TRUE JUSTICE IS BLIND

Racial injustice is a term that is being thrown around a lot recently. Our Attorney General has even weighed in decrying treatment of young black men by the judicial system. He has opined that black youngsters are arrested more often and incarcerated more often than their Caucasian counterparts. He even implied that black people were being treated unfairly by the judicial system.

It is true that our prisons and penal institutions are disproportionately populated by minority convicts and many of them black. The question is, is this because black people are being treated unfairly or is it possibly that black people are committing the majority of the crimes?

In Brunswick, Georgia recently there was a fight involving at least eight black middle school girls. The word fight doesn’t do it justice. It was more like an all out brawl. Several teachers were injured trying to break it up. Three were hospitalized for a brief time. Five of the girls were arrested for assault and  permanently expelled. They will not be allowed to return to public school. They are now being educated through a taxpayer funded home school program.

These girl’s parents along with some community leaders are protesting. “It was just a squabble.” “Kids will be kids.” “Let these girls return to school.” This, they claim, is racial injustice.

If this is racial injustice, what would racial justice look like? Isn’t that a fair question? I remember a bank robber who, when asked, “Why do you rob banks?” replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” Why are so many black youngsters arrested and jailed for crimes? Because they are committing the crimes.

Some will say that black people are the victims of a white dominated society. Still others might believe that black people are owed because of their treatment in the past. The truth is that they are in the state they are in because of their choices and their actions, period.

If anybody chooses not to get the free education that is available to all citizens, and then run rampant in the streets using and dealing drugs and committing other crimes, they deserve the justice they get regardless of their race.

Nobody is picking on black people. We have elected a black president twice. He has surrounded himself with other black people of prominence. We have a black Attorney General. This victimhood business is getting tiresome.

It is really simple. We are all responsible for our actions and our choices. We all need to be respectful of law and law enforcement officers. And we all need to obey the law. When we don’t we face the consequences. Contrary to popular liberal thinking, we are not arrested because of our race. We are not convicted because of our skin color. We are dealt with by our criminal justice system because of our choices and our crimes. If you don’t want to be treated like a criminal, don’t commit crimes.

Of course all black people are not criminals. In fact the vast majority are not. I believe it is extremely painful to them that many of their children are so out of control. I am sure that most black parents wouldn’t choose for their own children what many of these kids are choosing for themselves. They would opt for, as most would, a good life, a happy life, a productive life.

True justice is blind. It is also color blind. When individuals, regardless of their race, take responsibility for themselves and the choices they make, they rarely have to deal with the Justice System.

Ron Scarbro

LEAVE MY S'MORES ALONE

Some people like to burn their marshmallows. Some just like them toasted a golden brown. Others just want to warm them. For me the chocolate has to be Hershey’s milk chocolate. It should be room temperature so it melts some when the hot marshmallow touches it. I don’t like to char my marshmallow until it is black, just golden brown. The cracker has to be a graham cracker. I’m not picky about the brand, just crispy and fresh. Of course I’m talking about s’mores. S’mores are a great treat that virtually everyone who has ever roasted hot dogs on an open fire or camped in the woods, or even in the backyard, has enjoyed. S’mores are a staple for Boy and Girl Scout cookouts. I am confident that adults enjoy them as much as kids.

It seems the government, in its wisdom, has decided that s’mores must be changed. They have decided that the chocolate must be removed. Why, you ask? Because they have decided its bad for you. You should use fruit instead of chocolate. What? Are you crazy? Oh, and they have also decided that the marshmallows should be cut back considerably. You see, you just can’t be trusted to make your own decisions about what you should eat or how much.

This kind of reminds me of Michelle Obama’s war on children using the school lunch program. She sent out an edict that schools must make their lunchroom offerings healthier. No more pizza. No hamburgers. No desserts. Well guess what. Kids who would normally buy their lunch at the school lunchroom have stopped. Lunches are being sent back to the kitchen uneaten only to be tossed into the trash can. Sounds like a big fiasco to me.

There are lessons here. There is information to be gleaned from all this. First and foremost, government and her bureaucrats and politicians are not my mother. They are not my father and they are certainly not my big brother. In fact they are my employees. I hire them to do certain jobs and trying to decide what my eating habits should be are not on any job description. And if they were truly doing their job, would they really have the time for this nonsense?

I never cease to be amazed by the arrogance of individuals who, when put into positions of government officialdom, come to believe that we are their subjects instead of free citizens. They begin to see themselves as the all knowing, all seeing arbiters of what is best for you and me. Well I have a simple message for these would be big brothers. BUTT OUT. I will decide, as a free citizen of America, what is best for me and my family. When I want your counsel, I will ask for it. Until then, just do the job you were hired to do.

