Opinion

Five Headlines: Stories That Impacted the Week of February 27, 2021

The Blue State Conservative

  • Headline #1:          Biden Puts Kids in Cages

President Joe Biden’s Administration has resorted to a policy similar to that of the Trump Administration regarding migrant children. Unaccompanied minors are being temporarily detained in the very same facilities that both the Obama and Trump administrations used.

 

Thoughts and Observations:

  • As you may recall, when the Trump Administration used those same facilities, the left and their media had a conniption and labeled the children being detained as “kids in cages.”  But when Obama or Biden does it does it, it’s a “temporary facility for migrant children.” See how this works? Do you know how this change in language happens? It’s magic, folks; pure magic. It’s like Harry Potter, except instead of happening at Hogwarts it happens on our border.
  • During a press conference on Tuesday, Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained, “This is not kids being kept in cages… There’s a pandemic going on. I’m sure you’re not suggesting that we have children right next to each other in ways that are not COVID-safe, are you?” Aha! It’s the pandemic’s fault, don’t you know. And, remember, the pandemic is Trump’s fault. Therefore, the fact that Biden is putting kids in cages is ultimately Trump’s fault. Makes sense.
  • Let’s not forget – when Trump’s policies resulted in children being kept in the same facilities, Vice-President Kamala Harris called the practice a “crime against humanity,” and the estimable Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) compared the facilities to “concentration camps.” So, when Trump does it, the action is akin to the holocaust. But when Biden does it to protect kids from COVID, which is statistically less-deadly than the flu for that age group, it’s a good thing.
  • To be fair, there aren’t a lot of good options for the administration; it’s a terrible situation. Sadly, children are arriving at our border without any parents or legal guardian. We’ve all heard the horror stories about the human trafficking happening and the exploitation by the “coyotes” that help bring these young folks across. We can’t have our Customs and Border Patrol just releasing these children into society with nowhere to go. But Democrats and their media can’t have it both ways. If it’s good for you, it’s good for Trump, and if it’s bad for Trump, it’s bad for you. Make up your minds.
  • During the aforementioned press conference, the only reporter who pressed Jen Psaki on the matter was Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy. Not to put too much pressure on you, Peter, but you are one members of the press trying to hold the Administration accountable. On behalf of approximately 74 million other Americans, thank you. Keep your chin up and hold your ground.

 

Headline #2:         Tiger Woods Badly Injured in Car Crash

Golf legend Tiger Woods was in a horrible vehicle accident on Tuesday. The wreck was so severe the ‘jaws of life’ were used to extract woods from the vehicle. The injuries Woods sustained to his leg required surgery including “a rod, screws, pins and a surgical release of the muscle covering.”

 

Thoughts and Observations:

  • All of us should be praying for a full and speedy recovery for Tiger Woods. He’s had a few bumps in his past, particularly in his personal life, but overall he’s been someone that all Americans can be proud of. He’s arguably the greatest golfer who has ever lived, he’s a gentleman, and he’s a patriot.
  • At the time of this writing, Woods’ doctors seem unsure whether or not he will require additional surgeries. Either way, it seems certain that he will be faced with a lengthy rehabilitation, and at 45-years old we have to wonder whether or not he’ll ever return to his previous greatness. For me, anyone would be crazy to bet against him. Woods is one of the fiercest and most resilient competitors we’ve ever seen, and if anyone could rebound from a such a setback it’s Tiger Woods.
  • One of the more fascinating aspects of Woods’ personality is his politics; or more accurately stated… his lack of politics. You can find photos of him playing golf with presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Over the years he’ll occasionally weigh-in on a sensitive, political topic, but when he does he’s low key and his points are well-reasoned. If I had to guess, based on those comments – and the fact that his father was a Lt. Colonel and a Green Beret – I’d say Tiger probably leans right. But that would be a guess and that’s the way it should be.
  • Ironically, if Woods were to opine on politics, he would have significantly more credibility than most of the athletes that currently shoot their mouths off on a regular basis. Tiger Woods is extremely intelligent, having graduated from Stanford University, and he’s a self-made man from humble roots. But he keeps his mouth shut on the subject of politics. Why? Probably because he realizes that if he did get political, he’d alienate half of his fans, and he likely recognizes that his expertise is in golf and sports marketing, not politics. If the rest of the sports world took the same approach, the ratings for MLB, the NBA and the NFL wouldn’t be tanking and our country would be much better off as a result.
  • A perfect example of the benefit of Woods’ being apolitical – and an even better example we can use to dispute the inane argument that America is fundamentally racist – came at the 2019 Masters. Tiger Woods won his fourteenth major title at the age of 43 that day, and we could probably count on one hand the number of Americans who weren’t excited for him. White, black, Asian or Hispanic, everyone was rooting for Tiger Woods that Sunday in April two years ago. Pictures of his victory (including the feature photo of this article) show an ecstatic gallery of almost exclusively white folks being genuinely thrilled to see a black, Asian man succeed. That’s not racism, that’s the opposite of racism; and it was wonderful.

 

Headline #3:         US Airstrikes Target Iranian Militants in Syria

In the first military action under President Biden, American troops on Thursday launched successful airstrikes against Iranian-backed militants in Syria.

