As has been the case for many years, and especially most recently, the charge is that conservatives are falsely railing against a straw man in their observations and accusations leveled against the activities of liberals, and the Obama administration. Before I address this situation directly, let’s take a moment to look at what is meant by the term “straw man.”

The concept of the “straw man” is the observation of the deceptive capability of humankind. When an individual wants to divert attention from a true issue, a false or irrelevant topic is created and attacked, and by doing so, advantage (if not victory) is achieved through such an argument. This is a mixture of misdirection and deception, and in layman’s terms, a battle waged against things that just aren’t there. Defending against the straw man charge is problematic. For conservatives that have the fortitude to stand up to the Obama administration’s attacks on this country, it is not just the repercussions brought forth by angry liberals that are a problem. Going beyond those attacks is the challenge for conservatives to constantly disprove the straw man; that is, that the threats facing this nation being brought forth by the most aggressive socialistic pushers of modern day are more than the fictitious creations of a minority party wishing to grab back the reins of political power.

When it comes to battling the accusations from the left that conservatives are simply attacking a straw man, the strategy liberals have in play is for those who wish to stand up for this country to spend endless time trying to prove the obvious - that this administration is about to destroy the country. This is the epitome of hypocrisy, even from the left which has hit some really highs lately, hitting below the belt pertaining to the best interest of this country. This does not mean that illusionary constructions are not taking place to deceive the public. What it does mean is that the biggest scams on reality today are not coming from the demonized gun toting, Bible-clinging conservatives. Here are the real culprits and the straw man illusionary constructions they are spinning, and why they must be stopped sooner - not later.

The biggest false reality and misdirection that is being framed across the United States is that we, the American people, are living in a state of normalcy and the greatest nation on Earth is being guided by a President, with a supporting cast of politicians, who aspire to promote the continual prosperity of a capitalistic Christian nation. The most deadly of illusions being forwarded daily to the public, and with extreme efficiency, I believe, is the notion that this nation can survive any and all actions of abuse heaped upon it. It’s time to remove the veil of deceit before the face of this country and let all the straw men burn until nothing but the truth stands before us. The truth, unfortunately, is that we are all in big trouble. As the nation goes, we go. 

In a country where the waters of the “well of the benefit of the doubt” run deep, President Barack Obama has drawn every drop in his short tenure as commander and chief of the United States. From his lips alone, he has rejected America as a Christian nation and washed his hands of the Biblical (if not humanity’s) responsibility for the unborn. This same president has indebted the nation to our economic opponents to amounts the human mind can no longer fathom, and the numbers keep increasing by the second. Through his minions found in the radical, left-leaning Democrat Party, this president is attempting to socialize the very existence of every man, woman, and child within our borders and bring them to their knees as modern-day slaves.

The question of the acceptance of a fabricated illusion of normality versus the cold reality of impending doom and chaos is nothing new as it has been the unfortunate choice for people throughout history, such as the Romans in the time of Caligula, the Soviets in the time Stalin, the Germans in the time of Hitler, the Iraqis in the time of Hussein, and now the Americans in the time of Obama. The tyrants, methods of destruction, and illusions spun to quell revolt may change but the inevitable outcomes remain the same. Slavery, pain, suffering, economic and physical death have consistently been the end product.

The American people stand in a historical place where others have been before. A place where once a myriad of choices stood, having been squandered, now only the most basic remain. As those before us have had to decide, we can choose to languish in an illusion that all is well, that all will be well, until the bloody end, or we can collectively take up the mantle of responsibility and meet the forces of destruction and unseat them from power and stop the deadly tide that will inevitably destroy us. Let all the straw men burn with their adjoining deceptions despite who may be their creators as this country can no longer afford illusionary constructions when our current situation is so near, real, and dangerous.

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

As conservatives and the Republican Party, the party most able to bring back the misplaced spirit of this country, fight to find both their bearings and their grit, they are also faced with the not so wanted task of culling out those that will inevitably hurt the movement. The sometimes bandied about notion that movements should take all comers to expand their ranks is fool hearty, at best, and probably the most often whispered advice from the enemy, at worst. For liberals and the Democrat Party, which have toiled over the last few decades to become one and the same, the painful truth is that America is a center-right nation. That’s right, conservatives have the actual physical numbers to win elections, pass meaningful laws, set their agenda, and even course correct the dire straits this country finds itself in today. So, if today’s liberal cannot numerically defeat mainstream America at the polls, who can? The painful truth is that the biggest culprit, the most accurate monkey wrench thrower attributing to conservative political defeats, has been, and will always be, the missteps of conservatives themselves as they attempt to retrieve what is rightfully theirs: victory.

