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The idea of freedom and liberty made our country the beacon of light it is in the eyes of most of the world. It began as just that — a vision — a thought — an idea. It wasn’t even close to perfect with the defeat of the British in the Revolutionary War. The Constitution was a great start but our society took a long time to become fully inclusive. It was as recently as 52 years ago with the adoption of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that many felt more included in the American Way than they had been before. It was a government move that should not have been necessary had true freedom, liberty and equal opportunity been the way of life here. Sadly, Southern Democrats lived and perpetuated a way of life that was discriminatory. They regularly disallowed those not like them racially, ethnically, religiously, sexually et al to participate in commerce and public accommodation and it was wrong. That was, for the most part, righted by the Act. That act wasn’t meant to change our thoughts, opinions or deny us our freedom of conscience. The fight for equal access and opportunity was real and necessary and, in large parts, won through righteous, civil, peaceful disobedience and protest. I fully believe all people in our country should enjoy equal access to those offering public accommodation. You offer a service or product to the public, you should not be able to pick and choose who can pay you for the service or purchase your product. I also truly believe any business offering restrooms or locker rooms to the public should make them available to anyone in the public who is partaking in that business, service or facility. Certain natural, freedom and common sense-based rules do apply, however. Science tells us what makes human beings male or female. It’s not open to interpretation. If you think you or your child is the gender opposite to what science says, you’re celebrated. If you rely on the science to denote gender, you’re shouted down as a hater and a something-a-phobe. The media, pop culture and the mainstream in this country will do all it can to excommunicate you from the ranks of those who should be considered an American. In reality, the claim of some to want freedom to choose which bathroom they use eliminates the freedom of the rest of us to rely on what science tells us AND our freedom to insure our children are not at risk by those CLAIMING to feel they’re something they’re not. It’s common and even expected for singers to cancel concerts, performers to cancel performances, sports commissioners to proclaim they’ll do all they can to change laws in order to deny the rest of us the ability to be free to express what science tells us. If you’re in a car from which a drive-by shooting was perpetrated then you run from police while pointing a gun at them — or, if after committing a strong-armed robbery, you decide to fight with a police officer in his marked police vehicle, there’s a good chance you’ll be shot. If you disagree with the police response and claim it’s racism, you’re celebrated. If you use common sense and focus on the facts in the cases, you’re shouted down and labeled a racist and hater. In fact, if you don’t agree with the chants of an anti-White, anti-Police racist organization’s chants of how lives of one race matter, you are attacked from all angles of the mainstream. These racists are actually lifted on high by many in music, sports and politics. Recently, they were actually invited to the White House to meet with the President of the United States. It’s bizarro world. Those of us who believe the vast majority of police are good and that criminals are putting themselves in harm’s way with the decisions they make do NOT have the freedom to say so without the sledge hammer of the elites in our society clobbering us with claims of racism or ethnocentrism. We do NOT have the equal opportunity to retort. I believe we are the top of the food chain. I believe animals are on Earth for our sustenance, companionship, entertainment and transportation. I have four dogs and love them all. I also love a medium-rare juicy steak. Animals should be treated in a humane fashion as we enjoy them. I was watching Hawaii Five-O last night and was inundated by the message that circuses are bad and elephants should be freed. In the story, a woman broke into the circus, stole an elephant and smuggled it out of the country with the help of many — INCLUDING public servants. It was presented as if she was right and everyone in society agrees with this message. They also alleged the animal was mistreated and she was told there were legal means to try to punish the circus but that was ignored as they committed crime after crime to “help” the animal. For what it’s worth, they didn’t even use are real elephant on the program. It was clearly CGed in. But, the message was there. In real life, recently Sea World gave in to pressure from radical groups like PETA ( a group that wrongly puts animals on an even keel as humans ) and announced it would discontinue its killer whale shows in the future. These shows are the only way most of us will EVER experience whale. That doesn’t matter. We are NOT free to disagree. If you feel the shows should continue, you’re shouted down and