The downfall of Sweden
The Hutchinson News | Feb 6, 2017

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a beautiful land filled with beautiful people. These people shone like the Sun and were at peace with mankind. From the midst of this magnificent people a sinister group who called themselves "Progressives" rose to power.

With lies that were twisted to sound like the truth, these Progressives opened the gates to the peaceful kingdom so that predators could roam freely among the lambs.

Women and children could no longer walk hand-in-hand down once-safe streets, and darkness fell over a place that had been full of the Sun. This once-peaceful land, which was betrayed by the Progressives, is called Sweden, and thanks to them, it is now the rape capital of Europe. — Gregory H. Bontrager

“Voter ID is necessary”
Topeka Capital Journal | June 24, 2017

Photo identification is a ubiquitous part of modern life. The thought that you have to produce a valid ID when you cash a check is acceptable, but somehow sinister to cast a vote is absurd. Why would any honest person think otherwise?

Perhaps it’s because certain groups believe they benefit from votes that may not be legitimate.

The U.S. has traditionally been caught flat footed when dealing with its own vulnerabilities. Our voting process is antiquated and susceptible to fraud. Photo identification is a necessary step in maintaining the integrity of the democratic process.

There is selective outrage over alleged Russian interference in our elections, but none over undocumented immigrants who routinely cast votes in our elections.— Gregory H. Bontrager
http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article159169444.html

When special counsel (former FBI director) Robert Mueller finds that Trump did nothing wrong, how long will it take before the Maxine Waters wing of the Democratic Party accuse Mueller of being a tool of Vladimir Putin too?

The nation is objectively better off from Trump’s first day in office, unless you listen to the media, who have parsed the words of “unnamed sources” to create the illusion of wrong doing.

Is this what the Salem witch trials looked like in the 17th century? Maybe we should reinstate “spectral evidence,” because without it, Democrats haven’t got a shred of proof that Trump did anything illegal.

When this witch hunt is over, the only thing that will be evident is a concerted disinformation campaign against Trump by the mainstream media and the left-wing of the Democratic Party. Another media manufactured crisis will be looming as soon as this one ends.— Gregory H. Bontrager

http://www.hutchareahomes.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/political-witch-hunts-are-afoot/article_8ff3898a-3e5d-5017-a148-6119f86e867e.html

Cherry-picked’ judges disrupt executive power
The Hutchinson News | May 1, 2017

U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick has illegally blocked President Trump from withholding federal money from sanctuary cities. These cities are in open violation of U.S. law.
 
By blocking Trump's order, Judge Orrick has made himself a willing participant in the criminal activity of these sanctuary cities. Orrick is an Obama appointee who reportedly raised $200,000 and donated $30,000 of his own money to former president Obama.

The fact that “cherry-picked” judges like Orrick can be used to disrupt the lawful exercise of executive power is an act of lawlessness that must not be tolerated.
 
Politicized judges like Orrick know that their decisions will be overturned by a higher court, which means he is willfully engaging in ideological obstructionism. Not exactly ethical behavior for a jurist who is sworn to protect the constitution. 
— Gregory H. Bontrager
http://cjonline.com/opinion/letters-editor/2017-05-08/letterjudge-willfully-engaging-ideological-obstructionism
http://www.kansas.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article148160719.html

Trump on our side
The Wichita Eagle/Mar 10, 2017

If you like welfare, food stamps or unchecked borders, Obama is the man for you. But if you work for a living or own your own business, Trump is on your side. Despite media hype, the age of the working man has arrived, as personified by Trump.

No more apologies will be accepted from America-hating elitists and the clueless children they foster on college campuses.

The American worker will no longer be held hostage to insane regulations by runaway bureaucracies such as the Environmental Protection Agency or rogue tax collectors in the IRS who have been weaponized by Democrats to suppress political opposition.

The Democratic Party cares more about the rights of illegal aliens than your children being able to walk safely down the streets of their own neighborhoods.

Whether they sit on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals or the city councils of sanctuary cities, it is time to push aside these apostate Americans and take our country back.— Gregory H. Bontrager
http://www.hutchnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/obama-holdovers-are-undermining-the-presidency-of-donald-trump/article_97979a4e-bc2b-5b06-9028-572950ea6371.html

Donald Trump is correct:
I live in an immigrant area in Sweden and it is not working well... Nyheter Idag / 20 Feb 2017

Is Sweden having major difficulty handling the immigration? Yes. Looking out the window of house my house in a migrant dominated area is all I need to see the problems. Almost every evening cars are set on fire and police officers are attacked by criminal gangs. However, it is underreported by the Swedish mainstream media. http://nyheteridag.se/donald-trump-is-correct-i-live-in-an-immigrant-area-in-sweden-and-it-is-not-working-well/

Blame Obama, not Trump
The Wichita Eagle| December 10, 2015

I don’t think Donald Trump said anything that bad; a moratorium on Muslim immigration is the prudent thing to do until we get control of this mess President Obama has created. This is Obama’s fault, not Trump’s.

