The Cult of Transexuality

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

I am a firm believer in the theory of the slippery slope.  Human Nature always desires pushing the envelope, and is not worried about the consequences until the consequences destroy their society.  The warnings remain for a few of the following generations as the society rebuilds, and then eventually they forget, and follow the same foolish route to destruction.  The Roman Empire collapsed from within, largely because of their unwillingness to stay true to their moral codes.  We are seeing the same thing happen now, in our modern society.  While the rule of man calls it glorious, those who understand the rule of natural law recognize the pitfalls we are rapidly embarking upon.

The normalization of homosexuality led to transgenderism and transexuality.  The normalization of polygamy and pedophilia is next.  We are sliding down the slippery slope like a greased pig, and the nightmares of writers like George Orwell and Ayn Rand are dancing on our graves.

The sexual revolution began the slide down the hill, and you would think feminists would have a real problem with what is going on, since they love to identify themselves based on their private lady parts.  They say they are in a struggle against a patriarchal society, but what are they supposed to think about the idea of those men they hate saying, "Fine, we'll don a dress and be you"?

Now, with the war on pronouns, you can't even say "she" or "her" without facing the consequences of an insane society.  With transgenders, a “female” might have a penis, and "guys" may now even become pregnant.

The goal is not transgenderism, per se, it is to change the way we think, and to guide society to a homogeneous society where we are no different than sexless worker bees doing our part to benefit the hive.  Everyone must agree on everything, or else the collective won't work, so it is up to the homosexuals and the transgenders to convince you, and the rest of the world, to join their madness gleefully.

You are expected to accept the absurd, and toss aside your "superstitious" Christian Faith.

It turns out that you are not so easy to convince, however, so now they are targeting your children.

Adolph Hitler stated Nov. 6, 1933: “When an opponent declares, ‘I will not come over to your side,’ I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already. … What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.’”

Hitler stated May 1, 1937: “The youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow. For this reason we have set before ourselves the task of inoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled. … This Reich stands, and it is building itself up for the future, upon its youth. And this new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing.”

They are social revolutionaries working to destroy society and remold it in the image they desire, and they will do it through our children, if they must.  They are coercive utopians who follow the same ideology that killed Able, destroyed Rome, and set into action the French Revolution.  The ends justify the means, to these people, so they have no qualms about going after your children for the benefit of their political agenda.  They are telling kids to ignore their parents and pick their gender like they might pick which pair of socks they plan to wear that morning.

And it is not just propaganda.  Now we are seeing the radicals push radical chemical and surgical “treatments” on the kids.

Mastectomies are being recommended for the treatment of some transgender adolescents, alongside puberty blockers and hormone injections. Children, from preschool age upwards, will be supported by the leftist radicals to explore their gender identity.  The crazies are recommending treatments for children that are largely irreversible.  Gender-affirming hormone therapy, either testosterone or estrogen. Irreversible effects of breast growth, hair loss, voice deepening and vaginal atrophy.

Biology has been set aside for madness.

Enough is enough.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Artificial Bacteria: The Stand, For Real

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

Stephen King's epic post-apocalyptic battle between good and evil begins when a lab-created strain of the flu gets out into the public, and kills most of civilization.

In a race to create a novel protein-based drug from synthetic biology, scientists in La Jolla's Scripp's Research Institute near San Diego, California have created artificial DNA building blocks that, once in play, producing new proteins containing unnatural amino acids.

A basic DNA strand has four building blocks (A, T, C, and G), but the two new artificial blocks (X and Y) can be used to store extra genetic information inside cell.  The new science can then be used to create drugs based on new genomic hybrids.

According to the Associated Press, the science (synthetic biology) can be used to "design organisms that work differently from the way nature intended so scientists can harness them to create designer drugs, biofuels or a range of other products. Scripps’ technology has been licensed by a biotech company Romesberg co-founded, Synthorx Inc., that aims to make novel protein-based drugs."

Good intentions.

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Are they also, without perhaps realizing it (or perhaps fully realizing what they are doing), creating the first steps to the next great plague, as well?

We've got the CERN Hadron Collider claiming they are opening small doorways into another dimension, we've got scientists who are cloning organisms, we've got drones the size of locusts capable of killing people (theoretically, anyways), and now we have synthetic DNA building blocks being created expanding the storage size for genetic information in bacteria.  What could possibly go wrong?

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Establishing and Keeping the Republic

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

The United States Constitution is a social contract between the States to create a federal government. The document was written as a result of a little more than four months of debates in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787 by delegates from twelve of the original thirteen States. The intent of the new Constitution was to form a federal government for the purpose of protecting, preserving, and promoting the union of States because the constitution before the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, had proven to be too weak to protect the union of states. Originally, the founders met in May of 1787 with the general understanding that they were congregating together for the purpose of fixing the Articles of Confederation. The delegates, however, quickly realized it was necessary to form a whole new central government through the process of writing a new constitution.

The new government, and the new Constitution they were about to construct, had to be unique. It needed to be exceptional. The concept of exceptionalism emerged from the idea that the American System was becoming an exception to the rule in Europe where a ruling elite controlled through an authoritarian system the general population. The Framers of the new Constitution knew that the United States was different from all of the other countries around the world.

Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831 and 1832 recognized the exceptional nature of the United States after he observed American Society first hand. He was astonished by America when he visited the States because he had been told by the elites in Europe that America was in shambles. There was an anti-American sentiment among the elites that had permeated down to even the lowly members of the general populace. Word had it that the United States was a horrible place steeped in poverty, and had a government unable to properly function because it represented the people. Government by the consent of the governed, it was established, had been a terrible mistake because the ruling elite were unable to take charge as rulers in order to serve the General Will. When Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States, however, the truth turned out to be very different from the criticisms of America by the political ruling classes of Europe.

Alexis Tocqueville, however, discovered that not only was America not a mistake, but it was something very special. America was an exceptional nation with an exceptionally unique symbiotic dichotomy between government and The Church.

American Culture champions individual natural rights, and liberty, while keeping a watchful eye on a potentially intrusive government. The early history of America set the tone for our exceptionalism. Historically, America was diverse, rugged, and a land of individual opportunity. For this, the United States was blessed with an incredible influx of immigrants who came to this nation desiring the opportunity to participate in the freedom, and exceptionalism, that America had to offer.

The United States also made its share of errors, but rather than sink into despair, this country rose above those dark points in history, correcting the nation’s course, and becoming greater as a result of those momentary storms of history. The strengths of our civil society has been different than that of the rest of the world largely because we have achieved our prosperity through self-governance, where the local governments handle the local issues, and the centralized federal government is tasked only with the complexities of protecting, preserving, and promoting the union.

