Tag Archives: Alan Harrop

Women in Combat???

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense has indicated that he is opposed to women in the military serving in combat roles. As a combat veteran himself, Pete Hedgeseth must have sound reasons for this opinion. Let’s take a look at how we find ourselves dealing with this issue in the first place.

Throughout history, war and combat have been the prerogative and responsibility of men.  As the physically stronger and more aggressive gender, this was rational and culturally mandated. Why the change? Women have been in the U.S. Military increasingly since World War II, but exclusively in non-combat roles.   In fact, until 1994, the military followed what was termed the Risk Rule, that excluded women from roles that were at high risk for injury and death. However, during Democrat Bill Clinton’s presidency, the Risk Rule was revoked and women were allowed in most roles, except direct ground combat and submarine service. Finally, during the Democrat Obama administration in 2015, all restrictions on women were removed, making them eligible for direct combat roles. Why did two Democrat presidents make these changes? Was it because women were needed in these roles due to a lack of men? Or, was it part of a social experiment prompted by the women’s equality movement? I believe it was due to the latter.

It should be noted that the overall percentage of women in the military has increased dramatically since 1970 when it was 3% to 17% in 2021. Some people will not be satisfied until the percentage of women in the military has reached the same as in overall U.S. population. This is a typical objective, as seen in most other DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) goals, that disregards the effectiveness and suitability of people for the roles in question. The overriding issue must be whether our military fighting force is made stronger or weaker by having women in direct combat roles. Lawsuits have been brought to force the military to include women in combat roles without restriction. There are also some efforts being made to include women in any future Selective Service draft program. Other countries such as Israel, Germany, Australia, Canada, etc. allow women to assume most other roles in the military although direct ground combat and submarine service may still remain restricted.

How do women perform in combat roles you might ask? Undoubtedly there are some who do very well. However, recent data on attrition rates in training programs show a significant disparity:

Attrition Rates for Training Programs:

Men                                  Women

Infantry                18%                                      49%

Field Artillery        Less than 1 %                      11%

Armor                  17%                                       72%

One should also consider the psychological and social aspect of mixing the genders in combat situations. While never in direct combat myself, I completed basic and advanced infantry training and can assure you that the presence of women would have had a dramatically complicating impact on the behavior of the soldiers. The bottom line is that the decision to include women in direct combat roles should be based on a thorough understanding of the impact on military preparedness and effectiveness and not on some social equality or DEI objective. Let’s hope the new Trump administration gets it right.

Poking the Bear

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Article: : R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

Since the end of WWII, the United States and Russia, the world’s nuclear super powers, have avoided direct armed conflict. This may be about to change. Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO and part of which has historically been linked to Russia, is losing the war of attrition started by its much larger neighbor, Russia. This, in spite of the billions of dollars of American taxpayer’s money and diminishing stockpile of our weapons being sent to Ukraine. We are not replenishing these weapons at the necessary rate. Now we have their leader, Zelenskyy, persuading the Biden/Harris regime to escalate the war by allowing American made missiles to be fired deep inside Russia. This will not end well and must be stopped.

History shows repeatedly that wars once started take on a life of their own and frequently spin out of control. The time to stop a war is before it starts. The perceived weak Biden/Harris regime failed to do this. Now, Zelenskyy is desperate and sees the only path forward is to involve the United States more directly in the conflict. Sending American troops to Ukraine will be next. The missiles in question can reach 300 miles into Russia. Let’s face reality. Putin will never allow Russia to be defeated by Ukraine. Will he use tactical nuclear missiles to keep from losing the war? He says he will. No one knows for sure. If so, the next question becomes, “How would the Biden/Harris regime respond?” The hypocrisy of Biden/Harris is obvious when they put total pressure on trying to get Israel to agree to a cease fire, but no such pressure is placed on Ukraine to negotiate with Russia. How would we respond, if we got into a war with Cuba, and Russian supplied missiles were striking deep into the southern United States? Zelenskyy’s hope that he can persuade us to escalate and get more involved against Russia keeps this war going which is actually destroying Ukraine.

Not only do we risk a war of global annihilation with Russia, we are increasingly pushing Russia closer to China, who is our actual existential threat. We are weakening our military by using armaments at a pace faster than we can replace them. The missiles in question are considered essential to our defense and cost $1.5 million each. China is watching and elated by what is occurring. They get stronger, we get weaker. How will we respond if Taiwan is attacked by China? Good question.

What is needed is a negotiated settlement that concedes some of Ukraine to Russia. Just like what happened in Korea. The cease fire there, gave the northern part to the communists but preserved the south as a free country. And remember, China was not a nuclear power at that time but it was recognized that a compromise was necessary to stop the war and preserve at least part of Korea from communism.

We must not allow ourselves to be drawn into an escalating war that is not in our interest and the consequences could be total destruction of our civilization as we know it. I do not want our existence to be dependent on the decision of one man, Putin, who is being pushed into a corner. Not a good idea. We need an exit strategy and need it fast. The Biden/Harris regime is not up to the task. Consider this when you cast your vote. Who is most likely to resolve this situation favorably for the American people?

Choosing a Candidate

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

Let’s face reality. There are no perfect candidates running for office in any election. Never have been; never will be. That being the case, voters need to be sure to focus on what really matters when selecting a candidate. If we don’t, we will find ourselves victims of propaganda and so-called “dirty politics” attempting to appeal to factors that are not the most important. People making decisions can do so based on reason or emotions. We can only survive as a country if our decisions are based on reason not emotions.

Take as an example, Donald Trump. He is a candidate that could not be better known as to how he will perform in office since we already have his first term to judge him by. We know how he will deal with critical issues such as the economy, energy, the border, and foreign threats and wars. Even so, most of the people who are opposed to Trump when asked why, almost always criticize his style, personality, brashness, or past personal behavior. When asked what he did while president that was not good for the country, rarely if ever, does the person opposing Trump cite any action that was detrimental to America. Now this focus on issues other than actions and promised actions is exactly what the Democrats and others that attack a candidate want us to do. That is what is behind all the coordinated lawsuits and bogus charges being brought against Trump. As well as the attempts to distract him and ruin him financially.

Another example is Mark Robinson. The recent attacks against him have absolutely nothing to do with his platform and the actions he will take if elected governor. They are all focused on his past alleged behavior, all of which supposedly occurred many years ago and have nothing to do with his ability to lead North Carolina in a conservative direction. These personal attacks, which the Democrats are famous for, appeal not to reason but to emotions. They do not want to discuss the issues, because most voters do not agree with the leftist/Marxist agenda that the Democrats are increasingly supporting: like indoctrination of school students, transgender sport activities, mutilation of children, the war against fossil fuels, supporting illegal aliens with taxpayer funding, and higher taxes.