Trump is not afraid to protect us from these terrorists, which is more than Obama or Hillary Clinton will do. I bet the Europeans wish they had never allowed the Muslims to settle in Europe in the first place; they have caused nothing but trouble. They will do the same thing here. We need a president who will put Americans first.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Letter: No more freeloaders in our midst
Topeka Capital Journal | January 2, 2017
We need to develop a way to expedite the deportation of large numbers of foreign nationals who are illegally entering or maintaining residence in the U.S. The American taxpayer should not be expected to foot the bill for people who have no moral or legal right to be here.

Sanctuary cities that defy the will of the American people should be dealt with swiftly and, if need be, aggressively. The anchor baby loophole is being ruthlessly exploited by foreign nationals and no longer serves the purpose for which it was originally intended. This antiquated provision in the law needs to be eliminated.

We need to be selective in the people we grant citizenship to. They must reflect our religious, moral and constitutional values. If they don’t, they have no business being granted citizenship. We are not citizens of the world, but of the United States of America. Our obligation is to our own welfare first, not the rest of the world. The days of accepting freeloaders into our midst must come to an end. — Gregory H. Bontrager
http://www.hutchnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/illegal-foreign-nationals-should-be-deported/article_48a93309-2dee-5ba5-abe6-e8ec70849d7f.html
http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article122995709.html
http://www.kansas.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article122752824.html

Letter: Democrats can’t handle Trump’s victory
Topeka Capital Journal | November 25, 2016

What do we want? An end to sanctuary cities. When do we what it? Now. It’s time for taxpayers to stop footing the bill for undocumented immigrants who are using America as a flop house.

We have a right to secure our borders from an invading army of foreigners. We must never allow ourselves to be bullied by a minority of indoctrinated, basement-dwelling college brats who are on a rampage. Maybe it’s time for the parents who pay the tuition for these overpriced dens of intolerance to start making “baby” pay his or her own way through school. Most of these hypocrites didn’t even vote.

President Trump must stay true to the citizens who elected him, not progressive liberals who had their shot for eight long years and blew it.

Things were just rosy when the Democrats thought Hillary was going to win, but now that the unthinkable has happened, they are in full tantrum mode. Elections have consequences. Trump won and, like it or not, his supporters aren’t going anywhere.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Trump's Right: Anchor Babies Are Big Business............Blood on Hands of Left and Its Sanctuary Cities

How the ‘left’ thinks
The Wichita Eagle/November 20, 2016

I don’t think anyone was more disappointed than I was when Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election. The way I expressed my disappointment was by writing letters to the editor. It never once occurred to me that throwing a rock or breaking a window was a legitimate way to express my feelings.

It quickly became clear to me that there is a difference in the way people on the “left” think. They preach tolerance as long as they get what they want, but are viciously intolerant when they don’t.

As years of experience with Obama and Clinton has shown, deception is considered a legitimate part of doing business. There are no ethical limits when you consider yourself morally superior to others.

Young people who have been indoctrinated by the left in our schools and universities have not been taught the skill of critical thinking. They have been programmed to react in the same way as the Hitler Youth of Nazi Germany or the Young Pioneers of Red China. They march mindlessly down the “shining path” in route to a false new order that is older than the dawn of man.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Don't like it here? You can leave
The Hutchinson News |Sep 7, 2016

The "old white men" that created the United States and Europe must have done something right because minority groups from around the world risk their lives to get to the country's they created.

I haven't seen any Mexicans or Syrians storming the beaches of Cuba or China. If “Black Lives Matter” thinks the United States is so bad, try the paradise of Mozambique or Angola and see how that works out for you.

European people have done more than any other group to bring equality, prosperity and stability to the turbulent world of humanity. That is why the world wants to be in the countries that they created. Anytime you think you have it so bad, remember you are always free to find someplace better.— Gregory H. Bontrager
http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article106769292.html

Letter: Greater than Reagan?
Topeka Capital Journal | February 20, 2017

I believe Donald Trump will surpass Ronald Reagan in greatness. The reaction of the left demonstrates how afraid of him they are. Greatness is not always measured by how many people love you, but by the ferocity of your opposition and the depths to which they will stoop — Gregory H. Bontrager

An ongoing conspiracy
The Kansan | Dec. 30, 2015

There has been an ongoing conspiracy by Obama and the Democrats to alter the population demographics of the United States. This effort has intensified during the last year of his administration.

