{"id":779,"date":"2021-07-30T14:49:30","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T18:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rheagop.org\/?p=779"},"modified":"2021-07-30T15:09:22","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T19:09:22","slug":"the-rhea-county-republican-august-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rheagop.org\/the-rhea-county-republican-august-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rhea County Republican – August 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE\u00a0<\/span>RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN<\/span><\/h1>\n

ADVANCING THE CONSERVATIVE CAUSE<\/span><\/h3>\n

Vol. 5 \u2013 No. 6\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0August 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n

Editorial <\/strong>——————————————————————— 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Should Be the Official Language of the United States?<\/strong> —- 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Solar Elephant <\/strong>—————————————————— 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tennessee Must Stand Against Alien Child Smuggling<\/strong>—–6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Misrule of Law in Blount County <\/strong>———————————– 8<\/strong><\/p>\n

CRT Now Sanctioned in Tennessee Schools<\/strong>—————– 13<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comments from Representatives<\/strong>——————————— 15<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comments from Correspondents<\/strong> ——————————– 15<\/strong><\/p>\n

Legislative Report <\/strong>—————————————————–20 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Rhea County Republican Party News<\/strong>————————— 25<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lagniappe <\/strong>—————————————————————- 28\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact Your Representatives <\/strong>———————————— 32<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

EDITORIAL<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kris Bancroft, Editor, and Publisher<\/p>\n

We are, thankfully, not currently engaged in a declared<\/em> war with a foreign power \u2014 or any other such armed conflict that steals from us the lives of our best and brightest patriots and depletes our treasury \u2014 but those who have studied history and stay apprised of current events know the United States of America has been in one struggle or another \u2014 a \u201chot\u201d or \u201ccold\u201d war \u2014 since the days preceding our country\u2019s existence.\u00a0 Unfortunately, such has been the price of Freedom.<\/p>\n

And so, as we are currently dealing with the clear and present danger imposed by the Chinese, and economic assault on our country that is aided and abetted by the Russians, Islamic terrorists, and to some lesser degree the North Koreans, we must also acknowledge that we are simultaneously engaged in a civil <\/em>war.<\/p>\n

The two \u201csides\u201d in this domestic conflict are those who wish to preserve the greatest country to ever exist on planet Earth and those who want to tear it all down.<\/p>\n

Those who are fighting to preserve our country \u2014 people like you and me \u2014 are folks who understand that our rights come from our Creator and that our government \u2014 the people whom we choose to represent us \u2014 are elected to serve as the sworn guarantors of our Natural and God-given rights.<\/p>\n

We are folks who respect our Constitution and our just laws, and we respect those who are sworn to uphold them.\u00a0\u00a0 We likewise respect \u2014 and defend \u2014 the rights of our fellow citizens, and we are constantly thankful for the sacrifices made by so very many \u2014 those folks who have served, and continue to serve, our nation in so many honorable ways \u2014 in the ongoing struggle to defeat our enemies and to preserve for us this unique privilege of being an \u201cAmerican.\u201d<\/p>\n

We are folks who believe every other American Citizen has rights equal to our own; the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit<\/em> of happiness.<\/p>\n

We are folks who understand that we are only entitled to that which we have earned \u2014 or that which has been bequeathed to us \u2014 through honest work and ethical dealings, and we have respect for all others who share these same values.<\/p>\n

We are the folks who have compassion and empathy for those who are struggling to make their way and are earnestly trying to improve their station in life; we are the folks who are not only willing but are eager, to lend a helping hand to those who have come up against hard times as they struggle to get back on their feet again.<\/p>\n

We are the Patriots.<\/p>\n

Our enemies travel under many flags; they are the Communists, Marxists, Socialists, Progressives, Socialist Democrats, etc., as well as those who aid and abet them.\u00a0 They are generally referred to as \u201cThe Left,\u201d and they are the antithesis to every good thing this country has ever stood for.\u00a0 They are the promoters and purveyors of false narratives that run contrary to Nature and Nature\u2019s God; they advocate for the idea that humankind is subservient to all other creatures on this Earth and not the stewards \u2014 the preeminent species \u2014 whose job it is to oversee its management and the wise use of its resources. Our enemies \u2014 The Left \u2014 have been in operation in the USA since before Woodrow Wilson assumed the Presidency. They have infiltrated our government at every level, our public schools \u2014 which they now control \u2014 our universities, and even our churches.<\/p>\n