Unfortunately, our modern system of emails and other electronic communications potentially records everything a person says or does. Artificial intelligence allows duplicating a person’s voice. Should an alleged comment by a person made twenty years ago be used to disqualify a person from office? Are any of us so perfect that we have nothing in our past that we regret saying or doing? The very people who want to destroy Mark Robinson are the same who want us to believe that Kamala Harris now supports a border wall, protecting your gun rights, supporting the police, and expanding energy production including fracking.

Voters need to stay focused on what matters: the actions the candidate will take when in office on the key issues that matter. Allowing ourselves to be distracted by personal attacks on things that do not matter is exactly what the political left hopes we will do. Your choice, don’t blow it.

Injustice for Homeschools

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Recently, the NC General Assembly passed significant additional funding of taxpayer money for the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) which provides stipends to parents who send their children to private schools. Some of the funding for this program comes from the budget for public schools, but most comes from new taxpayer money. The funding for the OSP has expanded significantly in the past couple of years and is justified as part of expanding school choice for parents. The scholarships vary from $3,300 to $7,400 per student each year. There is a serious problem with this program, and that is that parents who choose to home-school their children receive not one penny of assistance. How can our elected representatives claim to support school choice when they ignore homeschooled children who actually represent the highest number of non-public school students in North Carolina?

As someone who has had my own children in public schools, private schools and homeschooled, I can assure you that the sacrifice and commitment to the education of a child is greatest when homeschooling. According to the state Division of Non-Public Education, there are at least 158,000 home school students in North Carolina which is significantly more than the number of students in private schools. At the current rate of spending for each student in public schools of approximately $10,000 per year, theoretically, by homeschooling their children, parents are reducing the public school budget of $18 billion by over $ 1 billion per year. Home school parents not only have the expenses of typical school supplies, but also spend significant sums on home-school books and instructional material. They also have to pay for field trips and other educational activities that are free for public and private school students. Of course, the largest financial burden is foregoing employment so they can provide the home-school instruction.

Now it should be recognized that all families pay taxes that support the public school system which includes federal, state and local taxes regardless of which educational option they choose for their children. Home-school parents are the only ones who do not receive any of this taxpayer money to support their children’s education. I have been told that some home-school parents would be reluctant to accept state funds for fear of having educational requirements imposed. However, this objection could be easily handled by limiting/prohibiting the state from imposing such requirements and ultimately by making the reception of any funds voluntary. As far as student performance goes, Parentscience.com reports that homeschoolers score at least one grade level above public school students on 5 of 7 academic subjects tests.

It is past time that the General Assembly include home-schoolers in the OSP and correct this obvious injustice. They should also limit the issuing of scholarships to citizens only which is currently not the case. Failure to correct this situation will ultimately lead to a class action lawsuit by the parents of home-schoolers against the state. Seems well deserved. What is more American than allowing parents to educate their own children instead of exposing them to the woke agenda in most public schools. Freedom requires free choice.

The Impact of the National Debt

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

We, the American taxpayers, need to be aware of the soaring national debt; primarily because we will ultimately suffer the consequences of this out-of-control spending. Let’s take a look at the facts. I strongly suggest that you sit down as you read this.

Much of the following data was obtained from the website www.us.debtclock.org as of the end of August 2024. The total debt is currently 35.2 trillion dollars. This debt, by far the highest of any country in history, is increasing at the rate of 1 trillion dollars every three months. This amounts to $268,000 per taxpayer. The debt to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio is 122% as compared to 35% in 1980. This is comparable to an individual having a debt that is 122% higher than their total assets and income. The interest alone on the national debt now amounts to 918 billion dollars per year, which is more than the entire military defense budget. This is clearly unsustainable.

The impact of federal spending on inflation is equally alarming. Compared to the year 2000, the price of essentials is truly shocking. For example, the average price of a new home is now $406,000 as compared to $166,000 in the year 2000. New cars now average $49,000 as compared to $22,000; annual healthcare now averages $15,000 as compared to $5,000; college tuition now averages $27,000 per year compared $11,000. Contrast these dramatic increases to the increase in median annual income that is now $39,000 compared to $32,000 in the year 2000. Clearly, the standard of living of the average American, especially the young, has diminished significantly, especially when you add the $268,000 we all owe on the national debt!

As we face the upcoming election, we need to evaluate the impact the Democrat and Republican platforms will have on the national debt and inflation. The Democrat platform, as far as we can tell, includes price controls, $25,000 gifts to first time home buyers, increases in corporate tax rates, allowing the Trump tax cuts to expire, a tax on unrealized capital gains, transferring student loan debt to others, and a wealth tax. History shows that none of these proposals will reduce the national debt or inflation–they will only increase government spending and reduce the incentive of the average person or corporation to invest.  Couple this with the money being spent to support illegal aliens, and the problem only worsens. For example, price controls lead to shortages in supplies and result in price increases. The Republican platform includes efforts to reduce the cost of energy by eliminating costly green energy programs and expanding the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power, reducing excessive government regulations, incentives to increase investments, and returning manufacturing to this country. Decreasing the cost of energy is essential to reducing inflation. The national debt crisis can only be solved by reducing the size of the federal government (e.g. abolishing the federal Department of Education and cutting the budgets of all federal agencies) and growing the economy by encouraging investment.

We have a very clear choice in the upcoming election. The fate of the economic survival of this country is on the ballot. Time to face reality.

Recognizing Marxism Part II

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a previous article, I outlined seven indicators that a politician or government is advocating destructive Marxist principles or actions. Here are a few more that we should be aware of if we want to protect our freedoms as true American patriots.

First: Government giveaways. Marxist governments seduce citizens for support by providing things, seemingly for free. Examples:  free healthcare for all, canceling student debt, providing guaranteed income for all, and recently, free down payment money for first time home buyers. Of course, the government does not create wealth but merely takes from a person who earned it, and gives it to another who did not earn it. This is actually wealth transfer which penalizes the hard-working person.

Second:  Inflation. Most, if not all inflation, is caused by excessive government spending that exceeds revenues. The government does this by printing money that is not backed by actual economic growth.  Printing money is the Marxist way of buying votes while at the same time devaluing the buying power of the currency. This essentially amounts to a tax that makes citizens poorer. The Harris campaign’s recent announcement that inflation will be reduced by going after corporations who are “gouging the public” is misdirected and typical of trying to blame private companies for government caused inflation. Price controls always lead to shortages and increased inflation.

Third:  Suppressing dissent. Controlling the press, limiting free speech, and prosecuting opposition occurs in all Marxist countries such as China, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela. Alarmingly, this is now occurring in America. Blocking people from social media platforms, falsely prosecuting January 6th demonstrators as “insurrectionists” (while allowing actual rioters after the George Floyd incident to go free) are examples of what Marist governments do. The most glaring example, of course, is the Biden/Harris administration’s persecution of Donald Trump for bogus crimes. This has never happened before in the history of this country and represents a serious change which should alarm us all.