We cherish as individuals our personal freedom, and as a result, the community better benefits.

To understand the Character of Americanism that led to the principles contained on the pages of the United States Constitution, it is important to understand why the British Colonies emerged in the manner that they did. King James watched the rise, and the decline, of the Spanish Empire, and learned that empires in the New World can be expensive. So, armed with this knowledge, Great Britain did not approach the New World as conquerors like the Spanish. Instead, the colonization of America by the English was offered as an investment opportunity for private companies, as well as an opportunity for a new start for families. Riches were available in the New World, and with the hard work of individual investors, the hope of becoming a wealthy property owner awaited those willing to take the chance. King James offered charters. The success of the colonies would also mean a new revenue source for the British monarchy. Failure would result in a financial loss for the investors, not The Crown. At that point the entrepreneurial spirit of America was born.

In 1607 English colonists arrived at Jamestown. The English colonization of North America was very different from that of the Spanish. The lessons of military conquest, and the financial expenses of empire, convinced the English monarchy to use a different tact when colonizing the Atlantic Coast. Rather than conquer, adventurers were encouraged to invest in the New World. English colonists cultivated tobacco, and other crops, for wealth. They produced crop surpluses for export to the Old World, making the English colonies profitable in a potentially unlimited manner.

Taking gold and silver from the New World could only work as long as more gold and silver remained. Spain’s cost to maintain the empire, however, left the Spanish with less remaining as far as profit went. King James I did not wish to create yet another high risk, and expensive, system of colonization, so England’s colonization of the New World on the outskirts of Spain’s New World empire (where Spain could not defend the lands she claimed to rule) was encouraged by a system of investment by various companies with ambitions to reap riches, while benefiting England both overseas and at home.

English colonists were not soldiers, as were the Spanish settlers, filled with the desire of conquest and gold, but families filled with the desire of a new start, property ownership, and riches through farming and trade. They were driven by a desire to be self-reliant, personally responsible, and to carve their own path of success in the New World.

Jamestown, however, did not begin its settlement using the free market principles that would later come to define American Economics. At first, Jamestown failed to yield a profit for the Virginia Company, so after two decades of struggling to survive, the royal government was forced to take over operations.


The colonists endured Indian attacks, and disease. As a result of their early system of communal property, starvation also become a major concern, with little assistance from the homeland. Bickering among themselves left the colonists with unplanted crops, and shrinking food supplies. In 1607 the local Indians began to bring corn to the colony for barter, which assisted in feeding the colonists, and stocking the Indians with Old World goods they desired. However, the corn was not enough, and in 1610 only 60 of the previous 500 settlers remained alive. These early struggles, however, had an important impact on the English colonies that the Spanish never encountered. The struggles, with limited help from England, instilled a spirit of survival, self-reliance, and independence into the English colonists. They eventually shed the concept of communitarianism and instituted a free market model, allowing the settlers to keep what they produced, and only bring to market what they believed was excess, for the purpose of profit or trade.

Through the new free and dynamic market the settlers began to embrace the virtues of hard work, and personal responsibility. These principles became important for the sake of survival. Without these characteristics, which were taught to the colonists through their struggles, the English colonies would never have survived. The promised riches of the New World had not materialized at that point, however, but only because a cash crop had not emerged as they had hoped for.

Tobacco, and later cotton, became those cash crops, which became growing industries that attracted droves of English indentured servants to work in the fields.

Colonizing by offering charters had paid off for the British Monarchy. The English colonies were finally prospering, and they did so with little interference from the English government. The colonies were self-sufficient, yet England was profiting from the burgeoning farming industries. The only thing holding back the promise of increasing profit to ever higher possibilities was the lack of labor. English arrivals were limited in numbers, and the indentured servants, after seven years of service, were striking out on their own. The southern colonies needed a new work force that was less expensive, not likely to strike out on their own, and capable of increasing in number quickly. The labor-intensive nature of the tobacco crop opened up the eventuality of slave labor.

Aside from the emergence of slavery in the English Colonies, the charter system played a significant role in creating the American virtue of self-reliance. A value system based on biblical principles also propelled the new English Colonies on a path to success. In the southern colonies the promise of riches through property ownership and cash crops encouraged more Englishmen to arrive seeking their fortune, but in the north new colonies were being established with a different goal in mind. North of the Chesapeake region, colonies were emerging based on the desire for religious freedom.

The Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620 is the tale we are most familiar with. The Pilgrims were separatists. Though the Pilgrims’ roots were with the Puritan Church, they endeavored to separate themselves from the Puritan Church, as well as British mainstream society.

The early northern colonies were theocracies, but the stronghold by the Church splintered as more and more colonists moved into the frontier. New strains of Protestantism emerged in the frontier lands to the west of the colonies, and the Puritan Congregationalist Church’s influence lessened with each new settlement to the west. In the colonies the Puritan churches divided and subdivided as well. The Christian founding of these settlements is undeniable, but so is the diversity of the religious beliefs of the early colonists.

Quakers flocked to Pennsylvania where William Penn was determined to live in peace with the Indians, and all other religious denominations. Penn’s first principle of government was that every settler “enjoy the free expression of his or her faith and exercise of worship towards God.” Pennsylvania tolerated all Protestant sects, as well as Roman Catholics. The government in Pennsylvania did not compel settlers to attend church services (as in Massachusetts), or pay taxes to maintain a state-supported church (as in Virginia). Pennsylvania was the first of the northern colonies to practice true religious freedom, aside from Rhode Island, which had begun to advocate freedom of religion when Roger Williams had been banished by the Puritans in the early 1630s.

The colonies, from the beginning, were separate, self-sufficient, independent entities. Each colony had its own unique culture, its own religion, and even its own political system. The individual colonies were like siblings who fought against each other constantly, while coming to each other’s aid when they felt it was necessary. The American Revolution taught the newly independent states that if they were to survive, they would need to continue to function as a union. It took uniting together as a single force to defeat the British, and it would take being united as a country to survive the test of time.

The Founding Fathers provided the framework for the creation of the U.S. Government based on their research of various political systems, but were mostly influenced by biblical concepts, the Saxon System from Britain, and their own history dating back to the earliest colonies. The delegates in Philadelphia’s Federal Convention debated for over four months over what authorities the federal government should be granted. The central government was designed to protect, preserve, and promote the new union of sovereign States because they had always enjoyed autonomy even as colonies, but also needed to be united as a union so as to protect itself against potential invasions from other countries. However, the federal government needed to not only be strong enough to defend the union of States against enemies, but also needed to be limited enough in its authorities to preserve the basic rights of the individual States, and the American people.