Our enemies \u2014 The Left \u2014 demand that \u201cwe\u201d (meaning everyone except \u201cthey<\/em>\u201d), assume a role of self-immolation and self-sacrifice \u2014 they call it altruism<\/em>.\u00a0 Instead of pursuing our individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, they advocate that we must all be nothing more than sacrificial animals for what they define as the \u201cgood\u201d of the State.<\/p>\n

And, speaking of our rights to pursue our own happiness \u2014 to live for ourselves instead of living for the benefit of others \u2014 our enemies, The Left, would compel us to abrogate the laws of Nature so that we might guarantee equal outcomes \u2014 equity \u2014 instead of equal rights and equal opportunities for all of humankind.<\/p>\n

When we closely and truthfully examine The Left\u2019s prescription for addressing their indefinable \u2014 and false \u2014 accusations of \u201csystemic racism\u201d we learn they are demanding an end to anything resembling a meritocracy \u2014 defined by Miriam-Webster as a system, organization, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their demonstrated abilities and merit instead of a scheme to achieve quotas \u2014 the Marxist fraud called \u201cSocial Justice.\u201d\u00a0 Would those advocates for equity through racial quotas, i.e. \u201cSocial Justice\u201d change their minds when they learned the neurosurgeon slated to perform brain surgery on their child was certified on the basis of equity as opposed to merit?\u00a0 I think you know the answer.<\/p>\n

Our enemies \u2014 The Left \u2014 by way of trying to force a Marxist-rooted philosophy they call \u201cCritical Race Theory,\u201d declare that the entire Caucasian race must profess its self-shame of its past because a relative few once owned slaves.\u00a0 The Left does not like the TRUTH:\u00a0 History tells us that from the 1600s to 1865, of all the slaves in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America, only 4% were owned by Americans, and of all Americans during those years, only 1.6% owned slaves.\u00a0 Yes, that\u2019s too many \u2014 slavery should have never come to the United States \u2014 but the purveyors of Critical Race Theory also overlook the fact<\/em> that, worldwide, 70% of all slaves during this period were owned by non-whites!<\/p>\n

Our enemies \u2014 The Left \u2014 ignore these inconvenient facts; they claim that all of the white men\u2019s achievements from 1600 to 1865 were built on the backs of slaves, and for that reason, the United States of America is an evil country.\u00a0 Our enemies \u2013 The Left \u2013 lie and manipulate black Americans into demanding<\/em> undeserved, undefined, and unlimited reparations.\u00a0 They tell their followers that the increasing and expanding welfare programs that now have spanned six generations are not enough!\u00a0 But, do they really speak for the descendants of slaves?\u00a0 No, they do not, The Left continues to use black Americans as their props \u2014 just as they always have!\u00a0 Fortunately, however, black Americans are beginning to understand how The Left has used and manipulated them and they\u2019re slowly breaking away.\u00a0 The question at this point becomes:\u00a0 Whom will be the Left\u2019s next proxies?\u00a0 If we truly want to know the answer, all we have to do is study the recent changes on border and immigration policies being imposed by The Left.<\/p>\n

Our enemies \u2013 The Left \u2013 know that their theory<\/em> is based entirely on a lie but, ironically, our enemies are quick to ignore \u2013 and obfuscate \u2013 the historical fact<\/em> that slavery was commonly and widely practiced on the North American continent when the first white man arrived; The Left tries to hide the fact<\/em> that slavery has been practiced on every other continent on this planet and that it is still<\/em> widely \u2013 and brutally<\/em> \u2013 practiced today in Africa, in Asia, and in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Our enemies \u2013 The Left \u2013 also do not like to be reminded that America\u2019s first foreign war was fought over slavery:\u00a0 The Marines, dispatched by President Thomas Jefferson, went ashore at Tripoli, to fight the Barbary pirates who had captured and enslaved our merchant sailors, as well as persons from Europe, and other countries in the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

