Triad Conservative

Liberty and Christianity Intertwined

Some of the Reasons Young Men Do Horrible Things

Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, Chronicles: 

Author James Howard Kunstler, one of our wisest cultural observers, summed it up this way: "This is exactly what you get in a culture where anything goes and nothing matters. Extract all the meaning and purpose from being here on earth, and erase as many boundaries as you can from custom and behavior, and watch what happens, especially among young men trained on video slaughter games."

He's right. Young men are the problem. Many of our boys are living in what Kunstler describes as an "abyss of missing social relations" with "no communities, no fathers, no mentors, no initiations into personal responsibility, no daily organizing principles, no instruction in useful trades, no productive activities, no opportunities for love and affection, and no way out."

Our leaders are too cowardly to say so, but the signs are everywhere. Mass shootings are just the final manifestation. Suicide rates for young Americans are the highest ever measured. So are drug-related deaths. Fifteen percent of millennials still live with their parents. Fifty years ago, more than 80% of American adults ages 25 to 34 were already married and living with a spouse. Today, less than half of adults in that age range are married. A huge portion of American young people aren't in any kind of relationship at all. It's no wonder millions of young people feel helpless, miserable and alone. They lack friends or parents or religious organizations to give their lives purpose and moral coherence. They live in a suffocating culture they feel no control over: Local identity and local institutions are the weakest they've ever been in this country.

Most people think our democracy is fake. The policies they live under, the jobs they hold and even their personal opinions are controlled by tech monopolists, media scolds and Washington bureaucrats. America is supposed to be a free country, but millions of young people look around and feel like they're trapped in a stagnant dystopia. In such an environment, a few people will lash out in violence. Millions of others will simply fade away, from suicide or overdose or diabetes. This is the real crisis, the one that produced those horrifying scenes on TV over the weekend. Washington is happy to pretend it isn't happening. But it is. You can't ignore it forever.

Tim Scott's Identity Politics Controls North Carolina Judicial Nomination

Tim Scott, the U.S. Senator from South Carolina, has enjoyed Tea Party support. He was appointed to the Senate by Nikki Haley.

Because of the GOP's narrow majority in the Senate, he was able to "throw his weight around' regarding Trump's nomination of Tom Farr for a federal judgeship in the eastern district of North Carolina. Scott's opposition effectively killed the nomination. The objections to Farr were his previous affiliation with Jesse Helms; some campaign techniques that allegedly were used at that time that were felt to be somehow adverse to blacks' voting; and his recent defenses of GOP gerrymandering in our state.

Trump nominated in his place a UNC Chapel Hill law school faculty member who is originally from Jamaica-- Richard Myers. The man is not even a native born American. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis apparently approved of the Myers nomination. The Daily Haymaker suggests that Tim Scott was a big supporter and cheerleader behind the Myers nomination.

Scott, however, is himself problematic. He was among those who favored removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina state capitol. He took this position when Nikki Haley reacted in emotional, knee-jerk fashion immediately after Dylann Roof committed his dirty deed in Charleston. Scott also later took Trump to task over his essentially correct "both sides" statement regarding Charlottesville.

Scott is obviously becoming the voice of racial identity politics and political correctness on the GOP side of the aisle in the U.S. Senate. And this has unfortunately dictated who will serve as a federal judge in North Carolina. His voting record-- while better than Lindsey Graham's-- is certainly not stellar.

Scott probably needs to go. He had enormous promise, but finds himself unable to lead in a color-blind fashion.

Latest GOP Incursions into Health Care Markets

In the August issue of the Carolina Journal, Jordan Roberts wrote the Republicans should do the following regarding health care: 

Engage in a debate about the specifics of health care policy. Republicans need to explain to voters how a more decentralized health care system would work. Bashing the ACA will no longer work. Reforms that amount to nothing more than watered-down versions of the ACA are an insufficient fix, as well. Republicans need to come to the 2020 election cycle with a detailed, extensive plan that returns power to the states and shrinks the D.C.-controlled behemoth that's now in place.

