All elected officials, from the President of the United States down to those who serve their towns as public library trustees, take an oath of office. While the wording of these oaths might differ, they have one thing in common: they require the oath-taker to support the United States Constitution. In New Hampshire, town officers are required to “solemnly swear” that they “will bear faith and true allegiance to the United States of America and the state of New Hampshire, and will support the constitution thereof” (NH Constitution Part 2: Article 84).

New Hampshire law also mandates that “any such person who violates said oath after taking the same shall be forthwith dismissed from the office involved” (RSA 42:1). If this law is to be truly abided by and serve as an example to all elected officials, one of the library trustees of Raymond’s Dudley Tucker Library, Jill Galus, should be “dismissed from office.” Back in April 2023, Ms. Galus signed a letter along with two former trustees, the library director, and the former town manager, which resulted in my termination as the assistant director of the Dudley-Tucker Library. The reason for my dismissal? I recruited, supported, and endorsed conservative library trustee candidates in my hometown of Atkinson, which I represent in the state legislature.

We want to thank Rep. Arlene Quaratiello for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
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Soon after I was fired, I realized that my First Amendment rights had been egregiously violated. I had every right to engage in political activities in my own town and on my own time and should not have been terminated for these activities. This is what freedom of speech, enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, is all about.

After demanding a public hearing and threatening legal action, I was rehired by those who fired me. They rescinded my termination but with no acknowledgment of their errors nor any apology. Because my rehiring with backpay did not seem like adequate justice, I sought legal recourse. Eventually, the American Center for Law and Justice secured a “consent decree” signed by a federal judge acknowledging that those who had fired me were guilty of serious wrongdoing. The decree asserted that my termination due to my political activities “constituted a violation of [my] First Amendment Rights.”

This violation, as attested to by this federal court decree, is a clear violation of the oath of office taken by Jill Galus when she swore to uphold the Constitution as a library trustee. New Hampshire law (RSA 42:1) mandates that she now be removed from office for this violation. The mechanism for implementing this removal is a petition of the Rockingham Superior Court. Before subjecting her town of Raymond to any more costly legal proceedings, Galus should do the right thing and resign her elected position.

The case of a library trustee in a small town might seem unimportant, but the precedent that it would set is far-reaching. No one is above the law, from the highest ranks of the federal government to the elected officials of small towns throughout America. This leveling of the legal playing field is usually considered from the perspective of the most powerful national political figures. But it is just as important to hold our lowest level of government officers to the same standards. Ultimately, nothing is more important than preserving the constitutionally mandated rights of all citizens, especially the right of free speech!

The post Night Cap: No Elected Official Is Above the Law appeared first on Granite Grok.

The lesson that should have been learned from the transformation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts from a constitutional-conservative to a buffet-constitutional-conservative … a lesson that should have been learned from the debacle that was David Souter … is that one of the essential attributes of a Supreme Court Justice is toughness.

The nominee must be impervious to media criticism AND media praise.

Tragically, it appears that Amy Coney Barrett is turning into another Souter, Roberts, etc. … more concerned about favorable coverage from the corporate-media than fidelity to the Constitution.

The post Corporate-Media Attempting To “Souter-ize” Amy Coney Barrett appeared first on Granite Grok.

Security stationed outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor was confronted by an armed man presumed to be a carjacker. They shot him.

“In sum, the Framers did not write the Second Amendment in order to protect a private right of armed self defense.” — Sotomayor, with the dissent in McDonald https://t.co/qSWVRiY444

— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) July 9, 2024

Sotomayor signed on to Justice Breyer’s dissent in McDonald v. City of Chicago.

In sum, the Framers did not write the Second Amendment in order to protect a private right of armed self-defense. There has been, and is, no consensus that the right is, or was, “fundamental.” No broader constitutional interest or principle supports legal treatment of that right as fundamental. To the contrary, broader constitutional concerns of an institutional nature argue strongly against that treatment.

