De-ICE America

Alex Pretti was clearly visible holding
 a phone when agents first
 approached him, before pulling
 him to the ground and
 shooting him.Credit...dangjessie, via Instagram
via NYTimes

Yesterday in Minneapolis, Alex Pretti, a civilian, was killed by ICE/CBP agents while he was legally recording the activities of federal agents. He is the second civilian killed during the ICE/CBP occupation of Minneapolis/St Paul. He was unarmed and subdued on the ground at the time 10 shots were fired into his body during a period of 5 seconds. (NYTimes)

What quickly became apparent, again, was that DHS and ICE leadership do not have a grasp on truth and fact. Their first narratives after the horrific incident bear little resemblance to the facts. Thankfully, multiple citizens recorded what happened so that we can see truth. And who is FBI not conducting an investigation as required when a civilian is murdered by federal agents?

I, sadly, have lost faith in the Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General, DHS, FBI, CBP, and ICE to discharge their responsibilities to the American people in a faithful and unbiased manner. They have forgotten that they work for "We the People."

Let me be clear, I am not against immigration enforcement. 

Immigration enforcement, however, must be done properly, respectfully, and in a manner consistent with our laws the Constitution--all of it. I am tired of hearing the tired narrative about the numbers of immigrants that Biden allowed into the country as if it matters, because it is immaterial; everyone who is here now has legal and Constitutional protections. I am against what appears more and more like a secret police force designed to terrorize people and communities--that is not the job of properly trained and deployed law enforcement. ICE/CPB continue to be seen trampling the rights of citizens. What happened to "Protect and Serve?"

I actually have an idea. 

De-fund ICE and distribute their bloated funding to local and state police authorities. Create an organization under DHS, maybe under CBP, which identifies the egregious immigration criminals, as was promised by the President when he said "worst of the worst", and pass that verified information to the "locals" to execute warrants and arrests. That the locals would execute legal warrants for felonious crimes should appease concerns expressed by sanctuary cities and states. 

Effectively repairing the damage that has been done to the Country requires replacing the heads of DOJ, DHS, ICE, CBP, FBI, and Defense. Replacing them can be easy or hard--they resign (easy) or are impeached (hard). Their leadership is not compatible with the bedrock principles of America as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and applicable US Titles and laws.

Restore the land of the free and home of the brave--for all people!

De-ICE America!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

We need normal!

 

It was a classic, but not unexpected, move. 

In a long screed this morning, Trump’s social media account said the president is placing tariffs of 10% on all goods from the countries currently protecting Greenland after February 1, and that the tariffs will increase to 25% on June 1. The post says the tariffs will be in effect “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” (Letters from an American)

And where is the money to purchase Greenland coming from? Congress certainly has not appropriated such funds. Did anyone notice that the residents of Greenland do not want to be Americans? 

Who suffers at the end of the day? 

We do!

Trump has already added more than $2 trillion to the national debt during his first year in office. 

We get to fund that. 

And the increase in prices caused by the punitive tariffs is not going to improve affordability, nor will it encourage American production of exports when the retaliatory tariffs are applied. 

I remember, decades ago, when George H.W. Bush called Ronald Reagan's economics plan: Voodoo Economics--turns out it was. But Reagan got elected and Bush became his VP.

I have a name for Trump's economics plan--Bankrupt Economics. He is, after all, the king of bankruptcies. 

Consider that Greenland, tariffs on Europe, and Venezuelan oil are definitely not America First policies--they Trump First policies. 

I know the phrase was used unsuccessfully by rival presidential candidate, but I saw it scrawled on a protestor's sign in Copenhagen yesterday--we need to be normal again. Make America Normal Again! We need to restore our traditional alliances and trading partners. The insanity has to stop. 

Instead of punishing the American people with tariff wars, suffocating debt, and loss of healthcare access, we need someone who remembers that the president is the servant of the people and the steward of democracy. He is not the king of the world. 

Note to Congress: WAKE UP!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

It was in the News

 The Verizon outage yesterday made the headlines. Chris and I, although we have service from competing carriers, were affected as we tried to call Lucas and sing Happy Birthday on his 16th birthday. He was finally able to call us after we contacted his Dad, who is on XFinity. 

