Greetings from Tyler,

            We knew it would get ugly, and it has.  The nation is mourning the senseless synagogue massacre and American flags are flying at half mast.  The mainstream media has gone out of its way to avoid mention of the fact that the deranged shooter hated President Trump and wrote publicly that he is “controlled by Jews.”  We’ve had two acts of domestic terrorism in a week’s time, and we’re told by those much smarter than us that Trump is to blame for all of it.

            Who knows when we’ll ever hear anything more about the lunatic bomber and the fake devices he mailed to the standard bearers of progressivism.  He is the poster-child for Trump supporters as far as the mainstream media is concerned. Never mind that he doesn’t follow the news or know anything about the raging culture war according to an attorney for the family.  The family said he has “mental problems.”  Everyone else who knew him said he was a certifiable lunatic who craved attention at any cost.  But according to the legion of newsreaders, Trump’s rhetoric is to be blamed.

            It’s literally startling to see how widespread, almost universal is the attempt to cultivate disdain and hatred for Trump and any who would dare to agree with him on any subject.  The President is now a proxy for patriotic Americans as far as the mainstream media is concerned, and it’s getting mighty direct.  “If you support this president, you might as well be a Nazi attacking poor immigrants at the border…”  or, “There’s no way you can defend the racist, xenophobic words and actions of Donald Trump…”  “He’s radicalized more people than ISIS ever did…” 

            There’s no way to print all the quotes of statements made in the last week alone, they’ve been repeated by the countless hours by smug, angry pundits.  And what happened to Colonel Ralph Peters?  CNN loves to trot him out (as they did again this week) to deliver the most insulting, scathing accusations imaginable.  “This man (Trump) is at once a clown and a menace…” The list of his off-the-wall comments is endless.  But this is precisely what the network promotes all day every day.  Peters has become just one more mouthy hack. 

            Meanwhile a train load of military vehicles is being delivered at the southern border to greet the thousands of migrants determined to pour in.  It’s about time.  They said it was illegal and couldn’t be done.  Apparently “they” were wrong. 

            We received (here at the office) an example this week via e-mail illustrating how ALL the mainstream news anchors are reading from the same script, verbatim!  The screens were lined up like the Brady Bunch, except six or seven wide and as many deep.  The audio was synced up so they sounded like a protest mob, all chanting the same words in perfect unison.  “…represents a danger to our democracy.”

            Our news is 99% anti-Trump and anti-Trump supporters.  If you love the United States and want it to survive as a force for good throughout the world, you’re an evil racist bigot, and as Hillary said in a faux pas that may have cost her the presidency, irredeemable.  Apparently the media has forgotten that wasn’t exactly a winning strategy and has embraced the concept wholeheartedly.  And it’s not just an electoral season phenomenon, it’s been going on for two years and counting.  The more Trump succeeds, the angrier and more aggressive the accusations. It won’t stop next Tuesday, regardless the outcome.  We’ll wait and see.      

            It may seem like the world has stopped turning, and there is noting outside the raging culture war in the U. S. worth our attention.  But skirmishes in Israel along the fenced Gaza strip have been particularly lethal this week.  Rockets have rained down into Israel this week amid the usual excuse of justifiable revenge for the deaths of “Palestinian protesters.”  As you can see if you look this up, “protests” largely consist of under-age males burning tires and trying to breach the fence under cover of smoke. Israel blames Iran for the rockets, and possibly the timing of the decision to commence firing dozens of them into Israel injuring at least seven.  Of the forty rockets reported fired in recent days, many landed harmlessly in open fields and a couple flew short not even making it out of Gaza. Israel responded with the bombing of numerous (some reports say 80) targets known to be critical to Hamas.

            Meanwhile, there is a dispute as to who represents and controls Gaza and should represent its interests in negotiations. Palestinian Authority “president” (?) Abbas held a fiery press conference asserting PA authority, (if you’ll pardon the repetition).  He also angrily refused an Israeli demand that the PA stop rewarding the families of terrorists who kill or maim Israelis.  It’s hard to fathom a “government” that names streets or squares after terrorists and puts their families on easy street financially.  But that’s what they do, and that’s that. 

            Prospects for some “deal” of the century seem mighty dim. There’s been no real peace since Israel’s inception, only the constant threat of war.  At least Egypt, Saudi Arabia and maybe a couple of the remote kingdoms have opted out of the fray of militant regimes openly calling for the extermination of Israel.  But Iran is still front and center, along with more militant terror groups than you can remember.

            There is no peace, but at least there’s no all-out war either.  The Bible predicts a time when peace and safety will be proclaimed, and warns that it will herald world-wide tribulation.  In the mean time Iran threatens continuously and is about to find itself in the cross-hairs of you know who.  Europe will weigh in, and probably the pope too as more sanctions are imposed on Iran in the wake of the cancellation of the idiotic “Iran deal.” This should be good.  

Mark Armstrong