The 5 Branches of Government

                  The Day I Became a Racist                                                                          Introduction

      The 5 Branches of Government is written with the intent to unite people of different ideologies. If it isn't obvious to you yet, after reading The 5 Branches of Government you will see how the media was used to spread propaganda and divide the American people. The media appears to be intentional in spreading this deceit that has impacted us all. I do not expect that after reading The 5 Branches of Government that liberals will suddenly become conservative, or conservatives will suddenly become liberal. But I do anticipate more civility. We all desire the same thing; that we come together for the betterment of our country. Honestly, I want unity selfishly so that my children may have a good life full of peace and freedom. While we embark on this journey to discover how our original 3 branches of Government have morphed into 5 branches, please allow me to explain the title of this short book, and especially the subtitle. I believe that with my explanation you will gain a better understanding of where I am coming from. I originally titled this essay, “The Day I Became a Racist”. That title later became the subtitle because I realized that the thought provoking title was a weak attempt to shock while attempting to promote thought. I struggled with that title, mostly because I am not a racist and secondly because I don't want anyone to misconstrue. Further explanation of the original title is made clear within the pages of my essay. I ask that if you endeavor to continue reading, know that my thoughts as expressed herein come from a place of humility. Please read with an open mind. It is paramount that you realize that my words, expressions, and thoughts are my opinions based on my life experiences. When we endeavor to be more self-aware we grow. Within the next few pages I explain and defend my stance to the best of my ability. It’s a shame to see where we are as a society when it becomes necessary to defend our love for family, our love for country, and our Judeo-Christian values. Yep, there it is. I am certain that I will lose some readers by the mere mention of Christianity. You can easily see how our society is actively rejecting Jesus Christ.

       Throughout the book I will pose many questions. I have to believe that as you read on,  you are applying critical thinking. The 5 Branches of Government is designed to be interactive. It is my hope that the readers will answer my questions. Perhaps you will answer the questions to yourself. That would be a good start. However, I would really appreciate it if the reader reached out to me to let me know your answers. I also welcome, appreciate, and encourage you to ask me questions. I am certain that you will have questions after reading The 5 Branches of Government. I desire civil dialogue. I believe that it will help us come together. It's important that we acknowledge our own biases. My writing style takes my bias into consideration. I acknowledge that my opinions may sometimes be short sighted. That is exactly why I include so many questions. I am searching for answers. I feel like I am a naturally inquisitive person. I hope that you are too. Let’s work on coming together with a purpose of uniting all of us as a people of one nation. Rick Warren in his book, The Purpose Driven Life writes, “God wants unity not uniformity”, I would say, "I agree".                                                      