A major outage attributed to an undisclosed problem is very concerning. Was it a cyber attack? But, even more, an outage like this demonstrated the fragile nature of our communications architecture.

I know that I am very dependent upon my cell phone and Wifi carrier. I am very happy that I do not have Verizon.

And they won't say, why?  Why?

But wait! There is more strange stuff in the news, this time from the White House.

"FEAR NOT, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!" - Donald Trump (Yahoo News)

What does that mean? 

Who talks like that?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

I Have an Uneasy Feeling About This

 

What a week it was!

The boundaries of decency and democracy continue to be pushed by the administration. The most disturbing comment of the week was made by the president. 

President Trump declared on Wednesday evening that his power as commander in chief is constrained only by his “own morality,” brushing aside international law and other checks on his ability to use military might to strike, invade or coerce nations around the world.  (New York Times)

The more my mind turns on this, the more concerned I become. 

Trump is a convicted sex offender. He is also a misogynist, pathological liar, alleged pedophile, narcissist, and terrible businessman. Who else could bankrupt a casino or have businesses declare bankruptcy six times. Counting the United States, that number could grow to seven.

I'm don't trust his "own morality."

And the talk of taking Greenland or attacking Cuba is very concerning. 

Trump does not believe he is constrained by The Constitution, the laws of the land, and probably the Supreme Court. He definitely has nothing but contempt for the Congress. 

Why did the national debt rise by $2.2 trillion last year if tariffs and trickle down economics were supposed to work? (factually) 

We are being spent into eternal debt and apparently the administration is unconstrained by the appropriations approved by Congress. 

This administration has become the Revenge Tour that Trump promised his supporters during the election. 

But the bottom line is that it is all about the Trump crime family getting richer, by billions.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

This is the Golden Age?

 The news this morning is, well, distressing. 

The U.S. has become a rogue country under the thuggish leadership of Trump. 

Three Palms at Sunset 
Tequesta, FL
January 2, 2025

When the sun was setting last evening, on Day 2 of 2026, I had no idea that the year would go off the rails so quickly. 2025 was bad enough and 2026 is not off to such a great start. 

Continuing a pattern of lawlessness and ill-advised decisions that began when he negotiated a terrible deal with the Taliban during his first administration, and subsequently blamed it all on President Biden, his second crack at president is marked by worldwide combat operations and lawlessness. Here is a quick recap:

1. Large-scale strike and capture of Venezuela’s president

• On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces launched airstrikes on Caracas and other Venezuelan locations and reportedly captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife as part of a broader operation. Maduro’s government declared a state of emergency. The Guardian+2The Washington Post+2

This action is associated with an ongoing U.S. campaign designated Operation Southern Spear, involving a military buildup in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific targeting drug trafficking and regime leadership. Wikipedia

---

2. Expanded airstrike campaigns abroad (2025)

Throughout 2025, the Trump administration authorized a broad and sustained set of military strikes overseas, including:

• Somalia: U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State affiliates started early in the term and continued as part of counterterrorism campaigns. Defense News

• Iraq: U.S. and coalition forces targeted ISIS leadership in Anbar Province. Defense News

• Yemen: A U.S. air campaign against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels took place in early 2025 and concluded with a ceasefire in May. Defense News+1

• Syria: In December 2025, Operation Hawkeye Strike hit more than 70 suspected ISIS targets in central Syria after U.S. personnel were killed there. Defense News

• Nigeria: U.S. forces carried out airstrikes against ISIS-linked militants on December 25, 2025 as part of anti-extremist operations. Defense News

• Iran (Operation Midnight Hammer): A June 2025 strike used B-2 bombers against Iranian nuclear infrastructure. Defense News

• Caribbean & Eastern Pacific: Beginning September 2025, U.S. forces conducted a sustained maritime counternarcotics campaign, including strikes on vessels suspected of smuggling drugs toward the U.S. Defense News

These combined operations represent hundreds of air strikes in multiple regions and signal a significant escalation in U.S. military activity compared with recent administrations.  (Chat GPT)

At his second presidential inauguration, Trump explicitly called his hoped-for legacy a “peacemaker and unifier.” In that speech he said he would measure success not only by the wars the U.S. wins but by those it ends or avoids, casting his role as one aimed at peace. CNBC+1

And here at home, millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet due to rising prices and continued inflation, they are paying significantly more for health care, and are feeling abandoned by the administration while ICE runs rampant across the country carrying out its immigration activities.

