The Case for a Second Term
Bad Orange man Trump gave $10,000 to a bus driver who saved a suicidal woman, gave $25,000 to a U.S. marine sergeant arrested and detained in Mexico, and allowed an orthodox Jewish family to use his private jet in order to seek urgent medical treatment for their young son in the past. He has tried to keep every promise he made to us to get elected. He has done a hard job and taken no pay, instead donating it to worthy causes. He has taken more crap and hate than anyone ever in the history of the President.
On a personal level his actions show his heart. The media twist his words and people accept their report instead of looking at the whole video clip. The media has convinced people that he is racist. He is not. The media projects their own image when the say he is fascist. He is not. The media uses people fear to further the lefts political agenda. The left has created an envioroment of hate and violence often calling on their supporters to harrass and attack Trump supporters. If you are victim of media and your own lack of common sense and research I urge you to change your ways. Open your eyes and your heart.

A look at the body of work he has accomplished in his first term is evidence that he puts America and all Americans first
President Trumps policies for our country have helped "make American great agian". Here is an exhuastive list of actions taken my our President

Prior to the pandemic there was great success for the American people and as we continue through this crisis we can see the economy bouncing back much quicker than anyone could imagine largely due to the strength of the economy going into the pandemic

*The unemployment rates for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those without a high school diploma have all reached record.
*Wages were/are growing at their fastest rate in a decade, with year-over-year wage gains exceeding 3 percent for the first time since 2009.
*November 2019 marked the 16th consecutive month that wages rose at an annual rate of at or over 3 percent.
*Median household income surpassed $63,000 in 2018 – the highest level on record.
*When measured as the share of income earned by the top 20 percent, income inequality fell in 2018 by the largest amount in over a decade.
*Since President Trump took office, over 2.4 million Americans have been lifted out of poverty.
*Poverty rates for African Americans and Hispanic Americans have reached record lows and nearly 7 million Americans have been lifted off of food stamps.
*The prime age labor force has grown by 2.1 million.
*In the third quarter of 2019, 73.7 percent of workers entering employment came from out of the labor force rather than from unemployment, the highest share since the series began in 1990.
*President Trump has prioritized workforce development to ensure American workers are prepared to fill high quality jobs.
*The President has worked to expand apprenticeship programs, helping Americans gain hands-on training and experience with no student debt.
*Since President Trump took office, over 660,000 apprentices have been hired across the country.
President Trump established the National Council for the American Worker, tasked with developing a workforce strategy for the jobs of the future.
Over 370 companies have signed the President’s “Pledge to America’s Workers,” pledging to provide more than 14.4 million employment and training opportunities.
President Trump signed an Executive Order prioritizing Cyber Workforce Development to ensure that we have the most skilled cyber workforce of the 21st century.
President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 – the largest tax reform package in history.
More than 6 million American workers received wage increases, bonuses, and increased benefits thanks to the tax cuts.
$1 trillion has poured back into the country from overseas since the President’s tax cuts.
President Trump is revitalizing distressed communities through Opportunity Zones, which encourage investment and growth in underserved communities.
More than 8,760 communities in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 5 Territories have been designated as Opportunity Zones.
The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council has taken more than 175 actions to encourage investment and promote growth within Opportunity Zones.
The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council is engaging all levels of government to identify best practices and assist leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs in using the Opportunity Zone incentive to revitalize low-income communities.
The President is ensuring that America is prepared to lead the world in the industries of the future, by promoting American leadership in emerging technologies like 5G and AI.
The Administration named artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and 5G, among other emerging technologies, as national research and development priorities.
President Trump launched the American AI Initiative to invest in AI research, unleash innovation, and build the American workforce of the future.
President Trump signed an Executive Order that established a new advisory committee of industry and academic leaders to advise the government on its quantum activities.
President Trump has made supporting working families a priority of his Administration.
President Trump signed legislation securing historic levels of funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, helping low-income families access child care.
During his Joint Address to Congress and each State of the Union Address, the President called on Congress to pass a nationwide paid family leave plan.
The President signed into law 12-weeks of paid parental leave for federal workers.
President Trump’s tax reforms provided a new tax credit to incentivize businesses to offer paid family leave to their employees.
The President’s historic tax reforms doubled the child tax credit, benefitting nearly 40 million American families with an average of over $2,200 dollars in 2019.
President Trump’s historic deregulation efforts are driving economic growth, cutting unnecessary costs, and increasing transparency.
President Trump has delivered on, and far exceeded, his promise to slash two existing regulations for every new regulation.
Since taking office, President Trump has rolled back nearly 8 regulations for every new significant one.
The Trump Administration’s deregulatory efforts have slashed regulatory costs by more than $50 billion.
In the coming years, the average American household is projected to see an income gain of $3,100 per year thanks to President Trump’s historic regulatory reform.
Once fully in effect, 20 major deregulatory actions undertaken by the Administration are expected to save American consumers and businesses over $220 billion per year.
President Trump signed 16 pieces of deregulatory legislation that are expected to result in a $40 billion increase in annual real incomes.
President Trump established the Governors Initiative on Regulatory Innovation.
This initiative is working to reduce outdated regulations at the State, local, and tribal levels, advance occupational licensing reform, and align Federal and State regulation.
The President signed legislation eliminating regulatory barriers that made offering retirement benefits difficult for small businesses.
The President took action to increase transparency in Federal agencies and protect Americans from administrative abuse.
This year, President Trump signed two Executive Orders to guard against secretive or unlawful interpretations of rules and prevent Americans from being hit with unfair and unexpected penalties.
President Trump has followed through on his promise to repeal the Obama-era Waters of the United States Rule, lifting a burden off American farmers.
President Trump ended the previous Administration’s war on coal.
President Trump signed legislation repealing the harmful Obama-era Stream Protection Rule.
President Trump replaced the overreaching Obama-era Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, which respects States’ rights and promotes economic growth while lowering power-sector CO2 emissions.
In 2017, the President announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which would have killed millions of American jobs.
The Administration has worked to undo the Obama-era fuel economy regulations by proposing the SAFE Vehicles Rule to lower the cost of new and safer cars.
President Trump helped community banks by signing legislation that rolled back costly provisions of Dodd-Frank.
President Trump established the White House Council on Reducing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing Development to bring down the costs of housing across the country.
The President’s deregulatory actions are removing government barriers to personal freedom and consumer choice in healthcare.
In 2017, President Trump corrected Obama Administration overreach by right-sizing Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
President Trump is negotiating better trade deals for the American people after years of our country being taken advantage of.
President Trump negotiated the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA) to replace the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). USMCA includes tremendous wins for American workers, farmers, and manufacturers, generating over $68 billion in economic activity and creating 176,000 new jobs.
President Trump negotiated two tremendous deals with Japan to boost America’s agricultural and digital trade with the world’s third largest economy.
Thanks to President Trump’s efforts, Japan will open its market to approximately $7 billion in American agricultural exports.
The President’s negotiations will boost the already approximately $40 billion worth of digital trade between our two countries.
President Trump fulfilled his promise to renegotiate the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, providing a boost to American auto exports. These efforts doubled the number of American autos that can be exported to South Korea using United States safety standards.
President Trump reached a historic phase one trade agreement with China that will begin rebalancing our two countries’ trade relationship. As a result of President Trump’s leadership, China has agreed to structural reforms in areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and foreign exchange.
China will be making substantial purchases of American agricultural products, marking a monumental win for American farmers.
President Trump fulfilled his promise to withdraw from the disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
President Trump achieved a mutual agreement with the European Union to work together towards zero tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and subsidies on certain goods.
President Trump has worked to prepare for post-Brexit trade and made Congress aware of his intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK).
President Trump imposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to protect our vital industries and support our national security.
President Trump imposed tariffs to protect American-made washing machines and solar products that were hurt by import surges.
The United States scored an historic victory by overhauling the Universal Postal Union (UPU), whose outdated policies were undermining American interests and workers.
President Trump has expanded markets for American farmers to export their goods worldwide, for example: The European Union has opened up to more American beef and increased imports of American soybeans. China lifted its ban on American poultry and opened up to American beef. South Korea lifted its ban on American poultry and eggs and agreed to provide market access for the greatest, guaranteed volume of American rice.
The Trump Administration has authorized a total of $28 billion in aid for farmers who have been subjected to unfair trade practices.
President Trump has taken historic steps to confront the crisis on our Nation’s borders and protect American communities.
President Trump is following through on his promise to build a wall on our southern border.