                                               The Conversation

          As a middle-aged conservative, heterosexual, married Christian white male, according to Don Lemon, formally of CNN, I am the biggest threat to the United States of America. I am a terrorist, radicalized and racist; you know this about me because I am a white male. The year is 2024 and the political atmosphere is pathetic. Social media and the mainstream media have exploded with biased content, hate, and outright lies. The rise of cancel culture has taken root in our society. As I attempt to understand people whose viewpoints are different than mine, many questions arise. It is my belief that good conversations build understanding and relationships. Several years ago, I had a conversation with a young man. I knew this young man because he played high school football with my two sons. He was an impressive athlete. I can’t be certain, but I believe he went on to play Division 1 football. Our conversation started between us because of a controversial post on social media regarding Colin Kaepernick kneeling in protest during the National Anthem. I learned a valuable lesson from the interaction with this young man. The conversation went, as conversations do, he said his side and I stated mine. I should say, he texted his side and I texted mine. We went back and forth, both of us trying to get the other to understand our own point of view. I am uncertain if either one of us truly listened to the other. Not until we earnestly try understanding the other persons point of view, will we make any progress toward uniting. The conversation doesn't have to end in an agreement of thought, the goal is to  gain understanding. Most of us have heard the saying, “God gave us two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we talk.” Listening is not only polite, but it is important and necessary to have good communication. Yet many of us struggle with our listening. The lesson I learned while I was texting with this young man was that we need to understand our own lack of objectivity. Far too often we approach a conversation with our own slanted opinions. This can cause people to become defensive. Unfortunately, too many times when we ask a question, we are not open to the answers we get. We are instead looking for the answers we want. While we are talking and speaking with others, it is essential for us to assume that the person is smart, sensitive, and fair. Well, at least fair. If you are taking your time to communicate with someone, I would suggest that the person you are talking to is a person of discerning character. These characteristics are important in order to have an honest and productive conversation. If you know the person with whom you are communicating with does “not” have good judgement, you are wasting your time. I am going to spend a lot of time on this subject because it is so important. If you are entering into a conversation with someone that you don’t know; it will take having some discussion to discover if you can have a civil and productive conversation with them. The replies and the reactions you get to your questions will tell you all you need to know about that person. Hopefully the replies that you get to your questions are appropriate and respectful. By “appropriate” I mean that their answers to your questions should address the premise of your question(s) instead of being ambiguous. Perhaps they don’t understand your question. They should ask clarifying questions to gain understanding. If after some clarifying questions, their answers are still vague and don’t address the question, end the conversation. I suggest ending the conversation to preserve your integrity. My reasoning for ending the conversation is difficult to articulate but trust me, I have learned this from experience. It reminds me of what the famous Economist Thomas Sowell said, “It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance”.

      If a question is important enough to ask, then the person with whom you are conversing should show enough respect to answer the question. Again, I want to emphasize that we cannot look for the answers we want. We need to be open to hearing a different and or unique perspective when, and if, one is offered. You deserve to get an answer that addresses the premise of the question. The same standard applies to me when I am asked a question. I should seek to understand the premise of their question(s). If is imperative that we answer questions honestly and respectfully. We should be able to defend our answer as we address the heart of their question(s). This was the main lesson I learned from my conversation with the young man who played football with my sons. We can get more accomplished by giving one another the benefit of the doubt. Asking questions, understanding the question and giving a well-spoken answer that addresses the issue(s), this is much more productive than thinking foul of one another. On that day I enjoyed the exchange of ideas with this young man. At the end of the conversation, and with the benefit of “re-reading” our text, it did not appear that we came to an agreement. That was ok, he made some interesting points. I gained respect for him because he simply engaged in civil conversation. I also came to an understanding that many of us are too full of pride to admit that we don't understand a question, let's change that and start with a conversation. 

                                                                                                Racism ?

             I have lived 59 years and have seen a thing or two in my life. I am not highly intelligent nor am I stupid. I have, however, done some stupid things. Growing up in the 1970’s, you would think that I would have been exposed to an on-slot of affirmative action and post-civil rights rhetoric. That was not the case.  I was a poor white boy in the inner city, a toe head (blond) among minorities. School was difficult for me due to undiagnosed dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. Even today, I still struggle with reading and writing. My mother was a single parent with 11 children. Yes, I have 10 brothers and sisters. Mom raised us all to be good law-abiding citizens. I never thought life was tough although looking back there were some difficulties. Life was especially hard for my mom. Some of the things my mom endured included abuse, abandonment, infidelity and loneliness. The fact that she was on welfare, using food stamps and having bed bugs were easy for her to deal with compared to some of her other struggles. She never complained, she worked hard and eventually worked her way out of poverty. Mom even paid Uncle Sam back for the welfare payments that she received. It must have been her white privilege that landed her that low paying job at the phone company. Sarcasm and occasional passive aggressive statements like that are some of my faults. In my frustration with the current political climate, I have grown even more cynical. I ask that you forgive me and allow me to continue and to get back to topic.

