by Tony Powell

A reader asked “Is America a ‘republic’ or a ‘democracy’, and, which is better?”

Fortunately this column presents opinions which are seldom influenced by facts!

As I See It, a ‘Republic’ starts out with a written list of basic ‘rights’ of the citizens and those rights can’t be taken away by subsequent governments.

Does that sound like the U. S. Constitution and Bill of Rights? If that’s true then the USA would be a republic – right?

So-called ‘Pure Democracy’ (also know as ‘Mob Rule’) has no legal protections for a minority.

The population gets to vote, and the government has to comply. (As in the French Revolution. “Off with their heads!”) Continue reading →

Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992) Amendment II.

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”.

Is it clear?

Maybe! Maybe not!

The first part includes ‘Well Regulated’ and ‘free State’ – doesn’t that suggest that the original intent was that each State (I. E. the ‘government’) should legislate it’s own amateur, ‘Militia’ to fight against any Federal infringement of States Rights?

Is the second part of the same sentence an ‘explanation’ not an ‘expansion’?

Was it intended to clarify/confirm that the Federal government can’t prohibit (infringe on) the right of those people (the members of the militias) to own weapons (to keep and bear arms) ? Continue reading →

Is there a solution to the COVID problem?

The media, TV, magazines and newspapers are doing a great job misleading us on simple facts.

If COVID is a disease which is spread through the air by infected people, couldn’t anyone close by inhale the virus and become similarly infected?

Do we need a scientist to tell us that, transmission is less likely if both of those people are wearing a vaccinated and wearing a mask?

If we all get a shot and wear a mask, would we get back to normalcy in a few weeks?

Instead, some wear a mask and some don’t. Some get vaccinated, some don’t.

One (biased?) report said that almost 50% of Republicans nationwide, choose not to do either. Continue reading →

Apparently there is a growing movement across the USA to give voting citizens the power to ‘veto’

some of the ridiculous actions of elected representatives from the president (regardless of party) on down to state and local government.

There isn’t much space in a column like this, but suffice to refer to what little we know about the recent COVID ‘Bail-Out-Bill’

What was in it?

Over 900 pages stuffed with earmarks, totally unrelated pork – money going to foreign countries and to obscure government agencies that we never heard of.

Unfortunately this is common practice, and the federal Government is the worst offender.

Some activists call their plan the “Single Subject Rule” or “Single Issue Rule”.

The idea is that no proposed law, including Presidential Executive Orders, could cover more than one subject. Continue reading →

Covid-19?

Nothing new!

The War-Of-Words rages on – It’s surprising and disappointing that there is still no ‘truth’ that we can all accept.

Ask any one, the dumb, the smart, the ignorant, the educated, the rich, the poor – each has their own version of the ‘facts’.

What is ‘education’ and what is ‘propaganda’? Do we know?

Here are a few recent quotes:-

“Anyone who has had COVID cannot get or give the disease”. True or false?

Seems to me that, by definition, ‘antibodies’ will only form if there is an ‘infection’ for them to fight!

If that’s true, then you must be infected, so is it reasonable to anticipate that an infected, immune, inoculated person can infect others?

“An immunized person can’t be a carrier, so we don’t need to wear a mask.” True or false? Continue reading →

COVID19 – so many unanswered questions!

Does the ‘truth’ really matter?

Why do guilty people go free, while innocent people do not?

Many times a juror has said, “Yes, there was a lot of evidence, but I don’t think he did it?”

or, “He looked guilty from the first minute I saw him in court!”

Sounds to me like their decisions are based, not on what they think, (the ‘facts’) but, instead, on what they feel!

Does that apply to COVID?

After almost a year of worldwide death and suffering, can anyone still believe that this pandemic is fake news and a hoax? Continue reading →

“Looking back and, looking forward”.

Here we are; “The Year Of Our Lord 2021”. . .

Based on recent elections, half of the American Population laments that 2020 marked the end of (former) President Donald Trump’s time in the ‘White House’.

The other half is celebrating his departure from Washington and hoping for ‘better things’ from, ‘eventual’ President Kamala Harris.

‘Temporary’ President-Elect Joe Biden, is calling for ‘unity’ between Democrats and Republicans.

So, I looked up ‘naïve’, ‘ingenuous’ and ‘oblivious’.

Perhaps they all apply, does Biden think there is any chance at all of ‘reconciliation’ between our current warring factions?

Seems like the right of ‘Free Speech’ means that each of us has the ‘right’ to say anything we want to, about anything we want to!

Unfortunately, the is no ‘constitutional’ obligation, for anyone to ‘listen’!

As I See It, it’s a waste of time talking with people who agree. Who learns what?

For example, we all agree that the earth is flat.

But would listening to some ‘crackpot’ explain why they think the earth is ’round’ enlighten us? Continue reading →

What is the ‘ELECTORAL COLLEGE’ ? – Apparently USA elections are not 1-person=1 vote “as advertised”.

Donald Trump lost to Hilary Clinton by over 3 million votes, but the so-called ‘electors’ quickly fixed it.

This time, Joe Biden won by over 6 million votes and they are trying to ‘fix’ that too.

Contrary to what we are told, these ‘electors’ are appointed by state politicians and are not legally bound by the recent election.

Some States (Maine and Nebraska) split their Electoral votes regardless of their voters choice. Others choose their Electors based on the NATIONAL popular vote regardless of their State’s vote.

Fact is that the Republicans can put President Trump back in office. It’s perfectly legal. If/when it happens no-one, not the Senate, the military or anyone else has any legal right or authority to stop it. What might be worse is that future Presidents will know that it can be done.

Win enough State Governorships and you can ‘stack’ the Electors any way you want. As mentioned above, the ‘Popular Vote’ already means nothing, does it?

What is ‘RANKED CHOICE VOTING’? In most elections the candidate with the most votes wins as in Florida and most other states. Continue reading →

(Apparently some readers can’t find our email at the end of the column, so here is it at the beginning AsISeeItTP@GMail.com

I noticed a recent report about a ‘Pit-Bull’ which killed a neighbors pet.

Of course everyone blames the dog! Labeling them “dangerous and bad-tempered.”

One so-called ‘dog-lover’ even said ‘any dog will misbehave sometimes’.

As I see it, the many ‘Animal Shelters’ in our area should require potential ‘dog-owners’ to attend a class on “Good Owners & Good Dogs”.

What I see are ‘uneducated’ buyers trying to ‘control’ their new dogs ‘bad behavior’. Mostly by yelling!

I asked one such ‘well-meaning’ owner, “Do you think that your new, ‘vicious’ dog is smarter than your well-behaved, polite grandchildren?” Continue reading →

by A.J.(Tony) Powell

Apparently last months column struck a nerve with many residents of ‘The Villages’.

I asked for feedback from any informed ‘Villager’ as to the exact contents of their home purchase agreement regarding the so-called ‘amenities’.

As mentioned, many residents of ‘The Villages’ are concerned about their community moving away from building single-family homes and going full-on commercial and multi-family.

Others questioned the recent closures of many resident-used facilities including, for example, Katie Belle’s Restaurant, The former ‘Church on the Square’, the original Indoor Pool and the very popular ‘Lifelong Learning Academy’.

Since ‘day-one’, the main appeal of ‘The Villages’ has been the (assumed) guarantee of “Free Golf For Life”. As well as promises of numerous other ‘amenities’, clubhouses, Town Squares, softball, tennis and much more, all for a nominal monthly ‘Amenity Fee’.

That has worked well for years, but now ‘management’ is closing down or even demolishing many of the most popular locations. Continue reading →