Right Opinion
The best of conservative opinion and commentary, updated daily.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Once Again, Mr. President, You Misspoke
President Barack Obama participated in a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron last Friday, during which he helped me decide whether or not the British should stay in the European Union. The vote is on June 23. That same day, our president penned a column in The Telegraph, a British publication similar to The Wall Street Journal. On both platforms, Obama argued that Britain should remain in the EU. Until Obama marshaled his case, I was uncertain as to what our British allies should do. Now I know. After reading his column and listening to his speech, the answer became clear: Britain should opt out of the EU. Once again, Obama’s reasoning made the obvious choice clear. Once again, he was arrogantly wrong.
Cruz and Fiorina: The Face of the New GOP; the Hope for a New Birth of Freedom
The political pundits are going nuts. No one saw this coming, so the “experts” are falling all over themselves trying to diss it. But Ted Cruz’ race for the White House has never been about the pundits, nor has it ever been about maintaining the status quo. It’s always been about one thing: the people. Ted Cruz blew away all convention by announcing his pick for vice president early in the game. Carly Fiorina sang to the Cruz girls in her acceptance speech. He refused to play ball with the good ol’ boys in Washington. She refused to remain “just a secretary” in the work force. He is a young Hispanic American. She is a strong woman. They are decidedly unconventional, and they are the team that will give us back our country.
AmeriCorps or AmeriCorpse? Abortion Scandal Stuns Hill
Volunteers or political operatives? That’s what most people are asking after an investigation blew the lid off of a shocking new scandal involving AmeriCorps program. The “public service” arm of the federal government, created by Bill Clinton in 1993, did a tremendous *dis*service to taxpayers, an inspector general has found, by teaming up with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) to encourage — and in some cases *facilitate* — abortions. On Capitol Hill, the news of these “abortion doulas” stunned conservative members, who have long seen the Community Health Centers an ethical alternative to funding Planned Parenthood.
Four Decades of Patriotism
Americans still enjoy freedom of religion. But these days, they’re expected to leave their faith in the pew or at home — not allow it to influence their behavior in the public square. The Founding Fathers didn’t take that view. “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports,” George Washington said. “In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness.”
Want to Talk About Jesus? You’ll Need a Permit for That at NC State
A permit is required before students can talk about Jesus at North Carolina State University, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. Grace Christian Life, a registered student group at NC State, filed suit over a policy requiring a permit for any kind of student speech or communication anywhere on campus – including religious speech. In September 2015, the student group was told that without a permit, they must stop approaching other students inside the student union to engage in religious discussions or invite them to attend group events.
What Happens in Puerto Rico Won’t Stay There
Puerto Rico, an awkward legacy of America’s 1898 testosterone spill, the Spanish-American War, is about to teach two things that few Americans know: If conditions get bad enough there, its residents, who are American citizens, can come here. And if Congress does not deal carefully with the mess made by the government in San Juan, Congress will find itself rescuing governments in Springfield, Illinois, and other state capitals.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
What Is Democratic?
Having devoured the meanings of the words “establishment” and “conservative” with some fava beans and a nice chianti, Donald Trump has spent the last several weeks cannibalizing yet another word that used to have meaning: democratic. Trump says that the delegate system is undemocratic; he says that caucuses that do not swing his way are undemocratic; he says that candidates cutting deals with one another to stay in or out of particular states is undemocratic; he says that if he does not win the Republican nomination while carrying a plurality of votes, that’s undemocratic, too.
The Balking Dead
Apparently, zombies are too busy eating brains to use theirs! In a surprise announcement, fans of the flesh-devourers were sad to learn that the annual “Walker Stalker Convention” in North Carolina is being delayed over H.B. 2. Of course, most dead people don’t need bathrooms — but in some parts of the country, they do vote with regularity. Organizers say they’re postponing the gore from June to December in hopes that Governor Pat McCrory (R-N.C.) will be so persuaded by the zombies’ decision that he’ll force businesses to adopt the Left’s unpopular policy. “Walker Stalker Convention has always been a place for ALL fans, regardless of who they are, or who they love. As such, we must add our voice to those opposing the injustice of North Carolina House Bill 2” said the zombie faithful. Apparently, zombies, like most on the Left, don’t read — or they’d know that all H.B. 2 does is stop the government from forcing businesses to adopt gender-confused bathrooms.
Pat Boone vs. The God-Mockers
At the very end of the April 16 “Saturday Night Live,” the NBC skit show mocked the Christian movie “God’s Not Dead 2,” which, like its predecessor, explores how modern American culture denies the existence of God, especially in our classrooms. It did so by mocking God himself. NBC mocked the idea that Christians are being denied religious freedom. Cast member Vanessa Bayer played a baker who refuses to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, proclaiming, “I want to deny basic goods and services to gay people.” An American Civil Liberties Union lawyer for the gay couple takes her to court to force her to say “God is gay.” In her triumphant moment in court, she instead yells out, “God...is...a boob man!”