There are a handful of political poisons that conservatives fall victim to swallowing that inevitably lead to “death” at the polls. I could talk about the lack of political fortitude (call it like it is), or even the inability, to articulate a clear and concise message to the people in a world where cryptic political double-speak is considered graceful, but for today, the focus is placed on the importance of who should be, and who should not be, allowed to walk under the banner of the Conservative Movement. Liberals always hate the analogy, “birds of a feather flock together,” because if you walk through their “coop” you will always find some very dirty birds. However, for liberals, the saying becomes so much more valid when the associations are linked to conservatives - and the “filthy flockers” that sneak in to snuggle under their banners.

The worst of these groups, when it comes to poisonous association residue, are the publicly identified “Conspiracy Theorists.”  Surely, you’ve heard of some of them, like the Loose-Changers, and the 9-11 Truthers, among others. These small but vocal gangs of self-pronounced sleuths eagerly hunt and report by way of covert cyber space chat rooms, and doomsday-style websites, the secret, evil, underhanded workings of the government, private businesses, the rich, the poor, foreign operators, hell, everybody. While these groups, like the farthest of the left liberals should be given their free speech chance to tell the world the benefits of tinfoil for blocking government created mind control radio waves, they are the rotten apple in the conservative barrel.

Here is why. The most obvious is the group association that those who wish to hurt a conservative movement can make at every turn. For example, when a handful of uninvited 9-11 Truthers show up at a TEA Party, the liberal media places the conspiracy nuts at the top of their reports and frames the entire event from that vantage point. Is that fair? Absolutely not, but it happens all too often. Conspiracy theorists, in effect, become the “low hanging fruit” when it comes to diminishing the credibility of Americans who wish to restore this country back to its original foundations. Think about it. For the liberal media - in the tank for Barack Obama, why should they spend their time cutting out footage of African Americans rejecting the current “hope and change” fallacy of the administration, or any of the other myriad of examples of the legitimacy of the TEA Party grassroots movements, when they can tape 5 minutes of conspiracy nuts explaining how former President George Bush and Vice-President Cheney set satchel charges in the World Trade Center.  

Part of the expansion of the conspiracy theory industry has come from the “crazy for profit” vendors, such as Alex Jones. Jones, who has created the website infowars.com, which is part X-Files, part National Treasure, and part pure crapola, has found a way to turn a dollar - breeding anti-everything distrust. The dark side of the Ron Paul philosophy often finds a home among the clickables on Alex Jones’ website. What you will find when you cruise the Alex Jones website, as well as the other conspiracy sites that espouse the “everybody is out to get us” mentality, is anger, distrust, paranoia, and all the building blocks of self generated doom and gloom.

What you will not find is the conservative message of hope for the country or the positive idealism of Lincoln, Eisenhower, and that of the beloved Ronald Reagan. I believe these individuals would, as should conservatives today, shun the modern day conspiracy theorist with their repetitious unanswerable assembly line of secret plots and dirty deeds. It is naive to believe that the anger and distrust heaped by the conspiracy crowd on then, President George W. Bush, now placed upon Barack Obama, will not also run rampant upon the next president, even if he or she is the embodiment of the conservative ideal that the mainstream majority of America is naturally drawn too. If we are honest with one another, we already know that the modern conspiracy theorist, that is currently “jonesing for the Alex Jones” experience, will immediately see evil ‘men in black’ working within the shadows of a leader completely the opposite of Barack Obama. In short, conspiracy theorists will always be at odds with all echelons of power and authority by the nature of their existence, which is all the evidence they need that bad things are afoot.

It is because of the necessity for the country to find a President of a different ideology than Barack Obama that conservatives, and the Republican Party which most closely represents them, must cull out and toss the conspiracy theorists from their ranks - both publicly and privately. Conservatives must come to an understanding that, over time, this action will increase, not decrease, their political power. In simple terms, tossing a few rotten apples from the apple barrel is not only wise, but also saves cleaning up an inevitable big stinky mess down the road.

