Beyond 1984, right here in River City?

November 2011
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Beyond 1984, right here in River City?

10 November 2011

George Rebane

Yesterday’s 11am PST nationwide FEMA radio alert made many people of all political persuasions sit up and take notice. It appears that the federal hardwired capability to control content on all broadcast media is now in place, is operational, and (here’s the interesting part) ready to be exercised with non-emergency content.

Infowars.com reports (here) that this technology demonstration is just the first step in a systematic government takeover of all broadcast and internet media via existing executive orders. The claim is made that the feds have already notified all radio stations to “prepare for multiple hours per day” of government programming. Sorta like the street propaganda and patriotic music loudspeakers on city streets in totalitarian countries.

Even though the technology exists and is in place, the whole affair seems a little farfetched; don’t we all have ‘Not in America!’ ringing in our ears?

Posted in Agenda 21, Current Affairs, Our Country

74 responses to “Beyond 1984, right here in River City?”

Mikey McD

10 November 2011

I am sure FEMA is subliminally peppering us with anecdotes like “there is no unemployment” or “its Bush’s fault” or “inflation is a figment of your imagination” or “income inequality is the devil” or “these are not the droids you are looking for”….

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Judi Caler

10 November 2011

Thank you, George, for giving this serious topic the attention it deserves. We need to help the linked infowars.com youtube go viral. It isn’t a left/right issue. It is time for the sheeple to take their heads out of the sand–maybe their ears would stop ringing.

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Todd Juvinall

10 November 2011

When I heard this was going to take place I was shocked. The memo said the President will have the switch! Yep, this is very very bad for the potential of abuse.

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Dave Cranfield

10 November 2011

I was in Santa Cruz FEMA alert was sounded, listening to KPIG in Watsonville. I heard the klaxon sound just fine, followed by static. Over the static there was a voice, but I could not make out what was being said. Sounded like a basic beginners, Heathkit radio kit receiver.

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D. King

10 November 2011

True Judi, left / right doesn’t matter on this one.

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Greg Goodknight

10 November 2011

ECOMCON, anyone?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_in_May
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058576/
One of the great Constitutional movies; if you’ve not seen it, you’ve got something to go dig out asap. I think it’s Kirk Douglas’ best role, and a fantastic cast.

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Steve Frisch

10 November 2011

Seriously?…….I mean seriously? I think fear may be the new opiate of the masses.

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Michael Anderson

10 November 2011

Infowars, George? I hope you’re kidding…
Alex Jones is great entertainment, just like Rush. But neither are to be taken seriously.
Ear candy, nothing more.

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Scott Obermuller

10 November 2011

Steve – that was pretty funny. The left is all about fear. Nothing new there. The left has done nothing for the last 100 years but pound the message that you are powerless and alone and need the group/govt/masses/community to even function as a human being. The left has had a new doomsday scenario about the world coming to an end for decades. Never mind that it’s for polar opposite reasons. The left has no need for continuity or clarity. It’s all about DO IT NOW! Don’t question – don’t hesitate. As the Firesign Theater told us: follow the instructions on your television. And the nice thing is – who are we worried about that will follow the instructions on their screen. Why, the great middle of the road masses so extolled by the lefties here and on JPs blog. Yes, they are not so extreme as to think with their own brains – they don’t need to – they are MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. Most of the dead animals I see on the road are in the middle.

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RL Crabb

10 November 2011

I just want to say how inspiring these blogs for me. Here we have an explosion of paranoia over a national disaster warning system. Subliminal messages from FEMA? Part of the UN plot for one world government? The right is always telling us what an ineffectual body the United Nations is, but the blue helmets are going to march in and take our guns away? Or will they use our own troops? Right. Like the US military would go for that!
Now over on SFR, everyone is stumbling over each other apologizing because someone mentioned the word “racism”. Hokey smokes! And the controversy is over an old map of an obscure trickle of water that was named Negro Creek a hundred years ago. The Chico branch of the NAACP is offended by the word ‘negro’. What about Colored People? Isn’t it about time they changed it to NAAAfrican Americans? As for the creek, maybe they ought to call it ‘No Offend Any Minority Creek’.
Racism exists. Government overreach exists. But the right and left in this country have definitely gone bonkers when they turn every situation out of context and make it political. Thanks again for the inspiration. I’ll never run out of material.

