Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Ridiculous Examples of Political Correctness (PC)

Written : Mar. 26, 2013

I’m now active on Twitter. Please follow me there at @markacohen

Political Correctness
Stop Political Correctness

Political Correctness (PC) is loosely defined as a description of people and things which cannot be interpreted as insulting to anyone or taking action(s) to prevent hurt feelings. Honesty, expression, and living in the moment are not allowed; instead one must cleanse everything one says, even if it is tainted with falsehood or a ludicrous re-definition of the truth. Examples of PC: a bum = a displaced homeowner, bald = comb-free, the poor = economically challenged. PC is predicated on the premise that no one can take a joke and that everyone is and should be easily insulted. George Orwell, who wrote 1984, once said, “The greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity.” Of course, we shouldn’t go out of our way to insult anyone, but PC is unreasonable and ridiculous at its core.

 Juan Williams
Juan Williams, pictured on FOX News Channel.

In 2010, nine years after 9/11, National Public Radio (NPR) fired thoughtful FOX News contributor Juan Williams. His offense? He expressed an honest feeling about being worried and nervous when he boarded a plane and saw people dressed in Muslim garb.

Christmas vs. Holidays
Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays cartoon

Christmas, the world-wide Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, has been changed by some into a winter solstice holiday. Out of deference to non-Christians, some now refer to the Christmas Season as the Holiday Season. Some firms instruct their employees to say, “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” out of a fear of insulting people of other faiths. Easter egg hunts are sometimes called egg hunts or spring egg hunts.

In the news this past week I heard that a Maryland school banned hugs! In addition, a Facebook photo of a licensed 11-year-old hunter holding a rifle caused the local police to raid his home. His father, a licensed safety officer for the NRA, called his attorney and the police left, after they were unable to produce a warrant. New York City wants to ban about fifty words, phrases, and references, such as dinosaur (it might insult creationists). Alluding to divorce and disease might make kids feel bad because it could remind them of relatives who currently experience those conditions!

 Save the Dates

Some people would like to change the references to years which use B.C. (before Christ), and A.D. (after the death of Christ, or anno domini, the year of our lord). They prefer to use B.C.E. (before the common era) or C.E. (common era). I’d rather turn this on its head and say that B.C.E. means before Christ existed and C.E., Christ’s era. This means, of course, that the PC police must now create new terms and abbreviations which contain no possible reference to Christ!

A.D. vs. C.E.

We must watch what we say now and bow our heads to PC. I know a family in which the father descends from Jews, but no member considers himself or herself Jewish. The adopted daughter prides herself on her thriftiness. The false stereotype out there is that all Jews - and only Jews - save money, and we all understand this is a wild, inaccurate exaggeration. You may recall the Mark Twain quote, “All generalizations are false, including this one…” This woman, over 21, saved some money once, and posted a joke on Facebook about the “Faux Jew” in her. The Urban Dictionary says that faux-jew means, “Someone who looks Jewish and pretends to be Jewish, but really isn't.“ Get it? She saved money (praise, because this is a good thing), but she’s not really Jewish. Okay, it’s not that funny, but that’s not the point. I didn’t examine all 2.4 million hits on Google for “Faux Jew,” but I didn’t find any references to anti-semitism. Yet, many of this family’s Jewish relatives were highly insulted and upset. They even asked the father and mother to scold the woman, their daughter. No fun or jokes, please, people take things so seriously these days!


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Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative blog, Mark A. Cohen, From The Left to the Right, Political Correctness, PC, School Bans, Merry Christmas, Easter egg hunt, insulting, happy holidays, B.C.

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Mark A. Cohen is currently seeking representation for his memoir, From The Left to the Right.

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group (Check out their Facebook page here)

Or, see the Parker Writers Group Web page here

Mark A. Cohen is a member of the Castle Rock Writers (Check out their Facebook page here) Their web page, www.castlerockwriters.com, will also take you to the Facebook page until the web page is completed.

Mark A. Cohen currently sits on the committee which hosted the Castle Rock Writers Conference on October 13, 2012. He is currently their Vice-Treasurer. The group, whose motto is Rock Solid Writing, is seeking their 501c3, and is currently planning the 2013 conference.