Some might think that there are people in this country who are just too stupid to know what is good for them. If that is the case, that’s too bad. It is none of the government’s business. We, the people, are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

If, in pursuing your happiness, you choose to make yourself a s’more with chocolate, or marshmallow, or peanut butter, or whatever, it is absolutely none of the government’s business, period.

To any and all bureaucrats who might someday hear this message, do what you have been hired to do. Nowhere in your job description is messing with my s’mores. Leave my s’mores alone.

Ron Scarbro

IT SEEMS WE HAVE ANOTHER SMOKING GUN

Oops. It seems the missing e-mails from former IRS Commissioner Lois Lerner aren’t missing after all. All the lying and misleading statements from IRS Commissioners past and present are proving to be just ruses designed to put investigators off track. As required by law, the Justice Dept. has copies of the e-mails and will be soon turning them over to investigators.

All of this reminds me of scandals past and how they all fell apart and how the cover-up turned out to be worse than the original crime. Do you remember Richard Nixon?

In the Nixon case there were months and months of allegations and accusations leading up to his “smoking gun.” Nixon and his henchmen lied, misled and tried to change the subject. Their arrogance got them. That gun turned out to be tape recordings actually recorded in the Oval Office by Nixon himself which he thought he could hide from investigators. He even had his secretary delete portions of the tapes to hide his guilt. It didn’t work. The truth came out. Nixon was told by members of his own party, Republicans, to resign or he would in fact be impeached. Resign he did and the nation was better for it.

How about Bill Clinton? We were treated to months of lies, denials and all manner of obfuscation. Accusers were defamed and liabled. How dare anybody accuse the President of sexual misconduct. Move on became the mantra. It even sparked a new liberal pact, “MoveOn.Org.” Hillary said it was all a part of a “Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.” Well sorry Hillary, but again there was a smoking gun. The blue dress. When Clinton heard about the blue dress, he knew the gig was up. He was impeached but the Senate didn’t have the courage to kick him out of office. Perhaps it was because Al Gore was waiting in the wings. Just my guess.

Fast forward to today. It seems we have another smoking gun in the IRS “lost e-mails” case. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge knows you can’t just delete e-mails and have them disappear. Somebody somewhere has a copy of those messages. In this case it just happens to be the Justice Department. Of course there are probably many more copies. We all knew this would have to come out.

So now what? Does Lerner continue to try and claim the Fifth Amendment to keep from admitting to crimes which could well send her to Federal Prison? Does she get support for her position from other high officials in the IRS who themselves could be in trouble for lying to Congress?

Any way you look at this mess, it is going to be interesting. Government employees are civil servants. Regardless of their position they have to obey the same laws as everybody else. As previously discussed, the IRS belongs to the people. It is not a tool for any politician or any political party. Their work is vitally important to the security of the nation. Their integrity must at all times be above reproach.

I don’t know where this will lead. I don’t know how high up it will go. I just know the truth needs to be told. We the people demand that this be cleaned up and we demand that governing bodies be put into place to insure we never again have to deal with this type of dishonesty from our government.

Ron Scarbro

NATIONS SHOULD NOT MESS WITH ISRAEL

I am neither a preacher nor a Bible scholar and this column is not a sermon. I am, however, a student. I am a student of history and a student of Bible history. This column uses as reference the Bible.

This is a cautionary tale regarding Israel. Nations should, for their own security, not mess with Israel. In the Bible, in Genesis chapter 12 verses 2 and 3 God gives all the lands of Northern Africa and beyond, what we know today as Israel and her surrounding countries, to Abraham. This land was to be the homeland for all of Abraham’s family for all the centuries to come. In these verses God tells Abraham that He will bless those who bless Israel and He will curse those who curse Israel. It should be noted that the name Israel was also God’s choice as he changed the name of one of Abraham’s offspring, Jacob, to Israel. That can be found in Genesis chapter 32 verse 28.

It is not my intention to preach today but instead just to inform. Whether you believe the writings of the Bible or not is your choice. How you regard this information is also your choice. My role is only to inform. These verses make it crystal clear that nations who attack (curse) Israel or defile Israel, will themselves be cursed and defiled by God Himself.

I also find it interesting that the Muslim faith believes and accepts the fact that Abraham was God’s chosen one and that he was to be patriarch of the chosen people, the Jews. How they have gotten to the place they are today is a mystery to me.