looked at in a worse light than a common criminal. As far as cakes and photography and catering — all people should be able to enjoy these services. But, when there becomes a struggle between a free person’s religious beliefs, consideration should be made. One’s sexual preference is not and should not be important when he’s buying some cake or hiring a photographer. If you want to go around telling people what gender you are attractive to or like to sleep with, that’s up to you. I’m guessing most shop owners don’t care. But, when you insist on that shop owner PARTICIPATING in your ceremony, you are now insisting they agree with it. Yes, cake-makers, caterers and photographers hired to do a wedding are being asked to participate. They, as free people, should have the freedom to decline as it goes against their beliefs. This is common sense and it’s true constitutionally. Because I have this belief, I’ll be called all sorts of names. People will make assumptions about my heart, soul and level of compassion for my fellow man. I don’t truly have the freedom to feel this way. I’m completely cool with people disagreeing with me. I’m also completely satisfied that my feelings on these topics are rooted in fact, common sense and reality. Totalitarian societies were and are based on disallowing people the simple freedom of speech, worship, thought and conscience. That’s exactly what we’re looking more and more like every day. Is that really who we want to be as a culture and as the last great hope for freedom and liberty for all people? Pags
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Hey Corpus Christi! The Joe Pags Show is coming at you! Starting November 2, 2015 at 8pm. Bring it! 
It’s hard to fathom it’s been 14 years now. Millions of Americans were getting out of bed, getting the kids ready, making breakfast, on the way to work, walking into school, arriving at work et al. There was nothing remarkable about that morning — and then the world changed forever. As we watched the images unfold from Lower Manhattan, we were no longer from our towns. We were no longer democrats or republicans. We were no longer Black, White, American Indian, Hispanic nor Asian. We were Americans and our way of life was under attack.
19 terrorists, 15 of them Saudi Arabian, had boarded planes and started killing people. But, that wasn’t the plan in the end. The plan was to completely take over the controls of the planes and ram them into buildings in order to kill as many innocent Americans as possible. The Clinton Administration failed. The Bush Administration failed. Bad guys who wanted to harm us went unchecked in our country and did the unthinkable.
The result among us was predictable. When pushed against the wall, Americans have always united and become stronger and more resolved. We all became New Yorkers that day. I would never suggest that we were better as a country because of the attacks. No way. If there were a way to go back in time and stop the attacks from happening, we would all do it in a heartbeat. But, for a moment in time, we were one people. And then, something changed.
We went from absolute support of our first responders because their bravery was on display on that fateful day, to people targeting the police like they’re the bad guys. We went from looking forward to a flight to far away land to being nervous and skeptical as we board the planes. We went from going to the airport for an adventure to being forced to take off our jackets and shoes and belts — being felt up by a stranger or scanned in a machine after throwing away our water to prove we didn’t want to blow up the plane.
We went from flying American flags from our cars and trucks to people actually taking pride in and posting pictures of themselves wiping their backsides with Old Glory or stomping on the symbol of our freedom.
We were attacked on that day because the terrorists hate our freedom and liberty and value system. They hate that we don’t believe what they want us to believe or that we support Israel. We rose up against that extremist ideology and become a galvanized force for good. Today, many more in this country are trying to bring us down from within because they also don’t like our value system, way of life and/or love of freedom and liberty. This is what the terrorists wanted on that day. Yes, we lost 3000 souls that day and I would never attempt to lessen that loss. But, the end goal is coming to fruition as well. Bring down the American system. Bring down American greatness. Bring down American pride and exceptionalism and make Americans question their own way of life.
The best response is to come together again as a people. Love our way of life and our friends and neighbors. We need to once again be one American community that thrives because we do, in fact, live in the best land on this planet. Our way of life will only survive if we stop allowing the hatred and division to permeate our resolve.
jp 
It’s an interesting complaint from the, so-called, “moderate” Republicans. It’s why I’m not a Republican, rather a Conservative. “Democrat” and “Republican” are parties. Liberal and Conservative are ways of life. I’m often faced with the notion that the GOP should be more accepting – more open – more middle-of-the-road. It’s perplexing to me really.
