Why listen to Canright?

 Friends,

I was thinking about how I voice opinions and you might wonder why you should listen to me.  I think that I should share some of my background with you.  You should have some foundation to assess my statements.  That is what I hope to accomplish with this communication.  I will be sharing examples from my life regarding (1) my skills in drilling past obstructions to discover truth.  (2) I will share examples of my speaking truth to power.  And I will be giving examples of (3) my competence and my ability to assess competence in other people.

Truth to Power

Here are a few examples from when I was a student in college.  To self-test my competence when I took a class in Digital Control Theory, I derived the formulas in a table of Z-Transforms.  I discovered an error in our textbook.  One of the transforms in the textbook was wrong.  I went to the library and found another textbook that supported my version of the Z-Transform.  For truth to power, I went to my professor and pointed out the error.  He agreed with me and instructed my classmates to correct their textbook.

When I was a college student I designed and built an analog computer that I used to prove to my professor that the requirements he gave us for a design project were impossible to achieve.  This truth to power was fine because he agreed with me.  I asked him why he gave us impossible requirements.  He said that the real lesson was that we might get impossible assignments at work.  Notice that I went to extraordinary lengths to discover the truth, designing and building an analog computer.

At work, when I was working on compact supercomputers I challenged every rule of thumb that was used without justification.  I drilled past a lot of "old wives tales."  In my research I discovered an equation that was missing in a famous book:  "A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism" by James Clerk Maxwell, published in 1873. The author published one equation and I knew that those types of equations came in pairs.  So, as a mathematician and engineer,  I derived the missing equation.  Then I wondered why Maxwell printed just one of the two equations.  I decided that he printed the easy one and skipped the hard one, leaving it as an exercise to the reader.  Next I realized why he printed the equation at all: because it made some measurements possible that some contemporary scientists thought were impossible to measure.  I published these equations and explained how they could be used for measurements, see reference 1.

In this case telling the truth blew up on me.  Instead of getting a pat on the back for good work, I was punished because I embarrassed an important man.  This man had said that the measurements were impossible to make, but my equation made those measurements possible.  My paper contradicted a well known professor.  Yes, you can get hurt by telling the truth.

Here's another example.  I decided that I needed an accurate and simple equation to do some of my work.  There were expensive computer programs that my project could not afford, so I developed an equation that I could use for analysis and design, and I published the equation.  When I saw that another researcher had published an equation that did what my equation did, but his equation was inferior from a couple of perspectives, I wrote a letter to the editor in order to bring this oversight to the reader's attention.  The other paper was also flawed by not mentioning my prior work.  Researchers should know the current state of the art. This drew the attention of a couple of professors in Italy.  They studied both of our closed form equations by using a precise computer program and they agreed with my assessment.  In this case telling "truth to power" worked out.  Experts in Italy supported me, see reference 2.

I have given you four examples of my digging down, past faulty logic and past oversights, and revealing underlying truths, telling truth to power.  I learned that "telling truth to power" can have blowback.

Competence

As examples of my competence, besides my work in research and development (R&D), I was involved in the design of some very complex systems.  One system that I worked on was the weapons systems in the Apache helicopter.  The Apache AH-64 is still in operation after 40 years (Ref. 3).  The targeting and navigation systems are more complex than most people can imagine.

Another weapon system I worked on that is still operational is the Javelin Anti-tank missile.  It is still operational after 30 years and has been very successful in the Ukraine, destroying Russian tanks (Ref. 4).  Again, the design is more complicated than most people can imagine.

A third military system I worked on that is very complicated is the RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.  Some of my systems in that aircraft are life-and-death systems, some are mission critical.  I was able to work until I chose to retire because I was competent.  You might have seen this aircraft in the news recently.  President Trump deployed this aircraft at our southern border to spy on the drug cartels (Ref.5).

Incompetence

At one place of employment I refused to accept two men onto my projects whom I thought would jeopardize the success of my projects.  Both of these men were eventually let go because they could not perform to our standards.  At another place of employment, as part of an interview team, I spoke against hiring a Ph.D. from Cal Tech.  I told our management that I had worked with enough Ph.D.s to recognize that the applicant's achievements did not measure up to the typical achievements of Ph.D.s in engineering.  My managers were so excited to hire someone from the California Institute of Technology, a premier school, that they ignored my advice, hired the man, and ended up dismissing this man for poor performance some months later.

