Cash bail is a system by which courts influence defendants to actually appear before the court, at determined dates and times, under duress of substantial financial loss. It is by no means a perfect system; but has proven effective for a long time. Jerry Brown just signed legislation ending cash bail. There are two reasons he did so. First: The system is unfair to the poor who can’t afford to put up 10% of the bail required by a bail bonds company. Second: Jerry Brown protects criminals.

Brown is replacing the bail system with one in which a defendant’s likelihood of showing up for his/her court date will be assessed (as it has been all along); but without the aid of bounty hunters returning to custody those who fail to appear. The bail bonds company paid the tab. If the crime involved isn’t violent, the accused will likely be released on his/her own recognizance (no different from the old way). Now, though, if someone fails to appear in court, it will be fully up to already overburdened law enforcement to arrest them and it will be paid for by taxpayers.

Adjustments should have been made to accommodate those who can’t afford cash bail in order that they not sit in jail awaiting their court date; while people in better financial shape are freed. This would not be difficult. (Impounding anything a defendant holds dear, aside from cash, would achieve the same purpose). But the way Brown has done this is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water. If Brown were a physician, he’d treat an ingrown toenail by amputating the leg and charge taxpayers for the procedure.

PSST…..We all know the real motive behind Brown’s outrageous legislative shenanigans. He, like a minor boss of any crime syndicate, wants to tolerate or reduce the consequences of bad behavior by those who’ve kept him in power.

Senator John McCain underwent surgery for a blood clot at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona on 7/14/2017 and was subsequently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer (glioblastoma).  His family announced earlier this week that he would forego further treatment. He died today.

During the Viet Nam War, McCain was taken prisoner on 10/26/1967 on his first bombing mission over Hanoi. He spent over 5 years imprisoned in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”, during which time he was tortured.

I find it distasteful to bring another name into this essay, but I feel it is important.
During the 2016  presidential race, Donald Trump disparaged the idea of the senator being considered a hero indicating that McCain’s being taken prisoner wasn’t an act of heroism. This is true.  Simply being taken prisoner does not a hero make.

McCain’s volunteering for the daring  squadron, nicknamed “the Saints”, one third of whose members were either killed or captured and which ultimately precipitated his being taken prisoner; and refusing early release (believing it would be a violation of Navy conduct to accept release prior to those held longer) made him a bona fide, card carrying hero in the truest sense of the word. This is a concept alien to Trump, because Trump has never put himself in that type of honorable peril.

I believe John McCain verbally expressed and voted his conscience during his political career; occasionally conflicting with the ideas of others in his party (I also disagreed with some of his positions…not that my ideas hold any sway). But, this certainly helped lead to his spats with Trump. Public arguments as these are common in politics. That being said, Trump missed his opportunity to publically apologize to McCain for his thoughtless words regarding the latter’s heroism when the senator’s terminal prognosis came to light. Subsequent criticisms of McCain’s views, by Trump, should have been measured because you don’t kick a man when he’s down.

Today, I read that Trump has expressed his condolences to McCain’s family. THIS IS NOT SUFFICIENT!

Trump owes a profound and contrite apology not only to the McCain family, but to the citizens of The United States (particularly the military). He shouldn’t require prompting from any of his advisors to do so. To not offer such an apology is, in my view, ignoble to the point of  cowardice (a behavior more at home within the Nixon administration and the DNC).

I hope these words help to express the respect I have for the late Senator John McCain and my sorrow to his family for their/our loss. John McCain was 81 years old.

Security clearances are granted to trustworthy people who have a “Need To Know” in order to perform their jobs.

John O. Brennan was director of the Central Intelligence agency from March, 2013 until January, 2017. He no longer holds the job.

Trump recently revoked Brennan’s security clearance. Brennan is threatening to sue Trump.

My question is: On what grounds would a lawsuit be based? Trump’s motive is likely political, but Brennan no longer has the “Need To Know” as a government employee.

He might consider his “Need To Know” to be a job requirement needed to unseat Trump. Unfortunately for Brennan, governmental security clearances are not issued to private parties interested in ousting existing administrations. Having been a CIA director it’s a little  surprising he doesn’t know that.

I just witnessed MSNBC’s Brian Williams report That Melania Trump intends to travel to Africa in the fall. He made mention of how her swing through the area comes soon after her husband (President Trump) made unflattering comments about some countries in the region. That had nothing to do with or is, in any way, related to Melania’s proposed visit.

Why would he bring that up? Clearly, the result will be to endanger Melania. Brian is doing what he can to make life miserable for the President; in this case by attempting to incite violence against the First Lady. Cowardly.