Since the immigrant and refugee populations tend to vote democratic this is part of a long-term strategy to increase the democratic voter base

That’s what the refusal to enforce immigration laws and sanctuary cities are all about, job security for a bunch of liberal democrats. So a large criminal element has been willfully set free to roam the streets of America and terrorists disguised as refugees are allowed to infiltrate the homeland for the benefit of career politicians.

As usual hard-working American citizens are left to pay the price in blood and treasure for these invaders. Does anyone doubt for one second that if these foreigners were breeding future Republicans instead of Democrats, that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would have had the border sealed tighter then a bass drum?— Gregory H. Bontrager

Hillary seeks 'birthright'
The Hutchinson News | June 16, 2014

The Hillary Clinton spin machine is gearing into full speed. The facts of a life dedicated to ruthless self-promotion have now become an inconvenient liability in Madam Clinton’s compulsive upstream swim to her God-given birthright – the occupation of the White House.

It’s not Clinton’s concern for the welfare of the American people that matters but an ego bordering on sociopathic narcissism and the simple fact that “Bubba” wants to walk the halls of the people’s House again in search of gullible young interns and unlimited access to the television camera.

The only tether binding the former first lady to the current administration is her shameless ability to distort the truth without breaking stride. “What difference does it make” indeed when you’re in pursuit of the biggest entitlement of your life, the presidency of the United States.— Gregory H. Bontrager

DNC stars not shining / Clinton shouldn't be next president
The Kansan | Apr. 17 2015

The stars of the Democratic Party shine so bright don’t they? After eight years of the Obama administration’s “transparency,” are we ready for more shenanigans from the Clinton clan? With single-minded determination, Hillary Clinton engages in questionable conduct then takes cover behind an ever-so-willing mainstream media.

The only thing predictable about Clinton are the fables she concocts to cover the ridiculously avoidable behavior she engages in. Like the perfectly innocent taking of money from foreign governments and all those emails she deleted from her personal server. We are obligated to take Clinton’s word that everything she does is just rosy. After all, the Clintons have never done anything questionable have they?

Lanny Davis and James Carville bristle with indignation at the thought that anyone would question the veracity of the anointed heir apparent to the White House. Sinister right-wing forces must be hard at work forcing madam Clinton to do all those dumb things. Yes that’s Just what we need, a few more years of sneaky duplicitous behavior from the (next) president of the United States.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Clinton is running incognito
The Wichita Eagle | May 26, 2015

This is the first time I have seen a presidential candidate run a campaign incognito – from behind a pair of sunglasses and appearing in carefully staged “media events.” Hillary Clinton acts more like she’s afraid she’s being profiled on “America’s Most Wanted” than she does someone running for president of the United States. Usually a candidate wants as much media exposure as possible, but in Clinton’s case the more you see the less appealing she becomes.

Clinton has calculated that she has the Democratic nomination wrapped up, so why upset the apple cart answering questions about influence peddling, big-money deals with foreign governments and deleted e-mails? Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., summed it up best: Clinton needs two planes – one for herself and another for all that baggage.

If you want to see the way a Clinton presidency will operate, look at the way she is running her campaign and then draw your own conclusions. Is this a snapshot of a Clinton presidency?— Gregory H. Bontrager

Stealing technology
Topeka Capital Journal -September 4, 2011

While the United States slumbers, an insidious assault is being perpetrated against our nation by the People's Republic of China. As reported by Peter Brookes of the Heritage Foundation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkiPQ-sJE), the United States has become a virtual supermarket of unabated theft of military and commercial technology.

With our preoccupation with the war on terror, this looming superpower - more powerful and deadly than the former Soviet Union - is aggressively seeking to supplant the United States as the preeminent military and economic power on the globe.

Following a policy of appeasement, the Obama administration has abysmally failed to protect the American people from the Chinese. Why design for yourself when you can steal the best. And steal they do, from nuclear warheads to toaster ovens. According to Brooks, the PRC has 3,500 front companies in the U.S. whose sole purpose is the theft of our technology.

While Red China plays military and economic hardball, the Obama administration remains oblivious, exposing America to what may be the greatest threat to our national survival in modern history.— Gregory H. Bontrager

This is a friend?
Topeka Capital Journal -April 28, 2011

Potential presidential candidate Donald Trump has finally had the nerve to use the “C” word — you know, that 800-pound gorilla in the room that everyone seems to ignore. China steals our technology with impunity and has implanted malware in our power grid.

