderism in schools, and here in the US, rejection of our Founders and the Constitution (our REAL Social Contract)? The list can go on and on with far more UNnormal habits and lifestyles.

Each is meant to do two things:

• Removing stigma and norms removes the guardrails that Society built up over hundreds of years to protect itself from outliers and ne’er-do-wells from infecting Society at large. We’re watching this process in real time as what used to be called degeneracy and deviancy for a reason being thrown away.
• To create chaos.  Full blown. Think Cloward-Piven on steroids at several orders of magnitude.

Why?

To remake us. By sowing chaos, anything can happen. There are those that aren’t just wishing for it, they are PUSHING for it.

Why?

They hope to be the ones that will be able to seize Power and remake us to be them. EVERY single Leftist group, if you really study them, are DEMANDING that you change who you are and what you do and what you think and how you can move around (if allowed) and what to eat and what to wear…don’t doubt me. We’ve blogged a lot of them.

Totalitarians all.  DCE quotes:

But live-and-let-live is a two-way street.

In our eyes, it should be. In theirs, no such thing exists – there is only their way. And they are taking advantage of that most of us Normal, as DCE said, try to be “nice”.

Sorry, you need to up your situational awareness – being nice is just another word for “door-mat”. We do, indeed, have to start using “Up Yours!” more often and start putting all the bricks they’ve been been yanking out for years of the wall called Society.

It’s time to tell them “ENOUGH!”

The post Notable Quote – It’s Meant to Create Societal Chaos appeared first on Granite Grok.

Here on Monday, after the snowstorm blowing over the driveway, I sit here and recall a Letter To The Editor that I sent a week or two back stating the climate has not changed in all my 80 years. So, of course, the following week a writer scoffed at my observation.  May I suggest that person look out his window? Yes, I believe my point is made.

Now, it has to be clear to even the most die-hard climate change believer that something is wrong with the “experts” theories. What is wrong, I would suggest, is that isn’t about climate, it’s about politics. Everyone has a right to be critical of politics as it’s generally a nasty business on either side of the aisle but promoting fantasies as the facts insult everyone on both sides.

Might I suggest that the Left is always promoting how wonderful the illegal millions flooding – our-country are? No, maybe not? How about how great our economy and inflation…ahhh, no. Okay then cost of heating…wait. Crime? Drugs?  Oh, I know, the wonderful, transparent…okay, okay, slander Trump and his stash of unsecured secret documents. After all, Biden would neveeer…

Well, he **** let them find their own darn political topics, they never run short of made ups.

The post Climate Hasn’t Changed in 80 Years… appeared first on Granite Grok.

So here is a retweet by Sun-King Sununu of a CNN tweet for a CNN Sunday morning show. The company the Sun-King keeps!  Schiff, Swalwel and Ilhan! RINO-traitor Adam Kinzinger!

Some of the less recognizable names: Crump says opposing CRT is racism, while Scott Jennings is a W-alumni, NeverTrump RINO.

The company the illustrious Sun-King keeps!

The NHGOP should have “moved on” from Sununu once he exposed himself as a woke-but-less, self-aggrandizing, COVID-tyrant. Sticking with Sununu has accomplished NOTHING … EXCEPT allowing certain “insiders” to grift and turning New Hampshire DEEP BLUE.

The post A Screen Shot Worth The Proverbial Thousand Words appeared first on Granite Grok.

Part I of this series ran on January 28, 2023, and can be found here. My complaint is now filed and now I wait.

My Attorney and I had about six communications with the District Court’s Clerk’s office about this order that was due out by September 30, 2022.

The clerks were all kind and compassionate but silent on answers or solutions. Citizens seeking information on Court orders don’t need a therapy session, we need solutions and answers.

When a Judge cannot competently perform their duties, they compromise the entire system, as they serve as the ultimate authority, both feared and respected. Coming forward on this is difficult; it exposes you to retaliation by the Judges and the Court. But, after years of slogging through the legal system, I have come to believe the courts are not where truth is found, and justice is served. Attorneys who lie can win, and money speaks. Judicial ethics appears to be on shaky ground. The entire system seems fragile.

Criminal matters required well-trained and skilled Judges to get it right. Liberty should never be taken lightly.

It does not appear as though the Court has any type of Judicial monitoring system to review order output and workload. It all has to become a dumpster fire to get fixed. With the loss of local newspapers, there is no place to shine a light and no investigative journalism to dig into these matters, so the Courts will be places of unchecked power and trust will be eroded. Someone should investigate the response time of the orders issued by this Judge and determine if there is a staffing problem or a competency problem.

On January 26th, after feeling so despondent speaking with the Clerk about the Judge’s failure to complete my order, I decided to see if this Judge was holding Court. Sure enough, he was. Thursday is his writing day, but it was Thursday, and he was in Court. Perhaps that is why orders are not coming out.

