Month: October 2022

So, you like Mail-In Ballots. Is it the convenience of having this option? After all, you don’t have to drive or walk to your designated polling place, and potentially stand in line for minutes or maybe in some cases even hours, just to do your duty as a citizen of our great Nation. Do you have any idea how the Mail-In Ballot process really works? Probably not. All you know is that you get a Mail-In Ballot in your mail, you fill it out, then send it back in the mail, or take to a Drop Box located somewhere in your local community. As far as you know, your vote then is easily and quickly tabulated representing your votes on a number of candidates and issues. But we want to share the story of what really happens to your Mail-In Ballot once you let it go either into your USPS mailbox, or into an official Drop Box. We will start by asking you if you can tell us how many times your Ballot Envelope containing your Ballot are actually touched or handled once you let it fly off into the system? Do you think a machine opens your Ballot Envelope and automatically records your Ballot choices without anyone ever touching your Ballot? Do you think one person opens your Ballot Envelope and immediately sticks your Ballot into a tabulation machine recording your choices? If you have never worked on Mail-In Ballot processing, we would like to give you a clearer picture on how your Ballot Envelope containing your Ballot is handled once it leaves your hand.

There are actually two separate ways your Ballot Envelope and Ballot can be handled. It can be handled as a group of Ballot Envelopes or Ballots, anywhere from being one of 2 Ballots Envelopes or Ballots, to being one of 50, or maybe even more. Look at the picture below:

Can you see your Ballot Envelope in the bunch above? Probably not, but it is in there somewhere. There is another way your Ballot Envelope or Ballot may be handled once it departs your possession. Look at the picture below:

This picture shows one person handing your Ballot Envelope to one other person. This is a separate individual contact with your Ballot Envelope by one person, not as part of a group of Ballot Envelopes as we showed in the picture before this one. It is important to note the two ways your Ballot Envelope, or Ballot, may be handled once it leaves your hand. In this blog we will attempt to show you how your Ballot Envelope, containing your Ballot, is really handled once it is deposited into your mailbox or Drop Box. We will concentrate on the path your Ballot Envelope takes when deposited in a Drop Box. If mailing your Ballot Envelope via USPS, it will take a variety of paths depending upon your location, the size of your community, and individual Post Office equipment and procedures in your local community. This can have a number of ways your Ballot Envelope could be handled, whether as a group of Ballot Envelopes or as an individual Ballot Envelope. In any case, your Ballot Envelope will eventually make it to your local elections center, like your county courthouse. It could be sent there by the USPS, or it could be picked up by members of the election staff who take control of your Ballot Envelope to assist your Ballot Envelope, containing your Ballot, on its way to being recorded. If your Ballot Envelope is placed in a Drop Box, it could find its way through various processes depending upon where you live. If you live in a very small county, your vote may take a more direct route to tabulation, and it may be handled less, and few machines may even be used in processing or recording your desired votes. We will attempt to view the processes from a county of moderate size to show you the route your Ballot Envelope, containing your Ballot, may take once it leaves your hand. We speak from personal, hands-on experience.

To begin with, we would like to commend those who work in elections departments, those who follow all Federal, State, and Local laws. They work hard and only desire to do their job as they have been sworn to do, and yes, many will take an Oath of Office before performing any work when handling your Ballot Envelope containing your Ballot. We cannot say that there will never be those within the election staff who may have nefarious purposes in mind. There will always be the proverbial bad apple in a barrel of good ones. It is up to individual citizens or groups, and the director of elections in your county, to see that those who intend to pervert our system of voting are identified and dealt with according to established laws. The local county sheriff has a very important and powerful role in this process and can even have more authority in these issues than a governor, or even the DOJ or FBI, as voting procedures are given by the Constitution directly to the state, and how the state then in turn has delegated enforcement authorities to individual counties.

Keeping all of the above in mind, let’s follow the journey of your Ballot Envelope once you drop it into a Drop Box. We will identify the handling of a “Group” of Ballots Envelopes with the letter (G) and count up the number of times a Group including your Ballot Envelope is handled, and (G-1) would be the first time your Ballot Envelope was handled as part of a Group of Ballot Envelopes. If your Ballot Envelope was handled by an Individual, then this will be show with the letter (I), with an associated number counting up from the beginning as (I-1). Let’s begin the journey of your Ballot Envelope.