Please save the date: Castle Rock Writers will hold the Castle Rock Writers Conference on Saturday, November 23, 2013, at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock, Colorado. Please stay tuned for further information.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 20 minutes at the Coffee4Conservatives meeting at the Firehouse on State Road 83, in Franktown, CO, on Oct. 21, 2012.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 30 minutes at the Douglas County Republicans’ First Friday Breakfast in Parker, CO, held at The War Horse Inn, on Dec. 2, 2011.

Click on the logo below to get to the main CBC site:

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Or, you can find From the Left to the Right on Conservative Blogs Central (it’s now on page 3) by clicking this text.

You might also find From the Left to the Right on the left hand side (after clicking this text) under ‘navigation’ (scroll down a bit) – or, look for/search for/find the text ‘from the’

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Ode to the Welfare State

Written : Mar. 20, 2013

I’m now active on Twitter. Please follow me there at @markacohen

Greetings from the Welfare State

I saw this online and thought I’d pass it on. My apologies if you’ve seen it before. Yeah, I’m mailing it in tonight… just wait until next week… Scroll down for previous posts…

This is reprinted from The New York Daily News (then a conservative paper) on Friday, November 4,1949.

Father, must I go to work?
No, my lucky son.
We're living now on Easy Street
On dough from Washington

Welfare State

We've left it up to Uncle Sam
So don't get exercised.
Nobody has to give a damn
We've all been subsidized.

But if Sam treats us all so well
And feeds us milk and honey,
Please, daddy, tell me what the hell
He's going to use for money.

Don't worry, bub, there's not a hitch
In this here noble plan
He simply soaks the filthy rich
And helps the common man.

But, father, won't there come a time
When they run out of cash
And we have left them not a dime
When things will go to smash?

My faith in you is shrinking, son,
You nosy little brat;
You do too damn much thinking, son,
To be a Democrat.


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Mark A. Cohen is currently seeking representation for his memoir, From The Left to the Right.

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group (Check out their Facebook page here)

Or, see the Parker Writers Group Web page here

Mark A. Cohen is a member of the Castle Rock Writers (Check out their Facebook page here) Their web page, www.castlerockwriters.com, will also take you to the Facebook page until the web page is completed.

Mark A. Cohen currently sits on the committee which hosted the Castle Rock Writers Conference on October 13, 2012. He is currently their Vice-Treasurer. The group, whose motto is Rock Solid Writing, is seeking their 501c3, and is currently planning the 2013 conference.

Please save the date: Castle Rock Writers will hold the Castle Rock Writers Conference on November 23, 2013, at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock, Colorado. Please stay tuned for further information.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 20 minutes at the Coffee4Conservatives meeting at the Firehouse on State Road 83, in Franktown, CO, on Oct. 21, 2012.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 30 minutes at the Douglas County Republicans’ First Friday Breakfast in Parker, CO, held at The War Horse Inn, on Dec. 2, 2011.

Click on the logo below to get to the main CBC site:

Conservative Blogs Central

Or, you can find From the Left to the Right on Conservative Blogs Central (it’s now on page 3) by clicking this text.

You might also find From the Left to the Right on the left hand side (after clicking this text) under ‘navigation’ (scroll down a bit) – or, look for/search for/find the text ‘from the’

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I highly recommend Dr. Anna Geving, my dentist in Parker, CO

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) – The Filibuster and The Great Uniter

Written : Mar. 13, 2013

I’m now active on Twitter. Please follow me there at @markacohen

Honest Democrats exhibited their integrity and fairness with their support of Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) protest of President Obama’s domestic drone program, and I salute them. Paul’s disagreement came in the form of a televised Senate filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination to head the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Senator Paul gave a 12+hour dissertation on the dangers of a policy which implied that the government might just use drones against U.S. citizens when it suspects them of plotting against America. No proof, no trial, just a whim – and collateral damage be damned.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), during his filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination

Rand Paul also protested Attorney General Eric Holder’s vague answers to questions posed by congressmen, which asked if the Obama Administration thought it was constitutional to use drones against American citizens – those who did not pose an “imminent and immediate threat of death or bodily harm.” Fearless Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), asked Mr. Holder the same question three times, re-wording it slightly each time. Holder’s answer was that he labeled such action as not “appropriate.” Most Republicans would have stopped there, or after one repetition, but Sen Cruz asked the U.S. Attorney General a fourth time. Mr. Holder finally said, “No, it isn’t constitutional…” - but it troubled many that it took so much to pull a direct answer from him.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)

I heap praise upon some liberals who once railed against President Bush’s drone programs. They summoned backbone and unwavering principle to express the very same concerns for this, President Obama’s drone program. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), writer John Sirota, and liberal actor John Cusack, among others, showed their genuine support for Sen. Rand Paul’s position. They took off their partisan hats and showed their true colors: they were honest. Don’t get me wrong, I disagree with liberals on most issues, but one must admire the lack of partisan bias. What a refreshing surprise!

Rand Paul is not a conservative, he’s a libertarian, and I don’t agree with him on everything. He’s not my hero - yet. However, I recognize when someone shows the courage of his convictions, and he displayed them in a bold way, without arrogance or disrespect. I’ve heard hyper-partisan detractors say that Rand Paul pulled a selfish stunt, but Brennan was confirmed as CIA Director anyway. And, calling his performance a stunt is like denigrating Senator Obama’s speech at the DNC in 2004 for political reasons. A person who can gather liberals, libertarians, and conservatives under the same tent deserves the highest praise, especially in today’s partisan political world. Sen. Paul did what President Bush and the current president could never accomplish. He showed us that it’s possible to get divided Americans together on an issue. Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) displayed their foolishness and proved they are the irrelevant, old guard by speaking out against him. Senator Paul is truly The Great Uniter, at least in this instance!


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Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative blog, Mark A. Cohen, From The Left to the Right, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Rand Paul Filibuster, Americans Together, Americans Agree, The Great Uniter

Keywords: "Conservatism", "Conservative blog", "Mark A. Cohen", "From The Left to the Right", “Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)”, “Rand Paul Filibuster”, “Americans Together”, “Americans Agree”, “The Great Uniter” ”

Mark A. Cohen is currently seeking representation for his memoir, From The Left to the Right.

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group (Check out their Facebook page here)

Or, see the Parker Writers Group Web page here

Mark A. Cohen is a member of the Castle Rock Writers (Check out their Facebook page here)

Mark A. Cohen currently sits on the committee which hosted the Castle Rock Writers Conference on October 13, 2012. He is currently their Vice-Treasurer. The group, whose motto is Rock Solid Writing, is seeking their 501c3, and will convene to plan the 2013 conference soon.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 20 minutes at the Coffee4Conservatives meeting at the Firehouse on State Road 83, in Franktown, CO, on Oct. 21, 2012.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 30 minutes at the Douglas County Republicans’ First Friday Breakfast in Parker, CO, held at The War Horse Inn, on Dec. 2, 2011.

Click on the logo below to get to the main CBC site:

Conservative Blogs Central

Or, you can find From the Left to the Right on Conservative Blogs Central (it’s now on page 3) by clicking this text.

You might also find From the Left to the Right on the left hand side (after clicking this text) under ‘navigation’ (scroll down a bit) – or, look for/search for/find the text ‘from the’

From the Left to the Right - Follow this link to Facebook and please click “Like” !

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I highly recommend Dr. Anna Geving, my dentist in Parker, CO

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

What is Progress?

Written : Mar. 6, 2013

I’m now active on Twitter. Please follow me there at @markacohen

Progress

Since the end of the U.S. Civil War, Americans have defined progress as increased manufacturing on all levels, suburban sprawl, and technological advances, in other words, more of everything. We all enjoyed when the U.S. economy boomed. Thriving businesses, higher profits, leisure time spent on cruise ships, more travel, etc. Everyone tells me that they don’t look back; we must progress - and move forward. But, what do they mean?