Fourth:  Intentionally distorting the truth. Truth is not a Marxist value. Marxists will say anything in order to hide the truth from the people. This includes mislabeling their destructive actions to hide the real impact. For example, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act did nothing but increase inflation. The Biden/Harris administration spent billions of dollars on green energy and other programs that required borrowing more money, that the government did not have. Another example, is the tragic effort to encourage the surgical mutilation of children. They call it “Gender Affirming Care” when it is the exact opposite. Instead of encouraging children to accept and be content with their birth gender, they advocate gender hormone blockers and genital surgery in an effort to change the child’s true gender. Some states like California and Wisconsin (where VP candidate Tim Walz is governor) threaten to take a child away from the parents if they refuse to agree to hormone blockers or surgery.

Fifth:  Open borders. Marxism always attempts to eradicate the national traditions of any country they control. One way of doing this is to flood the country with immigrants who do not share the principles, values, and traditions of that country, thereby allowing the government to define the culture. Demeaning a country by focusing on flaws from their past diminishes patriotism and love of country and ignores the positive accomplishments.  This is especially destructive to the youth.

The issue facing America in 2024 is whether there are enough clear-thinking patriots who recognize the destructive path we are on and are willing to do what is necessary to reverse course.  The upcoming election will answer that question, once and for all.

Dealing with China  

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 Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D   harropcrew1@gmail.com

It should be obvious to any clear-thinking American that China is our biggest threat. During the 1930’s there were many American leaders who refused to recognize the threat posed by Nazi Germany. We cannot allow that to happen again. Just like Nazi Germany, China is rapidly building their military capability while we focus on DEI and woke ideology in our armed forces.

What makes the China threat even greater than Nazi Germany is the degree to which our country is increasingly dependent on Chinese products for our existence. A recent report showed that 75 % of items sold on Amazon are manufactured in China. Similarly, at Walmart the figure is 70-80%. What allowed us to defeat Nazi Germany in large part was the industrial manufacturing capacity of our country to not only arm ourselves, but our allies as well. We were rightfully called the Arsenal of Democracy. Now we are not only losing our manufacturing advantage over China, but we are paying for their military expansion by the profits they make on the products they sell to us. We are funding our own potential destruction.

The most glaring example of this absurdity is “Green Energy.” The Biden regime, uses government taxpayer subsidies and mandates to build solar panels and wind mills that we buy from China, and they turn around and take the profits and build coal fired plants that provide them with abundant cheap energy. Some of the morons in our military have proposed electric powered tanks to replace diesel power! Where do we get most lithium batteries? You guessed it: China.

China is expanding its influence around the world. They are funding ports and infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa, and South America. They are taking over the South China Sea by building island bases. They are threatening the Philippines and our other allies in the region. What is the Biden regime’s answer to all this? Silence.

What we should be doing is recognizing we are in a cold war with China and act accordingly. Restore our manufacturing capacity, impose tariffs as needed, and build our defense capability such as the so-called iron dome which would provide a protection against not only missiles from China, but other bad actors, like North Korea and Iran. Peace can only be secured through strength and resolve. No more allowing China to own land anywhere in the United States. Stop the admission of Chinese students and Chinese funding of our colleges and universities. The flood of single Chinese men over our southern border must be reversed, as also, the fentanyl crisis. We need an administration that recognizes the threat and has the courage to act accordingly. The upcoming election will determine whether we will get one.

 

Truth vs Lies

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D harropcrew1@gmail.com

The basis of all effective human dialog and interaction should be truth. This is particularly vital in the political realm where voters must make decisions on critical issues. Politicians have always been somewhat suspect about being truthful. What is occurring now in our country is beyond anything I have ever seen and threatens to further divide our country. This reminds me of George Orwell’s novel 1984, where the so-called Ministry of Truth, controlled what people were told.

There are far too many examples of politicians lying to list them all, but here are a few. The Inflation Reduction Act, initiated by the Biden regime, not only had nothing to do with reducing inflation, but actually did the opposite by increasing government spending and resulting in more inflation. Similarly, with the so-called student loan forgiveness program by Biden. This effort unjustly passes the debt on to other taxpayers. Truth would require it to be called the student debt transfer to others program. Management of the COVID19 pandemic was full of lies. Starting with the origin of the virus from gain of function projects funded by Dr. Fauci’s organization to the lack of effectiveness and danger of the vaccine, we were told numerous lies.

The border crisis that has been occurring during the Biden administration has resulted in an invasion that threatens to destroy our country was blamed on President Trump, The truth, of course, is that the Biden regime wanted an open border in order to get more voters. This lie continues with Biden’s recently announced program to limit illegal immigration. It does no such thing. The reality is that allowing 2500 illegals per day will produce 925,000 per year in addition to 900,000 from other admission programs. Another glaring example of government lies is the term “gender affirming care”, for the prescribing of destructive hormones, puberty blockers and surgery. It is truthfully biological sex change which is rarely ever successful and a reflection of, in many cases, an underlying mental illness.

The most recent example was Nancy Pelosi being caught on a video recording admitting that she was to blame for January 6th because she did not authorize the placement of National Guard troops around the Capitol as had been recommended by the Trump administration. Her lie was the basis for the entire effort to prosecute President Trump for what happened on that day and resulted in the unjust prosecution of thousands of innocent protestors.

It is obvious to any rational person that Truth is not a left wing value. They will say anything, do anything, and lie as needed to fool the public. The sad thing is that many people in this country accept these lies. The recent vote in Europe that has produced a move toward conservative government is encouraging. The election on November 5th will show whether the majority of citizens in this country realize they are being lied to and are ready to throw out the liars.

Law vs the Lawless

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The implications of the recent travesty of justice apparent in the so-called trial and conviction of President Trump go directly to the foundations of America. It not only shows that the Democrats will use anything they can to stay in power and destroy their opposition; but, importantly, they do not believe in the founding principles necessary for a republic.

Laws are written as statements asserting specific actions that are prohibited. For example, there is a law forbidding car theft. There are also laws about the voting process and how elections should be managed. However, and here is the importance of what is now occurring with the Biden regime, people must support the spirit of the law if a republic is to survive. People must believe that theft is wrong. People must believe that interfering in elections is wrong. The Biden regime is demonstrating that they do not believe in the principles essential to the existence of America as we have had the privilege of knowing it. They do not believe in the essential principle that the people should run the country through their right to vote. As a consequence, they feel free to do whatever they can to violate the voting process. For them it Is not “Let the people decide at the ballot box,” but rather, “We the Elite” will control and run the country as we see fit. This is a tyranny that if not stopped will destroy our Republic. They are the lawless ones, since they do not believe in the principles and ideals that are the basis of our laws. Some of the most obvious examples are Biden forgiving student loans after the Supreme Court ruled he did not have that authority, ignoring immigration laws and encouraging the massive flood of illegals, and issuing federal mandates and executive orders that are the prerogative of congress. It is like trying to control a robber who believes stealing is his right.

