TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart After the War of 1812, America has been under attack twice from villains outside the shores of our nation, and twice more by domestic terrorists. On Sunday, December 7, 1941, America’s Pacific fleet was attacked by the Japanese while our naval personnel were waking up to another glorious day in Hawaii. The following day, President Roosevelt announced America would be joining our allies in WWII. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the leader of the terrorist group, Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden executed planned attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, and the White House. Only the courage of passengers aboard United Airlines flight 93, saved the “people’s home,” from certain destruction. On April 12, 1861, our country’s bloodiest war began. The Civil War was fought between brothers, friends, and neighbors. The Confederacy was America’s first domestic terrorist organization. When it ended on April 9, 1865, approximately 700,000 Americans had been...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart First of all, I want you to know that I consider domestic violence and domestic terrorism the greatest threat to the American people in the 21 st century. My personal belief is that the punishment for rape and physical assault on any person by someone with whom they shared an intimate relationship should be far more severe. In the case of rape, especially the rape of a minor, the punishment should equal that of first-degree murder. The victim’s lives were altered forever, and their suffering will never end, their once hopeful and secure lives were taken away from them. This is tantamount to murder. That said, this is another story about Trump and his lack of character and respect for another human being. In 1989 and 1990, Donald and Ivana Trump were engaged in extremely contentious divorce proceedings. Around that same time, Donald asked Ivana for the name of her plastic surgeon. His hair was in the process of “leaving the building.” After he returned from pain...

The American people are suffering from many failures caused by the federal government, law enforcement, and the mainstream media. Racism, bigotry, discrimination, Greedflation, the unconscionable high cost of healthcare, life-saving drugs, higher education, and housing have existed for far too long, but the right-wing doesn’t give a damn. Two issues ignored by those in power are rampant in the 21 st century and the greatest danger to our nation’s people are domestic terrorism and domestic violence. Occasionally the media reports incidents of domestic terrorism, but only if the number of deaths and/or serious injuries is great enough to attract the interest of television viewers. The truth is, there are more mass shootings than days on the calendar, and this situation has existed for more than eight years. Never reported by the media are the injuries and deaths resulting from domestic violence. Those who pay attention to the epidemic known as “domestic violence” estimate that the numbe...

  Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart It is no secret that I have been a frequent critic of the Supreme Court since 2020. I have good reason and a huge responsibility to criticize it for its corruption and political bias. However, when it does the right thing, I also have a responsibility to praise them for their actions. Thanks to a poorly written Second Amendment, which is ambiguous and lacks definition, the NRA gun lobby, paid for by gun manufacturers and gun sellers, has used this one amendment to the Bill of Rights for their own benefit. Gun violence began to escalate in America in 1976, the same year the NRA ceased its purpose as a gun safety organization, and aligned itself with the corporate world. The most recent statistic I found was from 2022. In that one year, 48,117 men, women, and children lost their lives from the use of a gun. Firearm suicide: 26,993 people. Firearm homicide: 19,592 people. Unintentional gun injury: 472 people. Fatal shooting by law enforcement: 649 peo...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Hypocrisy: the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense. Another day in America, another mass shooting, and another day proving that domestic terrorism is the greatest danger to the American people and no one cares. Over the weekend there was a huge mass shooting in Akron, Ohio. One person died and 24 were injured. The usual displays of shock, anger, and sympathy followed in the aftermath. As usual, nothing will change, and nothing will be considered in congress to stem the tide of growing gun violence in America. RELIGIOUS LEADERS MUST END THEIR HIPOCRATIC POLICIES After the carnage in Akron, one minister called for everyone to “lay down their guns.” However, Christian religious leaders continue to support right-wing politicians who are joined with the NRA gun lobby in preventing any changes to our gun laws. “Profit Before People” is the motto of all politicians who pretend to be “Republi...