The consensus of our membership is that we generally oppose legislation to control adult, consensual activities involving private property (including one's own body). We also apply rational thought and commonsense to life's challenges.

If you have a male body but think it should be female, that is none of our business. On the other hand, you make it our business by demanding that we pay for your sex-change surgery and/or the medical care and hormone therapy that will follow it for the rest of your life. There is no "right" to serve in the military. Applicants have been denied entry to military service for as long as there have been militaries. Medical, legal, marital status, etc., are or have been discriminators.

We don't know what causes a person to believe s/he was "born with the wrong body," but the cause is irrelevant to whether s/he should be allowed to enter the US military, or to take steps to change that body once admitted.

THE purpose of the military is to "kill people and break things." All other functions are all other functions are incidental. So, whether you are blind, were born without arms, have asthma, are diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, use heroin, have a congenital heart defect, think you're supposed to have a penis and just were't born with one, etc., you should not be admitted to the US military. It's not personal. It's not a matter of morals or ethics. It's functional.

Note: We are keenly aware that underlying the publicly stated reasons for the demand that transsexuals be allowed military service is the never-ending campaign to "fundamentally transform" America and tear down it's institutions and traditions in the name of "social justice." Changes may be beneficial or even necessary, but must not​ be pursued with a myopic disregard for facts, rational thought and consequences.

Interesting article, but we think he's wrong about the new spending fiasco signaling our "death." What these fools do in D.C. and Raleigh is what motivates us; is does not reflect us. As for the GOP coopting "most of the larger tea party groups to do the party's bidding," we were there any Tea groups that supported this statist atrocity?

NBC News: Congresswomen Say Sexual Harassers Are Still in Congress
CNN: Lawmakers say sexual harassers serving in Congress
NY Times: Past Sexual Misconduct Cases Show McConnell Is Willing to Take a Tough Line

​So we ask these "brave" congresswomen, why haven't you named the perpetrators? Rep. Brave Speier claims she knows one from each party but tell us who they are (we assume that is a bipartisan example, not an absolute number). Rep. Brave Comstock can't find out who exposed himself to his staffer? Please. And Mitch McConnell doesn't mess around with those guilty of sexual conduct? We've all know known—for decades—what's been happening in DC. In some cases we've known whom, like Kennedy, and we're supposed to believe McConnell wields an iron fist on the matter? They truly do think us idiots and fools.

Members of the U.S. Congress need to be educated that it might be less than good to expose their genitals or grab others' genitals? We're going out on a limb, here, but is it possible that if you don't know that you shouldn't be making laws to dictate life to 320 million other Americans; you shouldn't be on Capital Hill?

Members of Congress, their staffers, media types and lobbyists have been living the highlife of drunken debauchery for a long time. They don't need education and certainly don't "training." They need to hammered by Congress and outed to their constituents.

The NCGA just created a new welfare program and Bob Luebke is promoting it on the Civitas Website. The program uses the NC tax system to take money from North Carolinians with their own financial struggles and family heartache, and gives it to the selected group of families with "special needs."

From the program's online brochure:

Civitas' public mission statement: "The Civitas Institute fights to remove barriers to freedom so that all North Carolinians can enjoy a better life," so it seems Civitas has adopted the Progressive definition of "freedom."

The commissioners were subjected to the usual set of appeals to emotion (vs. fact-based, logically sound arguments). We submit that when TEN OF MILLIONS OF OUR DOLLARS are subject to confiscation by way of increased taxes, the only​ thing the Board of Commissioners should be considering is hard data. Parading photos of children holding signs reading "I am important" are perhaps more indicative of the Moore County Schools' lack of compelling data than of anything else.

Do we need new schools? If yes, are new public schools the best solution? Is the school system and its Rubber Stamp (the Board of Education) choosing property wisely? Is it wasting money? Is it looking at the best options for construction? Is the idea of the ACC a gamble or is it based on solid research backed by hard, objective data? These are all important and worthy questions that have real answers. It is the Board of Education's duty and obligation find them and make that information public. It has not done that. It is negligent and repeatedly passes the products of its incompetence—its lack of due diligence—to the Board of Commissioners. After all, it's much easier to get re-elected when you can force the commissioners to be the "bad" guys instead of defying the Great and Powerful Bob.