       While growing up my friends and I were a part of the upper lower class of inner-city Denver. My black friends and my Mexican friends treated me like I was one of them. I did not consider them as different from myself. We are all created equal by God. We loved one another, we played together, fought together and we always had each other’s backs. If any of us thought the other was a racist, well I never knew it. I cannot imagine how anyone could hate or dislike someone only for having a different skin color. I know that some people are racist and it's disgusting. I served nearly 5 years in the military. From 1987 to October 1991, during the Desert Storm Campaign. Most of the guys I served with were minorities. We were a Band-of-Brothers, I never felt any racism within our ranks. As a Police Officer for nearly 20 years in a major metropolitan city, I have had some experiences that I would rather have lived without. Seeing death is common in my occupation. Suicides, accidents, natural causes, and murder are some of the things that COPS deal with daily. I have encountered suspects with guns. During some of these encounters, I had every legal right to pull my trigger, to shoot, to kill. Thank the Good Lord that it has never come to that. Some of these suspects were white and some were black, it did not make a difference to me what race they were. Like I said previously, I am 59 years old and up until this point I have never been considered or accused of being a racist. That all changed the day President Donald J. Trump got elected. According to some people on the left, the Day that President Trump got elected, is the day that I became a racist. Ever since November 8, 2016, I am told by many with liberal views, that I am a racist. Just to be clear, “I am NOT a racist!” I know that I have subtitled this essay, “The Day I Became a Racist”, I should have considered the subtitle, “The Day, That the Left Labeled Me A Racist”. Sad! And it does not stop there. Not only have I now been labeled a racist, but I have also been labeled a misogynist. How could this happen? Even though I have the upmost respect for women, after seeing what my mom went through, the hard life she lived. Seeing my mom come home from work tired and worn out, just to work even harder at home. She would clean the house, do laundry, cook, pay bills and take care of her children as the spiritual leader of the household. The sacrifices she made and the life she lived has made a positive, respectful, and permanent imprint on me toward women. My deadbeat dad had abandoned my mother, leaving her to raise 11 children on her own. He was not half the person my mom is (my mom was, bless her soul). I also watched my oldest sister and her husband raise seven amazing children of their own. As I grew up seeing those amazing women, it only make sense that I would be attracted to strong women. Which brings me to my wife. We have been married for over 36 years. She has proven to me time and time again that women are not only tough, but they are extremely smart. I have never seen a person do as much as my wife does. She has always been an incredible mother to our three children. While they were little and even now that they are adults.  The house stays neat, clean and orderly, while she owns and operates a successful business. There is no way I would be able to tell you just how awesome she is within the pages of this short essay.

      The greatest common denominator among all these women is how they love. They love unconditionally, feverishly, and sacrificially. But just like I was labeled a racist on the day President Trump was elected, I was also labeled a misogynist. It is amazing to me how the left is so relentless in their dedication to shame me - the white, conservative, Christian, heterosexual male. Since I am neither a racist nor a misogynist, I think that the labelling me as such tells the public more about them then it does about me.

                                                                           The 4th and 5th Branch

        I will be the first to admit that the far right uses unfair tactics in the political climate. And while I am addressing the issues with the "Far Right" let us be honest.  The far right makes up of a very small percentage of the overall conservative movement. I am not excusing their despicable behavior. I am simply pointing out that the "far right” is a small percentage of the people who consider themselves conservative.

