Tag Archives: R. Alan Harrop

The Case for Homeschools

Posted on by

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

The number of parents choosing to homeschool their children is growing in North Carolina. Recent data reported 162,000 homeschoolers as compared to 128,000 attending private schools. This clearly shows that parents are increasingly looking for an alternative to public schools. Why is this happening?

One of the reasons is the failure of many public schools to adequately educate children in the basic academic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. For example, in Craven County public schools, the average math proficiency (i.e., meeting grade standards) is 38% in math and 47% in reading. When examining specific schools, the reality is even more disturbing. The worst performing schools are as follows: Oaks Road Academy, Math 10-14%, Reading 20-24%; J.T. Barber, Math:20-24%, Reading 25-29%; Roger Bell Academy, Math 24%, Reading 30%; Vanceboro Elementary, Math 26%, Reading 32%; West Craven Middle, Math 19%, Reading 40%; James Smith Elementary, Math 25-29%, Reading 35-39%; Havelock Middle, Math 32%, Reading40%; Ben Quinn Elementary, Math 32%, Reading 41%. (Source of data Public School Review). You get the picture. There was a time when a student who failed to meet expected standards was left back to repeat the grade. Obviously that is no longer the case. This demonstrably poor performance is occurring despite smaller class sizes as shown by a student to teacher ratio of 16 to 1; and a yearly expenditure of $10,944. Per student. Clearly the tax payer is not getting their money’s worth.

Besides this pathetic academic performance, parents are rightfully concerned by the indoctrination of their children in Critical Race Theory, diversity/equity/inclusion (DEI), sexual education, transgenderism, and other leftist ideologies that demean America and foster anti-America attitudes and beliefs. For many, the forced wearing of ineffective masks and shutting down schools during COVID was the last straw.

For some parents, homeschooling provides an effective alternative. It takes a tremendous sacrifice not only in time but financially. In an economy that increasingly requires two incomes, a commitment to homeschooling is a very difficult decision. However, like all things there are many benefits. Having homeschooled our youngest daughter for several years, I found the benefits of controlling her education were very satisfying and rewarding. In addition to the increasing number of academic materials designed for homeschooling, there are also local groups that share the experience. Both can make homeschooling easier.

Parental rights over their children is something the Left tries to undermine. The Left believes they know what is best for children, not the parents. The Republicans in the General Assembly recently confirmed the rights of parents when it comes to education by passing the right to choose legislation over Governor Cooper’s veto. Unfortunately for some unknown reason, they chose to leave homeschools out of the voucher program. This was a serious mistake and needs to be corrected in the next session. Of all groups, parents homeschooling their children need access to the funds that are now going to the public schools. Home schooled children not only achieve at a higher level than public school children, but are much more likely to reflect American values. Vouchers should follow the student. While some homeschooling parents may be concerned about their ability to control what they teach their children if they accept government vouchers, this can be effectively dealt with in the voucher authorizing legislation. Parents would always retain the right to individually decline a voucher since the vouchers would be voluntary. To leave home schoolers out of the voucher system is unfair and may need to be challenged in court.

North Carolina General Assembly Report Card

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

The North Carolina General Assembly recently completed the state budget which usually signals the end of the session. Let’s take a brief look at what was accomplished from a conservative’s viewpoint.

First of all, we must recognize that the Republican party had a very slim (one vote) veto proof majority. Although that fact allowed the over-ride of several of Governor Cooper’s vetoes, it did not put them in a very strong position to advance the most conservative of propositions. Hopefully, if the 2024 elections produce a Republican Governor and continue and hopefully increase their majority, the Republican members should be able to do even more to reverse the leftist policies implemented by the Cooper regime. Elections do have consequences!

It is amazing that a total of 487 bills were passed by the General Assembly this year. If you do not think that our elected officials work hard, think again. You can access these bills on the internet by searching for bills passed in 2023. While the impact of some of these bills varied considerably, some of the positive accomplishments this session include the following: The Parent’s Bill of Rights was passed over the veto of Governor Cooper and provides parents with expanded and well defined rights of access to their child’s academic as well as any health related information retained by a public school. It also allows parents to opt out their child from sex education. Importantly, it also requires the school to notify parents before changing the pronoun used for their child. It also prohibits instructing children about transgender issues and sexual activity from kindergarten through the fourth grade. This bill is a significant step towards reaffirming that parents control what is taught to their children–not teachers or school administrators.

Another bill of consequence, also passed over the veto of Governor Cooper, prohibits gender transition procedures (such as hormone blockers and surgery) for anyone under age 18 except in unusual circumstances and only with the consent of the parent(s). It reinforces the importance of maintaining a person’s sexual identity as established at birth. This bill should protect children from irreversible changes medically done to their bodies before they are able to understand all of the potential ramifications. Medical professionals need to stop promoting the idea of gender fluidity and reinforce the idea that everyone is best served by adapting to their biological birth gender.

In a related area, the General Assembly passed a bill, again over Governor Cooper’s veto, that requires participants in public school and university sports to do so based on their biological gender at birth. This controversy was started by the Left and had an extreme adverse impact on not only the achievement of women in the sport activity, but the demeaning exposure to males in female locker rooms. How anyone with any sense of justice and moral conscience could have supported this aberration is indicative of how far the Left will take our society if we let them.

Parental school choice was also addressed when a bill to expand the existing school scholarship program was passed, again over the Governor’s veto. Income requirements were removed, and specific amounts for vouchers were added to the existing program, allowing funds to be used for private and charter schools. This greatly expanded the availability of funds for parents. This again was passed over the veto of the governor.

These bills represent just some of the advances of the conservative principles that should be guiding the state of North Carolina. There were many other bills including an end to local pistol purchasing requirements. Background checks will still be required.

There were some disappointments, primarily the expansion of Medicaid which was contrary to conservative principles and furthered the socialist agenda of making people dependent on big government. Hopefully, in the next session adding homeschools to the parental choice bill and returning to single day voting in person will be addressed. There are more homeschoolers (162,000) than private school students (128,000) yet they get no support. There is too much reliance on absentee voting which continues to be subject to fraud.

Climate Indoctrination

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

All totalitarian governments have relied on the indoctrination of children to stay in power. This was true in Nazi Germany, Stalin’s Russia, and Mao Tse Tung’s communist China. Alarmingly, we see the same strategy occurring in this country. What is the primary tool being used today to indoctrinate our children into compliance with government dictates? Climate change. Indoctrination is best accomplished by allowing discussion of only one side of an issue and using emotions such as fear. I think we would all agree that mankind functions best when engaging in calm, rational thought and debate. That is the basis of all valid science and sound decisions based on verified facts and not pretend or pseudo-science.

Now, ask yourself one question: Are we engaging in rational scientific enquiry about climate change in our public schools? The answer is a definite No! If you ask any child attending a public school what is the major issue facing mankind today, you will get one answer: manmade climate change caused by CO2 emissions. If you watched the Republican candidate’s debate, you would have observed one of the moderators present a question posed by a youth which was essentially that the primary concern of the youth in this country is climate change. Fortunately, at least one of the candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy, was willing to come out and say that manmade climate change is a hoax. Good for him!

I have also labelled the so-called climate crisis as a “hoax” in previous articles. Importantly, the Epoch Times, in a recently published article summarized a declaration by 1,609 international scientists (including two Nobel prize winners) stating that: “There is no climate emergency and that climate science should be less political and more scientific and that politicians should dispassionately count the real costs as well as the imagined benefits of their policy measures”. They go on to say, that not only is CO2 not a pollutant but it actually enriches the atmosphere and is beneficial; essential to all life on earth; and boosts the yield of crops! You will never hear that from the fake media.