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George Rebane

10 November 2011

Looking forward to your graphic art lampooning this Bob; RR will feature it immediately. In the interval, how would your cartoon on the subject change if you confirmed and/or heard the first non-emergency government content on FEMA’s ’emergency alert’ nationwide broadcast?

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D. King

10 November 2011

Great flick Greg. Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNXjZJ_0OSg&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL34FA1FFE1BC4A811

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D. King

10 November 2011

Posted by: Steve Frisch
Seriously?…….I mean seriously? I think fear may be the new opiate of the masses.
Pelosi: Republicans Want Women To Die On The Floor
Hey Steve, can you please keep this fact under your hat. I don’t want my sisters to find out. Thanks buddy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoltiuM00TQ

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D. King

10 November 2011

RL Crabb | 10 November 2011 at 08:33 PM
In another 100 years, this may be sexist and violent Bob.
Chickasaw river

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Steve Frisch

10 November 2011

Sale on Tin Foil Hats at Walmart. Run on down to Roseville boys.

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Michael Anderson

10 November 2011

GR asked of RL: “In the interval, how would your cartoon on the subject change if you confirmed and/or heard the first non-emergency government content on FEMA’s ’emergency alert’ nationwide broadcast?”
I can’t speak for RL, but I think the true response is that no one in America would abide it, regardless of political party, union membership, social status/class, education, or any other affiliations.

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Douglas Keachie

11 November 2011

If Greg likes “7 days in May,” does he also like “Z!” I rate them both quite highly. Michael, I’m concerned we may have a frogpot situation here. First usages will be far apart, heart string tugging Amber Alerts, and then it will move forwards. In the early days of PBS, a commercial donor would be cited in rolling credits, for a few second at most. Look where we are now, with spots running 30 seconds and more, and bunched up together.

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Douglas Keachie

11 November 2011

Strange how we’ll put together a system that tells us we’ve got problems, that is a one way street, from gov to us, but we can’t fix the source of the problems.

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Todd Juvinall

11 November 2011

Freish would be the head commissar wearing the reflective material on his head. What an arrogant putz. Reading this reminds me of the the old saying (of which I will wreck I am sure) of if you want something to worm its way in slowly, drip, drip, drip on the rock. Eventually you have a hole in the rock. No one here is paranoid as far as I can read. I think those making fun of the issue are simply ill informed. When Stalin starved to death the peasants by the millions in the Ukraine, they just could never believe he would do such a thing.

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Brad Croul

11 November 2011

Funny..I did not get any FEMA text or voicemail on my, computer, cell phone, or house phone. I was not watching TV or listening to the radio yesterday so I guess I missed out on all the fun.
I don’t see what all the hysteria is about. Don’t we already have this capability with the Amber Alert system?
I think I will save my paranoia until such time that we have TV/radio/phones implanted in our cerebral cortex.

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Steve Frisch

11 November 2011

I wholly agree Todd, the US governments effort to keep Americans safe by having an effective emergency warning system is a direct analogue to mass murder by Joseph Stalin.
I have no doubt that many tin foil shielded readers here would agree. That’s what makes this so much fun. We don’t even have to try to make you people look ridiculous.

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George Rebane

11 November 2011

MichaelA 1155pm – Agreed. That may one point that almost all of us would agree on.
DougK 1245am – Good observation. Yes, that would be the way I would introduce such programming. And starting to worry about it when you have microchip implants would definitely be a bit late.
SteveF 753am – On time and on message as expected.

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Todd Juvinall

11 November 2011

George, doesn’t the Freisch support AB32 in California? Yep, and doesn’t that reach into every aspect of each Californians lives? Yep. So, I would suggest people like Freisch are being picky about the issue of government overreach.

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George Rebane

11 November 2011

Yes, SteveF is on record supporting AB32 and the disease it is spreading throughout California. The latest on NPR this morning was more news on California’s revenues shortfall in spite of the increases in taxes and fees as companies escape the state. The ‘green industry’ imposed by AB32 is firmly on its ass and has no hope of doing anything for California under the current government diktats.