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

America, where is your character, your pluck, your grit? If that question seems overly harsh and needlessly aggressive, then you are staring directly at the problem. This nation sits at the precipice of a fundamental, irreversible transformation that will make all too visible a new country that is incontrovertibly “one nation under a spineless, politically correct, brow-beaten, emasculated bunch of sheep.” Is that too harsh? If you believe my words are too offensive, that I should tone it down, possibly give contemplation to all opposing views from every potential angle, if not every position within the cosmos, then, you’re actually staring at the real problem.

At a time when the country is faced with an administration that wishes to transform this country into a completely socialistic nation, Americans appear to be dangerously low on grit. Some would counter the statements I have posited, as to the lack of American character in an obvious time of need, with the examples of the growing number of Americans that are participating in town halls, and the growing TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Parties. I applaud and participate in these events with great spirit and enthusiasm; however, they will not be the final weapon to defeat the forces that truly wish to destroy this nation.

I am not idealistic, nor need I be to understand the predicament this country is in and the chasm that divides where we have been as a nation, from where we are now. It is true that there have always been those within this great nation that carry within their heart desires that run counter to the betterment of the nation. We know them as the socialist, the communist, the anarchist, and all others that share similar desires that run counter to the best laid plans of our country and its founding fathers.

The presence (if not the appearance today) of these jackals within the echelons of power and influence is not a product of a sudden massive influx of anti-American cohorts, but of the effect of a slow, yet progressive, erosion of our true national character. The growing masses that make up the groups of opposition fighting for the survival of the nation today in the TEA Parties, among others,  could double - if not triple - in time, and may ultimately be victorious against the current threat of the Barack Obama socialist machine. While you and I work and pray for this to come to reality, the matter of American character will still lie before us, as does our ultimate destiny.

In this struggle for the short term survival of the nation, as well as our place within history, I must admit a more than ample amount of animosity at the predicament we find ourselves in as a nation, including the timidity by many to provoke our enemies to anger - even while we are battling with these same foes for the future of all we hold dear. Has the quest for individual character, moral value and spiritual salvation been permanently replaced with the need to acquiesce to moral relativism, atheism, and the will of the group collective? I pray that this is not so, while knowing full well that if we as a nation were in proper form, there would be little concern about the few who would be offended by a nation that quests for the divine while denying the alternative, socialist bonds.  

I submit to you that as surely as an administration as unbelievably atrocious as that of Barack Obama could never have come to fruition in a country that carried the same national grit of the past, that we are equally destined to repeat the same calamitous scenario in the future - if we do not find this country’s true American character - and firmly hold on to it.

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

Sometimes being right is personally rewarding, sometimes it’s of financial benefit, and sometimes, unfortunately, it’s just downright painful. I recently wrote an article, “What’s Still The Matter With Thomas Frank?” about the upcoming (at the time) documentary by filmmakers Laura Cohen and Joe Winston, inspired by Thomas Frank’s 2004 bestselling book, “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” The article I wrote caused a minor brouhaha with the filmmakers, who posted a commentary rebuttal and a photo of yours truly on the official film website. Other than framing me, the way liberals often do conservatives, as boiling over with anger and throwing Nazi labels where they have not been applied, it seemed like a typical day at the office of politics. I was somewhat amazed, and quite pleased, to see the comment section on their website fill with a majority of comments in my favor. People seemed to easily get the points I was trying to make.

What did come from the postings on the filmmaker’s website, in combination with comments from many of my radio listeners, was the need for me to watch the movie myself and write a review. At first, I thought this was beyond my purview, but after reading film critic Roger Ebert’s admittedly biased, bosomed embrace of the movie, I re-qualified myself with lightning speed. Watching the film in general was not a problem, as I would only be taking the advice I gave to readers in my original article. However, to watch the film post-haste was slightly more difficult, as the film was only being aired in leftist strongholds, such as the Democratic fundraiser in Wichita, Kansas (where I would have to shell out cash at the door), or the liberal “Alliance for Peace and Justice Organization,” in Manhattan, Kansas. To avoid having to fund the Democratic Party, Manhattan was the choice.

The accommodations in Manhattan were nice. After the crowd had been properly prepped with an oration of the glowing review by Roger Ebert, the lights dropped and an eerie morose melody started the movie as viewers began their journey into the filmmakers view of the great state of Kansas, and its people.