The left conditioned us to think that moving backward connotes conditions worse than we experience now, and yet, some people secretly love them. While laying this groundwork, they used negatives like slavery, oppressive working conditions, and a time when women couldn’t vote as a way to define bygone eras. They also perpetuated a shocking myth, which more and more people believe: cretins, monsters, and most conservatives pine for such days to return! As a youth, I preferred to think of the past as a peaceful and simpler time - before machines made annoying, vibrating noises. But I lost. You can’t have it both ways (the past can’t be both good and bad), they said. So, I learned that progress is the combination of human, societal AND technological advances, all together. Progress, they said. So, we embraced the ever-increasing human population – more meant better, faster. Propeller planes died off in favor of quicker jets. We hailed mechanical inventions and new ways to use the earth’s abundant and self-renewing resources became a rallying cry. At some point I accepted this meaning, also my left-wing parents’ definition of ‘progress.’

Progress

Carly Fiorina, past president of HP, said this at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) meeting in early 2012: "If you looked up the word PROGRESSIVE in the dictionary, you would read words like change, forward motion, advancing. If you look up CONSERVATIVE, you will read opposed to change. The 21st century and the age of technology have turned these definitions on their head. It is progressives who fight to preserve a system of big government and institutional power that is increasingly anachronistic (backward looking) and ineffective – not to mention too expensive. It is conservatives who are fighting to limit the power of bureaucracies and unleash the power of the individual (this is the way forward). Progressives are fighting against the tide of history and the power of technology. Conservatives embrace the principles upon which our great nation was founded and upon which the new world of the 21st century must be built: empower the individual, unleash the entrepreneur and truly unlock the potential of this great nation."

Long ago the left revered freedom and individual liberties. Today it unknowingly works to remove them, as many as possible, for some “greater good.” This is communitarianism; the community is more valuable than the person. Cleaning up the earth and keeping it pristine for future generations is a good idea, but, as I’ve shown in this blog, idealistic concepts have been molded into cases for command and control. The creators called such perversions their “Agenda 21.”

Progress

The sweet dream of living in a large house with two (or even, God forbid, three) cars with lots of kids became a sort of horror for some. Instead of viewing inspirational stories as moving on up, the elites see these formerly progressive lifestyles as wasteful and destructive. Doing well for yourself and the family? Not so fast, they consider this selfish, not successful, optimistic, or refreshing. The ideal is now a small apartment, light rail, and a timid, small family. How did this happen? Why?

Progress

The environmentalists re-defined the original definition of progress the left taught many of us. Instead of enjoying one’s time off by ‘taking a drive,’ they now frown upon the burning of gasoline and favor trains over cars. Take a moment to notice: they frown a lot and favor the pessimistic outlook. Instead of celebrating people and society, they think that human populations spoil the world’s finite resources; they want us to return to the time of horses and buggies. Living in more compact confines, using fewer kilowatt hours, smaller and smaller footprints save the earth, they say. Freedom be damned, so instead they ask, “Is it sustainable?” Environmentalists have the gall to tell us that “the future is the past.” But, how is moving backward a valid definition of ‘forward?’

I ask you, “What is progress?”


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Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative blog, Mark A. Cohen, From The Left to the Right, Progress, What is Progress?, Environmentalists, Agenda 21, suburban sprawl, liberty, the way forward

Keywords: "Conservatism", "Conservative blog", "Mark A. Cohen", "From The Left to the Right", “Progress”, “What is Progress?”, “Environmentalists”, “Agenda 21”, “suburban sprawl”, “liberty”, “the way forward”

Mark A. Cohen is currently seeking representation for his memoir, From The Left to the Right.

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group (Check out their Facebook page here)

Or, see the Parker Writers Group Web page here

Mark A. Cohen is a member of the Castle Rock Writers (Check out their Facebook page here)

Mark A. Cohen currently sits on the committee which hosted the Castle Rock Writers Conference on October 13, 2012. He is currently their Vice-Treasurer. The group, whose motto is Rock Solid Writing, is seeking their 501c3, and will convene to plan the 2013 conference soon.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 20 minutes at the Coffee4Conservatives meeting at the Firehouse on State Road 83, in Franktown, CO, on Oct. 21, 2012.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 30 minutes at the Douglas County Republicans’ First Friday Breakfast in Parker, CO, held at The War Horse Inn, on Dec. 2, 2011.