The common man does not get armed US Marshall protection unless they are a high-value convict or witness (or a US Supreme Court Justice whose fan base harasses or threatens the so-called conservative members of the court). Law enforcement has no legal obligation to protect you. And based on Sotomayor’s dissent, the armed carjacker that comes up to your vehicle knows they have a force majority, and you are nothing more than a victim.

That’s her stance, but not the life she is living unless someone is suggesting that everyone has a right to have someone else defend them with a firearm.

 

The post Justice Sotomayor vs. Sotomayor Justice: No Private Right to Self Defense but It’s Okay for Her ‘Security’ to Shoot a Criminal Outside Her Home appeared first on Granite Grok.

A public service announcement. The FBI … aka “Patriot Front” … recently (7/6) held a parade in downtown Nashville. Notice all the beer-bellies, the tattoos, the cross-section of ages … . OH WAIT! There is none of that. Could it be … a bunch of FBI agents, assets, etc., with six-packs and their faces covered to prevent identification?

Would our government ever do such a thing? I’ll bet that if you ask the 51 members of the “intelligence community” who told us that Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation, they’d tell you this was REAL.

 

BREAKING: Patriot Front is marching in downtown Nashville.

Can someone finally expose them for who they are. pic.twitter.com/7BErswmULt

— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) July 6, 2024

The post Your Tax Dollars At Work … The FBI Holds A Parade In Nashville appeared first on Granite Grok.

Climate Gate insider Phil Jones became famous—not for being a clever scientist working on a complex problem—not exactly. The problem was complex but not scientific. The globe wasn’t warming as they’d said, and he worked behind the scenes to hide the evidence—to hide the decline.

“I’ve just completed Mike’s [Mann] Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (i.e. from 1981 onwards) and from 1961 for Keith’s [Briffa] to hide the decline.”

—Dr. Phil Jones, Director of the Climatic Research Unit, disclosed Climategate e-mail, Nov. 16, 1999.

Nancy Pelosi has been a fixture in Washington, DC, for so long that if it weren’t for her moving around, she’d be green and covered in pigeon shit. She’s got more advice for her party members and colleagues, which includes the press. Channel Phil Jones.

Pelosi argued during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that Democrats should pause the public conversation around Biden’s mental acuity until after the NATO summit taking place in Washington in the coming days.

“I’ve said to everyone, ‘Let’s just hold off,’” Pelosi said. “Whatever you’re thinking, either tell somebody privately, but you don’t have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week.”

I’m unsure if she’s woken up with a new attitude today, but NATO didn’t go well. Biden’s performance makes Mark Zuckerberg look like an animated human being. He was stiff and read someone else’s words without much enthusiasm (except when yelling PUTIN). It wasn’t inspiring, nor will it lift the pall of concern or shift the conversation back to Trump. And I can hardly think NATO is ready to start a real war with Russia with Biden still in the White House. They aren’t interested in hiding his decline.

I’d expect NATO to take Nancy’s advice and hold off on aggravating Russia further until sometime in 2025.

 

The post Pelosi Channels Phil Jones on Biden: Hide the Decline appeared first on Granite Grok.

There once lived a ruler of a far-off land. The people there called him their president, but he was old and addled and had come to believe that he was really their king. He was also corrupt, greedy, and selfish, caring very little about the people he ruled over. His decrees were becoming progressively bizarre and were driving his country into rack and ruin.

You might wonder how such a man came to power.

Though he really didn’t know much, he knew all about things like scratching backs and peddling influence. Twice before he’d scratched and peddled his way to the brink of success. But on the third try, he had help from an ensemble of devoted prevaricators. They came from all walks of life. There were politicians, newsies, and entertainers. Unlike his run-of-the mill supporters, their loyalty was fanatical, and their knack for deception was unmatched; it seemed to come to them naturally. They had no qualms about lying audaciously, convincingly, and continuously in order to enable and protect the old man – even if meant the ruination of their country.