I have grown extremely jaded that the Republicans will do anything even remotely like this. The history of their statist contributions to health care in Washington over the last quarter century include accepting a charity care entitlement for children in exchange for welfare reform; adding an exorbitantly expensive prescription drug entitlement to Medicare; nominating Mitt Romney for president after he had enacted an Obamacare precursor in Massachusetts; refusing to repeal Obamacare, and proposing a statist replacement; and passage of MACRA.

In North Carolina, they refused to cut optional services in the Medicaid program; and they mostly refused to reduce eligibility for the program and the numbers on the rolls. They enacted  a statist version of Medicaid reform, and forced health care facilities and doctors to transmit their medical records to the state so that payors could engage in Obamacare-like bean-counting.

What is the GOP's latest crusade? In Washington, they are trying to pass a bill to eliminate "surprise medical bills". This is an effort to control and limit the prices that doctors and health care organizations can charge and collect from patients when they do not participate in an insurance company's network.

"Surprise medical bills" are not a new phenomenon. This has been the norm literally for decades within the health care environment. What then has brought this issue to the forefront this year? I suspect that it is inspired and initiated by the insurance company lobby.  The insurance companies likely perceive this is a way to gain an even stronger hand in contract negotiations. Legislation like this would seriously undercut the position of those negotiating with the insurance companies.

Of course, passing a bill to eliminate "surprise medical bills" would be a monstrous violation of the U.S. Constitution and private markets. It would be profoundly statist-- indeed, arguably, socialist. But that does not seem to be deterring the GOP.

Here in North Carolina, we learned today of passage in the General Assembly of a bill to allow and strengthen Association Health Plans under North Carolina law.

This is a positive step that has the potential to cut health insurance premiums for small and medium-sized businesses. But the Raleigh GOP accepts the premise that Obamacare requires these plans to cover pre-existing conditions. Premiums are therefore going to be higher than they otherwise might be.

When you have a party like the GOP that accepts federal supremacy and judicial supremacy; that is statist in orientation; and that is utterly opposed to rolling back the welfare state, then it is very unlikely we will see the type of approach advocated by Jordan Roberts. He undoubtedly has good intentions. And like him, I once engaged in wishful thinking regarding the GOP. 

But then there is the matter of hard reality.

Socialism Inconsistent with the Constitution and the Founders' Intentions

Job Announcement for Greensboro Police Chief

In the wake of the resignation of the city of Greensboro's current police chief, a job announcement appeared on the city website last night. We are taking the liberty of republishing it here: 

Progressive, medium-sized southern city seeks exceptionally qualified applicant to lead its police department with 787 sworn and non-sworn employees. The ideal candidate will possess the following credentials or attributes:

• The candidate will most optimally be a black, Jewish, bisexual, trangendered Hispanic who has converted to Islam. We need to check as many boxes as possible with this opening;
• The candidate must thoroughly understand and accept that crime-fighting is not the main objective. The department must be viewed as a social service agency that pursues "diversity", "social justice" and "equity", and all the activities those objectives might entail;
• The candidate must accept that certain situations must be handled in certain ways. For instance, when criminals resist arrest, police officers must be instructed not to press the issue. It is far better to release the criminal than to risk various accusations to which city leaders must respond. If citizens are reported to be agitated or delirious, officers must allow their condition to reach a natural conclusion, and refrain from intervening. If criminals speed away in a vehicle, they must be allowed to get away. Otherwise, city leaders will feel compelled to extend generous settlement monies to assailants or aggrieved family members who are motivated to "cash in" from adverse events that might ensue;
• With respect to employee relations, the ideal candidate must be inclined to have low expectations that Greensboro police officers will actually fight crime. It is an unwritten rule that the most popular police chiefs in our city do not require much of officers. With respect to hiring, it is expected that the chief extend systematic advantages to minority applicants, and have lower expectations of them. Moreover, it is expected that minority officers be subject to much more lenient disciplinary standards than white officers; and
• The chief's preferred method of policing must be unapologetically reactive. Allow the crimes to happen, and then half-heartedly clean up the mess.

