Epilogue

I have devoted many hours and days over the past twenty years analyzing the workings of the Federal Government. For me it has been devastating to follow the ongoing dysfunction as both parties have been divided into tribal entities, more interested in doing battle instead of seeing to the needs of our people and the poor of nations all over the world. They have squandered our wealth in conducting wars spending trillions and the lives of our service people and the people of those countries. None of them have resulted in making a better world. Our armament cost on an annual basis far exceeds any other nation with no end in sight as the pursuit of more deadly weapons continues. Johnson started the war in Vietnam. Nixon expanded it into Cambodia. Bush supported Iraq when they were at war with Iran. Iraq conquered Kuwait with ease not believing we would care. Bush senior did and drove them out with great loss of life and financial cost. Bush the son started a war with Afghanistan and then Iraq while threatening Syria and N. Korea. Obama kept it going and added Libya as another country to destroy. Trump I believe tried to bring these conflicts to an end but could not get Congress or his military brass to support. Biden unilaterally pulled our troops out of Afghanistan leaving other allies on their own plus contractors and worst of all not extricating those citizens who had given us support. He also left $85 billion in the latest armament. Currently he has goaded Russia into attacking Ukraine creating a possible nuclear war, again with support from both parties. Everything Biden has done in just two years has been wrong. He has devastated our petroleum and gas industry. The Latest climate change legislation provides funds for wind and solar. China is the beneficiary of this largess. If deemed that important they should be made in America, no matter the cost. He has declared war on Americans with white skin, branding us as racist. For some reason he excludes himself from his label. He has distorted the basic understanding of men and women, encouraged sick sex education for our children and said it was OK for men who have transformed themselves into female to be allowed to compete with girls in sports. In mostly Democratic run Cities the BLM group was allowed to burn and loot. Crime is rampant with citizens helpless as law enforcement has been reduced to being ineffective. Millions cross over our Southern border with impunity. Read the book for clearer understanding of these and other issues.

Who are MAGA Republicans?

The first statement I am going to make is that MAGA people are from both parties and Independents. It is time to stop calling us MAGA Republicans and just say MAGA. There are of course radicals, as there are in the Democrat Party but, in my opinion, most of them are the salt of the earth. They are true patriots and are the ones you can depend on in time of trouble. They proudly display our flag and stand at attention when the National Anthem is played. They love our country and over the Centuries have fought and died to defend. They were what have been descried by Tom Brokaw as the Greatest Generation. As a WWII veteran, at the age of 94, I am proud to be a part of that generation. I wasn’t in combat but did enlist as soon as I turned 18 and served three years. Before I go on, I want to let you know that it was the public education we received that that led us to respect our heritage and the brave men and women who fought over the years for our country. That is not true today. Our children are told about how are founders were slave owners and therefore bad people, not to be admired. There will never be another Greatest Generation. When Trump was campaigning in 2016 he was not running as a true Republican. He believed that by being a Republican he had the best chance of restoring our country. His philosophy was more in tune with the FDR type of Democrat. In prior years he had actually supported people like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. I am sure he reasoned that as an Independent all he would have accomplished would be the sure election of Hillary by splitting MAGAs and Republicans, as Teddy Roosevelt did when he tried to regain the Presidency. Trump was immediately hated by the Republican establishment His goal was to restore the vanishing middle class and provide good paying manufacturing and service jobs. I remember Obama stating that it was impossible, he having given up on America. Trump’s rallies gathered in the thousands proudly waving our flag. He struck a nerve long believed to be dead. When Biden gives inflammatory speeches about how they are a threat to America, what he means is that they are a threat to the establishment. By that I mean both parties. Those who are enjoying the good life, no matter what everyday citizens have to struggle with. We cringed, as did you, over Trump’s crudity. He struck out at all who opposed him, saying outrageous things that no decent person would ever say. We voted for him in spite of that, as we were tired of voting one party in then changing to the other party for decades without positive results. Each party was beholden to whoever gave them the most financial support. The result was that legislation to improve our lot was kicked down the road. Until the Covid epidemic from China he made great strides. He unleashed the energy industry by reducing onerous regulations, approving drilling and supporting fracking. Within a short period of time for the first time since the fifties we were energy independent. Gasoline cost $2.00/gal., inflation was at 2%, unemployment 3.5% and the stock market reached record highs. Earnings rose for everyone including minorities, He raised tariffs on China to counter their unfair advantage. The most important part of the tax bill was decreasing the corporate rate from 35% to 21%, thereby improving the competiveness of producing in America. By increasing natural gas our environmental pollution decreased. Without fanfare he decimated ISIS. I believe by letting the military function without a strait jacket. He brought illegal immigration to historic lows. He accepted Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel and moved our Embassy there without exorbitant cost. He was able to get three Arab nations to make peace with Israel. He got us out of the outrageous deal with Iran and also the World Health Organization, who totally botched the epidemic. He demanded that the NATO countries pay their fair share of the cost to defend Europe. I want to make the point that during his first two years in office he could not get the Republicans to help him. Most of what I wrote above he accomplished by the Executive Branch without the support on Congress. When those two years passed by, the Democrats resumed the majority and even with Republicans starting to give support it was now much more difficult. Then Covid hit and everything fell apart not only here but all nations. The abuse that he has had to endure is without precedent in America. Even before his election the media, tech giants, sports and cinema all joined forces in trying to keep him from succeeding. There were spurious claims of Russian collusion, which after an expenditure of $40 Million dollars was proven false, two impeachments, the FBI’s refusal to release their findings of the Hunter Biden Lap Top, January 6 over and over and now being sued by Democrats over every aspect of his life. Because of the intense hatred of Trump I do not want him as a candidate but do hope that someone else who believes in what he tried to accomplish will carry the torch and try to rebuild the Middle Class and all who are workers to regain what has been lost in just the last two years under an Administration and a Congress that has squandered over 4 Trillion Dollars by throwing money we don’t have without improving our lives. Jack B. Walters September 28, 2022