Back to indoctrinating children. The Left is using the climate change hoax because children are easily persuaded into thinking the government experts know what is best. If a child does not answer the questions on an exam about climate change in the correct way, they fail the test. Public schools must be made to stop this indoctrination. Here’s how: since most of the administrators and teachers themselves believe in manmade climate change, the only option is for the elected local Boards of Education to do the right thing and stop this. The following needs to be done: a) manmade climate change is merely an unproven theory, and the other side of the debate that climate change is naturally occurring must be taught; b) stop scaring children by claiming that climate change is a threat to their existence; c) limit climate change discussions to science classes and stop introducing this topic to lower grades that are not part of a science debate.

It is past time that we fight back against the indoctrination of our children.

 

Protection from Climate Change

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

As usual the leftist Democrats are taking action that is destructive to our country. They are apparently incapable of building or advancing civilization and prefer to destroy what has made our country great and the envy of the rest of the world. Open borders, indicting a former president, and destructive ways of dealing with climate change are what they are about. Let’s look at what a constructive plan for climate change should look like.

As I have written in prior article, there is no scientific evidence proving that climate change is being caused by mankind. There is absolutely no cause for the alarmist scare tactics they are using. They rely on computer model predictions that have been over-predicting climate disasters for years. Actually, due to the global economic progress resulting from industrialization, the number of people worldwide who died as a result of climate catastrophes dropped from 500,000 in 1900 to 11,000 in 2022. This dramatic improvement due to man’s ingenuity is totally ignored by the Left. They refuse to acknowledge the benefits of industrialization made possible by cheap abundant energy from fossil fuels, increased food production, longer life spans, and increases of standards of living worldwide.

The Left are always destroyers and never builders. This is very clear in their approach to dealing with climate change. Now it is absolutely true that the climate is always and has always changed. This is demonstrated by the eight documented ice ages/warming cycles the earth has experienced, none of which could have been caused by man’s actions. Rather, these changes were caused by natural factors. Historically, it is clear that man’s ingenuity and creativity have resulted in protecting us from temperature fluctuations. Critically, the ability to deal with climate changes requires access to plentiful and inexpensive energy sources which the Left desperately wants to curtail. The Biden regime has canceled pipelines, stopped drilling and made us dependent on other countries. Instead they push solar and wind sources which will never be able to meet the needs of modern society and present their own environmental risks such as dead birds, whales and mining for rare earth minerals. Instead of inexpensive energy to heat and cool our homes and work places, they want us to pay more for energy and to drive electric vehicles that are not only expensive but have limited utility for the average family. Meanwhile we become more dependent on our adversary, China that provides 90% of solar panels and wind turbines. THIS IS SOCIATAL SUICIDE!!! How do they get away with this? FEAR. They constantly bombard the American public with predictions of climate disasters and blame any negative climate event on climate change. They also label anyone who questions their conclusions as “climate deniers” and try to shut us down.

We must fight back and encourage creative ingenuity to solve whatever nature sends our way. We need more nuclear power which the Left always blocks as well as using all available fossil fuel so we can return to energy independence that was last achieved by the Trump administration. The emissions from coal plants in this country have been reduced dramatically by innovation. We need to stop all the tax incentives and subsidies for solar and wind. Encouraging innovation is the best way to deal with climate change not retreating to a primitive way of living.

Impeach Biden Now!!!

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The impeachment of Joe Biden is under serious consideration by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. This is long overdue. Never in my lifetime, have I witnessed any president act in so many ways that are destructive to our country. I believe history will judge Biden as our worst president. The question that remains is whether the Republican leadership has the political will to proceed with impeachment. House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, has made statements recently that an impeachment investigation should proceed. Senate minority leader, RINO Mitch McConnell has voiced opposition. Not surprising since McConnell is a lifelong career politician whose net worth is estimated at $35 million. Does he also have something to hide? Good question.

There are several reasons why impeachment of Joe Biden is overdue. First, the overwhelming information gathered by the Republican chaired oversight committees that Biden participated, and most likely coordinated, the influence peddling scheme with his son Hunter. Bank records show that the Biden family received over $20 million over several years and the only thing they gave in return was access to the Biden when he was vice president and now as president. It is a federal crime to receive money from foreign governments without registering as a foreign agent. Biden, when he was vice president, even bragged about forcing Ukraine to fire their head prosecutor who was investigating corruption, including Hunter. The corrupt Department of Justice (DOJ), under Biden, has stonewalled the investigation and delayed the investigation of Hunter until the statute of limitations expired. It should be noted that this influence peddling scheme involved countries which are considered unfriendly, if not downright hostile, to the United States.

The second reason for impeachment is Biden’s failure to enforce the immigration laws of this country as required by his oath of office. The Executive branch of government is required by the Constitution to enforce the federal laws of our country. The wide open borders he is allowing threaten to destroy our country. He must be held accountable or the oath of office requiring all presidents to enforce established law becomes meaningless.

Third, the Biden regime has abused the role of the DOJ and FBI in ways that are unheard of in our country and more indicative of what occurs in dictatorships. The indictments of President Trump are not only unprecedented; they threaten the integrity of our political system. Biden is using these agencies to remove a political rival similar to what has been a common practice in so called “banana republics”. This cannot be allowed to stand. Biden’s regime has also used social media to curtail our freedom of speech as guaranteed in the First Amendment. A glaring example, is the blocking of access to the information about Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop which clearly interfered with the re-election of Donald Trump. If we fail to take immediate, corrective action on these matters, then the corrupt Biden regime will have won, and our ability to validly select presidents in this country will be over. This cannot be allowed to happen.

Remember how readily the leftist Democrats initiated two bogus impeachment actions against President Trump? We conservatives must be willing to fight fire with fire. This is not the time to take the high road. The left must be dealt a severe defeat in their effort to change our country or they will only be emboldened to try ever increasingly destructive ways to win elections. We are at the proverbial Rubicon and must have the courage to take definitive action to defend the integrity of our Constitution. What can we do? Contact our Senators and Representatives and tell them we want Biden impeached NOW!!!

Normalizing Deviancy

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Traditionally, “deviant” behavior referred to activity that was abnormal,  meaning not consistent with natural behavior of human beings. Consequently, the standard to which behavior was judged was what nature intended. Of course, the Left never accepts tradition–that would be too conservative and interfere with their goal to destroy Western civilization as we have known it. Not only do they seek to normalize deviance or the abnormal, but they want us to go along with these perversions and for us to accept them and in many cases celebrate them like for example, Gay Pride Month.

First it was homosexual behavior, which using the definition above is deviant, unnatural behavior. Natural sex is intended by nature for the procreation of the species. In the natural world, animals do not mate with members of their own sex. Seems like a simple idea, except for the Left, which of course want us to see homosexual behavior as acceptable to the point where we now have homosexual marriage. Unfortunately, this diminishes the integrity of marriage as a bond between a man and woman in order to have and raise children. Not too long ago, homosexual behavior was considered a form of mental illness deserving treatment.

Now the Left is pushing the acceptance of transgenderism as a free choice, non-deviant activity and not as a form of mental illness that needs treatment. In fact, treatment professionals who advocate and practice reversing gender dysphoria and encouraging maintaining one’s gender at birth are often penalized and ostracized by their leftist colleagues. This in spite of the clear evidence that transgender persons are much more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression and are twenty times more likely to commit suicide than the regular population. In places like California, parents who refuse to go along with trans-gendering their children are subject to being charged with child abuse.