And so the cautionary tale. We all make our choices.  We decide who and what to believe. We decide what we will use as source material. It is not my intent to tell you what you should believe. If you don’t believe the Bible is truth, that is your choice, oh and your problem.

This is what I believe. Anti-Semites from all over the world will face a judgement some day that will be for them, at best, unpleasant. Radical Muslim baby killers who think 72 virgins await them in Paradise are in for a tremendous shock. Our own politicians, both current and past, who espouse anti-Semitic views, will have to explain themselves some day.

By the same token, being one of God’s chosen doesn’t give anyone the right to be intolerant of others. All through history and especially the history recorded in the Bible, God has punished Jews and Gentiles alike.

Hamas, pay attention. Iran, take heed. Nations of the world, listen up. You are fighting a losing battle. You cannot win. All you are doing is setting yourself up for a gigantic disappointment at best and total annihilation at worst. Understand that Israel is protected by a force much bigger than any army. Don’t you understand that Israel is a modern, progressive, economically vibrant state, and she is surrounded by primitive tent dwelling, goat herders who choose to be Israel’s enemy? Who do you suppose is on the wrong side of God’s preference? The message is clear. Leave Israel alone. Work to improve yourselves. Face some reality. Don’t mess with Israel.

Ron Scarbro

POLICE OFFICERS ARE NOT PAID TO BE ABUSED

What is happening in Ferguson, MO? What we know is that during an arrest of an 18 year old there was an apparent struggle and the young man was shot and killed. The police officer who is alleged to have done the shooting was himself hospitalized for his injuries. We are also being told that the 18 year old was unarmed. What we don’t know is anything else about the incident. There is an ongoing investigation by among others the FBI. Soon a report will be issued and then and only then will the facts be known. Until that investigation is concluded, all we have is speculation.

It appears that many in that community have already made up their minds as to what happened and have decided, without any facts, to exact their own retribution. That retribution seems to be in the form of looting legitimate businesses and burning down their town. They would appear to be unmoved by facts. They do not seem to care. There have been death threats against the police officer and against all police officers in that community. They have apparently decided that lynch mobs are okay as long as they are the ones doing the lynching. The situation is further exacerbated by people like Al Sharpton who arrive just in time to stir up an already angry mob.

The only benefit served by the arrival of people like Sharpton is the benefit to Sharpton himself at the expense of the community he visits. He is a  self serving, political animal who seems to think only of himself. He’s come a long way since his days as a drug dealer who turned into an FBI informant to escape punishment for his own crimes.

Wouldn’t communities like Ferguson, MO be better served by people coming to their aid not with fire breathing, mob stirring, rhetoric, but with constructive information? Teaching things like getting an education, and respect for law and law enforcement officers, and responsibility for reproductive choices? Towns like Ferguson, MO are the way they are because of their choices. If they are being held down or held back it is because they are holding themselves back.

Police officers are not paid to be abused. They are not paid to keep their hands to their sides while a criminal attempts to take their weapon and use it against them. Their job is to make sure laws are upheld. Failure on the part of anyone to obey lawful instructions from an officer is a crime. Lying to police is a crime. Attacking any police officer is tantamount to asking for the maximum punishment. Besides all that, it is just stupid.

Like you I don’t know all the facts regarding the incident in Ferguson. I believe we all will know when the investigation is concluded. If any police officer exceeded his authority, he should face whatever punishment the law allows. If it turns out that he was completely justified in his actions, then the entire community should apologize for their actions. Rioting and looting by mobs is the action of uncivilized feral thugs. It wouldn’t surprise me if all the retailers packed up and moved out leaving Ferguson without essential services or grocery stores.  

Residents of all communities benefit by the presence of police officers. I wonder how the citizens would feel if they were left with no police protection. If the officer involved in this incident is sacrificed to the masses for political expediency, then every police officer should resign in protest and leave the entire state without any police protection.

Residents of Ferguson, go home and wait for the official investigation. Try to act civilized. Justice will be served whether you like that justice or not.

Ron Scarbro

THE PLIGHT OF BLACK AMERICA

Attorney General Eric Holder has issued a verbal indictment concerning black convictions and black incarcerations. It is apparently his opinion that black people are being treated unfairly, are disproportionately arrested, prosecuted, and jailed for crimes. Now there is no doubt that the vast majority of inmates housed in various prisons and jails across this country are black. But, is this the elephant in the room? Who is actually committing the crimes in America? What if the crimes being committed are disproportionately committed by black people?