I had never seen this Judge or been in his courtroom. My personal feelings toward him and his work were so negative that I thought it might be best to create a more interpersonal relationship. I believed observing him in action might quell my anger and frustration, soften my perspective and help me find a kinder side.

It worked. Observing him in court, he was a kind and compassionate man. But, it was clear he is not committing to the Defendants when orders will be issued and their cases resolved. This is the crux of the problem.

I watched an incarcerated black man represented by a public defender who explained to the Judge that her client’s warrant and time served were not handled correctly and that she had really never seen something like this. I instantly had empathy. She believed he deserved his time served to be calculated into his new sentencing.

The Judge appeared to listen carefully and spoke directly to the defendant stating that he would look carefully into the matter and try to calculate the incarceration time correctly when he produced his order. But, he never gave any indication of when the order would be issued. Herein lies the problem. How long will this man wait to understand where he stands on his case? 

Judges should be required to provide a time when an order will be issued. I’ll have an order out in 60 days, etc., instead of an “I’ll get to it when I get to it” approach. How can we hold the system accountable if there is no standard by which to hold them? When is it ok to complain?

On Thursday, I asked my Attorney to withdraw from the case. I loved my Attorney’s work and very much appreciate his commitment to my case. However, I wanted to file a request to ask the Judge to produce the notice of decision. I wanted to file a formal complaint. I didn’t want his reputation to suffer because of my request or actions.

Attorneys don’t want to ask Judges about deadlines and orders, and they don’t file complaints. They don’t want to anger a Judge and they don’t want to hurt a client. This is understandable. Citizens have to speak up to fix the system.

I signed on pro se for my case on Thursday, January 26th, and filed a request for a date for a Notice of Decision to Judge Curren.

Laurie Ortolano – Motion to request a date for Notice of Decision

I will be following up on this story, and updating the responsiveness of the Judge and Conduct Committee to resolve this matter.

The post Judicial Misconduct – Judge John Curren – 9th District Court, Nashua – Part II appeared first on Granite Grok.

The person I feature today is a man of many facets. It is impossible to pigeonhole him with a specific label. He is a staunch Conservative, a veteran, an author, a historian, a family man, and a teacher. Through his work on FOXNews, he has taken us to the Holy Land and retraced the steps of Jesus.

He has walked the paths of our Patriots as they took on the mighty British army in the hamlets of New England. And he has taken us into the classroom and peeled back the curtain on the Department of Education and teacher’s unions. We recently watched his sadness as his beloved Minnesota Vikings collapsed in the NFL playoffs. For all he has done to enlighten his followers, we shine a spot on this week’s Sunday Spotlight: Pete Hegseth.

Pete is an Army veteran and still an officer in the National Guard. He does much to support the military and veterans of every branch. His admiration and respect for military personnel and first responders are evident when Pete hosts the annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards. Donald Trump also considered Hegseth to head up the Veteran’s Administration. That appointment did not come to fruition, but Pete’s work for veterans’ rights and education may touch more lives. He appears comfortable and confident in his calling.

Pete is one of the weekend hosts of Fox and Friends, a frequent contributor on every other show on Fox, and the producer of several specials on Fox Nation. Pete has gone to the Holy Land to bring two specials from Israel. One was on the origin and never-ending tension and conflict between Israel and Palestine. The more recent documents his trip to retrace the steps Jesus took through the areas around Israel where he was born and died. In a few episodes and with the help of religious and archeological experts, he taught us more about Jesus than we learned in Sunday School. They were amazing and insightful journeys.

Tough to beat religion in importance, but his work on the fall of the American education system with his two series called “The Miseducation of America” gives it a fight. He brings us back to the early days and the influence of Karl Marx on our colleges and universities. He shows us why and how indoctrination became the norm and how it has moved from higher education to preschool.

Pete exposes the mission of the teacher’s unions and the harm they are wreaking on our children. He focuses on Randi Weingarten and the power she has attained as president of the American Federation of Teachers Union. He paints a clear picture of how Randi’s agenda has nothing to do with education but with personal power and the control of the future by the Progressive Democrat Party.

Pete has a vested interest in the future of America and our education system due to his rather large family, including seven children. Pete was a lifelong resident of Minnesota but recently relocated to the Nashville area to ensure a better life for those kids.

A television personality, but his life is much deeper, and his focus on a Conservative America is razor-sharp. We need more people in the media like Pete who see wrong and bring it out of the darkness. God Bless you, Pete, and keep fighting the good fight for all of us.

 

The post Sunday Spotlight: A Man of Faith for the Kids appeared first on Granite Grok.