by Julio Gonzalez, M.D., J.D. On Tuesday, our country witnessed one of the most bizarre turns of events in American justice. After amassing what essentially was an airtight case against a defendant, Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx announced in a written statement that all sixteen charges against the degenerate, hateful hoaxer extraordinaire, Jussie Smollett, would be dropped. Mind you, the disposition was not a plea deal where at least there would have been some admission of guilt. Rather, the State's Attorney decided to singlehandedly drop all charges against the defendant. Let us recall the crimes to which the Cook County State's Attorney is referring. On January 29, 2019, Smollett called the Chicago police to report that two men had assaulted him. According to Smollett, these two unidentified men placed a noose around his neck, poured bleach on him, and shouted, "This is MAGA country." The events were alleged to have taken place at two in the morning, in the middle of a brutal Chicago winter. By February, police and prosecutors had doubts about the story. First, officials discovered that Smollett had hired two men to help stage the events, and prosecutors were in possession of $3,500.00 check used to pay them. The two brothers who had participated in the crime were Nigerian friends of Smollett and were confessing to the crime. Further, the investigators learned that Smollett had staged the events solely for the purpose of bringing attention to himself because he was upset about his salary. On February 21, 2019, after developing a case that left little doubt as to the defendant's guilt, Smollett was arrested and charged with suspicion of filing a false report. Predictably, Smollett was able to post bond, and there the case remained, ostensibly awaiting trial; that is, until Tuesday's announcement. That Jussie Smollett would be absolved of all charges in such a high visibility case that attracted the nation's undivided attention defies belief. So unbelievable in fact, that it even raised the ire of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. At a press conference, Emanuel called the decision to drop charges against Smollett "a whitewash of justice." Why did this happen? There are number of theories. First, the State's Attorney could have concluded that the case was just not worth pursuing and simply gave up on it. This seems unlikely. Alternatively, there could have been interference from high-level political actors such as George Soros, who had previously contributed $450,000.00 to Foxx's campaign, or Michelle Obama, whose former chief of staff had already contacted Foxx to voice her concerns about the case. There could have been undue influence from Hollywood, or more nefariously, phone calls could have been made with the intent of taking the nation's eyes off President Trump's scalding hot victory at staving off charges of collusion. As of yet, there is no evidence that any of these factors played a roll, but one thing is clear. With the passage of this case and in light of other recent circumstances, it can now be easily concluded that justice in America has become inequitable. But the inequities are not racially based, or ethnic in nature. And the favored are not necessarily the privileged. The new beneficiaries of America's new justice inequities are the members of the Left and those who fit and support the Left's narrative. These include Jussie Smollett, of course, but also included are Hillary Clinton, Andrew McCabe, James Comey, Bill Clinton, and Barrack Obama. The disadvantaged are conservatives. People like Brett Kavanaugh, Donald J. Trump, Eric Sandmann, and Michael Flynn. In short, in these high-profile situations, if the media and the Leftist forces will it, you'll be spared, or at least be treated with silk gloves. If not, they will do everything they can to prosecute you, in whatever court, public or legal, regardless of the evidence against you. In short, if you stand for religious liberty, equal treatment amongst the races, if you believe in the free market, a biological definition of gender, if you stand for the National Anthem, if you honor our troops, or worse yet, if you support candidates for office that believe like you do, you will be persecuted. But don't worry. Remember, Jesus Christ told us we would be persecuted if we acted in His name. For you, the rewards will be infinitely greater than any that could be given to you here on earth. Dr. Julio Gonzalez is an orthopaedic surgeon and lawyer living in Venice, Florida. He is the author of The Federalist Pages and served in the Florida House of Representatives. He can be reached through www.thefederalistpages.com to arrange a lecture or book signing.