Once you drop your Ballot Envelope into a Ballot Box, the journey of your Ballot Envelope, containing your Ballot, begins. If it is dropped into a locked box, usually found inside a courthouse, library, or sometimes even in a grocery store, it will not be handled in any fashion until it is transported to the election center. If it is placed in an outside Drop Box, it probably would be handled as a group of Ballot Envelopes (G-1), as they would be scooped out into a tub of some sort for transport to the election center. Once your Ballot Envelope arrives, the box or transportation tub is unlocked and turned upside down to dump the Ballot Envelopes out into an area where each Ballot Envelope will be individually handled (I-1) as they are stacked into another bin, oriented in the same manor, to be sent to a processing machine. The processing machine will do an initial run-through of the Ballot Envelopes to ensure their validity, where signatures are matched with the most recent one on record. An individual will grab a group of Ballot Envelopes to put into the processing machine (G-2). The Ballot Envelopes come out on the other end and are usually grabbed by an election worker as a group of Ballot Envelopes as they are divided by precincts and stacked up (G-3). However, they could come out as an individual Ballot Envelope, and sometimes do. If these Ballot Envelopes pass muster, they are then prepared for opening. To do this, Ballot Envelopes are shaken in some manner or “pounded” (G-4) so as to move the interior Ballot to the top or bottom of the Ballot Envelope so that the top or bottom can be cut open (avoiding cutting the Ballot within) for easier handling later on down the line. The processing machine can do this work as well but requires and individual to, once again, load the machine (G-5). They are then, once again, gathered by an election worker and placed in trays for continued processing (G-6). If the Ballot Envelopes have to be sliced open individually, then they would be handled by another machine that can do the same process. In this case, Ballot Envelopes would be grouped together, but not always, depending on the machine and the dexterity of the machine operator. Some Ballot Envelopes do not pass muster in the processing machine and are sent forward to a signature verification process, but this is normally done electronically without handling any Ballot Envelope.

Now we can talk about removing the Ballots from the Ballot Envelopes. Two individuals, one from each major party, sit side-by-side for this process. The first individual grabs an individual Ballot Envelope from the tray (I-2) and removes the Ballot inside, separates it from any Secrecy Envelope that may surround the Ballot, then hands the Ballot to the other individual who unfolds it and lays it in a stack (I-3). The remaining Ballot Envelopes and Secrecy Envelopes and retained for archival storage required by Federal and State law. The stacked Ballots are collected by another individual (G-7) who places them for movement into the Ballot inspection area. Here, individuals check out each Ballot (I-4) for discrepancies such as duplicate voting for individual candidates or issues, torn or soiled Ballots, or extraneous marks or writing. Those Ballots are then sent to another group of individuals who examine each Ballot (I-5) to determine if a voter needs to be contacted for a potential provisional Ballot, which would in turn be re-inserted into the tabulation process at some designated stage or time. Some Ballot issues can be resolved in-house using a team of bipartisan individuals who will transcribe the voters chosen votes to an unsoiled Ballot (I-6) that can be successfully processed through the tabulation machines. Once all Ballots are properly presented, they then move to the vote tabulation area. Those Ballots are then moved into the vote tabulation area (G-8) and are then processed through the tabulation machines when vote counting begins (G-9). Ballots are then archived.

Be advised that we have not included all potential ways a Ballot Envelope, or the included Ballot, may be handled, but this is the normal process. Handling could be more; it could be less. What should not be in dispute are the number of ways Ballot Envelopes (G-9) and Ballots (I-6) are normally handled. Your Ballot Envelope and Ballot are handled at least 15 times! This handling is extensive and requires an enormous amount of detailed work by election workers. Be proud of their efforts to help provide our FREEDOM and LIBERTY within this great Nation of ours, by contributing their efforts to maintain a free and fair election.