Click on the logo below to get to the main CBC site:

Conservative Blogs Central

Or, you can find From the Left to the Right on Conservative Blogs Central (it’s now on page 3) by clicking this text.

You might also find From the Left to the Right on the left hand side (after clicking this text) under ‘navigation’ (scroll down a bit) – or, look for/search for/find the text ‘from the’

From the Left to the Right - Follow this link to Facebook and please click “Like” !

Hyper Smash

I highly recommend Dr. Anna Geving, my dentist in Parker, CO

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Surgeon, Professor, Dr. Benjamin Carson – Common Sense Ideas for Our Confusing Time

Written : Feb. 26, 2013

I’m now active on Twitter. Please follow me there at @markacohen

Dr. Benjamin Carson Dr. Benjamin Carson
Dr. Benjamin Carson

The neurosurgeon who became the first to separate conjoined twins (joined at the back of the head), is a genius. Not necessarily because of his vast medical knowledge, but thanks to his uncanny ability to speak about the issues of the day. Dr. Benjamin Carson, 61, Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics at John Hopkins University, spoke as the keynote at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast on February 9. The topics at this yearly event, for the most part cover religion, but Dr. Carson touched on politics, a tricky subject, because the President of the United States sat close by with the First Lady. However, Dr. Carson approached the subject with care and dignity.

Dr. Ben Carson speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast
Dr. Benjamin Carson speaking at the prayer breakfast

Past keynotes included Mother Theresa, American politicians of both major parties, and various Prime Ministers (including Tony Blair of England). When they touched on politics they spoke in vague generalities about peace, love, and standing with those left behind. Dr. Carson used specifics, however. Using his usual, quiet tone, Dr. Carson quoted four bible verses. Then he illustrated the problems with the dangerous, politically correct (PC) police. On some TV shows since he has called them “bullies” and vowed to stand up against them. “People are afraid to say Merry Christmas at Christmas time… That’s a salutation, a greeting of goodwill. We’ve got to get over this sensitivity…it keeps people from saying what they really believe.” He stressed the importance of communication, and the value of respect for those “with whom we disagree.”

In his own words, “My mother got married when she was 13. She was one of 24 children. Had a horrible life. Discovered that her husband was a bigamist, had another family. And she only had a third grade education. She had to take care of us. Dire poverty. I had a horrible temper, poor self-esteem. All the things that you think would preclude success. But I had something very important, I had a mother who believed in me, and I had a mother who would never allow herself to be a victim no matter what happened. Never made excuses, and she never accepted an excuse from us. And if we ever came up with an excuse, she always said do you have a brain? And if the answer was, “yes,” then she said then you could have thought your way out of it. It doesn’t matter what John or Susan or Mary, or anybody else did or said. And it was the most important thing she did for my brother and myself. Because if you don’t accept excuse, pretty soon people stop giving them, and they start looking for solutions. And that is a critical issue when it comes to success.” How can anyone not embrace this peaceful and thoughtful man? He dislikes stereotypes and political ideologues, and denigrating one’s opponent, saying, “What we need to start thinking about is, ‘how do we solve problems?’” How can anyone argue with that?

Dr. Benjamin Carson
Dr. Benjamin Carson

Dr. Carson wants America to “have good health care for everybody.” But he proposed that “when a person is born, give him a birth certificate, an electronic medical record and a health savings account (HSA), to which money can be contributed, pre-tax from the time you are born, to the time you die. When you die, you can pass it on to your family members so that when you’re 85 years old and you’ve got 6 diseases, you’re not trying to spend up everything. You’re happy to pass it on and nobody is talking about death panels.” What a terrific idea, but I wonder what President and Mrs. Obama thought?