Masters vs Kelly

Like you, I can’t stand political ads. For the most part their only purpose is to scare us into voting for their candidate. If they do talk about issues they support they brag about what they will do. In days gone by this might have been true but not now. Remember when Mc Caine was a maverick? When you cast your vote don’t think about the candidate but about the party. With only rare exceptions does an elected person depart from the party line. Whether Senator or Representative they are required to toe the party line. If you support the current Democratic programs then you need to vote for Kelly. If you don’t you must vote for Masters. I am not trying to persuade you either way. I am only trying to convince you what you should consider before voting and tune out all political ads. Jack B. Walters September 21, 2022

The Colorado River can no longer serve our needs

Desalinization of sea water is proven technology. Israel has created a Garden of Eden in their country. We have a plant in San Diego that provides drinking water for 400,000 people. The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. All we have to do is build more plants along the coast to provide as much water as we will ever need. Sucking the Colorado River dry is insanity. How many experts are making a good living by studying the river and finding ways to divvy it up. The Southwest has become attractive for people to move here. I say, let them come. Quit wasting time and resources and take the salt out of the ocean. The federal Government should pay for it not a few states. This is a national issue. They could divert funds from any of the four trillion dollar programs already approved. Jack B. Walters August 26, 2022

The current naturalization oath reads as follows;

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God." U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Tuesday said it will no longer require incoming U.S. citizens to pledge that they will "bear arms on behalf of the United States" or "perform noncombatant service" in the Armed Forces as part of the naturalization process. Those lines are in the Oath of Allegiance that people recite as they become U.S. citizens. But USCIS said people "may" be able to exclude those phrases for reasons related to religion or if they have a conscientious objection. USCIS said people with certain religious training or with a "deeply held moral or ethical code" may not have to say the phrases as they are naturalized. The agency said people don't have to belong to a specific church or religion to use this exemption, and may attest to U.S. officials administering the oath that they have these beliefs. Jack B. Walters August 18, 2022