      Most of us know and are aware of the three branches of government. They are the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. Our constitution was excellently written to ensure a balance of power. However, what my essay contents that there are now 5 Branches of Government. The 4th Branch is the media. In hindsight, we can see how the media played a roll in the 2016 election and the 2020 election. We can all have an opinion of how the media effected these elections. To me its obvious how the left uses the mainstream propaganda machine. The left has NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC doing the Democratic Party’s dirty work. If you are of the belief that the major networks report fairy and accurately, I would love to hear from you. If we take an even closer look, we can also see how the teachers’ unions, indoctrinating our youth in public schools with Critical Race Theory (CRT), Covid and the transgender movement. Because of the medias inability, or should I say their unwillingness to report accurately it contributes to the imbalance and division of the political scene. This type of behavior from the left backfired on them and that is why Donald Trump won the Presidency in 2016. It is also why President Trump coined the term, “fake news”. Just like the example I gave at the beginning of this article. We need to have a conversation. Let us listen to one another. More importantly, let us listen to ourselves as we communicate with one another. When I ask you a question, I assume you are smart, sensitive, fair and of discerning character. How you reply to my question(s) will tell me everything I need to know about you. Are you communicating with me with the assumption that I am smart, sensitive, fair and of discerning character? How I reply to you will tell you all you need to know about me. As my mom use to say, "what is good for the goose is good for the gander".

        Now I would like to introduce the 5th branch of Government. But before I do, it’s worthwhile to talk about the size of our Federal Government. The Federal Government was created with only the three branches I listed above, Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Unfortunately, our government has devolved into the 4th branch (the media) and the 5th branch (the Administrative Branch). I hope that I don’t assume too much by referring to the bureaucracy of all the administrative agencies like the FBI, CIA, NSA and more as the 5th branch of the federal government. Of course, the 3 branches of government were how the founding fathers planned and designed our country from the beginning. When and how the administrative agencies became so powerful is another topic within itself. I think most of us in the United States of America would agree that there is corruption within our government. We should also be able to agree that the more government we have, then potentially, the more corruption we will have. With documents like the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, I believe we should be able to come to an agreement of what the Federal governments roll should play in our lives. These two main documents that our great country was founded on should be enough to govern us. Although people will interrupt the meaning and intent of said documents differently, the process within the Constitution is clear. I hope we can agree that the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written in a way that they contribute to the greatness of our country. It is my belief that those documents are the reason why the USA has been so successful (so far). There is a process in place to challenge the United States Constitution. That is why it has been amended 27 times since it was written. Regarding the processes to amend, they do not include whining, crying, or ignoring laws. The Constitution and the Declaration along with the original 3 branches of government never intended for the media and the administrative branches to have the power they now wield. If the government violates our God given rights, as stated in our declaration of independence, that should cause the people to rise-up against the government. We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But somehow when those rights are infringed upon, like they were during the Covid-19 debacle, we as a people basically stood by silent, the 4th branch and especially the 5th branch of government violated our rights.  Since the 4th and 5th branches are not actually branches of government the situation was so murky and distorted that our citizenry became even more polarized. Instead of the public banding together we divided and pointed fingers at one another, just as they intended. 

                                                                                        To Sum It Up

        Were you ashamed of how the Democratic Party responded to President Trump’s victory in 2016? I was disappointed in how the Republican Party handled Biden’s win in 2020. Wouldn’t it be better if both parties focused on going forward instead of crying about the past? The past is the past. Let us start making a case for November 2024 and beyond. One simple place we could start improving the way forward is if we could agree on one item at a time. I would like to propose that requiring identification at the voting poll is not a racial issue. I can’t for the life of me understand how this isn’t a non-partisan issue. Should non-citizens be allowed to vote in a United States election? When we improve America, Americans can continue helping people around the world. When you weaken America, we as individuals and as a country are less likely and less capable of helping others. Some people do not understand why I supported President Donald Trump in 2016. I support President Trump because I believe that if I had supported the alternative, I would be supporting the corrupt ruling class. In 2016 we had the choice to support Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton. In my view Clinton represented the elite ruling class, the establishment. I was opposed to the election of Obama in both 2008 and 2012. But for eight years I dealt with the policies of his administration. I did not bad month people that voted for him. I tried to remain optimistic, as I searched for common ground.