Our enemies \u2013 The Left \u2013 are obviously the enemies of ethical behavior.\u00a0 As a means by which to harm our economy, the Left encourages people who take advantage of a system designed to provide temporary<\/em> help to those who are struggling to regain their financial stability \u2013 they sell their fraud as entitlements<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Our enemies \u2013 The Left \u2013 are not only the enemies of our just laws but are the instigators of civil unrest \u2013 they are anarchists who manipulate the dim-witted \u2013 e.g. Antifa and BLM \u2013 into looting and destroying public property and private businesses, many of which are owned by those same minorities whom they claim to represent.<\/p>\n

Some of their \u201cGenerals\u201d are well-known to us but many are not; they are among those who helped to elect \u2013 and consequently control \u2013 the more radical people in the House of Representatives and Senate, and operate through their bureaucrats working within the Deep State, or heading up organizations like the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, CAIR, Open Society Foundations, the Advancement Project, and hundreds of others.<\/p>\n

Ironically the funding for The Left comes largely from people who have taken advantage of our capitalistic system \u2013 the same system they are set on destroying!<\/p>\n

The one debate that continues to this day is whether the \u201cDeep State\u201d is actively complicit in the anarchy we see today.\u00a0 Rational human beings see the crimes in the streets of Democrat-run cities all across America and we are perplexed and sad.\u00a0 We are angered when we see those crimes going unpunished and the criminals being released on a \u201cno cash bail.\u201d\u00a0 We are angered even more as we are made aware of the crimes committed by the politically well-connected \u2013 crimes we know that if we were to commit would certainly ensure our incarceration . . . or execution.\u00a0 Yes, we \u2013 the Patriots \u2013 are in many ways, disappointed but, sadly, we have our answer if only by default, for it is as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once told us:\u00a0 \u201cWhen you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,\u201d and armed with the truth we can go forward to defeat The Left.\u00a0 Join us in the struggle today!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

RANDOM THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and the Republic for which it stands.\u00a0 Miracles do not cluster and, what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again.\u00a0 Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world. \u2013 Daniel Webster.\u00a0 [And there will be no safe harbor to which humankind may seek safety. \u2013 Editor]<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

SHOULD ENGLISH BE THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Without a common language, we have by default a multicultural society.\u00a0 Multiculturalism is at the root of divisiveness in America today.\u00a0 The only way in which America can defeat its enemies is if we are, in all<\/em> ways, united.\u00a0 A prerequisite to unity demands that we are able to communicate and thus achieve a mutual understanding.\u00a0 The only way to achieve mutual understanding is if we all speak the same language.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

RANDOM THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is privilege?<\/p>\n

Privilege is wearing $200 sneakers when you\u2019ve never held a job.<\/p>\n

Privilege is owning $300 Beat headphones while living on public assistance.<\/p>\n

Privilege is having a smartphone with a data plan for which you receive no bill.<\/p>\n

Privilege is living in taxpayer-subsidized housing where you don\u2019t have utility bills, where rising property taxes and rents, and energy costs have absolutely no effect on the amount of food you can put on your table.<\/p>\n

Privilege is the freedom to go into the streets to march against anything that \u201ctriggers\u201d you without worrying about calling out of work and the consequences that accompany such behavior.<\/p>\n

Privilege is having as many children as you want, regardless of your employment status, and being able to send them off to daycare, school, or college that you don\u2019t pay for.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THE SOLAR ELEPHANT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jim Clarkson, President<\/p>\n

www.rmsenergy.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe elephant in the room\u201d is an idiom describing an obvious problem or truth that no one wants to discuss.\u00a0 That\u2019s the situation in discussions of solar power.\u00a0 Energy discussions and articles on solar power rave about how much it has increased, which state is doing this or that, and what the future holds for solar expansion. \u201cSuccess\u201d stories abound in the energy press and the general media. \u00a0To the uninitiated, all of this enthusiasm could give the impression that solar power is a great development and boon to mankind.
\nThe solar power phenomenon for on-grid electricity is wholly a result of tax credit subsidies that no one wants to talk about.\u00a0 If you are out in the boonies, then solar power beats having no power at all. \u00a0But the production of solar power to feed into the grid and compete with traditional sources of power is a phony, government-created industry with no free market support. \u00a0If there were no subsidies, one would be a fool to invest his own money in the technology \u2013 and fools usually do not have a lot of money to invest.
\nWarren Buffet says solar does not make sense without the tax breaks.\u00a0 Tom Fanning, CEO of Southern Company, says essentially the same thing. \u00a0The big winners in the solar business owe their success to political connections and gaming the myriad of complicated governmental programs.\u00a0 The real underlying economics do not support the huge investment being squandered on solar equipment production and installation.<\/p>\n