Summary

Because I have had many decades of experience in drilling past obstructions to discover the truth, I have some confidence in my "baloney detector."  I realize that the truth is not always welcome and that there can be repercussions from revealing an unpleasant truth.  Because of my decades in engineering, designing and delivering challenging and important products, I can tell whether an organization is on track for success or failure.  I can also spot incompetent or sub-par performance.

If I reveal unpleasant truths to you, or I make judgments regarding competence, you have some sense of my experience in these matters.  I hope this can be a help to you in assessing some of my statements.

Thank you for your time.

Robert Canright

References

Ref. 1: Capacitance: Relationships and Measurements, Robert E. Canright, Jr., Proceedings of the 40th Electronic Components and Technology Conference, Vol. 1, 1990, pp. 163 – 168.

Ref 2: Comments on “An Analytic Algorithm for Unbalanced Stripline Impedance”, E. Costamagna and A. Fanni, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Technique, Vol. 41, No. 1, January 1993, pp. 173 – 174

Ref. 3: The AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter Still Reigns Supreme By Brent M. Eastwood, February 1, 2025
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/02/the-ah-64-apache-attack-helicopter-still-reigns-supreme/

Ref. 4:  FGM-148 Javelin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FGM-148_Javelin

Ref. 5: US Steps Up Intelligence Flights for Border Mission with RC-135 and P-8 Spy Planes
Feb. 4, 2025 | By Chris Gordon, Air & Space Forces Magazine
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/us-intelligence-flights-border-mission-rc-135/

Credentials
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
B.S. in Mathematics
M.S. in Electrical Engineering
Licensed Professional Engineer in Electrical Engineering

Other Perspectives
My email describes me from the perspective of an engineer.  I read my first book in political science when I was in Middle School.  I started self-studying history and philosophy while in High School.  I still read a lot of books.  I ran for Plano ISD Board of Trustees in 2006.  I have been involved in local politics for the last 20 years.  I have many of experiences that I draw upon when making judgments, just like you do.

Please pray for the good people in the CC GOP

 Dear Friends,

I am asking for you to pray for the precinct chairs in the Collin County GOP (CC GOP).  The grassroots precinct chairs have been under undue pressure and we need your prayers.  Our Collin County party Chairman resigned on April 7, 2025 and we had an internal election to replace him.  The candidate who said that the name calling should stop and we should work together lost the election.  We will have to see whether or not the bullying stops.  Do pray for us.

Here are some examples of our problems. In the February 3, 2025, Executive Committee (EC) meeting, an elderly precinct chair (PC) was accosted by an Establishment PC.  After complaining to  her about a vote in a previous meeting, he hit her with the door as she was leaving.  She turned and told him that he hurt her, and he did not apologize.  Another lady who is a PC told me that she intends to carry mace to protect herself if she gets attacked at an EC meeting.  Oh my goodness!  Elderly ladies and grandmas are worried for their safety at our Republican EC meetings!

 

In the January 6, 2025, EC meeting there was an incident that was pretty well documented.  You can see the video in YouTube:  "Hammer and Knapp 1 6 25", https://youtu.be/84krgcCWx18?si=VfoUHSPzXgFV2iAC

You can read the details of this incident in the email that I am enclosing below. 

 

Below my email is a copy of an email sent by Jeremiah Hammer in response to an email from Greg Knapp.  Mr. Hammer's entire email is copied so you have all the context, but the important words are highlighted by me in yellow..  If you do not want to read the entire email from Mr. Hammer, at least read the highlighted segment. 

 

This pressure that grassroots PCs have been getting from Establishment PCs has been going on for a long time.  It was April of last year, 2024, when the current first Vice Chair was videoed pushing two grassroots activists. 

 

It takes courage now to stand for Republican values, to ask that rules be followed and to have decent behavior in our meetings.  The pressure is relentless.  We need your prayers.  

 

Christian friends have told me that they will not get involved in politics because politics are corrupt.  Well, the Republican Party has turned into something unpleasant, but there are many good people in the party who are standing up to bullying and trying to do the right thing.  

