Author: lindsaynicoleweb

Opinion: You need to read this if you want to save our country.

Conservatives have a big problem on their hands. And if they don’t figure it out soon, things are about to get much worse.

Our current culture is best described as a sinking ship. Look around you: sky-high gas prices, a crippling economy, violent crime, a sex culture that’s seemingly intentionally targeting our kids and confusing them. America is on their way to hell in a hand basket.

People are constantly talking about how bad things are getting. I hear people ask repeatedly, “What can we do?” We hear talk about pulling our kids out of public schools, moving out of blue states, protesting, etc. But the place we can pack the biggest punch-whether you want to hear this or not-is by voting. Placing the right people in the right places can and will make a huge impact on this city, state, and country.

“But I already do vote,” you might be saying. But we are not being effective with our votes. What’s worse: most people don’t vote. We must get on the same page now. Before it’s too late. This is not an article to be taken lightly. This is a call to action. Conservatives, this is your chance. Do it for your kids. Your grandkids. Future America. Wake up and take this seriously!

What issues do we have and how can we fix them? Read on.

One issue we must tackle is the sheer lack of votes. To date, we had 31.16% voter turnout in Yakima (the average is 39.17% statewide).[1] Only about third of voters turned out to vote on Tuesday-even less in our own conservative county. In comparison, 43% turned out in Western Washington and 38% turned out in Eastern Washington. You must vote. Yes, stand up against the culture. Pull your kids out of school if you’d like. Complain about gas prices. Whatever. But if you want to change anything, we must vote. Why such a low turnout? I personally found the sheer number of candidates to choose from overwhelming. I still voted, but I can understand feeling so overwhelmed that you throw the whole ballot away. My husband, like many people, doesn’t trust the election system after the 2020 presidential race, and feels as if his vote doesn’t matter and isn’t safe. Some people are just apathetic at this point: who cares? We’re in a blue state anyway.

But the truth is: if we all show up, we can flip this state. Okay, we might not be able to flip the governor seat (sigh), but we could absolutely flip the house and the senate. How much harder would it be to shove a progressive agenda down our throats if we place several conservatives in the way? Especially if you are a conservative in a blue state: it is our responsibility to fight hard for our kids and this state. Could our votes be stolen? Maybe. But at least we know we tried. What if we all vote and we still lose? At least we know we tried. We MUST vote. I cannot stress this point enough.

But does it matter if we vote if we’re not all rallying behind the same candidate? It is vital we come together as party behind the same candidate. This is where liberals shine: they are all in lockstep with the progressive agenda. You vote together. You move more left together-for better or for worse. Sure, they’re lockstepping our country right off a cliff, but at least they stick together. And if you feel like they’ve gone too left (as many have found themselves more “moderate” these days), you’re out. You’re politically homeless. If you’re not with them, you’re against them. Bye, Felicia.

Conservatives by nature are very different. Conservatives value independent thought. Within our own party, we may disagree vastly on different topics, and vote accordingly. For instance, this past Tuesday during the primary, Congressional District #4 is a perfect example of how conservatives shoot themselves in the foot by refusing to come together. The primary was an opportunity to remove Dan Newhouse (R), who many conservatives didn’t like due to some of his more anti-conservative actions (voting to impeach Trump is a big one). The democrats placed one opponent: Doug White. The logical thing would have been for one solid true conservative to run against these two, as the top two candidates move on to the general election in November. But instead, we did the opposite. We had six candidates run against these two. The result, to the surprise of no one, was that conservatives split their votes six ways, and we ended up with Newhouse and White. To date, both White and Newhouse have 25% of the votes each, while the rest of the 49% went between the 6 candidates. Do you see that, conservatives? We had 49% that we could have rallied behind the same candidate and been effective, knocking either White or Newhouse out of the equation all together.

Finally, we must vote early. Conservatives are known for holding our votes: I myself didn’t vote until day of. But after talking with Washington State Representative Chris Corry this week, he explained how important momentum is. Some people-including me-don’t trust our ballots in other people’s hands for any period of time. Or, as I said earlier, we can be overwhelmed by the number of choices and just not want to deal with it until the last possible second. But momentum matters in politics. Voting earlier actually helps swing momentum in our favor and therefore the momentum of the county and country. Instead of a “oh no, can we catch up?” night on Tuesday night (voting night), we can have a strong confidence in our success. Let’s do this.

I’m challenging every conservative reading this when they get their ballots:

Open it, fill it, sign it, send it. As soon as you receive it.

This will ensure our votes get in early and are counted. You can always check that your ballot was received and counted here.

But how do we ensure we rally behind the same candidate?

First of all, if you are a candidate that has no real shot of winning-get out! Does your ego matter more than what happens in our county, state, country? Several of the six conservatives running for congress had no chance of winning. They knew that. Yet, they still stayed in the race and helped split the vote. Get out of the way.

Next, we must put our own egos aside, as well. If you knew the majority was pulling for Culp, but you really wanted Sessler-would you have moved your vote over to help Culp win? Or would you have been too stubborn and split the vote? Would you rather have Culp or Newhouse? Similarly, what if Sessler would have been the front runner: would you have moved your vote to Sessler, even though Culp is your go-to? If not, you split the vote and helped us get Newhouse. We have to come to terms that we may be casting a vote for someone who isn’t our first choice. As free-thinking conservatives, we absolutely hate being told what to do or to compromise on our standards. But friends, if we don’t start aligning, we are helping the progressive agenda throw our country off into the abyss. The truth is, any of the six candidates going against Newhouse would have better represented what conservatives want and stand for. But we have a bad habit of choosing candidates we want (even with no chance of winning) over humbling ourselves by choosing a candidate that might not be our first choice but would still absolutely take us in a better direction over the alternative.