Abraham Lincoln once said that the danger to our country will not come from abroad but rather from within. “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” It must be clear to any rational, clear thinking person that we are at the point that Lincoln warned us about. This is all in the Marxist playbook of how to destroy free countries and turn them into Marxist hell holes.

The question before us now is what do we do about it? The recent, dramatic increase in donations to President Trump and the Republican Party just after the unprecedented scam trial shows that people are finally realizing what is at stake in this coming election. We must not only throw the Marxist Democrats out of office, but we must take back our country and reinvigorate a love for America and its founding principles. No more half measures, no more compromising, but fighting to win and win BIG! Therein is our pathway to save America

Communism: War On The West

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D harropcrew1@gmail.com

There was a time in America, particularly from 1945 to 1975, where this article would not have needed to be written. However, recent events have shown that many Americans, particularly the young college-educated, seem to be oblivious to the threat of communism/Marxism. Western civilization is under attack and will fall if we do not stand up to this threat.

No communist/Marxist government has ever brought peace and prosperity to its people; in spite of the utopian promises to their people of how good things will be. Death and destruction is the result. Think I am exaggerating? Not so. A recent article by researcher David Kopel reports that from 1900 to 1987, seventeen communist regimes murdered over 168 million people either in their own country or other countries that they controlled. This does not include deaths by war. The highest totals were China 88 million, the Soviet Union 62 million and North Korea 1.7 million. All of the other 17 communist countries killed at least 100,000 of their own people. No communist government can stay in power without tyranny and use of force against all opposition. The COVID19 pandemic showed how far governments will go in taking away people’s freedom, even in this country. Forced closing of businesses, schools, churches; mandating wearing masks; and forced vaccination have never before occurred in this country. Look at the mass arrests and persecution of the demonstrators at the Capitol on January 6th. This is a government overreaction directed towards their political opposition. What happened to the rioters after George Floyd’s death? Nothing. And Joe Biden has the unmitigated gall to say that Donald Trump is a threat to Democracy. Pot calling the kettle black.

Another way communism/Marxism destroys societies is by dividing the people against one another. Joe Biden, ran on a pledge to unite the country. The result has been the opposite. He calls Trump supporters terrorists and white nationalists, while at the same time making a commencement speech at an all black male college, stating that they may love America but that America does not love them. They must also work ten times as hard as whites to achieve the same success. Racial division at its worst.

Third but not least, all communist regimes fail economically because they use central planning where the party elite determine what is produced, the wages of workers, and keep profits for the government. America was founded on the principle of free enterprise where individuals create and produce products, market them to the consumer, and keep the profits. Unprofitable products fall by the wayside. Free enterprise has led to extensive new products, manufacturing techniques, lower prices, and the highest standard of living in the world. The key is competition. Now along comes the Biden regime, restricting and controlling energy production, mandating unwanted products (e.g. EVs), and stifling creativity. Central control of our economy will never work.

If you agree with the facts in this article, you might want to pass it along, especially to younger people. We all need to be aware of where we are heading before we vote in November. The future of the country is at stake!

To Debate or Not to Debate

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Televised presidential debates first started with the 1960 presidential contest between John Kennedy and Ricard Nixon. It is generally believed that the debate process helped Kennedy and harmed Nixon. Debates during subsequent presidential races have had varying impact on the outcome of the races. The Biden regime’s surprise request to hold two debates with Donald Trump raises some questions.

First, the request for debates came on the heels of the most recent polls showing that Trump has a significant lead in key swing states and is gaining support with minorities, whose support the Democrats have always taken for granted. Is this just a coincidence? I think not. The Biden regime must believe that debates can be used to reverse Trump’s lead in the polls. Given Biden’s obvious lack of mental acuity, this is quite surprising and raises the question about who will control the debates and whether they can be stacked against Donald Trump. Let’s look at the how the debates will be conducted.

The channels selected to hold the debates at this time are CNN and ABC. Members of what Trump calls the “Fake Media.” So too with the moderators. CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are notoriously anti-Trump, as are likely ABCs moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. The fact that first debate will be held on June 27th before either candidate has actually secured their party’s nomination is suspicious and has never been done before. Perhaps, if Biden performs very poorly, the Democrats can use that as another reason not to nominate him at their convention. If that happens, Trump may find himself having to debate a yet unknown candidate one or more times, closer to the election. The Biden regime is also requiring that there will be no live audience to react to the candidates remarks during the debate. Surely they do not want to have to deal with applause for Donald Trump during the televised debates. Another restriction is that the candidates’ microphones can be turned off by the moderators to prevent comments from the candidates from being broadcast. In the 2016 debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it was subsequently revealed that Hillary Clinton had been given the questions before the debate.

Trump’s ability to outshine Biden in any fairly run debate is not in question. However, given the Democrat’s track record and their desperation over the recent polls, they will make every effort to sway the debate in Biden’s favor. Here are some reasonable requirements that Trump should demand before final agreement on the debates: (1) Debates should not occur until both candidates have been officially nominated; (2)There must be balance as to the networks broadcasting the debates. CNN should be replaced by NewsMax, preferably, or FOX News (3) Both candidates should be given the main questions they will be asked by the moderators, which is the only way of preventing only one candidate getting the questions and the other not. (4) Candidates should be allowed to ask questions of each other. (5) A non-selected audience should be allowed. (6) Both candidates should be required to take a drug test.

It is all very well, and admirable of Trump to agree to debate Biden “any time, any place” as he has said. However, he is ahead in the polls and must ensure that any debate is fair to both candidates. Otherwise, he may be jeopardizing his campaign by making himself vulnerable to his unscrupulous opponent. There is an old saying “The Pride before the Fall.” Trump should heed this truthful admonition!

 

Medical Marijuana: Benefit or Slippery Slope?

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Well, here we go again. The N.C. General Assembly may be considering making marijuana legal for medical use, which they declined to approve in the last session. Apparently enough people in North Carolina (or at least in the General Assembly) are pushing this idea so that it keeps coming up. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of medical marijuana. It should be noted that medical marijuana is legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

There is surprisingly little valid scientific research on the health benefits of marijuana. Most of what is claimed is based on anecdotal reports or small studies on short term benefits. Some of the claims are that it relieves nausea caused by some cancer treatments, relief of chronic pain, although not severe pain such as from surgery or broken bones, epilepsy and seizures, Alzheimer disease symptoms, HIV/Aids, and Crohn’s disease. Marijuana has over 100 different chemicals, so it is difficult to isolate the beneficial elements for each disorder. CBD is alleged to have positive effects on health while THC produces the euphoria or high that people experience. It should also be noted that marijuana is used to treat the symptoms of a medical condition, not the cause of that condition. Another important issue is whether there already exist legal drugs or treatments that patients can readily access that address these symptoms.