 

Please pray for us.  

Robert

Here, below, is the email I sent to precinct chairs about the Hammer-Knapp incident. I tried to provide as much evidence as I could.  I ended the email with a recommendation that Chairman Williams resign. 

Dear PCs,

This is interesting.

At the January 6 Executive Committee (EC) meeting of the Collin County GOP we had a controversial incident.  It was captured on video.  You can see the video in YouTube:  "Hammer and Knapp 1 6"25, https://youtu.be/84krgcCWx18?si=AfppIUotUf5dCdkk

Here is a guide for you to use when you look at the video.

 

The video shows Mr. Hammer, a young man, quickly running to the microphone while Mr. Knapp walks slowly down the stairs, going one step at a time.

I do that too.  I have bad knees and I have to go slowly down stairs.

Mr. Hammer speaks at the microphone and then wants to sit back down.

Mr. Knapp is waiting for his turn to speak at the microphone.  His attention is on the microphone, waiting for his chance to speak.

Mr. Hammer decides not to wait for Mr. Knapp to go to the microphone and moves past him. 

When you first watch the video, you will see Mr. Hammer go past Mr. Knapp.  Now look at it again and look at the two ladies who are circled in the picture above.

You will see the mouth drop open in shock on the lady on the left.  You will see the lady to the right pointing at the incident.

These ladies saw the incident and were disturbed by it.

Now watch the video again and look at Mr. Knapp's right hand.  See how Mr. Knapp quickly grabs the railing for support

Young folks might not realize it, but when you are in your 70's you start being careful with your balance.

From this angle you cannot see Mr. Hammer's right hand make contact with Mr. Knapp.  You see the hand go up.  You see Mr. Knapp get moved back and grab the railing.

It looks like there was enough room for Mr. Hammer to move past without touching Mr. Knapp.

What do you think?  Would you say Mr. Hammer pushed Mr. Knapp?  Or would you say that Mr. Hammer poked Mr. Knapp?

After you decide whether Mr. Hammer pushed or poked Mr. Knapp, what you might consider next are the words written and distributed widely by Mr. Hammer.  I am copying them below and suggest you skip to the words highlighted in yellow.  The point I am making by including Mr. Hammer's email is the attitude Mr. Hammer has towards Mr. Knapp.  I suspect that Mr. Hammer's feelings toward Mr. Knapp were present when he decided to touch Mr. Knapp as he went past him.  Perhaps unwanted physical contact is an assault.  But if it is a poke instead of a push, is it really an assault?

I believe that this is evidence of bullying.  Even if the unwanted touching was a poke instead of a push, I think it could be interpreted as an act of bullying.  And it is my observation that there has been a consistent pattern of bullying ever since Mr. Shelby Williams became the county party chairman.  On the night that Mr. Williams was sworn in, June 17, 2024,  he told the EC that if we did not vote for the rules changes that he wanted, then he would adjourn the meeting and we would have to leave without accomplishing anything.  It seems to me that Mr. Williams has a pattern of bullying in our meetings and that his followers are picking up his habit of bullying people that they don't like.

It seems to me that the Collin County Republican Party has become toxic under the influence of Mr. Williams.  I believe that for the good of the party that Mr. Williams should resign.  It seems to me that politics has brought out the worst in Mr. Williams, and that it would be best for the community of Collin County if he withdrew from politics, because politics seems to bring out the worst in Mr. Williams.

Thank you for your patience in watching the video carefully a few times.  I am curious to hear your opinions on this matter.

Robert

 

Here is a copy of the email Mr. Hammer sent out after Mr. Knapp complained publicly about how he was treated at the January 6 EC meeting.

For the sake of brevity, I am skipping the email sent by Mr. Knapp in which Mr. Knapp objected to the way he was treated.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jeremiah Hammer
Date: Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Subject: Re: About Last Monday Evening...
To:

To my fellow precinct chairs:

Earlier this week, in an attempt to disparate my name and reputation, the below email was circulated by Greg Knapp claiming that I assaulted him at the last meeting.  This is a lie, which he, along with four other precinct chairs, conspired to give false testimonies to the police, in a deliberate attempt to frame me for a violent crime.