How do we know who to align behind? At Accurate Perspective, we will conduct metrics prior to the election to help everyone see who most Yakima residents are pulling for. Then: we all get behind the majority candidate. Do you have to? Of course not. There are things the Washington State Republican Party can do as well to make this process smoother. But if you want to see a change in our city, state, and, eventually, country, it’s important we start swallowing our pride and working together. This will be especially important in 2024. If Trump runs, will the never-Trumpers put policy over personality? If DeSantis is our candidate, will the Trump-only voters vote to help move our country in the right direction over losing their favorite candidate? Our loyalty needs to change from individual candidates to whichever candidate will not only help move us in the right direction but can actually win.

So to my fellow conservative Americans:

Stay tuned for metrics that will show which candidates hold the majority vote for conservative votes. Please participate in our polling to help voice who you think we, as a majority, should stand behind. Then, when the majority candidate is known get ready to vote for them. Tell your family and friends why they, too, should vote for this candidate. Share this article with them. And then as soon as your ballot comes in:

Open it, fill it, sign it, and send it.

I believe a red wave is more than possible. However, a wave is made of induvial water droplets coming together. If several drops move a different direction or don’t participate: a wave won’t happen. Decide today how and when you will vote. Your kids, country, and future are in your hands.

[1] https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20220802/turnout.html

Should We Be Proud to be Americans? Yes!

The economy, gas prices, inflation, political divide. Is there anything worth celebrating this 4^th of July?

Actually, yes, and quite a bit at that.

Today, we celebrate Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence.[1] The piece was largely drafted by Thomas Jefferson, and although technically the vote was taken place on July 2nd, July 4^th became the day to celebrate the birth of American Independence.

After that day on July 4, 1776, we were free from the British and everything was great until Trump became president. Or maybe it was Obama.

Just kidding.

In 1775, many colonists didn’t even want to be set apart from the British. In fact, those who wanted independence from the British were looked at as radicals. However, over the course of the following year with growing hostility towards the British and with the distribution of Thomas Paine’s 47-page pamphlet “Common Sense,”[2] freedom from Britain gained support from the colonies. The colonists experienced, in their minds, unfair taxation, and of course, events such as The Boston Massacre and Boston Tea party, fueled their ambition for freedom.

However, signing the Declaration of Independence did not make the colonies free. In fact, the Revolutionary War-which started in 1775-was not won by the colonies until 1783.[3]

On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was drafted.[4] “A chief aim of the Constitution as drafted by the Convention was to create a government with enough power to act on a national level, but without so much power that fundamental rights would be at risk. One way that this was accomplished was to separate the power of government into three branches, and then to include checks and balances on those powers to assure that no one branch of government gained supremacy. This concern arose largely out of the experience that the delegates had with the King of England and his powerful Parliament. The powers of each branch are enumerated in the Constitution, with powers not assigned to them reserved to the States.” Only 39 out of the 55 delegates signed the Constitution, many stating the need for a Bill of Rights.

On June 8, 1789, James Madison proposed a series of amendments to the Constitution, and on September 25, twelve amendments were passed by Congress, with articles III-XII becoming the Bill of Rights.[5]

After that, everything went smoothly, and we all lived happily ever after.

Wait, no? Oh yes, there’s more.

Over the next hundred years, America began to move further west. Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory for $15 million dollars from France in 1803.[6] There was the War of 1812, Manifest Destiny, the Oregon Trail, and the Gold Rush. There was displacement of the Native Americans, and the Trail of Tears. And let’s not forget the biggest issue of the 1800’s: slavery.

As America furthered it’s expansion West, the Southern states fought to ensure slavery in these new states, while the Northern states did not want slavery in their states. The Southern states wanted to assert their authority over the federal government so they could abolish laws they didn’t agree with.[7] After Abraham Lincoln-the first Republican president- was elected in 1860-without a single vote from the south-the South realized they had lost all political influence and seceded from the union. Doing so directly led to the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865.

After slavery was abolished in America, everything was perfect.

No? Still no?

Oh yes, we still had much work to do. With the passing of the 14^th amendment in 1868 (the right to citizenship for all citizens born or naturalized -including former slaves) and the 15^th amendment in 1870 (the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude), America was far from equal.[8] Although this legalized voting for black men (and many still couldn’t vote in the south due to threats of violence), women did not gain the right to vote until 1920 with the passing of the 19^th amendment.[9] Rifts of discord continued throughout the past 100 years, with tensions of racism, sexism, and other -isms. Some still exists today, of course-complete removal of human hatred from any culture might be impossible- yet one would be hard-pressed to pretend that it hasn’t gotten much better.

One could look at our American history and see nothing but sadness, scars, and pain. One could see oppression and violence. We have a past-and the truth is, every nation has a past. Almost all countries are built by conquering another land, war, and violence. Women not having rights is not unique to America-women have been held as less-than or even regarded as property for thousands of years in different cultures. Slavery has also been around for thousands of years and is still around today (40 million people are enslaved worldwide today, with one in four of them being children).[10]

So what is there to celebrate? So much!

Americans-originally called the Patriots-risked their lives to come across an ocean for freedom, many of whom died. Americans fought against the tyranny of the British and won freedom. It was Americans (both black and white) who fought against slavery, and Americans who set the slaves free. It was Americans that fought for equal rights, fought for women’s suffrage, and fought for every human in America for the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We aren’t a perfect nation, and we have scars-but we have so much to be proud of. For every misstep America has taken, it was fellow Americans who fought back and fought to liberate the oppressed.