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D. King

11 November 2011

Sorry O.T.
What do you think of this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hSTvdugu2_A

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Larry Wirth

11 November 2011

Why do we need this? Natural disasters give us ample warning (hurricanes) or none (earthquakes). What kind of emergency is truly “national” is scope? Think about it…

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Greg Goodknight

11 November 2011

Amber alerts are messages regarding child abduction situations that stations then choose when to air, not a commandeering of a station’s broadcast. They’re also not Federal.
In FEMA we Trust.

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D. King

11 November 2011

“What kind of emergency is truly “national” is scope? Think about it…”
Good point Larry.

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Steve Frisch

11 November 2011

I am sure George that you had the same objections to the civilian defense drills of the 1950’s and 1960’s. I mean really, silly exercises to ensure that everyone could “duck and cover” were really a government attempt to indoctrinate children into anti-communist ideology, right? They were national mind control, right? You must have protested at the time, from your position firmly ensconced in the military industrial complex.
Clearly the emergency response system is primarily intended for localized emergencies, as indicated by Larry above. But does it take a rocket scientist (or two) to figure out that national emergency response could also be used to provide instructions on availability of vaccines in an epidemic emergency, or terrorists threats in a national security event, or widespread cross jurisdictional and cross media market evacuations in the case of hurricanes, tsunami or earthquake?
The paranoia displayed here is stunning in its depth.

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Greg Goodknight

11 November 2011

Frisch, the ability to get messages out is already up to those challenges, without the giving FEMA the power to remotely flip a switch and have the government’s message be broadcast verbatim, in real time, on privately owned transmitters without the broadcaster’s ability to judge for themselves.
It doesn’t take a paranoid personality to wonder how this could be misused.

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Judi Caler

11 November 2011

Just so you know, Steve Frisch’s job as president and founding member of the Sierra Business Council is to promote the global agenda. Not only does he support AB 32, Todd, the SBC worked hand in hand with ICLEI through PG&E to bring greenhouse gas emissions reports to our entire region, including Nevada County and the City of Grass Valley, paid for by we the taxpayers and ratepayers. They are working to develop climate action plans to be rubber stamped by our BOS, circumventing our representative form of government. ICLEI is an NGO accredited by the United Nations to bring on Sustainable Development in America; sustainable development is synonymous with Agenda 21. ICLEI stands for International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (it has been funded, among others, by George Soros), and changed its name to ICLEI—Local Governments For Sustainability because they’d rather the rest of us not notice what the “I” stands for. I wouldn’t expect anything else from Steve but to name call and marginalize those of us that are aware of what they are doing, telling us to get our tinfoil hats on. That’s what they do. That’s where Steve’s financial interest lies—with the greedy people who are working at breakneck speed to control our lives. It is the same interest as the UN and the federal government which includes FEMA. That’s why no matter how much logic we feed him, Steve will never change. If you listen to this video, you’ll see exactly where Steve is coming from. The Sierra Business Council comes up after the first few minutes and is mentioned throughout. Even our friend Steve is mentioned if you listen long enough. The speaker, Michael Shaw’s credentials are impeccable as head of Freedom Advocates; he has been researching and speaking on this subject for years. He is speaking to Amador County and has researched who they are dealing with—the same players in many cases as we are, i.e. the SBC. His comments can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2-AVniAgM

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George Rebane

11 November 2011

LarryW – I asked myself that question, and wasn’t able to come up with a good answer that required this increase in national communications functionality. Although, agreeing with GregG, I was able to come up with several bad answers.
In a free nation it is always better to be leery, about matters of state control, communications, and weapons. As taught by our Founders, a free man always looks at his government with suspicion if he wants to remain free. Our two centuries have more than taught us the truth of violating this principle. And the minions of the state, who will denounce anyone who so deports himself, are always with us.

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D. King

11 November 2011

Maybe China needs one of these FEMA systems.
What do you and your friends think Mr. Frisch?
http://www.businessinsider.com/china-elite-talking-about-a-revolution-2011-11#ixzz1dEKfCt1Q

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Todd Juvinall

11 November 2011

SteveF is a lover of big government so it is totally rational h would favor more and more government. He takes government money and holds forums for government personnel. The issue of communications from the Feds to every state and every American in one swoop is very much something a big government socialist like SteveF would agree to. What underlies all this is the “switch”. It is my understanding the internet will be hooked up to that switch, as well as TV and Radio, and the President is the one with the switch on his wall. Now it seems we already have this switch in China and Venezuela and I heard there is one in the limited internet of Cuba. SteveF agrees there should be this “switch” because it makes sense regarding leftwing power. How easy will it be to turn the switch on and off for every single outlet in America? Very easy now.