On Tuesday morning I received a call from the officer who took the incident report, and told me that upon reviewing the video, there are no charges being filed,as there is no evidence whatsoever of me assaulting Greg. Only of him clearly leaning in to me after he told me he was 1. deliberately blocking me from returning to my seat and 2. that he was not going to allow me to pass. 

The video then shows him leaning into me when I tried to get to my seat, at which I touched his shoulder to steady myself. He then started screeching "assault" which again, mind you is an outright lie.

I returned to my chair.

Moments later, he got in my face while I was seated to threaten me with arrest. He is a real life creep and he's treated other members of our body in a similar fashion.  

Having now had the opportunity to interact with Gregg on numerous occasions, I can say with absolute certainty, objectivity, and sincerity, that he is a despicable, festering, mound of donkey shit with legs and a disgrace to our party and country.

The other four lying precinct chairs who decide to bear false witness, you are all an embarrassment to yourselves and only every so slightly less disgusting examples of human beings than Greg. I encourage you to repent and beg God for forgiveness. 

All that being said, I forgive them all. Their behavior is precisely to be expected. 

You have to remember that these are the same people who tried to have Shelby Williams arrested in an attempt to improve the odds of winning for their puppet candidate, Ellen Loveless, who we all know is a complete ding dong and couldn't lead her way out of a paper bag with both hands and a map.

These are the same people that violently attacked Jim and Joanie Pikl at our EC meeting.

And the same people trying to frame Stephen Kallas for assault during yet another one of Donovan's violent outbreaks.  This behavior is pathological. These people are garbage humans. Pray for their souls.

Do you recall last month, I warned you that this same band of degenerates who rigged the vetting and recruiting committee over the last 4 elections, were planning on sodomizing the rules committee?

Well, they did not disappoint, and went full Diddy on the hypocritical, word salad, garbage resolution that not only points a [metaphorical] gun at fellow republicans while simultaneously condemning independent thought, but at the same time, only serves to alienate many of the moderate and independent voters who held their nose and voted for Trump this year. It was monumentally ill thought out, and worse it made no sense to the average person.  Read it to a 6th grader and tell us what they think [hint: it's crap]. Huge waste of everyone's time, especially the rules committee chair.

To add insult to injury, they tried to top it off with Rohitler's unrelated and utterly stupid amendment that the party coerce the chair into signing a letter, against his will and judgement, that only serves to the detriment of our party and reputation with voters. 

By the grace of God, what was intended as another trap to undermine our party leadership and reputation, turned into a revelation of the very degenerates seeking to undermine our party, and their plot failed.

Matthew 7:15-20 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.The bible says you will know them by their fruits.

At Monday's meeting, we all saw the fruits.  Everyone that stood in support of more of John's toddler tantrums, is part of the group of ECs that have been actively sabotaging our party for the last 6 years. Do not trust any of them. Their intentions are evil. They are cursed people, and one they will turn on you when you don't think and talk alike.

Because of the antics of this same crowd, yet again, the party has no committees, no speaker for Lincoln Day, and no capacity to endorse because the degenerates are constipating every facet of the EC you allow them to come in contact with.

I commend each and every one of you who stood up in opposition to the forces of evil on Monday night. That took incredible courage.  God is good, and He favors the virtuous.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. My cell is xxx-xxx-xxxx if you ever want to call or text me and gain a better understanding of anything, political, municipal, technical or otherwise, drop me a line, or let's go and meet for coffee. 

The CCGOP has much rebuilding to do, and we are only improving, even in spite of the efforts of those who work so hard for our ruin. 

The degeneracy will stop.  Stand with us. 

For God and County

Jeremiah Hammer - The Big Red 1

29:11

 

 

What is the Establishment?

Dear Friends,

When we see the Establishment fighting the Grassroots in Collin County, we should bear in mind that the Establishment is a loose term.  Locally, it might be more accurate to say that the Plano/Frisco Establishment is fighting the Grassroots in Collin County.  I am sharing some of my thoughts on this matter and I hope these opinions might be helpful in analyzing what is happening now.