0 Comments
by Julio Gonzalez, M.D., J.D. On Monday, while flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald J. Trump reversed decades of foreign policy by declaring that the United States was recognizing Israel's autonomy over the Golan Heights. Like so many of his decisions regarding Israel, Trump's position is one that is as positive as it is bold, and it is one that is long overdue. Israel's Relationship With The East Coast Of The Mediterranean And With The Golan Heights. The plight of the Jewish people and their relationship with the land adjoining the Mediterranean Sea dates back to the antiquities. Before the 8th century B.C., there was a Kingdom of Israel. In the 8th century B.C., it was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, thus ending Jewish self-rule in the area. The region exchanged hands numerous times between the Persians, the Romans, the Arabs, and the Crusaders, among others. However, through it all, the Jewish people never abandoned their faith, and they never abandoned their ties to the land. As a matter of fact, one of the most important contributions the Jews have made to human civilization is their ability to stick to their faith; a rarity until recent times. Fast forward to the nineteenth century AD. Many Jews had been kicked out of their land and were living throughout Europe. The 1800s saw the growth of the Zionist movement by the diaspora (Jews living away from the homeland), called for a renewal of Israeli independence and self-rule. In 1894, Baron Edmond de Rothschild, a French Jew, bought a large tract of land in Golan for settlement. When the Jews tried to settle it, Arab hostility from surrounding Arabs frustrated their efforts. Israel Becomes A Nation. In 1918, the League of Nations adopted the Balfour Declaration heralding the support of a Jewish state in lands then held by Palestine. Many Jews responded by moving back to the area known as Israel. After the First World War, Golan became part of the French mandate of Syria, and in 1941 it was passed to independent Syria. WWII saw the unprecedented persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany, which led to the swelling of the Jewish population in Palestine. On November 29, 1947, following the end of World War II, the United Nations recommended that the area east of the Mediterranean Sea be partitioned into independent Arab and Jewish states. Although the Jewish Agency was elated, Arab elements were adamantly opposed to the idea. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency, declared the creation of a Jewish state, and on that same day, The United States of America recognized the provisional Israeli government as the State of Israel. The announcement was met with immediate hostilities from Egypt, Syria, Transjordan and Iraq, and the Arab-Israeli War began. Finally, on May 11, 1949, the State of Israel was admitted into the United Nations validating its existence. But Israel's relationship with its regionals neighbors was not to be a peaceful one. Israel Takes Possession Of The Golan Heights. Almost immediately, the emerging State of Israel saw attacks from the Palestinian Fedayeen, and in 1967, hostilities from Syria and Egypt led to the Six-Day War of 1967. That war saw Israel take the Golan Heights. They won that area like so many other countries had gained territories before them; they fought for it and kept it. Never, in the history of the world has there been a situation where a country forcefully annexed a territory only to have the rest of the world attempt to renounce its claim. It is interesting that Israel should be the lone example of such diplomatic hostilities. Regardless, between 80,000 and 131,000 Syrians fled from the area. Trouble Continues. The attacks would continue upon Israel. During the 1970s, it fended off multiple attacks from the newly established Palestinian Liberation Organization, which quickly devolved into a fomenter of terrorism. And in1972, the world reeled in horror when Jewish athletes were murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the Olympic games in Munich, Germany. And the conflict would not cease. In 1973, the year after the horrific attack on innocent Israeli athletes, the Yom Kippur War began with Egyptian and Syrian armies launching an invasion into Israel. In one of the most brilliantly executed military responses in history, Israel repelled the attackers inflicting significant losses upon its enemies while minimizing its own casualties. The 1980s saw continued attacks from surrounding countries and terrorists upon Israel while Iran worked to develop a nuclear reactor while Iran worked to develop a nuclear arsenal. In response, on June 7, 1981, Israeli military planes attacked and destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor. The following year, Israel responded to continued attacks by the PLO by destroying its bases in Lebanon. As Israel forged into the 1990s, Iraq, under the control of Saddam Hussein, launched countless missile attacks upon Israel. Eventually, the United States would invade Iraq and unseat Hussein, while Israel stayed away from the hostilities. An attempt was made to address the controversies regarding the West Bank and the governance of Palestinians living in Israeli territories through a negotiated solution