During the convention, many forms of government were examined, and ultimately the Framers decided upon a Constitutional Republic. In the colonies, communal utopian systems resulted in starvation and death. Under the Articles of Confederation the government had proven to be too weak to defend the union against insurrection or rebellion. A Unitary government was out of the question, for the “Top down from a single ruling point” style of government was too much like the monarchy the United States had just won their independence from. A pure democracy would give the people all of the power, but historically, that had proven to be a disastrous style of government, as well. A democracy always deteriorated into “mob rule,” and would ultimately become so unstable that an oligarchy would take over the government. History had proven time and time again that democracies destroy themselves, and become tyrannies after the system breaks down.

The U.S. Constitution was a product of heavy debate, compromise, and serious research of past republican forms of government. Anticipating the intensity of the debates, and the constant changes of mind by the participants, the convention was held in secret, with the doors and windows closed, so as not to concern the people about their quarreling leaders.

What emerged from the intense debates during the Constitutional Convention was a republic that uses a mixture of democratic processes and indirect electoral processes to elect the members of the representative government. The new federal government was a far more complex form of government than had been provided by the Articles of Confederation. To protect against the excess of democracy a system of limits, checks, and balances were devised. Three branches of government were established, and their power was divided through a concept called Separation of Powers. Some of the authorities were also divided between the federal government, and the States. Even the power of the vote was divided as to diminish the amount of power residing in the hands of the citizens.

The members of the House of Representatives were originally established to be voted in by the voting public, as it remains to this day. The Senators of the U.S. Senate were appointed by the state legislatures, which was changed by the 17th Amendment. An electoral college was devised so that the President would be indirectly voted into office, though the term Electoral College did not emerge until the 1820s. The members of the judiciary were to be appointed, and the judicial branch was slated to be the weakest of the three branches of government.

The U.S. Constitution became the law of the land.

The first words of the Constitution is We The People. The Constitution was written for We The People, to secure our rights, to restrain itself from interfering with our freedoms, to protect our union of States from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

The Preamble is the introduction of the U.S. Constitution. The opening paragraph of the founding document holds no legal authority. The Preamble serves to establish who is granting the authority to create a new federal government, and the reasons for the decision. We The People of the United States are the granters. In other words, the States, which were the embodiment of the people, were creating the federal government, and granting authorities to it so that it may function in a manner necessary to protect, promote, and preserve the union of States. The concept became known as federalism.

The driving force, however, was the reliance upon the protection of divine Providence.

"The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God." --John Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.

"Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian." - United States Supreme Court, 1892.

Biblically speaking, there are no direct references to democracies and republics in God’s Word. When one speaks of the Constitution being based on Biblical principles, what is meant is the style of governance. The principles being referred to that are in the U.S. Constitution are how our laws were inspired by the moral principles of the Ten Commandments, and how the Blessings of liberty to ourselves and our Posterity (principles of freedom) were inspired by the biblical principles of free will, individualism, personal responsibility, moral conduct, and honest governance.

George Mason was one of the Founding Fathers who insisted on the Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution. He said, regarding his stance, that, "The laws of nature are the laws of God, whose authority can be superseded by no power on earth."

Benjamin Franklin stated, "I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?"

All of the Founding Fathers recognized the providence that must have guided them through the war against the British Empire. They also recognized another truth. Our natural rights are God-given, and there must be a God for that to be the case. Natural rights existed prior to the existence of any government, because God existed before any government. If God does not exist, then that would mean that our rights are government-given, in which case the government would also have the allowance of taking our rights away.

Patrick Henry said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity and freedom of worship here."

George Washington said, "While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian." -- The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-3

John Adams said, "Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God ... What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be." -- Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.

Adams also wrote: "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever." -- Adams wrote this in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776.

Thomas Jefferson said, "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event." -- Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, p. 237.

John Hancock said, "Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. ... Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us." -- History of the United States of America, Vol. II, p. 229.

There is no doubt that the founding of this nation was based on the principles of law, freedom, individualism, personal responsibility, and moral conduct - all of which were inspired by Biblical text, and the personal relationship the Founders had with Jesus Christ.

When the convention had finally ended, Elizabeth Powel approached Dr. Benjamin Franklin on a grassy hill. The woman in a bonnet asked, "Sir, what have you given us? A monarchy, or a republic?" Franklin responded, "A republic, ma'am, if you can keep it."

Elizabeth Powel was an informed member of society. She knew what to ask, and Franklin personalized his answer to her.

She was the wife of Samuel Powel, mayor of Philadelphia. Together the couple owned what today we would call a 'bed and breakfast.' To attract the most important travelers, at their inn they offered opulent dinners. It is said that during the convention, George Washington spent most of his suppers at the Powel House. On September 8, 1774, John Adams, writing to his wife Abigail, exclaimed that dinner at the Powel House was "A most sinful Feast again! Every Thing which could delight the Eye, or allure the Taste."

When the meal concluded, the men would retreat to the parlor to light up their pipes and discuss politics. Unlike most of the women of her day, Elizabeth followed the men into the parlor, and argued with them about the issues of the day. Those who wrote about her called her "witty," "intelligent," and "unwavering."

She developed friendships with many of the Founding Fathers, and in particular, George Washington. It was common to see Elizabeth and George strolling the streets of Philadelphia discussing the issues of the day. It was Elizabeth who convinced Washington that "Mr. President" was a good enough title, rather than some of the other titles of preference being offered. . . like "Your majesty," "your excellence," or "your highly mightiness."

When Washington's first term as President of the United States was reaching its end, Washington told three people he was considering not serving another term. The people Washington told this to were Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Elizabeth Powel. It was Elizabeth who convinced George to serve a second term, arguing that he was the foundation of the new system, and if he abandoned it the people would lose faith in the new Constitution, and the anti-federalists would succeed in abolishing the system.

Mrs. Powel and George Washington also wrote each other often, largely discussing in their letters the issues of the day. To guard against the likely belief there was some kind of infidelity going on, however, all of the letters from George to Elizabeth were sealed with Martha Washington’s stamp in the wax. There have also been a number of letters discovered written between Elizabeth Powel and Mrs. Washington.

During his conversation with Mrs. Powel on the grassy hill, Franklin’s answer to her question reminds us that there is so much more to keeping the republic than there is to keeping a democracy. In a democracy, one votes, and then goes home. One’s role, at that point, is finished. In a republic, there is so much more to do. After all, Benjamin Franklin offered to Elizabeth Powel as the answer to her question, "If you can keep it." How could she keep the republic? She couldn't even vote during that early period in American History.

