Some people are offended by the Gadsen Flag. I don’t think that it supplants Old Glory, but it has a message all its own. I think that it has a place on Flag Day.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Our rights are not bestowed by men but by our Creator, and they are unalienable. Governments exist to secure those rights – and that is as far as it goes. The Gadsen Flag reminds me of those self-evident truths. Beyond the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution exists to define and constrain government. The Bill of Rights does not bestow anything. God bestows. It limits the government’s power within that legal Republican framework.
Bullet Points:
** Are you offended by toxic masculinity in Science Fiction? (left)
** Is THIS the Royal Navy? I need some clarification. Maybe it’s best they stay ashore and polish the handle on the big brass door.
** Is there a difference? The issue of women’s rights is explored.
** Your American Heritage – Ed Bonderenka and Hillsdale Professor Brad Birzer talk about his latest book, The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Experiment in Liberty
** Muslim youth celebrate in France. The Children of the Sand show love and respect to the nation that feeds, shelters, and nurtures them at huge public expense. The same thing is happening in Italy. In the United States, they have staked out health and human services as their turf. How is that working out? And in the UK – well, it’s not something to be proud of.
** Should we talk about the Lion Heart?
** You can call them wetbacks, but they didn’t get wet.
** At the Federal Reserve – In May 2026, Kevin Warsh officially took office as Chair of the Federal Reserve. He advocates reducing the Fed’s balance sheet from $6.7 trillion to below $3 trillion, cutting $1.5 trillion in Treasury holdings and fully liquidating $2.1 trillion in MBS. This would turn the Fed from the largest buyer of U.S. Treasuries into a potential seller, directly changing the supply-demand structure. The Fed currently holds $4.45 trillion in Treasuries, accounting for 66% of its total assets, the highest share since March 2008. If Warsh’s balance-sheet reduction plan is ultimately implemented, it would mean the Fed stops providing liquidity support for fiscal deficits, reducing Treasury purchases by roughly $500 billion per year. The reduction may be carried out through active selling rather than merely allowing securities to mature passively, accelerating the release of supply pressure. For the U.S. Treasury, $10 trillion in U.S. government debt will need to be refinanced in 2026, further increasing the risk of a supply-demand imbalance.
** We honor and remember Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) William Chad Mulder, who died by suicide as a result of service-connected wounds 9 years ago. Don’t forget to do your buddy checks.
** Wow. I’m not the only one who sees this obvious solution. It’s all about water. They’re not talking the “n-word,” but the only way to make this work is through the use of nuclear energy because California is on the verge of blackouts because of energy folly.
** Are you a depressed lesbian? This may be for you.
** The Hajj has passed for 2026, but you might think about planning on visiting Mecca in 2027. After all, it’s Islam’s holiest place.
** Just a note – Amazon Author’s Page – a quick list of what books and short stories that I have in print. Shameless self-promotion if you are new to Virtual Mirage. Sales break down this way: 80% e-books, 9% Kindle Unlimited, 6% audiobooks, 5% paperbacks.
** Gregg Gutfeld explores education in Canada. For what it’s worth, SpaceX is worth more than Canada. Once Alberta leaves Canada, it will be worth less than 50% of SpaceX’s value. And the Canadian reaction will likely be to double down on woke if history is any guide.
** The essential functions of government – here are four. Are they YOUR top four?
Identify the Aircraft
1
Identify the Armor
2
3
4
End
By only posting every other day it’s like you are drying off a milk cow at the end of a long lactation. We appreciate whatever milk we receive. Thanks for alerting us when you do this so the conspiracy theory side of me doesn’t kick into overdrive.
It’s difficult to create a daily blog when I have travel and other work on the plate. There are also days like Saturday when fewer people visit the blog, particularly during the summer.
I forgot to mention it on the blog, but Happy 80th Birthday, President Trump.
Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army also!! A trifecta today.
Identify the Aircraft
1 – Ilyushin Il-38N “Dolphin
Identify the Armor
2 – Soviet T-35
3 – Italian Carro Portamunizioni L40
4 – Churchill Mk IV
Excellent!
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Ilyushin Il-38 “May”
Identify the Armor:
2. T-35
3. L6/40 ammunition carrier
4. Churchill Mk. II
My Pride Flag(s)
https://ed-bonderenka.blogspot.com/2026/06/flag-day-2026.html
Though I love the Gadsden Flag, I prefer the Pinetree Flag, as it has the statement on it “An Appeal to Heaven,” as the Revolutionary War was as much a religious war as it was a political, economic and land-ownership war. Do we, as ‘Colonial Americans,’ believe that the King of England is our spiritual leader?