with the signing of the Oslo Accords with the PLO in 1992, implementing self-rule by Palestinians living in portions of the West Bank. But perhaps no more poignant a moment occurred in Palestinian-Israeli relations than when Yasser Arafat unilaterally walked away from the table without a commitment after being offered almost unbridled concessions by the Israeli Prime Minister, Erud Barak. The failure of the Camp David Summit led to the displacement of Prime Minister Barak by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who, in 2001, still unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip. But these actions would not lead to a peaceful Israeli existence. Instead, another terrorist organization, Hezbollah, largely supported by Iran, carried out open hostilities against Israel, which have continued into the 21st century. Today, Israel continues to be harassed and threatened by organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, with support from Iran, and although the State of Israel has grown into a strong independent nation and a regional power, its security is not guaranteed under the open hostilities from neighboring countries voicing their intent to continue until Jews are driven into the Mediterranean Sea. So why didn't the United States recognize Israel's jurisdiction over the Golan Heights? When Israel took control of the Golan Heights in 1967 and subsequently annexed them on December 15, 1981, its actions were met with condemnation from Egypt, Syria, and other Arab nations. Not a single country recognized Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. Instead, most nations, the United States included, and the United Nations claimed that they preferred a peacefully negotiated solution to the issue, and opted not to choose sides on the matter. Consequently, for over 35 years, Israel has stood alone on this issue, the object of active hostilities from its neighbors. The fact is that the Golan Heights are of fundamental importance to Israel and its security. It acts a buffer against one of its mortal enemies, Syria. With its high topography, the Golan Heights serves as an excellent reconnaissance venue under Israel, and a strategic value launching site under its enemies. And not to be dismissed. the Golan Heights provide 30% of the nation's water supplies. Moreover, to pretend that a negotiated peace agreement regarding this strip is even possible is a nonsensical position and one that flies in the face of reality; a reality that for thousands of years has represented only aggression against Jews and their homeland. Yes, President Trump was absolutely correct in discarding the deceitfulness of political correctness that has thus far enveloped America's position regarding Israel. Indeed, Israel is our greatest regional ally and the United States should unabashedly stand behind it in the world stage. If the Golan Heights is important to Israel, then it is important to the United States. President Trump's proclamation on Monday merely affirmed an unmistakably obvious fact. Dr. Julio Gonzalez is an orthopaedic surgeon and lawyer living in Venice, Florida. He is the author of The Federalist Pages and served in the Florida House of Representatives. He can be reached through www.thefederalistpages.com to arrange a lecture or book signing. by Julio Gonzalez, M.D., J.D. On May 17, 2017, Bob Mueller was appointed Special Counsel to the investigation on Russian interference. Last Friday, nearly two years after his appointment and following the assignment of 19 lawyers, approximately 40 agents, 2,800 subpoenas, nearly 500 search warrants, and interviews with approximately 500 witnesses, Mueller's report was presented to Attorney General William Barr. The resounding conclusion, predictably enough was that "'the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.'" After approximately $25 million of expenditures, two years of incessant torture of a validly elected President of the United States, the harassment and arrest of individuals involved in President Donald J. Trump's campaign for reasons not involving collusion, the investigation found what the American people already knew, that the President of the United States won the 2016 election because he was fairly elected by the people of the United States over one of the worst presidential candidates in American history! Oh, yes, and the Russians were trying to interfere with our election process. Well, there's front-page news! The Russians were trying to disrupt the American political process! But hidden within the pages of a AG Barr's summary are key words that could signal the new direction of the Russian meddling investigation, and perhaps one that would be much more fruitful: "Russian government actors successfully hacked into computers and obtained emails from persons affiliated with the Clinton campaign and Democratic Party organizations, and publicly disseminated those materials through various intermediaries, including WikiLeaks." Admittedly, this too is information of which most informed observers were aware, but here, for the first time, is an official admission by a dedicated investigator that Hillary Clinton's emails, and/or those of her associates, were hacked by nefarious, foreign actors. How far does this intrusion into Clinton's emails