My thoughts on the abortion issue

Abortion rights were not spelled out when the Constitution was made the law of the land. To even mention this is ridiculous. In 1777 no thought was given to women. It was a man’s world. Women didn’t even get the right to vote until 1920. I wonder if abortion was ever attempted back then. I assume all pregnancies were completed with birth unless a miscarriage occurred. Large families were needed to farm the land. Abortion rights would have been the last thing to worry about when writing the document. In America, life is different today. Most live in cities. Children are a huge expense. Many couples have decided to delay or not have children at all. With both working full time in order to make ends meet, the children, if they have them spend their days in child care facilities with only the evenings and weekends to bond. The Congress should enact legislation allowing families to make the choice that makes the most sense to them. Everyone else should find something better to do with their time. Jack B. Walters June 27,2022

Second Amendment

I am reading a book, Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Roger Daniels. It is about FDR’s life until 1939. It details the New Deal Legislation enacted. I came across the following; Limited Gun Control Legislation Affecting Machine Guns and Sawed off Shotguns was enacted in 1937. You would find this on page 188. What this does is confirm to me that the 2nd Amendment can include restrictions on what is allowed to be purchased by citizens. If they could restrict Machine guns, why is that different from the current assault weapons that have been so freely purchased by thousands or millions? There has to be a way to eliminate these dangerous weapons whose only purpose can be to kill many people. I realize that even if this is done there will always be an effort to skirt around the restriction but at least a first step should be undertaken. Jack B. Walters May 30, 2022

This standard practice must end

I consider myself to be a law and order type. Almost without exception I will side with those in law enforcement, whose job it is to protect all of us. With the latest debacle in Uvalde, Texas I feel the need to speak out on what has, for years now, become standard practice. That is standing back while crime is being committed instead of charging towards the problem. I don’t want to believe they are cowards. I believe it is standard practice. They are not free to exercise their initiative, but must wait for orders from on high. Because of this many lives have been lost including last week in Texas. The first time I observed this was Columbine. While the two shooters were in the school firing their weapons a large force of officers were seen outside. Some were hiding behind their cars and even a military vehicle standing there. All the while students and faculty were dying. The one in Florida an officer stood outside while shots were being fired. After the George Floyd incident police in city after city stayed back while burning and looting were being committed without a response to stop it. I realize that in many communities’ district attorneys keep releasing criminals almost as soon as being arrested. That should not be an excuse for not carrying out their responsibilities to protect the citizens. This must be stopped now by people in authority. Jack B. Walters May 27, 2022

Body Armor

There are two issues that are impossible to debate with the thought of changing someone’s mind; abortion and guns. All I am hearing is hardening schools and adding more security. After that then add grocery stores, theaters, restaurants, etal. The Buffalo grocery store carnage has now been followed by Uvalde elementary school. Putting the gun issue aside for a moment couldn’t we all agree on the issue of civilians purchasing body armor? We all agree we are a free country but that doesn’t mean we should be allowed to purchase body armor or for that matter a Sherman tank. Body armor is made to protect law enforcement personnel and those in the armed forces. In both of these incidents the shooter was hit by bullets from law enforcement. They did not stop them because of the protection they wore. Without it they might have been stopped earlier. I request we all contact our representatives and outlaw the sale of body armor to civilians. Jack B. Walters May 25, 2022

Leaked memo will save the new Democratic Party

Up until the leaked Supreme Court memo suggesting that the Court was ready to overturn Roe VS Wade, the only thing the New Democratic Party had going for it was January 6, 2021. With all of the disastrous programs they have supported they were heading for resounding defeat in this coming November elections. Now abortion has become the defining difference between the Republican and the Democratic Parties. Those States with republican legislatures still in session will stumble all over themselves in passing ever more restricting laws making it nearly impossible to get abortions in those States The news media will be filled with stories on a daily basis keeping this issue a hot button one. I believe the overwhelming majority of Americans support the right of a woman to choose whether to have a family or not. I do not believe that anyone supports the idea of abortion, the deliberate decision to abort willy nilly as if it were nothing, but there are times; whether economic, rape, incest, deformed without a chance of living a normal life or the life of the mother when a decision must be made. That decision is primarily the mothers. Of course the father’s opinion also matters. What we don’t need are mostly old white men in government placing added burdens on families. With overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate the Democrats will continue the destruction of all that Americans believe in. They will be able to pack the Courts, give statehood to Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico and continue to flood our country with millions crossing our borders The country most admired by all will cease to exist. Jack B. Walters May 8, 2022