The Administration expects to have approximately 450 miles of new border wall by the end of 2020.
The President struck new agreements with Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to help stop the flood of illegal immigration.
The President worked with Mexico to ensure they would improve their border security.
The United States is working with Mexico and others in the region to dismantle the human smuggling networks that profit from human misery and fuel the border crisis by exploiting vulnerable populations.
The Administration negotiated agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to stem the surge of aliens arriving at our border. President Trump negotiated the Migrant Protection Protocols, requiring certain migrants to wait in Mexico during their immigration proceedings instead of allowing them to disappear into our country.
Thanks to the President’s swift action, border apprehensions fell by more than 70 percent from May – the peak of the crisis – to November.
The Trump Administration is stopping deadly drugs and violent criminals from flowing across our borders and into our communities. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized more than 163,000 pounds of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl at the southern border in FY 2019.
The United States Coast Guard seized more than 458,000 pounds of cocaine at sea in FY 2019 and referred nearly 400 suspected drug smugglers for prosecution.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized over 1.4 million pounds of narcotics and made more than 12,000 narcotic-related arrests in FY 2019.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 50,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and over 2,700 kilograms of fentanyl in FY 2019. CBP apprehended 976 alien gang members in FY 2019, including 464 aliens affiliated with MS-13. ICE HSI made over 4,000 arrests of gang members in FY 2019, including over 450 arrests of MS-13 members.
President Trump is upholding the rule of law, restoring integrity to our asylum system, and promoting immigrant self-sufficiency.
President Trump released an immigration plan to fully secure our border, modernize our laws, and promote an immigration system based on merit.
President Trump is working to combat the abuse of our asylum system that drives illegal immigration.
The Administration took action to close the Flores Settlement Agreement loophole and ensure alien families can be kept together through their proceedings.
The President released an order that makes aliens ineligible for asylum if they passed through another country in transit to our border and did not apply for asylum in that country first.
Since taking office, President Trump has stepped up enforcement to ensure there are consequences for breaking our laws. In FY 2019, the Department of Justice prosecuted a record breaking number of immigration related crimes. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 143,099 aliens in FY 2019, 86 percent of whom had criminal records. ICE ERO removed more than 267,000 illegal aliens from the United States in FY 2019.
The Trump Administration is cracking down on sanctuary cities and increasing cooperation at the local level on immigration enforcement. The Administration has more than doubled the number of jurisdictions participating in the 287(g) program, enhancing local cooperation on immigration enforcement.
The Administration took action to protect taxpayers by ensuring that aliens wishing to enter or remain in our country are able to support themselves and not rely on public benefits.
The President issued a proclamation to ensure immigrants admitted to America do not burden our healthcare system.
The President has taken action to reduce nonimmigrant visa overstays, a problem that undermines the rule of law, impacts public safety, and strains resources needed for the border.
President Trump made our country safer by ordering the enhanced vetting of individuals attempting to come to America from countries that do not meet our security standards.
The President is taking a responsible approach to refugee admissions, prioritizing refugee resettlement in jurisdictions where both State and local governments consent to receive them. This order is designed to ensure that refugees are placed in an environment where they will have the best opportunity to succeed in their new homes.
President Trump’s policies are supporting our brave law enforcement officers and making America’s communities safer.
Violent crime fell in 2017 and 2018, after rising during each of the two years prior to President Trump taking office.
Since 2016, the violent crime rate in America has fallen nearly 5 percent and the murder rate has decreased by over 7 percent.
President Trump signed the First Step Act into law, making our criminal justice system fairer for all while making our communities safer.
President Trump has promoted second-chance hiring to give former inmates the opportunity to live crime-free lives and find meaningful employment, all while making our communities safer.
The Department of Education is expanding an initiative that allows individuals in Federal and State prisons to receive Pell Grants to better prepare themselves for the workforce.
The Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons launched a new “Ready to Work” Initiative to help connect employers directly with former prisoners.
The Department of Labor awarded $2.2 million to states to expand the use of fidelity bonds, which underwrite companies that hire former prisoners.
President Trump has revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods, bringing together Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement officials to develop solutions to violent crime.
The President is standing up for our Nation’s law enforcement officers, ensuring they have the support they need to keep our communities safe.
The President established a new commission to evaluate best practices for recruiting, training, and supporting law enforcement officers.
The Administration has made available hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of surplus military equipment to local law enforcement.
President Trump has signed an Executive Order to help prevent violence against law enforcement officers.
The President also signed legislation permanently funding the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, aiding our Nation’s brave first responders.
The President has taken action to combat the scourge of hate crimes and anti-Semitism rising in America.
President Trump signed an Executive Order making it clear that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination rooted in anti-Semitism.
The Administration launched a centralized website to educate the public about hate crimes and encourage reporting. Since January 2017, the Civil Rights division at the DOJ has obtained 14 convictions in cases involving attacks or threats against places of worship.
The President signed the Fix NICS Act to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act and created a Commission on School Safety to examine ways to make our schools safer.
The Trump Administration is fighting to end the egregious crime of human trafficking.
In FY 2019, ICE HSI arrested 2,197 criminals associated with human trafficking and identified 428 victims.
The President signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which tightened criteria for whether countries are meeting standards for eliminating trafficking.
President Trump established a task force to help combat the tragedy of missing or murdered Native American women and girls.
President Trump is putting America first and advancing our interests across the world.
President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign is countering Iran’s influence and pressuring the corrupt regime to abandon its malign activities.
The President removed the United States from the horrible, one-sided Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed all sanctions that were lifted by the deal. In response to Iran’s aggression and gross human rights violations, the President authorized crippling sanctions on the regime’s leadership, including the Supreme Leader.
President Trump is working to vigorously enforce all sanctions to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero and deny the regime its principal source of revenue.
President Trump has held two historic summits with North Korea and earlier this year became the first President to cross the DMZ into North Korea. The Administration has maintained tough sanctions on North Korea while negotiations have taken place.
Since taking office, President Trump has taken historic steps to support and defend our cherished ally Israel.
This year, President Trump acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and declared Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not inconsistent with international law.
The President made good on his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel and move the United States Embassy there.
The President removed the United States from the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council due to the group’s blatant anti-Israel bias.
President Trump has successfully urged North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to increase their defense spending and to focus on modern priorities. NATO Allies will increase defense spending by $130 billion by the end of next year.
The Administration has worked to reform and streamline the U.N., cutting spending and making the organization more efficient.
Earlier this year, the President took action to protect our Second Amendment rights by announcing the United States will not join the misguided Arms Trade Treaty.
President Trump has promoted democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere and imposed heavy sanctions on the regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
The President reversed the previous Administration’s disastrous Cuba policy.
President Trump has enacted a new policy aimed at stopping any revenues from reaching the Cuban military or intelligence services, imposed stricter travel restrictions, and reaffirmed the focus ensuring the Cuban regime does not profit from U.S. dollars.
Earlier this year, the Trump Administration put a cap on remittances to Cuba.
President Trump is enabling Americans to file lawsuits against persons and entities that traffic in property confiscated by the Cuban regime, the first time that these kind of claims have been available for Americans under the Helms-Burton Act.
President Trump has stood with the democratically elected National Assembly and the Venezuelan people and worked to cut off the financial resources of the Maduro regime.
President Trump recognized Juan Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela and rallied an international coalition of 58 countries to support him.
Earlier this year, President Trump blocked all property of the Venezuelan Government in the jurisdiction of the United States.
President Trump has sanctioned key sectors of the Venezuelan economy exploited by the regime, including the oil and gold sectors.
The Administration sanctioned Maduro’s key financial lifelines, including the Venezuelan Central Bank, the Venezuelan Development Bank, and Petroleos de Venezuela.
The Trump Administration has secured the release of Americans unjustly imprisoned abroad, including Kevin King, Xiyue Wang, Danny Burch, and more.
The President and his Administration have worked to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region, promoting new investments and expanding American partnerships.
The President negotiated the return from Finland of approximately 600 tribal ancestral remains and other sacred objects for the American Indian and Pueblo communities from which they came.
The Trump Administration released an economic plan to empower the Palestinian people and enhance Palestinian governance through private investment.
The President created the first-ever whole-of-government approach to women’s economic empowerment through his Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative.