We will note in conclusion, that if there are any anomalies within our Nation’s voting systems using Mail-In Ballots, it would either come from unauthorized Ballots being injected into the USPS mail system or Drop Boxes. This could come as a result of Ballots Envelopes containing Ballots being sent to unauthorized individuals who are either non-citizens, have moved out of the voting area, or who have died. This is what drives the movements to “clean up” voter rolls, to expunge those potentially fraudulent voters. Also note that we have not yet discussed the potential for outside interference in our tabulation machines. As we have mentioned in a previous blog, both major parties have said these machines are hackable. “I continue to think that our voting machines are too vulnerable.” (Democratic Representative, Adam Schiff of California). “The biggest seller of voting machines is doing something that violates cybersecurity 101.” “Directing that you install remote access software which would make a thing like that – you know – like a magnet for fraudsters and hackers.” (Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden). “You could easily hack into [voting machines]. It makes it seem like all these states are doing different things but, in fact, three companies are controlling [elections].” (Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar). “There are a lot of states that are dealing with antiquated machines, right: Which are vulnerable to being hacked.” “I actually held a demonstration for my colleagues here at the Capitol where we brought in folks who – before our eyes – hacked election machines, those that are being used in many states.” (Then Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, now our Nation’s Vice President). (westernjournal.com; July 19, 2021.) In addition, on June 3 this year, our Nation’s top cybersecurity agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency warned of such flaws (theTrumpet.com; Andrew Miller; June 16, 2022). Be sure to cast your vote this coming election day, November 8, 2022. The direction of our Nation depends upon your vote!

We have all recently experienced the bludgeoning effects of inflation, that is, unless you are independently wealthy, could not care less how much gas costs (because you paid cash for your electric vehicle), have others do your grocery shopping and delivery for you, and live in the top 1% of all wage earners in our Nation. If you are in that latter category, then you are not spending your time reading this blog or concerning yourself with anything the rest of us peons are wrestling with on a daily or even hourly basis. But for those of us who struggle under the weight of inflation, we have wonderful news for you from those currently in control of our government. “The Rate of Inflation is Pruned.” Hooray! Let’s all run out and celebrate! But first, maybe we should consider exactly how much of this “Pruning”, or reduction, is actually taking place.

Consider this blog to be a layman’s tutorial on how inflation is measured. Let’s start by talking about how this “Pruning” of our inflation is occurring. In order to do that, we must first discuss how “The Rate of Inflation” is measured. “The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.” (bls.gov). Usually, we most frequently see it published tracked over a one-year period of time. The “Core Inflation Rate” usually excludes food and energy, as these two areas of commerce can fluctuate wildly due to forces of nature. For example, a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico can cause offshore drilling to be curtailed negatively impacting the extraction, distribution, and production of oil and its byproducts. Likewise, a severe drought or an untimely freeze or flood can cause certain food items to skyrocket in price due to extreme shortages. (InflationData.com). The [“Core Inflation Rate”] “rose 6.6% in September from a year earlier, the biggest increase since August 1982. The measure increased 6.3% in August.” (The Wall Street Journal; October 13, 2022). But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves and get back to the basics.

The government, no matter who is in charge, always manipulates the data to arrive at an acceptable CPI, to put the best face on it for the consuming public. There will always be other organizations with opposing statistics. One such view stated: “The ACTUAL US Inflation rate minus food and energy hit 19.75% in February” (thegatewaypundit.com). We all know rents and mortgages are currently way up, as is the cost of multiple forms of energy, like home heating oil. We also know food prices are up as well. Three years ago, we bought a six-pack of muffins for $3.98, but at our grocery store this last week, we paid $5.98 for the exact same item. That is an increase of just over 50%. With the devaluation of each dollar due to the excessive government printing of new dollars in the last three years, one can easily deduce that you’re actually much worse off than just a 50% inflation in the cost of your muffin pack. But let’s now take a look at what the current government calculated as our Inflation Rate over the last couple of months.

We will acknowledge now the current government’s target CPI, which is anywhere from 1% to 3%. We will take the average of 2% since this has been most referenced, however, we must warn that if this rate is unattainable, it is likely you will see their target rate adjusted upwards to establish what they will call “a new normal” CPI. When the previous President left office in 2022, the CPI was 1.4% (the balance; Kimberly Amadeo; October 14, 2022). Let us now look at the last two months CPI as published by the current administration. September’s CPI number was 8.2% (a four-decade high), down a whopping .1% from August’s 8.3% (bls.gov). Okay, let us do the calculation for you. Assuming our current government maintains the same downward velocity in the published CPI numbers, how long will it take for us to finally get back to the desired 2% CPI? How does 5 years and two months hit you? Yup, that’s right, you will be living with higher Inflation Rates for the next few years. If we were to assume an average of 5% Inflation Rate over that period of time, your $100.00 would be worth $78.00. Think of it another way. It will take $128.00 to buy the same product that only cost $100.00 5 years ago. Again, let’s recall that energy and food are excluded from the CPI. “Fuel oil was up 41%; propane, kerosene and firewood were up 33.8%, and piped natural gas was up 24.1%, and that was as of Jan 24, 2022” (pewresearch.org). You might say, “But the rate of ‘Pruning‘ is actually greater, because the CPI was higher at 8.5% in July, so the decrease is actually happening much faster”. We would also point out that the CPI was also a staggering 9.1% in June! (bls.gov). What comes down, may also go back up. Meanwhile, as time ticks by, you will be paying for things anywhere from 9.1% more per year to . . . some unguaranteed lower CPI, and under the current administration, it may never get to their 2% target.