The latest effort by the Left to normalized deviancy is occurring in respect to adults having sex with children. As a clinical psychologist, employed by the N.C. Department of Correction I had the opportunity to evaluate many sex offenders who were pedophiles. Most of them saw nothing wrong in what they had done. The Left now wants us to stop using the term pedophile with its deserved negative connotations and start using their term: Minor Attracted Person or MAP in their attempt to de-stigmatize sex with children. Obviously, they want the rest of us to accept pedophilia as just another of the many choices a person can make and not a deviancy.

We need to recognize that all deviant groups use “grooming” to prepare their victims to accept and participate in their perversions. Transgender story hours in libraries, liberal sex education in schools, social media, and allowing deviants in leadership positions are all part of the process of getting us to go along with this effort to undermine key elements of our Judeo/Christian heritage. The Left wants us to accept the principle that each person decides for themselves what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior–not society’s standards of behavior.

No society has long existed without clear standards and rules for conduct. We cannot allow the Left to impose their non-standards on America. The fate of our children and grandchildren are at stake. We must not accept the Left’s efforts to normalize deviancy.

Training the Sheep

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Freedom is not a permanent state in any society. It is better visualized as something that has to be nurtured and defended constantly if it is to survive. The Founding Fathers recognized this truism. For example, Benjamin Franklin when asked what type of government had been created by the newly written Constitution, he replied: “A constitutional Republic if you can keep it.” Sadly, recent actions by the Biden regime raise the question of whether we are going to show the courage to fight for freedom or act like sheep.

The expansion of the welfare state and people’s willingness to be on the government dole, which would have been rejected by prior generations, shows that many Americans do not treasure their independence as much as we once did. All government handouts come with strings attached that limit our freedoms. Federal government funds provided for Medicaid expansion recently moved many states, including unfortunately North Carolina, to accept increased government control of our healthcare.

The use of fear by the Biden regime resulted in many people caving to the curtailment of their freedoms during the COVID outbreak. Similarly, they are using the fear of catastrophic climate change to get people to accept restricted freedom and a reduction in their standard of living. For example, recently proposed, impossible to achieve, restrictions on emissions from internal combustion engines will effectively result in only the production of electric vehicles by 2032. Freedom of choice is eliminated when the government allows only one option. That is also the case with gas stoves and other household appliances. The regulatory agencies are increasingly the way the Biden regime is controlling our lives and curtailing our freedoms.

Freedom of speech is the basis of all our freedoms. As the revelations made by the Republican controlled House have shown, the Biden regime, with the assistance of the FBI and the DOJ, colluded with platforms like Facebook and Twitter to interfere and block our freedom of speech. Questioning vaccines or man-made climate change were enough to get one blocked on these internet sites. Now, they have gone so far as to charge former president Trump with multiple criminal offenses because he dared to express his opinion that the 2020 election results were fraudulently obtained. Say something the Biden regime disagrees with and you are blocked on social media, or now, potentially indicted for a crime! If it can happen to an ex-president it can happen to all of us.

The youth of this country are being indoctrinated with the Marxist agenda. Make no mistake about it. This not only occurs at all grade levels in our public schools but also in our public libraries. Recently, I was in the public library in Boone, N.C., and observed a group of children on a scavenger hunt. The theme was the coming man-made climate catastrophe. The library staff conducted this program. No balanced information was given about the evidence that climate change is continuous and is caused by natural phenomena. Of course not!

Although the young people in our country seem oblivious to their loss of freedoms, we older people know better and must step up to fight against the Biden regime. Contact your elected officials and tell them you want the regulatory excesses stopped and the agencies that promote them de-funded. We must show them we are wolves not sheep!

Protection From Climate Variations

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

As I wrote in prior articles, the evidence that man’s use of fossil fuels is the cause of climate change/variations is very weak to non-existent. The climate has always varied due to natural causes unrelated to man’s activities. Given these facts, the question becomes how can mankind continue to protect itself from these naturally occurring climate variations? Let’s examine some options.

Can mankind protect itself from climate impacts? Absolutely. Thanks to fossil fuels we have already been doing so. For instance, in 1920 it is estimated that over 500,000 people died worldwide from negative climate impacts. By 2020, that total was reduced to 11,000. Amazing what human innovation can accomplish when given free rein! Nature is indifferent to the survival of mankind and presents many threats to our existence such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, viruses, bacteria, etc. besides climate variations. The Marxist climate extremists, so-called “greenies”, would have us believe that nature is benign and not a threat to mankind’s survival. All we have to do us “commune” with nature and all will be well. How naive! It is though they believe that all man-made things are bad and that naturally occurring things are good. The truth is that mankind’s survival and success in prospering is due to our ability to over-come the threats presented by the natural world.

Let me give you a personal example. For several years, I lived on a small farm that had several apple trees. Never having lived on a farm, l thought that in the Fall the trees would be loaded with nice juicy apples. In reality, each Summer, hordes of beetles would descend on the trees and practically denude them of foliage. Diseases also appeared as well as worms that marred the apples. Without modern insecticides and disease protection apple production as we know it would not occur. Without machines powered by fossil fuels, and fertilizers, overall global food production could not meet the needs of the global population

Overcoming the harsh realities of nature, requires abundant and inexpensive energy sources and allowing the human mind to continue to innovate ways to protect us from the ravages of nature. Of course we want to do so at minimum negative impact on the environment which we have been doing with considerable success. For example, coal fired electrical plants in the United States now emit considerably less noxious emissions than in the past.

All energy production has risks as well as benefits. For example, the wind turbines that the greenies adore destroy thousands of birds, and now we are seeing the killing of endangered whales and other marine life. The increased life span of humans, dramatic decrease in infant mortality, malnutrition, etc. are due to industrialization based on fossil fuels. We need to ensure that we have access to air-conditioning and heat to protect us from climate temperature variations. Solar and wind power can never do this. Nor will the eating of bugs and creation of laboratory produced meat feed the global population.

We must stop the environmental extremists and those profiting from government programs and tax incentives from destroying the fossil fuel industry if we are to save our civilization. We must tell our elected officials that the move to green energy must be stopped before it is too late.

Weaponizing Climate Change

Posted on by

Author: R.Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

A rational discussion of climate variation should be acceptable to everyone. Question: Do Marxist climate extremists want a rational discussion and investigation? Obviously not. They are increasingly using climate change as a weapon to further their radical Marxist ideologies. Let’s see how they are doing this.

First of all, they are acting more like cultists than objective, rational investigators. Cults are based on emotional commitments that exclude others who do not share their beliefs. Labeling people who question their beliefs that climate warming is caused by man-made use of fossil fuels rather than natural causes as “climate change deniers” does not foster rational inquiry and debate.

Second, as a recent book by Jeremy Williams shows, they are now claiming that climate change is racist and an example of white supremacy. He claims that Blacks and other minorities suffer disproportionately from the negative impacts of man-made climate change. Since the United States, Canada and Australia, use much more electricity per person, than say, African countries like Madagascar it must be due to racism. Also, since many polluting factories are located in communities with a higher concentration of Blacks; this is more evidence of white privilege.

Third, the Marxists are good at re-inventing the meaning of words to further their agenda. Jeremy Williams claims that climate change is actually a form of violence perpetrated on Black people. He equates it with alleged police brutality using George Floyd’s death as a parallel. All this is intended, of course, to justify the actions of groups like Black Lives Matter and give them another reason (i.e. climate change) to strike out towards Whites.

Clearly, the climate extremists are using these tactics to attack Western civilization, industrialism, and capitalism. Their solution is a typical Marxist one: more extensive government control of our lives– including what we eat, where we live, where we travel, etc. They are very pleased with the Biden regime not only greatly expanding tax money spent on solar/wind energy, blocking pipelines and drilling, and encouraging Federal agencies to implement restrictive regulations against gas stoves, reasonably priced home appliances, and gas vehicle emissions. All of these actions will increase the cost of living for all Americans, especially the middle class.