I, for one, align myself with the American Patriots of the past. I am proud that my American ancestors fought for what is right and righted the wrongs of our country. I am proud that we defeated slavery and have given equal rights to all. I am proud that we have a constitution that protects and secures our rights as citizens. I am proud of all those who have fought for our freedom and laid down their lives for us. This freedom we have right here and right now is a gift: a gift many in the world today don’t have. It’s why people still flock to America. America gives people hope for a future and hope for liberty. It is a beacon of light in a world where millions still live under tyranny, dictatorship and oppression. Many wish they could be here and enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted. If only we took a moment to cherish how blessed we are to have this gift.

So although you may feel heavy this 4^th of July with worries of the economy, inflation, and political divide: this ain’t our first rodeo, baby. Americans are strong, resilient, and should never stop fighting for what is right in this country. Most importantly, we are free! We’ve come a long way, and we are still the greatest nation in the world-that is something we all should celebrate! Today, take a moment to be thankful to those Americans before us: those who fought for our freedoms; those who laid their lives down for us; those who’ve righted the wrongs of the past; those who paved the way for our equal rights, and those who made life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness possible for us all. Let’s celebrate and appreciate this day together! As John Adams penned to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776: “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated [Independence Day], by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

So celebrate, America! And be proud! You are free!

[1] https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th#:~:text=On%20July%204th%2C%20the%20Continental,the%20birth%20of%20American%20independence.

[2] https://www.history.com/news/thomas-paine-common-sense-revolution

[3] https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history

[4] https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-constitution/#:~:text=On%20September%2017%2C%201787%2C%2039,slavery%20and%20the%20slave%20trade.

[5]https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/bor#:~:text=On%20June%208%2C%201789%2C%20Representative,be%20added%20to%20the%20Constitution.

[6] https://americanexperience.si.edu/historical-eras/expansion/#:~:text=Westward%20expansion%20began%20in%20earnest,size%20of%20the%20young%20nation.

[7] https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/causes-of-the-civil-war/#:~:text=What%20led%20to%20the%20outbreak,key%20issue%20was%20states’%20rights.

[8] https://www.history.com/news/african-american-voting-right-15th-amendment

[9] https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/19th-amendment

[10] https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/#:~:text=40%20million%20people%20are%20estimated,in%20the%20UK%20in%202019.

Hurting at the Pump? The Yakima City Council Just Made It Worse-Here’s How

Fuel prices continue to rise. Every trip to the pump feels more and more painful, as the prices seem to be higher each time you pull into the gas station. But what if in addition to battling record high gas prices, our gas stations were completely removed from city limits? Not only are you paying substantially more for gas than before, but now you are having to drive outside city limits to find a gas pump. Can you imagine the inconvenience, the time, and the additional money from your pocket this would cost you? Well, this is what your Yakima City Council members just voted on a couple weeks ago! Yakima citizens are upset. Over the weekend, many let their voice be heard. They protested at gas stations across the valley educating other citizens on what a SAFE city is.

So just what is a SAFE City?

You would think a SAFE city would include adopting policies that protect the citizens of Yakima and lower crime. Since our city is often known for its high crime around the nation, unfortunately, no, that’s not what a safe city is. SAFE stands for Standing Against Fossil Fuel Expansion and on June 2, 2021, the Yakima City Council voted for “a resolution that aligns Yakima with the SAFE cities movement and calls for a non-proliferation treaty.” [1] What is a “SAFE city”? According to the website stand.earth, a SAFE city “is a movement of neighbors, local groups, and elected officials working to keep their communities SAFE from fossil fuels.”[2] What does keeping a community safe from fossil fuels entail? “SAFE Cities campaign is connecting local efforts to limit fossil fuels into a global call for action and supporting community leaders to adopt SAFE policies that phase out fossil fuels and fast track clean, more efficient energy solutions for all.” “SAFE policies,” according to the site “can include opposing new fossil fuel infrastructure, affirming a commitment to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and endorsing the complimentary Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase out fossil fuel production and accelerate a just energy transition, committing to energy efficiency, committing to a future of electrification and renewable energy, and/or developing financial strategies to ensure that no one’s left behind. As a first step, local governments can pass resolutions that describe their intent to pass SAFE policies, explore fair financing structures, and propose policies to help them reach their climate action goals.” Phase out fossil fuel production. Also found on their site:

“Resolutions/SAFE Cites Commitment/Treaty Endorsement-Explainer. Governments can pass non-binding resolutions that show their commitment to limiting fossil fuel infrastructure and phasing out fossil fuels. These can be a specific SAFE Cities Commitment that includes a deadline for staff presenting options for actionable policies, a Climate Emergency Declaration Plan or Climate Action Plan with an explicit commitment to limiting fossil fuel infrastructure growth or phasing out fossil fuels, or an endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (the Treaty). All of these are initial SAFE Cities steps. To protect local health and safety and global climate, local governments also need to pass ordinances, bylaws, or other binding and actionable policies that specifically limit fossil fuel infrastructure growth or phase out fossil fuels.”

In essence, “SAFE cities” are an effort by “stand.earth” to enact policies by local elected leaders that will be in lockstep with their agenda: to oppose new fossil fuel infrastructure, affirm a commitment to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement (a progressive move to “clean energy”) and endorse the complimentary Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase out fossil fuel production and accelerate a “just energy transition.”

Clean energy sounds great. I, for one, would love to zoom around in my electric car and not feel like I’ve been just assaulted every time I fill up at the gas tank. But I am also unfortunately rooted in reality: electric cars are expensive. And we are hurting at the pumps right now.