Voting is the sole tool of democracy, but we are a republic, and it was Elizabeth Powel who gave us an example to follow when it comes to what it takes to keep the republic. She got to know her representatives. She informed them and influenced them. She changed the course of history as a result of her relationship with George Washington. At a time when women could not vote, she became an integral part in the political system, and reveals that when it comes to keeping the republic, voting is but a small part.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Virtuous Society Key to Constitutional Restoration

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

When I speak to groups, among my most common offers, as I hold up my copy of the United States Constitution, is, "If we are not a Godly people, we are not capable of this."

The Founding Fathers structured much of our system on biblical framework and principles.  The concept of a moral society and individualism by the people serving as the foundation of a government based on the consent of the people was expected to fail.  The constantly evolving enlightenment, as it crossed France, focused more on "change", "secularism," and "collectivism."  The French Revolution, having cut God and individualism out of the recipe, resulted in a disastrous catastrophe consisting of chaos, and then a dictator.

Benjamin Franklin accurately observed, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom."

John Adams said, "The Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Frederick Douglass, a former slave who achieved freedom in 1838, escaping by boarding a train, agreed with the Founding Fathers regarding the necessity of being a virtuous people. He said, "The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous."

During the opening decades of the 21st Century the United States, and the global community, have entered into a dark era of history where morality has become nothing more than a pluralistic free for all. With the removal of the set standards of morality which have guided cultures for the betterment of society, we find ourselves doing the same thing the Greeks and the Romans did. We are destroying ourselves from within.

Free will is an incredible gift we have been given by God, but when our activities as a people move away from godliness, the consequences begin to build up. When we replace the truth with lies, and then try to condone our actions by placing one of our feet into the cesspool of the world, our children jump into the steaming pot of debauchery with both feet.

Universal debauchery leads to the rule of man and a proverbial dance around a golden calf. When we join the dance of humanism, and the religion of man-over-God that proclaims we are on the verge of a New Age, we become a culture that turns its back on the concept of natural rights and established standards that protect us from the vicious intent of tyrants. With the loss of freedom, because we were not willing to be personally responsible with our liberty, nor maintain the moral foundation that holds up that liberty, we will surely lead ourselves to slavery.

George Washington said, in his Farewell Address, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."

Without a moral compass, the ship of freedom becomes lost at sea, ceasing its aimless journey when the vessel slams into an unknown coast, destroying the supports, and drowning the inhabitants in sorrow, and slavery to the tyrants that would take advantage of the weakened people who have turned their back on the navigation tools provided by a loving God.

The proponents of perverse behavior do not cry out for normalization of their activities because they believe in freedom for all, but only freedom for themselves. Their goal is to justify their activities, to make their perversions acceptable in a society crying out for acceptance, and to silence and destroy any and all who dare to oppose their crusade.

The reasoning behind placing religious freedoms first and foremost in the Bill of Rights as the inaugural words of the First Amendment was because without the support of a virtuous society, all of the other rights collapse, and vanish. Our perversion as a society has led to the barbarity of the slaughter of innocent blood through abortion that threatens to progress into post-birth abortion, an acceptance of extra-marital and pre-marital behavior that has spread quickly and is being used in the political and legal realm in order to destroy anyone who dares to stand in opposition, laws that champion suicide, and a sick fascination with the occult and all forces that seek to destroy the final remnant of what is good and moral.

A large portion of the virtuous people who remain huddle fearfully inside the four corners of their homes and churches, complacent and fearful in their silence, unwilling to stand up and fight against the deconstruction of our society because they fear they may suffer under a name-calling barrage of verbal assaults.

In the film, "Sing a little louder!", a church sings louder to drown out the cries of boxcars full of people being railroaded to their death in 1944 Nazi Germany. Rather than standing up and doing something, they tried to drown out the cries of the anguished being led to their death with hymns.

As 1.2 million unborn babies die per year, as the religious freedoms of Christians are being taken away by tyrannical pro-homosexual legislation, and as the envelope of moral debauchery advances closer to the edge, are we going to sing louder to drown out the madness?

Sound government is based on the principles of God's laws. Legislation that is opposed to God's laws will eventually lead to the downfall of the governmental system. Freedom remains in place when the people remain virtuous and morally strong. For the people to remain virtuous, one of the keys is to elect virtuous leaders. Corrupt leaders will lead to a corrupt government, and a corrupt government will lead to a corrupt society.

Scripture states that corruption leads to bondage, while true liberty is only available to those who are freed from corruption. As the Bible verse says, you “reap what you sow.” Secular society believes the same; they call it “karma,” or “what comes around, goes around.” In today’s America, we have been led to believe that liberty is the license to do anything. We have the allowance, it has been suggested, to behave as one wishes. If a group indicates that the actions of some people are excessive or unacceptable behavior, then society turns against that group of people, accusing them of being “haters,” or “bigots”. This kind of behavior views corruption as freedom rather than bondage. Through a constant barrage of disinformation provided by the entertainment industry, education establishment, and political messaging we have been slowly desensitized to believe that it is fine for our society to move away from being virtuous. The essence of the difference between good and bad is presented as being relative to the view of the beholder, and to disagree with the world’s warped assumptions regarding morality is considered hateful, and immoral in the eyes of a secular society seeking to be disobedient to the moral standard America has used as its foundation during its history.

Benjamin Franklin emphasized that without virtue, free societies cannot properly function. He said, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."

With freedom comes responsibility. The responsible society is one that is virtuous. A man with virtue is a man who possesses "sacred honor." It is for the sake of a free society that men must deny the evils of human nature, and implement the principles of being virtuous into their own lives. It is best for society, and for one's own existence, to strive for betterment, to strive to improve oneself each and every day. To be civilized, and be restrained from the temptation of mob rule, is among the most important cornerstones of a free society.

Benjamin Franklin established that the journey to being a moral culture is anchored in thirteen virtues. Franklin worked daily to achieve a moral life by pursuing these thirteen virtues. He even kept a journal and charts to assist him in keeping track of his progress in living his life with each of the virtues as his guide. Franklin admitted that perfection is unattainable, agreeing with biblical doctrine that "all have fallen short of the Glory of God," but he believed that being in constant pursuit of a moral life would make him, and anyone else that pursued this kind of life, a better and happier individual. If society was filled with such people who sought a moral life, society would remain prosperous and free, and liberty would be maintained.

Benjamin Franklin’s thirteen virtues were; Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility.

Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. With temperance comes self-discipline, a trait necessary to obtain all of the virtues. If one could achieve temperance, the other virtues, therefore, would be obtainable. The virtue calls for one to restrain oneself from overindulgence in food or drink. Food and drink are primal urges, and conquering overindulgence assists one in building the confidence to make improvements across the board. Notice that the call was not for abstinence from alcohol, or to constantly diet. Eat as necessary, and drink when one desires to, but have the self-discipline to resist being overindulgent. Understanding where the line is before one becomes overindulgent is self-evident to a person that is virtuous.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; Avoid trifling Conversation. Thanks to technology, we live in an information age. However, the information we seek can often be trivial chatter, and nonsensical noise. As our culture changes, we have lost the polite manners or etiquette that defines a civilized society. Now, we not only don't think before we speak, but we put our entire lives on social media seeking our fifteen minutes of fame, or to put out a message of how well we are doing at something, or how cool we are in whatever setting we have snapped our "selfie" at. We speak to prop ourselves up, or act in a manner that would be normally unbecoming to gain an opportunity to act like an animal in front of a television camera. There are old sayings that remind us that sometimes things are better left unsaid. My dad used to tell me, "God gave you two ears, and one mouth, for a reason." Sometimes, it is best to listen, and then respond in a manner that benefits the situation, rather than react in a manner designed only to narcissistically benefit oneself.

Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. John Locke wrote that we live under the laws of nature, and that those laws are self-evident. Our rights are God-given, but even though they are naturally given, without us working to maintain those rights for ourselves, they will eventually whither away. An ordered society left to itself without purposeful action to maintain order will eventually descend to the lowest common denominator. To prevent a culture from descending into chaos and disorganization, we must ensure that we work to ensure order remains in place. James Madison recognized that "men are not angels," therefore we need government, but because men are not angels, that government must be constantly checked or else it will become a tyranny. To be orderly, we must recognize a standard that demands order, and in successful societies the order maintained is rooted in a moral foundation. Small adjustments as society wavers must be made by virtuous people. If the people are not virtuous enough to recognize the deterioration of their culture, and if they let go of their moral code, the society will become corrupt and vicious, and an order of totalitarian control will fill the void in order to maintain order. Without seeking order as a virtuous people, the populace will become no different than a pack of animals, destroying their own neighborhoods in an angry rage, which will eventually lead to bloodlust, and then the collapse of the free society as the leaders use tyranny in an attempt to stave off the collapse.

Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. To be tempered, or to maintain order, we must have the resolution to accomplish the task, and do so in a moral manner. Even when the odds seem to be against us, we must have the resolve to carry through, to carry on, and to optimistically endeavor to maintain our virtuous society. If we don't have the firm determination to accomplish the task at hand, how can we maintain a virtuous society? Resolution is a result of determination, and confidence. Determination and confidence, when joined with the understanding that we must do what is right to resist evil, enables us to develop the resolution to accomplish the task at hand. Improving our own resolve in life to do what we ought to do for ourselves leads to a community that works to use that resolve together to help maintain a virtuous society through our own participation in our community or political arena. When enough people resolve to perform what they ought to do in their own lives, the overall community benefits, and the culture remains a virtuous one.

Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. This is not a call to avoid the incentive to improve one's lot in life, or to pursue a better lifestyle, but it is instead a recognition that waste or excessive living can lead to undesirable consequences. In other words, be it in our own lives, or on a grander stage, we must ensure we spend less than what we earn, and save excess if you can for when conditions are not as favorable. Have nice things, enjoy your life, but not so much that it causes you to dig yourself into debt, or for you to not be properly prepared when times of difficulty approach. Frugality is easily obtained if one has self-discipline that accompanies temperance and silence, order in their lives, and the resolution to ensure that the morality that accompanies these virtues remains in place, even when one's station in life increases and it becomes easy to forget where we came from.

Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions. Self-reliance works best when one is efficient in one's endeavors, eliminating wasteful actions, and employing industriousness in order to best achieve one's goals. Unfortunately, many seek quick fixes, easy schemes, or unrealistic wages for entry-level work. A virtuous person works though the processes, and travels through the stages one must navigate to accomplish their objectives. I told my daughter when she was a student that to succeed all one has to do is more than everyone else. Go for that extra effort, and be honorable when going about your tasks. Even if the job is one that is not something you really want to be doing, tackle it with your best effort. The value of working hard is better than the habit of hardly working, for it will train us to accomplish in life what we seek when the opportunity arises. We must also work smart, seeking endeavors that are purposeful, and useful.

Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. Gossip is the number one attention-getter in social media and in the media. Everyone wants the dirt on what people are doing. We have become a culture of people who want to pry into everyone else's affairs. We are sarcastic, and "truth" has become a radical concept. The same kind of insincerity has begun to emerge in the world outside of the internet and media, and that kind of activity does not build up a society, but instead tears it down, harming people, creating animosity between people and groups, and breaking down the civility in a society. If we can personally avoid such a vice in our lives, the virtue of sincerity will spread to those around us. Being a virtuous society begins with how we act in our own lives, and how we interact with the world around us. Sincerity also means that we ought to be "genuine," rather than providing a false image for those to see. We must be honest, and honorable. If we are not, our words will betray us.

Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Justice is not something forced upon a society by a tyrannical government, or a condition achieved by the redistribution of wealth. Justice begins with each individual. As individuals we must voluntarily decide for ourselves to do what we can to stand up for those that we can stand up for. This must be the voluntary choice of individuals, however, not something that is forced upon those through the dictates of government, or the redistribution of wealth through taxation. When we act in a just manner, we must remember to be sincere, and moral. When we strive to do right in our personal life, it sets a standard for society. Justice is achieved in a moral society because a virtuous people do not seek to force injustice upon anybody. Inaction, however, can be as unacceptable as unjust actions. Apathy has grabbed our society by the throat, and we have become voyeurs that observe injustice, shake our heads at the horror of what we've seen, and then turn our backs upon it without seeking to set right the situation. A virtuous society remains virtuous when the people are moral participants who strive to maintain the standards that made the society successful.

Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. We live in a society that chases lawsuits at every opportunity, or is quick to violence when we feel we've been wronged. We must remember to not react on a hair-trigger, nor should we "Make mountains out of mole hills." Extreme reactions that are not proportionate to an offense are not the mark of a virtuous society. Granted, extreme actions are sometimes necessary. Benjamin Franklin welcomed the extreme condition of revolution against British Rule because it was necessary in the context of the time period, and regarding what the colonists were attempting to achieve. But, extremes for the sake of being extreme are not necessarily a good course in a virtuous society. We always want "more," and sometimes "more" can be a good thing...but, more of what? What is the motive behind our desire for more? Is it possible to have too much of something? And if it is, where is that line between not enough, and too much? The answers are supposed to be self-evident when a people are virtuous. If we are not maintaining the aforementioned virtues in our lives, how can we determine where the region of moderation truly exists? How can we, if we are not virtuous, and if we are subject to chasing extremes, determine the difference between good and evil, or excess and folly?

Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. Cleanliness is something that encompasses more than being one that is attentive to personal hygiene. Yes, it is wise to be bathed, to keep our clothing laundered so that we are not wearing soiled garments, and to ensure that our homes are kept up in a manner that is not chaotic or filthy. Cleanliness also covers being appropriate, and paying attention to detail, discipline, and order. The presentation of ourselves to our surroundings are an important part to how society views us. How can we maintain that our society must be a virtuous one if we cannot even maintain the simple virtue of cleanliness? If one is tempered, self-disciplined, orderly, resolved, frugal, industrious, sincere, just, and not subject to extremes, the virtue of cleanliness will come naturally, for one will desire to offer a proper presentation of themselves to others, be it in hygiene, dress, one's home, or the other belongings that reveals the character of our condition of virtue upon first examination by others.

Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. This is a second virtue that borrows from the old adage, "Don't make mountains out of mole hills." In this case, however, the virtue is one that approaches one's temperament. Do we allow the irritations in life to anger us, and do we then lash out in response? Do we dwell on the unavoidable, and allow our anxiety over those unavoidable situations to dictate our actions and decisions? Do we react to situations, or respond to them? Are our emotions in control of our actions, or are we? Controlling, and tempering, one's anger, is a sign of a virtuous individual that is composed and confident. Avoiding stress, and maintaining one's cool, also has a number of social and health benefits attached. Relationships are more easily maintained when one remains "under control" in regards to his anger. Stress has also been determined to lead to a number of medical conditions that are neither beneficial, nor preferential. When individuals maintain tranquility, society benefits. When individuals allow their anger to guide their lives, society ceases to be virtuous, and reduces itself to mob-rule, and ultimately violence and chaos.

Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. A good sexual relationship is a healthy part of a marriage, and is necessary to produce offspring. Chastity is not used here to mean that we must abstain from sexual activity, but to use the gift that God gave us in the manner it was originally intended. With sexual promiscuity and sexual deviance follows a long line of consequences that can range from irritating to life-threatening. Today's society has abandoned this virtue, engaging in a system that uses sex in every nook and cranny of our culture. Sex is used to sell, to entertain, and as a political weapon to silence certain groups and label them as unwilling to get with the so-called evolution of humanity. A once sacred act designed for the intimacy of a God-ordained marriage has become just another tool to gain consumers, be cheaply used in entertainment, or as just another function in our everyday culture. The "hook-up" is seeking to be as common as one's decision to have a meal. Chastity requires the same self-discipline necessary to maintain the other virtues, and if one refuses to give in to the urges of sexual desire that reach beyond the context through which such an activity was originally designed to be, how can we maintain an ordered society with the other virtues? A society unable to abide by the moral standards that accompany a chaste society will also be unable to also abide by the standards put forward by the rule of law, be they Nature's Law by Nature's God, or the principles and philosophies set forth by a written political standard such as we have in the United States Constitution.

Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates. In a Christian society, the goal of every member of the culture is to be more like Jesus. The endeavor is impossible on the surface, because Christ was perfect, and our human nature demands that we will continually fall short of the Glory of God. However, in our desire to seek the virtues necessary to imitate a figure like Jesus, or Socrates, we improve ourselves and the world around us. Change must start from within, and when, as individuals, we seek to be the best we can be based on the moral standards set forth by a virtuous society, we improve the culture around us, as well. When we seek to be virtuous, those around us have the choice to either grow with us, or be left in the dust. When examples of virtue are on prominent display, and a person's life is bettered because of it, those around the person seeking to imitate such a virtuous life are encouraged to do the same, and seek a virtuous life as well. In a society where the standard is based on morality, and the members of that culture actively seek to improve their adherence to the virtues they would like to attain, we begin to use the positive side of our natural attributes. Rather than be arrogant, we become confident. Rather than be bossy, we become leaders. Humility is a trait shared by the greatest of men, because humility accompanies an internal confidence that does not seek to allow our words to speak for us, for instead reminds us that it is best for our actions to speak for themselves.

When a society abandons these virtues, the people become corrupt, and unwilling to abide by the rule of law. A viciousness blankets the people, which leads to violence and lawlessness. In response, unable to restrain the mobs, the people in the position of power feel the need to crack down on the people who are partaking in violence and disorder in order to attempt to restore peace and safety. Laws become more strict, and the people who were once viewed as servants in place to govern become masters that rule over the populace. Then, the vicious debauchery that caused the society to become a violent mob infects the society throughout every portion of the culture, and throughout every hall of law enforcement and government, leading the society to no other way out than to commit suicide, and die a bloody death through societal collapse, a bloody revolution, and the chaos of transition into bondage. We are now beginning to see the early stages of that potential death, and though the Constitution is the political solution, we are incapable of restoring the republic or abiding by the principles of the Constitution if we refuse to return to the moral standards that built his nation, and made it a virtuous society in the first place. Without having a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, the moral standards necessary to maintain an orderly and virtuous society are impossible. Without God, people are not capable of freedom, and therefore, if we do not restore our society as a virtuous one, liberty will be lost.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Royalty and Natural Born Presidents

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

I received a text yesterday from one of my students and he advised me that it turns out that Prince Harry of Britain will be marrying his American girlfriend, Meghan Markle.  A local television station, KTLA, he said, commented about how it would be the first time the American children of a potential King of England could be President of the United States.  He then wrote, "I thought that's not true, because even Doug's kids can't be President since their mom was not a citizen at the time of the birth of the children."

Correct.

I explained to my friend that first of all, if one of Charles' sons were to become King of England, the heir is Prince William.  Second of all, American Citizenship is not enough to be President of the United States.  To be the Commander in Chief one must be a "Natural Born Citizen," which requires, at the time of the birth of the child in question, both parents must be American Citizens.

The couple met in July 2016 in London, introduced by mutual friends.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Next Inappropriate Sexual Behavior Domino To Fall: Matt Lauer

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

In the world of leftism, it is a dog eat dog world even though they tell you they are all about peace, tolerance, and cooperation.  In the collective, there is no room for behavior that may harm the collective agenda.  Also, liberal left statists are willing to do whatever it takes for their power, not only against those who oppose their viewpoints, like conservatives, republicans, and constitutionalists, but also against those who are inside their own circles who may be considered an obstacle to their rise to power.

Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution was written with the understanding that human nature has a dark side to it, and for the desire of power, playing dirty is on the menu for some people.  It reads: "They (members of Congress) shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place."