As a life-long Kansan, my experience was two-fold. First, the imagery of the movie has some very stunning footage of hay fields and country homes that was very beautiful to view. It is hard to deny the physical beauty of this state, and I admit to being biased with that opinion. Unfortunately, the film at its heart is not about the landscape but the people that inhabit that landscape, and more accurately, certain types of people. This is the heart of the review, or what the cattlemen might call the “meat” of the matter. Those weak of heart or lacking a firm grip on reality should just get up now, and with the same effort one would use to avoid a true Kansas cattle stampede, run while the running’s good.

I am afraid to report that when I compared Thomas Frank’s book, which I believe was a cheap hatchet job on the majority of the people of Kansas, and the 2009 Cohen/Winston documentary of the same name, I found that the apple does not fall very far from the tree. A few fundamental themes ran through the film. The first theme is that when Christians and their values are mixed with politics it is the recipe for political doom. The liberal crowd on viewing night seemed quite joyful as the pro-lifer, Phill Kline, is defeated by Paul Morrison for Kansas Attorney General (I wonder how voting for Morrison worked out for those voters). The next theme that is painstakingly drawn out (in the Wild West World story) is that when religion and politics are mixed, it causes great financial hardship and calamity.

Apart from the perils of Christianity, the film was a liberal smorgasbord of tasty treats, such as the plight of the illegal alien, the stupidity of [President] Bush, the senselessness of the war in Iraq, and if you make some room on your plate, they will just kept coming and coming. This may seem strange, but I thought the most compelling person for heartfelt sympathy was none other than Thomas Frank. Shocking? I truly began to feel pity for Frank as he all but pleads with the keepers of the dusty Kansas archives to explain to him where all the good socialists have gone. Pity turns to sadness for Frank’s desire for an alternate reality, such as when he is filmed stumbling through the all but forgotten socialist cemetery for “radicals” and stating in a forlorn manner, “This is my Kansas.” For me, that is the saddest moment of the film for many reasons, none of which is my desire to live in a socialist state.

The main star of the documentary is without a doubt the disgruntled former Republican, Donn Teske. Teske, a (Frank-friendly) resource from the 2004 book, pops up throughout the film in such beautiful Kansas activities, such as riding the tractor and grilling hamburgers. He is truly a lovable character, and even when we get to the end of the film and he is shown to be quite the left leaner, we almost love him too much to care.

The reward from viewing this film is that I can now share my knowledge of the levels of usage of direct and indirect propaganda that were present. Compared with a typical Michael Moore documentary, What’s the Matter with Kansas? is more than a little dry. Moore uses direct propaganda through a very fast paced production with constant narration. In other words, Moore directly lies to viewers nonstop throughout his movies, and with copious amounts of flare. This makes for faster viewing, but a more insulting film to those in the know. As I usually consider two showers a necessity to cleanse myself after watching a Moore film, one will suffice after viewing What’s the Matter with Kansas?

Contrary to the style of Moore, Cohen and Winston use indirect propaganda in that they do not act in the film or give a running narrative to the film; however, they show you a filtered view of reality that fits the message they want viewers to receive. They avoid focusing viewers on the Republican’s landslide victories throughout time, but instead focus upon their defeats. They could show you Christians that have had positive outcomes putting their views and beliefs into political work, but instead the movie is fixated on the sad outcome of the church that found itself at Wild West World. Can we call this a typical story of Kansas? I think not.

In the end, while less grandiose and repugnant than some films that have found their way to the public, what we have here is another propaganda film attacking conservative Christian values. Yes, in the end, sometimes being right is downright painful. 

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

In the midst of the fight over whether or not the United States should, or should not, turn our medical system into a socialistic bread line, or whether the administration should heed the request for additional troops in Afghanistan, Barack Obama feels compelled to add to his strategic plate, the gay question. One could say that Obama’s recent move to change the military’s standing “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for homosexuals serving in the armed forces has been sparked by the recent unrest of strong Obama political backers, such as the powerful gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign (HRC), an organization that wishes to force total public support for the gay agenda by targeting, among others, America’s youth. However, this would probably be a case of missing the forest for all the trees. There is something bigger going on here.

Amid the chaos and turmoil that has accompanied the reign of the Obama Administration, there has been tendencies to lose focus on the important factors that have (and continue to) run the administration’s game plan for pushing their initiatives forward. I believe this unique Obama Blitzkrieg strategy is worthy of observation and analysis - and by understanding it, we may also understand why it will ultimately lead to Obama’s defeat.