There are also negative effects. Because marijuana is a mind altering substance, changed perception and reaction times can negatively affect things like driving, leading to more injuries and deaths. Children can be especially harmed if they access marijuana, particularly ingestible forms such as gummy bears, cookies, brownies, etc. Although the long term impacts are not clearly understood, cognitive thinking ability and memory declines are documented for all ages. Confusion, poor muscle coordination, and dizziness are common. Motivation to lead a rewarding traditional life of work, family, and associated rewards often deteriorates, leading to nonproductive citizens. No society can flourish with large numbers of citizens addicted to drugs. Of course, the euphoria induced by marijuana is strongly related to its addictive potential and especially to its role as a gateway drug that leads the user to more potent drugs such as meth or heroin. Having worked in the N.C. Department of Correction as the Mental Health Services Director, I can testify to the numerous cases of criminal behavior in pursuit of illegal drugs that started with smoking marijuana. Interestingly, the FDA has not approved marijuana for general medical use except lab produced Epidiolex, Marinol and Cesamet to treat nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, and low appetite for HIV patients.

Recent reports of the dramatic increase of China’s role in the marijuana trade adds another risk that should concern us all. There is increasing evidence that Chinese invaders are controlling the production and distribution of marijuana from California to Maine. They grow it and distribute it throughout the country, relying on the increased flow of illegal Chinese over our southern border for laborers. The Chinese are also the originators of the fentanyl crisis that is killing somewhere near 100,000 Americans each year. Now what could possibly go wrong with our biggest adversary, China, controlling marijuana and fentanyl production which can produce a deadly combination? Are we on a path of self-destruction? It makes one wonder. Twenty four states that started with medical marijuana have now legalized its recreational use. Result: 20% of the US population now report using marijuana. So if you think using marijuana is a good thing, then support medical marijuana since that is what is most likely to occur. Personally, I do not.

The Real Threat to Our Democracy

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

As usual, the Democrat left is lying to the American people. Truth is not something that they believe in. This has been the case with every communist/Marxist government in world history. The latest of many examples is the Biden regime’s claim that Donald Trump is the biggest threat to our democracy. As usual, they do not even recognize that we are a constitutional Republic–not a democracy. Let’s see where the real threat is coming from.

In a very revealing interview on CNN, Robert Kennedy, Jr., a third party candidate for the presidency (and an extreme leftist himself, especially on the environment), was asked who was the greatest threat to democracy, Donald Trump or Joe Biden. To the shock and chagrin of the CNN interviewer, Kennedy answered that it was Joe Biden. He went on to explain how his free speech was taken away by the Biden regime through social media banning which he has had to fight in court. He has also been denied Secret Service protection which under previous administrations, would have been routinely granted. Especially in his case where both his father (Robert) and his uncle (John) were both assassinated. Leaving him at risk would be one way of Biden eliminating an opponent.

Inviting illegal aliens into our country and granting them free support including airfares directly into our country are the biggest threat to our country at this time. Not only does the Biden regime invite them in, they make every effort to block Texas from sealing their border, including court actions. A country without borders cannot long exist. Free speech is an essential part of any free country. The first thing Hitler did when taking over the government of Germany was to forbid speech in opposition to his regime. He then constituted a federal police force (the SS) to arrest and incarcerate anyone who voiced opposition to his regime. Sound familiar? Look how the Biden regime is misusing the FBI and the Department of (In)Justice to go after Trump supporters, branding them as MAGA terrorists. Sending fully armed squads of FBI agents to arrest your political opponents and their supporters has never been seen in this country before the Biden regime took over. How about the coordinated campaign of bringing bogus charges and court cases against your political opponent, as Biden has done to Donald Trump? Also, the Democrat Marxists efforts to steal elections by the wholesale use of mail-in ballots and ballot harvesting. No free country can exist without free and fair elections and citizen’s confidence in the election process. The final example is Biden’s continuing effort to grant forgiveness of student loans, which he hopes will buy him votes, in spite of the fact that the courts have declared that he has no constitutional authority to do so. He just ignores the courts.

Well, you get the point. If Biden and the Marxist Democrats succeed in winning this coming election, our country is doomed to follow other communist regimes that have destroyed the freedoms and liberty of their people. We must not let this happen. If we do, we will have not only failed ourselves but our children and grandchildren. Get out and resist before it is too late!

America First: Military Defense Part II

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

This is a follow-up to a prior article where I outlined how our foreign policy should return to the principle of America First, which was advocated by our Founding Fathers. This article focuses on specific actions that should be taken for our defense. While I am admittedly not a military planning expert, these suggestions are based on common sense; a characteristic sorely missing in many of our current defense leadership who seem more focused on their “woke” agenda.

We are living in a dangerous time. During the Cold War, we only had to worry about the Soviet Union from the standpoint of nuclear conflict. Now with China, Russia, North Korea, Pakistan, and soon Iran, having nuclear capability, the situation is far more complex and dangerous. First: one of the things that President Reagan wisely did was to encourage the development of an effective missile defense system. This was not continued by subsequent administrations. We need to return to developing a missile defense system. If we don’t, we will be at the mercy of any rogue country that decides to launch an attack. Second: we need to establish a satellite defense system that will protect our essential satellites without which a modern war cannot be fought. President Trump’s decision to create an effective Space Force needs to be strongly supported. Third: we need to fortify and secure our electrical power grid from sabotage or direct attack. This must also include protecting the computer programs that control these systems. One of the dumbest proposals from the Left is offshore wind farms. I cannot think of anything more vulnerable than a power system fifty miles away from our shores. Fourth, we need to consolidate our current military forces. According to a recent article in the Epoch Times, we have over 200,000 military personnel scattered all over the globe. We need to refocus these deployments and encourage our allies to support their own defenses. Europe, South Korea, and Japan for example, should not be relying on us for their defense. We are 34 trillion dollars in debt!. Fifth, we need to focus on ensuring that we have the strongest Navy in the world. We should use this force as needed and then return them to proximity to our shores where their vulnerability to attack is lessoned as compared to stationing naval fleets all over the world. Sixth, we need to return to the principle contained in the Monroe Doctrine that declared the Western Hemisphere to be off limits to our adversaries. Allowing China to infiltrate countries like Venezuela and Ecuador is contrary to our interests.

The last item is dealing with the drug cartels in Mexico. The weaponization of mass illegal migration, is a direct threat of our survival as a country. The influx of fentanyl is estimated to kill 100,000 Americans each year and is now the greatest cause of death of American men between the age of 19 and 45. We fought terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. When are we going to get serious and destroy the drug cartels? That is a fight worth having.

The above will require a refocusing of our defense efforts. However, continuing what we have been doing is no longer tenable.

America First: Defense Part I

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, PhD

In another recent article, I wrote about the importance of putting America First (as advocated by the Founding Fathers) and ensuring that we have a strong economy not dependent of other countries for essential manufactures, medical supplies and food. This article will focus on what we should be doing to protect our country from current and future adversaries.

