Past the Peak, Never Forget & Joe Biden is a Tyrant – Top 3 Takeaways – September 11th, 2023
- Past the peak. With an active hurricane, a tropical storm and two additional disturbances, September 10th lived up to historical norms as being a peak day for tropical activity. Thankfully none of the disturbances are currently of any concern to us and God willing none will be the rest of the way either. While anything still can, and as recently as last year with Ian and Nicole, has happened to Florida after the peak of hurricane season...the fact remains that it’s a numbers game. Not only is September 10th the typical peak of hurricane season activity, but it also marks the typical halfway point for total activity during a season. Meaning that statistically we’re now past the peak of activity for the year, with not only less than half of the season to go on the calendar, but by way of typical activity as well. Post Hurricane Andrew in 1992 many people adopted the saying that “it only takes one”, which is literally true, but in reality, isn’t practical. If you have fewer storms that spin up, the odds of “the one” finding you are obviously lower. In any given year the odds of a hurricane striking Florida are 56%. Of course, this has already happened with Hurricane Idalia. The odds of another hurricane making its way to Florida are now just 26% the rest of the way. In Southeast Florida the news is even better. The odds of Southeast Florida being struck by a hurricane entering any given hurricane season is about 26%. That means the odds of one finding us the rest of the way are down to about 11%. The odds don’t always work out, but the averages are averages for a reason and getting past the peak of hurricane season is good for Florida generally and especially so for those of us in South Florida. And getting past the peak of hurricane season also means that it's September 11th.
- Never forget. 22 years ago, this morning the United States suffered the greatest attack on our soil since Pearl Harbor striking fear, sadness and a resolve to not only revenge the innocent victims of the terror attacks but to “never forget”. It’s something that’s always easier said than done. I’ll illustrate the point. What day is Pearl Harbor Day (which is also a National Day of Remembrance)? It’s December 7th, and even if you got it, which by the way kudos to you because I have a feeling most wouldn’t any longer, it’s most certainly not emblazoned in our brains the way that September 11th is. But you can imagine that for the Greatest Generation it was. The fact of the matter is that approximately 26% of the US population hadn’t yet been born when the terror attacks on September 11th happened. So, for them it’s a matter of learning what it’s all about as opposed to never forgetting what happened, much the way the Pearl Harbor was for those of us who weren’t around back then. It’s an important lesson that as parents, educators and leaders we shouldn’t take for granted just because it’s so easy for us to understand what happened and what this National Day of Remembrance is about. And in terms of the fallout from that day, it continues to this day. Five law enforcement professionals who served as first responders at Ground Zero 22 years ago have died so far this year due to illnesses attributed to their work that day. 22 years later the phrase “never forget” tends to mean different things to different people. But aside from saying a prayer for the victims and their families, and paying homage to the heroic first responders... The most important principal to instill into those who weren’t around to witness the horror of that day is that freedom isn’t free and there are ever present threats who seek to take it away from us. On Memorial Day we remember those who’ve laid down their lives in service for our freedom. On 9/11 and 12/7 we recall what can happen when, as a society, we let our guard down and take our freedom for granted. It’s important to never forget 9/11 for the purpose of not repeating a day like 9/11 again. With over a quarter of the country lacking anything other than a historical context for what today is – that's an easy thing to do. And speaking of threatened freedoms...the greatest threat to our foundational freedom is...
- The Biden Administration. This is according to a federal court ruling. The First Amendment is the First Amendment for a reason. The founders didn’t just throw together ten random thoughts in no particular order labeling them the Bill of Rights because it had a ring to it. The First Amendment promising freedom of expression came first because the colonists lacked it under King George III who might, and at times did, kill them for expressing their thoughts. Not since King George has a leader in this country acted with the tyranny of President Biden. On Friday a federal appeals court unanimously ruled that the Biden Administration violated the First Amendment in repressing information and silencing your voice. The case involves a legal challenge to the Biden Administration's evidenced unconstitutional abuse of power in the coercion of digital platforms to censor any COVID-19 related material that ran counter to the administration's narrative. The 75 – page ruling included this summation statement: (the Biden Administration) coerced the platforms to make their moderation decisions by way of intimidating messages and threats of adverse consequences" and "significantly encouraged the platforms’ decisions by commandeering their decision-making processes, both in violation of the First Amendment. If President Biden used a declared emergency to take away your First Amendment rights, what else is he capable of and willing to do? Use his Brownshirts to threaten, intimidate and eliminate his political opposition? Oh wait. As we’re remembering 9/11, and taking time to realize that freedom isn’t free, we also have a reminder about what President Regan spoke to. The greatest threat to our freedom isn’t from the outside. The greatest threat to our way of life and freedoms is currently coming directly from the President of the United States. A president who has more in common with King George III than George Washington. That’s not my opinion. That’s an evidenced conclusion from a unanimous federal court ruling. Let us also never forget the horrible consequences of electing the wrong people to office and resolve to never let Joe Biden win an election again. Our freedom is literally at stake.