This Marxist attack on Western Civilization must be stopped if we are to survive as a nation. China is applauding our caving in to the destruction of our own country by these Marxist extremists while they build a new coal powered plant on average of one per week!

 

Preserving The Family

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

The building blocks of all successful civilizations has always been the nuclear family. This is especially the case in Western Civilization, which has given the world the highest standard of living, the longest life spans, and greatest freedom to pursue happiness. The support and bonding within the family structure gives individuals the support to peruse life’s challenges. Dependence on government handouts is not necessary.

Centralized, authoritarian governments following Marxist principles cannot succeed without diminishing the role of the family in people’s lives. Strong, intact families do not need Marxism. Let’s take a look at how the family is doing in today’s America. The basis of the family is obviously the existence of intact marriages between a man and a woman. In 1950, men married on average at 23 years of age; today the average age is 31 years; women married in 1950 at an average age of 20 now it is 29. In 1960, 72% of the population were married, today it is 51%. The percentage of young adults (18-24 years old) still living with their parents in 1960 was 29%, today it is 58%. There are many other statistics that show a similar trend, but you get the point.

The first question we need to ask is what cultural shifts are causing this diminishing of marriage and family. One of the most obvious is the erosion of the moral standard prohibiting sexual intercourse until married. The biological drive for sexual activity, especially in men, has always been the prime motivation for a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. The need for intimacy, love, and companionship with another person are also essential motivators for marriage. The sexual revolution, begun in the 1960’s, began to dramatically change this. Today, premarital sex is not only freely engaged in, but by many, Is considered a pre-requisite to ensuring compatibility if one chooses to marry. Living together prior to marriage which seems to be the usual practice today, was strongly disapproved in the past. Why should a man pay for candy when he can get it for free?

The feminist movement has also had a profound impact on marriage and family. Women are being told that the traditional role of a woman as a wife, mother, and housekeeper are demeaning and will not bring the happiness and satisfaction of a career, independence, and professional status. Those women who accept this belief, view marriage as a loss of freedom and independence that would diminish their self-worth. They cannot accept the idea that they would place themselves in a position where they are dependent to any degree on the economic support of a husband. Many young men of today reject that they would be the primary “bread winner” and the main support of their spouse and family.

The result of all this has been an increase in children born out of wedlock from 5% in 1960 to almost 50% today. (To be continued in my next article).

 

Climate Hoax III

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In one of my recent articles on this topic, I mentioned that the environmental extremists (Greenies) believe the earth has an “ideal” or “normal” temperature and that deviations are not only dangerous but are being caused by the actions of man. Let’s examine the actual facts about climate temperature.

According to the University of Utah Geological group, there have been at least five detectable ice ages (an accompanying warm periods) over the last 2.5 billion years. The last one occurred over 20,000 years ago and we have been in a warming period ever since. At the peak of the last ice age, the ice over New York City is estimated to have been two miles thick. The global cooling during these ice age cycles was up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit colder than today’s average temperature. During the interim warming periods the global temperature was up to 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today. I suppose the cavemen were burning too much fossil fuels. So much for the idea that the earth has a fixed ideal temperature.

The existence of these cooling and warming periods was determined by core samples from the Antarctic ice cap and the ocean floor. Were man-made CO2 emissions the cause of these climate changes? No way Jose. Rather, it is hypothesized that these dramatic temperature changes were caused by natural processes such as (1) continental drift, (2) changes in the earth’s orbit around the sun, or (3) a tilting of the earth’s orientation from the vertical, or other unknown factors.

A more recent major global temperature change took place between 1300 and 1850 AD when the average global temperature dropped by as much as 4 degrees Fahrenheit particularly in Europe and North America. This resulted in crop failures and many deaths due to the extreme cold. Note that the Vikings discovered and colonized Greenland about 1000 AD and were able to grow crops and raise animals where now there are glaciers. There was a reason they called it “Greenland”! Note that these temperature changes occurred well before the Industrial Age and consequently before any significant burning of fossil fuels.

It should be obvious to any rational person (this necessarily excludes Greenies) that there are forces controlling earth’s climate that are outside the control of mankind. Of course, if you dislike modern civilization then it is easy to blame all the bad things on mankind. Just an example of how these people think, I was recently reviewing a website for a so-called heritage farm showing how people lived in the early 1800s. Pictures showed plowing and harvesting by mule power, water drawn by hand from wells and streams, and food cooked over wood fires. One of the reviewers made the statement: … “this is how God wants us to live”. Of course, the person making this absurd comment is living with all the modern conveniences that our advanced civilization provides. This person has no actual idea of the difficulties of life in the 1800’s. Probably never did any exhaustive physical labor or had to worry about where the next meal was coming form.

The solution to the irrational thinking of the Greenies would be to place them on an island where they would have to actually live with primitive nature. They would change their tune soon enough.

The unfortunate part of all this, is that some of our elected representatives are going along with these extremists and thereby contributing to the destruction of our modern civilization.

 

Climate Hoax II

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a previous article, I detailed some of the motivation behind the environmental extremists (Greenies) belief that mankind is facing an environmental catastrophe if we continue to use fossil fuels.

The factor the Greenies use to justify their position is CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Let’s take a look at whether CO2 levels are the threat they allege.

First of all, CO2 represents an extremely small percentage of the atmosphere at only .04%. Yet, somehow, the Greenies believe that any increase will be catastrophic and we must achieve carbon neutrality or we are doomed. They do this by alleging a so-called “greenhouse effect” caused by CO2 resulting in excessive warming of the earth. The reality of this pure speculation is that even in laboratory studies, the amount of warming from increasing CO2 levels diminishes as the concentration of CO2 is increased. Assuming this holds true in the real work, increasing CCO2 is not the existential threat the Greenies would have you believe.

Another major factor they do not report is that CO2 itself acts as a plant fertilizer. Meaning that, the greater the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere the faster plants grow thereby removing CO2. This balancing effect may account for evidence that plant life is expanding across the earth. In fact, studies have shown that increasing the CO2 pumped into an enclosed greenhouse greatly accelerates plant growth!

It is important to remember that all the predictions of catastrophic global warming are based on computer modeling–not actual real life observations. Some of the computer model predictions were made over thirty years ago. Let’s see how well the predictions have held up. Professor John Christy, of the University of Alabama, summarized graphically how accurate CO2 climate models were able to predict actual global temperature. He found that all of the computer models over-predicted the actual global temperature change; some by extreme amounts. Do you every hear these facts reported in the media? Of course all we hear is a steady diet of fear mongering by the likes of John Kerry about how we have only a few years to achieve carbon emission neutrality or we are all going to die. He makes these statements, of course, as he is jetting around the work in his private plane! Good for me, not for thee.

What is shocking is how many government leaders are buying into this nonsense. Ireland, for example, is considering killing 200,000 cows because they give off too much CO2. Since humans also exhale CO2, perhaps we will be next.

As we are finding out with many government agencies, the truth is increasingly withheld from the public. If you question the government’s propaganda you are labelled a “climate denier”. What we need is more transparency about the truth. If we do not get it, we will indeed be living in the work in George Orwell’s novel “1984” and destroying our civilization.

 

Climate Hoax I

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Make no mistake about it, we are in a struggle against the environmental extremists (Greenies) to save our way of life. Since the leftist Biden regime has taken over, the Greenies have had their way. The frustrating aspect has been the number of elected officials who are going along with these destructive policies, regulations, and spending on green energy projects. Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis and other Rinos are voting for the destruction of our country. Why? Because no modern civilization can possibly exist without inexpensive and abundant energy that currently is only available from fossil fuels.