There were two essential principles of the America First policy of the Founding Fathers. The first was avoiding foreign wars that did not directly impact on our security; and the second was to focus on ensuring that the Western Hemisphere did not become controlled by our adversaries from other parts of the world (i.e. The Monroe Doctrine). The Founding Fathers would be dismayed that some of our leaders have increasingly advocated that we are obligated to defend other countries anywhere in the world that are threatened or attacked. This progressive, globalist idea has us acting as the world’s policeman to keep the world “ Safe for Democracy” This idea, advocated by Woodrow Wilson, has led us into many wars where we actually failed, made things worse, and as a consequence are increasingly seen as weak and not a country to be afraid of offending. This is not good for our security since it invites more aggression.

A good example, was our invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan as a result of the attacks on 9/11. Instead of just identifying the enemy, hitting them with overwhelming force, and then leaving; the elitist leaders of our country decided we should turn both those countries into democracies. After wasting trillions of dollars (which we don’t have) and the lives of our patriotic military personnel, we are in many ways worse than before. Iran is in ascendance and the Taliban was left with $85 billion dollars of the finest military equipment. Also, our worst adversary, China, has taken over a military airbase we built! Of course, our leaders never asked us if this is what we wanted. They just took it upon themselves since they know best. These things would never have happened if we had followed the American First principle of our Founding Fathers.

We are perceived as so weak, that a group of Houthi rebels in Yemen attack our ships and those of other countries with impunity. This reminds me of the wars with the Barbary Pirates who captured our ships and enslaved our sailors in the early 1800s. Along with a couple of allies, we hit them hard and stopped their attacks on our ships. We should do likewise with the Houthis. Hit them with overwhelming force and stop matching them shot for shot.

As far as protecting our hemisphere is concerned, China has been steadily increasing its influence over several South American countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil and Chile. China extends loans that then make those countries dependent on their relationship with China. For example, China has loaned over $60 billion to Venezuela some of which was used for military equipment to suppress the uprising against communist dictator President Maduro. China builds its own seaports and other facilities that can be used to offset our influence in the Western Hemisphere. This is part of China’s Belt and Road project that has the objective of controlling the global world order.

In summary, it is time for America to re-evaluate our commitments and foreign policy to ensure that we are focused on what is best for America.

Standing Up to the Climate Hoax

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

It is becoming increasing apparent that not only is there no scientific evidence that manmade CO2 emissions are causing climate change, but that this hoax is being used by the Democrat Marxists to control us and limit our freedoms. It is also being used to enrich the elite at the expense the taxpayers and to raise energy bills dramatically higher.

A recent article in the Epoch Times revealed that the United Nation’s Convention on Climate Change deliberately altered their report so that any observed climate change would be falsely blamed on mankind’s burning of fossil fuels. Several scientists who objected to this unsubstantiated claim were ostracized and removed from the committee. World renowned physicist, Frederick Seitz, wrote in an article that he had never in his extensive career, including as President of the National Academy of Sciences, ever seen such corruption in the scientific review process and that no study to date has demonstrated that climate change is due to mankind’s use of fossil fuels. Recent reports by qualified experts have reported that rising CO2 levels are offset by increased plant growth and that CO2 levels do not increate warming, but rather the opposite. That is, rising climate temperature cycles caused by factors such as solar activity, produce an increase in CO2 and not the reverse.

So where does all this bring us? The only rational conclusion (in spite of what the environmental extremists and those making a huge profit from solar and wind farms) is that there is absolutely no need to restrict the use of fossil fuels. It is estimated that that the current effort to replace fossil fuels is costing the average American over $2,000 per year and rising. This will devastate our economy for absolutely no valid reason.

Here in North Carolina, we can fight back against this leftist agenda in at least two ways. First, repeal HB 951 passed into law in 2021 that requires electricity generating power plants to reduce their carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 and achieve carbon emission neutrality by 2050. Second, pass a law prohibiting the construction of offshore wind farms near Kitty Hawk and Bald Head Island that is being pushed by Governor Cooper. It should be noted, that solar and wind farm components are obtained from China while they continue to construct coal burning plants at an alarming rate.

The Republican controlled General Assembly needs to step up to the plate and stop this disastrous program before it is too late. Any candidate for office who does not recognize the danger posed by the Left’s extremist environmental program and is not willing to stand up against it does not deserve our support.

Compromise or Not? 

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D    

Historically, the “spirit of compromise” has been touted as one of the elements of our Republic that has helped it survive for almost 250 years. The question arises as to whether compromise is always the best strategy. Given the circumstances, compromise may allow the country to move forward with each opposing side believe that they achieved some of their objectives but not all.  Knowing when to compromise and when not to is critical. Let’s look at some examples. 

Compromising makes the most sense, when both sides agree on the ultimate goal but disagree how to get there.  A good example was World War II.  Both the United States and Great Britain agreed that Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan both had to be defeated militarily.  Great Britain wanted the United States to focus almost exclusively on defeating Germany first. The United States, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, wanted to defeat Japan first, since in 1941 Japan appeared to be the most immediate threat to our country.  Churchill and Roosevelt came to a compromise which allowed the majority of focus on the war in Europe and a steady war against Japan, but with less resources. Clearly the compromise worked since both Axis powers were eventually defeated. 

Currently, the struggle between preserving our Republic as we have known it is incompatible with the Left’s desire to make this country Socialist.  Make no mistake about it, many if not all on the left, want exactly that.  Since these two forms of government are incompatible, it must be one or the other.  As they just decided in Brazil, socialism does not and never has worked for the people, and they elected a conservative leader to go back to freedom and capitalism.  Either the people retain the power to run their own lives, or we turn governance over to a few elected leaders and the bureaucrats. The outcome of the elections in 2024 will once and for all determine whether we preserve our Republican form of government or not. 

Let’s take another example:  Climate Change.   Short of an all-out war, this issue has the greatest potential to completely destroy our country. We all want a clean environment, but the goal of the Left is to eliminate all fossil fuels without which no modern civilization can survive.   Look what is happening in Europe–their energy costs have sky rocketed and  they have had to re-open coal fired electrical plants.  The Left’s unverified  belief that climate change is caused by mankind and not natural forces is being used to justify their goal of zero carbon emissions while China, India and other countries are not only building more coal fired plants, but are using coal from our country to do it.  Meanwhile, the United States only contributes 13% of carbon emissions worldwide.  Instead of fighting against this, many of our so-called conservative elected officials compromise and go along with outlandishly expensive subsidies for the wind and solar developers and electric vehicles.   Seventeen Republicans voted for Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which was a cover up for billions of dollars in support of so-called green energy programs.  Compromisers! 

Another area is saving our public schools from the socialist indoctrination being advanced by the Left.  Instead of coming out and stopping Critical Race Theory, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and transgender indoctrination, our Boards of Education have shown a strong tendency to compromise instead of prohibiting these things.   

Compromising with evil should never be allowed to happen.  We need to elect candidates that have clear, strong values and beliefs, and are not afraid to stand up and fight for what is right.  It is the only way to save this country. 

Time To Exit The United Nations?  