As such it is – to use a popular word – unsustainable. It is a pretty safe bet to predict it will all come crashing down like previous governmental energy industries.\u00a0 There was the multi-billion-dollar waste of synfuels making a $30 per MMBTU natural gas substitute.\u00a0 There were the \u201cPURPA machines\u201d where pretend and uneconomical co-generation plants were built.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.indexmundi.com\/commodities\/glossary\/mmbtu<\/a>
\nSolar power joins the list of expensive government-sponsored energy failures. \u00a0Yet the rhetoric is that renewables will be the base of a whole new energy economy.\u00a0 A new energy paradigm characterized by political connections, fly-by-night bankruptcies, a huge waste on projects that fail to perform as promised, and favorable crony-driven local and state policies that are spreading following federal examples is fundamentally unsound and an enormous misdirection of resources.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RANDOM THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the 0bama regime, the IRS (and other entities of the Executive branch) was used to harass, persecute, and criminalize political enemies.\u00a0 By way of proof that the \u201cnut\u201d doesn\u2019t fall far from the tree, Mr. Biden has announced his IRS will hire 87,000 new IRS agents over the next five years.\u00a0 FYI:\u00a0 The IRS currently employees more than 120,000 bureaucrats, the average compensation for each is >$130,000 per year!<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2021\/05\/20\/irs-funding-boost-489830<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

TENNESSEE MUST STAND AGAINST ALIEN CHILD SMUGGLING<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pat Hamsa, feature writer for The Daily Rollcall shared this expose\u2019 reminding us that, since we can\u2019t count on Congress to stop the smuggling of illegal alien children through Tennessee, change will have to come from the state legislature.<\/p>\n

The federal government has known for decades that parents, other relatives, and sponsors in the U.S. whether here legally or illegally, have been paying coyotes and other criminal entities to smuggle children to the border who then enter as unaccompanied alien children (UAC). \u00a0But Congress is too dysfunctional (even when Republicans are in the majority), to do anything about it. \u00a0State legislators on the other hand have the authority to effectively address the issue. \u00a0Criminalizing child smuggling is a way that helps protect children, disincentivizes illegal immigration to the state, and makes it clear that the state government will not abet facilitating illegal immigration or turn a blind eye to anyone who does.<\/p>\n

Ignoring this practice is unfair to the children and unfair to American citizens and legal immigrants.<\/p>\n

Whether a person uses a child to help get them over the border more easily, albeit illegally or pays a coyote to smuggle a child over the border to reunite with a \u201cbiological relative<\/a>\u201d who may themselves be illegally in the country, using children in this way must stop.<\/p>\n

The first situation was sickeningly and tragically illustrated in a recent case of a 2-year old abandoned on the highway by his father with whom he was traveling. According to the mother<\/a>, the toddler would make it easier for his father to get across the border \u2013 \u201c\u2018they were going through like this with minors\u2026\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

While Tennessee\u2019s state legislators can\u2019t do much about the first scenario, they do have the authority to address the situation (like the toddlers<\/a>) where someone in Tennessee facilitates the smuggling of a child who will cross the border illegally as a UAC and eventually reunite with a family member or sponsor in the state.<\/p>\n

During the General Assembly\u2019s first Joint Study Committee on June 18, 2021, Rep. Ryan Williams (R-\u00a0Cookeville), raised an important issue relative to the UAC arrivals in Tennessee. In fact, Tennessee\u2019s GOP Congressional delegation should also pay attention to what Rep. Williams had to say.<\/p>\n

Williams talked about his constituent who had traveled to another state to pick up his adoptive child. \u00a0But before he was able to legally bring his child home to Tennessee, he needed Williams to help him get the paperwork required by the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children corrected. \u00a0This paperwork creates additional hurdles that must be satisfied before being able to legally bring a minor child across state lines and if not followed to the letter of the law, it can jeopardize the adoption.<\/p>\n