In June of 2019, the President released the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, which focuses on increasing women’s participation to prevent and resolve conflicts.
President Trump is investing in our military and ensuring our forces are able to defend against any and all threats.
President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2020, authorizing a historic $738 billion in defense spending.
President Trump continued to invest in rebuilding our military, after signing legislation to provide for $700 billion in defense spending in FY18 and $716 billion in FY19.
President Trump signed a 3.1% pay raise for our troops, the largest increase in a decade.
The President signed legislation establishing the Space Force as a new branch of the Armed Forces, the first new branch since 1947.
The United States Space Command was relaunched in August 2019.
The President is modernizing and recapitalizing our nuclear forces and missile defenses to ensure they continue to serve as a strong deterrent.
The President upgraded our cyber defenses by elevating the Cyber Command into a major warfighting command and reducing burdensome procedural restrictions on cyber operations.
President Trump is protecting America’s defense-industrial base, directing the first whole-of-government assessment of our manufacturing and defense supply chains since the 1950s.
Under the President’s leadership, the United States is taking the fight to terrorists all around the globe. ISIS’ territorial caliphate has been defeated and all territory recaptured in Iraq and Syria.
The United States has brought Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder of ISIS, to justice.
The President has taken decisive military action to punish the Assad regime in Syria for the barbaric use of chemical weapons on its own people. The President also authorized sanctions against those tied to Syria’s chemical weapons program.
President Trump is standing up for America’s veterans by ensuring they receive the proper care and support they deserve.
President Trump signed the VA MISSION Act, revolutionizing the VA system, increasing choice, and providing quality care for our veterans.
This legislation reformed and expanded many of the existing programs to give veterans improved access to healthcare providers and offered entirely new options such as allowing veterans to get urgent care in their local communities.

The VA MISSION Act put veterans at the center of their healthcare decisions, not bureaucracy. The Trump Administration has expanded veterans’ ability to access telehealth services, including through the “Anywhere to Anywhere” VA health care initiative.
President Trump has brought accountability to the VA, as promised.
President Trump signed the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure VA employees are held responsible for poor performance.
Over 8,000 VA employees have been relieved of their duties at the VA since the beginning of the Administration.
Veterans are seeing an improvement in quality of care under President Trump.
In the last year, the VA saw its highest patient experience ratings in history.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars found in its annual survey that more than 90 percent of respondents would recommend VA care to other veterans.
President Trump signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 to expedite the veteran appeals process.
The Administration is working to seamlessly align the VA’s and DoD’s electronic health records. This new electronic health record system is on pace to launch next year in select areas.
Under President Trump, the VA launched a new tool that provides veterans with online access to average wait times and quality-of-care data. Just as he promised, President Trump opened up a 24/7 White House VA Hotline to provide veterans access to help at all times.
President Trump has committed his Administration to addressing the horrible tragedy of veteran suicide.
President Trump signed the PREVENTS Initiative, which created a task force to develop a revolutionary roadmap to tackle the problem of veteran suicide.
President Trump signed an executive order to improve access to suicide prevention resources for veterans.
President Trump is expanding educational resources, promoting economic opportunity, and making sure our veterans have the support they need when they return home.
This year, the veteran unemployment rate reached its lowest level since 2000.
President Trump signed an executive order that paves the way for veterans to more easily join the Merchant Marine, providing quality job opportunities.
President Trump signed the Forever GI Bill, allowing veterans to use their educational benefits at any point in their lives.
President Trump expedited the process of discharging Federal student loan debt for our Nation’s totally and permanently disabled veterans.
President Trump signed the HAVEN Act to ensure that veterans who’ve declared bankruptcy don’t lose their disability payments.
President Trump signed legislation providing a pathway for Alaska Natives who served in Vietnam to receive the land allotments to which they are legally entitled
President Trump has made battling the opioid crisis a top priority for his Administration, and the results couldn’t be clearer. President Trump brought attention to the opioid crisis by declaring it a nationwide public health emergency. To address the many factors fueling the drug crisis, President Trump launched an Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand.
Thanks to the President’s efforts, landmark new Federal funding and resources have been dedicated to help end this crisis.
President Trump signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the largest and most comprehensive piece of legislation to combat the opioid crisis in history.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded nearly $9 billion over 2016 to 2019 in grants to address the opioid crisis and improve access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services in partnership with State and local officials.
Nearly $1 billion in grants were recently awarded for the HEAL Initiative to support development of scientific solutions to help prevent and treat addiction.
President Trump announced a Safer Prescriber Plan that seeks to decrease the amount of opioids prescription fills by one third within three years. From January 2017 to September 2019, the total amount of opioids prescriptions filled in America dropped by 31%.
This year, the President launched FindTreatment.gov, a newly designed website that makes it easier to find substance abuse treatment locations. The President implemented new efforts to educate Americans about the dangers of opioid misuse. These efforts include an ad campaign on youth opioid abuse that reached 58 percent of young adults in America.
President Trump and his Administration aggressively worked to cut off the flow of deadly drugs into our communities.
In FY 2019, ICE HSI seized 12,466 pounds of opioids including 3,688 pounds of fentanyl, an increase of 35% from FY 2018.
The Administration shut down the country’s biggest Darknet distributer of drugs, seizing enough fentanyl to kill 105,000 Americans in the process. Under President Trump, a DOJ strike force charged more than 65 defendants collectively responsible for distributing over 45 million opioid pills. The Administration has brought kingpin designations against traffickers operating in China, India, Mexico and more who have played a role in the epidemic in America.
The Administration secured the first-ever indictments against Chinese fentanyl traffickers.
This year, President Trump convinced China to enact strict regulations to control the production and sale of all types of fentanyl.
Evidence suggests that President Trump’s efforts are making a real difference across the Nation. Preliminary data shows overdose deaths fell nationwide in 2018 for the first time in decades. Many of the hardest hit states – including Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia – saw drug overdose deaths drop in 2018.
Since 2016, there has been a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of Americans receiving medication-assisted treatment. President Trump is working hard to give Americans better quality care at a lower cost.
The Administration is delivering quality healthcare and promoting innovative treatment options for American patients. Earlier this year, President Trump signed an order to protect and improve Medicare for our seniors, encouraging even more competition and promoting innovative benefits.
President Trump signed and implemented the Right to Try Act, which has expanded treatment options for terminally ill patients.
The President has taken action to combat childhood cancer, initiating an effort to provide $500 million over the next decade to improve pediatric cancer research.
The President signed legislation providing an additional $1 billion in Alzheimer’s disease research funding.
The Administration launched a plan to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America in the next decade.
President Trump took action to increase the availability of organs for patients in need of transplants and provide more treatment options and improve care for patients suffering from kidney disease.
The President signed an order to modernize the influenza vaccine.
The Administration is making healthcare more affordable and transparent The Administration is requiring hospitals to make their prices negotiated with insurers publicly and easily available online.
The President is working to expand Association Health Plans, which would make it easier for employers to join together and offer more affordable health coverage to their employees.
President Trump extended access to short-term, limited-duration health plans, giving Americans more flexibility to choose plans that suit their needs.
The Administration expanded the use of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). Now, HRAs allow employers to help their employees pay for the cost of insurance that they select in the individual market.
The Administration has successfully worked to reduce Medicare Advantage and Part D premiums to their lowest in years.
The Administration has improved access to health savings accounts for individuals with chronic conditions.
The President has worked to reduce the burden felt by Americans due to Obamacare and eliminated Obamacare’s individual mandate penalty.
President Trump released legislative principles to end surprise medical billing and is working with Congress to give patients the control they deserve.
President Trump is following through on his pledge to combat high drug prices.
President Trump released a blueprint to reduce drug prices and expand affordability for American patients.
The Administration’s efforts to lower drug prices led to the largest year-over-year decrease in drug prices ever recorded.
The President has advanced efforts to import prescription drugs from Canada in partnership with several states, including Florida and Colorado.
The President launched an initiative to stop global freeloading in the drug market, proposing a new way for Medicare to pay for certain drugs based on prices other developed nations pay.
The President signed legislation to end pharmacy gag clauses, which prevented pharmacists from letting patients know when it would be cheaper to buy drugs without their insurance.
President Trump has made it a priority of his Administration to uphold the sanctity of life and safeguard religious liberty for all.
President Trump is unequivocally committed to protecting the sanctity of every human life.
The Administration issued a rule preventing Title X family planning funds from supporting the abortion industry.
President Trump has called on Congress to end late-term abortions.
The Trump Administration cut all funding to the U.N. population fund, due to the fund’s support for coercive abortion and forced sterilization.
HHS rescinded an Obama-era guidance that prevented states from taking certain actions against abortion providers.
President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy in 2017, ensuring that taxpayer money is not used to fund abortion globally. The President has taken action to end federal research using fetal tissue from abortions.
President Trump is protecting healthcare entities and individuals’ conscience rights—ensuring that no medical professional is forced to participate in an abortion in violation of their beliefs.
The Administration provided relief to American employers like Little Sisters of the Poor, protecting them from being forced to provide coverage that violate their conscience.
President Trump has taken unprecedented action to support the fundamental right to religious freedom.
In 2018, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative.
In 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order upholding religious liberty and the right to engage in religious speech.
The Department of Justice created a Religious Liberty Task Force in 2018.
The Trump Administration continues to vigorously defend religious liberty in the courts at every opportunity.
President Trump reversed the Obama-era policy that prevented the government from providing disaster relief to religious organizations.
The Administration is preserving a space for faith-based adoption and foster care providers to continue to serve their communities consistent with their beliefs.
The Administration reduced burdensome barriers to Native Americans being able to keep spiritually and culturally significant eagle feathers found on their tribal lands.
The Administration has allowed greater flexibility for Federal employees to take time off work for religious reasons.
The Trump Administration has stood up for religious liberty around the world.
The Administration has partnered with local and faith-based organizations to provide assistance to religious minorities persecuted in Iraq.
President Trump hosted the Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom at the 2019 U.N. General Assembly, calling on global and business leaders to bring an end to religious persecution and stop crimes against people of faith.
The Administration dedicated $25 million to protect religious freedom, religious sites and relics.
The State Department has hosted two Religious Freedom Ministerials, with the 2019 Ministerial becoming the largest religious freedom event of its kind in the world.
In 2019, the Administration imposed restrictions on certain Chinese officials, internal security units, and companies for their complicity in the persecution of Uighur Muslims and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
President Trump is transforming the Federal judiciary by appointing a historic number of Federal judges who will interpret the Constitution as written.
Working with the Senate, President Trump has now had 187 judicial nominees confirmed to the Federal bench.
President Trump’s remaking of the judiciary is only accelerating with 103 Federal judges confirmed in 2019, more than 2017 and 2018 combined.
The President named Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, fulfilling his promise to appoint justices who will uphold the constitution as written.
President Trump has appointed 50 Circuit Court judges – more than any other President at this point in their Administrations. More than a quarter of all active Circuit Court judges were appointed by President Trump.
The average age of Trump-appointed circuit judges is less than 50 years old, ensuring that these qualified jurists will continue to have an impact for decades to come.
President Trump has flipped the Second, Third, and Eleventh Circuits from Democrat-appointed majorities to Republican-appointed majorities.
President Trump’s policies are ushering in a new era of American energy dominance.
President Trump has rolled back the burdensome regulations of the past Administration and implemented policies that are unleashing American energy.
The United States is the largest oil and natural gas producer in the world.
American oil production reached its highest level in history in 2019.
The United States became a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products in September 2019, the first time this has occurred since records began in 1973.
Natural gas production is projected to set a record high in 2019, marking the third consecutive year of record production.
President Trump is opening up more access to our country’s abundant natural resources in order to promote energy independence.
Department of the Interior energy revenues soared in fiscal year FY 2019, nearly doubling since FY 2016 to $12 billion.
Applications to drill on public lands have increased by 300 percent since FY 2016, and the time it takes to complete these permits has dropped by half.
President Trump signed legislation to open up Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration.
President Trump is promoting energy infrastructure to ensure American energy producers can deliver their products to the market. This year, President Trump signed two Executive Orders to streamline processes holding back the construction of new energy infrastructure, like pipelines. In 2017, the Administration took action to approve the Dakota Access pipeline and the Keystone XL pipeline. The Administration issued permits for the New Burgos Pipeline that will export American petroleum products to Mexico. The Administration has streamlined Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal permitting. In 2019, the Department of Energy granted 11 new long-term LNG export approvals.
American energy exports have reached historic highs.
LNG exports have increased by 247% since 2017, hitting record highs in 2019 and are projected to continue increasing next year.
In 2017, the United States became a net natural gas exporter for the first time in 60 years.
The United States has exported LNG to five continents and 37 countries, marking 19 additional countries from the beginning of the Trump Administration.
President Trump strengthened America’s domestic energy production and supported our Nation’s farmers by approving year-round E-15.
President Trump worked to ensure greater transparency and certainty in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
President Trump has promoted domestic energy production and economic growth while working to ensure Americans have access to safe drinking water and a clean environment.
The United States environmental record is one of the strongest in the world and America continues to make environmental progress in clean air and clean water. Under President Trump’s leadership, the EPA took action to protect vulnerable Americans from lead exposure by proposing changes to the Lead and Copper rule. Under President Trump’s leadership, in FY 2019 the EPA completed cleanup on the most superfund sites on the National Priority List in 18 years. Emissions of all criteria pollutants dropped between 2016 and 2018.
President Trump is working to ensure all Americans have access to quality education.
President Trump signed into law a modernization of our country’s career and technical education system to ensure more Americans have access to high-quality vocational education.
This year, the Administration proposed Education Freedom Scholarships to expand education options for students of all economic backgrounds. This plan will invest up to $5 billion in students through a tax credit for donations for state-based, locally-controlled scholarships.
President Trump is expanding education and training opportunities for incarcerated individuals to learn how to make a living before their release. The President signed legislation reauthorizing the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program.
Thanks to President Trump’s historic tax reform, parents can now withdraw up to $10,000 tax-free per year from 529 education savings plans to cover K-12 tuition costs.
President Trump has made supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) a priority of his Administration.
President Trump signed the Farm Bill that included more than $100 million dollars for scholarships, research, and centers of excellence at HBCU land-grant institutions.
The Administration has enabled faith-based HBCUs to enjoy equal access to Federal support.
President Trump signed legislation providing $255 million dollars of permanent annual funding for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions.