This quote from Ronald Reagan is direct and clear. Pick a side. Stand firm. Don’t waiver — but, do it with a smile and a welcoming nature. Here’s a classic example of what I mean.
I don’t generally do the topic of abortion on my shows unless the news of the day dictates it. I think it’s a cop-out topic utilized by lazy hosts. “Abortion, for or against? Call 1-800-Blah Blah.” What I learned is, for the most part, I’m never going to change your mind and you’re not gonna change mine. I am vehemently against abortion as a form of birth control. The only time I’m okay with the idea of aborting a child is when the mother’s life is truly at risk. I think if someone told me I had the choice between living or dying or my child living or dying — I would choose to let my child live. But, when there’s a risk of me dying — I should get to make the choice. Otherwise, no abortion. When this topic needs to be broached, I’ll always get a call from someone who says something to the effect of, “Pags, you and I agree on 99 percent of the issues, BUT — I am completely against abortion but FOR the woman having the right to choose.” Huh? Say what? That’s actually not possible.
Think about it, as a conservative guy, I’m firm in my beliefs. I’m completely against gay marriage, period. I’m completely for the death penalty, period. I’m completely for lower taxes, period. I’m completely against large, over-controlling-over-powering government — and I’m against abortion. Those are bold, solid, bright positions. There’s no “but, ifs” there. To say you’re against abortion but, for the right for a woman to choose — you’re saying you’re for abortion. That usually leads to an exclamation, “No way! Not true! Don’t put words in my mouth!” Think about it. What are the choices involved in the right to choose? You can choose to NOT abort or to ABORT. For you to say you think a woman should have that right, you’re saying you support those who choose to kill the baby. That’s a bold statement — but, at least you know where I stand. You cannot have it both ways.
Similarly, if you say, “I’m completely against higher taxes, unless it goes to pay for more food for the hungry.” Umm, what? That means you’re not completely against higher taxes. I am completely against higher taxes. As I write this, I’m actively railing against a nearly half-billion dollar bond issue in my local school district. I’m a firm believer that if there’s a need, a community will rise up and find a way to fulfill it. I don’t trust nor want government to administer to all of our needs. I think it takes our incentive away to go out and get it ourselves. If there’s a shortfall in how much food is available for the hungry, donate to the food bank. If there aren’t enough beds for the homeless, donate money or a bed to the local shelter. If there isn’t enough money at the local school to house the children, ask the parents to step up and foot the bill for a portable or two. This is how it used to be. Today, we sit back and watch the government siphon more and more of our money in the form of taxes and watch them build palaces to education and give every child a laptop or iPad. I’m against that. And, am not afraid to say it. Even in the face of the chants, “it’s for the children.”
Case and point: recently Senator Ted Cruz of Texas spoke for nearly 22 hours on the Senate floor to raise awareness of the problems with the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). It was a way for him to fulfill a promise he’d made to the voters of Texas should he win the election. He did, and followed through. He took a stand. Whether you agree with him or not – that’s what he did. He boldly stood there in the face of the majority in that house who called him “radical, extreme, extremist,” and more. But, he didn’t waiver. Some did, however.
It was expected that those from the opposing party and even the media would excoriate Cruz for this brash act. How dare he? He’s grandstanding! He’s doing it for attention. He let that all roll off of his back. But, what may have not been expected is how his colleagues — fellow Republicans would flock to the other side with the opposing view. Long-seated Arizona Senator John McCain even went as far as to call what Cruz did “insulting.” He took Cruz out of context and let him have it. What McCain and others did in not only NOT supporting Cruz but, coming out against him, is set the party — and the values we thought it held — back generations. We need a return to real beliefs, real backbone, and less compromise.
Before you walk away from this thinking I’m intolerant or insensitive, I’m not. I don’t want people to be persecuted nor prosecuted for having a different value system than I. I just don’t want them setting policy. The Conservative sensibility is the most like our value system. And, it’s incredibly welcoming, tolerant, accepting and firm. If you don’t get how all of that can coexist — then you need to reexamine why you’re so wishy washy on your own beliefs.
Thoughts?
Pags