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D. King

11 November 2011

That’s right Todd, just like Egypt.
http://techland.time.com/2011/01/28/how-egypt-cut-off-the-internet/

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Todd Juvinall

11 November 2011

Right on the mark Dave!

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Todd Juvinall

11 November 2011

The “ONE” just nixed 20,000 jobs and energy independence with the signature on a piece of paper. Yep, he would never usu the “switch”, right?

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Mike Thornton

11 November 2011

This is hilarious!
Now the “Gang of 8” is following Alex Jones.
What next? Decoding the secret Biblical messages on Capitalism within L. Ron Hubbard?
Hey, I’m sure Nevada County just can’t wait for an “Info Wars” member of the BOS!!!!!

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Greg Goodknight

11 November 2011

Frisch needs to turn every argument into a name calling, with the readers here denigrated as paranoid and fringe. It’s easier than engaging in a debate of ideas.
Many on the left were claiming just a few years ago that Bush and Cheney were all set to suspend the constitution and elections in order to retain power, and believed they were behind 9/11 in huge conspiracy, truly lunatic fringe material. Imagine Frisch & Friends guessing what Cheney might be up to with FEMA broadcasts!

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George Rebane

11 November 2011

MikeT – every time you arrive in these comment streams, you are like a fresh spring breeze – blowing across a feedlot. Do you have any insights to add about the new FEMA communication system, or does your enjoyment from these visits extend only to the amount of snark you can dish out about the other commenters? What a remarkable literary and intellectual trail you leave.

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RL Crabb

11 November 2011

While we are waiting for the Femacopters to drop anthrax on Nevada County, let us consider the prescription for reform offered by George in the previous thread…
“The voting franchaise would be both structured and restricted to keep a wider range of idiots out of the voting booth.”
As a self-proclaimed idiot, I assume I would have to pass some kind of test to prove I am voting the way the majority thinks I should. It does seem that some animals are more equal than others.

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Mikey McD

11 November 2011

still laughing George “…blowing across a feedlot”- progressives have no capacity for solutions, just hate.
Solutions you ask: http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/ron-paul-plan-to-restore-america/

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Greg Goodknight

11 November 2011

RLC, I still kick myself for not affecting a citizen’s arrest at a polling place in the 80’s, in SoCal. Had I a mobile phone (comparatively rare in those days) I might have. It was towards the end of the voting day, and I was standing in my booth going through my ballot when another voter came in, with a brand new friend. The friend was showing this obviously mentally challenged voter how to vote and who he should be voting for. It took several commands to leave by the poll workers, with increasing volume and threats, before he did but by then the ‘correct’ votes were probably cast.
I had no way to tell who the campaign worker was pushing, but I’m guessing it wasn’t any of the folks who got my vote.

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Steve Frisch

11 November 2011

Hey Greg, I was out there saying that the insane charges against Bush and Cheney re: 9/11 were hogwash and that anyone advancing them was a freak…..I don’t save my paranoid freak moniker for right, I have used it liberally with the left as well, as recently as last week when I clearly stated that the OWS crew needs to get an agenda that makes sense because they are looking like fools and crackpots.
But damn Greg, when the show fits just wear it alright.
FEMA is not a conspiracy to impose a fascist police state. No President has a switch on his wall to shut off the internet. The idea that this is the “first step in a systematic government takeover of all broadcast and internet media via existing executive orders” is nonsensical on its face. There are about 50 laws that would prohibit the President from doing so. For George to reprint, “The claim is made that the feds have already notified all radio stations to “prepare for multiple hours per day” of government programming.” is fear mongering and borderline insane. Not only would there be multiple legal problems with it, the people would revolt, including me.
But you guys can say anything and get away with it…..yeah, you know, the claim is made that the moon is made of green cheese…..you know, some people say that Obama is from Venus……. you know, some scientists think that the earth is only 6000 years old……