He promised to fix the US trade deficit (the gap between imports v exports), which, for the first time in six years did decline in 2019.
His "America First" principles, for bringing jobs and manufacturing back to the US have been successful.
The pandemic has taught us that we need to bring back much more. It is crazy that we rely on the same country that brought us the pandemic for medications to fight it. He has rolled back federal regulations on businesses, enacted corporate and income tax cuts and signed executive orders supporting preferences for domestic-made products. Trump has said "America First" does "not mean "America alone". Trump has taken a hard-line stance on China, coupled with a policy to protect local manufacturers from foreign competition - and those remain the key aspects of his trade policy.
Trump helped to broker a deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalise relations.
Mr Trump campaigned in 2016 on repealing the Affordable Care Act, brought in by former President Barack Obama. Though falling short of a complete repeal, the administration has succeeded in undoing parts of that law including a repeal of the individual mandate, which required people to buy health insurance or pay a tax penalty.
President Trump has also promised to bring down drug prices in the US, and in July brought in measures that would allow discounts and import of cheaper drugs from abroad, though some industry analysts have said they would not have much effect.
He declared the opioid crisis a national health emergency in 2017 and offered $1.8bn in federal funding to states for prevention, treatment and recovery measures. He has also taken steps to restrict opioid prescribing
President Trump has touted the First Step Act as a key step he made towards criminal justice reform. The 2018 bipartisan bill was significant, and reformed laws at the federal level, giving judges more discretion during sentencing as well as strengthening prisoner rehabilitation efforts.
Mr Trump had also promised a follow-up Second Step Act that would address employment barriers for former prisoners. The Platniem Plan just announced will do that and much more if seen to fuition.
In June, President Trump signed an executive order introducing several police reforms, offering federal grants for improved practices, including the creation of a database to trace abuses by officers.
President Trump said it shall be the policy of the United States not to promote race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating in the Federal workforce or in the Uniformed Services, and not to allow grant funds to be used for these purposes. In addition, Federal contractors will not be permitted to inculcate such views in their employees.
Finally President Trump insured the rights of our heros in uniform to be free from coersion and discrimination because of their personally held beliefs. No member of the United States Uniformed Services shall face any penalty or discrimination on account of his or her refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, act upon, or otherwise assent to these concepts.
If that wasn't enough to think about I thought I would include the Executive orders by President Trump in the last 6th months. You can go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions to read the text of each order.
Executive order on lowering drug prices by putting America First Americans should not bear extra burdens to compensate for the shortfalls that result from the nationalized public healthcare systems of wealthy countries abroad.
Executive Order on Targeting Opportunity Zones and Other Distressed Communities for Federal Site Locations
Executive Order on Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 by Providing Assistance to Renters and Homeowners
Executive Order on Ensuring Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures, and Critical Inputs Are Made in the United States
Executive Order on Aligning Federal Contracting and Hiring Practices With the Interests of American Workers
Executive Order on Lowering Prices for Patients by Eliminating Kickbacks to Middlemen
Executive Order on Increasing Drug Importation to Lower Prices for American Patients
Executive Order on Access to Affordable Life-saving Medications
Executive Order on the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative
Executive Order on Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes
Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence.
Executive Order on Continuing the President’s National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.
Executive Order on Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates
Executive Order on Strengthening the Child Welfare System for America’s Children
Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities
Executive Order on Blocking Property Of Certain Persons Associated With The International Criminal Court
Ececutive Order on Accelerating the Nation’s Economic Recovery from the COVID-19 Emergency by Expediting Infrastructure Investments and Other Activities
Executive Order on Advancing International Religious Freedom
Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship
Executive Order on Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery
Executive Order on the Establishment of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force Under Section 741 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act
Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth
Executive Order on Securing the United States Bulk-Power System
Executive Order on Delegating Authority Under the DPA with Respect to Food Supply Chain Resources During the National Emergency Caused by the Outbreak of COVID-19

I am incrediably tired of the mainstream media's assassination of President Trumps character, twisting his words, and flat out lying. I believe Trump has more than earned a second term. I encourage you to research on your own.