So yes, we can and must claim that according to the published CPI government documents, “The Rate of Inflation is Pruned“. But at FREEDOMGOFORTH.COM, we would like to put a different spin on “The Rate of Inflation is Pruned”. It is time to make these current governmental polices Rest In Peace! As a Nation spiraling out of control, it is up to each one of us to vote for change, and to do everything within our ability to inform all people we know so that they, too, are aware of the need for us to reclaim and sustain our FREEDOM and LIBERTY. If we sit idly by and do nothing, we embarrass our forefathers who gave so much to establish this great Nation of ours, and we leave our children and grandchildren in a world controlled by Godless, woke elitists who choose their own power and wealth over our Constitution and its principles, over our Bill of Rights, and put to shame our sacred document, The Declaration of Independence.

This sounds totally awesome. But at what cost? Have you thought this through, knowing the facts, the truth, the spin, and we don’t mean spinning tires. We mean the woke elites pushing this green energy concept, by using the biased influence of most forms of media. We want to spend just a few minutes exploring the downside of owning an electric vehicle, the side those who are pushing these vehicles don’t want you to know about and will do everything they can to hide the negatives while only sharing the positives. Some day we will be able to step into our own bubble transporter at home and be transported quickly and safely to any destination we want . . . but that day has not yet come and is many decades in the future. It takes time to develop new technologies, and that process cannot be accelerated beyond our ability learn, experiment, test hypotheses, and bring concept into reality. Someday most of us will be able to drive or ride in a transportation device powered by a totally clean energy source, and that “clean energy source” includes “clean” all the way back to the power’s source.

Let’s be clear. We have documented this before in a previous blog that the source of power for all “clean energy vehicles” comes mostly from fossil fuels. You may think loading your EV with energy is making the world a “greener” environment, but the reality is that without fossil fuels, your EV will have a hard time powering up, or going anywhere. Currently 80% of our Nation’s power comes from coal or oil powered facilities. “In 2019, 80% of domestic energy production was from fossil fuels, and 80% of domestic energy consumption originated from fossil fuels.” “79% in 2021.”(US Energy Information Administration, September 14, 2020.) Nuclear accounts to approximately 8% of our Nation’s power generation. Renewable resources account for about 12% of our Nation’s power generation. The same source quoted above also provides additional information. Approximately 40% of renewable energy comes from “biomass waste – 4%, biofuels – 19%, wood – 17%”. The rest of renewable energy comes from “geothermal – 2%, solar – 12%, hydroelectric – 19%, wind – 27%”. The contribution of fossil fuels to our Nation’s energy generation comes from “natural gas – 32%, petroleum – 36%, nuclear – 8%, coal – 11%”. (US EIA, April 2022.) We need to point out that “solar” is not a 24-hour generation, obviously. Peak generation occurs only during a few short hours each day, and normally subside substantially about the time most people arrive at home from work and want to charge their EVs. “Wind” is also a non-constant source of power, Wind speeds needed for power production range from 7 to 55 mph (UNC-TV, Frank Graff). Few if any places on earth have a constant wind speed maintained within that range, so power generation is not optimally continuous. Solar and wind sites require enormous acreage and are eyesores to a natural landscape. Both solar and wind power devices are largely dependent upon China for materials and production. Solar panels are subject to adverse weather precipitation and dust, whereas wind turbines are a threat to airborne foul. Have you considered where the materials for EV batteries come from? Do you realize children are used as slave labor in Africa to mine these rare earth materials, as the natural landscape is destroyed in the process. “Many of the mines use child slave labour. And I’m afraid that, as car makers go electric and demand sky-rockets, more kids are going to get sent underground. And that means more are going to die. Small wonder cobalt is called ‘the blood diamond of batteries’.” “But what do you use instead? The answer is nickel, and while no slave labour is used to dig this out of the ground, it’s not what you’d call a clean process. According to a report in The Guardian, of all places, what you have around a nickel mine are: ‘Plumes of sulphur dioxide choking the skies, churned earth blanketed in cancerous dust, rivers running blood-red . . .’. And that’s before we get to all the deformed babies. There are reports of deformed babies being born near the cobalt mines and higher rates of deformities and respiratory problems linked to nickel mining pollution.” (The U.S. Sun, Jeremy Clarkson, Feb 20, 2021.) The Boston Globe writes: “Empty Promises Won’t End Green Slavery. The lack of supply chain transparency creates a convenient excuse to ignore the role of modern slavery in the renewable energy transition.” (Oliver McPherson-Smith, October 3, 2022.)