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Greg Goodknight

11 November 2011

“FEMA is not a conspiracy to impose a fascist police state.”
Frisch, that’s your hateful caricature of what was being said before you jumped in to stir your contempt into the mix. However, if there ever is an attempt to impose a fascist state I’ve no doubt this would be very handy. In the 60’s, it would have taken a massive effort like what was dreamed for Seven Days in May. With this in place, all a “General James Mattoon Scott” would have to do is have a few folks in the right places to get things going to tell everyone to stay where they are, help is on the way to get the country going again.
H.Ross Perot even campaigned for President on a premise that they Constitution needed to be suspended for a while so he could ‘lift up the hood and fix the engine’ of the country, and a chillingly large number of people were cheering him on.
I see nothing in the enumerated powers granted to the Federal government to empower the Feds to do anything like what FEMA is now capable of doing. Do you?

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George Rebane

11 November 2011

BobRL 1248pm – Damn, that took a long time for anyone to pick up that little tenet. I thought you guys would immediately be on me about that like ugly on a bear’s butt. Thanks Bob.
[For anyone who missed it, Bob is referring to my 336pm comment from
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2011/11/a-readers-complaint-answered.html#comments giving a brief set of attributes of a more ideal country were I king.]
Anyway Bob, “as a self-proclaimed idiot” you are practicing fraud. But yes, I feel that to become a franchised voter, you would indeed have to pass a test beyond fogging a mirror (we know some who vote who haven’t been able to do that for years). GregG’s story is just one of a large number of reasons why today’s voting laws are dysfunctional, giving us the elected leaders under whom we suffer as the country sinks.
It would be interesting trying to agree on what such a test would contain. My feeling is that it should at least require a minimal knowledge base such as my parents had to demonstrate when they became citizens in 1955. But in these discussions I always wind up asking my counterpart, who is usually still in shock that I suggested such a requirement, what levels of ignorance, stupidity, cum idiocy is he willing to tolerate in the voting booth. Then I enjoy watching them sputter and spout and dodge and weave, and usually leave the field convinced that I asked a totally unfair and politically incorrect question.
So Bob, what are your minimum requirements for an American voter?

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George Rebane

11 November 2011

Agreeing with GregG 248pm, I don’t see any contribution in SteveF’s histrionic comments that do such a clumsy job of attempting pejorative simplifications of what commenters say about what, at least to me, are some very complex issues and questions.
Historically, SteveF reminds me of the pooh-poohing and dismissive things written by the good and sensible German Christians in 1934-5 about their contemporaries who were raising alarms about what Hitler was doing to/with Germany. And then suddenly it was too late to do anything but join in shouting ‘Sieg Heil!’, or wait for the knock on the door.
But as I said in my post, it can’t happen in America, … can it?

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Todd Juvinall

11 November 2011

I always get a kick out of liberals like Frisch who, when confronted with their partisan BS try and convince us he also speaks that way against the left. What a crock. We have read your tripe for so long you are totally a lefty. We all know you fib and now you have a drinking buddy with Thorton. Have a good time.

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Todd Juvinall

11 November 2011

Crabb, do felons get to vote in your world? How about the liberals trolling the mental hospitals and the old folks homes for those people who are mentally ill or incapacitated? i have seen it. Liberals filling out ballots for them, you know, the Alzheimer patients, then getting them to scratch their name. Do you agree with that?

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RL Crabb

11 November 2011

Thank you, George. As readers of RR know by now, I am somewhat dense and it takes me awhile to gather my random uneji…unedgu…uneducated thoughts. There have always been rascals who try to spike the punchbowl of voterdom. It’s been a temptation to fill out Granny’s absentee ballot, but she can’t write well enough to scribble in Daffy Duck as a write-in candidate.
I have no problem with having to show an ID as a condition for casting a ballot. We’re all supposed to have one, even those libertarians who see it as a threat to their right to remain anonymous. As for a test, haven’t we been down that road before? And how did the Republic survive those elections when the average education never went past the fourth grade? Who will decide who is fit? Todd? He pontificates for days on end over the stupidity of Democrats, Greens and other vegetable colored citizens.
It’s an imperfect world. Democracy is sloppy. When it becomes neat and orderly only the neat and orderly will have a say as to how it’s run.

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