In a broader sense, the Establishment is a large aggregation of elected officials, institutions, and influential people.  The Establishment in the broader sense is not unified.  Different parts of the Establishment are in conflict with other parts of the Establishment.  When Texas Speaker of the house Dade Phelan attacked Attorney General Ken Paxton, trying to remove him from office, that was one part of the Establishment attacking another part of the Establishment.  You can consider every elected official to have his own piece of the Establishment.  The Establishment in Texas is like a feudal society with lots of earls and barons and dukes all maneuvering around the king of the Establishment, the Governor of Texas.

Ken Paxton fought back against the local representatives who tried to remove him by primarying all the local reps who voted to impeach him through an illegal process.  The committee that impeached him violated Texas law in the process they used to impeach him.  (They violated Sec. 301.022. of the Texas Government Code.)  You should know that many members of the Establishment  feel that they are above the law and that rules do not apply to them.  Supporters of CC GOP Chairman Shelby Williams told me that Chairman Williams doesn't have to follow rules because no one can make him follow the rules.  The Establishment feels privileged.

When we had HD66 State Rep Matt Shaheen on the ropes, Gov. Abbott came and held a rally for Shaheen.  We still had Shaheen on the ropes, so Abbott came a second time and put his face on the mountains of mailers Shaheen sent out.  Abbott said that he was supporting Shaheen because Shaheen supported Abbott's school choice bills.  Another way of looking at it is that Abbott revealed himself as being at war with Attorney General Ken Paxton.  The RINO Establishment has attacked Ken Paxton for years.  We can speculate now that perhaps Abbott was in the shadows pushing Phelan to impeach Paxton.  This is one example of one part of the Establishment fighting another part of the Establishment.

Here is another example of Establishment versus Establishment.  Years ago John Muns ran against Keith Self for the position of County Judge.  That was the Plano Establishment versus the County Establishment.  Then there was the time recently when the Establishment tried to slip Shelby Williams into the position of CC GOP Chair behind our backs.  Fortunately the Grassroots discovered the trickery and a couple of Grassroots candidates ran for party Chair.  We got the Establishment candidate into a runoff, but we lost.

With an Establishment puppet as party chair, we have had a year of constant attacks by the Establishment against the Grassroots activists.  All of this hostility by the Establishment, the Plano/Frisco Establishment to be more precise, against the Grassroots is based I think on the desire of the CC GOP precinct chairs to want to endorse conservative Republicans in local municipal elections.  The big donors, the puppet masters, the want-to-be king makers within the Plano/Frisco Establishment do not want the Republican Party promoting conservative Republicans in municipal and ISD races, so the Establishment through its puppet Chairman Williams has been attacking the Grassroots activists by weakening the rights and privileges of the precinct chairs with terrible rules changes jammed down our throats at the June Organizational meeting and by repeated attacks against the most visible conservative precinct chairs.

Not all members of the Establishment hate the Grassroots, just one or two factions hate the Grassroots.  I believe that the months that Chairman Williams spent attacking the Grassroots leadership took the wind out of the effort to reclaim the HD70 state representative position back from the Democrats, so the Williams war against the Grassroots gutted the effort to take back HD70.  

The Establishment doesn't just fight the Grassroots, it fights other factions within the Establishment.

All of this internal fighting weakens our party.  Abbot and Phelan attacking Ken Paxton, and Chairman Williams attacking the Grassroots is a huge waste of time and it is bad for us as a political party.  Elected officials that are part of the broader Establishment have told me that they want to stay out of the Williams versus the Grassroots fight because they need support from the entire party, both the Establishment PCs and the Grassroots PCs.

The wealthy donors are a part of the Establishment.  Anyone with sufficient influence is a part of the Establishment.  Throughout the entire history of politics, the rich have wanted to control everyone else, so they want to control the politicians and the political parties.  The Establishment changed our party rules to take power away from precinct chairs and give it to the Establishment puppet, Chairman Williams.  With his increased power he has made a mess out of our party.  This is why power needs to be dispersed and shared.  Too much power in the hands of one man leads to disaster.

I am reminded of how the French aristocrats who conquered England in the Battle of Hastings in 1066 could never get those pesky Englishmen to give up wanting liberty.  The desire for liberty grew and grew until it blossomed in the Constitution of the United States of America.  It is by clinging to our desire for our liberties and rights that we in the Grassroots can move the Republican Party forward in spite of Establishment hostility.