The idea behind that clause was to protect members of Congress from being kept from voting or debating by their opposition through the use of false accusations.  However, the corruption of power has led our politicians to believe that the clause in Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution grants them the privilege of being above the law.

Our American System finds its roots in the Saxon System, which has, among its tenets, that nobody, including the leadership, is above the law.

Since the emergence of the sexual harassment charges against Judge Roy Moore, which claims he committed unacceptable sexual advances against teen age girls when he was still a registered Democrat, and a horny young man of 32 (Democrats don't believe people can individually grow, change or mature - it's up to the collective to properly train or rehabilitate them to be good people), the Democrat political world, the media, and Hollywood have been slammed with a massive slate of sexual impropriety scandals.  To conservatives, the whole thing screams of "hypocrisy," but how can leftists be accused of betraying their values when they show us time and time again that the only value system they possess is darker than the furthermost corners of Hell?

The latest victim of the spreading plague of sexual disgraces is Matt Lauer, who has been fired from NBC News as a result.  No evidence.  An employee simply filed a complaint about "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace."

When it comes to sex, you're guilty until proven innocent, it seems.  My question is, why?  Is there a power struggle going on?  Did the Clintons need to move Lauer aside?

A number of news outlets were investigating Lauer's off-camera conduct, once catching wind of the possibility that Lauer was a horn-dog.  Who needs sleuths when you have The New York Times, and NBC lawyers and human resources officials crawling all over the issue?

Regarding Lauer, The Times had a nice long meeting with NBC's lawyers and human resources officials.  As a result of that meeting, and an investigation that followed, NBC decided to terminate his employment.

A memo to staff regarding the woman's accusation said that the details "represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards."

The source said the woman alleged that the inappropriate behavior occurred while Lauer was in Russia covering the Winter Olympics in 2014.

Further investigation has revealed that it may not have been an isolated incident."

As yet another high-profile media figure going down like this, Lauer follows Charlie Rose, Harvey Weinstein, actors Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K., prominent journalists Mark Halperin of NBC and Michael Oreskes, and of course a string of politicians including Democrat member of the House of Representatives, John Conyers.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Other Sources:

'INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR'...
Assaulted staffer during Olympics?
NOT ISOLATED INCIDENT...
'Multiple Victims'...
INVESTIGATED FOR WEEKS...
'TODAY' ADDRESSES ON AIR...
GUTHRIE: 'I Am Heartbroken'...
Kathie Lee Gifford Ready To Forgive...
Who should replace?

No Constitution Classes This Week - We Will Return Next Week

Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

Due to my trip to Idaho this week there will be no Constitution Classes conducted in Southern California on Tuesday or Thursday Night.  We will see you next week when they resume. . .

Doug's Constitution Classes are an examination of the general principles and philosophies of the U.S. Constitution using the context and original language from the time period. Among the historical references are Madison's Notes of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the State Ratification Conventions, and other texts and written communications of the period. The classes are appropriate for all ages. Free Pocket Constitutions are handed out to all attendees. The sessions are one hour in length.

Temecula

Faith Armory

41669 Winchester Rd.

Temecula, CA

6:30 pm

Thursdays

(except the 2nd Thursday of each month, during which I am in Banning

www.bbcvteaparty.com)

Originally formed in 2008, the Temecula class is the first manifestation of Doug's efforts to educate the public of the original intent of the United States Constitution.  You can join the class at any time.  When we get to the end, we simply start over again.  Attendance is free, but a monetary contribution can be provided at the end of the class.  The contribution is voluntary, and any money given to Doug's efforts helps cover the expenses that accompany the classes.  The class handouts have been put together in a book form.  Purchase of The Basic Constitution is available at the class, or online.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Corona

AllStar Collision

522 Railroad Street

Corona, CA

6:00 pm

Tuesdays

Corona is the second class to form, first meeting May 6, 2014.  The classroom is upstairs to the right after you enter the business.  Like the Temecula Class, you can join the class at any time.  When we get to the end, we simply start over again.  Attendance is free, but a monetary contribution can be provided at the end of the class.  The contribution is voluntary, and any money given to Doug's efforts helps cover the expenses that accompany the classes.  The class handouts have been put together in a book form.  Purchase of The Basic Constitution is available at the class, or online.

Journey to Idaho

From Wildomar to Buhl

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

A friend has moved to Idaho.  He had two large horse trailers to haul up there, and since I used to have a commercial driver's license, I was the only person he knows who has experience pulling a big trailer.  So, he and his wife, and my wife and I, saddled up, hooked up the trailers to a couple F-350s, and on Sunday Morning began a trek up Interstate 15 from the Inland Empire in Southern California to a small town near Twin Falls, Idaho (south end of the State) by the name of "Buhl".  Population?  Just a few thousand.

It was a long and arduous journey, with a number of pit stops along the way, but after 22 hours on the road, we arrived.

The trip began in Wildomar, the town just north of where I live in Murrieta (which is roughly an hour and a half drive north of San Diego).  At his former place of residence my buddy's steep driveway posed to be a formidable challenge when driving one of the trailers down onto the street.  The stand you extend to hold the trailer's nose up when it is disconnected rubbed on the asphalt, and bent inward.  A wooden block would be needed in the future whenever we got to the point of removing the trailer from the truck's hitch.  My trailer was already in the street, loaded there without incident.

We departed two hours later than originally planned, but hey, I am not one to worry about such things.  Challenges in life happen, and the best thing to do is to set it aside and move forward.  What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.  Learn from it, and keep on truckin'.

I had a back injury a few years ago, so I tend to like to stop and stretch and crack my back every couple hours, or so.  The breaks were not as often as I'd hoped they would be, but with my wife there to encourage, and rub my back with stinky creams as I drove, I managed.  We stopped to either eat, pee, stretch, or any variation thereof, in Barstow, Baker, and just past Las Vegas.  Then, the trip became a whole lot of nothing to see - until we reached the Arizona State Line.

To be honest, I had not studied the route map before we departed, so when we entered Arizona, it surprised me.  Had we taken a wrong turn?  I thought we were heading north?

My wife, realizing my bewilderment, fired up my smart phone and pulled up a map.  North Interstate 15 had not been going north as much as it had really been heading in an easterly direction.  While the northerly tendency was coming, we had to first cut off the northwest corner of the State of Arizona.  We weren't headed in the wrong direction, it's just that Arizona jutted further north than I had realized, and it would need to be traversed before we could enter into the Utah leg of our trip.

We trucked on through Arizona, and pulled into the first rest and diesel opportunity we could once we entered the State of Utah.