So you think President Trump and our Government are Facist? I don't think that word means what you think it means Antifa so we will start with the Webster Definition.
Definition of fascism: 1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
GONNA BREAK IT DOWN NOW.
1 a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation (Nationalism is the advocacy of or support for the political independence of a particular nation or people)
■There is nothing wrong with people of any nation wanting a strong nation)

2. and often race ☆ Trump has improved the lives of minorities and marginalized people:
■Sentencing and Prison Reform: The FIRST STEP Act. In late 2018, Congress enacted its most sweeping prison reform legislation in a generation. Formally known as the First Step Act, the law's purpose is to shorten sentences somewhat for particular crimes and improve conditions of incarceration for some inmates as well.Apr 22, 2019

■ Prior to Covid 19 things were looking good for minorities and marginalized people. Due in large part to President Trump keeping his promise that he would make our economy great again.
□All minorities groups saw their unemploymentrates drop to some of the lowest rates since 1944
□"Low unemployment is forcing employers to raise pay and become more aggressive about hiring and training workers. Average hourly earnings rose 3.2 percent in the past year, well above inflation, and lower wage workers enjoyed some of the largest gains as companies scrambled to fill jobs and many states have raised their minimum wage." (May 3, 2019 at 11:20 a.m. Washington Post)

3. above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government
■An autocracy is a system of government in which an autocrat, defined as a single person or party, possesses supreme and absolute power. The decisions of this autocrat are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control.
□ Republicans do not possess absolute power. If the did there never would have been an attempt impeach the president
□ 2 words. Senate/House
□ President Trump didn't demanded States do certain things regarding covid 19 and was blasted for it by many Democrats. He didn't do it because the rights not specifically given to the federal government by the constitution are the rights of the State.
4.headed by a dictatorial leader Do you know what dictator means? a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained control by force.
■Trump may wish he had total power but that is obviously not the case.
5. severe economic and social regimentation
■The economy was better than ever before covid. A rising ship lifts all people as was evidenced by historically low unemployment for all segments of society.
6. Forcible suppression of opposition.
■If there is any forcible suppression of opposition it would be from the "progressive" left that encourages people to confront Conservative Republicans in restaurants and public venues and verbally and in some cases physically harass them.
Just some more facts to take into account. That's my two cents.

Decline of the American Civilization

Thinking about Roman, Greek and Mayan civilizations. All considered great civilization and yet they are gone. As I look at our young country I am afraid that our history may be much shorter than those of these great civilizations.
I wrote this line 05/27/13 to start a blog post but never fleshed out what I was thinking. Tonight I as I watch President Trump deliver the 2020 State of the Union Address I am sure that in 2013 I had not imagined the state of America at this time in our history. We seem on the road to civil war. So much hate and vitriol against conservatives.

Uncivilized Society

* This current period of hate seemed to start when we discovered that democratic operatives hired thugs to cause trouble at Trump rallies https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/18/undercover-video-shows-democrats-saying-they-hire-/
* Then there have been calls from progressives to acts of violence against Conservatives. This document is 7 pages long single spaced and deliniates these many agregious acts. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20190409/109266/HHRG-116-JU00-20190409-SD008.pdf
* We see media out lets support the vilification of President trump. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-39592010. https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/bjwky3/2020-voters-are-already-being-inundated-by-fake-news-on-facebook utm_source=viceadwordsdynamicus&utm_medium=cpc
*Some media outlets give up on reporting facts and give opinions, here is just one example https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/01/trump-is-mentally-unwell-and-everyone-around-him-knows-it.html
*Antifa (A violent fasist group that hides behind masks) begins attacking supporters https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/28/democrats-silent-after-antifa-attacks-berkeley-tru/
*Top Democrat leaders encourage violence. Hillary Clinton herself said the time for civility toward Republicans is over. “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about,” Clinton told CNN. https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/30369-anti-gop-violence-escalates-top-democrats-egg-on-the-goons
*During her campaign against President Trump, Hillary Cliton stated that "you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.",
*Maxine Waters called on constituents to quote. “If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere,”
*ManyTrump supporters have been the victims of numerous targeted attacks, brutal violence, and hate crimes (https://www.foxnews.com/us/video-emerges-of-mob-beating-chicago-man-while-yelling-dont-vote-trump) (https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2018/07/05/rap-sheet-acts-of-media-approved-violence-and-harassment-against-trump-supporters/)
*It seemed to became ok to threaten to kill the President https://bgr.com/2016/11/15/man-threatens-to-kill-trump-ceo-sniper/
*or his son. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/peter-fonda-barron-trump/
*Made up stories of attacks by Trump supporters https://nypost.com/2019/02/21/the-list-of-bogus-hate-crimes-in-trump-era-is-long/
*Media becomes a tool to radicalize the left https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/15/inside-the-beltway-media-lies-that-radicalized-the/
*Citizen's begin to view opposition as something to kill. https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=57444
*School officials think nothing of depicting Trump head on a pike for mural https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/mural-of-trump-on-chula-vista-school-wall-sparks-controversy/509-017636f1-e340-4670-94a4-fa4ea0cb79df Many conservatives are scared to express their support on their clothes or their possessions, for fear of being physical attacked or their property vandalized.
There have been attacks by Republican's on Democrats too. I could not help but notice however, that many of the stories I found while researching those were mostly about verbal attacks, not physical violence or threats of violence as I found against conservatives.

Tonight much was made about President Trump not shaking Palosi's hand after handing her a copy of the speech. He didn't shake Vice President Pences hand either and does not appear to be purposly dissing her. Yes he might have needed to be more aware that that would be the polite thing to do, I don't disagree there. On the other hand, making a show of tearing up her copy of the speech was disrespectful to the President. There is usually some booing and the like from the people not in power but the Democrats Chanting HR 3 complete with hand gesture (Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act sent to the Senate on December 16th) and shouting over the Presidents State of the Union, was not the decorem we expect of our Representatives and Senators, It was unbecoming and innappropriate. Democrats couldn't even applaud when President Trump touted the great employment numbers of all groups.

We elected him to do a good job for America, we were not electing him Pope. (he sure isn't anywhere near Pope material). But lets be honest, we kinda knew what kind of person he was when he ran for office. (He is not a racist white supremist as the many democrats would like you to believe) He was elected because he promised to do things that his base wanted done. He was elected because he wasn't Hilary Clinton who left American's to die in Bengazi and then lied about the incident. He wasn't the person who used a private server for confidential, classified American buisness then to hide evidence smashed and bleachbit her phone and server. He was not a carreer politician. America wanted the "swamp" cleaned up. President Trump is a bombastic,arragont and a name calling bully. Basically an arse. But as I said we didn't elect him to be pope.

Here are some of his accomplishments in his first 3 years of office:

--He has kept many campaign promises and made headway on others.
--He defends Religious freedom.
--He defends life.
--He takes no salary,donating it each quarter.
--He reformed the tax code.
--He signed the First Steps Act which is intended to reform prison system.
--Reduced regulations that caused American Companies to leave the US by He signed executive order directing that for every new regulation, two be repealed, thus, helping to bring about the reshoring of jobs and companies to the US. Employment figures for minorities are at all time highs
--He created a White House veterans hotline.
--He reverse Obama's executive order on gun control.
--He signed an order placing lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying for foreign government.
--He is making NATO partners pay their share.
--He moved US embassy to Jerusalem. and more
We must challenge ourselves to research the truth. Too many people (76% according to one article) get their news from social media. To many people repost and believe outright lies without ever checking the facts. Talking heads on TV and the internet vomit up outright lies and assertions without basis, espousing their opinions and gut feelings as facts.

