by Ryan Christie, HCRCC Secretary, Communications Chairman

California is an increasingly dangerous place to be, and the California Democratic Party’s sympathies seem to lie more with criminals than with law abiding citizens and police. On, August 15, the California State Assembly culled about 1/3rd of 830 Bills. Many of those were public safety bills, among them one to increase the severity of crime of making violent threats at schools and places or worship, and another that makes it a felony to possess fentanyl while armed. Probably the most significant is a bill, authored by Republican Brian Jones of San Diego, that would add stricter reviews before the release of sexually violent predators. After the bill was held, Jones remarked that Assembly Leaders were “now complicit in helping the Newsom Administration protect predators over families”. These bills were claimed to be held because of budgetary issues; a notion hard to believe when same session green-lit a potential reparations bill.

Why then, would the California Democratic Party rather pursue things such as a preposterous reparations bill rather than a public safety bill? It’s not hard to imagine. The Democratic Party has long since abandoned its blue collar base, opting instead to more or less focus on it’s affluent and socially radical base, whose lifestyles and priorities are a wide chasm away from the vast majority of the country. Ultimately, the neglect of the “common man” and of kitchen table issues could come back to haunt them come November.

July 2024 has been one of the most eventful months in American history, for both sides of the aisle. Firstly, on July 13th, President Donald Trump nearly joined the likes of Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy, narrowly avoiding being assassinated at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, only to receive a relatively minor injury. He proceeded to make a triumphant return at the Republican National Convention, where a unified Republican Party unanimously and enthusiastically nominated him and his chosen running mate, freshman Ohio senator J.D Vance.

Meanwhile, the Democrat Party, amid disastrous poll numbers and increasing alarm at the continued cognitive decline of Joe Biden, has decided to end his bid for the Presidency. And as of this writing he and his party has swiveled to support Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement at their own convention in August.

It is there, that we are seeing one of the most egregious coverups in recent political history. Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and resulting inability to do his job has been apparent for years now. Yet, the upper echelons of the Democratic Party still propped him up, insisting that not only what was he completely up to the task, but he was also going to successfully complete another four-year term. Even after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump, Biden stated that he’s “not going anywhere” and that only an “act of god” would end his bid for reelection. The questions the nation should be asking itself, is, why was Joe Biden propped up for so long when his mental decline was so acute for years at this point? Who was and is actually in charge?  Why are Democratic voters who voted for Biden in the primaries suddenly having their choice be negated entirely by party elites? And most importantly- if Joe Biden is unfit to run a presidential reelection, why is he continuing to be President for another six months? Why hasn’t Kamala Harris invoked the 25th Amendment against him?

July of 2024 will go down in the history as a particularly tumultuous month- the unprecedented assassination of a former President and the quasi-removal of another- In short, the American people desire a return to normalcy, and giving that to them should be a high priority for our elected officials.         

By Ryan Christie

Historically, America’s system of higher education was a point of national pride- American universities were, and even now for the most part still is- the best in the world, to the point that students from other continents aspire to study at them. A college education was considered an integral part of the American Dream, central for shaping the intellectual and character of America’s youth for rewarding careers and the betterment of the nation.

For the past several decades, however, the state of the American system of higher education has regressed considerably, case in point being Columbia University in New York City. Founded in 1754, Columbia University is a symbol of the aforementioned ideal of American higher education- it’s alumni and faculty have included seven of the Founding Fathers of the United States, four U.S Presidents, and 10 justices of the Supreme Court, to name a few. Beginning on April 17th, the campus has been illegally occupied by Pro-Palestinian protestors.

The symbolism is chilling. Inside this hallowed place of American intellectual development, students are waving the Palestinian flag, chanting antisemitic and anti-Western slogans, and effectively supporting the governing body of Palestine, which of course is Hamas—the antithesis of everything Columbia University, the United States, and indeed the entire West-stands for.

America’s universities indeed have a serious problem- they have betrayed their purpose in shaping the character and intellectual maturity of their students and preparing them to be civic minded members of society, and instead are allowing them to become aggressive political radicals, largely incapable of critical thinking, disdainful for the rule of law and the rights of other students to continue their education in peace, with little to no reprimand from college administrators or faculty. America’s youth should be skeptical of the university system, and polls show they are- they are increasingly a bad investment, and better opportunities await elsewhere.

 

 

What is the Overton Window? it is a definition of a range of policies and ideas politically acceptable to the mainstream population at any given time. Unfortunately, in our polarized political climate, said window seemingly gets smaller and smaller every year. A glaring example of this is the abrupt termination by NBC News of Ronna McDaniel, former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. NBC News hired McDaniel on March 22, 2024 as a contributor, which given her position in the Republican Party was meant to be a contrasting conservative viewpoint on the otherwise left-leaning news network. McDaniel, of course, is a strong ally of President Trump, and her hiring led to outrage among other hosts for this. NBC immediately buckled under this pressure and parted ways with McDaniel days later.

Now, of course NBC is a private business and as such can manage its employees as it sees fit. But the firing McDaniel is yet another reminder of the hypocrisy of the left when it comes to free speech. The Democratic Party and its allies in the legacy media constantly boast that the stands for free speech and tolerance of differing opinions, but when they are actually faced with having to interact with someone with someone of differing viewpoints the aforementioned Overton Window is promptly closed, in this case solely because Ronna McDaniel is a conservative who supports President Trump. NBC has no problem, however, with having a rotation of Democratic Party operatives and blatantly partisan hosts. For example, Jenn Psaki, the former Press Secretary for President Biden, hosts a show that is virtually identical to that role.

To put it simply, the left-wing hypocrisy regarding freedom of speech goes hand-in-glove with the spinelessness of the legacy media

By Ryan Christie

An entire generation of Americans remembers the excitement of the Space Race of the 1960’s, when in 1961 President John F. Kennedy tasked the nation with a successful crewed moon landing by the end of the decade, which of course was fulfilled on July 20th, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon, with Neil Armstrong uttering the famous words “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Recently, the American space program has been reinvigorated by private industry, such as Elon Musk’s Space X. In this case, a company called Intuitive Machines out of Texas has successfully built a new lunar lander, named Odysseus, nicknamed “Odie”, and has become the first American made spacecraft to touch down on the moon in over 50 years. With the support of the aforementioned private industries, the American space program is heading towards a renaissance, with another crewed Moon landing planned for the coming years and even a Mars expedition sometime in the decades to come.

The American space program of the 2020’s has much in common with the space program of the 1960’s. Like in the 1960’s, the America of the 2020’s is an often confusing and turbulent place, a time where the country seems to be mired in self-doubt. Yet, watching the American flag placed on the Moon and being saluted by Buzz Aldrin no doubt stirred in many a feeling of hope. America’s scientific and technological capabilities are by far the best in the world, and should be a source pride for our nation.

The Humboldt County Republican Party presented an inviting ‘Candidate Meet and Greet’  on January 19, 2024 in Eureka, CA. From 5:00 to 7:00 PM, community members had the unique opportunity to interact directly with the candidates.

Characterized by a warm and welcoming atmosphere, the event offered attendees a chance to enjoy appetizers accompanied by a selection of wine, beer, or coffee. This casual setting fostered meaningful conversations between the candidates, party members, and attendees at the event.

A notable presence was Chris Coulombe, the HCRC-endorsed candidate for District 2 U.S. Representative. Coulombe engaged with guests, discussing his commitment to strong, principled values and his stance on various issues critical to the constituency.

The event also featured Michelle Bushnell, the HCRC-endorsed candidate seeking re-election as Supervisor for District 2. Bushnell shared insights into her first term and outlined her continued plans for the district. Rounding out the HCRC-endorsed candidates was Michael Greer, who is vying for District 2 Assembly. Greg Kreis, who is running for re-election as Superior Court Judge, was introduced to the attendees.

Additionally, Roy Gomez, who is vying for the District 3 Supervisor seat, was introduced to the attendees, along with Rex Bohn, who is campaigning for re-election as the District 1 Supervisor.

Each candidate seized the moment to captivate the attendees, sharing their accomplishments and perspectives. They articulated their visions and explained why they believed they were the best choices for their respective positions in the upcoming primary election.

The event marked a significant moment for the Humboldt County Republican Party, as it provided a platform for open dialogue and connection between the candidates and the community they aim to serve.

The meet and greet was not only a testament to the Humboldt County Republican Party’s commitment to transparency and engagement but also a vital step in informing and involving the electorate in the democratic process.

By Ryan Christie

“Never Again becomes more than a slogan: It is a prayer, a promise, a vow- never again the glorification of base, ugly, dark violence”

-Elie Wiesel

“Never Again”, as written above by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, is not just about the Holocaust, it is a plea for humanity to remember the past and learn from it, a reminder of the dangers of ignorance and complacency in regards. 

Antisemitism, unfortunately, has been part of the human experience for thousands of years. Centuries of abuse and discrimination culminated in the Holocaust, where 6 million Jews, or up to 2/3rd of the European Jewish population were systemically and brutally executed. It lives on in collective memory as an appalling example of human evil. When it comes to the Holocaust, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees with that description.

It has been over two months since the brutal attack on the people of Israel by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7th. Images of hostages and mutilated corpses were shared by Hamas themselves, openly displaying their carnage for the world to see. Israel is justified in rooting out Hamas, as it’s genocidal aims obviously form a grave security threat to the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Israel is not invading Gaza out some malevolent colonialist intent, but because the Israeli people carry the promise of “Never Again”, the collective memories of millions of their ancestors who suffered and died for centuries in their hearts.

Unfortunately, there are numerous left-wing people in the West that do not understand this. They spin Israel’s response, as stated above, into a malevolent colonialist expedition serving no other purpose than to inflict wanton destruction and death onto the Palestinian people. Furthermore, these supposed “liberals” are completely ignorant of the reality that the government of Palestine, which is Hamas, is a theocratic, corrupt body that adheres to absolutely none of the values that the West holds- rule of law, separation of church and state, equal rights, and so forth.

In America in particular, this tolerance for illiberalism based on a Marxist interpretation of the War in Gaza should alarming on a number of levels. One, that a sizeable number of people, particularly young people, are ignorant of the history of discrimination of the Jewish people and thus have a poor understanding of why Israel is so aggressive in its response to attacks on itself. Two, that these people similarly lack an understanding of the complexities of the situation itself and see it simply as a Marxist conflict of the oppressed vs oppressor. Given the recent rise in antisemitism, this does not bode well for neither the Jewish people or the continued intellectual health of the West.     

by Ryan Christie

At the conclusion of World War II, The United States emerged as the preeminent world superpower, and for the most part, it has been a global force for good ever since. However, under the weak and incompetent leadership of Joe Biden’s administration, the world is unraveling at an alarming rate. First came the humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the country, along with a trove of taxpayer-funded American military equipment and intelligence falling to the Taliban. Emboldened by this unprecedented American foreign policy failure, Russia subsequently invaded Ukraine, which has caused a seemingly endless war that has rattled the world economy and is presently sucking billions of dollars from a United States plagued by recession and teetering on the verge of recession.

It is now October 2023, and once again the stage is set for another horrible conflict. On October 7th, Hamas, the terrorist regime currently controlling the Palestinian government, along with other allied terrorist groups, invaded and infiltrated Israel. What unfolded was some of the most horrifying violence against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Hamas released videos of themselves indiscriminately murdering, torturing and kidnapping Israeli citizens, including children and the elderly.

What does this have to do with the United States directly? After all, the Middle East has been plagued by violence for centuries, and the Arab-Israeli conflict in particular has been going back and forth since the day Israel was formed in 1948. The truth is that Hamas, along with its Lebanese counterpoint Hezbollah, are directly funded by Iran, with the objective of waging war on Israel.

On March 12th, 2023, a prisoner swap of the two countries resulted in the thaw of $7 billion in frozen Iranian oil money, which, given the sophistication of the Hamas infiltration, was likely the source of its funding. In the end, when the United States is weak, and is unwilling/unable to project a strong foreign policy, hostile foreign entities, be they Russia, China, Iran or various Islamic terrorist organizations, will try to fill that gap. When that happens, carnage ensues.

by Ryan Christie

The role of the Speaker of the House is becoming an increasingly thankless and difficult job, especially for a Republican. This is clear with the October 3rd removal of Kevin McCarthy, in a completely needless and unconstructive act led by Matt Gaetz, the Republican congressman from Florida’s 1st Congressional district.

The reality of the situation is that currently the Democratic Party holds the Presidency and a Senate Majority (albeit narrowly), and the Republicans hold a very slim House majority. This means that current dealings with the opposition will not always be the most favorable to conservatives. Kevin McCarthy’s record as Speaker is not perfect by any means, but it is commendable given the above limitations. There is a serious discipline problem inside the Republican Party, one that constantly replacing the Speaker is not going to fix.

A group of eight Republicans inadvertently aiding the Democratic Party and the Biden Administration by undermining the Republican agenda cannot continue. The fact of the matter is that Joe Biden’s presidency has been a complete disaster for the United States. Inflated prices of food and fuel foreshadow a recession. America’s stature on the world’s stage has been diminished, and domestically, crime and a decaying social fabric threaten the long-term stability of our country.

Any spotlight on the Republican’s inner squabbles takes away from that fact, and as the 2024 election approaches it is imperative that the Republicans unite against this continued state of decline. Hence, whoever is the next Speaker must reinstate some form of discipline.

September 11th, like the attack on Pearl Harbor sixty years earlier, is a date which will forever live in infamy. On that day, Americans woke to a horrific image of smoke billowing out of the World Trade Center; the horrid conclusion of a year’s long plan by 19 terrorists to hijack four airliners to destroy prominent seats of American government and commerce.

In all, nearly 3000 people were killed, and between 6,000-30,000 were injured, many developing lifelong severe health complications from the attack.

September 11th proved that the complacency resulting from the end of the Cold War was false, for simmering in the Middle East was a well funded, well organized cabal of terrorists, whose belief in religious totalitarianism and rejection of American values of republican democracy, human rights and of individual freedom made Islamic fundamentalist terrorism a emerging threat.

Twenty-two years later, unfortunately, it seems that far too many people, namely politicians, have forgot the lessons of that day. September 11th highlighted the the bravery and invaluable service of our first responders. But in the 2020’s, we have decided to malign police officers and idiotically deprive them of the tools and funding needed to serve their communities. September 11th reminded us that for all our differences, Americans are citizens of the same country, and that an attack on some of us is an attack on all of us. Instead, tribalism according to political leanings, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic factors are encouraged and celebrated, further threatening the social cohesion of our country. September 11th exposed the threat of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, but Joe Biden has chosen to ignore that threat by attempting to reinstate the Iran Nuclear deal and overseeing the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which returned control of a very strategic country to the types of people who orchestrated the September 11th attacks in the first place. 

On this day, September 11th, let us remember the dead and wounded, honor the heroic first responders who willingly sacrificed themselves out of moral duty, and honor the service men and women who keep our country free.