We are not a racist nation

If you spent any time over the weekend watching the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, you would have seen thousands of mostly white patrons cheering enthusiastically for Tiger Woods. At first, urging him on to victory and the last two days as he was fading, giving him standing ovations as he approached a green and then, whether he sunk a putt or three putted, they clapped as he went to the next hole including the eighteenth hole. Only then did they fan out to watch the other players. Those of us who enjoy watching or playing golf know of the indiscretion he did years ago. That has been forgiven and discarded. As a black player in a mostly white sport we have reveled in his remarkable ability to play outstanding golf. The point I am trying to make is that those of us who have white skin thoroughly enjoy seeing athletes, actors, musicians and others showcasing their skills no matter the color of their skin. Quit living in the past. What was then is not now. Let us move on and build a country of all Americans pulling together and stop the division that exists. Bad conduct by those who burn buildings, pillage stores, harm people, desecrate our Capitol are despised by those of us who love our country and want it to be preserved. Jack B. Walters April 11, 2022

Russia Oil Embargo

On March 8, Biden enacted an embargo, with the companies dealing with it to have 45 days to wind down contracts, what this means to me is that the oil will continue to flow until April 23. Question; Can Ukraine hold out that long and if it doesn’t start until then why did the cost at the pump jump up so high immediately? Jack B. Walters March 31, 2022 P.S. I wrote this shortly after it was announced. It took a while to be published

I l blame Biden

I recently wrote two letters to the editors, which were published. The first was before the Russian Invasion trying to prevent a war from starting. Ukraine, from what I have gleaned was not going to join NATO anyway, so why not say as much and remove this excuse from Putin to invade. The second was after it started. I tried to state a reasonable idea of ending the conflict short of a major war between NATO and Russia. In many ways it is happening. I have a real concern with members of both parties and the news media thinking Biden’s idea of having Poland give old MIG planes to Ukraine and replacing with more modern planes is a good idea. To me it is insanity. Why give Putin an excuse to also start bombing Poland No matter who is the pilot, a warplane flying from Poland to Ukraine would be a provocation. We have avoided a nuclear conflict for 75 years. Only a few like me were alive and old enough to understand WWII and the following Cold War. 75 million lost their lives during that war. A nuclear war could create casualties’ far exceeding these. I lay the blame on Biden and his feckless associates who care more about the color of someone’s skin or sexual orientation and teaching our children that if they are white they are the oppressor and if black you are a victim, than any of the real serious concerns he should be dealing with. Under his leadership crime is rampant and out of control all over the country. The great progress in race relations that had been achieved over the decades after the legislation that was enacted in 1965 has been lost and the divide is greater than ever. There was absolutely no reason for this. I believe it was done deliberately starting with Obama. You can take issue with this comment but it is my informed opinion. Biden has done all he could to decrease our ability to be self-sufficient in energy starting his first day in office. He is even now asking Venezuela, Iran and Saudi Arabia to increase their production, total insanity. Had we continued increasing our search for energy at home, inflation that is destroying our economy would not have occurred. Russia would not be flush with funds to conduct a war if we and Europe were not so dependent on their oil and gas. Europe is also too blame for shutting down their nuclear power plants. We were exporting natural gas to Europe. Whatever Trump did to increase oil and gas in America was deliberately undone out of hatred for Trump and the green deal exponents to the detriment of America, as if we alone could solve the problem while China and other nations continue on their merry way adding coal plants. Friends keep making excuses for Biden and refuse to accept that his policies have brought us the highest inflation and gas prices in forty years. One friend said he brought dignity to the office as if that is more important than the pain we and the world are suffering. Ukraine would not have been invaded had Biden not ended the Afghanistan war as he did. We are sending billions in armaments to Ukraine and another 13 billion for relief. None of this should have been necessary. With China and Russia now as allies our punitive efforts will be countered by their increased trade. Should Poland overstep their efforts to aid Ukraine they might become the next target. If so, the end of the world may be just a short time away. In the meantime I and I believe most of us are excited about March madness. Jack B. Walters March 10, 2022