The Lithium News, October 5, 2022, has highlighted some EV limitations that you may not have considered. Batteries are susceptible to temperature extremes. The more the extremes, the more the degradation in battery storage and life will be experienced. Batteries should last 100,000 miles, maybe more, but there are no guarantees. Keeping the car fully charged is not recommended, nor is allowing the battery to fully discharge, as this can cause problems with other systems. Fast charges are not always the best idea, as this can cause wear and tear, and can lead to premature failure. “Repeatedly using launch controls or similar features drains the battery quickly and will eventually degrade performance and battery capacity.” One should always consider your ability to be able to recharge your EV. Currently there are only 47,000 charging stations, and 118,000 charging points (upstream/EETimes.com). One may have to wait in line to recharge (assuming you’re not in California and subject to restricted charging hours), and once hooked up, it will take longer than filling up a tank of gas. Your fully charged vehicle will also have a limited range, and your vacation may be planned around charging stations and time spent siting in your car while it is being re-charged. The previous source also reported “poor to minimal protection” from hacking, that individual’s cars could become a backdoor into the grid system, powering them on or off to destabilize the grid. Fox Business reported on October 10, 2022, that not only are car computers hackable, but so are the charging stations. “Nicoletti: Hackers will find a way to grab them [charging stations] and take them apart to find your information.” It was also reported that charging cables contain valuable materials that could be cut off and removed from charging stations to support criminal pursuits.

Let us now turn our attention to other facts having a direct influence on your purchase of a new EV. The most obvious one is initial cost. You will pay more for your EV than any other gas-powered vehicle. “According to the United States Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the average sticker price on a new electric vehicle is approximately $19,000 more than that of a new gasoline-powered vehicle.” (Compare.com; Nick Versaw, January 4, 2022.) Oh, you say, but I may get a $7,500 credit! Well, that may be true, but what you may get back on the back end, each one of us pay through increased taxes and National debt on the front end. Talking about money, consider the replacement cost of a Tesla Model S battery. How does $20,000 hit you? Better buy a Nissan Leaf, as its battery only costs $2,700! (Greencars.com.) How about the cost to insure this new EV of yours for one year: Tesla – $4,066, Chevy Bolt – $1,830, Nissan Leaf – $1,804, Ford F150 Lightning – $1,960. (Bankrate.com.)

Recently, we have heard a lot about EV fires. U.S. Agency opened a probe into electric vehicle batteries since 2020 (Tom Krisher; April 5, 2022). On Fox Business on October 13, 2022, Elizabeth McDonnald mentioned a Tesla in a junk yard had to be buried in dirt to put out its battery fire. Seemingly self-combusting. It was also reported that it took 40 fire fighters to put out an electric car fire in China. When an EV is submerged or subjected to high volumes of water, you can develop short circuits within the battery pack. The vehicle may sit dormant, may not show any signs of “thermal runaway” or off-gassing for moments, days, weeks, or even a month. Multiple fires have already been reported. Best practice is to isolate the car and let it burn. Throwing water on it can allow the vehicle to off-gas toxic and highly flammable gasses, and in an enclosed area, could become explosive (Dalan Zartman, Veteran firefighter; Rescue Methods LLC, President and Founder).

Finally, let’s once again take a look at all those items on an EV that are dependent upon fossil fuels. Refer back to our blog posted on March 20, 2022, titled “Are You Prepared To Live Without Oil?” You may drive an EV, but it won’t drive or look the same without Road Asphalt, Carpets, Dyes (used to color items), Sport car bodies, Tires, and Upholstery. It’s also likely that windshield wipers and squirt tubing could be added to this list, along with plastic lenses and body trims.