Do these elected officials actually believe the propaganda from the Greenies about the catastrophic impact of the continued use of fossil fuels, or are there other reasons that explain why they are going along? The intent of this article is to provide information about the climate that refutes the Greenies positions and predictions. All of us should accept the responsibility to be informed about the actual facts about climate so we can be sure of our beliefs, and also, importantly, be in a strong position to debate others who have been indoctrinated about the climate hoax.

The entire foundation of the climate hoax, rests on the assumption that there is a “normal” or “ideal” temperature of the earth. Similar to the actual fact that mammals have a normal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If the assumption of a normal earth temperature is incorrect, then the whole basis of the Greenies argument collapses. Let’s take a look at this.

Attempts to “take the temperature” of the earth have only be occurring for the past fifty years or so. It is done by direct measurement from land locations, ships at sea, buoys, and recently, satellites. No one knows precisely what the temperature of the earth was 100 years ago much less thousands of years ago. The measurement of temperature at land locations frequently differ from other data by significant amounts. Which are to be believed?

Another fact that impacts temperature measurements is urban vs rural areas. Cities are notorious for holding the heat of the sun. Buildings, streets, parking lots and highways must be adding to the overall temperature of the earth as compared to plants and foliage in rural areas. We never hear this discussed; it is always the fault of fossil fuels.

The Greenies also always assume that the earth getting warmer is a terrible thing. Actually, the earth getting colder would be much more catastrophic for mankind as the so-called Little Ice Age proved in the Middle Ages when millions of people died of starvation and cold temperatures.

There is an old saying, “Follow the money” which needs to be considered in the context of the climate hoax. For example, Governor Cooper issued an executive order that North Carolina achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2035. Recently, it was reported that he and his brother purchased and are building a five-thousand acre solar farm here in North Carolina. Co-incidence? You decide.

More on this topic in future articles. Stay tuned.

Doctor of Death Part II

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a previous article, I summarized the actions taken by various federal health agencies in general and Dr. Anthony Fauci in particular, that resulted in the United States having one of the highest, if not the highest, death rates from the China virus (COVID19). Those actions included: discouraging, and in many cases preventing the prescribing low risk, effective treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, as well as shutting down schools, small businesses, quarantining the non-infected, and mandating the wearing of ineffective masks.

A case can be made as is done by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his book The Real Anthony Fauci, that Dr. Fauci’s long standing relationship with Big Pharma influenced the erroneous decisions he made that actually made the pandemic worse and most likely resulted in many unnecessary deaths. Clearly, Big Pharma made billions of dollars on an unproven, experimental vaccine with the aid of federal agencies with the assistance of Dr. Fauci. I want to address the question of how the vaccine was misused and foisted on a gullible public who had faith in government recommendations. That faith resulted in serious and sometimes fatal consequences.

First of all, it is important to realize that COVID19 is a form of coronavirus and that no effective vaccine had ever been developed that effectively stopped the spread of a coronavirus. The reason in large measure is the fact that a coronavirus mutates into other forms very rapidly. A vaccine developed to block one form of a coronavirus is unlikely to have a protective effect on a mutated form of that virus. This is exactly what happened with the COVID19 vaccine that requires multiple boosters. This is a great money making deal for the drug companies, but not good for the public who were led to believe that the vaccine would provide reliable protection and stop the pandemic–neither of which happened.

Inaccurate reporting of trial results, known by Dr. Fauci, also took place. For example, in the initial trial of the vaccine, 20 people in the vaccinated group died of “all causes” whereas 14 died in the control group that did not receive the vaccine. The vaccinated also experienced four times the number of lethal heart attacks. Very devastating results which were hidden from the public. Several countries that vaccinated the highest percentages of their populations experienced an increase in COVID19 cases instead of an expected decrease.

So here we have it. An unproven, apparently ineffective, and in some cases dangerous vaccine was pushed on people of all ages including younger adults who had a very low risk of serious illness by the federal health agencies and Dr. Fauci. Of course, social media and the media supported this effort and in many cases would shut down anyone who attempted to question the vaccine’s effectiveness. No wonder people’s trust in federal health agencies is at an all-time low. Deservedly so.

The question that needs answering is whether anyone will be held accountable? Will Dr. Fauci be made to answer for his actions that apparently made the pandemic worse? I believe a thorough investigation needs to be made and those at fault punished appropriately. Given how the “deep state” operates, don’t hold your breath.

 

Doctor of Death?

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a recent article, I explained the reason blind reliance on so-called “experts” can not only be misleading but downright dangerous. Now that the China virus (Covid 19) pandemic has been declared to be over, it is time for an objective appraisal of how the pandemic was handled in this country. Since this may not be the only pandemic we have to face in our lifetimes, an assessment of what was done right and how we failed is critical to managing future pandemics successfully.

First of all, we have to commit ourselves to examining the truth ourselves and not rely on government agencies. Some facts are startling: the United States had one of the highest mortality rates as of October 2021 of 2,107 deaths per one million population; by comparison Germany had 1,126; Denmark 455; India 327; and Kenya 97. There must be a reason for these extreme variations. The purpose of this article is to suggest some possibilities and see where they lead. Remember one key fact, Dr. Anthony Fauci was the primary leader of our inadequate response to the pandemic.

Early on in the pandemic there was a denial from Fauci that the virus originated in the Wuhan lab in China. The evidence at time I am writing this article, is the direct opposite. Not only was he wrong but he had a vested interest in denying that the Wuhan lab was the source because the agency he ran had provided over $800,000 to that lab between 2014 and 2020; much of it in support of the absurd effort to alter a virus that did not affect humans into a deadly threat to mankind. I would deny it too!

Another decision he made was to oppose the use of two safe and potentially helpful medications namely Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin which could have been used as preventatives as was done in several other countries that experienced much lower fatality rates. Instead, he recommended quarantines, mask mandates, social distancing, and a shutdown of most of the economy in order to achieve what he called “herd immunity”. He stated that he was “science” and implied he should not be questioned which unfortunately most people went along with. He supported, (along with Bill Gates) the idea that the new, untested vaccine was the only hope to control the pandemic. Even going so far as to not only mandate the vaccine for older people, but for children who in reality had a very small to insignificant risk of serious complications from the virus. He also championed Remdesivir which could only be given in a hospital setting since it has to be administered intravenously. Subsequent studies have shown that this drug was ineffective. Fauci had a long history of working with the large drug companies by funding their research and advocating their drugs. The cost of a full course remdesivir was about $7,000; whereas hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin cost about $50 and could be administered on an outpatient basis. Follow the money!

It has been standard practice for years that physicians were able to prescribe medications for off-label diseases since the safety of the medication had been demonstrated. It was a decision between the doctor and patient. Fauci and other “experts” had this stopped for hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. I had a personal experience with this. Early in the pandemic, I asked my personal physician for a prescription for ivermectin which he readily gave me. Three months later I went for a renewal and was told he was unable to do so based on federal policy. One can speculate that since President Trump advocated these two drugs whether Fauci and other members of the deep state were even more opposed. Who knows?

More to come in a future article.

 

Power Evolution

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

An examination of the history of mankind’s standard of living shows very little to any significant progress for thousands of years until the industrial revolution. Man’s living circumstances were basically subsistence level from the earliest recorded history about 3000 BC to about the mid 1600’s AD. Subsistence farming by human work force labor and animals was barely able to prevent starvation for the majority of mankind. Housing, frequently shared with livestock, barely prevented death from extreme cold and heat. Unpredictable droughts, plant disease and insect invasions made life very tenuous at best.