Those most hurting from the price of gas are the lower and middle class families, while those who have electric vehicles tend to be mostly male, highly educated, high income-earners.[3] Yakima’s poverty rate is 20.4% (vs 12.8% statewide). [4] Shouldn’t our own city council be looking out for what’s best for the residents of Yakima rather than an agenda that sounds great on the surface but is going to make life even harder on those already struggling? With Yakima’s median household income being $52,626 [6] many electric vehicles are priced out of reach for the vast majority of Yakima Citizens. Electric car prices in 2022 currently range from $28,000 – $120,000 new. [7] Yakima Citizens can’t afford these policies, electrification is too costly, and higher gas prices or further away gas stations will put many out of a job or out of their home.

After passing the SAFE cities resolution last year, the Yakima City Council voted a couple weeks ago to rescind the resolution: especially amidst current gas prices that are choking out nearly everyone. This would be a time to shelve any agendas and focus on a more immediate threat-to help those who are barely able to get by as it is. But that’s not what our city council members voted to do. The vote to rescind the resolution failed with a 3-4 vote, with Deccio, Macias, Lund, and Herrera voting to keep the resolution and the committee for SAFE cities has begun to form under a new committee at city hall. The force behind this appears to be SAFE city field organizer: Ingrid Archibald.

Archibald, from Southern California, lives in Seattle and has made it a point to get involved in Yakima politics and to try to ram the SAFE city agenda into our community. And sadly, she seems to be succeeding. Archibald is an activist on other controversial matters, including the defund the police movement and eliminating red meat. She has emailed the council members countless times over the last 2 years and again most recently after the council voted 6-0 to create a resolution to rescind the SAFE cities resolution. (view those emails here)

Our Yakima Herald editorial board, who tends to side with whatever side is against the people of Yakima and for any liberal agenda going forward, of course supports this decision. In their article “Opinion: Council is wise to keep playing it SAFE,” the article praised the council on their decision to keep going with Yakima becoming a SAFE city. [5] They go on to say, “climate change has the whole planet looking for answers, because there isn’t one square inch of Earth that isn’t affected. Doesn’t it make sense, then, if we’re all working together? Collaborations like the SAFE cities project avoid duplication and bring the best ideas together for everyone’s benefit.”

Who decides which ideas are best? And who’s ideas are they, anyway? Is it people like Archibald, who are against police officers and red meat? Is climate change a more pressing issue for Yakima residents than inflation? People here are drowning, and SAFE cities is more worried about the climate than helping those sinking in water.

What steps are taken in “just energy transitioning”? How does this benefit the poor, working, and middle classes that are already struggling not “years down the road,” but right now? Does Archibald, over in Seattle, really care about the people of Yakima? Or is she just trying to further her agenda to move to clean energy no matter what the cost is to everyday Americans, especially those in Yakima already struggling. Until we can see a plan on how to help those in our community get relief at the pump, we can not get behind this.

To be clear, we are not opposed to clean energy. Washington State has led the way in clean energy for decades with the snake river dams to name one example. We should absolutely care about our environment. But adopting liberal policies that have a history of failing in Seattle and California and adopting them in our own city without a clear plan does not seem to be the right choice for Yakima. Forcing people to stop getting gas by making it too expensive or too hard to get may reduce people’s use of gas, but it also may put them out of work. It will create even more poverty, lower take home median income and increase the price of goods and services even more. When all of us are already struggling significantly with the ever increasing costs of inflation. We can care about the environment but our residents must come first. Forcing poverty on them is not caring.

Disclaimer: As a city councilman, Matt Brown also is a member of our team, it’s important that we state this article does not reflect the majority opinion of the Yakima City Council. It reflects the opinion of it’s author and the owners of Accurate Perspective. Councilman Matt Brown has consistently voted against Safe Cities, and any opinions or references shared here reflect his thoughts in his elected position in District 6 of Yakima and not the majority council opinion.

CONTACT CITY COUNCIL

Janice Deccio – janice.deccio@yakimawa.gov

Danny Herrera- danny.herrera@yakimawa.gov

Soneya Lund – soneya.lund@yakimawa.gov

Eliana Macias – eliana.macias@yakimawa.gov

Matt Brown – matt.brown@yakimawa.gov

Holly Cousens – holly.cousens@yakimawa.gov

Patricia Byers – patricia.byers@yakimawa.gov

[1] http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/yakima-counil-supports-efforts-to-combat-climate-change/article_238876b2-9902-5380-882b-546a4c192eec.html

[2] http://www.stand.earch/page/fossil-fuel-free/what-are-safe-cities

[3] https://sciencepolicyreview.org/2021/08/equity-transition-electric-vehicles/

[4] https://www.welfareinfo.org/poverty-rate/washington/yakima

[5] https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/opinion-council-is-wise-to-keep-playing-it-safe/article_ec4e09eb-8538-5a5b-ab74-e0f1e3521f34.html

[6] https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/WA/Yakima-County-Demographics.html

[7] https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/electric-car-prices

Yakima Herald’s Editorial Board Slams the People of Yakima for Flag Day

The Yakima Herald’s opinion piece strikes again-this time, pleading with the barbaric, swastika-flag-waving people of Yakima to set their swastikas down, for one day, to see if we can unite under the American flag for Flag Day. Just one day, ignorant conspiracy theorists of Yakima, to remember the American flag and what it stands for.

Bless their hearts.

You can read the article here. Again, the Yakima Herald editorial pieces “reflect the collective opinion of the newspaper’s local editorial board.”

In this snarky, divisive piece that calls for “unity” under the guise of utter contempt for those they disagree with, they start off much like they usually do: painting the picture of American unity, this time, under the American flag due to this piece written for flag day.

Indeed, Flag Day, which is celebrated each year on June 14^th, is a day to celebrate: it’s the day we honor the creation of our flag; a day to celebrate American pride; a day to reflect on those who laid their lives down to create the free country we enjoy today.