Hey Congress! What does it take for you to answer the wake-up call? I'm not sure the administration's actions during 2025 and now 2026 meets the expectation I had when Trump promised:

“The golden age of America begins right now. From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.” mint

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

I Can't Believe He Said That

"It's all about him," I cannot believe what our president wrote about the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife. 

The comments are criminally insensitive and I wonder how any rational thinking person in America would continue to want to be led such a pompous wannabe. 

Two people were brutally murdered and he wrote the following: 

A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace! (Truth Social)

This diatribe is from the same person who called a woman, "piggy" just for asking him a question.

Apparently, there is now a disorder called Trump Derangement Syndrome, which shows just how self-centered the president has become.

These, in my opinion, are the statements of a small-minded, bigoted person who has no respect for anyone. 

Civility and respect need to return to the White House. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Affordability is not a Hoax

Ribeye Steak @ Publix
Tequesta, FL
December 10, 2025

 Affordability is not a hoax! 

Those of us who actually got to stores or online to shop know that prices have climbed and continue climbing. 

I was shocked yesterday when I went to buy some beef at Publix. I was looking at a Ribeye steak. I remember getting those last year for about $8.99/pound. Not today, it was $38.99/pound. Ugh! Did I move to Japan? I hope the meat rots in the case.

And then there is coffee! I used to get a 3 lb can at Costco for $13.00. Last time I bought one there it was $21.00. 

Even wine is bloating in price. I used to buy a Lohr Cab Sav for $11.99/750 ml bottle. Now I am seeing it for $18.99. And Whispering Angel has soared from $18.99/750 ml bottle to over $25/btl the last time I was in the store. 

And that is just food. I'm reading about higher energy costs, except for gas which I got at $2.39/gallon on Monday morning in Brunswick, Georgia. On the health front, Medicare rates for next year will increase more than inflation. 

The problem affordability problem goes right back to energy costs and tariffs. That applies for products grown or made in the US as well as imports. Consider, very little is grown or made in the US without some foreign influence on the raw materials, the machinery, or the technology.

Wait, and then I read about a $12 bn bailout for the farmers. Then, there is talk about a $2,000 payout to consumers to offset the tariff pain. That is way more than the tariffs will collect. Who is doing the math in the White House? Just drop the tariffs and prices will go down, it is fairly simple solution, but apparently someone wants to add even more to the national debt which has already grown by more than $2 trillion since December last year. (Joint Economic Committee)

Forbes in an article titled 20 SIGNS THERE'S AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN AMERICA, listed areas where affordability is indeed the problem. I highly recommend clicking the link and reading their analysis.

In addition to tariffs and energy, the affordability problem is exacerbated by the oligarchs who are out of touch with prices and haven't shopped for their necessities in decades. We have too many uber-rich people running the country and thinking things are great because the stock market is climbing.

And don't forget the President who has made billions since starting his second term. There used to be laws to prevent conflicts of interest. Of course he is a happy camper--he is sucking the U.S. dry and completely oblivious to how his policies are affecting the electorate.

Affordability is not a hoax, it is not fake-news, and it cannot be wished away. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Name Calling

 

Some people apparently fancy themselves as professional name callers. 

Our President, unfortunately, is one of those people who insults others by name calling. There is a whole table of names in Wikipedia's List of Nicknames.

Remember some of these classics?

Sleepy Joe

Crooked Joe

Crazy Hillary

Crooked Hillary

My Little Communist

Governor Newscum

Marjorie Traitor Green

Rocket Man

Little Rocket Man

The list is incredibly long and insults many people.. 

Yesterday it appeared to be that our president has earned a nickname for himself. He was seen sleeping through parts of his televised Cabinet Meeting. So, I came up with a nickname for him: Dozing Don! I also thought about Dozing Dandy Don, but it was too long. 