Free people cannot remain free if they start giving up because of Establishment hostility.  We are the land of the free and the home of the brave because we have the courage and fortitude to resist the hostility and the bullying of all tyrants, the Establishment included.

This article expresses my opinions. We can both see the same thing, but perceive it differently, or remember it differently, or interpret it differently.  I hope this article is helpful to some of my readers.  I understand that you might disagree.

Thank you for your time,
Robert

Precinct 34 - Let's Go Vote!

 Dear Voters,

If you have not yet voted, now is the time to vote.  Today is Thursday 10/31.  The last two days of early voting are Thursday 10/31 and Friday 11/1, from 7 am to 7 pm.  Here is a link to the early voting locations.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5 and here is a link to a list of the Election Day voting sites.

Here is a tip:  after you read your printed ballot, you read it to make sure it is what you expect.  Next, if you want to double check the bar code markings to see if they match the printed names:  you can put your marked ballot back into the ballot marking device, called an Express Vote, and read the display of your voting choices.  This way you can check the bar code markings for accuracy.

For people who really want to test the system, you can record the number printed on your ballot, on the back.  It is possible to file a request for your ballot image and you can see what was actually recorded, but you need your ballot number to find your ballot.  If you bring in a printed sample ballot, you mark it as you planned to vote, and then you write the ballot number on your sample ballot and you can compare the ballot image that is stored to your sample ballot to confirm that what is in the system is what you intended.  Most people won't do this, but a few people might.  Here is a link to my previous post about how to find your sample ballot.

Short List of Recommendations

Federal
For President:  Donald Trump                  
For Senator:  Ted Cruz
For Congress:  Keith Self           

State
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4:  John Devine
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals: David Schenck,
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7:  Gina Parker
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8:  Lee Finley
For State Board of Education:  Pam Little

County
Sheriff:  Jim Skinner
Tax Assessor:  Scott Grigg

You really want to vote for these people.  Most Republicans go down the whole list and vote for every Republican.  If you don't do that, maybe because so many are unopposed, then make sure you vote for these people.

Sample Ballots for the Nov 5 Election

 Friends and Neighbors,

You can find a sample ballot for the November 5, 2024 election at this website:  https://www.collincountytx.gov/Elections/sample-ballots?electionID=63

There are many ballot styles.  Find the search window and enter your precinct number.

This worked well for me.

Thank you for voting,

Robert

Counterpoint on School Choice

 Dear Friends and Neighbors,

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024 I posted this article:  Why the negative vote against school choice?  (https://voteforcanright.blogspot.com/2024/03/why-negative-vote-against-school-choice.html)

There were many responses, but one was particularly well said. It was from a Republican activist, who gave me permission to share it.  Here it is:

As a homeschooling parent, what I don’t get is how they don’t see you can just refuse the money. Many of us need either our property taxes abolished (fat chance) or to get this ESA (Education Savings Account) money to afford religious schooling for our kids. It’s not fair for us to pay public school taxes AND private school tuition when we don’t use public schools. I have relatives in Texas forced to send their kids to public school because it [school choice in the legislature] didn’t pass yet and already are seeing corrupting effects on their kids. It’s terrible. Also they are naive if they think somehow not taking the money makes them immune to government interference. California has proven this is not true as they don’t give any money but can still heavily interfere with homeschooling. 

Also there is power in numbers. If the majority of public school students go to private schools then the teachers unions will die (they are arguably the greatest threat to the republic), and policymakers will also start to prioritize listening to groups lobbying for home school rights and private school rights more.

Basically right now, the word of the leftist teacher’s unions goes farther in Austin than the conservative Homeschool Association, pass school choice and that flips. A large religious private school association might even form to fight elections to win more rights and a bigger piece of the pie against the teacher’s unions, once all the new funding comes their way.

We need a counterforce against the teacher’s unions and school choice would create that. If we lose a few SCOTUS slots in the coming years they may very well rule California can ban homeschooling despite home schoolers not taking any money. A leftist judge cares not for such distinctions. Besides this doesn’t give any money directly to schools, it gives it to a parental bank account, an “education savings account” that they can then use on schools. Many parents ALREADY do this, you ALREADY can open an Texas ESA and self fund it for a tax free investment account which grows over time and you can use on private schools. So if it were going to magically create strings it’d have done so many years ago.