But the Herald, once again, has an agenda to push, and it’s anything but unity. According to the article, people in our valley “have decided that living under the flag isn’t good enough.” They go on to list a variety of alleged flags flown in our community: “American flag design” but with “changed colors depending on their “secret” (wink wink) meanings,” “obscene messages about which leaders they hate” which can still be legible through “all the diesel exhaust” of their vehicles (because clearly, those who hate the leaders the editorial board support cannot drive anything but a gas-guzzling truck), and “front-yard flagpoles sporting mysterious-looking moons, stars, cross, skulls, or menacing snakes.”

Let’s take a look at their list, shall we? The most prominent “American flag” with “changed colors” is the “Back the Blue” flag: a flag which shows support for police officers. The meaning of this flag: “the blue represents the officer and the courage they find deep inside when faced with insurmountable odds. The black background is a constant reminder of fellow fallen brother and sister officers. And the line is what police officers protect: the barrier between anarchy and civilized society. “[1] The “wink wink” they throw in there of course implies something sinister here, but what? Only the Herald knows.

Flags containing “obscene messages” about “leaders they hate” can be found across the board of political parties and is not a one-sided issue. Flags flown behind diesel trucks, like the article mentioned, must be referring to our local “cruise the Ave” nights. During one of these nights, it is common to see various flags waving from the back of vehicles-including diesel trucks. The flags include American, Mexican, and political. What specifically was the Herald referring to that is “obscene”? Since non-American flags are divisive, according to the Herald, are they suggesting the people who enjoy cruising the Ave can’t display whatever flag they choose to on their personal vehicle without being “anti-American”? Yikes, Yakima Herald!

And for the last cluster of flags that offend the Herald’s editorial board, we have “mysterious-looking moons and stars” (???), crosses (the Christian flag?), and of course, the “menacing snake”-the “Don’t Tread on Me Flag,” officially called the Gadsden flag. “Don’t Tread on Me” was a motto and a battle cry intended to warn the British crown that the colonies will defend themselves if attacked and is flown to show “patriotism and support for the American nation.” It is also “synonymous for independence, freedom, personal defense, and the willingness to fight for one’s own rights and liberty.”[2]

The editorial board goes on to accuse the people of Yakima of flying flags of “countries or causes that have long been defeated, discredited, and disgraced” and lists the Confederate flag and of course, their favorite accusation-the swastika, and state: “You have to wonder whose side some of these guys are on anymore. Are they still rooting for America? Do they truly wish the Nazis would’ve been able to continue their bloody, racist rampage across Europe?” Again, I ask: where are these Nazi flags the Herald continues to accuse the people of Yakima flying coming from? According to earlier in this piece: “Drive around Yakima or hit nearly any backroad in the Valley for a few miles and you can’t miss these guys.” Sigh. Once again, the Yakima Herald editorial board takes reality (people flying flags of movements they agree with on their own personal property) and turns it into Nazism or accusing the backroad bumpkins of the Yakima Valley of the American flag not being good enough for us.

They go on to say how us lowly Yakima residents are most likely fueled by “ignorance” and how we are “vulnerable to twisted narratives, kooky conspiracy theories and online influencers.” Twisted narratives? Like placing people flying a pro-police officer flag and a swastika in the same category? Kooky conspiracy theories? Like driving just outside the city of Yakima to our rural areas and seeing Nazism running rampant? It’s on “nearly any backroad in the valley,” right Yakima Herald? Talk about kooky conspiracy theories! It makes me wonder if any of the editorial board members have ever even been to Yakima-are they even from here? Who’s writing these divisive pieces? These are some awful, crazy accusations against the wonderful people of our city with absolutely no basis in reality.

The article is clearly a hit on anyone flying any flag that is not the American flag, as that is the only flag that should be flown on our personal properties, right? What about the Black Lives Matter flag? Or the pride flag? Or the Ukranian flag? Those have significant meaning to some people of the valley and can be seen flying in yards of those who’d like to support these causes: is the American flag not good enough for them, either? Or is this only applicable to the flags flown that the Herald dislikes (and thus likens to swastikas. *Eyeroll*).

People on both sides of the political parties can and do fly whatever flag they feel passionate about. No one is advocating for the removal or upheaval of the American flag-the article doesn’t even suggest this-but for some reason, flying a pro-police officer flag in one’s own yard or an anti-Joe-Biden flag on one’s personal vehicle is anti-American. The truth of the matter is, if on flag day-a day to celebrate the American flag-stands for anything at all, it’s for freedom. Whether it’s a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag or a Black Lives Matter flag: you are free to fly whichever flag on your personal property that you’d like. Flying a flag of a matter that is important to you does not make you anti-American or anti-American flag. If the flag truly represents freedom, then the opposite of this is true: we can fly flags we agree with because of the freedom bestowed on us by the tremendously brave ones who fought for us and our rights to do so.

Which brings up an important point: the whole article by the Herald’s editorial board slammed the residents of Yakima for flying flags on their personal properties, with no mention of what flags should be flown at our governmental properties: where the American flag should absolutely be flown as a representation of all Americans. Why didn’t the article bring up the pride flag? How, up to a month ago, it has been displayed on our local governmental property the last couple Junes for pride month. Not one’s house. Not one’s vehicle-but local, governmental property. The flag-note, also not the American flag, was only recently taken down (in a 7-0 approval by Yakima city council) after a recent Supreme Court case which ruled that a request to display a Christian flag on a governmental building in Boston where several other personal group’s flags were displayed was denied and that that denial was a violation of the first Amendment.[3] Essentially: allow any private entity’s flag to fly or fly only the governmental flags: the latter being the decision not only by the Supreme Court, but also by the city of Yakima.