You may choose to drive an EV, but it will cost you more in the short-term and in the long-run, and there is no way you can avoid buying any EV that is totally void of fossil fuel-based products. Your “Green” vehicle comes to you through slave labor, by the destruction of natural environments, and with the blessings and control of the Chinese Communist Party. Do not be swayed by promises of more charging stations or tax credits. Do not become mesmerized or succumb to pressures applied by state or federal mandates, tyrannical dictates, or the allure of a “shiny new object.” Your FREEDOM and LIBERTY to drive what you want is at stake. Speak loudly and firmly in opposition to those who seek only your submission to their will and agendas.

There is very little that has the potential to surpass the greatest benefit of living in the United States of America. It is the right of a citizen of this great Nation to vote. It is what makes our Nation stand out among many nations, not just in our time today, but throughout ages past. One political party within our Nation has made a great effort to claim their right to declare that they are the only ones fighting for Democracy. Democracy is the process where all get an input into decisions being made, but our Nation is not a strict Democracy. “Democracy . . . is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation . . . , or to choose governing officials to do so. . .” (Wikipedia.) Our Nation is a Republic, a hybrid form of government that includes Democracy. Check out this definition from “legaldictionary.net”. “A republic is a form of government in which the citizens elect representatives, who make all of the decisions for them. This is different from a democracy, in which the people make their own decisions on important issues by voting. This form of government does not have a monarch, but an elected leader.” We may vote on issues and measures on ballots, and the democratic majority decides whether the issue is approved or denied. As a Republic, we elect representatives who make decisions on our behalf.

The method used to exercise our democracy, or to elect representatives to make decisions for us, is call voting. As mentioned earlier, we vote for ballot measures or issues, and we vote for representatives to make decisions for us, both on local and national levels. The right to vote is a sacred function in our Nation. In order to vote, one needs to be a legal citizen who has the right to make their voice (in written form) heard, because the outcome of the vote directly impacts each citizen within the scope of the issue being determined. Foreigners or visitors to our Nation have no say in the outcomes of these elections, because they are not here permanently, and are generally unaffected directly or permanently by the results of most elections.

Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility for each citizen of our Nation. Failure to vote diminishes the power of the people to make wise and reasoned choices affecting the majority. Failure to vote shows a lack of concern for our Nation, reflects apathy, shows detachment, and represents a casualness about our Nation’s affairs. Now for some, maybe they really don’t care what happens within our Nation, but we believe that most do, especially when the issue at hand directly impacts upon your life. We started this blog by reviewing the importance of voting because we want to show a number of ways that your ability to vote can be impaired, not because of your disinterest, but by methods outside your control. We want to list a few of them for your consideration. As we have said in previous blogs, we are sure you can add to the list we provide. We will show them in no particular order, as each person may be affected differently by each method of VOTER SUPPRESSION.

Years ago, it was customary for voting to occur on one day, and each individual had to go to their assigned poling location, prove their citizenship, and vote in person by a paper form of ballot. If you could not be there on that day, an alternate method was made available for them, or those out of town on business. This was called an “absentee ballot” and was either completed before the day of the voting, or through mail if out of town for an extended period of time. This applied to those in government or business service outside their voting location, or for those incapacitated and unable to access their poling location.

Then came along mail-in ballots, drop boxes, extended voting hours and days, and electronic voting and tabulating machines. This is when the poo poo hit the fan. Both political parties decried mail-in ballots due to the potential for anomalies or fraud. Nations throughout the world eschewed mail-in ballots for the same reason. Both political parties warned of voting machines that were hackable. Before long, the results of elections became not so much a matter of who voted, but who counted the votes. Any guess as to who first said that? It was the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin. His exact words as recorded by his secretary’s memoir were: “The people who cast the votes don’t decide an election, the people who count the votes do.” (Daily Kos, Oct. 21, 2020, Paulfrancisleysen.)

This has been a very long introduction into the many ways you can encounter VOTER SUPPRESSION. So, let’s get right down to it. Let us first talk about the influence of money. Money buys ads on radio and TV, and through mail-outs and the plethora of social media outlets. The application of this money also brings with it a form of “quid pro quo”, or to put it in terms most of us can understand, “I’ll scratch your back, if you in turn will scratch mine.” The more money spent; the more influence is exerted upon the average voter. Often, these ads spend more time digging up dirt on their opponent (called muckraking) than talking about what a candidate will do to benefit the voter. Unless you personally can verify what is being said, a measure of doubt will hang over your vote, and it could be enough to sway your vote one way or the other. This is a form of VOTER SUPPRESSION, causing you to be unsure, throwing a fogbank of suspicion upon your clarity of thought.