As we live our daily lives we must not push aside our morals and values. We must live by the Golden Rule and think to ourselves What would (God, Budda, Gandi, M.L King, a nice person do? We must endevor to love those that hate us. We must resist the temptation to follow the crowd. I pray that we will not devolve so far as to fight a civil war again in this country, but things look grim my friends. It's up to each of us to stop this slide into polarized maddness.


some links to information used in this opinion piece.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/19/occupy-wall-street-advocates-killing-ice-agents/ https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/476438-the-real-threat-to-civil-rights-trump-haters https://investorplace.com/2017/01/10-companies-bringing-jobs-back-to-america/ https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1341/take-no-salary/ https://www.gobankingrates.com/making-money/business/companies-reinvested-america-following-trumps-election/#0

Idiotocracy

Idiotocracy is a movie starring Luke Wilson and while it may be fiction I think it's message is clear. This country is going to hell in a hand basket. Tonight I am thinking about one of the reasons for this decline. Dr Benjamin Carson said tonight that "The politically correct "everyone's a winner" philosophy is destroying the fabric of our society" I believe it is also creating self centered, disrespectful children who think they are entitled to things without an ounce of work. NCLB (No Child Left Behind) is leaving whole groups of students behind. State and Education laws are too. A teacher who has high expectations is lauded until too many student fail to rise to the expectation. Then they are told that something is wrong with their teaching because too many fail. No wonder you hear about weak minded people who cheat on the State Tests. No one likes to get beaten down after they have worked themselves ragged. A very smart person once said "the best teacher is not necessarily the one with all the children passing their class. It could be that that teacher ensures that they students have a passing grade so they don't have to deal with the hassle of parents" Yes Teachers can be more engaging, motivating and a "Guide on the Side. We can spend untold hours looking at data, making all our decisions driven by that data, making materials and working to do our job the best we can for each individual child in our care. We can learn new tricks. We can have a loving, deep relationship with our students. We can be teacher, counselor and cheerleader. We can be all these things and yet feel like we am being told we are not good enough. If only we were more engaging, our lessons more interesting and geared toward each individual and if we had greater relationships with students we would reach them all....... But the reality is more complicated than that. Our students come to us with baggage; fatherless, motherless, poor, abused, hungry, parents or siblings in trouble with the law. Our kids spend hours alone as latch key kids as parent or guardian works to put food on the table and clothes on their backs. Some parents don't parent. Our kids are angry and hurt and starved for love in some cases. Our kids are spending countless hours playing violent first person shooters and watching graphic murders, rapes and crimes on TV. Some students get passed from grade to grade because holding them back makes the likelihood that they will drop out rise. Laws and statutes set arbitrary lines that schools must abide by even when it doesn't make sense. Some students simply were born with deficits in intellectual capabilities. Not all students will achieve a passing rate on any state assessment even if you legislate it. NCLB was well intended just not well thought out. A speaker came to our school district to talk about culture but most in attendance heard him mostly speak about race. During his PD he said that (I paraphrase here) African American students and other minorities have trouble in schools because the standards and expectation are those of middle class whites..... He argued that we needed to change our standards and expectations to more reflect where the kids are coming from. . Reality check!! These children must learn to conform to those "middle class white" standard because that is the world they live in. Right or wrong, fair or not; That is the world in which they will have to compete for jobs. This is a free country and employers have the right to have some standards that must be met if you want them to employ you. The ability to read, write and reason are chief among them. They will also expect appropriate dress for the job and adherence to the rules. They will be expected to be well spoken and well groomed. They will expect the people they employ to be motivated, self starters and team players When students are not raised with much in the way of morals and values.they end up with the morals and values they find on the street. These values tend to be that "I can do anything I please and if you try to stop me you are disrespecting me and I can injure or slander you as payback" Kids are shooting kids dead for the shoes on their feet, We are losing a whole generation of students to the "do it if it feels good" philosophy. The trend today in Education is that we can't look at those things as we try to educate the child. These are things we have no control over and I totally agree that it is true. But you can't just sweep it under the carpet and say it doesn't matter in the classroom. Whether we talk about it openly or not that Elephant is sitting in the room with us. Parents are the most influence people in their children's life. As teachers we have your child a year or two and then they are gone. A parent must stand up and say to their child that failing is not an option. Disrespecting your teacher and classmates will earn some form of punishment. Parents need to discipline their children when they do wrong and celebrate them when they do right. Parents must say what they mean and mean what they say. If a standard is broken or a line crossed there must be consequences. If a parent threatens a consequence they must follow through. To fix the schools we need to do everything we can as educators and this country needs to do something about the cultural crisis. What crisis you ask? The crisis of the loss of the family unit and the beliefs and values that built this country. That's all I will say now, I will leave the rest for another day. God Bless.

ADHD or Sleep Deprivation? Worth Another Look!

People use to call me the Nap Nazi. I was and am proud of that nickname. With three small children each a year apart and a teenage son, I didn't play around when it came to feeding my children and getting them to their beds for nap. Most days we played at the park with another group of moms with young children. We would eat a picnic that was packed with fruits, veggies and crackers then we would say good bye to our friends and be home by 11:45 am where we washed up, got a drink and headed for bed. The girls and I would sleep for about 2 hours. Bedtime started around 7:00pm. Full tummies and washed bodies were tucked into bed and the 'Lullaby Magic" cassette was plugged in and played loud enough that it could be heard in every room. The girls always slept till almost 7 am then the whole routine started over. We had read somewhere that habituating your child to the same music played every night at bedtime would be useful when change of location due to traveling. Sure enough we could load the kids into the car at 3:30 am, plug in that cassette and the girls would sleep until 8am or so, ready for us to pull over and eat breakfast. Funniest of all on a trip to Santa Fe New Mexico that same cassette worked on my teenage son. We could turn that tape on and he would go to sleep as quickly as the girls. I ran across a story in the Sunday Review http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/opinion/sunday/diagnosing-the-wrong-deficit.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=1& And was struck by this paragraph. "For some people — especially children — sleep deprivation does not necessarily cause lethargy; instead they become hyperactive and unfocused. Researchers and reporters are increasingly seeing connections between dysfunctional sleep and what looks like A.D.H.D., but those links are taking a long time to be understood by parents and doctors." Vatsal G. Thakkar is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the N.Y.U. School of Medicine. It is no secret that sleep helps rejuvenate the mind and body. Just talk to some new mother who is awake every hour and a half with her newborn. Sometimes post part em depression is just lack of continuous uninterrupted sleep. When given 6 hours of sleep the mood is often raised and reason returns. Maybe it is just my husbands and my stellar parenting that raised polite young ladies who could sit still and quiet in a room. But I believe that the strict adherence to our sleep schedule (and an obsessive control of health eating) played a large part. At nearly 15 years old the youngest still puts herself to bed around 7 pm every night. As a teacher of 5th graders I routinely hear from them that they stay up till hours of the night. Some of the most distracted and unfocused are among these. Then there is the problem of the students who can't keep their eyes open and their heads raised. These kids are missing so much of the learning happening in the classroom. So before you take your child to the doctor for ADHD give this simple plan a try. Set a bedtime that will allow your child to get at least 10 hours of sleep. Your child will insist that they can't sleep, they will fight you tooth and nail. You are the parent. Put your foot down. The second crucial step is to wake them up around the same time every day. 6 am on school days, no later than 7 am on weekends. Retrain their body clock and you might be surprised at how much calmer and nicer you child can be. WAKE UP AMERICA! Our kids need to sleep!

Tune out!

Turn off the T.V. Walk away from idle talk about the recent tragedy. Drop onto your knees and pray. Pray for those families. Pray for the world. PRAY!

I wish....

I wish I had been born with a different disposition.  I wish I could shrug off the unthinking, hurtful things that people do and say.   I wish I didn't take everything so personally.  I wish I knew how others expect me to respond to things. ( maybe pretending would satisfy them) I wish people could make their expectations apparent and reasonable.  
I wish I could solve the worlds problems and wave a magic wand and have everyone treat everyone with kindness, compassion and mercy.  I would wipe away world hunger and poverty, I would insure that every child and every animal and every person was treated with love, dignity and respect. If I had a dollar for every wish I wished I would be rich.
God  made of me a mother, not only of children but friends and loved ones.  He put me through hard dark times to give me a unique understanding.  God made me with a desire to serve, to be everything that he wants me to be. God made of me a teacher, to reach and teach the heart and minds of students.  God made me in his image to act in a way that allows people to see him through me.  God did not promise an easy road, in fact he promised it would be difficult.
 God's love is sufficient but honestly I wish he'd throw in some armor to protect my heart.
I pray often for the strength to do my job, the continued drive to keep up the good fight, I pray for motivation and wisdom and the ability to reach the unreachable.  God answered that prayer and things were going well.  Then the world put's it foot out and trips you up.
I wish I could say that it doesn't stop me in my tracks.  That is doesn't send me spiraling down into sadness and despair.  I wish I could say " I'm doing the best I can" then just keep my chin up and keep smiling.  I wish....  Truth is it makes it hard to do anything but withdraw.  It is hard do my job and talk with people.  It makes me wonder why I put so much of myself out there for people.
You can do everything in the world to be everything to everyone and it won't be good enough.   Your humanity and your faults will trip you up.  Unthoughtful or hurtful people will try to push you down.  Happenstance and humanness will keep you from perfection.  You will try something new, you will try to do what is expected and it will fail.   If you are me, it will always cut deep.  It will always make it hard to get up and continue.
I will still praise God,. God made me this way but  I still wish I had been born with a different disposition.

Tragedy in the classroom

The following is my opinion about the state of Education and in no way is intended to portray any school, district administration or teaching staff. I am not responsible for assumptions made by person's reading this blog.