Fired for His Faith
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal owes Dr. Eric Walsh an apology. Dr. Walsh is an accomplished medical professional. He has multiple advanced degrees and he served on President Obama’s Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDs. Dr. Walsh started a low-income clinic for California families struggling with AIDs and served for more than three years as director of public health for the city of Pasadena, California.
Beyonce’s Beehive of Bombastic Buffoons
Question: Why aren’t liberal celebrities ever held accountable for stoking their unhinged fans’ violent threats and stupidity — the same way Republican candidates are called on to disavow every last remote and random act of bad behavior of their supporters? The double standards are as glaring as a glittering diva’s Harry Winston diamonds. I’m looking at you, Beyonce.
National Values, Not ‘Special Interests’
I periodically get mail from folks who find it annoying that anyone pays attention to racial and ethnic differences. Aren’t we all Americans? Isn’t it un-American to refer to citizens as “African-Americans,” “Hispanic-Americans,” “Asian-Americans,” and so on? My answer is, certainly not. In fact, the opposite is true. America is about “e pluribus unum.” Out of many one. Although the origin of the idea “e pluribus unum” was about unity of the different states under one federal government, it is also relevant in terms of the integration of citizens from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds into one national fabric of common values and truths.
A Superior Vision
Last month, I celebrated the beginning of my 81st year of life. For nearly half that time, I have been writing a nationally syndicated column on many topics generating reader responses that go from supportive to quite ugly. So I thought a column making my vision, values and views explicit might settle some of the controversy. My initial premise, when looking at all human issues, is that each of us owns himself. I am my private property, and you are your private property. If you agree with that premise, then certain human actions are moral and others immoral.
With Indiana a Critical Battleground, Pence Must Pick a Side
Someone slap a photo of Mike Pence on a milk carton. The Indiana governor may not have been abducted, but he’s certainly missing in action on the central question facing the Republican Party: Are you with Trump, or against him? Pence is hardly alone on the sidelines, of course. But the crowd of wet-fingered politicians trying to determine which way the wind is blowing doesn’t matter. Pence does. If Donald Trump loses the May 3 Indiana primary, it is all but certain he will fall short of the 1,237 delegates necessary to win the nomination on the first ballot. Indiana is now the Gates of Vienna for stopping the Trumpian takeover of the GOP.
The Path to Post-Convention Unity
The media almost always is more interested in process than substance. So it’s been big news that Ted Cruz and John Kasich are cooperating in their effort to stop Donald Trump from winning a majority of delegates and thus the nomination. Of course, the Trump campaign has cried foul, though he should relish the opportunity to demonstrate that the majority of Republicans back him.
Hospital II
Last week’s column on my lung surgery struck a nerve. Many of you wished me well. Others said I deserve to die. “He likes free markets?” sneered one Internet commenter. “In a truly free market, society wouldn’t subsidize the cost of his smoking. In a truly free market, he’d be dead.” No, I wouldn’t be dead. In a real free market, I would pay for my own care and that care would be cheaper and better because that’s what market competition *does*. Also, I’ve never smoked cigarettes. Some people who don’t smoke get lung cancer, too.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Understanding What Is Driving Climate and Weather Is Vital in Forecasting
I was recently in the Bahamas for a conference and spoke on the upcoming hurricane season. I love the Bahamas. After four visits there, I have grown to love the Bahamian people. You get off the plane and it’s like you are meeting your long lost uncle or aunt — you are greeted by people affirming how glad they are to see you. It’s a wonderful place. Makes me a fan of redistributing wealth in the form of any recreational cash I have.
The Working-Class Meltdown
During an era of headline-grabbing advances in medicine, the United States is experiencing a health cataclysm. The latest straw in the wind is last week’s report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that life expectancy for white women declined slightly from 2013 to 2014. Other studies indicate rising death rates for a white working class that is in a slow-motion economic and social meltdown. Self-destructive behaviors are outpacing medical advances against killers like heart disease and cancer. Hopelessness may not be a condition studied by epidemiologists, but it is cutting a swath through a segment of white America.
Artist Crucifies Jesus on Dartboard
The art exhibit inside a campus library at Rutgers University was sickening — Jesus crucified on a dartboard. “It is surprising that a state university would allow this,” Rutgers alum Natalie Caruso wrote on her Facebook page on April 20. “I asked them to take it down because I found it disrespectful and they refused. How is this acceptable?” I reckon in this age of political correctness, university are required to provide “safe spaces” for student artists to commit sacrilege. At Rutgers, that “safe space” just so happened to be inside the Art Library in a prominent position near the circulation desk, NJ.com reported.
EU, U.S. Gang Up on Google
European Union bureaucrats declared war last week on Google. Europe can’t compete with Google, so, instead, Brussels will sue it for being too successful. Furthermore, the U.S. government is threatening the same punitive process of harassment, lawsuits and fines. That’s the basis for the EU’s just-announced antitrust complaint against Google. The California-based technology giant is accused of installing software into the popular Android smartphone that favors Google features, such as Google Maps, over competitor products.