I personally detest name calling, but I firmly believe that if you give it then you need to be able to take it!

I really don't understand how people can support such childish behavior. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Tone Deaf

Shifting Sands
Jupiter Island, Tequesta, FL
November 11, 2025

 Although we are now 10 months into Trump's second term, I realized that one of his problems is that he is tone deaf. He routinely does things that make many people think, "Really?"

Take for instance that in the middle of the longest government shutdown in American history he went galavanting across the globe in search of personal fame which might lead to a Nobel Prize instead of staying home and negotiating an end. 

Consider also the Great Gatsby Party he hosted on Halloween while SNAP benefits for over 40 million Americans were expiring. What an optic!

And of course I cannot forget to mention the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, done without coordinating and in fact outright lying to the American people that the structure would not be touched. The White House is not his house, it is, or used to be, the People's House. He is a tenant.

Which brings me to the shutdown itself. His lack of leadership is deafening. As President, it became clear he actually enjoyed the shutdown as it increased his ability to inflict pain on working Americans and attempt to blame it on the Democrats. It is clear that the only reason the shutdown ended was because Democrats saw the pain being inflicted on Americans and determined that the point had been made and that the tone deaf Republicans were not going to get the message over health care. 

There are other examples: 

Failing to fulfill a campaign promise and release the Epstein files. 

Pardons for criminals and cronies. I know every president issues pardons, but then going on 60 Minutes and confessing that he didn't know the guy to whom he issued the pardon? Tone deaf.

Continuing to support the war against immigrants who have not committed any serious crimes. A campaign promise was to get rid of the worst of the worst, not moms and dads trying to make their way. He won the Southern Border but has continued to push beyond the pain point for most Americans. 

Deploying troops into American cities when he could do better by giving the dollars to the local governments for increased police support. 

Denying that affordability is a problem in America. 

Saying that prices are down, when they aren't. Coffee at Costco is still at $7/pound which is up from about $4/pound just a year ago. 

All of these are symptoms of being tone deaf, or just not caring.

Maybe with the Epstein Files release the sands are beginning to shift. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

Pillage and Plunder

White House East Wing Demolition Image
From NYTimes Video

 Conquerers and authoritarians have a things in common. One is pillaging and plundering the conquered lands with little concern for the populace. 

Our president's true colors are on display more now than ever before. 

The White House is being plundered, despite assurances before construction of the big, beautiful, new ballroom that the existing structure would not be changed. 

The president had pledged that construction wouldn’t “interfere with the current building,” a promise that always seemed unrealistic given the grand scale of the plans. (NYTimes)

And yesterday the pillaging of the treasury began with the request for $230 million from the DOJ.

I never believed it would happen in America!

But it is! 

I wonder, can we sue file a class action suit against Trump for say, $3 trillion, for broken/ignored campaign promises?

I am still waiting for an end to Ukraine/Russia War.

And lower food prices.

No inflation. Inflation is actually higher now than when he took office. 

Where are the lower energy prices.

Oh yeah, and importing Argentinian beef to lower prices sure helps out U.S. farmers. 

And why is he afraid to help ensure medical coverage for millions of Americans at the expense that he has closed the government down and is not negotiating? Is that really the Art of the Deal? 

No--he wants to break the American people while robbing the treasury. 

Is this really his vision for the "Golden Age of America?" Or did he misspeak and really mean to say the "Gilded Age of America?"

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) took the floor of the Senate to hold it through the night “to protest Trump’s grave threats to democracy.” He said: “We cannot pretend this is normal.” (Letters from an American)

Sources:

Trump Said to Demand Justice Dept. Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases

White House's East Wing Partially Demolished to Build Trump's Ballroom ...

Trump Hopes Argentina Can Help Bring Down Meat Prices

Letters from an American, October 21, 2025

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday in America

 It is No Kings Day, version 2.

I have been very disturbed by the republicans view of the protests, especially those in positions of leadership. 

Let's be clear! To say the protests are anti-American is unconstitutional.

The protests today are uniquely American and they are protected by the Constitution.

Amendment 1 U.S. Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I have witnessed many recent events which weaken this amendment and I need to remind my friends that there is a good reason why this amendment is first in the Bill of Rights. This amendment, arguably, is the most important in the Bill of Rights because it helps preserve democratic functions of government. 