When I was a kid, the classroom was a place of learning. Students sat in rows and didn't speak unless spoken to. Students were respectful and worked hard. When a student dared to test the rules of the class, there was swift justice, not only in the principles office but also at home.

What happens in some classrooms these days does not resemble that classroom. Not all changes are bad. Technology and hands on lesson plans that engage kids and allow them to experience the learning instead of listening to it described is a great advancement. Differentiation to meet the needs of your highest and your lowest performing is a lofty and worthy goal that should be lauded.

As a parent of three gifted girls I have greatly appreciated the effort made by the teachers at Anderson-ShiroCISD to meet their needs and keep them interested. Tragedy however hovers close by. Laws made by well intending, but clueless lawmakers, saddle the districts with huge responsibility but don't provide proper funds to implement such mandates. Under the mistaken belief that Standardized testing will help insure a well educated populous. People who don't stand on the front lines in teaching, create standards and tests that serve to stifle creativity and innovation in the classroom.

Teachers are desperately getting the entire year of learning squeezed into the first 7 months because it's all on the test. The breakneck pace that is required leaves dozens of children behind. Then students are tutored outside the classroom and continue to fall farther behind their piers. There is just not enough time in the day to reach enough students. Interventions are also required by law for these students, but arbitrary caps, limits the number of students that can be served at each level. Every couple years these same people raise the difficulty of the tests. No Child Left Behind was a grand idea. What an awesome goal; 100% of children passing state mandated tests by 2014. But NCLB is not reality. Continuing to believe in it, is detrimental to our schools. Legislative bodies will continue to make decrees from on high that no one without the perfect situation will be able to meet. God has created children of all different kinds. Not all children are endowed with the same gifts or interests. State and Federal governments have their hand in a pie that is leaving a bad taste in the mouth of educators in classroom around the U.S.

Laws about what can and can't be done about abhorrent behavior in the classroom, tie the hands of Administrators and Teachers. Students who disrupt the learning environment, disrespect and bully their classmates and teachers and refuse to attend to lessons or do classwork can't be removed from the classroom without a mountain of documentation. While the documentation is gathered the student continues to make class a living hell for classmates and teachers.

The world of Education has changed in more ways than just innovation and laws. The misguided politically correct philosophy that we must be "fair" is ruining our students. Years ago when my 2nd child was nearing her Kindergarten Graduation another mother, Dena and I looked at the handmade and nearly see through smocks that served as the graduation robes for the last fifty years and decided we needed a more modern version. We approached the principle about fundraising for new modern robes and were given the blessing to go ahead.

Having 3 girls who would wear a robe and Dena having 3 that would wear a robe, we offered parents the option to purchase their own so that they would have a keepsake to be worn by all our children. Our fundraising covered the cost of 46 graduation gowns needed for the large kindergarten class with a few extra for future growth.

As we were completing the orders, the assistant principle told us that it was "unfair" for some parents to be allowed to buy their robe. "What about the parents who can't afford to buy it? What about little Johnny who sees Casey go home with a robe and he can't? It's not fair!" I place that in quotes because it is the actual words that came out of her mouth. My response was that Johnny needs to understand that his mom and dad don't have the money and Casey's do. Simple as that. If Johnny views this as an injustice maybe it encourages him to do well in school so he can go to college and be more successful than his parents were able. Johnny learns that life is what you make it. Life isn't fair. It's a dog eat dog world and we do a dis-service to our kids when we don't allow them to learn this important lesson early.

The fourth change to the classroom is the huge number of children dealing with family issues. Parents divorced, separated jailed or absent. Students who are latch key and virtually raise themselves on junk food and violent T.V and video games. Students who run the streets because parents are working or self absorbed. Parents fight custody battles in front of the children and bad mouth the other parent to the child when given the chance. I have witnessed this more than I care to remember. I myself am divorced but my son will attest the the fact that I did not involve my son in any issues I had with his father. We worked together for the good of Adrian. We even went on cub scout camping trips with the ex in the tent next to my husbands and mine. We knew it was all about the our son, not ourselves or our issues.

As many children today, I was often home alone, as are my own children. My parents both worked hard as do my husband and I. My parents had rules that we knew had to be followed and we respected our parents for them. We were taken to church, taught about respect and what it looked like. We were taught morals and values at home. My husband and I have rules that are children follow. We take them to church and have taught them respect, morals and values beginning at an early age, the kids respect us and follow the rules.

Another nail in the coffin of public education is reality shows and video games, Snooky. Teen Mom and Grand Theft Auto as the blueprint for dreams of what kids want out of life. God help us! Children as young as 3 watching R rated movies and emulating what they see. We have young kids shooting there friends because they "disrespected them" The young mind is not developed enough. It really doesn't make a firm line between what is real and acceptable behavior and what they see on T.V and in video games. Violence spreads like a disease in American schools

The final nail in the coffin is the growing belief by people who have never been in a classroom that a teacher's pay should be tied to their students test scores. I try daily to make my classroom a safe and engaging place for my students. I believe that all children are capable of great things. I know that not all children have the same aptitude and must be treated as individuals. I am attempting to have 44 individual plans for the 44 students in my care. (Seriously, current thinking says this is what should happen!) I have no control over the laws or the environments my students come from. I work hard to make it interesting, fun and collaborative. I work my butt off to form relationships with kids and keep parents informed. Sometimes this is not enough and some people think my pay should be based on my students success on state tests. This year the criteria for passing the test will be decided after the students take it! As one intelligent man said. "It's throw the dart, and draw the target later." What if I tested like this? It must be fair, cause we are doing it to our children. If the people who want to connect student success with teacher pay get their way' you can write off all of the schools in low income areas. Teacher's will leave economically disadvantaged schools for higher ground. It will be impossible to find qualified teachers to teach at some schools. Those children will suffer. Those children will lose. We will all lose.

What do you think could be done to turn this tragedy around?

A Purposeful life at the end of a broken road.. (A personal history)

Do you know what your purpose in life is? Have you ever thought about why you are here? Have you ever asked God "Why?"
God has always lead me to work with children. As a girl scout I volunteered at Lighthouse for the Blind and the Center for the Retarded. I taught tennis to disabled children in wheelchairs and swimming to the blind.
My first job at age 14 was working in a Montessori School across the street from my house in Montrose (Houston TX) I was at that school every minute I wasn't in school myself. I loved teaching them new things and putting them down for nap and singing them to sleep. At 16, the irresponsible owner would leave me alone for hours with the kids, Illegal I'm sure, but I loved those kids and God saw to it that there was never an accident. In the evenings I babysat some of those same children, sometimes staying weekends with them while their parents were gone. By the time I was a Senior in High School the Montessori had closed down and I was acting as the day nurse for a wonderful women named Leah. She had ALS and I spent days with her cooking, cleaning administering her medications, and sitting on her bed writing down the memories she wanted to leave behind. Taking care of people was definitely a drive in my life.
I had my son two months after my 19th birthday. It changed my life. I learned that being grown up and responsible for that beautiful bouncing boy wasn't going to be easy. I had not completed Nursing school at St. Thomas University. I had no marketable skills and I married a man who became unemployed soon after Adrian was born and made excuse after excuse for not getting a job. I had to trick him into applying for food stamps after I had to go begging for formula and diapers for my son at a food pantry. Soon after that I ended up leaving Adrian in a daycare for 12 hours a day to be the day nurse for a quadriplegic young lady my age.
Life at home was ugly, and when my parents said they feared that the husband was getting ready to cross state lines with my son and that I would lose my son because states tend to keep children in the state the paper work is filed. My sister and friends came and moved me out within a few hours while the husband was out. I was staying with an ex-boyfriend's fiance, Terri, in a one bedroom apartment with all my boxes stacked along the walls.
Terri worked at the Center for the Retarded and suggested that I apply for an instructional aid position. I loved working with the profoundly disabled. Best of all my son went to daycare in one of the classrooms with about 7 other kids of teachers and I only paid $20 dollars a week. Adrian and I continued down my broken road. I moved to a teaching position with the over 21 year olds. I was in my element. It wasn't work for me. It was joy! When the teacher of the behaviorally involved profoundly disabled was murdered I volunteered to sub. Turns out God had a plan. I became the teacher for that class and with God's help made huge changes in the lives and behavior of my students. (stories for another time)
When Adrian was 2 and 1/2 God sent me Russell Huff. Three years later I was married and quit the Center for the Retarded to go to SHSU for that elusive degree. During this time I was Adrian's cub scout leader and volunteered as a P.A.L. (Parents Assisting Learning) at my son's school. I knew that I would not go into nursing. God wanted me to be a teacher.
People make plans and God laughs. Within a year and two months I was pregnant with Julie and we were moving to Austin. One thing led to another and I was blessed to stay home and had two more girls. College was on hold again. I was blessed to be an Angel with the Gabriel Project and occasionally God sent me young girls considering abortion and I helped them choose life and find the resources to keep the child or give the baby up for adoption.
A few years later a little coal fire power plant in Carlos Texas hired Russell and we moved to Singleton TX, I was blessed to begin a girl scout troop at Anderson-Shiro Elementary and co-led that troop for 6 years. I waited till my youngest was 6 months from starting school and I returned to SHSU for my Education Degree.
I have been teaching for 5 years. I have been blessed to touch the lives of many children. God has used me to make a difference in children's lives. He has given me an opportunity to work with the parents of students in my district this year and I believe that teaching parenting classes is God's will as well.
On this broken road called life, God has been there to catch me and put me back on a path to make a difference in someone life. That is the purpose of my life.