      Most of the conservative party remained civil. You would be hard pressed to find anything mainstream condemning or attacking Obama. Even the birther issue was brought up and started by Hilary Clinton. I prayed for Obama just like I pray for any person elected to serve us. I had no idea what Obama was going to do while he was in office. I had high hopes for the United States of America. The results of Obama’s presidency is a topic for another time. But I believe during his administration the country became even more divided. This year we have the same things to consider. Trump is the Republican nominee and Biden, or some other establishment candidate will be the democrat nominee. Just like Obama's presidency is a topic for another time; Bidens presidency can be completely analyzed in greater detail later. But it is obvious that during his time in office, America has seen a huge increase in inflation, wars have broken out while foreign affairs are a mess, and the number of illegal immigrants entering our county has skyrocketed.

       Do you think that racism in America is worse today than it was in the 1960 before the civil rights movement? My stance is that it is “not worse” today. Obama would not have been elected if racism were rampant in the United States. I acknowledge that racism does exist, but to what degree? With 350,000,000+ people in this country the question of racism is up for debate. I have been told by some people on the left that since I am white, I cannot speak to the topic of racism. The hate that a minority feels from the heart of a racist must be horrific. I cannot relate to that kind of hate. Although, I have felt a form of hate toward me simply because I wear a blue uniform. I understand that it is much different because I can take my uniform off. Nonetheless, I have felt hatred toward me. I understand when the black or brown person hates a racist in return. I do not practice racism. I do not condone it. I call racism out if I see it. Should I abandon all that I am regarding my heritage and ask for atonement because of someone else’s sin? It further complicates the subject matter when minorities speak in disagreement with the left and the left’s portrayal of racism in America. When Candice Ownes speaks out about racism, she is demonized. People like Lawrence Jones, Ben Carson, Larry Elder and Thomas Sowell are called Uncle Toms. Now that is hateful! If any black person speaks out in support of conservative values, they are alienated from the black community. Would you consider that a form of racism or hate?

      A friend of mine from work once told me that black people cannot be racist. I asked him, “why?” He elaborated and explained to me that since racism is “systemic” it is impossible for any minority to be a racist. “Systemic? Today? I have inserted the definition of racism to help debunk my friend’s assertion.

racism

/ˈrāˌsizəm/ noun

1. prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.

       If what my friend said was true, then a minority would not be prejudiced toward a different race based on the belief that his race is superior. Do you think a black person could believe that his or her own race is superior? Yes, of course he or she could. Just like some ignorant white person could believe that his white race is superior. They are all fools. Furthermore, my friend is saying that this would never happen because racism is “systemic”. I swear this is how the conversation went. I simply extended some grace to my friend and wonder if there was some type of disconnect regarding the difference between racism and “systemic” racism.

Systemic racism

noun

· 1.discrimination or unequal treatment on the basis of membership in a particular ethnic group (typically one that is a minority or marginalized), arising from systems, structures, or expectations that have become established within society or an institution:

       He might have misunderstood the difference between the two types of racism, or he was just repeating something he had heard. I was able to apply one of the lessons I learned from above. The one I learned while talking to the young man who played football with my boys. I started the conversation with my friend at work trusting that he is smart, sensitive, fair and of discerning character. As the conversation went on, his answers were ambiguous, vailed and never addressed the premise of my question. So, I ended the conversation. We remain friends and agree to disagree.