Dr. Carson is a vigorous proponent of education, but he denounced the national debt. “$16.5 trillion – you think that’s not a lot of money? I’ll tell you what, count one number per second …one number per second. You know how long it would take you to count to 16 trillion? 507,000 years – more than a half a million years to get there. We have to deal with this.” He’s for a much simpler tax code. Dr. Carson used the tithe as an example. He said that, and he doesn’t propose 10%, that if a man makes $10, he may give $1. If a man makes $10 billion, he puts in $1 billion, the same ratio. God didn’t say, he reasoned, that “if your crops fail, don’t give me any tithes. He didn’t say, if you have a bumper crop, give me triple tithes. So there must be something inherently fair about proportionality.” I think that by quoting God and saying that the media tries “to define what you’re supposed to think,” he can’t be elected to public office, but he will make a fine cabinet member someday, perhaps Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Reaction to Dr. Carson’s speech at the prayer breakfast was mixed, of course. Some thought he owed President Obama an apology. Those who can’t stand any criticism of President Obama (and even some on the right) called his speech disrespectful. I tried to find any nasty attacks on Dr. Carson on the web, but there are few, if any, out there. Many on the left compare him to conservatives who have been ridiculed by the mainstream media and say they never heard of him, but they cannot or will not criticize his message. Conservatives, for the most part, hailed him as the best, possibly the only one of late, who has articulated their message with such crispness and clarity. They used a phrase of the left, popular during George W. Bush’s presidency, saying that Carson “spoke truth to power.” Responding to criticism from the left, Dr. Carson, with a calm voice asked, “When did this become a monarchy?” and, “The President works for us.” Like me, last year’s National Prayer breakfast speaker, author Eric Metaxas, who posed with a picture of President Obama, taken by VP Joe Biden at last year’s National Prayer Breakfast, also praised Dr. Carson for his talk.

You can Google “Dr. Benjamin Carson,” but I’ll give you some links for starters. I suggest we read all we can on Dr. Carson, because with his supreme grasp of logic and a unique set of ideas, he’s going places.

Articles on Dr. Carson from the middle-left: One, Two

Article on Dr. Carson from the right

The 2013 National Prayer Breakfast Video

The Transcript for Dr. Carson’s speech


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Gotta B Right

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Mark A. Cohen is currently seeking representation for his memoir, From The Left to the Right.

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group (Check out their Facebook page here)

Or, see the Parker Writers Group Web page here

Mark A. Cohen is a member of the Castle Rock Writers (Check out their Facebook page here)

Mark A. Cohen currently sits on the committee which hosted the Castle Rock Writers Conference on October 13, 2012. He is currently their Vice-Treasurer. The group, whose motto is Rock Solid Writing, is seeking their 501c3, and will convene to plan the 2013 conference soon.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 20 minutes at the Coffee4Conservatives meeting at the Firehouse on State Road 83, in Franktown, CO, on Oct. 21, 2012.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 30 minutes at the Douglas County Republicans’ First Friday Breakfast in Parker, CO, held at The War Horse Inn, on Dec. 2, 2011.

Click on the logo below to get to the main CBC site:

Conservative Blogs Central

Or, you can find From the Left to the Right on Conservative Blogs Central (it’s now on page 3) by clicking this text.

You might also find From the Left to the Right on the left hand side (after clicking this text) under ‘navigation’ (scroll down a bit) – or, look for/search for/find the text ‘from the’

From the Left to the Right - Follow this link to Facebook and please click “Like” !

Hyper Smash

I highly recommend Dr. Anna Geving, my dentist in Parker, CO

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Gun Control Debate and Rep. Chris Holbert (R-CO) – Part III

Written : Feb. 9, 12, 18, 2013

I’m now active on Twitter. Please follow me there at @markacohen

Colorado State Representative Chris Holbert Colorado State Representative Chris Holbert Colorado State Representative Chris Holbert

I posted Part I of this series on Feb 5, 2013.

I posted Part II of this series on Feb 12, 2013.

This one, Part III, is the final post of this series.

A couple of weeks ago Rep. Chris Holbert (R-CO) accomplished for conservatives what I try to do with this blog for everyone. He made a mere suggestion, posed a couple of hypothetical questions, and took some of us off the beaten path. When we all head down the rabbit hole in a hurry, sometimes it takes a simple, clear, and bold statement to reverse course. He did this for me, and I appreciated it. Republicans must learn to highlight sensible alternatives, as Rep. Holbert did, and they need to communicate the same to open-minded people who don’t necessarily identify as conservatives. Our message, our way can resonate, but, to use a baseball metaphor, will our elected officials step up to the plate and hit a double - which might just turn into a home run?