👍
Thank you so much for linking to that broadcast.
I honestly think it’s one of, if not, THE best I’ve done.
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All men are created equal.
Not made equal.
We have a Gadsden Flag license plate in Idaho. I sport a military USMC plate.
The Muslim problem in the EU and the Amish problem here at home—-vigilantes!
Water to Vegas—excellent idea, but rife for democrapt grift. See—high speed train in Cali.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONALD J TRUMP!!!!!!!!!!!
You could just always triple the distance and go from Texas to Nevada, but… Or from Mexico through Arizona to Nevada.
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But, yeah, California, with all its problems, that right there is a tricky one to get over. Might be cheaper to ship water via air-cargo than from going through California.
“Muslim youth celebrate in France.”
Until we, the countries who have lovingly opened our hearts (and our wallets) to these poor, underprivileged Muslim waifs who require the totality of the resources available in our country and who repay these kindnesses with criminal trangressions; until such time time as we realize that our biblical instruction to take in the stranger has been abused, we will shortly arrive at the point where we all must kowtow to a “supreme being” whose prophet says quite distinctly “Join us or die.”
It appears that we cannot transport these “citizens” back to the countries from which they (or their parents or their grandparents – unto the fifth generation in less than twenty years), so what are our options?
We remove them or we tolerate their behavior.
The way to control Muslim Youth is by fire or sword. Toxic Christian masculinity at its finest is the only way to deal with Them.
Royal Navy. Sometime in 1976, my buddy and I went on R&R to London. Somewhere in a dusty box I have a Polaroid of me standing in front of these guns–
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_War_Museum#/media/File:15inchgunsatImperialWarMuseumLondon.jpg
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I had the thought that perhaps the Royal Navy might need the back, but no, even if all was restored to working order, how could they possibly crew them?
That is a massive problem for the Brits because under DEI, freaks and misfits get priority in hiring and promotion.
Congratulations to the senior service on your 251st birthday. My flag is on display on my balcony – the only flag on display on this four story building other than the flagpole out front. June 14th was my Mother’s birthday. Subject of many lame jokes over the years.
Possibly a 5th function of government; infrastructure (roads, bridges, flood control, etc.). The private sector isn’t always able, or willing, to provide them.
Flags flown in front of houses and mainstreet this morning on the way to and from church service…love it when real America is presented as it had always been in my youth and young adulthood. Anyone not liking the flag and what it stands for is free to leave.
…and thanks for the reminder, Happy 80th Mr. President!
Happy flag day.
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Been traveling… from last few days since. I didn’t have time to comment…
… yes… it’s not over !
… spent sone time with a gentlemen from Jordan discussing the Mid East situation. Went well.. As always I learn things by listening.
… good to know Jules does not have a beard..but she does have two hungry large dogs, so there’s that.
Good luck with your travels. I hope that you’re not in the Middle East, Al.
I am not in the Mid East this week. Thanks for concern.
The bird is an IL-38 May (NATO code) Flew against them a few times off the USSR back in the day. They liked to spit their buoys the same time we did, as close to ours as possible, trying to see how good we were.
They were a pretty close copy of a P-3, and at least once that I know of, was mistaken for a P-3 by the USS America in the mid-80s off Spain… Friend of mine (AWC) was taking a smoke break on the fantail and watched one come flying by the America, close aboard, windows manned with photographers. He walked back into the ASWOC on the carrier and asked casually if anybody had reported the May flyby… Nobody had, and things got ‘interesting’ according to him.
Things should have gotten interesting. Even in peacetime you don’t let an enemy that close to you unless you’re letting them look at something you want them to look at.
Yep, but by the time Ron got up to the CO, the May was long gone… They didn’t have an E-2 up, because they were getting ready to go through Gibraltar.
A deal. If you can keep it.
Exactly. We shall see if it holds after Wednesday.
I fly our flag 51 weeks out of the year, mostly over the Texas state flag but I swap the Texas flag out for the Alamo flag during the 13-days of the siege and then the San Jacinto flag on San Jacinto day.
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Then on April 30, I respectfully lower everything and hoist the RVN flag to half-mast by itself and leave it up for a week or so, because reasons. Then it’s back to the US and Texas state flags until Feb 23 rolls around again.