Now, let’s examine what happened with the advent of steam power. Human production was always limited by the physical power of humans and afterwards that of domesticated animals. Animal-powered machines such as threshers, plows, and harvesters added significantly to human production. These primitive machines substantially increased production, which in turn led to less expensive products which raised mankind’s standard of living. An exponential improvement was the development of steam power as a replacement for human and animal power. Steam power is not subject to fatigue or to limits of magnitude. It was also applicable to a wide range of uses from clothing product, food processing and transportation. Steam power was the foundation of the Industrial Revolution, allowing the development of machines whose productive capacity far exceeded human labor capabilities.

In the late 1800’s, the genius of men like Thomas Edison, built on earlier experiments by Benjamin Franklin and others, created the ability not only to generate electricity but to modify and alter it to serve the needs of expanding manufacturing. There was quite a dispute early on over DC (direct current) advocated by Thomas Edison or AC (alternating current) advocated by Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse. The competition was fierce and eventually AC was shown to be more practical; primarily because the use of transformers could boost the voltage, allowing longer and more efficient transmission lines. The impact on the standard of living was dramatic, since now power could be provided at manufacturing sites throughout the country and no longer required close proximity to steam generators. The application of electricity to power manufacturing plants, combined with the invention of radio, television as well as electric lighting and air conditioning transformed the lives of mankind in unimaginable ways. This technical advancement continues today.

Although there are alternate ways of generating electricity such as water power, nuclear, and wind and solar, modern civilization cannot exist without fossil fuels. Why didn’t humans turn to wind and solar to power the industrial revolution? There were attempts to use wind power in places like Holland primarily to power pumps to keep back the sea level and prevent flooding. A civilization dependent on electricity requires a dependable and always available generating power source. Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are the most readily available and dependable.

One thing that should not be overlooked is the importance of protecting the elaborate power grid that maintains our survival. Author Gary Timco, has frequently written about this necessity in his articles in The County Compass newspaper. We must protect the power that allows us to survive and live a modern life. Let’s not be led into some childish fantasy by the environmental extremists who would have us believe we can maintain our civilization on wind and solar. We are being led to destruction by the Pied Piper.

On July 18th, Gary Timco will be speaking at Stanly Hall Ballroom in New Bern, North Carolina at 7 pm. He will be sharing some of his thoughts on how to protect America’s power grid.

 

Reparations: Death Knell To The Republic

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

A very wise political historian once stated that: “Democracies (and Republics) can exist only until the people with power, realize that they can obtain money from other taxpayers through legislation.” Abraham Lincoln once declared that if America is to be destroyed it would not be by a foreign enemy but rather from within. Well, we are facing both these circumstances in the form of the growing movement towards reparations for slavery to black Americans for the injustice of slavery and subsequent discrimination.

Certainly, no one can deny that slavery in this country was an abomination. It was a common practice in almost all countries at one time or other but that does not mean it was not evil. The question becomes when does a country redeem itself from the guilt of slavery? The Civil War, fought essentially by white soldiers, eliminated slavery and did so at the very high price of 600,000 deaths–far more than we lost in any other war. Admittedly, the war did not end the difficulties for black Americans. Progress over the years however is undeniable as shown by the two time election of a black president. True racial harmony can only be obtained when all Americans are given equal opportunity to succeed regardless of their skin color.

The increasing call for reparations not only threatens to reverse the progress that has been made, but will destroy the fabric of our nation by going backwards and using skin color as the basis for so-called justice. This is happening in several cities and a couple of states that have enacted or are considering setting up task forces to develop programs for reparations. These include the usual suspects: California, New York State, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc. It is estimated that the cost of the proposed reparations in California alone would total nearly $800 billion at the rate of $1.2 million per recipient. Some of the advocates of reparations are not satisfied with individual states and cities enacting reparations legislation, but want federal reparation laws since the federal budget currently has no limit on what can be spent as the recent debt raising debacle has shown.

Besides the financial aspect, there is also the issue of justice. Is it just for a generation of Americans who did not profit from slavery to be held accountable for prior generations, most of which were not slave owners? My family, as immigrants from Europe in the early 1900s like many Americans, did not even live in this country during the years when slavery existed. This would be equivalent to making a person pay now for his great grandfather robbing a bank over one hundred years ago!

If you believe, as I do, that the Marxist Left in this country is out to destroy America, then this is a great way to do it. Just at a time when we need to unite to face the external threats from China and other foreign adversaries, the last thing we need is more division. What will it benefit the advocates of slavery reparations, when the outcome is the destruction of America where they truly have the best chances of leading a free and successful life?

 

Blind Justice? No Way!

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

I am sure you all remember the symbol of justice in this country, a statue of a blindfolded lady holding a set of scales, sometimes called Lady Justice. Well, impartial justice no longer exists. The justice system from law enforcement, prosecutors, grand juries to judges is no longer made up of weighers of facts issuing objective opinions, but is full of ideological hacks.

We can no longer trust our judicial system.

The most glaring example, of which there are many, is the comparison of the George Floyd death and that of Ashli Babbitt who died on January 6, 2021 during the Capitol Hill protest. Criminal history: George Floyd had an extensive history of criminal activity and in fact, committed a robbery the very day he was being arrested. Ashli Babbitt had no known criminal history. Background: Unmarried, George Floyd was black, had a checkered past with no steady employment and multiple arrests and history of drug addiction: height above average at six feet six inches and weight approximately 250 lbs. Ashli Babbitt was married, white and a veteran of the Air Force who served honorably as a security airman achieving the rank of E-4. She had no known drug addictions. Average weight and height. Actions at time of incident: George Floyd was actively resisting arrest and refusing to comply with orders from the police. He was suspected of committing a robbery just previously. He showed clear symptoms of being high on drugs which was later confirmed by autopsy. Ashli Babbitt was standing outside a locked door at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. with other protestors. She was not under the influence of drugs, did not pose a threat of violence to police and was not resisting arrest. Cause of Death: George Floyd after a considerable struggle resisting arrest was pinned to the ground by the knee of officer Derek Chauvin. No firearm was used. Ashli Babbitt was shot through the glass of the door by Capitol Police officer Michael Byrd as she attempted to climb through the broken door glass. She was unarmed and did not pose a direct threat of violence to the police officer who shot her.

Having reviewed all of the above facts, any reasonable person would conclude that the actions taken against George Floyd were clearly more reasonable than that taken against Ashli Babbitt. As we all know, that conclusion was not reached by our so-called justice system that gave a 21 year sentence to Derek Chauvin and totally exonerated Michael Byrd. This could never happen in a truly objective justice system. Did the race and politics of the individuals involved have anything to do with the outcome? It certainly appears so. Was it the policy of the Capitol Police Dept. to shoot unarmed civilians who are trespassing? How about the venue of where the incident occurred. One famous defense lawyer recently stated that you could “ indict a ham sandwich in Washington or New York City”!

Another glaring injustice is the way individuals who were present at the Capitol on January 6th have been treated as political prisoners. Many of them have been kept in solitary confinement over bogus trumped up charges. How about the FBI raiding the home of Donald Trump and not doing so to Joe Biden who had classified documents for years in several locations including his garage.

These incidents are not consistent with a free republic and an insult to our country. What to do? First, elect a conservative president who will clean house at the Department of Justice. Second, set review standards and practices that will hold corrupt prosecutors and judges accountable. This must be stopped.

Tyranny of Bureaucracies

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a recent article I wrote about how the Founding Fathers would be astonished at how we have allowed our freedoms to be curtailed by Big Government. If you have never read the novel, 1984 by George Orwell, now would be a good time to do so. Re-reading that book would also be useful if it has been awhile since you have done so. The theme of the book, written in the 1940s, relates how Big Government increasingly controlled people’s lives. With modern technology the effects can be even scarier.