Yakima Herald, did it bother you that our own governmental buildings were displaying a flag that wasn’t the American flag? This wasn’t on the back of a big, diesel truck or a yard flagpole, but on a building that is supposed to represent all of us. No mention if it aligns with your own personal agenda, perhaps?

In closing, the Yakima Herald editorial board seems more interested in slamming the people of Yakima with opposing views and once again painting them with the brush of Naziism rather than truly unite us. Today, we hope you do honor the American flag for Flag Day but also, take a moment to be grateful: grateful to those who fought for our freedom; freedom to pursue happiness, freedom to gather truly under one flag as a nation, and the freedom to personally fly whatever other flag you want to on your own property.

Because it’s all about freedom, baby.

At Accurate Perspective, we reject all racial supremacy and won’t tolerate newspapers writing bureaucratic bullying hit-pieces on Yakima citizens. We must do better! #EndBureaucraticBullying

Support Accurate Perspective: https://www.patreon.com/accurateperspective

[1] https://www.usflags.com/thin-blue-line-usa-flag.html

[2] https://wethepeopleholsters.com/blogs/news/what-is-the-dont-tread-on-me-flag

[3] https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/05/02/boston-violated-first-amendment-when-city-denied-christian-flag-supreme-court-rules/

Conservatives-What are We Conserving?

Recently, my friends Shantelle and John were discussing politics. Both are married with kids. Both are church goers with similar values. Both would consider themselves conservatives. But with political candidates, they can’t seem to agree on anything. John can not stand Donald Trump, but he sure likes Nikki Haley. John likes the clean-cut, traditional GOP candidates that seem to be exactly who people on FOX news seem to rave about. Shantelle, on the other hand, would consider Nikki Haley a bit of a “RINO” (Republican in name only). She thinks Trump is the best president we’ve ever had, but would take Ron DeSantis in a heartbeat, too. John physically winces at the mere mention of Trump and couldn’t even vote in good conscience during the last election due to his disgust of him. Shantelle is baffled by this: did John not realize how good we had it? Conservatives, it seems, have a bit of a divide when it comes to political favorites. Open debate is important, and it’s okay to not see eye-to-eye on every topic. However, if people like John and Shantelle don’t get on the same page and realize who the real enemy is here and now-and it’s not each other–it will be too late. Conservatives-what are we conserving?

Traditionally, conservatives believed in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. They also believe the role of the government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals.[1] Socially, conservatives are committed to conserving traditional values, especially those that benefit the family. Mostly: government, stay out of our lives. Liberals, by contrast, want to use the government to help achieve equality. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If we think about equality as a mountain, with the top being as close to equality that we can possibly achieve in a world that will always have a level of evil, we are pretty darn close to the top.

But liberalism has morphed into progressivism, and progressivism, according to its name, is supposed to progress us as a society. By all means, we have certainly made tremendous progress as a society in America since our birth. We’ve succeeded from half the country owning slaves and women having no rights to a civil war, black men earning the right to vote in 1870, women earning the right to vote in 1920, to where we are today. There are laws in place that protect workers and individuals from being discriminated against due to race, orientation, gender, etc. As a country, we have strived to fix injustices and to make fair what is not fair to the best of our ability. We are near the top of the mountain. Individuals may still have malice, racism, sexism, or evil in their hearts, but you would be hard-pressed to see this accepted in our society by any group of people. To root out all the hatred in individual hearts would be an impossibility, and the best we can do as a society is to protect people groups from injustice at the hands of individuals with bad intentions. We cannot reach perfection, and although some work may still need to be done, it is vital that we appreciate the progress we’ve made and to maintain what is good and useful to our society.

But what happens when we reach near the top of our equality mountain, and we continue to press on past the point? The result is appearing not to be more progression, but regression. In an attempt to make things exceedingly fair, we’ve gone from focusing on equality (equal opportunities) to equity (equal outcomes). But to control the outcomes for individuals takes away from the drive and pursuit for everyone. Why work hard to achieve anything if the same can be given to someone else who didn’t put the same work in? We can try to make things as equal as possible as a starting point: in fact, I heard this often as I grew up. In America, you can “grow up and be whatever you want to be!” Of course, people have different advantages in life: the two-parent household privilege, the pretty privilege, the athletic privilege, the tall privilege. Life will never be completely equal or fair. But when it comes to race and gender, we have made so much progress that, legally speaking, people are protected from discrimination due to these attributes. But progressives want more. They want equal outcomes. This is also how communism works: equal outcomes for all-which means, a few at the top have much and the vast majority at the bottom equally have nothing. It has never worked, but it does make things fair: no one will escape poverty because there is no hope to move up in the world for anyone. It’s a trap, and one that societies have learned their lessons the hard way again and again, resulting in the deaths of millions. This is taking us backwards.

Progressivism is regressive in terms of both race and gender. Instead of building up and encouraging individuals to achieve their goals or grow regardless of what they look like, they victimize people based on what color they are. How does telling individuals they can’t or won’t amount to anything help do anything but breed division, hatred, and bitterness? Women are more equal to men than ever-except, once again, we are on our way down the mountain. Instead of building women up, we are telling them that they can reject their womanhood to become a man. Being a woman is an honor, and it is not something to be rejected. Meanwhile, we are allowing men to become a woman-a biological impossibility, but also a slap in the face to women: that our womanhood is fickle and can be tossed around, rejected, and replicated. Women and girls are to be protected in their private spaces from men, and no man should replace a woman for “woman of the year” or any other area that men have no business in. This is taking us backwards.

