Thoughts for the Day, September 17, 2025: My daughter is a badass one more time
My Daughter Katy is a Badass, again.
On Sunday my daughter Katy, mother of three, completed her second Half-Ironman of the summer as she completed a 1.3-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run in under 7 hours on an unseasonably warm day in Frankfurt, Michigan. To do this a second time less than three months after her previous Half-Ironman in June is an amazing fete. After the event was over, she along with her family drove the four hours from Frankfurt to Brighton and was home by 9pm. She is such a badass. She gets my Orchid of the Day
Is Our Democracy Going to Survive? I am not sure.
Multiple times in the last week I have been asked the above question. My answer has been, “I am not sure.” Our country has survived a civil war, McCarthyism, four assassinations of the 60’s, and 9/11, but I am not sure we are going to survive the hole we are digging most recently.
When high level government officials are saying what was said this week, it is stuff that authoritarian governments such as Hitler’s Germany, North Korea, China, Russia, and various Arab countries have done to their citizens. The divide in our country has gotten so bad our leaders are encouraging people to turn on each other. To turn on anyone who believes different than they do. To turn on anyone who says something that could be considered “hate” speech. To turn them into authorities where they will be investigated by the authorities. Here are examples of what concerns me.
· One clearinghouse for the campaign, parts of which were earlier reported by Wired, is a website that appears to have been registered just three hours after Mr. Kirk was killed. The site includes a tip line for submissions and includes photos of the people who disparaged him or cheered his death, along with personal information like their email addresses, place of residence and employer. As of Friday afternoon, 41 people had been named on the site. Its anonymous creator posted that the site had received almost 20,000 submissions and said the names would be put in a searchable public database of “radical activists calling for violence,” while also denying that it was “a doxxing website.”
· There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech, and there is no place—especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society,” AG Bondi told a podcast. “We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.”
· Anastasios Kamoutsas, the commissioner of education in Florida, said in a memo to state superintendents on Thursday that some teachers had made “despicable comments” about Mr. Kirk’s killing and that he intended to investigate every teacher who posted vile, inappropriate messages.
· “When you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out—and, hell, call their employer,” said Vice President JD Vance as he guest-hosted the late Kirk’s podcast Monday.
· People have been fired from their jobs after conservatives surfaced ugly posts in which they celebrated Kirk’s death or even just criticized his beliefs. A South Carolina congresswoman wants to cut funding for schools where teachers criticize Kirk. And the Pentagon suspended an army colonel who called the assassination “tragic” but said Kirk had spread “hate, racism, homophobia, misogyny and transphobia.”
· Representative Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana, said that he planned to use “Congressional authority” to force tech companies to “ban for life” any person who “belittled the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
· John C. Phelan, the secretary of the Navy, posted a message saying that sailors or Marines found to be “displaying contempt toward a fellow American who was assassinated” would be “dealt with swiftly and decisively.”
· Laura Loomer, a self-described free speech absolutist with 1.7 million followers on X, bragged in a text message to The New York Times that she had outed “dozens” of people who had celebrated the assassination. “I hope all of them lose their jobs,” she wrote. “Incitement of violence isn’t free speech.”
So much of the vile stuff said about the murder of Charlie Kirk makes me sick. However, I am knowledgeable enough to know the “hate speech” is protected by our constitution. It was even defended by Charlie Kirk, who said the following. ’My position is that even hate speech should be completely and totally allowed in our country. The most disgusting speech should absolutely be protected. Why? As soon as you use the word ‘hate,’ that is a very subjective term. Then all of a sudden it is in the eyes, or it is in the implementation, of whomever has the power.”
VP Vance, AG Bondi, Stephen Miller, Laura Loomer and many others are encouraging their supporters to scan social media for anyone who had discouraging words about Charlie Kirk and report them to the authorities or to the person’s employer.
We are going down a rabbit hole that we will not be able to recover. When citizens start spying on each other, our democracy is in deep trouble. When leaders such as AG Bondi are willing to use the power of their positions to investigate people for exercising constitutionally protected right of free speech, we are in big trouble.
We are not going to put this genie back in the bottle. I am afraid the political divide is only going to get bigger. Is our democracy going to survive? I am not sure.
See my Quote of the Day
The Tigers
With the Tigers loss tonight, they are only 4 and ½ games up on the Guardians with 10 games to go. In addition, the Tigers are only one game up on the Mariners for the right to gain a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Tiger fan base is nervous, and rightfully so.
Tiger ace Tarik Skubal will be on the mound for the Tigers against the Guardians on Thursday. A win tomorrow for the Tigers will ease the tension. A loss tomorrow and panic will set in. See my Question of the Day
Quote of the Day: “Ms. Bondi hasn’t had a distinguished tenure as AG, as she too often seems to follow the latest social-media, cable-TV mood swing. But she is a law enforcer, not a social-media anger management coach, and she’s sworn to uphold the Constitution. Maybe Ms. Bondi should quit appearing on podcasts about Charlie Kirk until she listens to some Charlie Kirk podcasts.” Wall Street Journal Editorial Board
Orchid of the Day: My daughter Katy. She is a badass.
Question of the Day: Will the Tigers hold on over the last 10 games and win the Central Division?
Lyrics of the Day: They think our love is just a growin' pain, Why don't they understand? It's just a cryin' shame.
Their lips are lyin', only real is real. We stop the fight right now, we got to be what we feel
Answer to Lyrics of the Day for September 10, You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi
Video of the Day: I will never get tired of Dan Miller’s Calls of the Game
Calls of the Game: Detroit bounces back with a 52-point outing | Lions vs. Bears
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In response to 'Our liberty of free speech is in danger' :
I am proud of you, personally, to share your voice publically on your blog. For me and I am sure many others, we have found ourselves agreeing with many of the issues you have touched upon and the stances you are so brave to share (when we are not so brave)!
Personally, I am not so brave. I find myself afraid to share my political opinions even to some of my most cherished friends, fearful that their opinions may be different than mine and that our relationship might change or be stained... over Political issues for which I/We have no or very little control... Except for our vote.
During my working career I was always told to focus my efforts on those things that I was able to control and ignore those things I was unable to control. That advise always seemed wise. But today, I am not so sure that those doing the advising are sharing that advise with good intentions.
Sadly, I believe our country has been divided over things that we cannot control. The political landscape has made me feel helpless and scared to voice my opinions. My right to free speech is in jeopardy.
Conversations about politics makes me very nervous when confronted by those that have differing opinions. Good conversation is healthy when both parties are willing to listen to opposing views. Listening to the facts (that are well supported) without bias is the rule that must be followed.
On the football field or baseball diamond where rules are designed to ensure fair play, I have always felt most comfortable. The rules created an environment that anyone could excel and thrive! The rules were there to protect us and the game! As an ump and in life, you have always called a good game. Honest and fair!
I thank you for your bravery and willingness to take a stand on all our behalf, to inform us, and uphold our Constitution. 'In Biggs We Trust!' You are my voice as your positions are well supported which will influence my vote.... And I hope the vote of others as well!
John .
Good Morning Tom, The answer that did work and could work again if we can find enough Republicans and Democrats to agree with our history. We used to have a fair and equal doctrine. It didn't stop extreme speech but it helped balance it. Regan is the one that got rid of it and I elected to not look up what the excuse was. I do strongly feel it could work for America once again.