BTW, Williams came through for this family.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s the point \u2013 an illegal alien living in Tennessee can facilitate the smuggling of a child to the U.S. border without any penalty \u2013 federal or state. \u00a0But a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant can be penalized if paperwork is faulty? \u00a0The issue has nothing to do with whether there is a biological connection between the adoptive parent and the child or the smuggling facilitator and the child. \u00a0It\u2019s about complying with the law.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that smuggling is not the same as trafficking. \u00a0Human smuggling is defined as:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201c[T]he importation of people into the United States involving deliberate evasion of immigration laws. This offense includes bringing illegal aliens into the United States as well as the unlawful transportation and harboring of aliens already in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trafficking, on the other hand, is about the exploitation of people using force, fraud, or coercion for a sought-after objective. \u00a0It can include, for example, sex trafficking, debt bondage, and involuntary servitude.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lt. Gov. McNally and Speaker Sexton are so concerned about Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) being ferried into Tennessee, that they authorized a joint legislative committee to look into the issue; presumably with some intent to determine legislative options in response.<\/p>\n

The committee has already held one meeting and has another scheduled for July 13th providing a platform for Senators Blackburn and Hagerty to wave their consultation bill<\/a> around and yack about the importance of \u201ctransparency.\u201d<\/p>\n

And like Mark Green\u2019s new UAC bill, Blackburn and Hagerty appear to be unwilling to take on the child smuggling problem. \u00a0Green\u2019s bill allows a child smuggled over the border to override the governor\u2019s veto regarding UAC placements in Tennessee. \u00a0And the \u201cbiological relative\u201d in his bill can also be an illegal alien.<\/p>\n

Sen. Bo Watson (R-Hixson), who is on the Joint Study Committee, has said<\/a> he doesn\u2019t want the Chattanooga facility to reopen or any other facility like it to open in Tennessee. \u00a0Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga), who is also on the Joint Committee, has made it clear that he wants more of these children brought to Tennessee so they can be reunited with \u201cloved ones.\u201d<\/strong> \u00a0As it turns out, UAC smuggling is more often than not, financed by the parents<\/a> who themselves are in the U.S. in violation of the immigration laws.<\/p>\n

Only time will tell whether the Joint Study Committee is a pro forma or whether state legislators are serious about trying to address the problem. \u00a0If instead, they insist that \u201cimmigration is a federal issue\u201d then remind them that 2022 is just around the corner and it looks like four of the Senate members on the Joint Committee could potentially face a primary if necessary.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/dailyrollcall.com\/tn-must-stand-against-smuggling-unaccompanied-alien-children\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RANDOM THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most that has made it possible for evil to triumph. -Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MISRULE OF LAW IN BLOUNT COUNTY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark Pulliam<\/em><\/strong>, Blount County, Tennessee authored an article warning parents of school-aged children in the Maryville, area about how local schools were skirting recent legislation passed in Tennessee which forbids the teaching of Critical Race Theory in their schools.\u00a0 This is particularly disturbing since it is considered a very conservative part of the State.\u00a0 It should, therefore, cause parents \u2013 and all concerned citizens \u2013 everywhere in the United States to do some checking on their local school systems.\u00a0 Using the information Mark provides, I hope you\u2019ll do just that.\u00a0 THANKS, Mark, we are grateful for your activism. \u2013 Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Despite a state law condemning such indoctrination, wokeness threatens public education in Blount County. \u00a0Citizens, wake up!<\/p>\n

Deep in conservative east Tennessee, in a county that voted for President Trump by a margin of 71%-27%, and following passage of a state law (SB 623<\/strong><\/a>) forbidding public schools to instruct students on topics related to \u201ccritical race theory,\u201d the local school district Maryville City Schools (MCS) announced recently that Principals and Assistant Principals this year will study the book \u201cBeyond Conversations About Race<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d about how to move forward on equity and access issues.<\/p>\n

MCS Assistant Director Amy Vagnier stated that this \u201cprofessional development\u201d initiative was in response to \u201ca diversity survey conducted in January to examine equity and access.\u201d<\/p>\n

Out of curiosity, I ordered a copy of this book to see what exactly MCS Principals and Assistant Principals would be \u201cstudying.\u201d \u00a0It is pretty much what I expected, given the topic and authors, and the promotional blurb on Amazon:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Learn how to talk about race in the classroom and advocate for racial equity in schools:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n