Election Season – A Free and Honest Society?

Welcome Home Troops

Election season is very much about political parties, political personalities and group identities.

The big election season is not very much about discussing and asking questions about things that do not change no matter what political party or personality is in power.

Information Suppression

KTTH Aug 30, 2020

Rantz: Gov Inslee refuses in-person debate with Republican Culp

The Hill Aug 27, 2020

Pelosi says there shouldn’t be any debates between Biden and Trump

It looks like both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

Various newspspers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Claims about freedoms that cry out for questioning:

Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.

American culture is good for dividing adults up into groups of first and second-class citizens.

Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?

Liberty And Justice For All?

Two major political parties continue to promote the idea that The Troops are sent to distant lands to fight for American rights and freedoms.

Local press:

Hometown pride running high. High enough to stop asking questions?

“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”

Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?

Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?

Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?

Military Town – Hometown Pride

September 27, 2019 Whidbey News-Times

Sound Off: Freedom doesn’t come free, and it’s sometimes noisy

“…the men and women of the armed forces guarantee our freedom…”

1967

Did the Joint Chiefs of Staff send The Troops to safeguard American freedoms?

Was it the Viet Cong that set up laws in 16 US states to prohibit interracial marriage?

Jet Noise Made Them Free?

Glorification of military service / total nonsense:

WA Secretary of State

“Our right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.”

If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?

Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?

If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?

Men Died For the Right to Vote?

Right To Vote Linked To Military Operations/US Troops in Distant Lands?

The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.

In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. That’s as good as it gets.

In terms of American rights and freedoms-The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.

Legal marijuana, concealed carry of handguns, semi automatic rifle sales, federal minimum drinking age, sports betting, voting rights, bump stock ban, interracial marriage, gay marriage, tobacco sales, open container laws, etc.

None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.

As the decades of undeclared/unwon wars stack up (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.) the greater the cultural urge to glorify people who do, or did time in uniform.

If there is an honest reason to send people away into decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas let’s hear all about it.

Just Be Honest.

Stop with the glorification of undeclared/unwon wars in distant lands.

May 28, 2020 WMAR

Salisbury Mayor deploying to Africa with Maryland National Guard

“I am honored to do my part to ensure that the citizens of this community and all Americans remain safe and free.”

Several news sources published this quote. View them here.

The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.

Mayor Day,

While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.

Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?

December 21st 2019 KOMO News

Legal age to buy cigarettes, vapes raised to 21 nationwide

“Signed into law by President Donald Trump Friday as part of the new $1.4 trillion spending bill, a new measure prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.”