Patriot Realm

This year’s presidential election is the fourth since 2000 to be marred by either widespread allegations of voter fraud or of foreign interference. Politicians and pundits have long counted on elections to wave a magic wand of legitimacy over the reign of whoever is designated the winner. But Americans are increasingly wondering if the endlessly-trumped “consent of the governed” has become simply another sham to keep them paying and obeying. 

 Years ago, as a child, I was told a story about a man who changed the world. He had the crazy idea that if you treated people well, they would prosper. He talked with people at rallies and, as time went by, his gatherings grew and he became well known for his words, his deeds and his love of and for his fellow human being.

He didn't give a toss about whether someone was black or white; rich or poor; he didn't even care if someone was sick or diseased. All he cared about was making people better. In making individual people better, he believed that his world would become better, kinder, richer and more equality based.

What a situation we are in , both here and New Zealand where farmers who have done their bit   by producing food and fruit   are having no one to help pick and  collect it.   Result  ... being ploughed back into the ground or left in the case of fruit to rot under the trees or bushes.  

 I can understand no foreign backpackers or seasonal pickers arriving because of the  Virus  restrictions.   But surely we have enough unemployed younger  and fit people who can join  with others to help harvest the  food  the hard working farmers have worked so hard to produce.

On November 11th, 1918, at 11 o'clock in the morning, the end of the First World War was announced: Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces. After 4 long years of bloodshed, the final Armistice was signed...

In this time of turbulence and upheaval, we must not forget the battles fought for us and how the sacrifice of others has given us the freedom to protest, the freedom to speak out and the freedom to vote and have those freedoms protected.

As we move through this period of upheaval, please take time out to remember this. Were it not for those brave men and women, this debacle over who won or lost an election would not be on the table. In fact, the word " freedom " would have long ago been erased from our dictionaries.

Over the mounting decades of my life, I have seen many times of foul weather and many fair weather friends abandon ship at the first sign of a storm front. 

It is only when things are in their darkest hour that we see who is truly with us and who was only along for the ride.

President Trump is certainly in the midst of a hell of a storm and, as the winds reach hurricane force, he has seen so many jump ship and head to shore without so much as a wave goodbye.