go? That is precisely the question that will lead any subsequent investigators to Mrs. Clinton's email habits and an evaluation of her email security practices, not just relating to campaign emails, but those regarding nationally sensitive information such as her activities as Secretary of State. And therein lies the most visible threat to Mrs. Clinton, and the most likely direction in which any future inquiry regarding Russian meddling will inevitably go. Dr. Julio Gonzalez is an orthopaedic surgeon and lawyer living in Venice, Florida. He is the author of The Federalist Pages and served in the Florida House of Representatives. He can be reached through www.thefederalistpages.com to arrange a lecture or book signing. A Weekend At CPAC's. by Julio Gonzalez, M.D., J.D. It was my first CPAC meeting, and it was awesome! From Thursday (technically Wednesday) through Saturday, conservative advocates from all over the nation, and indeed the world, converged on the Maryland shore of the Potomac River to exchange ideas, strategize, and learn more about the issues affecting us. As usual, the meeting represented a collection of some of the most advanced and up-to-date discussions regarding conservative thought, and the zeal was palpable. Here are some of the more prominent issues in the minds of conservatives this year. The State Of The Union Almost to a tee, conservatives were concerned about the state of the nation. They recognized that for far too long America has been headed in the wrong direction, and they were painfully aware of the difficulty and the effort required to turn such a large and massive ship around. Despite their optimism towards President Trump and the work he has been undertaking, very few seemed to believe America was headed in the right direction. For most in attendance, the media have become an unapologetic instrument for left-wing propaganda. The government footprint is way too large. Our educational institutions have become liberal indoctrination camps, and the youth in our country is perilously close to accepting socialism as a valid socioeconomic alternative. But despite these challenges, those in attendance knew they had a champion, a man who seemingly had come from nowhere and was now sitting in the White House calling the shots on the war against the Left. And no moment solidified their faith in this President than when Donald J. Trump appeared at the CPAC stage, made his way to Old Glory, faced the audience, and gave the flag a protracted and joyous embrace. It was a gesture that no one ever recalled any president ever doing, and it sealed their faith in the man that was both the spear for the conservative agenda and the target for the vitriol from the Left. That image of President Trump hugging the American flag with a big, satisfied smile will likely become one of the great, indelible images in the minds of those present. The State Of The Democrat Party. Conservatives' view on the state of the Democrat Party was best articulated by Senator Ted Cruz who, in his eloquence and sophistication, expertly and precisely described the Democrats in 2019. To quote Senator Cruz, the Democrats have gone "bat-crap-crazy." From their position on border security to their Green New Deal, their open and unfettered embrace of socialism, their threats to disarm Americans, and their calls to execute American citizens without due process the Democrat mantra has devolved so precipitously that it defies belief. The devolution of Democrat political policy is so extreme that, in a taste of so much more that is to come, it allowed President Trump to openly mock the Green New Deal and to encourage Democrats to continue to discuss it. Objectively, it is difficult to see how a policy proposal that calls for the eradication of "farting cows," the discontinuation of cars, and the termination of air travel can ever attract America's swing voters. And that's without mentioning the Left's renewed assault on the newborn. Right To Life Amongst the issues where conservatives felt the most confident is the issue of the right to life. Supporting their position is a recent Marist poll showing that 80% of Americans support limiting abortion to the first three months of pregnancy. Additionally, those identifying themselves as pro-life rose nine percentage points to 47% and even with those who called themselves pro-choice. The most likely explanation for this renewed confidence is the predictable tendency for the Left to overplay its hand. Other than possessing an inherent disdain for life, it is difficult to explain how Democrats would undertake such an aggressively destructive stance on human life. Yet this is exactly what they have done. The Democrats' position on abortion can no longer be explained as a defense of women's right to choose, nor can it be hailed as a women's-health issue, as the babies they are arguing may be sentenced to death are the very ones that have either already achieved viability or are freely living. Worse yet, the celebrations that took place in the New York legislature after the passage of a bill that would allow for the death of a baby as late as during partum plays out as a disgusting site when viewed under the lens of decency and respect for others. And the audacity of lighting One World Trade Center pink in celebration