In the past weeks, the assault upon the 1st Amendment have been severe. 

The press has been stifled. We are getting no news about the potentially unlawful attacks on shipping in the Caribbean. The Pentagon created untenable restrictions on the press. 

I found that FoxNews signed the following to be especially insightful:

“The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections,” the outlets said.

To underscore: This is Hegseth’s own former employer saying he’s undermining freedom of the press. (CNN)

And for the planned rally today:

Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday slammed the No Kings protest march scheduled to take place at the National Mall next week, describing the planned protest as the “hate America rally” that would draw “the pro-Hamas wing” and “the antifa people.” 

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), another senior House Republican, also criticized the planned demonstration and blamed it for prolonging the shutdown. Telling reporters Democrats had caved to the “terrorist wing of their party,” Emmer alluded to a “hate America rally in D.C. next week.”  (Politico)

If you don't think the 1st Amendment is under attack, look again. 

So what is the purpose of today's rallies? Simple, in my mind it is to demonstrate to the Republican-controlled Congress that they are headed in the wrong direction. They have stopped listening to the constituents in their districts, maybe they will listen to "We the People!"

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Something's Gotta Give

Welcome to Saturday. We get to lick the wounds of the week. The insanity in centered in D.C. is destroying the country. 

The news this morning is especially depressing.

Federal workers being RIFed (fired)

Trump threatening sweeping Chinese tariff changes which sent the stock market tumbling. I can't prove it, but I'm sure his crime family made money off that. 

 House speaker Johnson announced he would cancel another week’s session, making four weeks he has kept House members from their jobs. Johnson first sent the members home on September 19. Staying out of session means not working on the budget that is overdue or hammering out the necessary appropriations bills. It means not working on figuring out a way to extend the healthcare premium tax credits that Democrats are demanding.

It also means not swearing in Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), who won election on September 23 and who will provide the 218th vote on a discharge petition to trigger a vote on a measure requiring the release of the files the government has on the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (Letters from an American)

I found the following comment especially insightful:

Immigration lawyer Aaron Reichlin-Melnick commented: “Can you think of a single movie in which there is a video from the government denouncing its political opponents playing on a loop in public spaces in which that government was the good guy?” (Letters from an American)

I have to admit, I thought the budget standoff would be resolved before the 15th, which is the mid-month military pay day. However, Speaker Johnson's decision to keep house members out for another week indicates that there is no intention to actually resolve the shutdown. 

I am appalled that the solution to solving the budget problem seems to lie in making more people suffer. Thin about it--is that the kind of government we want? Self-aggrandizement at the expense of loyal employees?

And so, the Republicans are continuing to do the same thing over and wondering why nothing is changing. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Halloween is in the air, but the traveling public may not be

Skeleton and the Witch
Tequesta, FL
October 7, 2025

 The Halloween season is evident in the decorations around the places that I ride my bike. I have always been impressed with the Halloween displays in the neighborhoods. There is one that I actually look for and it was there yesterday as I completed my 18-mile ride around Tequesta.  

I was able to get my ride in before the afternoon storms. Although they were not particularly strong, I don't like riding in the rain.

Cooler daytime highs are expected starting tomorrow. Yay. It isn't much, but a less humid 84 is significantly cooler than a humid 87.

Day 8 Partial Government Shutdown

Does anyone else find it tragic that the only way the republicans seem to be able to negotiate is by threatening to hurt scores of people? The idea of not paying furloughed federal workers, despite a federal law to there contrary, is but one example.

And then there is the Attorney General. Her testimony yesterday was an embarrassment. I heard a lot of it and she actually threatened Senators with investigations rather than answer questions. Case in point was her allegation of campaign irregularities against Senator White House.  

Seems as if the Air Traffic Controllers are going to take matters into their hands again. If Congress can't fly home, maybe they will negotiate.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Return to the Rain

Fuel Barge next to Celebrity Reflection
St Kitts
September 23, 2025

 I am told that while Chris and I were enjoying hot sunny days, punctuated by brief storms, during our cruise that the rainy weather pattern we had escaped from in South Florida continued. 