      What most people do not understand about the state of our union today is that it is not the Democrats against the Republicans. It is not even the liberals against the conservatives. If our society took the time to consider what is happening to the state of our union, they would see that the ruling class has an agenda. Our society does not even know what, let alone who is part of the ruling class. I have heard that the ruling class is what people are talking about when they refer to the (1%) one percenters. The division should not between the Democrats and the Republicans. Since both parties are corrupt, neither party is fit to represent “We the People”. Again, that is exactly why President Trump won in 2016. And hopefully why he will be elected in 2024. It is also why; I believe Trump won in 2020. I am not all about President Donald Trump, I know he has his faults. However, while he was in the White House the country and the world seemed to be better off. I would support just about anyone who is willing to stand up against the ruling class. Joe Biden was placed into office in 2021 after a controversial November 2020 election. Biden is a puppet for the ruling class. Joe Biden is not willing to buck the system of the ruling class. The ruling class controls Biden, and now Harris.  It is actually even easier to see her puppet strings. It is laughable to hear people from their respective parties fighting over immigration, healthcare, and taxation. Do we not realize that the ruling class controls all those things and more? The fights between liberals and the conservatives are merely an exercise in futility. The ruling class loves the fact that we fight. Our fighting is a distraction to what the ruling class is doing. The only thing that can defeat the ruling class is a deity. Not just any deity, the ruling class is only afraid of Jesus Christ. The ruling class wants a society that puts any god or gods before Jesus Christ. The ruling class is not afraid of Mohamed, Buddha, Allah, Satan or any other god. Although the ruling class does not mind if we worship those gods, they would rather that we were all atheists. The ruling class thinks, “if the peasants are going to worship a god, they should worship any god other than “Jesus Christ”. I cannot tell you exactly why the ruling class is so afraid of Jesus Christ, but it is obvious that they are. It is probably because Jesus Christ is the only true God. The ruling class must know or feel the difference. They somehow know that it is the blood of Jesus that sets us free. Free from the ruling class and free from their tyranny. But do not get confused. Although most of the people in our government, to include the 5 branches, are not a part of the one percenters. They are either willing to participate or they are simply ignorant. I would bet on the latter. I know that I called out Don Lemon earlier, but to be honest, he is no worse than other anchors, FOX News anchors included. However, there are exceptions; if any news anchor is willing to publicly confess Jesus Christ as the son of the Living God; that anchor is neither a willing participant nor is that anchor ignorant. Let me explain. Some of the news anchors are quick to give credit to “god” in a generic statement. Publicly they mention “god” by saying, “thank god” or “thoughts and prayers”. Essentially when a person says these things, it is a form of political correctness. Yuck!

       I recently read a Facebook post explaining why a person says, “Happy Holidays” instead of, “Merry Christmas”. It was a wonderfully written post. It was beautifully written, and it took everybody into consideration. The post simply explained that based on the fear of offending someone by saying, “Merry Christmas” they would rather be respectful to other people’s beliefs and say, “Happy Holidays” instead. On the surface that sentiment seems lovely. The person saying, “Happy Holidays” does not offend some people and they get the wonderful feeling of being altruistic. By saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” it almost appears to be a win win situation. However, it is a classic example of textbook political correctness. Comedian George Carlin once said, “Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners”. I am not saying you have to say, “Merry Christmas” in any given scenario but you also do not have to say, “Happy Holidays”. You have many alternatives that you can do or say as to NOT give into political correctness. In addition, you will also NOT be abandoning your faith. If you agree with this approach, you are, most likely, a person of faith in Jesus Christ. Think of it this way; this is an extreme example on the politically correctness, but by saying, “Happy Holidays”  you are like the apostle Peter denying Christ. This is truly taking “Christ” out of Christmas.

        I was certain that I was going to offend some people with this short essay. I have asked a lot of questions; I hope you think about how you would answer those questions. There is a risk of letting your opinions be known. However, it is essential for effective communication and civil debate. It is my belief that when we express our opinions openly and honestly with civil discourse it will result in a process (dialogue) that will aid in uniting us by helping us understand one another. As mentioned in the introduction, when we earnestly try to understand one another, there are good results. We do not have to agree with one another, but understanding or at least attempting to understand one another in good faith is the way forward. We all have our own perspectives and our own experiences, that is what makes us who we are. And who we are as individuals collectively makes us who we are as a country. As we become more aware of the effects that The 5 Branches of Government have on us, we can become more discerning. I hope that all of us in the United States of America can be more critical in our thinking and that we don’t simply subscribe to what the talking heads are saying.

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