Philosophy

In Memoriam: Charlie Kirk (1993–2025)

Rest in peace, Charlie. Your voice may be silent now—but it echoes still.

We are saddened by the inexplicable loss of Charlie Kirk .. an indomitable force, a culture warrior, and fundamentally, a fine human being whose presence was powerful and whose voice was un-apologetically steadfast.

Charlie was a rare creature in today’s cultural landscape: someone who challenged prevailing norms and called others to do the same—not with quiet neutrality, but with bold conviction. In an era when voices are often diminished, he insisted on being heard .. even if what he said made many uncomfortable. His convictions were rooted in tradition, shaped by faith and family, and radiated through his work with Turning Point USA and beyond.

He encouraged robust debate; he invited scrutiny. His “Prove Me Wrong” table wasn’t just a clever setup ..it was a testament to his belief that strength lies in standing behind what you believe, especially when challenged.

His passing leaves a void in modern cultural discourse. We will miss his fiery intellect, his unapologetic authenticity, and yes, even arguments with him—because they made us think harder, dig deeper, and stand firmer in our own beliefs.

Our hearts ache for his beloved wife, Erika, and their two young children. No public figure, however impactful, can ever replace the role he played in their lives. To them—may you find comfort in the memories you made and the legacy he leaves behind.

May God carry him and bless his family at this time.

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A Good Man With A Gun

Thank you to Derrick Perry And Matthew K. Semper Fi.

Yesterday in Traverse City, the unthinkable happened.

A man entered the Walmart on South Airport Rd a little before 5 and began attacking innocent people with a knife. Eleven were injured, six of them in critical condition, five in serious condition. According to a source close to Munson Medical Center, at least one victim may have passed away in the early hours of the morning. (As-yet unofficial)  Our prayers are with all the victims and their families during this horrific time.

But amid the chaos and horror, courage emerged.

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Debt, Beds, and Bureaucrats: The Real Healthcare Sickness

It is still and always will be evidence that government is simply–too big.

OK, fair points ..as produced by fear mongering Democrats.

Scales seems to believe I’ve spent five decades (yeah–he is being tongue-in-cheek)  at the pulpit preaching some Reagan-era economic gospel, and now, cue the red hats and Chinese manufacturing, the altar’s finally cracked. Nice imagery. But my friend.. let’s turn down the incense for a moment and get serious.  (It’s great discussion–that needs to happen however)

The video shared paints another emotionally charged picture—hospitals bought by private equity, loaded with debt, and discarded like yesterday’s newspapers. And it’s supposed to prove that capitalism—deregulated and unchained—is to blame for failing healthcare in urban OR rural areas.

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Still Missing the Fire (Truck) for the Flames

It is a higher power that creates such things as ..vultures

But I insist.

My friend Scales is a thoughtful writer, but in this case, he’s wielding a classic rhetorical sleight of hand—introducing a different frustration about private equity (fire truck manufacturing) to distract from my original argument: government-created scarcity is the true culprit in manufactured housing rent spikes.

Let’s talk about that fire truck video.

Yes, fire departments are paying more. Yes, trucks are expensive. But blaming that on private equity alone is like blaming a grocery store for high egg prices during a bird flu outbreak. It’s convenient—but wildly incomplete.

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Private Equity isn’t the disease..It’s just buzzards circling the corpse.

Not cheering on the villain, don't like em one bit, but..

I am a person who believes you solve problems by correctly identifying what those problems truly are.

In this case there are some ..that are real.  Scales makes a point and the video may make you feel a little bad about those mean ol money changers.

But .. They only show up after local governments have already choked off the oxygen. Manufactured home residents don’t own the land under their feet because zoning laws make sure they can’t. In Michigan, most localities have quietly outlawed new parks or single-wides on private lots unless you beg for an exception—and those usually come with fees, delays, or a fat NO. The result? A handful of legacy parks become monopoly zones, and suddenly private equity gets that look in its eye.

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Grand Traverse County, Clous, and The Nutty Left

The Irony of the "Chilling Effect" on display.

The bat guano crazy left won one this time.  And it’s not a good look on local government.

TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County has settled a long-running lawsuit involving former Commissioner Ron Clous for $100,000, according to plaintiff attorney Blake Ringsmuth.

The settlement of the case likely came from a desire to end the nuisance suit and get back to the work they were supposedly elected to do.  However, the core of the lawsuit against Commissioner Ron Clous revolves around the claim that his display of a rifle during a virtual meeting had a “chilling effect” on free speech. Yet, the ensuing legal action itself arguably exerts a chilling effect on expressive conduct, particularly when it pertains to constitutionally protected rights.

The “chilling effect” refers to the inhibition or discouragement of legitimate exercise of natural and legal rights by the threat of legal sanction. In this case, Clous’s action—while perhaps ill-advised (and maybe a little funny at the time), was a form of expressive conduct. The lawsuit, and the subsequent $100,000 settlement, could deter public officials from engaging in similar expressions, fearing legal repercussions.

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The Case Against Zoning Enabling in Michigan

How Did We Ever Survive Without Zoning?

So .. In Lansing, there is great ballyhoo about Lansing “returning zoning power to the local governments.”

All well and fine .. but

There was a time when homes were built by families with sweat, timber, and willpower. Before the advent of bureaucratic overreach, people lived in homes they designed, worked in businesses they created, and adapted their communities through mutual interest and common sense. Today, we’re told we cannot build like our parents did. We’re trapped in a maze of restrictive zoning laws enabled by the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (MZEA) of 2006—a law that stifles private property rights, innovation, and natural development.

As a real estate agent working in Northern Michigan, I see firsthand the impact of these constraints. Buyers are fighting for affordability while sellers—who must often become buyers again—face a new market skewed by government-imposed scarcity. My goal is to ensure both sides find the best value, despite a system that increasingly works against them.

Private Property Is a Natural Right

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Dodging the Bullet

The Best of Intentions, the Worst of Results

There’s a saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In Lansing, they’re not just paving the road—they’re zoning it for mixed use, demanding affordability quotas, and handing out pamphlets on how to organize a tenant union.

Let’s talk about the so-called “Tenant Empowerment Package” and the other housing policy boondoggles our Democrat-led legislature has been salivating over. If they had succeeded in passing the full suite of 2023–2024 proposals, the rental housing market in Michigan would be a scorched field of “For Sale” signs and padlocked doors.

Fortunately, some of these landmines didn’t make it to detonation. We dodged a few bullets—but the gun is still loaded.

The Bill That Almost Was

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Teach A Man To Fish

Why Tariffs Matter More Than You Think

Big picture, long term.

Imagine you’re running a small fishing business. You’ve got nets, boats, a crew, and years of know-how passed down through generations. Then one day, imported fish starts showing up in your market — dirt cheap. Tastes okay. Looks the same. Your customers love the price. You can’t compete, so you cut costs. Maybe lay off a few folks. Eventually, you hang it up.

Now what?

Let’s zoom out. This isn’t just about fish — it’s about everything we make. Microchips, textiles, tools, technology, even baby formula. When goods from overseas flood the market at prices lower than domestic producers can match, it feels like a win for the consumer… at first.

But over time, we risk forgetting how to fish.

Wait — Isn’t That What Antitrust Law is For?

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Granholm Strikes Again – Lies, LNG, and Lousy Leadership

Hiding more than facial deformities.

It’s always the “smartest people in the room” who think you won’t notice when they hide the truth in the bottom drawer.

Turns out Canada’s favorite export, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm during her stint at the DoE, buried a Department of Energy report that completely torpedoed the justification for Biden’s 2024 LNG export pause. The same pause that crippled U.S. energy leverage during a time of global instability and emboldened our enemies.

Why? Because facts weren’t politically useful. Can’t have reality contradicting the climate cult narrative, now can we?

According to HotAir:

“The Energy Department has learned that former Secretary [Jennifer] Granholm and the Biden White House intentionally buried a lot of data and released a skewed study to discredit the benefits of American LNG… the administration intentionally deceived the American public to advance an agenda that harmed American energy security, the environment and American lives.”

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