One of the biggest problems with progressivism is the hijacking of words and the push to relativism. They are the party of Science, yet objective, factual truth is hate speech. They are the party of Love, but only if it fits their narrative. Truth, according to them, is subjective as well. Your truth. My truth. Men can be women. What is a woman? Undefinable. But whatever it is, a man can be it. Wait, what? This is taking us backwards (or upside down or floating around in space since relativism has no ground to stand on).

Drag shows are popping up across our country where children are encouraged to place money in the lingerie of men dressed promiscuously as women. Sex Ed is becoming more and more grotesque and graphic. Kids can transition into the opposite sex with harmful medications that prevent their natural progression into puberty with parents either being gaslit or bullied into complying. Gay pride commercials stream on my living room TV as I type this from the Nickelodeon channel-a channel for kids. School officials, not parents, should be the primary stakeholders in your kids’ education, says progressives. Our children are being targeted as pawns and property of the state. Babies, up to and in some cases post birth, can be murdered by his or her parents in the name of convenience. At least in the primitive days, the throwing of a baby into a volcano had an intention to benefit the society. We do it because we can. This is taking us backwards.

This is where it is abundantly and urgently clear why conservatives need to be on the same page. What are we conserving?

We are conserving the notion that all have equal, unalienable rights, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or color. We are conserving that every human being deserves the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We must conserve the meaning of objective, factual truth grounded in reality. We must conserve the meaning of what a man or woman is and protect women from losing her place in society. We must conserve, protect, and respect the innocence of our children, providing them the childhoods safe from exploitation and oversexualizing that is being foisted upon them. Conservatives conserve the progress from the past.

We are no longer fighting against the liberals of the days of old: a little too much government involvement for our liking, a little too much social liberalism for our Christian values, a little too much secularism. No. We are far beyond this. The very fabric of our society is being ripped apart, shredded at the seams as our boundaries put in place to protect us from tyranny are being dissolved, and we are arguing amongst ourselves over whether the election was stolen or if January 6^th was truly an insurrection. These are distractions. Our families, children, and American life are under attack. We must lock arms and get on the same page now. Not to take us backwards, like our adversaries like to say we are: that is precisely what they are doing. But to conserve how far we’ve come while still being open to true progress that will objectively move us forward.

Perhaps you reading this would consider yourself liberal, or at the very least, a moderate and the thought of considering yourself a conservative churns your stomach. Yet, the progressive ideology has taken over your party and you’re not sure where to fit. You are welcome here. As can be seen with John and Shantelle, debate amongst conservatives is alive and well. That’s because we won’t all be on the same page on everything. We can disagree without name calling or labeling. Open debate, asking questions, and the freedom to seek truth without being “canceled” are vitally important. But as this article suggests, fighting against the agenda of the progressive ideology is urgent and must be something we all get on the same page on now. If you want to be a part of the party that stands up for freedom, women, children, individual rights, families, and truth-we welcome you.

So what can be done? Get educated on what the ‘progressive’ agenda is and fight back against it. Get involved in your child’s school. Monitor what your kids are watching on their phones (Tumblr, TikTok, and the like are pushing the trans agenda on your girls right under your nose while you are sitting on the couch next to them). Pay attention to who’s running in what position and VOTE- getting involved politically is one of our best defenses to fight what is happening, and when a politician is put in place who will work against progressive forces, we MUST all rally behind them. Support people around you who are also working to conserve our values and stand for truth, like us here at Accurate Perspective. And perhaps most importantly, stand up! Stand up for truth and don’t play along with the lies. Stand up for our women and children. Stand up, even if it means you will be labeled or called names.

To the John’s and Shantelle’s out there-our country is worth conserving. Put your differences aside for now and focus on who the real enemy is. If not, we will no longer have a republic to conserve.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?

It’s up to us.

Opinion: Yakima Herald Reveals True Colors for Memorial Day

On Sunday, May 29^th, the Yakima Herald posted an article titled “Opinion: Are we living up to their sacrifices?” Such a fitting question, as it was, indeed, Memorial Day weekend. You can read it here.

The article starts off how you might expect it: discussing the long weekend, sunnier weather, visiting tombstones. But then quickly turns to make the point of this day- to honor the sacrifices of our service members: “They gave their lives-their lives-so the rest of us could be safe and live free.”[1]

However, according to the article, we are NOT living up to their sacrifices due to “the most basic freedoms” being under attack from “misguided people who somehow think what they’re doing is patriotic.” Apparently, the Herald thought this day was an appropriate time to bring up political discourse masked as honoring our service members.

One of the “basic freedoms” they are referring to are “laws aimed at restricting certain people’s access to voting.” In Washington state, to register to vote, you must be:

-A citizen of the United States

-A legal resident of Washington state

-At least 18 years of age

-Not disqualified from voting due to a court order

-Not serving a sentence of total confinement in prison

-Not currently incarcerated for a federal or out-of-state felony[2]

So what laws are aimed at restricting “certain people’s” access to voting? It would seem this claim is referring to laws popping up across the country to require a photo ID to vote. 35 states currently have voter ID laws requesting or requiring voters to show ID to vote.[3] The claim this would “restrict access” for “certain people” is due to millions of people apparently not having a valid ID card. The argument is that requiring a photo ID is “racist” and is intentional to limit minority votes, as blacks and Hispanics historically have higher percentages than whites of not having a state-issued ID.[4]