I hope you find this viewpoint helpful.

Robert

Let us reason together

 Dear Friends and Neighbors,

You might recognize the Bible quote, Isaiah 1:18, where God speaks to Isaiah: "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD...."  Reason and logic are some of the attributes God gave us when He made us in His own image.  We should use reason and logic when we debate issues, especially when precinct chairs (PCs) speak for or against resolutions, motions, and rules in the Executive Committee (EC), or when there are discussions on Facebook.  But as fallible humans, we make mistakes.  There are entire books that catalog standard logical fallacies, like "the red herring", "the straw-man", and the "Ad Hominem" attack.  Here is a short list that you can download for free:Valid Arguments and Logical Fallacies.  

I have discovered two logical fallacies that are not in the catalogs by listening closely in the EC and  watching pro and con arguments in Facebook (FB) comments.  I will name these errors (1) "false priority" and (2) "inversion."  As volunteers you can watch some of the "debates" on this page:  CollinGOP - Discussion Group.  It's a private group, so you have to ask to join, but since there are already 1,900 members, you should be able to tell the administrator that you are a reliable Republican voter and that they can check on that.

As a simple example of "false priority", imagine that you are 8 years old again, and when you get to the park with your friends and your football, some older kid tells you, "I was here first.  You take your toys and go home."  If that has not happened in your childhood, I am happy for you.  This also happened in the Bible.  In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, verses 38 to 40, the disciples complained to Jesus that an outsider was casting out demons, the disciples tried to stop him, and failed.  “Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. For whoever is not against us is for us.

This is a common human failing, believing that because you got there first, you own the playground, or the miracles, or the Republican Party -- this is a false sense of priority.  I just saw this in the "CollinGOP - Discussion Group", where someone says something like "she's only been here 5 minutes and she thinks she can run the party."  When volunteers join the party as PCs and want to improve our community, they are told, as I once was, "be quiet, sit down, and do as I tell you."  This kind of arrogance comes from a false sense of priority, from getting to the playground first.  But if we recognize that this is a logical fallacy, and a common human failing, then we can work together better.

Now I will give you two examples of the logical error that I call "inversion."  In the first example, a person inverts cause and effect.  A friend told me in conversation that a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) causes inflation.   This backwards.  The rise in CPI is one way inflation is measured; it is an effect of inflation, but not the cause.  Milton Friedman has explained that the government printing too much money causes inflation, so that is the cause, and the increase in CPI is how we notice its effect.

Flipping cause and effect is a simple type of logical inversion, but there is another type of logical inversion that is not so obvious, but has huge consequences for our society:  the logical inversion of duties and responsibilities.

In our system of government, we the people vote for our representatives, and then they have a duty to obey the will of the people.  If they let us down, then we replace them in the next election (unless the election is rigged).  The logical inversion that we experience here is when people believe that it is their duty to obey their elected officials.  Yes, many people feel good when they are obedient to someone perceived as their leader.

I am reading a history book now that looks at English political struggles between Tories and Whigs in England in the 1600's.  The author describes the Tories as "authoritarian and servile." Here is a definition of Authoritarian: favoring strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.  A local example is when CC GOP leadership tried a bait-and-switch trick to sneak someone into the role of party chair.  Some of the PCs were outraged, but some of the PCs were happy to obey.  The PCs who objected to the bait and switch are following the Whig tradition, while the PCs who don't mind are following the Tory tradition.

Remember your history.  The Tories in America during the American Revolution supported the King of England.  The rebels were following the Whig tradition.  The Republican Party was created by Whigs. In our political tradition, our leaders are supposed to serve the people.  The logical inversion happens when the people believe that they are supposed to serve their leaders.  Probably this logical inversion is related to personality types and emotional needs.  Sometimes it is hard to separate logic from emotion, which is why political conflicts sometimes turn into emotional expressions.

I believe that I am seeing friction and hostility by some people who have fallen into the logical errors of "false priority" and "inversion."  I hope that by identifying these logical errors, the different groups within the CC GOP can understand each other better, have better discussions, and better conduct our business.

Thank you for your patience with this complex topic.

Robert