Positivly negative.

I have lots of really positive people in my life... They are positive; "that it will not work" "that things will never change" "that it's a waste of time" :there is nothing they can do"
This kind of thinking and repeated sharing can make even a die-hard upbeat, positive person like me despair. To be honest, these thoughts wander around in my head trying to take up residence anyway. It is a real personal struggle not to be dragged down when they are echoed by others outside my head.
I don't really blame these people for their attitudes. There is so much that seems against us. When misery is what you have in common, people will bond together based on that fact alone. This is not a healthy state however, as it brings everyone further down into the muck and mire. it does not build them up. It does not encourage them. It does not solve the problem.

I know that God will not give me more than I can handle, (but he sure thinks a lot of me sometimes!) I know that I am ultimately in charge of my attitude and getting down on my knees and praying is the answer. But sometimes it would be nice to have some help in the struggle from the people around us. In the words of Michael Jackson " I'm starting with the (wo)man in the mirror" Having said that I ponder what I can do other than pray. What can I as a cog in the vast machine bring to the table to change the attitude?
What can you do to change the negativity around you?

Giving thanks!

Stopping to think about everything I am thankful for
1. First and foremost I must say that I am thankful for a Lord and Savior whose grace and mercy carry me through life's trials.
2. My amazing husband, who I love with all my heart. What we share is so wonderful. He is a kind, loving and Christian man.
3. My 4 wonderful children, my fabulous daughter-in-law and two terrific grandchildren. What a blessing to see them all grow.
4. My parents, his parents, my brother and sisters and his sister and brothers.
5. My church family. A wonderful group of people who are loving and accepting of all who come into their presence.
6. My dear friends, old and new. close and far.
7. My co-workers
8. My health, such as it is! lol
9. My life at the end of a dirt road
`0. The hardships which help me learn more about myself and make me stronger.
There are so many, many blessings that I receive daily as long as I am willing to open my eyes and see. What are you thankful for?

What a Weiner!

Yet another well known figure is exposed, excuse the expression!
For more than a week, my mind has wondered to Wiener's wife and family. What kind of man is it, that acts out like this and does not consider how his actions will affect those around him?
If you marry someone and it's not working for you, have the decency to divorce them before you play around. If you ever loved them, give them that respect.
To compound matters, Wiener tries to lie his way out of it. Once caught, man up and admit it! This goes for all the women out there that want to stray. If God's commandments don't stop you, maybe common decency can!

Wiener's wife now seems him for the lying adulterer that he is. What is Mrs. Wiener suppose to do now. Can you imagine the pain, hurt and betrayal? She's pregnant for goodness sake! How is she suppose to cope? The embarrassment alone would be enough,
She is the part of the story that weighs on my heart and mind so heavily. She is the one who's name is uttered in my prayers.

What about the young women who received the pictures and sexting? Why didn't they tell him to stop the second they received the first inappropriate communication from a man they didn't know? What has society come too, that so many women didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with this stranger sexting them???
Seems that not only common sense has died, but his cousin common decency is gasping her last breath.
We need action!! We need to raise our sons and daughters with morals and values. We need to PRAY for this country and world. PRAYER is really the only answer.
please pray!!

Racism: How will it ever end?

If this country is ever going to get over racism everybody needs to turn away from it. Choose to see all people as brothers and sisters in Christ!
Jesus Christ died for all of mankind. ALL PEOPLE!!! ALL. Get it??? He made ever color, race and creed.. All the people of the world. Buddists, Baptist, Catholics and Muslim He made us all. If you are a Christian, you can't also be racist. Always remember, What would Jesus Do? If not that, What would a nice person do?

Happy Easter!

As Easter comes on tomorrow's dawn I am reminded of what price was paid for me!
Easter reminds us of Jesus Christ's victory over death. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him and is the complete verification of all that Jesus preached and taught. His resurrection gave final and irrefutable proof that He was really the Son of God and that He had conquered death once and for all.
May Easter bring renewal to those who yearn for a closer walk.

Too Blessed to be Stressed!

A dear friend insists that I am stressed out and wants "the old Cathy back" I wasn't feeling stressed till he said this! I didn't know there was an" old Cathy" who "had fun and joked around" For the record I am much too blessed to be stressed at the moment. Maybe I should be worried about stuff right now but I'm not.

That's not to say there are not things that could easily be stressful in my life. But being stressed and upset is a choice. A CHOICE! I chose how I respond to things that happen in my life. I make life happen, it doesn't happen to me. Big difference!!

Want to know a secret? If you choose to count your blessings and look at life positively, things that others might find stressful you can see the blessing in.

Work has been a challenge this year. For every step I make forward, I feel like I am pushed 3 steps back. More parents have me on speed dial than ever before. I talk to them regularly and never remember to record the contact which is part of my job. Sometimes I just pray to get through to a kid, get through the day, get past the moment when it seems all hope is gone. But faith brings me through..... Former students and their parents have popped up to tell me that I am loved and missed, that I made a difference.... I will focus on that!!
Home is full of love, laughter and 11 people, 7 of them are kids! 8 cats, 5 dogs, laundry, dishes, cooking....But love and respect for each other and faith in God makes it such a blessing!
I chose to be open to the blessings that God has for me. I praise his mercy for me when I falter, and appreciate the grace he gives unwarranted to me. I thank God for my husband, family and friends. I am blessed.
May you be open to seeing the many blessings God has bestowed on you. You will never see them if you swim in the muck of life and wallow in sorrows. Chose to see the Good. Chose to see the hand of God!

Make it, don't fake it!

So.... What's your attitude like? How do you respond when life just seems to keep piling it on? Do you whine, complain and tell any who will listen how unfair life is?
Henry Ford is quoted as saying" If you think you can, or you can't; you're right." It can also be said that "What you think, is what you become"
Do you really want to be the person that people see coming and they say, "Lord, here comes so and so, she is so negative!" People like to hang around with people who fill their bucket. People who make them feel good about themselves. Negative people just seem to make the burdens of life harder to bare.
Life is hard and can be "unfair" So what? Get over it!
Getting over it is harder to do than say, but there are ways to do it. You can do it! You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to be a more positive person.

I highly recommend the "fake it, till you make it" way.
Thought patterns that you have nurtured for all your life don't magically go away because you want them too. It takes time and work. Sometimes though you really need to change your attitude and behavior before you manage to change your mind and heart. That is were "fake it, till you make it comes in."

Imagine that your husband has been a real jerk and now he is making an honest attempt to redeem himself. You would like to be forgiving but your hearts not there. Acting kind and thoughtful even when you don't feel like it, will change your heart. Attempt one act of kindness towards your spouse without any expectation for pro quo once a day. You will be amazed that your heart will soon follow.

These ideas aren't new. In a book called "Getting the Love you Want: A guide for couples" There are wonderful suggestions for creating a marriage that is fulfilling for both of you. Of course,
just look in the bible and you see the example of Christ. The bible is an excellent source of information on how to live a happy and fulfilled life!
For teachers who work with very difficult students "fake it, till you make it" works as well, Imagine that there is a child who makes you completely insane! This child is worse than fingernails on a chalkboard...the sound of this child's voice makes you want to wrap you hands around their neck...... (We've all been there.)
You know that you can't respond in a negative way but it's so hard!
So you smile, trying to make it not look like you are grimacing. You are unsuccessful and the child can sense you don't like them and this makes them insecure and creates even more of a problem.

A remedy? Smile as you silently pray for patience. Focus on the child's face right between the eyes, nod you head a few times when they are going on about something you could care less about and continue to pray for love and compassion for them. Ask God and he will change your heart. God has given us his word on that. We can rely on his promises.
Soon you will find that you are listening, that you genuinely care and the child will know it too.
Guard your mind against negative thoughts, guard your tongue from negative speech. Focus on what is positive in your life. Write it down if you need to in a journal, that you can look back at when times are rough. God made us in his image and wants a relationship with you. Put those at the top of your list!