This is the same Brian Williams who lost air-time for falsely claiming to have been aboard a helicopter under attack in Iraq. Also a cowardly thing to do (in my opinion).

All things being fair, I would like to see the President invite Williams into the Oval  Office for a private meeting after which Williams would leave holding a slightly bloodied handkerchief to his nose.

I believe a man is entitled to defend his wife. Does that make me a bad person?

There is a great push of late to make hate and intolerance illegal. This cannot work because those who are pushing the effort hate hateful people and won’t tolerate the intolerant.

Hate, like all emotions, is an involuntary reaction. It is neither right nor wrong. Like love, it simply exists. The only sober way to change either is to alter the cause.

Georgia GOP senator Michael Williams “shocked” CNN’s anchor, Victor Blackwell, on his show, “New Day Saturday”, when he said he wouldn’t be surprised if Donald Trump had used the “N” word at some time in the past (prior to becoming president). Williams said, “To hold somebody accountable for something he did years ago as our president today, I think it sets a bad precedent.”

That’s only partly true. If the person had committed a felony; that would be a major problem. The use of the “N” word wasn’t and still isn’t a felony. That fact might also shock the people at CNN.

In his “shock”, Blackwell displays the ever growing “chip-on-the-shoulder” mentality of folks who, to further their agenda, attempt to find relevant fault when none exists , are astounded by the obvious and all the while maintaining an almost undetectable level of knowledge and sophistication.

Neener, neener.

More on this subject later.

Trump didn’t win the 2016 presidential election. His conservative stance did.

During the late 1960s Hillary was an outspoken and ardent Republican. If she had espoused those conservative values during her 2016 run for the presidency, she’d have won handily. Of this I have no doubt. She definitely would have become the first female U.S. President.

The public recognized the damage Obama had done and didn’t want it to continue.

This is the fact the Left cannot understand. It wasn’t the candidate that mattered so much. It wasn’t Russian interference. It wasn’t Benghazi. It was the illogic behind the continuation of historically and multigenerational failed liberal/progressive policies  which lost the election.

Trump recently made a mocking comment regarding Nancy Pelosi. It was unkind. He said the Democrats should give her yet another chance to ruin their political party.

Allow me to point out that poking fun at a person whose brain is a vestigial organ is simply poor form.

I spent nearly 20 years in the news business. Let me show you how to develop a story the modern way the media does.

Did Hillary Clinton have lunch during her time as Secretary of State with Honey Kirboynkweevil?

Does Kirboykweevil have a tattoo of an unfinished  pyramid with an all knowing eye in the middle located surreptitiously in her armpit as unnamed sources allege ? The pyramid image, aside from being found on the dollar bill, is associated with the Masons and, thereby, the Knights Templar and the Illuminati.

Did Hillary’s lunch with Kirboynkweevil have anything to do with Barbara Frale’s September 2001 discovery of the “Chinon Parchment” hidden in the Vatican’s secret archives? The “Chinon Parchment”, sounding suspiciously like the “Clinton Parchment” was produced from 8/17-8/20/1308 and absolves the Knights Templar of all their misdeeds.

As I mentioned earlier, the pyramid is a powerful symbol. It is one which some claim has extraterrestrial origins. This can be viewed on the History Channel on the program, “Ancient Aliens”.

Has science discovered traces of the alien acne virus on Chic-Fil-A napkins? And if it has, does this, by association, implicate Hillary in the prom night zit conspiracy?

This reporter isn’t pointing fingers…yet.

All of the above is obviously a dumpster full of fanciful beaver guano, but some media folks will investigate which parts are fact and which are porpoise piss. And as they investigate, their companies will happily force-feed it to a public, many of whom don’t have the mental expertise of a hamster fart.

People will follow these investigations with zeal and discuss it amongst themselves until someone makes mention of how foolish the whole thing is. That is the point at which assault and arson take over. And the news media will be there to report on the mayhem.

The cycle will be complete.

74 people shot in Chicago over the weekend. Ten fatalities. Wow! Rahm Emmanuel is shocked and angry. The Chief of Police is shocked and angry. Guns are being blamed for the gang shootings. When the idea of the hot weather was proffered, Emmanuel said that the hot weather didn’t pull the triggers.

Allow me to mention: The guns didn’t pull the triggers either. Bad guys, who, if they were imprisoned, would increase the inordinate number of a certain demographic group, did.

Rahm Emmanuel can’t accept facts that don’t fit his agenda. He is not an idiot. He just thinks like one.

One final note. Authorities in Chicago are dismissing the role hot weather plays in public violence. Again, proven facts are being ignored.