Russia must pay for the outrageois invasion of Ukraine

All contact with Russia should be stopped immediately. All nations should treat Russia as a pariah. Cancel all orders for goods and refuse to accept requests for goods from Russia. Eliminate Russia from all international sports competition, cut off communication via mail or Internet, in other words take all possible actions to isolate them from the civilized world. Oil and Gas are the source of 90% of their wealth. Europe and I am ashamed to admit that our country also depends on Russia for energy. This will take time but every effort should be made to wean us off and the effort should be started with all dispatch. The world cannot afford to sit helplessly while Putin retakes all the former states that once were a part of Russia. The people of Russia will be hurt. They don’t deserve it but I see no other way of stopping this madness short of Nuclear War. Jack B. Walters March 1, 2022

Playing War Games

It is amazing to me that so-called intelligent elected officials, their staffs and the news media are so gung ho to goad Russia into invading Ukraine including both political parties. To them and those of you who agree it is just a game. Before the Second World War Stalin conquered Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Poland. These countries and others abutting Russia are now included in NATO with the exception of Finland. Adding Ukraine would complete the entire border from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. If Russia were to invade might they also go after these other states even though they are in NATO. What would you think if Russia or China were to have alliances with Mexico and brought their military in large numbers to Mexico? Remember when Russia installed nuclear weapons in Cuba. We just barely escaped a holocaust. America has been playing at war ever since the end of WWII, picking on smaller countries, showing off our newest weapons. Did any of them make the world better? Think of the Trillions wasted and the devastation brought to those countries. A real war could bring devastation like there was in WWII, whole cities destroyed and millions killed. I doubt if America would be scot free. This time our country would also suffer. There can never be another war between major powers. Jack B. Walters January 27, 2022

Biden's Inflation

Do you really think that inflation just magically appears without cause? Don’t blame Biden. It is just bad luck. How stupid is this conclusion. Every action he has taken has inevitably led to our current situation. All the Trillions of giveaway funds, as if money was free. Guess that makes you happy, not me. The flooding of illegal immigrants given financial funds to locate, free health care, etc., the disaster of Afghanistan, the Trillion dollar so called infrastructure program. Bet most of the funds will go to China for steel and labor. We don’t have the skilled labor like we used to have. The wind mills come from there now. The greatest debacle was Biden’s deliberate decision on day I to shut down American gas and oil production with his executive orders. Trump had made us energy independent for the first time since the fifties. We were exporting. Now Biden pleads with OPEC to increase their production. How tragic He is increasing the wealth of OPEC as well as Russia while rejecting Canada. The result of all that is higher prices at the pump. It is more than that. Higher energy costs effects all aspects of production and consumption, driving up the cost of everything. I realize your hatred of Trump. Do you hate him so much you just don’t care what happens to our country? Jack B. Walters December 15, 2021

My Latest Epistle-America in Crisis

Because of the loss of American jobs to Asia and in particular China, we have lost our ability to function as a viable entity. So much is produced outside of America that any hiccup can cause problems. These jobs have been lost regardless of which party is in power over the past 60+years The worst part is the loss of skilled technicians needed in factories. Americans just want cushy jobs with lots of free time and benefits. With the massive giveaway programs many have found they like not working and are satisfied to just get along. Truck drivers receive high earnings and still thousands of these jobs cannot be filled to say nothing about small business struggling to carry on with labor shortages. The answer is to copy China. They make it easy to promote industry by subsidizing. Our private industries cannot compete. We did it to win WWII and still do for defense. Just declare a product of national importance and find the way to subsidize. Start with drugs and medical products. It took 60 years to get to where we are now. It will take decades to reverse but if we don’t start we will continue to lose our worldwide status. The current strike at Deere I believe is because of the higher wages being paid to flip hamburgers compared to the stress of factory work. The higher American earnings grow the more difficult it will be to compete with other countries. We are on a death spiral. It may be too late already to reverse Jack B. Walters October 14, 2021 •