My wife and I have traveled a good number of States, but due to my childhood and time in the United States Navy, I have performed more traveling than she has.  In my office I have a map of the United States on my wall, and on it are gold stars and red stars.  The gold stars represent States I have visited, but she has not.  Red Stars are on States we have been to together.  I turned to her as we entered Utah, and said, "Time for a red star."

She was not thrilled about the adventure so far, but the knowledge of having visited a new State of the union did put a smile on her face.

It went from day to dark as we traveled through the State of Utah, so much of it we did not get to see.  But, as we moved through the heart of Salt Lake City, the capitol shone brightly on the hill to my right.  A lovely scene.  I can't wait to see it in the daylight on the way back.

I was also surprised at how far the metropolitan area of Salt Lake City reaches.  The suburbs reach quite a ways.  It's nothing like the endless suburban sprawl of Southern California, but it was definitely more impressive than I expected.

My wife slept through most of the latter part of the trip, not even exiting the vehicle when we pulled into the various fuel and food stops.  North of Salt Lake City we stopped twice for sleep breaks.  During the early morning hours of the new day fatigue and the reality of too much sleep deprivation was beginning to set in.  At one stop at a couple hours before midnight my buddy snoozed for about half an hour while I whipped out my computer and wrote the Uranium One Informant: Politically Motivated article.  A few hours later my exhaustion began to get the better of me, and we stopped again, but this time for a one and a half hour snooze.

I have traveled most of the United States, and something I have always found interesting was the symbols that States use for their State Highways.  In California, it's a green shield.  Texas uses a white square surrounded by a black border.  In the State of Washington it is a silhouette of George Washington's head from a side view.  In many of the States the symbol is an image of the State with the highway number either inside or beside the configuration.  The State route marker signs for Utah, however, were something entirely different.  In fact, they looked like they were taken after the shape of a bee hive.

Curious, I had Mrs. Pistachio get on the internet and look it up, and sure enough, the road marker sign for the State routes in Utah is in fact that of a beehive.

She read the explanation to me. "The beehive is the state symbol of Utah. The early Mormon settlers used the symbol of the honeybee to represent hard work and industriousness. They saw the example of a beehive, in which all of the workers cooperated in the construction of something much bigger than themselves, as a model for a properly run society."

While my Mormon friends are all very patriotic and very conservative, what was read to me kind of alarmed me.  It sounded pretty collectivistic.  The Pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620, being Christians who believed they could count on each other, used a communal system of government, at first, and the result was starvation and death.  Individuality, liberty and the personal incentive of a free market economic system, in my opinion, has done more for the prosperity of the overall community in the United States than any collective kind of system ever could.  In truth, devolving the members of the community to workers who only have what is best for the collective in their interest sounds way too much like socialism, a system that has failed time and time again throughout history.

When we finally reached Idaho the sun was bright, as it is now as I sit at a table near the fireplace to write this article.  My wife responded with glee, yesterday, over the fact that the trip was nearing its merciful end, and that the scenery she was experiencing was nothing like anything she would expect to encounter in the southern end of our own State (aside from maybe some of the mountain communities).

I noticed how much colder the air was, so I threw on the heater for the first time.

With the heat came a unique smell.  It almost smelled like a rusty radiator.

What we discovered after we parked at the new house in Buhl was that what I was smelling was the result of a defunct heater coil, and coolant was leaking into the cab, all over my wife's shoes.

We parked one trailer, unpacked another one, and then went to a storage place nearby, making two trips before completing the task of emptying the storage room my buddy had been renting.  That's right, the horse trailers did not have horses in them.  We were using them as moving vans.  My wife was saddened by that news when she realized we weren't hauling horses, but would joke at our pit stops along the way asking me if I had pet the horses, and made sure they were okay.  I just told her they were fine, as long as you could get past the smell they had been producing along the way.

Meanwhile, the former owners of the home were still packing and working on leaving when we arrived.  Their date to be out was last Friday, but they had still not completed the task.

My friend got a call that something had gone wrong in paperwork, so they could not fund the loan, yet.  He and his wife took off to the title office as my wife and I finished up unloading into the barn. Then, we walked around, amazed at how open the space was.

After they returned, we finished off unloading the final trailer and the realtor came by.  He recommended a mechanic, so I drove the truck behind the realtor's car to Twin Falls.  It was a long half hour or so drive, but according to him this was the best mechanic in the area.  Plus, to my Vietnam Veteran buddy's delight, the mechanic gives veteran discounts and said he'd have the truck ready by the next day.

We ate at a local family restaurant, and the food was pretty good.  After the former owners finally departed with the last of their things, we entered my buddy's new home.  The house is a five bedroom delight with an upstairs loft that would be perfect as an office/library.  We slept on blankets laid out on the floor in one of the bedrooms, since all of the furniture has yet to arrive.  Then, I awoke early, took another shower - last night's shower hit the spot after a day and a half of stewing in my own marinade - and I sat down to write this piece.

My back is screaming from the work I did yesterday, and at one point this morning I coughed and pulled a muscle in my side.  Today, I am not helping move things since my back side will not cooperate.  It is a rest day for me, as I take a bunch of pills that will work like ibuprofens without being rough on my tummy.

Meanwhile, in twenty degrees warmer temperatures down in Murrieta, a phone call to our son revealed that he, and his wife, and three of our grandchildren have the fort well held down.  I love it up here, but I will admit, I miss my bed.

The scenery here is great.  During my drive to the auto shop in Twin Falls I noticed a couple snow-topped mountains on one side, and not-so-snowy mountains on the other.  The fields are endless, with trees here and there.  I am told as you go north the forests thicken.

It is brisk, though.  Right now at 9:42 a.m. their time it is 31^◦ outside - below freezing.  Being a Southern Californian, that's not the kind of temperatures I prefer to be around.

So, as I sit here with the fireplace roaring, thermals and a pair of sweatpants below the waist, and three shirts and a thermal top above the waist, I am still shivering.

I have friends who live in places like Michigan and South Dakota, and I am sure at this moment of reading this they have choice words for me that I could not repeat on this website if I wanted to keep my family-values crowd on board.

Last night it seemed like there were so many more stars in the sky.  Today the sky is blue and the greenery is breathtaking.  The dogs are frolicking outside, and the wife is rubbing her hands before the fire.

A great place to visit.  I could even see myself living in a place like this, someday, but right now, I plan to stay in Southern California for a little while longer.  There is too much work to be done, and I have not completely given up on saving California politically, just yet.

That said, I told my wife if the Democrats keep the supermajority, and Gavin Newsom wins the governorship next year, we are leaving California, too.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary