JFK Jr. died in July 1999. As he flew his plane to Martha’s Vineyard, he lacked the experience piloting at night. Unable to see the horizon, he crashed into the ocean with his wife, Carolyn and her sister, Lauren on board. It was one of several Kennedy tragedies or curses that so much of the press has reported on over the years, and it was not the last. Drunk and skiing into a tree, drug overdoses, kayaking out into a Maryland bay, when one isn’t familiar with the waters in that area. Two assassinations in a family, yes, is a tragedy, no family deserves one, much less two. But to call a series of bad choices a curse, is a long shot. Yes, to see people experience bad consequences for their choices is unfortunate and sad, no one wants to see anyone experience bad stuff. However, if you decide to make reckless choices, the possibility of something bad happening is greatly increased. A responsible parent or teacher might say, “When you accept the behavior, you accept the consequences.” A passage from the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible, 26:52 says, “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again they sword into his place:for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
This passage has been looked at over the centuries. At one time, is was interpreted as a nod towards pacifism. Understandable. Another interpretation, most likely the most popular understanding of the verse’s meaning, “What goes around comes around.” Some may call it “Karma” and some may just call it real life natural consequences when you play with fire, as in “When you play with fire, you just might get burned.”
There are so many examples through history, past and more recent, where we have seen examples of this saying played out and sometimes the irony of how it happens, is like something out of complete fiction. In most recent circumstances, as recently as of this past Saturday, not even a complete week ago as of this writing, our own former President, after being shot in the ear, resulting in an assassination attempt, he stood up with the fist to show for all those who saw the event, that he was standing strong and had not been taken out.
Several press agencies have wanted to strike that image, however when Mr. Trump was photographed for a mug shot, they were all about putting that picture out. The press has taken a lot of hits lately and rightfully so. Many in the press, rather than acting as a free (responsible) press that the people of a free country can count on to tell them the news, they covered up, suppressed or neglected to tell facts that would have helped the American people in making their choice for President in the 2020 election. They had evidence that linked presidential candidate Joe Biden to corrupt activity, utilizing his power over the years in American politics. The evidence and Hunter Biden’s computer (left at a store for repair and not picked up), along with bank records and checks told the story of years of pay for play, not only by the current President and his son, but extended family members as well, this would’ve been very valuable information for the American public to have known about and possibly law enforcement official as well. Not only did they neglect to tell the news on this story, the press also neglected to tell the story of Joe Biden‘s declining health. Fast-forward to a few weeks ago when the two current candidates for President were side to side in a debate, they could see for themselves the decline of Joe Biden’s health. It was an embarrassment to the Biden, his family, and all those around him to put him in such an uncomfortable situation, to see the people around him act as if it was something that had just come about, was almost humorous to watch as they talked in circles. When you lie to people, it eventually comes back to haunt you. Some may say you live with a lie, you die with a lie, but eventually the truth comes out.
When you are a free press in a free country, you tell both parts of the story. You can’t pick and choose which chapters of the story you want to communicate to the citizens of a country and which ones you want to leave out to tell a totally different story.
So fiercely, they came after Donald Trump from the very beginning. No doubt Donald Trump is a person that some people love to hate. You might not like his confidence which at times may come off as cocky or him telling about his successes, which are numerous, but he is a man who has taken risks, made some mistakes along the way, made the gossip columns due to some poor behavior personally, but he is a man who knows how to succeed and like him or not, he knows how to get things done and there is no doubt in anybody’s mind how much he loves this country. They say a true measure of a man success is when one looks at the character of his children. You can look at Donald Trump’s kids, and they all seem to be good people. They are kids who were able to start from a higher plateau due to their father and grandfather‘s hard work and success, but they have taken the gifts that they have been given and they had made the most of them. Now his youngest son Baron just eighteen, appears to be a good student, strong athlete and very close to his parents and grandfather. He was very close to the grandmother as well, who passed away this year, spending much time with them, while his dad was President and they helped in looking after Barron while Donald and Melanie were in the White House. His kids have been targets in the media and targets of the judicial system. My observation over the years is that people don’t become billionaires, if they do things corruptly or unlawfully. Eventually, you get found out if that’s the way you operate. Donald Trump has been gone after personally, professionally and lawfully. To see him stand in victory, after being shot was quite a vision. I’ll never forget, say what you want, but his survival is nothing more than a miracle and it’s going take a miracle to save this country from the mess we’re in.
When Donald Trump, decided to run for President and take that journey down the elevator at Trump Tower, some might have thought it was an ego trip or a popularity contest, although he mentioned years ago that he was considering a run for President because he loved America and he hated seeing America being taken advantage of. It should have been no surprise to anyone when he decided to run. With a campaign slogan of Make America Great Again, his journey began. (& what’s wrong with making America great again?). Whether it was naysayers jealous of a man with so much success taking on another venture or whether it was backlash for a non-Washington insiders wanting to take on the swamp of Washington DC and break up their little monopoly on both sides of the political arena and those in government strictly for what they could get out of it or the money they could hope to make from being in the business of government or maybe a combination of all, but there was a certain part of the population who is going to have no part of Donald Trump and MAGA. Not only did they target Trump and his family, but they began targeting anyone close to him or associated with his movement. It was the Russian hoax, interference in the election, impeachment hearings, the Mar-a-Lago incident, peering into his personal life, a former backstabbing employee, Michael Cohen, to name just a few of the arrows shot towards him. Through it all, he’s still managed to stay standing. Most other people might’ve thrown in the towel and headed back to their comfortable life in Palm Beach. Not Donald Trump, he just kept going.
When he decided to run again and made the announcement quite early on in the process, many, even some of his former supporters, said it was time for him to move on, that he had had his chance, and it was time for a new generation to head up the conservative movement. He didn’t give up and as the court cases came they appeared to just make him stronger and those who followed him even more persistent in their support for him. Although some may not have seen or believed his heartfelt dedication to this country when he took the trip down the elevator, I don’t know how anyone who witnessed the actions of this week could think otherwise. He got into this race for his love of the country and it nearly killed him this weekend. he has lived by the ‘sword’ of his patriotism and gratitude for this country, and he nearly died by it and for it this past weekend.
All in less than a week’s time, a rally, a husband and father shot dead, protecting his family and former President Trump dodge death but not a bullet to the ear, selecting a Vice-Presidential candidate, United States Senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance and Trump giving his address at the Republican National Convention, celebrating with his wife, Melania. He came out on stage to the TRUMP backdrop, his iconic logo, in lights.
They say when people go through near death experiences or life altering experiences it changes them. These situations can make one bitter or better, I often say. Saturday may have been one of those experiences for Donald Trump.
Those who aren’t big fans of his, I’m hoping that you will give him a chance, I think the unfortunate circumstances of Saturday may have made him better. When you get into this war of politics, you have to realize that it’s a dirty game and it may just get the best of you. Well, at least on Saturday it didn’t get the best of Donald Trump. There’s so much to think of when one reflects on what happened last Saturday evening in Butler, Pennsylvania. Someone had the power to nearly strike down a former American President in plain sight and on television for all to see. That’s a scary thing. What is more reassuring to me though, is that someone even more powerful, preventing something that could have prompted a chain of events more with frightening consequences, that could have altered our lives greatly. Maybe somebody wants him around a little bit longer.Maybe there is more for him to do.
As a former Secret Service Agent, Dan Bongino often says, and I agree, “I’m long on the United States.” The naysayers, and those who are not fans of Making America Great Again, my question to you is,
-”Why do you wish for our border to not be secure?”
-“Why should our own citizens put up illegal aliens in hotels, and support them, when our own people are struggling with inflation and an increased cost of living to purchase the necessities?”
-“Why should our schools introduce topics to children that should be left to parents to teach?”
-“Why should parents be out of the loop on what their children are being counseled for?”
-“Why are children being subjected to life altering treatments with life long consequences?”
“Why is our country going away with merit based rewards for advancement?” We all suffer when the best candidates are denied jobs and positions. Whether it’s student given entrance into medical programs that they didn’t earn or the best and wisest military not chosen for top ranking positions, not only can these have bad outcomes, they can be down right lethal.
-“Why is the justice system in many cases nothing more than a vigilante system, unleashed on opposing political opponents and their supporters?” Our country was founded on “Liberty Justice for All”, correct?”
-“What’s wrong with using our natural resources to get this country back on track economically?”
The country is so polarized. One side seems to feels that America is loosing its edge as a country, forgetting the core foundations that our founders fought for and our competitiveness in the world, putting ourselves as a country last and our own people at the end of the line. others feel that it seems as if the other side wants to tear this country down, with no border, limited law enforcement in major cities and a broken down legal immigration system with a steady flow of undocumented people coming across a porous border or being flown all over the country for political purposes. To the press and others in the camp of tearing America down and going after MAGA, for the past few years, they’ve lived by that sword…it’s looking like the lies and shenanigans may, cause you to fail by that.
Who knows what will happen in November. There still could be an October surprise, something could happen we have not yet anticipated, anything is possible. Yet what ever happens, I think the American people’s eyes have been open to what’s been going on behind the scenes and the need for us to heal differences as a nation. The former President made the comment in his speech last night, “We are bound together by a single fate and shared destiny. We rise together or we fall apart.” He also made reference in his delivery last night that Americans deserve the best in their leaders, people who will go to bat for them and their best interests.”
What ever sword you live by, or how you choose to live your life, is how it will be lived. The ups and downs of life are ‘givens’ in life on this earth. But the seeds we sow will prove fruitful, what ever those seeds may be.