To that end, it was necessary for them to surrender both their common sense and their self-respect. They considered it a small price to pay. They called themselves the Lickspittles, and their motto was Fides Ante Honoris, (Loyalty Before Integrity.)

Without them, the addled old man could never have become president. It was late in his campaign that a special team of 51 Lickspittles gave him the boost he needed to overcome a major crisis. With their help, his back-scratching skills, a dash of trickery, and a heap of deceit, he was able to fool enough people to win the presidency.

Unfortunately for the people, he ruled in exactly the same way he came to power – with trickery and deceit. He told them they were rich, while many struggled to make ends meet. He told them they were safe and secure, while they were being attacked in the streets. And while the people suffered, he was enriching himself. Soon, their disappointment grew into unhappiness, which then grew into anger. They began to deride the old man, mocking him wherever he went.

Now despite all his power and wealth, he, too grew miserable. “Why can’t I be respected, even admired like the last guy,” he thought. “And why can’t I be smarter, or at least remember where I am?”

Then he heard someone say that clothes make the man. He said to himself, “Maybe a new set of clothes is what I need.” So he set out to find the best clothes his money could buy.

His journey brought him to a shop operated by two unscrupulous tailors. They were even more unscrupulous than their new customer. After listening to his plight, they saw an opportunity. They told him that a new suit of clothes was exactly what he needed.

They told him that they would make him a very special suit, sewn from a very special cloth, woven from very special thread. This suit would have unique qualities. Yes, it would make him popular with the people, but more than that, it would make him appear smart as a whip.

They added one small caveat. Only the most intelligent and perceptive people would see the improvement. Fools and dolts would still see a confused, greedy, and selfish old man.

Incredibly enough, he fell for it. Yes, it sounds crazy, but remember; he was rather addled, and besides, this is just a fable.

So, he watched as the two swindlers pretended to weave invisible thread and sew non-existent cloth into an invisible new suit.

When they were finished, the two con men could barely contain their mirth as their customer disrobed and modeled his new “suit.” He couldn’t wait to get back home and impress the people.

At first, the Lickspittles were aghast! But they were, after all, committed to making him look good. And besides, after hearing the tailors’ caveat, they didn’t want to appear foolish or doltish.

So they showered him with praise, telling him how smart he looked.

All this seemed to fill the man with a renewed sense of pride, prompting him to travel the countryside in his invisible suit, boasting about his imaginary accomplishments. The Lickspittles were right behind him, parroting his words while praising his leadership, his stamina, and yes, his brilliance.

They told the people, “The man is a dynamo! We can’t keep up with him!” “He does more in five minutes than most people do in a day. And smart? Why, he’s smart as a whip!”

But despite their most sincere, convincing lies, the people saw only a naked, pathetic old man.

The Lickspittles were beside themselves. They were becoming laughing stocks! What more could they do to convince the people? One beady-eyed, bespeckled Lickspittle was absolutely livid. He said as sternly as he could, “That man is one smart cookie!” And if you’d rather believe your own two eyes …well then screw you.”

Then on one summer night during his reelection campaign, something inexplicable happened. It was almost magical. The charade began to crumble. A few of the Lickspittles suddenly seemed to develop a modicum of integrity. Or maybe they came to realize that the people no longer believed them. Perhaps they just ran out of audacious lies.

The details of what happened next are unimportant, but as quick as a wink, the old man found himself far away from the president’s mansion and on the beach, where he spent his remaining years frolicking with his six or seven grandchildren.

And the people were happy again.

The post The President’s New Clothes (With Apologies to Hans Christian Andersen) appeared first on Granite Grok.

We journey once more into the midweek breach to embrace the meme and nothing but the meme! A hump-day tradition whose burden I assumed but not (perhaps) for very much longer).

Nitazakhon might be back to this one soon. We shall see.

But enough of this pithy banter.

Memes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Midweek Memes – The Future Belongs to Those Who Believe In the Beauty of Their … Memes appeared first on Granite Grok.