The idea to ban munitions for the general public seems overly charged with emotion and void of careful thought. Not to everyone, perhaps, but to me. Can the ordinary citizen remain calm enough to aim at and shoot several drug-crazed thieves in his or her living room - with only one weapon and a handful of bullets? Would we succeed in defending our families with this restriction in place? I saw Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. speak about the issue on TV. He calmly urged residents to “take a firearm safety course.” After reviewing the same video, one of the pundits on NBC’s Today show said that they heard nothing of safety in Clarke’s message, so they obviously didn’t listen to what he said, and two others called the sheriff irresponsible. With cuts in many local budgets, I disagree, and think Sheriff Clarke showed competency when he said, “I need you in the game.” He meant that the police can’t do it alone – they need a ready public.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke

The Obama Administration’s Department of Homeland Security issued a video which, in the case of an attack on your workplace suggests that you to run, hide, and pleads that defenders use anything they can find (not a gun) against the assailants. It shows a participant in a staged event grabbing a pair of scissors from a drawer. Which idea makes more sense? Would you choose to defend yourself with some heat, or run, hide, and use a pair of scissors?

Democrats hurriedly drafted new legislation, but shouldn’t we further refine Gabby Gifford’s statement in which she urges our national legislators to take action, RIGHT NOW? Yes, the issue requires more study. Thanks to Colorado State Representative Chris Holbert for keeping us informed and thinking about the gun debate’s intricacies. We need fewer knee-jerk reactions, and more consideration. The people tire of lawmakers making major decisions on their behalf - without presenting the proof. This is not the end of the debate, Ms. Giffords. You said that the “time is now.” Of course it is, but not for immediate action, for clarification and more examination, instead. We need to mull this one over a while before we make any old change because we feel panicky. Sorry, we’ll need to see what’s in this bill before they pass it!


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Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative blog, Mark A. Cohen, From The Left to the Right, Red Eye, Chris Holbert, Gun Control Debate, Gabby Giffords, Gabrielle Giffords, Second Amendment

Keywords: "Conservatism", "Conservative blog", "Mark A. Cohen", "From The Left to the Right", “Red Eye”, “Chris Holbert”, “Gun Control Debate”, “Gabby Giffords”, “Gabrielle Giffords”, “Second Amendment”

Mark A. Cohen is currently seeking representation for his memoir, From The Left to the Right.

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group (Check out their Facebook page here)

Or, see the Parker Writers Group Web page here

Mark A. Cohen is a member of the Castle Rock Writers (Check out their Facebook page here)

Mark A. Cohen currently sits on the committee which hosted the Castle Rock Writers Conference on October 13, 2012. He is currently their Vice-Treasurer. The group, whose motto is Rock Solid Writing, is seeking their 501c3, and will convene to plan the 2013 conference soon.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 20 minutes at the Coffee4Conservatives meeting at the Firehouse on State Road 83, in Franktown, CO, on Oct. 21, 2012.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 30 minutes at the Douglas County Republicans’ First Friday Breakfast in Parker, CO, held at The War Horse Inn, on Dec. 2, 2011.

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I highly recommend Dr. Anna Geving, my dentist in Parker, CO

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Gun Control Debate and Rep. Chris Holbert (R-CO) – Part II

Written : Feb. 4-5, 9, 2013

I’m now active on Twitter. Please follow me there at @markacohen

Colorado State Representative Chris Holbert Colorado State Representative Chris Holbert

I posted Part One of this post last week (on Feb 5, 2013), please use this link to read it.

After hearing Rep. Chris Holbert (R-CO) speak, I considered the questions he posed on gun control. Meanwhile, on the way to work, I heard We’re All Alone by Boz Scaggs, and Suzie Q by Credence Clearwater Revival. These songs are as different as right and left-wing opinions. “Of course, this is the story of my life,” I reminded myself. Then, the same old question, “Should we choose restrictions or freedom?” That’s now an easy one for me. I choose freedom - but why? Restrictions lead to tyranny and freedom leads to liberty. As a former major league baseball manager once said, “It’s that simple.”