One of the greatest threats is from ever expanding government agencies which actually have the power to implement rules and regulations that limit our freedom. For example, the Empire State Building in New York City was built in eighteen months. The approval process to build anything substantial today takes years; primarily, because of all the agencies that must give their approval. Consider the natural gas pipeline that that has been a part of the recent debt limit negotiations between the Biden administration and the Republican House of Representatives. The federal agencies that must review and give their approval consist of the Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, National Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, etc. There may also be state agencies that must approve. The review and approval process has no time frame. The construction may also be challenged in court by various groups. It is a wonder anything gets built in this country. Of course, this central control is right out of the Marxist playbook.

Let me give a more mundane example of bureaucratic tyranny. I own a 2016 Ram diesel truck that I use primarily for towing my RV. Two weeks ago, a warning code appeared on the dashboard indicating that the DEF (diesel emission fluid) system was not working properly and that I should take the truck to the dealer. I received an estimated repair cost of $3,000. Being somewhat of a do it yourself mechanic, I decided to fix it myself. Problem #1: no parts supplier in the New Bern area carried the DEF pump that I needed; nor could they order it from their usual vendor of repair parts. Problem #2: And this is the worst issue. The warning message stated that in 150 more miles the truck would not be able to operate at more than five miles per hour! Imagine being far from home and limping along at that speed–an almost guaranteed accident!

How did this restriction and control of the use of your own vehicle occur? Well, apparently, some government agency, (e.g. EPA) has required that manufacturers install computer programs that shut down your engine when you are violating one of their rules regardless of the negative impact on your safety and freedom to use your vehicle. Now this tyrannical control is only possible using modern computer modules. Add GPS monitoring, and they can control your speed, how far you travel, where you travel, etc.

This is where we are heading. We need to wake up and resist this tyranny. We need a president and elected officials who will fight this type of unconstitutional control of our lives. I am sure there are many other examples. President Trump, when he was in office, had the right idea when he instructed federal agencies under his control that they were required to eliminate two regulations for every new one they proposed. This was at least a start. Significantly cutting the budgets of these out of control federal agencies would also help. The Founding Fathers would never have put up with this. Why are we?

Choosing a President

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

We will soon be faced with choosing a presidential nominee and then voting for president. What factors should we consider in making these crucial decisions? We can gain some guidance from examining the characteristics of prior presidents who have fostered the success of this country. Let’s take a look.

Belief in the principles that helped create this country is a good place to start. Political power resting with the people and not some group of elite in Washington is critical. Reigning in the increasingly large federal government and following the constitution are necessary. As Reagan said the federal government is not the solution to our problems, they are the problem. A good president must be willing to not only reduce the size of the federal government but have the courage to curtail agencies such as the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, DOJ, IRS that are out of control and threatening our basic freedoms.

The ability to relate to the people is crucial. An effective president must be willing and able to communicate directly with the people in a clear and concise manner. Cannot hide in his basement or refuse to interact directly with the people or answer questions about his policies. People must trust what he says and believe that his primary purpose is to promote their interests and freedoms.

An effective president, is able to understand and advocate the economic principles of the free enterprise system that has make this country great. There is no room here for compromising with Marxist ideas that will destroy this country. People must understand that the government exists to assist them in being independent and responsible for themselves and not here to provide for their needs which has never and will never succeed. As president John F. Kennedy said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

Defending our country is the primary function of any president. To do that, he must project an image of strength and determination to other countries and to domestic threats. Closing the borders, sending back illegals, and backing law enforcement as well as the military are critical for our survival against enemies both foreign and domestic. Crime cannot be tolerated. To protect our country, a president must be willing to meet with foreign leaders and deal with them in a fair but firm manner. Negotiation from strength is critical to prevent wars brought on by uncertainty of our response.

Experience is an important factor in any leadership position. The current domestic and world situation does not lend itself to “ learning on the job”. Demonstrated capability to do the things that must be done to save this country is absolutely critical Courage to stand up to critics and biased press as well as unethical prosecutors is a characteristic that not all presidents possess.

Last but not least, is the ability to do the right things that need to be done for the country and not owing things to major donors is also essential to resisting the influence of the elite and powerful. We the people should be the focus of attention.

There are, of course, other factors to consider, but these are a few of the things that should be considered when we make our choices.

 

Solving the Debt Crisis

Posted on by

Author: R, Alan Harrop

The current debt default discussion is a good time for us to take an honest look at the extent of the problem. Here goes. The total federal debt in 1993 was 4.3 trillion dollars, today, thirty years later the debt is 32 trillion dollars. That is a 744% increase. It amounts to $91,430 for every man, woman and child. However, since only about 150 million people pay federal taxes, it amounts to $213,000 per taxpayer. I strongly suspect that your income and net worth has not increased 744% in the past 30 years. If you took the national debt of 32 trillion dollars and stacked them up, the stack would be 2,584 thousand miles high or 11 one-way trips to the moon. Clearly, this is unsustainable.

The question is, what do we do about it. As Reagan once said: “The federal government does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.” Assuming our elected leaders are serious about stopping this reckless spending (which is questionable at best), here are some things that can be done: (1) Reduce the budget of all federal agencies by 5% a year, exempting the Department of Defense. (2) Eliminate the federal Department of Education, which has a budget of $87 billion dollars. This agency was started during the Carter administration and is not needed, since the states have constitutional authority over education. (3) Reduce the budget of the FBI by 50% and refuse to fund their request to fund a new headquarters that would be larger than the current Pentagon. This should include removing arresting authority (started in 1934) from the FBI and returning it to a strictly investigative body with arresting authority remaining with local law enforcement. (4) Eliminate granting welfare, and other social programs to illegal aliens. They broke the law to get here and should be identified and returned to their country of origin. Illegal aliens currently cost the taxpayers $151 billion each year, and that number is growing exponentially. (5) Implement a strict work requirement for any healthy person who is currently receiving welfare payments. Too many people are staying home and refusing to take available jobs. According to the Heritage Foundation, the average family of four receives over $70,000 in total welfare payments per year. (6) Stop weaponizing non-law enforcement federal agencies such as the IRS, State Department, Dept of Commerce, etc.

There are plenty of other places to cut spending, such as grants to various institutions. This represents only a partial list of what could be done and needs to be done before the entire system collapses. No sane individual would run their household budget like the politicians run the federal government. Much of this wasteful spending is initiated and passed to help politicians get re-elected. This is one of the main reasons why there is increasing demand by some for term limits. The Republicans in the House are fighting to at least begin the process of controlling spending. Let’s hope they succeed.

What is long overdue, is an amendment to the Constitution requiring a federal balanced budget. A Convention of States may be the only way this will ever be accomplished.

 

Tyranny Or Not?

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

We should all know that the Revolutionary War was fought to stop the tyranny of King George. According to Webster’s dictionary a tyrant is a ruler who is unrestrained by law or constitution. Are we being governed by tyrants? Let’s take a look.

President Joe Biden is not only ignoring the Constitution, but has taken actions that are unlawful and destructive to this nation. Open borders violates the Constitution and federal immigration laws. He took an oath to uphold the Constitution and obviously has no intention of doing so. Forgiving student loans, mandating vaccines, implementing regulations on emission standards that will end internal combustion engines, warring against fossil fuels, and getting us involved in foreign wars without Congressional approval are all actions of a tyrant.

At the state level, we have a Governor who would not relinquish emergency powers meant for a natural disaster and used those powers to control and restrict out freedom. More recently, Governor Cooper has mandated by executive order that North Carolina reduce its CO2 emissions by 70% by the year 2030. This is impossible without destroying the standard of living of every North Carolinian. He has authorized the construction of three extensive wind farms off the coast of North Caroina as well as solar panels on extensive form acreage. The fact that he and his brother, own one of the designated plots of land for these solar boondoggles goes unreported and unknown to most of us.