The shocking first step for all those who followed Barack Obama for the “hope/change” ride is that there has never been a President in U.S. history that has owed so much to so few. Apart from the Blitzkrieg Obama strategy for success, but as important, is the growing number of converts leaving the camp of the Obama “yes we cans” who have come to the conclusion that Obama is now fully catering in policy and procedure to the radical left. What gets lost among the myriad of affronts to the survival of American tradition and economic viability is the strategy by which the Obama administration will try to win the battle for the radical left. The lens of observation will now be focused in this direction.

Contrary to most administrations, President Barack Obama has shown little interest in seeing a strategic policy shift come to fruition before implementing a new campaign for the re-shaping of the country. Instead, Obama has implemented the “all-out” strike of the Blitzkrieg. In World War II, the military forces under Adolf Hitler used the all out (air, land, sea, etc), converging strike tactic of the Blitzkrieg, to overwhelm the enemy and force a quick but bloody surrender of countries they wished to conquer. President Obama now uses this tactic against the American people and, as with the Nazis, Obama is likely to enjoy the fruits - but inevitably suffer the consequences - of such a tactic.

First the fruits: the Blitzkrieg moves with great swiftness and, in the case of the damaging policies of this administration, when opposing forces are mustered, the administration has created another equally important battle front that divides opposing groups on where to put resources and efforts. Meanwhile, the Obama Blitzkrieg machine moves like a panzer in high gear on to the next battlefront. In the short term, the swift and frightening movement of the Blitzkrieg adds an air of un-believability. As with those who watched the movements of the Nazi war machine so many years ago, even the political sages of our time, who foresaw the true intent of Barack Obama from every possible angle, must admit in their heart of hearts some true moments of shock at the rapid and multiple fronts of attack on the heart of our country by the Obama war machine that have taken place in such as short span of time.

While this has been devastating to watch, it offers a substantial ray of hope. The Blitzkrieg is an all out effort and missteps in judgment and strategy open the door for huge defeats. There is also very limited opportunity for stealth within this strategy. In fact, it will become more and more difficult for Obama to sneak around the calamity he has created. Yes, I believe that this option is gone for the president as he has firmly laid out his own smoke trail of carnage for all to see.

President Obama’s intentions for this country are now so overt that they are even shaking many of the befuddled “hope-changers” back to a painful state of consciousness and to a growing mainstream of opposition, or what I like to call an “Allied Force.” While the future of this country and the fate of Barack Obama as a political figure are not yet written, the president is certainly using a strategic plan of attack that has ultimately failed in the past.  

 Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

Do you still have a sense of humor? Can you still break into a good solid laugh when the opportunity arises? Conservatives and the Republican Party, the party by which conservative values are most often found, are at risk of losing one of the most compelling weapons in their arsenal, a decent sense of humor. Now don’t think for a moment that I am opposed to the righteous indignation, repulsion, and even anger, that has been reflected by the American people to the socialistic onslaught of policies that the Obama administration has attempted (and continues to attempt) to heap on this country and its people. I also reject the notion that victory for conservative values can be won by moderating our convictions and core values for the promise of “peace and tranquility” that would supposedly come from compromising the soul of this country. When it comes to this battle (which is being fought today) for the Christian foundations of this country, for the continuance of the capitalistic free market, and for the protection and security of this great nation against those who would wish us all dead, there is room for nothing short of absolutely victory.

However, if your eyes have been opened to the battle being waged for the future of this country, a good laugh has probably been the furthest thing from your mind - and this sentiment I understand. With that said, I firmly believe that those of us caught up in the turmoil of today may be withholding one of the most powerful tools for the ultimate victory of conservative values and the survival of the nation. So, for humor’s sake, please humor me as I recount a story from the plains that will have applicability to not only politics but to all places where a good laugh should ensue.

I remember my first year of law enforcement, in the first summer I worked, and my first experience with public nudity - from behind the badge. Yes, when you are a policeman you remember a lot of your “firsts,” as they often have a strong impact on you both positive and negative. Among the many “firsts” I would experience, this was a major life lesson. I was still in training and was riding with a seasoned officer. I remember we were sitting at a stop light and I was writing on a clipboard, part of the never ending paperwork that comes with the job, when I looked up for a moment to see a naked man run by the front of the patrol car. It was just about dusk, but the evening rays of sunshine were more than abundant to illuminate a not so athletic man in his forties - sporting nothing more than a set of glasses running southbound down one of the busiest streets in the city. I noted that he was traveling in the proper lane of traffic. Funny, how the mind works isn’t it?

Now, even in the heartland (which is steadily becoming more and more liberal), a naked man running down the street still rates as the highlight of the day for many and causes a rather healthy amount of pandemonium. As the supervisor pulled the patrol car into traffic behind the rotund runner (red and blue light flashing), for what would turn out to be a quite lengthy slow speed pursuit, my mind was racing through the Kansas statutes, the department policies, and all the things that make up the serious business of law enforcement - or so I thought. It was time for a lesson in the field that we can take right into the world of politics.

 The lesson came not from words but from the sound of nearly uncontrolled laughter from the veteran officer at the wheel of the patrol car. When his laughing began to subside, the supervisor said between deep breaths for air “never miss a moment for a good laugh.” With those white bouncing buttocks still in my peripheral vision, I listened as the supervisor explained that longevity in law enforcement was hinged upon the ability to find humor in places where humor is often lacking. Although we must prepare for potential dangerous things that may transpire at the conclusion of events such as these, what we have at this moment in time is “a naked man running down the street.” So, among the flashing lights, the public screams of shock, and the not so quick flashes of human anatomy, a chorus of healthy laughter from a patrol car in the heartland of Kansas was added to the scene.

To my fellow conservatives, today we fight for a country that is under siege by a socialistic administration that wishes to rip the foundations of this country apart. The defense of this country will not be a short battle, nor will it be a battle without many painful casualties. To this reality I would say that we must arm ourselves with all the weapons at our disposal, laughter being a powerful tool in that arsenal. We need to laugh, not only at the foolishness of our adversaries, but even have a good laugh at ourselves from time to time. Yes, conservatives, we have to win the day, but to win, we may have to do it while among other things, laughing.

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

“It’s a mad house, a mad house!” These were the words shouted from the lips of Charlton Heston in the 1968 movie release, Planet of the Apes. Heston, who played the character of astronaut George Taylor, found himself in a future Earth where apes ruled the land and humans, and their past culture, were considered evil taboo. Ah, science fiction, such a wondrous escape from reality, right? What happens when fiction and reality begin to overlap? What happens when they become one and the same?

Before I begin to share why I believe this country is going to the apes (self-deserved destruction), which I am sure will make the fur fly among many who would falsely infer my assessment is focused somehow on race, instead of policy, and accuse me of crossing into the forbidden zone, let’s look at the overall message that the Planet of the Apes movies tried to convey. As with all movies, there are many messages, both subtle - and not so subtle, that make their way from the screen to the viewer. Some messages strike a person right off and some, like a time released capsule, take a while to reach a point of full effect. Despite some hippie-residue of the cultural time in which the movies were made, I think some fundamentally important messages rang out from the grotesque gorilla governed ground in which the character Taylor would fight to survive. The most important enduring message is that if we abuse what we have (our power, authority, tradition, and yes our country - if not world) we will not only find ourselves running in chaos amongst the freaks, but that we will also deserve to be caught up in the nets of our own demise.

That’s really the deep seated message of relevance to understand, the comparisons of the upside-down ape world of the big screen and today are unfortunately too easy to provide. Take but a moment to look around you and it won’t take long to see the deadly preparation for chaos that is unfolding from every corner of this country. The United States has elected a president in Barack Obama, who when not busy fomenting racial conflict among the people who voted him into the most powerful position in the world, works with every ounce of his strength to destabilize the traditional pillars of this country. This same president invites the apocalypse worthy of the Ape World by emasculating the United States through ill conceived military weakness in foreign assemblies, such as the United Nations. I can only shake my head in frustration as this show of weakness is swiftly spat upon by villains, such as Iran’s dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the floor of the U.N. Assembly. In fact, just as the cult of the doomsday bomb worshippers knelt in reverence to an intercontinental missile (termed the Divine Bomb) in Beneath The Planet of the Apes, today, zealots such as Ahmadinejad reach out in wild-eyed salivation to grasp and wield nuclear cleansing fire against the none-believer.

It’s almost impossible to focus on impending destruction from afar with the domestic clamor of criminal activities from ACORN, politicians committing personal scandals as if it’s a race, and the bird-like sing-song chants of personal allegiance by public school children to Barack Obama as lord and savior. As if that were not the limit, TEA Party goers are completely de-humanized by the government when they say to an overbearing socialistic administration, “Take your stinking paws off me!” Who among the non-lobotomized left in this country is not shouting aloud (or within), “It’s a mad house!” I ask you now?