The applicant can be assured that a chief with the right attributes, who follows the city's approach to crime control and managing the department, will be rewarded financially and with continuous, high esteem. But for the candidate who does not fulfill these expectations, the city's political and managerial class-- and various community activists who focus on police-related issues-- will make the chief's life absolutely miserable, and will quickly move to micromanage the department.

The city eagerly awaits your application.

Teasing Out the Causes of Mass Shootings

There has been much conversation over the last week regarding what causes these horrible mass shooting events.

The corrupt media is a political player that seeks the solution it favors. That is one of the key drivers of the media drumbeats we witness repeatedly. Their other motivation, of course, is to benefit their compatriots in the democratic socialist party.

The fact is that the number of lives taken in mass shootings is dwarfed by the much larger numbers taken in daily urban crime by racial minorities. But the media/left talking point is that racism and speech against illegal immigration were responsible for these incidents. The desire to pin the responsibility on Trump, however, was undercut by the fact that both shooters have been shown to be political lefties for the most part.

Let's break it down.

What factors must be present for an individual to carry out a mass shooting?

First, there must be a lack of conscience. The killer never had their conscience fully formed, or it was not maintained over time.

Second, there must be a profound lack of morality and ethics regarding the primacy of valuing human life.

And third, the killer must lack the ordinary self-restraint that prevents the vast majority of people from committing such dastardly acts. 

Many parties have attributed these episodes to mental illness. I think that is probably true in many instances-- but not necessarily in every single case. Certain mental illnesses can cause conscience and/or personal restraint to erode.

But mental health treatment is not a panacea. Simply put, you cannot force people to be treated for mental illness except under very narrow circumstances. And forced treatment is much less likely to be effective in the mental health arena. Treatment will more likely succeed if the patient is a willing and eager participant.

Some have blamed video games and media depictions of violence. Commentators disagree as to whether studies suggest these might contribute. But it seems reasonable that violent media or video games can desensitize and anesthetize some people to violence and the taking of human life. (Be mindful that the numerous corporations purchasing television advertising shout out with their dollars that visual media depictions influence human behavior.)

One interesting comment came from Ms. Oprah Winfrey. It was astonishing that she made the statement that we need more people in church and practicing their religion. She decried the lack of a "moral center". 

Let's remain mindful that Oprah for many years had been preaching a self-indulgent faith that emphasized "being spiritual" over commitment to involvement in church or adhering to the ancient Christian moral code. Those who followed her lead were terribly misled. But now, to her credit, she apparently believes that people need to go to church.

But Oprah was but one manifestation of the institutional and cultural forces that pulled our country toward secularism-- the media, the political and legal communities, the religious left, etc. And they all share responsibility for gun violence.

Blaming this problem on guns or on Trump is disingenuous. The fact is that we once did not have nearly as many of these episodes.

We need to look at what is happening to young men. We need to consider how many of them no longer have a sense of purpose, or any semblance of a satisfying life. The tide of illegal immigration and globalism has left them economically marginalized, and unable to marry and have kids. Radical feminism has also robbed them of their place in God's natural order.

Moreover, many of them have been raised in single parent families. This type of structure is much less likely to give them an indelible conscience, and the restraint needed to refrain from committing such horrible acts of violence. It often requires the involvement of a father to properly raise a boy and discipline him at critical stages of development.

The forces that led to sexual liberationism and cultural relativism regarding sex and family are unfortunately responsible for the epidemic of single parent homes we currently have. They also share responsibility for much of the gun violence we have.

Moreover, the forces that led us to eradicate public prayer, and public acknowledgments of God our creator, were horribly mistaken. People need regular reminders that they are accountable to God. 

And yes, Oprah is right... finally. People need to go to church, and remain involved in it.