In some ways the most insidious threats to our freedom comes from unelected bureaucrats. Ostensibly, members of the Executive Branch, they are given wide range to impose regulations and take actions that limit our freedom. Mandatory vaccines, increasing attacks on gasoline powered vehicles by establishing impossible to meet emissions standards and hiding documents that show how they influenced elections are just a few of the many examples of the bureaucrats controlling our lives. The recent release of the Durham Report (took way too long) proved that the corrupt FBI was colluding with the Marxist Democrats to overturn the presidency of Donald Trump. Perhaps, the most frightening and brazen action of the out of control bureaucrats is the arming of IRS and other non-law-enforcement federal agencies. Why would any IRS agent need training in the use semi-automatic weapons? What are they getting ready for?

The impact of the above unlawful actions, threatens to destroy this country and makes the impact of King George’s Stamp Act pale in comparison. President Lincoln said it best when he said that America would never be destroyed by a foreign enemy but rather, if we are to be destroyed, it will be from within. Well, that is what is happening now. The American people must rise up and remove these tyrants one way or the other. Elections are always the best solution, but the tyranny we are experiencing today raises the question of whether fair elections can be counted on as an effective remedy. Are there too many people addicted to government handouts to stand up to tyranny and demand freedom? Time will tell. But the time is getting short if we are to save this country from the likes of the worst and most corrupt president in the history of our nation.

Minimum Wage Issues

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

Two state Democrat Senators, Joyce Waddell and Rachel Hunt have introduced a bill in the N. C. Senate to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 per hr. to $15.50 per hr. Is this a good idea or not? Let’s take a look.

Historically, the first federal minimum wage was mandated in 1933 by the Roosevelt administration at $.25 per hr. Like many. Roosevelt’s leftist actions it was overturned by the Supreme Court. Subsequent laws approved by Congress established federal minimum wages that have been increasing steadily over the years. Most states, like North Carolina, have implemented their own minimum wage laws. The purpose of a minimum wage has been confusing since some claim that it should reflect the minimum needed to support oneself i.e. a living wage. Critics of a minimum wage usually oppose the concept of as an interference by Big Government in the free enterprise system. There are other issues that need to be recognized that make raising the minimum wage problematic.

First, a minimum wage was never intended as a self-supporting living wage. It was intended for new workers, many of whom lack the skills needed to justify a higher wage. Importantly, a wage level is best seen as a contract between a worker and the employer reflecting the value of the workers skills and output to that business. A business cannot long exist if it is paying more to the worker than they contribute to the productivity of the business. The balance between worker skill and contribution to business success if best left to the business owner not some government law. This is especially true for new and or small businesses that typically operate on a very small profit margin. Large corporations, like Walmart and Amazon can afford to pay higher minimum wages than your neighborhood retailer, manufacturer or repair shop. It is important to recognize that very few workers stay at the minimum wage level as they become more skilled and contribute more to the success of the business. Second, in an era of increasing automation, raising the minimum wage can actually be detrimental to workers in the long run. Self-checkout, automated food ordering, robotic manufacturing are all likely to increase as the minimum wage is increased, producing fewer jobs. This is especially harmful for unskilled beginning workers that do not yet possess useful work skills. Third, North Carolina has been doing very well over the past several years as a good place to conduct a business. While the minimum wage rate is not the only factor, it is one reason why businesses select North Carolina over most other states.

The bottom line is that the wages are best left to the negotiation between worker and employer than to mandates from government. To do otherwise, is a direct threat to small businesses that have traditionally been the main source of employment in this country, especially in rural areas.

Destructive Inflation

Posted on by

Author: R. Alan Harrop,Ph.D

The news reports are that inflation is higher now than it has been in 40 years. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 1.2% in 2020, the last year of the Trump administration, and was 8.6% in 2022 under the Biden regime. Let’s take a look at how this has actually impacts the average American family.

First of all, the CPI does not include food and energy, two of the biggest expenses. Food on average has gone up 24% and gasoline from $1.87 to $3.69 per gallon during Biden’s presidency. At the same time the purchasing value of the dollar has gone down 7.4%. An item that you could buy for $100 in 2020 now will cost you $115. New automobiles are up an average of 29% and used cars 52%. Home prices are up an average of 10.4% since 2020. Home mortgage rates have gone from 3.1% to 6.8% costing an average of $878 more per month for a typical home priced at $355.000. For the length of a typical 30 year mortgage the home owner will pay a whopping $316,000. more today than in 2020.

What does all this mean? Your standard of living has gone down substantially and you are poorer now than in 2020. Your wallet does not lie. Now, it is important to realize, that even if the Federal Reserve can get
the inflation rate down to a more manageable level of 1.5% this does not mean that the cost of items will ever return to 2020 levels. They will only stop rising as quickly. The Biden administration has permanently
reduced your standard of living. Period. Of course, they will try to tell you that this dramatic rise in inflation is due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you at a
bargain price. The inflation we are experiencing is due to reckless federal spending and the war on fossil fuels. No other explanations are needed; such as blaming it on the China virus or President Trump.

So what do we do? The only way to correct this problem is by expanding production and providing inexpensive, abundant energy. Only the Republican Party (particularly with President Trump) can turn this around before it is too late. For Democrats the truth is hard to face; but face it we must if we are to save this country.

 

Mental Health of Students

Posted on by

Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D

In a previous article, I expressed my opinion that local Boards of Education should not accept federal funds (your tax dollars) to establish mental health treatment clinics in our public schools for a variety of reasons. In this article, I am going to address what today’s public schools are doing that are detrimental to the mental health of their students. 

Sound mental health is based on two things:  self-confidence and self esteem; and avoiding negative, demoralizing influences. Here are some things schools can do to enhance the mental health of students: First, help students be successful and develop a positive outlook for their futures.    This can only be done by successfully mastering traditional academic knowledge and skills. Self- esteem is only real when it is based on demonstrated actual achievement. Second, teach children to believe in the American Dream, where they can achieve any reasonable goal through hard work and self-discipline. America is still the land of opportunity.  Third, stop teaching subjects that are contrary to good mental health.   Examples are (a) Critical Race Theory, where inherent unchangeable racial bias will block a person’s ability to reach one’s goals. Where skin color is more important than the content of one’s character. (b) Transgender indoctrination, that instead of teaching that one’s gender at birth should be celebrated and provides opportunity for rewards and a fulfilling life, makes transitioning to the opposite gender an acceptable solution to dysphoria, which it clearly is not. Individuals that attempt to transition to the opposite sex are much more likely to develop mental disorders and twenty times more likely to attempt suicide. (c) Respect for Authority, clearly many children who enter school do not show proper respect for authority and do not follow basic classroom conduct rules.  This not only is detrimental to their learning but interferes with the learning of others.  Clear, consistent conduct rules must be  established and enforced.  Students should not be permitted to call their teachers by their first names since that level of familiarity diminishes respect for the authority of the teacher. Teachers are not the students’  pals.(d)  Environmental Catastrophe. The idea that mankind’s actions are the primary cause of climate change is a theory and not proven fact. Teaching children that extreme climate change threatens to destroy the world in their lifetimes can only produce fear and discouragement. Through positive and creative action mankind can deal with whatever climate change that occurs. Optimism not pessimism!   

Last but not least, is not allowing students to have access to their cell-phones at school.  A great deal of mental stress on students occurs on social media. Children spend too much time on often detrimental sites like Tik-Tok and Facebook. Negative messages that impact a student can distract the student for hours during the school day.     

If Boards of Education and the school administrations are seriously concerned about the mental health of their students they will focus on improving the school climate not on treating problems after they occur.