On the surface, one could hear this argument without further inspection. Why the push for voter ID if it disproportionately effects minorities? A hot topic historically but especially after the 2020 election is voter integrity. According to our list of voter requirements above, in order to vote in our state, you must be a citizen, a Washington resident, and be at least 18 years of age: how can we prove these things to be true without valid proof? Requiring a photo ID would limit the possibility of fraud, reduce the chances of voting in multiple states, and prevent votes from the deceased. Also, according to ballotpedia.org, “Researchers for the National Bureau of Economic Research found that between 2008 and 2016, voter ID laws had ‘no negative effect on registration or turnout, overall or by any specific group defined by race, gender, age, or party affiliation.’” According to johnlock.org, several states that have enacted photo ID to vote issue free IDs to those who can’t afford it. Are the laws about “restricting certain people” from voting, or are they intended to strengthen our voting integrity? To just assume the former without discussing the latter is biased and offensive to those who truly just care about vote integrity. Do we want, as a nation, to go through the divide over the legitimacy of the election like we have the last several years? When Donald Trump won the election in 2016, the left cried, “Russia interference” after the election, while when Joe Biden won in 2020, the right cried, “voter fraud.” Can’t photo IDs be required IN ADDITION to making them easy to obtain, without the Yakima Herald accusing people of wanting to deny Americans their “basic freedoms”?

The Herald’s next claim of “most basic freedoms” being under attack is “laws that take away a woman’s ability to choose what she does with her own body.” Of course, it is almost comical the “my body, my choice” people are back after many of these same people advocated for those who chose not to have an injection in their bodies should lose their livelihoods and be outcast from society, but I digress. Obviously, this one is about abortion. This topic, again, not so cut-and-dry as the Herald would like it to be. Those for abortion advocate for “rights” of the woman-which is very important. Those against abortion advocate for “rights” of the human inside the woman-also very important. It is no longer a debate on when life begins (thanks to early ultrasounds and modern medical technology, we can see life does indeed begin at conception), but on when a human being has rights. This argument can go on and on, but the principle of the matter is: the people who oppose abortion are not “attacking” “most basic freedoms” as much as they are defending the freedoms of the little boys and girls who cannot stand up for themselves. It is gray. It is messy. But both sides have their arguments, and to paint one as attacking and the other as upholding a standard is, once again, biased, and not giving both sides their fair share. They went on to say, “it’s not liberty and justice for all.” To that I say, do our unborn children deserve liberty? Do they deserve justice? Or is the “all” only whom the Herald deems worthy?

The next argument is “the new breed of ‘patriot’ unapologetically blurs the lines of separating church and state and openly embraces polices rooted in racism. They paste hateful messages on their bumpers, their T-shirts and on menacing flags that fly in their front yards.” The Herald does not, at all, give any specific examples. Just “hateful” messages. Just “menacing” flags. To whom? What do they say? What policies, specifically, are so “rooted in racism”? These words are thrown around to try to conjure up feelings of anger towards “them” (conservatives? Christians?) without any examples. Is flying a flag you disagree with menacing? Is a message on a bumper sticker you disagree with hateful? Sounds very subjective, Yakima Herald. No one is advocating for hate speech here, but, as Tom McDonald says, “There’s a difference between hate speech and speech that you hate.”

They go on to bring up the smear-campaign on Donald Trump when he allegedly dismissed fallen American service members as “losers” and “suckers.” The history behind this statement was that Donald Trump allegedly made this comment and was later leaked to the Atlantic, who of course printed is as fact.[5] Trump has repeatedly denied making this comment. I, for one, don’t know if he indeed said this or not-it is complete hearsay. But the fact he repeatedly denies that he did shows that, at least, he doesn’t stand behind this type of comment. If he did, we would be hearing him say things along these lines repeatedly and unapologetically. (When does Trump ever pretend to be a way he isn’t?) Trump has also made many more comments proven and on record honoring our service members in so many ways.[6] Why does the Herald focus on one alleged comment from him instead of the many proven on record comments? Biased, biased, biased.

Next, the opinion piece brings up “swastikas” flying at “hate rallies.” No mention where. When. Why. What kind of hate rally? The Herald paints a picture of the “them” as hateful, racist bigots routinely flying swastikas while supporting a candidate that hates service members. The good ol’ “if you don’t agree with us, you’re Nazis” claim. I personally haven’t seen swastikas nor been aware of any “hate rallies,” but if I did (and you, dear reader, I’m sure would agree): it would absolutely rejected. Nazism, racism, and hate have no place on either side of the aisle. However, the Yakima Herald’s opinion piece (which states they “reflect the collective opinion of the newspaper’s local editorial board”) is creating hate by biased, one-sided pieces like this that aim to promote one side as the side of “democracy” and smearing the other side with titles like “racists,” “hateful” and swastika-flag wavers. This is our local newspaper. The newspaper is to be as unbiased and report objectively on news: how can we trust a paper that smears at least half of our beautiful county as racist bigots? How can we trust their intentions? Although this piece is opinion, they themselves state this is the collective opinion of their editorial board and then proceeded to print it on Memorial Day weekend.

The news should be unbiased, balanced, and objective, being equal to both sides of the aisle and their views. The way forward is by coming together, understanding each other’s points of views without smearing, reporting truth, and finding common ground to better our community. We here at Accurate Perspective reject all racial supremacy, and that is the opinion of the entire team.

If you were ever curious where the Yakima Herald stands when it comes to their agenda, they just told you. Careful, Yakima Herald-your bias is showing.

[1] https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/opinion-are-we-living-up-to-their-sacrifices/article_30d2f9cf-fb13-5d25-97e1-19bf9875a3c8.html

[2] https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voter-eligibility.aspx

[3] https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx

4 http://www.projectvote.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/americans-with-photo-id-research-memo-february-2015.pdf

[5] https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/09/03/report-trump-disparged-us-war-dead-as-losers-suckers/

[6] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/watch-live-trump-gives-medal-of-honor-to-u-s-soldier-who-rescued-hostages-in-iraq