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D    

The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 right after the end of World War II.  Like the League of Nations formed after World War I, it was hoped that the UN would foster global peace among nations.  It is time to assess whether the UN has achieved that objective and whether our participation in it is beneficial to our country.  There have been many wars since the creation of the UN such as the Korean War, Vietnam War, Israeli Six Day War, Iraq War and currently Russia/Ukraine and the Israel/Hamas conflict.  

One might argue that the presence of the UN has prevented a nuclear World War III, but that would be a stretch to say the least. The threat of mutual destruction has been the controlling factor in preventing nuclear war thus far.  Whether that will continue with the spread of nuclear weapons to China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and inevitably Iran remains to be seen. The existence of the UN does not seem to have prevented nuclear proliferation.   

Is membership in the UN beneficial for the United States? The UN started with 51 countries and now has 189. The majority of these countries are not democratic and their values and principles are not consistent with our constitution.  Worse still, the structure of the UN General Assembly gives every country one vote with the weight of the smallest country (Tuvala, population 12,000) carrying the same impact of the United States.  Currently, the United States pays up to 25% of the UN annual budget of about $4 billion which amounts to $1 billion a year.  Money that could be spent on securing our borders, for example.  

Some other areas of concern are the leftist leaning decisions of the UN.  The World Health Organization arm of the UN mishandled the COVID 19 pandemic and failed to hold China in anyway responsible for the creation and spreading of the manmade virus. The UN’s unwavering support of the climate change extremist’s agenda, such as the Paris Accords, and the war against fossil fuels threatens our country and way of life, while allowing China and India to continue to build coal burning power plants.   Another example, is the UN’s failure to condemn the barbaric atrocities of Hamas for almost two months and their history of condemning Israel at the slightest excuse. They have never condemned Iran, the biggest sponsor of terror in the world.  The latest example is UNESCO’s (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) global wide guidelines that would severely restrict free speech in the media and social platforms. The guidelines require the blocking of any speech that they label as “misinformation.”  Sound familiar?  They also boldly stated that the U.S. Constitution needs to be changed to reflect these new guidelines. 

  It is time to have a serious debate as to whether we want to turn over the governance of our country to some global authority.  Some of the leftists in this country believe we should.  I do not and hope neither do you. With China increasingly controlling the UN by placing members of their communist party in key positions, we must make an honest evaluation of whether the UN has outlived its usefulness. 

What Are They Thinking? 

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The recent expulsion of U.S. Representative (R) George Santos was only the sixth time a person was ever expelled from the House of Representatives. The question is why? Is he the only person in the House that has ever been suspected of questionable integrity? Obviously not! He is also the only one of the six who was expelled without being convicted of a crime. What is particularly troubling, is that over one hundred of his fellow Republicans voted for his expulsion. Would the Democrats ever vote to expel a fellow Democrat? Not only no, but hell no! Proof? Democrat Senator Menendez of New Jersey is accused of far worse, such as taking bribes from foreign countries, and has not been expelled–nor will he be.

So what did George Santos do that was so terrible? We do not know yet, since he has only been charged and not convicted by a court of law. He is accused of misspending campaign funds and lying about his background.   Does not sound that terrible to me. Look how many politicians have become multi-millionaires on a government salary that makes that impossible. Can you say:  Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid? to just name a few.   Another disturbing fact is that the House Ethics Committee that examined his actions did NOT recommend expulsion. Further, the Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson, all voted not to expel.

This is a perfect example of why voters get angry at Republicans who want to play by some “holier than thou” rules rather than focusing on what needs to be done to save this country from a Leftist takeover. The GOP razor thin majority just got thinner. There will be a special election to replace Santos but his district usually votes Democrat.

Not only is this one of the dumbest things Republicans have done, but it sets a dangerous precedent for the future by lowering the bar for expulsion.    What happened to the principle of innocent until proven guilty? The fact that Santos is being charged by Democrat investigators and corrupt DOJ does not seem to bother them.  At the same time, the Republicans voted not to impeach Alexandro Myorkas who is clearly violating his oath of office and threatening the security of our country with his unwillingness to enforce the immigration laws

This is very disappointing to say the least.  I am also disappointed that our Congressman Dr. Greg Murphy voted to expel Santos!

 

Responding to Climate Hoax Advocates

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D  

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I had an opportunity to ask my 12 yr. old granddaughter and 10 yr. old grandson about what they are being taught in public school about the manmade climate change hoax.  As expected, they both reported being told that the earth was warming due to mankind’s burning of fossil fuels and, if not stopped, the earth will become uninhabitable.  This indoctrination was not in the context of a science class teaching students how to evaluate and determine scientific fact, but by random instruction and teacher comments in a variety of classes.    

After giving them an alternative, scientific way to evaluate these false claims, I suggested that they ask teachers a series of questions designed to expose the lack of scientific evidence that man is responsible for climate change.  Here are some of the logical questions I suggested they ask their teachers.  #1.  Has the earth’s climate ever been warmer or colder than it is today?   If so, how many times, to what degree, and how long ago?  True answer: The earth has never been at a constant (i.e. normal) temperature and is always changing.  In fact, evidence shows that the earth has experienced several ice ages/warming cycles all of which occurred before man’s actions could have possibly caused the changes. #2.  What naturally occurring events have caused the earth’s climate to change?   True answer:  Fluctuations in the intensity of the sun, changes in earth’s orbit, volcanic eruptions, alteration in ocean currents, and changing the tilting axis of the earth, are all possible natural causes of climate change, none of which could have be caused by man’s activities. #3.  What scientific proof exists that rising levels of CO2 are causing climate change?  True answer:  Blaming CO2 emissions is based on computer models not on demonstrated scientific proven facts.  Computer models can be programmed to produce whatever result the programmer wants. In fact, the climate change predictions over the past 40 years have not accurately predicted any observable climate variation. In fact, a group of over 1600 global scientists recently concluded that there is no evidence that CO2 emissions are impacting the climate as the climate alarmists would have us believe. #4.  What is the best way for mankind to protect itself from naturally occurring climate fluctuations? True answer:  Air conditioning and heat are what has allowed mankind to live in a variety of climates.  These require abundant and inexpensive energy.  This can only be accomplished by consuming abundant cheap fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy.  Wind and solar can never provide enough energy for all of mankind’s needs if we are to maintain  modern societies.  #5.  What then is driving this war on fossil fuels?  True answer:  People who put ideology above truth, and those (like China) who stand to benefit financially from wind, solar, and electric vehicles.  Follow the Money!!! 

Our children are being indoctrinated and frightened by the climate hoax advocates in our schools and social media.  It is up to us as responsible parents, grandparents and relatives to give our children the facts to fight back. Children should be raised to be logical seekers of truth not mindless robots.  I hope you can use this information to help your children before it is too late to save modern Western Civilization.  Stop scaring our children!  