for the passage of a death sentence for scores of thousands will definitely shine as a low point in American history. The attendees at CPAC could sense this and were salivating at the chance of bringing the Left's misconduct and insensitivities to the public fore. Socialism And The Green New Deal. For the first time in recent history, the Democrats are openly and unabashedly embracing socialism as a viable policy answer for America. It is a direction that goes against every principle upon which our nation was created and one that brings to mind images of the open assault on the liberties Americans cherish. And of course, it is a system that has miserably failed in every country where it has been tried. Bernie Sanders' campaign for President and The Green New Deal have become the symbols for such policy changes and the overtly oppressive measures the Democrats are willing to promote. One would think that socialism would represent an untenable position for anyone to seriously propose, yet the Democrats, espouse it and openly defend it. Their disregard for the dangers of even flirting with a socialist governmental scheme will surely come back to haunt them in a general election. Gun Rights. With powerful appearance by Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice President and CEO of the NRA, and Oliver North, its greatest advocate, the National Rifle Association has doubled down on its role as the great defender of social liberties and individual freedom. It is certainly the right approach because ultimately, although the Left may argue statistics and trends, or even make some up, it will never be able to propose a viable substitute for the ultimate defense of liberties and personal freedoms; a loaded weapon. At the end of the day, this is shaping up to be a strong year for the conservative movement in America. Between a President who is adamant about promoting a conservative vision for America, a House of Representatives in disarray, Democrat members of Congress defending absurd political philosophes, and an economy that continc ues to perform light-years above the rest, it is easy to see how conservatives at this year's CPAC feel they have the wind at their backs. Dr. Julio Gonzalez is an orthopaedic surgeon and lawyer living in Venice, Florida. He is the author of The Federalist Pages and served in the Florida House of Representatives. He can be reached through www.thefederalistpages.com to arrange a lecture or book signing. by Julio Gonzalez, M.D., J.D. It is natural to conclude that Colonel Oliver North would play a prominent role at CPAC 2019. After all, he is the latest and perhaps most powerful face of the NRA. So when he took the stage at CPAC, the foregone conclusion was that he would be delivering a pro-Second-Amendment message. But then he stood behind the podium and began speaking. He spoke of something bigger than the Second Amendment, something more important than guns and our rights to keep and bear them. He spoke of our Constitution and of our inalienable rights. He spoke of the amazing experiment that this, the United States of America, really is because it represents the first time in American history that man purposely built a system of government where power flowed directly from the people. And he spoke of the prime, underlying reason for this relationship, and even its underlying purpose, the direct and immutable relationship each and every one of us has with our Creator.
Nor is it fundamentally about the right to arm oneself to avert a physical attack threatening serious bodily harm or even death.
No. Although these two facets of gun ownership and their use are unquestionably important, the true reason for a protected right to keep and bear arms is one that deals with the direct relationship between government and man. A government unencumbered by restraints from its citizens will inevitably oppress, suppress, and eventually silence all subject to its jurisdiction. And the most effective defense against such an assault is a weapon. Truly, Ollie was correct in starting his promotion of gun rights and the organization intent on protecting them with a recitation of the relationship between man and God, and the role gun ownership plays towards its preservation. It is also a wise angle for the NRA to take because, at a time when a concerted, well funded and coordinated assault on the Second Amendment is in full force, it is important that we keep at the forefront just what it is that we're fighting for, and it is important to recall that the NRA is, after all, the strongest and oldest civil rights organization in America. And ultimately, our civil rights, as Ollie North so astutely pointed out, are what this fight is all about. Dr. Julio Gonzalez is an orthopaedic surgeon and lawyer living in Venice, Florida. He is the author of The Federalist Pages and served in the Florida House of Representatives. He can be reached through www.thefederalistpages.com to arrange a lecture or book signing. |
Details
Julio Gonzalez, M.D., J.D.Dr. Gonzalez is an orthopedic surgeon and lawyer who served as State Representative for South Sarasota County in Florida for four years. He is the author of Heathcare Reform: The Truth, The Federalist Pages, and The Case for Free Market Healthcare. Archives
April 2019
Categories |