 

Thoughts and Observations:

  • My biggest concern regarding Joe Biden becoming president was his impact on our foreign policy. Biden has been remarkably wrong on countless foreign policy matters over the years, and he could do some serious damage to our long-term national security. It appears that this action was justified, however, although the target itself is curious.
  • The previous week, a rocket attack was reportedly launched at civilian contractors by Iran’s henchmen in Iraq, injuring four Americans and killing a non-American. Thursday’s airstrike was likely due to that attack, at least in part. The real question is this: Why did we strike at their interests in Syria instead of Iraq? These types of responses are preferable over adding ground troops or other options, but this particular strike appears to be more about appearances than substance.
  • If Biden really wanted to send a strong message to Iran, shouldn’t he have targeted sites in Iraq? Or even perhaps in Iran? We have to assume that Biden’s primary goal with Iran is not to rock the boat, thereby enabling him to reestablish the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal.
  • We’ll know soon enough about Biden’s strategy on the matter. If Biden is truly looking to hold Iran accountable, he will follow-up this action by taking a strong, public stance with Iranian Leader Ayatollah Khomeini , and he won’t be bashful about it. If he’s looking to continue with appeasement and weakness, similar to the Obama Administration, we’ll hear nothing but crickets. Unfortunately, we should expect to see the latter approach.

Headline #4:          Ted Cruz’ Wife is Pissed

On Tuesday, while making his rounds on various media outlets aimed at damage control regarding last week’s Mexico trip non-troversy, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) appeared on a leftwing podcast and explained that his wife Heidi was “pretty pissed” about the media coverage and her neighbors having leaked private text messages to the press.

 

Thoughts and Observations:

  • Can anyone blame Mrs. Cruz? Her relationships were close enough with these people that they had each other’s personal phone numbers, and she was sharing details about her upcoming vacation. Those supposed ‘friends’ then gave those text messages to the press. I wouldn’t be “pretty” pissed, I’d be super pissed.
  • Not only did the media report on the leaked texts, they published pictures of a bikini-clad Mrs. Cruz on the beach in Cancun and of the family dog “Snowflake” who was still at the family’s house in Texas. Additionally, they falsely alleged that the Cruz’ had abandoned the dog at their home, leaving it uncared for. And the media wonders why polls show a large majority of Americans don’t trust them.
  • It’s interesting Sen. Cruz and his wife named the dog Snowflake. Based on the name, we can assume that the dog is lazy, easily-offended, spent his puppyhood being pampered, and has a room full of participation trophies. Must be a poodle.
  • Cruz shouldn’t have made the trip; it didn’t look good. It’s a situation reminiscent of his old nemesis former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey who was caught sunning himself on a NJ beach while his government was shut down due to a standoff with the state legislature. Christie was not on state property at the time, but it didn’t matter. Imagery is important, and Cruz should’ve known better, just like Christie.
  • The fact that Democrats and their media made such a big deal over the incident is absurd and clearly political. Cruz is a federal legislator; he had nothing to do with either the power outages or the weather, and there was nothing he was going to do in Texas to help matters, aside from walking around, shaking hands, and nodding his head in empathy.
  • The left are wringing their hands in anticipation that this controversy will be the death knell for Cruz’ reelection chances in four years. Don’t count on it. The American electorate has the collective attention span of squirrel, and four years is a long time. It also seems doubtful that many voters who would otherwise have voted for him will be swayed by this incident. Cruz is similar to Trump in this manner: people either like him or hate him. There’s not many folks on the fence. And besides, there’s going to be a lot of people who shrug their shoulders thinking, “I don’t blame him. I wish I could have jetted off for Cancun too.”

 

Headline #5:         Cherokee Nation Engaged in Slavery, and They Just Lost a Court Battle on the Issue

On Monday, the Cherokee Nation’s Supreme Court ruled that black people who had once been enslaved by the tribe are entitled to tribal citizenship.  

 

Thoughts and Observations:

  • Confused? That’s understandable. Yes, American Indians – people of color and prominent members of the left’s intersectional alliance of victimhood – also held black folks as slaves. It wasn’t just white people. This fact has been known for years, but is almost entirely ignored.
  • So many questions come to mind. If white people are inherently racist because individuals of their same race were slave owners 158+ years ago, are American Indians also inherently racist? Will they have to pay reparations to black folks simply due to the color of their skin? Will that include Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)?
  • Don’t dismiss the premise; it’s wholly legitimate. Slavery is the most reprehensible aspect of our country’s history, and we spent an entire century trying to right those wrongs. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 eliminated all legal and institutional remnants of slavery, and our culture and society have been striving for atonement ever since. But that’s not good enough for our friends on the left. Slavery was so evil its legacy can’t be corrected, they tell us, and we are all racists unless we fully buy-in to their so-called “anti-racist” nonsense. So will that same standard apply to Native Americans? Hmm.
  • For those who may argue, “But the Cherokee didn’t oppress blacks after slavery,” please answer this question. If the Cherokee weren’t oppressive to black folks, then why were they trying to stop them from being given tribal citizenship? Why did they have to go all the way to their Supreme Court to be granted those rights? Oh, the tangled web we weave.

 

PF Whalen

 

P.F. Whalen is a conservative blogger at TheBlueStateConservative.com.  His work has appeared in multiple publications, including the Western Journal, Human Events, and American Thinker.  Follow him on Parler @PFWhalen.

Content syndicated from TheBlueStateConservative.com with permission.

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