Another way VOTER SUPPRESSION can be applied to your vote is in the way and methods used to produce and publish voting polls. Sometimes the “cross-tabs” used in carrying out the poll are not revealed or ignored. Often, polls will weight contacts made to voters by favoring one party over another. Also, canvassing “all potential voters”, as opposed to those “voters who actually intend to vote”, can produce different results. As it is in all forms of media, those who conduct polls have personal bias and that can be reflected in the results of the poll. If a biased poll reflects negatively upon one candidate, it could cause a potential voter to declare, “Well, there is no way my one vote will make a difference, so I’ll just stay home and not vote.” If this has happened to you, then you have encountered VOTER SUPPRESSION by what is called a “SUPPRESSION pole”.

Certain states have allowed laws legally established by their legislatures to be circumnavigated by rogue governors, secretaries of state, or judges or justices. Our Nation’s constitution only allows state legislatures to establish those voting laws (Article 1, Section 4, and Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States of America). When unauthorized tampering of established laws take place, this becomes a form of VOTER SUPPRESSION. Those altered voting processes, dictated by those rogue actors, are often contrary to the established laws and procedures. This frustrates voters who believe in abiding by those established laws and procedures. If those voters are discouraged by these illegal actions, to the point of not voting, then they have succumbed to a form of VOTER SUPPRESSION.

The party in power can use its tyrannical processes to force agencies to confound opposing political parties through practices of intimidation, using threats, or even incarceration, to cause potential voters to stay silent or stay away from voting. This, too, is a form of VOTER SUPPRESSION.

When considering the applied force of government agencies upon individual voters, one has to consider individuals who carry out the directives of those in power who demand their obedience. Those who bear the responsibility to carry out those orders are often placed in a quandary. Should local and federal law enforcement personnel obey unjust orders and thereby avoid rebuke, suspension, or even termination? Too often police and federal agents bow to the almighty dollar and continued employment and carry out unjustified, political, and immoral orders against fellow citizens who are free within our Nation to conduct opposition to the illegal acts of those currently in power. (From The Declaration of Independance: “. . . whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it . . .”). The fear of being singled out by law enforcement, and potentially suffer the consequences of a tyrannical justice system, is also a form of VOTER SUPPRESSION.

Last on our short list, we will mention certain large corporations and elite organizations that often control and dictate terms for using your free speech. They do not control, nor can they ever dictate, our free speech. That was given to us by our Creator, not by our government, not by any corporation, and not by any self-appointed elite organization. We will not cower. We will not bend. We will not break. We will fight for our FREEDOM and LIBERTY. Do not sacrifice these rights upon the alter of VOTER SUPPRESSION.

For over a year and one half, we at FREEDOMGOFORTH.COM have been advocating the need to re-establish our FREEDOM and LIBERTY in our great Nation, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. This country was established at great cost. By “cost” we are not talking just about money, although that too was proffered, but we are talking about many of our forefathers who now lay in graves having sacrificed all for the establishment and preservation of our Nation. Too often many of us throw around the word FREEDOM as casually as we do when discussing our next meal or when reviewing last evenings TV show around the corporate water cooler.

Over the last couple of decades, it has been unfortunate that our citizens have witnessed the slow erosion of many of our God given FREEDOMS. It has been a slow and subtle process. We have found it comfortable, and even acceptable, living in the warm waters of the “pot of change” on the stove burner. More recently we have noticed the waters beginning to boil around us, and in the process, many have given up hope of ever re-establishing those FREEDOMS we have willingly allowed to be shredded and often shed from our lives. Is it that we have decided to not fight what was happening to us? Is it that we have even willingly agreed with seemingly minor restrictions to our FREEDOMS? Is it that we have at times even been the authors of our own FREEDOM destruction? Or is it that we have been oblivious to how our FREEDOM has been slipping through the control of our own fingers? We believe the last question applies to most “FREEDOM” loving citizens. You might ask, “How have we been culpable in the demise of our own FREEDOM?” Let us awaken you to several ways we have allowed the erosion of our FREEDOMS. In no particular order, and certainly not all comprehensive, read our list below to recognize this theft of our FREEDOM. We are sure many of you can add to our list of the multiple ways we have allow the theft of our FREEDOM.