It rains still. 

It was rainy yesterday, it is raining today. 

Washout. 

The picture of the day is from St Kitts during our cruise. I watched a fuel barge get tugged into place and offload fuel to our ship, Celebrity Reflection. I had never seen that operation before and it was interesting how it all happened. Unlike today in Tequesta, the day in St Kitts was bright with puffy clouds and blue skies. 

And I can't help myself--

Day 3 of partial government shutdown

Does anyone else notice that when Trump runs into opposition his response is to hurt people? And not just some people but many people across the nation. Firing federal employees not only hurts the Feds, but everyone due to loss of services. What is the plan?

Oh yea--privatize government services so the oligarchs can get richer at the expense of hard-working Americans. 

And the lies/mischaracterizations that continue to come from the White House continue to demonstrate a failing grip on reality. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Another Black Eye for America

Kash Patel in New Zealand

 Yesterday, I was amazed at and wrote about the actions of the President and the Secretary of Defense. Today, amazingly, it is the Director of the FBI who wound up in the sights, literally. 

The story about Kash Patel in New Zealand was reported by PBS on September 30th. Wait, that was the same day the President and Secretary of Defense held their circus act with the senior DoD leaders. 

The Headline:

FBI director gave New Zealand officials 3D-printed guns illegal to possess under local laws

So, apparently, the Director of the FBI, Kash Patel, visited New Zealand and gave gifts, which is fairly common, to some of the people he met with. What was not usual, however, was that apparently our FBI Director brought into New Zealand 3D printed guns that are illegal to possess without a special license, and which he didn't have, and gave the guns as part of a mounted display to senior New Zealand officials.

Excerpts from the story:

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — On a visit to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel gave the country’s police and spy bosses gifts of inoperable pistols that were illegal to possess under local gun laws and had to be destroyed, New Zealand law enforcement agencies told The Associated Press.

The plastic 3D-printed replica pistols formed part of display stands Patel presented to at least three senior New Zealand security officials in July. Patel, the most senior Trump administration official to visit the country so far, was in Wellington to open the FBI’s first standalone office in New Zealand.

. . . 

A spokesperson for the spy agencies described the gift as “a challenge coin display stand” that included the 3D-printed inoperable weapon “as part of the design.” The officials sought advice on the gifts the next day from the regulator that enforces New Zealand’s gun laws, Chambers said.

Oops!

Our leaders need to do better. It sure would have been nice had the FBI Director directed one of his minions to check local laws regarding inoperable weapons. 

Oh well, it is just another black eye in a long series of black eyes.

Hopefully, today is a more boring day in the news cycle. 

Did I mention that the partial government shutdown is in Day 2?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

I Don't Know Where to Begin

 Yesterday was a tumultuous day for our Republic. 

I listened to the Secretary of Defense call himself the Secretary of War and then give a very disturbing speech to about 800 of our nations finest commanders and senior enlisted advisors. That was followed by an embarrassing ramble by the President. 

At the end of the day, the unwillingness of the Republican-controlled Senate to compromise on the terms of the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government for the good of the American people demonstrated contempt for "We the People." The effects of the Big Ugly Bill are beginning to be felt and that was an opportunity to correct some of the problems.  

Let me begin with Hegseth. 

During his speech me made the following statement:

We just have to be honest. We have to say with our mouths what we see with our eyes, to just tell it like it is in plain English, to point out the obvious things right in front of us. That’s what leaders must do. We cannot go another day without directly addressing the plank in our own eye, without addressing the problems in our own commands and in our own formations.  (Hegseth speech)

But he doesn't even believe what he said. He does not tolerate those who tell it like it is when disagreeing with his short-sighted policies.

Mr. Hegseth has already fired more than a dozen military leaders, many of them people of color and women. He fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who is Black; the first woman to command the Navy, Adm. Lisa Franchetti; and the U.S. military’s representative to the NATO military committee, Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield. He also pushed out Gen. David W. Allvin, the Air Force chief of staff, and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Kruse, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.  (NYTimes)

And then there was the President as the follow-on act of the two-ring circus.