The Pilot's story: Commissioners Give Green Light to Elementary School Funding Plan

An Indiana lawmaker drafted a bill to require journalists be licensed by state police. He's the same man trying to reduce Ohio's control of gun owners by abolishing its requirement for a concealed carry permit. Is licensing journalists a good idea?

I'm not religious, let alone Catholic, but this seems like a big dealt to me (see Catholic Clergy and Scholars Present “Formal Filial Correction” to Pope Francis).

Submitted by Matt Horsley

Technically, The Pilot is calling for the Board of Commissioners approve new bonds to increase the budget of the Moore County School District, but since bonds are paid for with taxes, our blog title is accurate. As there is little or no increase in student enrollment (depending on the data examined) and the school district has not been forthcoming with the information concerned activists have requested (is it hiding something?) the "need" for more of the citizens' private property is anything but clear.

Further, Sheriff candidate Steve Adams* is proposing a plan to save millions of dollars from new schools construction projects. He asserts that Moore Co. should create a general contractor "company" within the county's government, rather than contracting one in perpetuity. Rather than be bound by the details of a contract, a city employee could flex plan details on-the-spot (ex., if the plan calls for 500 walnut doors but a supplier finds oak doors at $200 less, a contractor must pass on the opportunity so as not to breach the contract, thus loosing $100K). Additionally, he is proposing a plan to earn millions of dollars for the county, as part of his bid for sheriff. Both proposals are sound objectively enough to deserve serious study, and those studies can be done quickly.

Whenever you hear the call for immediate spending of the citizens' money, you should be skeptical. So The Pilot's editors asked the seemly rhetorical question, "If not now, then when?" Our answer is, only if the school district stops stonewalling requests for information and proves the need for more money, and only if the county studies Mr. Adam's proposals and finds they are not feasible.

*this is not an endorsement

I can't prove Speaker Paul Ryan's intent, but as a intellectually honest, keen observer, the goal of the Swamp (AKA the Establishment, Dems and Repubs) is clear: destroy the Trump presidency and grow government.

Ryan will file a brief with Supreme Court to try to block Obama’s immigration policies. Why? Because Trump is now threatening to cancel DACA, which he correctly condemned as unconstitutional (which it is) when he was a candidate. So, for FIVE YEARS this dictatorial power grab has been in place and the Republicans are only now challenging it? All that this cynical ploy lacks is a long string of show-votes sent to Obama for certain veto like the Republicans did with Obamacare.

This is NOT a "Do Nothing" Congress, it is an "Undermine the President and Maintain An Immense, Overbearing Government That We Control" Congress.

Reality: The Democrats are out-of-the-closet Socialists and Communists, so far from Truman and JFK that those men would be considered "conservatives," by the modern party (think Jim Webb. That is clear.

What about the GOP?

You loyal Republicans need to smell coffee. It's frightening, but you need to do it. You've been assuming that the Republican politicians who say they believe what you do will actually work for what they promise you. How's that working out for you? They cast occasional good votes, yes, but the aggregate is a lie and you know it. Obamacare? The border wall? Tax cuts? Stopping national money funding Planned Parenthood and Public Radio/TV? Stopping Common Core and the insidious (and growing) control on education by the NEA and other neo-Marxist organizations?
   "We're only one half of one third of the government. Give us the Senate and..."
   "We're only one branch of government. Give us the White House and..."
   "The Democrats can filibuster everything we want to do in the Senate. Give us 60 votes and..."
Lies and misdirection. Those who control the GOP are corrupt liars. They are there to cement their control (as the majority or not) and feather their nests.

What can you do?

1. Vote against liars, even if they are the "lessor of two evils." Both the bullet and the "lessor" poison will kill the Republic just the same. Show the GOP the lies won't fly.
2. Stop donating to your political and party and send your money only to the candidates you actually want in office.
3. Browbeat your NC General Assembly representatives to push and vote for the Convention of States.
4. Write short, polite, to-the-point notes to the President and your U.S. Senators and Representative in D.C.
5. If you're a Moore County Republican, ask your county and state party officials what the goal is. "Are we simply here to elect and re-elect R's?" If they give you some variant of the "lessor of two evils" mantra, call them out. Ask them why they aren't finding and running people who will actually push your party's platform.