Most of us started to recognize some of the diminishing of our FREEDOMS after the attack on our Nation on September 11, 2021. For several days we could not travel by air, as our Nation’s air transportation system was brought to a halt. But this was not the beginning of the attack on our FREEDOMS. You may be old enough to remember when cockpit doors on commercial airliners had to be closed before taxi, and before Air Marshall’s started flying. You may not have understood why at the time, but it was due to the threat of hijacking. But this was not the beginning of the attack on our FREEDOMS. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, our Nation became suspicious of those Americans of Japanese descent, and went so far as to round them up, incarcerate them, and completely take away their ability to move about their Nation, to appreciate and enjoy their FREEDOMS. We could continue to move backward in time and point out other events when our Nation’s citizens found themselves having their cherished FREEDOM limited. We do not need to review the horrible restrictions placed upon the FREEDOMS of our black brothers and sisters going back years before the establishment of our Nation, which started in other countries throughout the ages. Below are just a few of the ways our own personal FREEDOM has been restricted, or even taken, from us.

Many employees are being hired on a part-time basis, allowing businesses to avoid providing the benefits given to full-time employees. This is a reduction of your FREEDOM.

Today, many employers routinely scour social media outlets to scan potential employees for adverse interactions, and this can continue for the duration of employment. This is an invasion of your personal FREEDOM.

As an employee, you may be subject to a swipe from the double-edged sword of union membership. Some companies may make union involvement impossible to achieve, while others may mandate union involvement and routinely deduct union dues from your paychecks. This is a form of restriction to your FREEDOM.

Governments, both local and national, can increase their tax revenues for the establishment and continuation of ideological agendas in opposition to the decisions of the majority. This is a method used to restrict your FREEDOM.

Employers can restrict breaks, and even limit their duration. This is a form of control over your FREEDOM.

Employers can require course attendance covering woke agendas for continued employment. This is a method used to define your FREEDOM.

Government mandates often make hiring the most qualified less important than meeting establish quotas. This is a method of limiting your FREEDOM.

Government and corporations can require compliance with mandatory health measures before and during employment. This is a way of controlling your FREEDOM.

If you feel compelled to purchase from major corporations because they have overwhelmed and forced the closing of local sellers, then a measure of your FREEDOM has been taken from you.

If you choose to participate in any form of social media, you have lost your right to privacy, and your personal information can be sold or stolen for another’s benefit. This is an invasion of your personal FREEDOM.

If you choose to speak your mind about any controversial subject, you could find yourself subjected not only to personal verbal and physical attacks, but you could also be held accountable by government agencies who deem your speech to be contrary to their preferred agendas. This is used to control the limits of your FREEDOM.

If you fear that anomalies in our Nation’s voting systems are cancelling out or overwhelming your vote, then your FREEDOM is being taken from you.

If you worry about your guns being taken away from you, then your FREEDOM has been impinged upon.

If you fear going out at night alone in your neighborhood, you have had your FREEDOM taken away from you.

If you worry about your kids walking alone to school or to the park, you have encountered a reduction of your family’s FREEDOM.

If you fear going into malls or stores because of the increase in violence due to flash mobs, unprovoked attacks, and the threat of potential terrorism, then your FREEDOM has been taken from you.

If you fear being car-jacked at a stop light or in a parking area, then you have lost some of your FREEDOM.

If you feel forced to buy or drive an electric vehicle, then the level of your FREEDOM is being dictated to you.

If you have to take precautions at home by locking doors or using cameras and alarms to prevent potential theft or violence, then your FREEDOM has been diminished.

If you fear answering pollster questions revealing your political bias, potentially subjecting yourself to unwanted attention from local or federal authorities, then your FREEDOM has been restricted.

If you fear wearing clothing or displaying signage in your yard or on your car, reflecting your political bias, then you have encountered a restriction of your FREEDOM.

If you worry about attending rallies or events due to the potential of conflict caused by nefarious organizations or individuals, then your FREEDOM is being restricted.

We could go on, but we will allow you to add to the number of ways your personal FREEDOM has been slowly and methodically taken from you. We have always advocated for the re-establishment and preservation of our personal and collective FREEDOM and LIBERTY. We cannot do this for you. Only you can have a direct and lasting impact upon the FREEDOM and LIBERTY you covet, hoping to secure for yourself, your family and friends, and for your posterity. We want to close with the words written by a prescient film writer for the movie “Avengers: End Game” (2019). They were spoken by the evil demigod, Thanos, who was determined to change the universe to his liking. “As long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist.” “I will shred this universe down to its last atom and then . . . create a new one teeming with life that knows not what it has lost, but only what it has been given. A grateful universe.” Is this the world in which you want to live?