Nearly every "fact" presented by the President was wrong. I fact checked the speech at CNN. There are just some things he brings up continuously which are just plain wrong--but no one can correct him. I was even beginning to believe that 25 million immigrants illegally entered the U.S., during Biden's term. The real number much less, but unknown. I leave it to you, my readers, to click on the CNN link and discover for yourself the fictitious reality in which our President lives. Remember, he has his finger on the nuclear trigger! 

What really caused me a huge moment of pause was the President's discussion of his signature. Wow, really? The following statement came at the end of a meaningless discussion about paper and gold ink used to sign the commissions of Generals.

And I sign it -- actually, I love my signature, I really do. Everyone loves my signature. (Roll Call)

Who says that? 

And at the beginning of his presentation he showed his true colors about disagreement when he spoke:

 

And if you don't like what I'm saying, you can leave the room. Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future, but you just feel nice and loose, OK, because we're all on the same team.  (Roll Call). [Highlighting mine]

The day ended with a partial government shutdown. Instead of the president negotiating to keep the government open, the Republicans got exactly what they wanted from the beginning--a shutdown. Why do I maintain it was what they wanted? Well, unless the Senate passed the CR exactly as the House sent it to them, there was no way to ratify the bill because the Speaker of the House sent his caucus home. Most were not even in Washington. That is governing in abstentia. 

The President and the congressional leaders should have been working to keep America running, but instead they presented a flawed proposal and said take-it-or-leave-it!

Thankfully, they left it. It is now up to "We the People" to inform them of the error of their ways!

And this was not even the topic I was going to write about today. I did a lot of research yesterday about how the military has been used to engineer change through social engineering--which is what I saw Secretary Hegseth implementing (in a very negative way) yesterday.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunday Wanderings

Tigger on the Counter
Port St Lucie, FL
September 11, 2025

 We made it to Sunday. 

Take a deep breath.

Despite the vile rhetoric being spewed by too many people in positions of authority, we are still here. 

Why do we have to continue to put labels  on people and groups of people? 

And then, why do we have to generalize the actions of the an entire group? Clearly, that is wrong. 

Even more sadly, when the generalization is wrong, the people spewing the vile statements don't apologize. They just wait, apparently, for a time when they can make their assertions again and be correct for an isolated and unique instance. 

I am really tired of hearing the labels radical left or radical right. Why can't we just be Americans who have different points of view? And it seems the right wants to blame the left for the very things that the right is actually doing--like depriving people of their rights to choose. 

Florida, for instance, calls itself the Free State of Florida at the direction of the right-leaning governor. Why then can't I choose to get the Covid-19 vaccine? I went to Walgreen's and was told they were not allowed to give the shots in Florida.

I asked Chat GPT about the inaccuracy of the phrase and it provided the following comment: “Florida calls itself the ‘Free State,’ but it bans books, censors teachers, restricts voting, takes away reproductive rights, and even tells people which bathrooms they can use. That’s not freedom — that’s selective freedom for some, and fewer rights for others.”

So, turning to other things, I took the image of Tigger during our last visit with him before his family returned home. I enjoyed spending time with Tigger because he is a unique cat with a great personality. I especially enjoyed the way he ran across the house to greet me as I came through the door. 

That makes me smile a lot more than all of the stuff on the news lately. 

Happy Sunday.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

STOP! Political Violence is Unacceptable

Charlie Kirk (1993-2025)

 I mourn Charlie Kirk. I pray for his family. 

I am angered at the senseless violence and also at the response of people, including the President, who are skewing facts and ignoring that political violence has occurred against democrats and republicans. I wish some of those spewing their virulent words would have felt as strongly about political violence when the Democratic leader and her husband were murdered in Minnesota during June. Or when the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania's house was subjected to an arson attack while he and his family slept inside. 

I am angered not because I agreed with Charlie Kirk's political views, but because politically motivated violence is fundamentally wrong.

I disagreed with Charlie on nearly every issue, but I respected his right to hold his views. 

If we lose the right to have meaningful discourse and to disagree we will have lost America. 

I served in the Air Force for 21 years and then as a Federal Civilian for another 24 years to protect every American's right to disagree--or to agree, peacefully and without fear of retribution. 

Guns are not the way for civilized people to solve political disputes. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL