Face It

-Platonic Academy in Athens, Greece Prior to 86 BC-

By BR Chitwood

Have you figured it out?

You know – Corona Virus, earth orbiting, people doing crazy things, hate, love, murder, riots, politics, reading, sleeping, waking, writing, Sun up, Sun down?

Of course, you have…

Those Athenian primo Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, they had it figured pretty well: don’t tell people anything! Just engage them in dialogue until someone comes up with a ‘philosophical gem’ that sounds universal and valid…and, it didn’t hurt that ‘SP&A’ walked around in funny long-loose clothes and sandals – maybe, even barefooted – definitely too lazy to shave, and spoke with erudite voices that guaranteed they had some scintillating and earth-shaking knowledge likely already known but wanted their listeners to author the answers.

Having read about these ‘Genius Three’ in college and even now occasionally – just, not too long because they give me a ‘hillbilly headache’, trying to understand the ‘Socratic Method’, ‘Plato’s Republic’, and ‘Aristotelian Logic’. There is one thing for sure, these hard-thinking men devoted their lives to the pursuit of knowledge, and Socrates committed suicide by drinking some hemlock potion…it was either that or ‘exile’, and he took his honorable way. The Athens legal authorities claimed Socrates had corrupted the Grecian youth. Socrates’ best student was there with him at death – another young Athenian scholar and friend, Plato. 

Plato would go on to ‘dialogue’ a lot with Aristotle and other giant scholars of that ‘Classic Era’. Plato would also establish The Academy’ in Athens c. 387 BC. The Academy persisted throughout the Hellenistic period as a skeptical school, until coming to an end after the death of Philo of Larissa in 83 BC. The Platonic Academy was destroyed by the Roman dictator Sulla in 86 BC.

Now, sure, you can find all of this on your own, but I had to show off just a bit…and I’m not quite finished yet…

In refreshing my mind a bit on these three great Philosophers who have adorned college textbooks for centuries now, I should not have been surprised – but, I was – to find out that these Greek giants, particularly, Socrates, thought  Democracies were not the best governing blueprint, particularly, if the wrong people were working at the power desks. Plato, perhaps more than Socrates, was not a ‘democracy’ advocate. Each believed that too many variables existed in a Democracy – favors, paybacks, ‘big money’, ignorance leading to ‘Mob Rule’. It is also true that within any system of governance, there is potential for some semblance of disaster.

After so few paragraphs, my brain power is used up, and I will end by saying a definite NO to Democratic Socialism, NO to ‘Open borders’,  NO to de-funding our ‘Law and Order’ people, NO to higher taxes, NO to the SWAMP GROUPS that rob us blind, YES to a strong Military, YES to Charter Schools and Educational Reforms with too many promising programs thrown aside, YES to a proven leader for President who has had some remarkable achievements during his first four years in the oval office, and YES to Innovative solutions to state and local government.

Okay, like it, do not like it, ignore it, but the man who wrote this post is  taking a nap…writing, taking naps, that’s what old guys do!!!

BR Chitwood – July 16, 2020

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“The Galaxy Higher Order”

by BR Chitwood

(Messenger Chosen and Indoctrinated by TGHO OuigiBoard.)

***

Overview and Statement of Purpose:

 Centuries, Millenia have passed since The Supreme Deity of TGHO unilaterally, with a compelling and compassionate inner guidance brought forth the most favored thinkers to embrace with Him/Her a benign concept that would create union between females and males to populate countries, who, in turn, would create through a procreation process other females and males, all to grow and multiply with different mind-sets and talents for further creations…it would be an interesting experiment, with certain expectation levels of achievement.

It was not so much idle moments that brought about this epic adventure. The Deity, his followers, had the idea of an exclusive Galaxy that would spread through the great Spatial Heavens. The Deity thought of the project more in divine terms and all their efforts were kept in perspective of this great and noble experiment.

So, it came to pass…

Great countries were built, their cities rich not only in their beauty, their architecture, but the people wise and productive in their giving. There were periods of unique, beautiful art, and wise thinkers who were able to predict and prepare for colossal events.

Then, with growing aggravation came the vermin, the insects and diseases that destroyed the crops.

People died from inexplicable causes.

People became angry, fought among themselves.

Then came wars between countries, with weaponry that grew in size and mass destructive ability.

Where went benignity? Where went peace and good will? Some would blame human machines, people who focused on power and control.

***

Perhaps the paths taken to get to the twenty-first century, had different routes. Perhaps the symbolism, the ‘galactic allusion’ does not fit so well, but we are here in the year of our Lord, 2020, our knowledge doubling at such speeds to make the head dizzy, a Covid-19 Pandemic, Political forces seemingly asleep at the wheel of government, riots in the streets of our cities, murders, rioting, looting…what madness has infected the souls of our nations. Our monuments and statues from History, who we were, who we are, how we fought and won our freedom and liberty… What is the Demon force at work? Who are the Demons? Who are the ‘power brokers’ ripping apart the USA? Are our educational systems, for whatever their reasons, brainwashing our kids? Taking from them the ‘guts’ of our Republic: how we got here? The good, the bad that got us here?

Why are we allowing idiots to walk our sacred halls of Congress…yes, I know, they were voted into office…how? why?

We are allowing ‘mindless hoodlums’ to kill our children and neighbors, to kill our police, to riot, to loot…likely paid to do so by Anarchist Power Brokers

‘Some Big cities wish no longer to fund the Police’?

That’s ‘Crazy’, simply, NUTS!

‘Black Lives Matter’? More Craziness…begging stupid questions.

‘All Lives Matter’! Black, brown, red, white, yellow… We all matter… Pain and Suffering are not limited to one group of people or one location. Some of us are products of Appalachian poverty, and we worked to break away from that unpleasantness. We all did not crawl inside our minds and build envy and hate for those who had more than we. So many good people with their own plates bare of food helped others. People care but cannot always be there to help ease the pain. Hate is invidious, divisive, and a terrible place to be… Yes, these are just words that can’t pay the rent or buy the food…show me a man, woman, or child who can be economically burdened but can still smile and help another in need, and I’m meeting a most special person. Yes, these are just words, but I can say, I’ve been there, and I will never envy or hate anyone who has more than I do.

There is a lot of sadness in the world, and we should help as many as we can who try each day to help lessen their load.

And, of course, if you do hate the USA, want to take away the freedom and liberty that millions have died to preserve for us, then, get on a boat to Venezuela and/or another Totalitarian country.

This is AMERICA, those of you who brazenly shout and shove your way to looting, killing our police, and defying our symbols of past glories and sacrifices. There are a lot of us who do not have so much, but we did get past abject poverty by working our way out. We served our country through some wars. For those who need food and shelter this country does have places of refuge, counseling, and job assistance. Seek help from reliable sources, and, PLEASE, avoid the ‘mob mentality’ that feeds anger and hate.

Yes, we have some acute problems at the moment, and it is an ‘election year’.

One candidate has been in several positions in our government. If he has been successful in those forty-plus years, I must have pulled a ‘Rip Van Winkle’, unless becoming very wealthy and making a son very wealthy are some sort of hallmarks.

The other candidate may not have the decorum some would wish in a Commander-in-Chief, but he knows how to run a business, and, after all, it seems we need a man who knows thoroughly those principles of business and growth of the economy. The Pandemic will hopefully run its course, and we will get back to strong markets and a confident America.

Okay, I have more or less satisfied my anger, but I love this country, and we have to get our schools (Charter, or, otherwise) re-opened and up to speed.

BR Chitwood – July 14, 2020

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No Trade-Offs for Truth

How does a crippled mind filled with hate, ugly memories, so little room for intelligent debate find some modicum of purpose?

Not to worry!

The power brokers know who you are and have a lengthy and sustaining list of your millions of brothers and sisters who fit the first paragraph’s twenty-one words.

Again, not to worry!

Those PB’s are all over the country, and they will sooner or later get to you. They need you and can make some magic with the words they convey – and offer some attractive money inducements to make you all atwitter with some offers they already know you likely will not turn down.   

Did I hear someone whisper: ‘What’s that guy talking about’?

Well, I guess there might be a few in that ‘first paragraph group’ who have not been ‘indoctrinated’ – informed – about the program.

Okay, now I’m hearing so many whispers, I need to break it all down for some of you. God help me! Maybe I can reach some of you before you make a leap into the madness I’m about to describe. Hopefully, some of you will not be part of this ‘whatever movement’ history decides to call it.

In fact, HISTORY and FUTURE HISTORY is the reason for this little parade of what is hopefully meaningful words and phrases.

Other than to write that US Education costs are higher than any country on the planet…we are talking trillions. That is bad enough but the real issue for many in our country – parents, some politicians, and many members of education ‘Brain Tanks’ – is Teaching Methodology… and, this is perhaps the biggest problem our children face in the classrooms today – mainly, on college and university campuses across the United States.

It is held by many in the educational ranks that our children are being brain-washed with ‘Liberal – Leftist’ philosophical thought and teaching methods, students not given a balanced education but a ‘one-way’ view of how they are supposed to think on the important issues of the day.

For the past weeks, our televisions have been focused on street riots, looting, killing, lunatic behavior that has ‘big money’ and powerful organizational support…this all started with a ‘bad cop’ lethally restraining a handcuffed black man – an incident which made the country angry and wanting the ‘bad cop’ arrested and tried for murder. The cop had other cops with him to assist him, so why did he use such tactics? (It still angers and bothers me when I remember the TV scenes with this cop constantly using his knee, pumping it incessantly into the black man’s neck – eventually, causing his death.)

Yes, that was a terrible abuse of on-duty policemen performing what should have been a simple arrest.

Here is the gist of this entire post… I know of no sane person who would condone behavior patterns displayed by the Minnesota cop mentioned above, but the riots and all those nights of tyranny have led to a madness that is most difficult to explain…except for…

Except for those ‘Power Brokers’ mentioned at the beginning of this post.

The ‘cop incident’, the riots, I believe, should bring sound minds to the conclusion that this aftermath of a cop’s behavior, plus the destruction of historical monuments, memorable, notable heroes from our past, the senseless hatred of so many. It all brings an odorous reality for me that the ‘Power Players’ of the Left have reached out, put their smelly money in the hands of groups hell-bent on Anarchy and Mayhem to destroy our great country.

Imagine, all the millions of patriots who died to protect our freedom and liberty, whose cause was bigger than their own lives, and, now, the monuments depicting our amazing History now being destroyed by the mindless bastards of the mindless super-rich.

I pray our nation gets through this ugly chapter of our history’s pages. We did very well for a time with our new President, and, certainly, Joe Biden has shown us nothing for forty years.

BR Chitwood – July 7, 2020

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Can We Talk?

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Can We Talk?

By BR Chitwood

“Can we talk? Of course, we can talk. You asked. I answered, and that was five minutes ago. So, what’s on your mind, BR? You knock on the door, nod a greeting, and want to talk. We’re sipping beers, and you have not said two words. Your brow’s all wrinkled. You’re fidgety and nervous as I’ve never seen you. What’s eating you up, buddy?”

“Sorry, Luke, I’m not handling too well all that’s happening in our orbiting craft these days. It may all be above my ‘savvy classification’ and my ‘retirement pay grade’, but what is happening in this only world we know? The ‘World Pandemic’? ‘Corona Virus’? Masks? Family Separation and Isolation? Riots in our cities? Looting? Deaths? Restaurants and Bars closed? Sports cancelled? Political chaos and anarchical acts? Geez, I have no idea what Armageddon looks like, but, if this is it, I’m scared.”

  “You have a lot of company, BR. The anxiety levels of people are visceral, me, included. I can’t remember a period in our history when such anger, riots, killings, total disregard by so many of our laws and fundamental law enforcement is no longer viable…

“So, my friend, we have many people feeling the same emotions, the same doubts, about solutions and a return to some semblance of normalcy… I’m hearing ‘doubts’ seeping into conversations – doubts about Covid-19 and possible episodes with some extreme edging, like…

“Is there more to this Pandemic than what we’re being told by our leaders?

“Are there ‘Hate Groups’ backed with lots of money to stir National unrest to the point of making Socialism a reality? Think about it, groups working toward defunding our police departments, hoping to make it a more ‘peoples police force’ to serve their socialistic desires.

“We are all feeling our own pressing doubts about where we’re going with these actions we are witnessing. We can, I believe, no longer doubt that there are ‘interests’ being served by these current actions than by what our founding fathers had in mind.”

“God, Lucas, are you trying to cheer me up?”

 Short snicker.

“I’m kidding, your thoughts are my thoughts as well… I, too, feel there is more to the Pandemic than what we are being told…is it worse than we think? Is it better than we are led to believe?

“Are there people actively at work trying to erase our history? We already know that the Universities are hell-bent on shaping the minds of our youth.

“It is sad to think that so many people wish to erase and void the history of our Democracy, the wars fought, the lives lost, in building this greatest of all nations – spending huge amounts of money to buy malcontents and corrupters of freedom, defacing, tearing down our heroes and monuments. It is not only sad. It is an egregious affront to our pioneers, our trail-blazers, our historic greatness, all the lives lost in preserving our union.”

“Well said, BR. Is our little ‘beer and pep session’ helping?”

“Well, Lucas, you got me talking, mostly repeating everything you said…and, you know, I do feel better after our short chat here…guess that’s why you make the big bucks. {Chuckle}. The good people of this country, I have to believe, are not going to ‘cave in’ to the negative elements of Globalists, Socialists, and Rabble-rousers. This great nation could not have come this far without the great will of our people…and, guess what? The ancestors are ‘locked and loaded’!”

BR Chitwood – July 4, 2020

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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

How Can We?

How can we breed patriots

When we don’t teach our history?

From ‘Pilgrim Rock’ through

The great presidents of our time?

Valley Forge, the wars we’ve fought

For a country now harassed with hate?

How can we deplore so easily

With easy disdain and anger?

How can we be so blind of eye

As not to see the great rupture

In our land of milk and honey?

How can we not with haste defeat

This pestilence that so infects

Our hearts, our minds, our souls?

How can we be so hardened of heart

As not to feel compassion and joy?

How can we not feel pride in a

Nation that has so much to give?

How can we not stem the bigotry

That runs rancid in our streets?

How can we turn a Democracy

Into a totalitarian state of chaos?

What feeds this disease that now

Plagues our halls of government?

Please, tell me how can we revive

A country rich in history and glory?

How can we breed patriots

When we don’t teach our history?

 

Billy Ray Chitwood – March, 2019

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Blood and Bones

Our Sunday drive took my wife and me to Perryville, Kentucky to travel over the hills and valleys where an early Civil War battle was fought, where thousands of young people lost their lives fighting for some idea of where they wished their country to be…you all know enough about the Civil War, so I won’t embellish on its causes, its generals, and the aftermath which still lingers with some of us to this day. In fact, there are some people who refer to our fractured political process, those and them, and feel as though we’re approaching another such battle, one that is currently being waged with acrimonious insults, pushing, shoving, with a hatred hard to believe, the blessing of some of those in elements of our political power elites… I won’t talk about that either!

It was a most gorgeous Sunday afternoon as we left our home (pictured above) where in 1862 an older relic of this one stood amid tobacco fields, where confederate soldiers more than likely marched up the road on which our home sits. We believe the rebel troops came up from Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee through Lebanon, KY and on down Lebanon Road (where our house sets). Of course, the original house still stands and was added onto a number of times, most recently in 2008. My wife is a history buff and will add her section after my finish here, but our place is beautiful and built like a fortress – and, we believe those rebel troops likely passed by or certainly were close to our home at that moment in history.

But, back to the Perryville battle site, some fifteen plus or minus miles from us, our visit to the civil war site was at just about the time the battle was waged in 1862. The day, filled with sunshine and silence, a somberness that gave us pause to look out across the valleys where beneath its earth lies the long rusted weaponry and the blood and bones of those who died. This land we passed over seemed, nay, was, sacred and, if tender of heart, one could almost hear ‘taps’ playing softly over the verdant dips and rises. My wife and I were quiet for most of the moments we travelled over that land, each of us thinking thoughts of then and now.

We eventually passed by the canon (pictured above) and left the hallowed ground, still silent, still in some remote part of our minds thinking our thoughts…

Mine spoke to me of humankind, the sometime gaping abysses we must navigate to get to a place of mutual understanding – if we ever do. Mine spoke to me of life and death, how some few men and women can be so power hungry to lead their fellows to chaos. In that Sunday solitude my heart bled for all who must come to save us from ourselves from time to time…and, finally, there were my tears. 

Now, I turn to my good wife, Julie Anne, to perhaps leave the philosophical depths and render a more ethereal synopsis of that lovely Sunday… [BRC]

[Julie Anne]

Today we ventured out to the Battle of Perryville. Drove around rather than walked. Basically had almost all of the battlefield to ourselves. Didn’t run into any of its ghosts. In between re-enactments but could visualize. Guessing about as warm today (high 80s) as it was in 1862 – but no drought to contend with. Remembered when Craig led Cindy (our kids were visiting) had us all over the fields and longing for water – how terrible it had to be for those fighting – after long marches and no water and the sun beating down on them. Some of the Rebs would have marched up the old Lebanon Road, right by here. I wonder if some got off the road hoping to find well water and possible shade. Did some sit under our old Sugar Maple for a bit before rejoining the march north and then east? Did Finley (freshly married) bring them cool well water, not caring which side, just that they were boys who were tired, thirsty and scared? And where did she hide the family silver? The big house wasn’t built yet but they were living here, growing tobacco. If I crawled around the old, low hanging, dirt part of the basement could I find something? Or was the old house in a completely different area at that point? The big house was built in 1871.

All the homes in the whole area took in wounded. Robert and Finley in 1862, the owners of our property, would have as well I’m sure (they were from some of the founding families and predominant in the area). Are there bodies buried here from the battle – where they didn’t survive their wounds?

My mind drifts back to what it was like those early October days in 1862. Our Sugar Maple probably remembers.

Billy Ray and Julie Anne Chitwood – Oct. – 2018

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Barefoot and Bewildered!

I’m an old man! Who cares what an old says or writes? My wife cares. My kids and grandkids care. My friends care. And, I care – about my family and my country.

Where is the comity?

Was there ever comity?

Have I gone mad?

Has the world gone mad?

What world am I living in?

A man lives a virtuous life devoted to Law and Order, has a spotless record in his advancement toward the Supreme Court, has a beautiful family, coaches little kids, giving them some semblance of something  called sportsmanship and values for living. He is nominated for the highest court in the land…

I just erased several lines, trying for erudition. To hell with erudition… I’m angry! The words from an old movie come to me: “I’m mad as hell! and I’m not going to take it anymore!” Good movie: Peter Finch and William Holden. But I already stray from my course…

A good man is being brutalized before our very eyes, and I’m sitting here ‘mad as hell’ at these left-wing power-hungry idiots who have no problem at all destroying a human being, his family, his hard work, his LIFE! And, I’m mad as hell at the right-wingers who try to pacify these idiots.

My good God! What the hell are we doing to this country, this paragon of freedom and liberty, this beacon of hope that stretches far and wide across the earth? No details are needed to describe the situation unfolding before  us – unless someone is having a ‘Rip Van Winkle’ moment.

A good and decent man who wishes to further his distinguished public and judiciary service to our country is being made to look like a ‘Jack the Ripper’ in drag’. This man sits through gruelling days of testimony, patiently presenting his answers to a committee made up of conservative and liberal interrogators. The key word in the last sentence is ‘patiently’ because this good man finds his response time interrupted time and time again by left-wing, PAID, protestors PLUS organized interruptions by Democratic committee members themselves who have their ‘talking points’ from their inglorious leaders (names not given because the writer might regurgitate!)

Having sat through all of that plus many days before the hearing his name dragged through the ‘swamp’ of Washington, DC, out comes a paper-thin obvious ‘stall tactic’ of a professor who says, 36 years ago, this good man who attended a Catholic Boys School and on into Yale Law School, held her down in a locked bedroom while a friend of his watched, but this woman cannot recall the place, the time, on and on. Now, this woman might very well have been subjected to such an awful time in her life, but the attorneys for this woman are using her for stall tactics time and again and will keep on with more women to come forward with more ‘creative attorney BS’, all to destroy this good man’s reputation and his family, all to incite the ‘crazies’ to send threats of ‘death’ to his family members. The women may very well have had some issues as described, but they are being used by the left liberals who will likely ultimately destroy them as well.

The good man answered by saying he ‘categorically’ and ‘unequivocally’  denied these charges. He appeared on a TV program denying vehemently these charges, his pain and anguish showing in his face. His wife sat also in anguish and pain beside him. He held back tears that could have easily come. The good man said he simply wanted a ‘process’, an honest forum to hear each side. He did not scream invective – I did that for him as I sat watching this good man endure his suffering.

My good God! ENOUGH! I may be a damned dinosaur, but this is pure unadulterated and horribly structured lies and innuendo to kill a man’s dreams, his good name, and his family. He was clear in his description of himself, speaking of private details of which a man should not have to speak.

I guess it’s true! We are in a ‘Cival War’!

Which side do we take? The side that hates the peoples’ choice for president, a man not eloquent as some we’ve seen, but a man who has this country thriving again, hates him enough to cause this good man and his family an emotional devastation, all for ‘POWER’, power to lead us down a road to destruction, to take us to their  power and dominance, telling people how to live and think, destroying people on their way toward some sort of Marxist Manifesto, ‘take from those who have more’ and ‘give to those who have less’, forgetting what this great land was built on. Apparently, history texts were not available to some of these apparent ‘socialists’! Their way has never worked in history and never shall it work. When a government deincentivises an individual by taking more of that for which he works, the road is downhill from that point on. That is my belief, and it’s my hope that the majority of the American people believe as I do.

I’ve had my say! AND, very likely, too much for some! For my friends of another persuasion, I mean no disrespect to you and your beliefs. For me, it was a need to fulfill.

Conservatives, do not let this happen to our country. CALL for a vote on this good man’s entry into the Supreme Court.

IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

Billy Ray Chitwood – September 25, 2018

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