In response to pressure we might feel to set up a CIA/FBI national database of law-abiding citizens who own guns, should we rely on knee-jerk reactions, leaping to conclusions, panic and fear? In an effort to satisfy a lust for vengeance, must we screen everyone for mental health issues and/or impose a healthy dose of taxes on them before they buy a gun? Rep. Holbert suggested that perhaps thoughtfulness is a better way. For this balance I consulted my friends. Most of them don’t identify as strict conservatives, but every one of them stressed the importance of thinking it over instead of rushing to any old one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a balance of security vs. liberty, they all agreed (yes, even my liberal friends), and they raised more questions we must ask.

Does Jared Loughner deserve the same freedoms we enjoy – before he kills? No one wants him to kill, but if his record is clean, how can we stop him ahead of the crime? Should convicted criminals forfeit the right to carry? How would you know ahead of time if Seung-Hui Cho is going to commit mass murder? Should we allow his parents or elementary school teachers to decide? What qualifies them? If we bestow the power to deny a citizen his rights, which procedures would we use, and which board of directors gets to choose them? Do we have the power to strip others of their rights? How far will it go before someone takes away some of your rights – just because someone wrongly thinks that you pose a danger to the rest of us?

If your government limits the number of legal guns you can purchase, criminals - who don’t let laws influence their behavior - will try to obtain them illegally. With the same stroke of the pen, more law-abiding citizens would lose the capability for self-defense. For example, if they reduce magazine capacities to 7 cartridges each, as the state of New York did, what will happen during the next surprise break-in? Yes, more innocents will die.

I’ll post Part III next week.


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Scroll down: Rosa Koire explains Agenda 21

SUGGESTED TV SHOW - for your DVR

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BLOG ROLL (Political):

Merlin

Gotta B Right

Conservative Blogs Central

Denver Tea Party

Coffee4Conservatives

Libertarian Party Platform

I’m 41

BLOG ROLL (Writers):

Joy Overbeck

C.K. Fardoe

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azcrumpty

BLOG-PING SITES:

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Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative blog, Mark A. Cohen, From The Left to the Right, Red Eye, Chris Holbert, Gun Control Debate, Gabby Giffords, Gabrielle Giffords, Second Amendment

Keywords: "Conservatism", "Conservative blog", "Mark A. Cohen", "From The Left to the Right", “Red Eye”, “Chris Holbert”, “Gun Control Debate”, “Gabby Giffords”, “Gabrielle Giffords”, “Second Amendment”

Mark A. Cohen is currently seeking representation for his memoir, From The Left to the Right.

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group

Mark A. Cohen is a member of and helps run the Parker Writers Group (Check out their Facebook page here)

Or, see the Parker Writers Group Web page here

Mark A. Cohen is a member of the Castle Rock Writers (Check out their Facebook page here)

Mark A. Cohen currently sits on the committee which hosted the Castle Rock Writers Conference on October 13, 2012. He is currently their Vice-Treasurer. The group, whose motto is Rock Solid Writing, is seeking their 501c3, and will convene to plan the 2013 conference soon.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 20 minutes at the Coffee4Conservatives meeting at the Firehouse on State Road 83, in Franktown, CO, on Oct. 21, 2012.

Mark A. Cohen spoke for about 30 minutes at the Douglas County Republicans’ First Friday Breakfast in Parker, CO, held at The War Horse Inn, on Dec. 2, 2011.

Click on the logo below to get to the main CBC site:

Conservative Blogs Central

Or, you can find From the Left to the Right on Conservative Blogs Central (it’s now on page 3) by clicking this text.

You might also find From the Left to the Right on the left hand side (after clicking this text) under ‘navigation’ (scroll down a bit) – or, look for/search for/find the text ‘from the’

From the Left to the Right - Follow this link to Facebook and please click “Like” it!

Hyper Smash

I highly recommend Dr. Anna Geving, my dentist in Parker, CO