What do we do with the ridiculous crescendo repeatedly built up by the media/left complex on mass shootings? Ignore them until they show similar interest in inner city homicides. And do precisely the opposite of what they would recommend.

A "Deplorable" Wins the Wyndham

J.T. Poston's victory at the Wyndham was a lot of fun to watch. It was gratifying to see a North Carolina native take the top prize. He apparently had loads of friends and family and Western Carolina folks at the tournament supporting him.

But I suspect the media celebrations will be at least somewhat muted and blunted.

What is the problem? First, he is a white male player who comes from a predominantly white/small town/semi-rural part of the state. He is from Hickory, NC.

Second, there is at least somewhat of an element of "privilege" in his background with a grandfather who played a great deal, and who introduced him to the sport.

And third, he seems to otherwise be a typical guy from small town/rural North Carolina. The PGA profile sheet indicates he enjoys hunting and fishing when he is not playing golf. That reveals interests and inclinations that are in sharp contradistinction to those of the region's urban media/left elites.

This situation is a bit reminiscent of when Madison Bumgarner, the premier baseball pitcher from the same region of North Carolina, began attracting major national attention several years ago. A Sports Illustrated story revealed how he is a country boy with a Christian background who enjoys rural pursuits. But his preeminence on the diamond, and his local ties, barely registered a blip with the regional urban elite media.

Folks like Poston and Bumgarner instead tend to be minimized and regarded dismissively. Imagine if Poston, Bumbarner, or any of their family and friends, had voted for Trump, and the word got out. They would be the objects of outright hatred.

J.T., savor the victory while you can.

Culturally Marxist, Anti-Science NC Governor Engages in Discrimination

Roy Cooper is a piece of work.

Within the last couple of days, it was reported that he issued an executive order forbidding that the state of North Carolina pay for "conversion therapy" that seeks to help LGBTQ individuals overcome any unwanted attractions and urges. The state, of course, processes payment for federal dollars and state dollars spent in health care.

Cooper stated that "being LGBTQ is an innate quality and not a disease, disorder, illness, deficiency or shortcoming". He therefore embraces the anti-science fiction that the media/left complex has tried to force upon us via indoctrination; and that they have also sought to intimidate us into accepting. It is quite ironic that Cooper's fellow travelers try to portray themselves as holding a sole claim to science and rationality.

This is the same governor that has behaved dishonorably on the matter of HB2 and transgender use of certain facilities in the state.

Of course, the existence of  conversion therapy does not comport with the media/left requirement that LGBTQ tendencies be absolutely affirmed; and that those who refuse to do so must face serious consequences.

Cooper has been a liberal mainline Presbyterian. But it is questionable as to whether he is truly Christian. He is, after all, a cultural Marxist. It must be noted that many within his religious tradition have perpetuated the erroneous LGBTQ mindset described above, even though it is completely opposed to the natural order God laid down.

But the governor's executive order is a discriminatory act. It discriminates against LGBTQ individuals who want to pursue a certain type of treatment. It discriminates against orthodox Christians in the helping professions. It discriminates against a certain viewpoint, and those who hold it.

But it is, according to the sleazy left, an acceptable form of discrimination.

Cooper's executive order also reveals one of the big problems with socialized medicine-- or government-subsidized health care. Those who pay for care also control what care can be delivered, and what care cannot be delivered. Health care therefore becomes mercy to political fancies. Even anti-science political fancies.

State-Sponsored Needle Distribution in NC

Hold on to your hat.

The North Carolina Family Policy Council reports that a bill passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Cooper will sponsor the distribution of clean needles to drug abusers and addicts.

Of course, there are at least a couple of problems with this approach. It outright facilitates drug abuse. But it also inevitably creates the appearance of condoning it.

This has been a progressive agenda item for many years. And yet it was passed with Republicans in control of the General Assembly.

How many in our state have been led to think they should feel secure and confident that the Republicans in Raleigh will consistently do the right thing?