Here’s something to think about. The black population of America is around 12% of the total population. What if you could just break down the total number of crimes committed by whites, Hispanics, blacks, and Asians? How do you suppose those numbers would look? Well it is never going to happen because that would prove beyond any doubt where the problem is. By percentage blacks commit the vast majority of crimes in this country.

Some continue in the mistaken belief that this is due to poverty. Some say it is due to lack of education and opportunity. I had a good friend who used to argue with me that it only appears that blacks are the major perpetrators of crime because the media publicizes their actions and hides white crime. That might have helped him with his conscience but it did nothing for reality. That particular “head in the sand” attitude is one of the reasons for the problem.

Among other glaring problems in the “black community” is the fact that 70% of black children are born to unwed mothers and the children are then raised without fathers. Black men have become nothing more than sperm donors. Children are brought into the world without the influence of any male figure in their lives. A second issue is what President George W. Bush called the “soft bigotry of low expectations.” Schools don’t have the same requirements and expectations of black kids as they do of other races. These two issues alone are almost guaranteed to “keep them on the plantation.”

Can this be fixed? Can the plight of black people be improved? Here are a few suggestions. Number one, the judicial system is doing nobody a favor by refusing to hold young defendants liable for their crimes. To do so cheats these youngsters out of a needed learning experience. Everyone should learn early on that there is consequence for bad actions. All criminal defendants should realize that the police department is the law. When you fight a cop, when you pull a weapon on a cop, when you refuse to obey lawful instructions from any police officer, you should then be prepared to suffer the consequence. Trying to take a policeman’s gun is tantamount to asking to die. Often those wishes are granted.

I know that all races commit crimes. I also know that all races sometimes refuse to see the police as authority. That is a mistake regardless who does it. The policeman isn’t paid enough to be abused by punks regardless of their race.

To Eric Holder I have this bit of advice. Quit playing the tired and worn out race card. Black people are convicted and imprisoned because they commit the vast majority of the crimes. If you truly cared about the plight of black America, you would get out of your shiny office and get into the inner city and help teach young blacks respect for law and law enforcement officers. Unless and until that respect is learned, nothing is going to change for black America.

Ron Scarbro

SUING THE PRESIDENT OR IMPEACHMENT LITE?

Suing the president or, as we call it, “impeachment lite.” So why is the House suing the president? First, you understand the House is made up of lawyers and suing is what lawyers do. Secondly, it is because they know they cannot impeach him. The last time the Republicans tried to impeach a Democrat president, the press crucified them. That Democrat went on to be disbarred from the practice of law for lying to a Grand Jury and then, for no reason intelligent people could ever understand, became the darling of the Democrat party. Thirdly, even if they were successful with articles of impeachment, that would leave us with what has been identified as “impeachment insurance,” Joe Biden. So they are left with only this attempt to embarrass the president.

Let us now examine the real reason for this lawsuit. We are being told that the suit is because the president is attempting to enact laws and change already written laws by executive order bypassing Congress which they say is against the law. Well he is and he is obviously not the first president to do so. The problem for me is the laws he is actually attempting to enact or change, not the fact that he is doing so.

It should come as no surprise to you that I am no fan of this president or of his policies. But that having been said, he has been elected and reelected by the people. If he is guilty of lawbreaking, then Congress should remove him. Otherwise, just keep quiet and work to defeat such policies in the next election.  This lawsuit is nothing but political theater, period. It will be a gigantic waste of time and money designed to take voter’s attention away from the real issues facing us and creating a story for the press to follow. It is a lot like the old carnivals which used to come to small towns. The dancing girls would come on the stage in their scanty outfits while the pickpockets moved among the crowd fleecing the gawkers.

Does anybody really think that this lawsuit will ever go anywhere? And even if it did, what would the Congress win? We already have a book of rules. We already have a Constitution. What we need is to have people in positions of authority who know and understand the law and work to enforce it. Our Congress passes numerous laws to stack upon the laws which we already have but no one seems interested is enforcing the laws already on the books. Incidentally the House of Representatives holds the purse strings for the entire government and could, if they were truly serious, stop any action by any president by refusing to fund it.

Clearly we don’t elect emperors. We don’t elect kings. We elect presidents and they represent all the people, not just the forty per cent who voted for them. Our laws should be enacted by the Congress as the Constitution requires. The President’s only role is to sign the law or to veto it. The Congress then has the authority, by that same Constitution, to override his veto.

Suing this president might make some headlines but it is going to end up being a fiasco. Thoughtful, intelligent people need to sit down and figure out a way to get along for the good of the country and get on with the business of governing. Let’s leave theater to actors, not silly politicians.

Ron Scarbro