The humans in the Planet of the Apes movies that Taylor and company discovered had lost their ability to speak and subsequently it was a precursor to additional hardship and abuse for everyone. This is not so different from the here and now, as, at times, the American people do the same (remain silent at their own peril) by way of their busy lives and self induced apathy. The Planet of the Apes was a world of repetitious pain and anguish and a subliminal note, at the least, of a destiny of doom for humanity. However, after painting an extremely bleak picture, watchers are given a ray of hope in that viewers are told this is only one potential future among many. I would say that this is true for America and the world in general today. We Americans, and the world, are truly watching a return to the planet of the apes (chaos and destruction), but as bleak as this reality is, we are still the architects of our future and with that there is hope, and the possibility of redemption.

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com

Have you ever had to have one of those special sit-downs with the boss? You know, the kind where you have to sit in the big office with the blinds drawn to receive one of those “this is how it is” lectures - or the “better do it better next time” lessons of the work place. That is the kind of memory that even in retrospect quickens the pulse and starts that first light sheet of sweat on the palms. The reason that happens is that, for most of us, we understand and respect the authority of the boss. As a matter of fact, any boss that is worth his or her salt makes sure that the employees understand who calls the shots and has the last say. It’s a boss thing. Now, if we step out of the work place and into this country of ours, who do we identify as the boss?

From Congress to Barack Obama (and even as far as Bruce Springsteen), the boss of this country is not found. The one in charge of the future of this nation has much more power than all the above combined. Unfortunately, the authority within this country is often forgetful of the responsibility given to it, and the ramifications of losing focus while at the helm. This forgetfulness is not without visible consequences and we see it in the slow but sure way the master of this country has handed the power and authority to the employees. Yes, you know where I am going, we the people run this country and the government is simply an employee, a humble assistant, to facilitate our will. This statement may appear more derogatory than the shout of “liar” during a presidential speech, but it rings as true as America itself, that the people are not only capable, but responsible for their own fortune or demise. To mentally come to terms with this truth is hard for some, but allow me to shine some light on this perspective.

The terms of this powerful reality require that average peopleremove themselves from the comfortably scripted cocoon of citizen helplessness, framed from the minds and uttered from the lips of the modern liberal, and embrace the much more challenging reality of the power of American individuality. Within this equation for action remains the unshakable truth that where the heart and mind go, the hands will follow. Simply put, if Americans have an inspiration within their hearts and minds for an endeavor, they can and will move mountains. This country has a magnificent history of proving this, time and time again. Conversely, and just as true to reality, when we fail to move mountains, it is a direct reflection of a lack of American will to invest the heart and mind to such a task.

Since 9-11, if we take a factual panoramic view of the country, we can see some truly painful deficiencies in America’s will to force its government to address the concerns of its people (“the boss”). A few examples that make many cringe include the still gaping hole at ground zero, where the Twin Towers (America’s financial center – the World Trade Center) once stood. The failures of the nation to secure its borders and drill its own oil are examples that demand answers for years of inaction. The most salient example in recent days involve an image of employees running amuck in the governmental bid to force socialized medicine upon a free nation. However, disciplinary action cannot be wielded until ‘who is in charge’ is unequivocally established. So here it is: the responsibility for the present condition of the country and its future lies squarely on the shoulders of the American people - not the government. This is both the pain and pleasure of freedom. At times of national complacency, it is both the physical and spiritual accomplishments so abundant to view in America that slap us out of temporary fits of malaise.

I think that may be happening now, I believe that we may be hearing the voice of the boss screaming from streets of Washington DC. The boss sounds mad, and rightly so, as the employees have been running out of control for far too long. A day of reckoning may be at hand, and a time for many reckless employees to seriously have one of those special sit-downs with the boss.

Paul A. Ibbetson is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Paul is the author of the books Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society and Feeding Lions: Sharing The Conservative Philosophy In A Politically Hostile World. Paul is also the radio host of the Kansas Broadcasting Association’s 2008 and 2009 Entertainment Program of the Year, Conscience of Kansas airing on KSDB Manhattan 91.9 f.m. www.ibbetsonusa.com. For interviews or questions, please contact ibbetson91.9@gmail.com