Fixing Our Schools

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By: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

We are all aware, or should be, that the public school system in N.C. is an expensive failure. The 2022 test results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that 34% of eighth graders failed to meet basic reading skills and 39% failed to meet math skills. This in spite of spending about $10,000 per student per year. We are not getting what we are forced to pay for, and the trend is getting worse.

The recent election placed more Republicans on local Boards of Education. What changes should we expect? Here are my recommendations: (1) Re-focus on basic academic skills such as reading, spelling, writing and math by eliminating other subjects until the fourth grade. No point in teaching social studies, history, geography, etc. until basic skills have been mastered. (2) Remove lap-tops, tablets, etc., and go back to paper and printed material. Children need to learn cursive writing and spelling so they can communicate effectively in English. Electronic learning is distracting and distances teachers from the student’s performance. (3) Eliminate Critical Race Theory, Social Equity Learning and other harmful indoctrinary teaching. (4) Implement strict discipline in the classroom without which learning cannot effectively occur. The ability to remove incorrigible, disruptive children to alternate programs is needed. (5) Establish an independent, interview process that would determine why teachers are leaving. For example, the Craven County school system currently has an estimated 75 teacher vacancies. We must know the reasons why teachers are leaving so that retention can be improved. (6) Start a pilot program of video cameras in classrooms that allows monitoring of the classroom environment and potentially allow parents to observe the educational instruction their children are receiving. (7) Reduce the funds for non-teaching administrative positions by at least 20%. Studies have shown that funding of administrative positions have been increasing substantially more than funding for classroom instructors. (8) Re-introduce programs that recognize and reward academic achievement. The goal should be to encourage every student to maximize their potential not some socialist nonsense of equal outcomes.

You may have noticed that most of these recommendations reflect a return to the traditional methods of educating our children. The truth is that the traditional methods were much more effective than what is being followed now, which accounts for the declining academic performance of our children. The question becomes, “Do local Boards of Education have the wisdom and courage to make bold changes?” We will see.

Of course, support of school choice and vouchers for public, private, charter and homeschools must be the basis for improving education in North Carolina. Parents must be given the authority to choose the educational option that they deem best for their children. Without parental control, no meaningful improvement will occur in the public schools

 

Rescuing Public Education

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Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The recent gains by Republican candidates on the Boards of Education in the local counties represent an opportunity for significant change that must not be squandered The public education system needs a major overhaul. Before any changes are made, a clear and prioritized set of goals must be established. Only then can realistic and specific plans and actions be chosen to meet those goals. What should the goals be? The essential function of education in any society should be the training of children to be productive, self- supporting members who maintain the values and beliefs necessary to maintain that society. Failure to accomplish this will result in the destruction of that society. How do we accomplish this?

First, public schools must prioritize traditional academic skills like reading, writing and math. This can only be accomplished when school administrators and teachers are held responsible and rewarded for improved student achievement. This will require setting specific goals and ensuring that other nontraditional subjects are not taught until the basic skill levels are achieved. This will require allocating instructional time based on the student’s achievement level. The goal of education must return to maximizing each student’s ability–not the goal of equal outcome. Like it or not, human beings are born with differing abilities. That is just the way it is. Societies that are successful, maximize each person’s innate abilities, not demand “equity”(i.e. everyone performing at the same level).

Second, education must teach the values and beliefs that have made that society successful if that society is to continue. That does not mean ignoring things from the past that needed or may still need improvement. No society is perfect, but America has provided greater freedoms and economic opportunity to more people than any other country. The values of the country must be taught and respected. Teachers unwilling to do so must be fired. Indoctrination of non-American values must cease. Allowing Critical Race Theory instruction, transgender instruction, requiring teachers to use pronouns inconsistent with the student’s biological gender, etc. must not be allowed.

Third, a recent report by the Heritage foundation, showed that over the past twenty years, the number of school administrative staff has increased by 87% nationally; while the number of students increased by 8.5% and the number of teachers by 7.6%. Local Boards of Education should review the allocation of resources to make sure that the focus returns to classroom instruction, not a bloated bureaucracy.

Fourth, a large percentage of teachers leave because of disruptive unruly students that are not effectively dealt with by the school administration. Special schools should be established where disruptive students are required to display acceptable behavior. This used to be called “Reform Schools”.

Can these objectives be accomplished? Only time will tell. The entrenched education system will not change without the determination and courage of the Board of Education members. Board of Education members (or their designees) and parents should be allowed to monitor the audio of all classes. There should be nothing to hide.

An Informative Article From A Guest Writer

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The following article is written by Alan Harrop. Alan was born in New York City raised on Long Island.  He has a BA from the State University of New York @Stony Brook, and a MA and Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from N.C. State University. Alan spent four years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He taught at East Carolina University, and was Chief Psychologist and Mental Health Services for the N.C. Department of Correction. He also spent several years in private practice.

Transgender Instruction = Child Abuse

Written by R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The incorporation of transgender instructional material in the schools of this country is a relatively new phenomenon that has nothing to do with traditional academic subjects. As such, it deserves careful examination.

The first question to ask is why and by whom? The Left is noted for introducing issues that are contrary to traditional Western values Transgender instruction threatens the foundation of the traditional family which is the basis for Western civilization and substitutes the values of the state. Those advocating this instruction are either those who want to normalize previously defined abnormal behavior or weaken the authority of parents over their children.

Prior to 2012, the incidence of gender dysphoria (dissatisfaction with one’s biological sex) was about .01% of children. Usually young boys. Seventy percent (70%) of these cases resolved themselves without professional intervention. The effort at that time was to help the child accept their biological sex. Since that time, the number of cases of gender dysphoria has increased by over 1,000% in the U.S. and over 4,000% in the United Kingdom and the vast majority of cases is with teenage girls. Since there is no biological, hormonal, or genetic basis for this change it appears to be due to socialization. This typically occurs in groups manifesting social contagion not individual motivation. Parents may not be informed.

The usual progress is a girl, age 11-13, usually pre-puberty learns about gender being a choice rather than determined at birth. Visiting social media sites, encouragement by friends and accepted by school officials furthers the process. Usually these are girls who are not well socially adjusted, have doubts about their physical attractiveness and are from unstable families. They may be referred by the school to counselors who encourage gender exploration. This may lead to the prescribing of puberty delaying drugs (Lupron) and subsequently to taking hormones that produce secondary sex characteristics. Removal of breasts may occur as the process continues.

Attempting to change to another sex is fraught will difficulties. Hormones prevent normal genital development which is usually permanent. Incidence of depression, anxiety , and self-mutilation is higher for transgenders as is the 20 fold increased incidence of suicide. Not able to lead a normal life they do not have families, raise children or have normal spousal relationships. A teen is not capable of making a decision of this magnitude and in most cases would not even consider it without exposure to school based transgender instruction as well as internet sources.

How to stop this? Parents should be fully informed and required to opt in to any such instruction not just opt out. Better still, state legislatures should pass laws (as in Florida) banning the teaching of transgender material in the public schools.