The Chinese have a specially designed ballistic missile just waiting to take out our carrier battle groups. They manipulate their currency to take unfair advantage of us, and we owe them tons of money. But I guess we don’t have anything to worry about do we? They are our friends, right?— Gregory H. Bontrager

Obama administration purges the ranks of most capable leaders
The Hutchinson News | May 6, 2016, 2016

David Petraeus is one of the greatest military minds of our era. He snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the Iraq war and handed a slam-dunk to the Obama administration.

Instead of capitalizing on this victory, Obama replaced a generation of political and military success in the Middle East with the specter of a nuclear armed Iran and a cult of death that has metastasized throughout the world.

While Gen. Petraeus’ name has been dragged through the mud for his indiscretions, 6,600 convicted felons have been released from prison by the Obama administration because their sentences were deemed too harsh. The misconduct of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton outweighs anything Gen. Petraeus did, yet she receives a pass from the Democratic Party elite.

According to retired Gen. Paul Vallely, this follows a pattern by the Obama administration of purging the ranks of our most capable military leaders.

If anyone deserves consideration for the mistakes they made, it is heroes like Gen. David Petraeus, not thousands of dope peddlers or crooked politicians like Hillary Clinton.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Court seized power
The Wichita Eagle | February 19, 2016

If the fate of a nation rests on a single Supreme Court nomination, that can only mean the court has become too powerful and gone beyond the powers envisioned by our founders. The court’s mission is to interpret law, not act as a dictatorial body unrestrained by the legislature.

By what measure has our Constitution given the court power to bus your children into other neighborhoods, allow abortion or deem homosexual marriage legal? None. The court has seized that extra-constitutional power for itself and acts as a dictatorial body unrestrained by the will of the governed.

Cross out the word “judge” and replace it with “Caesar” or “Fuhrer” and the end has become the same – unelected government officials forcing themselves on an unwilling population. Your life and children have become subjects of social experimentation at the hands of activist judges who not only have ceded to themselves the power of judge but usurped the role of jury and executioner as well.

At what point in our democracy do we apply the brakes to an errant court that has overstepped its constitutional boundary?—Gregory H. Bontrager

Playing 'Games'
The Hutchinson News | November 20, 2015

I wonder why "The Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence waited until after she made $52 million before she discovered how much she disliked Christians and Republicans.

Someone at Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. should suggest to Lawrence that she could always return that portion of the money if she finds it morally objectionable—Gregory H. Bontrager

Freedom of speech can be a double-edged sword
The Hutchinson News | 11/2/16

Colin Kaepernick is entitled to express his feelings, and I am free to boycott the team he plays for.

People who make their living performing before the public, whether they be athletes or movie stars, need to be aware that the way they express themselves may potentially devastate their careers.

Freedom of expression is very often a double-edged sword. If you offend your audience, don't be surprised if they no longer consume the product you produce.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Beck the brilliant
Salina Journal- November 12, 2009

Glenn Beck of Fox News is a brilliant entertainer who overstates the truth the way truth is supposed to be overstated. The left is wilted by his blistering, hard-hitting persona and they just can't stand it.

With his impromptu style, Mr. Beck makes the toes of the neo-Marxist Obama administration curl like the Wicked Witch of the East in Munchkin Land. The closest thing the left can muster is Keith Olbermann of MSNBC. If he's the best you can do, all hands abandon ship. Um ... is that Barney Frank boarding that life boat?

Remember, if you repeat the truth over and over again someone will believe it. This is why the Obama administration hates Mr. Beck and Fox News with a passion.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Holder beholden to wrong cause
Topeka Capital Journal - September 10, 2013

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder won’t be fired or resign because he is invaluable to President Barack Obama’s plans for America. Holder can be counted on to do the bidding of his master without question. Throughout history, it has been impossible for leaders like Obama to operate without functionaries like Holder.

Holder’s allegiance is not to the Constitution but to his political philosophy, which benevolently masquerades behind the iron fists of such agencies as the Internal Revenue Service.

With disregard for the law, this administration has shown a willingness to use government agencies in a chilling attempt to silence its political opponents. Using executive orders, Obama has shown contempt for constitutional authority by imposing his will on a population that has already spoken.— Gregory H. Bontrager

The Moral Failures of Eric Holder
By Victor Davis Hanson

Eric Holder’s left many baleful legacies: being censured by the House of Representatives; withholding subpoenaed documents, proving untruthful about a failed gun-walking caper in Mexico; failing to enforce laws on the books, from immigration to the elements of the Affordable Care Act; illegally billing the government for his own private use of a government Gulfstream jet; snooping on Associated Press reporters; giving de facto exemptions to renegade IRS politicos; and trying to create civilian trials for terrorist killers like KSM, one of the architects of the 9/11 attacks. But he will be known mostly for re-teaching Americans to think of race as essential, not incidental, to our characters. continue reading article

Fox News holds administration accountable
Topeka-Capital Journal - December 16, 2012

When we watch the media’s coverage of President Obama, are we viewing professional journalism or another episode of American Idol? The tough, relentless questioning that follows congressional Republicans vanishes when the media is covering the Democratic/Obama left.

From Benghazi to the “fiscal cliff,” the Obama regime has been given a softball pass by NBC, ABC and CBS. These once great news organizations have become grotesque caricatures as they shill for the “most transparent administration in history.”

The only light in this dark room has been provided by Fox News. On critical issues, Fox is routinely excluded from White house briefings. According to White House adviser David Axelrod, “Fox is not a real news organization.” Could it be that Fox tells the American people the uncomfortable truth instead of the administration spin?

As twilight descends on objective Journalism in America, the only firewall between the American people and the complete subjugation of the press by the progressive/Obama left has been Fox News.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Sharpton, Jackson racially profiled Zimmerman
Topeka Capital Journal - July 27, 2013
Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson aren’t interested in truth or justice. They are just making a living doing what they do best, race-baiting an innocent man.

Without a wit of concern that George Zimmerman was defending himself from a violent assault by a stranger in the darkness, these men of God profiled Zimmerman based on his racial ethnicity because he dared to defend himself from an African-American assailant.

These self-proclaimed leaders of the civil rights movement chose a course of high-profile demagoguery by appealing to the base instincts of the mob.

We have come to know the shenanigans of Sharpton and Jackson all too well. We can only hope more rational leaders among the African-American community will have the courage to step up and provide an alternative to the antics of these two cynical opportunists.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Letter: Pipeline delay a political decision
Topeka Capital Journal - February 3, 2012

The Keystone pipeline was one of the most well-studied, environmentally safe projects in modern history. It was not blocked by President Obama because of environmental concerns. It was simply another casualty in a long list of cynical, vote-getting ploys to appease Obama’s radical base of support, the American people be damned.

It is clear our Chicago politician considers his re-election more important than American jobs or energy independence. Better to dump billions into Solyndra and a host of other feel-good politically correct scams.

This administration has gone beyond corrupt or incompetent. It is placing the survival of the United States in jeopardy. The decline of our country pivots around one point, the failed policies of the Obama administration.

The Chinese will laugh while they fuel their economy with Canadian oil that should have been flowing into the heart of American industry. — Gregory H. Bontrager

Sellouts
Topeka Capital Journal - March 16, 2011

Once the flagship of Internet services, AOL now occupies the corner booth in the Internet flea market. In an attempt to revive its fall from the stars. AOL has purchased the Huffington Post and anointed Arianna Huffington, cofounder of the site, president and editor-in-chief of the new and improved AOL.

What’s that you say — “forgive them, for they know not what they do”? Aha, but there is silver to be made by joining the “dark side,” and it doesn’t get any darker than the loony-left Huffington Post. Humm, do I smell the king of the loons George Soros lurking somewhere behind this?

It would appear AOL has sold itself to a new master to pump up the bank account at the expense of its soul — a perfect example of unbridled capitalism lacking a shred of moral fiber. — Gregory H. Bontrager

No friend to America
The Hutchinson News | Feb 03, 2011

Godfather of the progressive movement, billionaire George Soros of The Open Society Institute is silently trying to destabilize the American democracy. Hiding behind well-financed front organizations, this Judas, who as a youth during World War II assisted in confiscating property of fellow Jews (as revealed in a 1998 "60 Minutes" interview), hides his nefarious financial empire offshore to avoid the scrutiny of U.S. financial regulators. He will use any means necessary to reshape the world in his own twisted, left-wing image.

With billions of dollars and insidious fifth-column maneuverings, Soros is attempting to encircle independent media outlets and replace the truth with his progressive "one world" dogma. What happens to those who stray from Soros' path? Ask Juan Williams, formerly of National Public Radio. Using mouthpieces like the Huffington Post, Soros is relentlessly moving toward the destruction of our core American values.

Unfortunately, Mr. Soros has run into a problem; fearlessly, Glenn Beck of Fox News is exposing this elitist socialist in his insidious plot to reshape our nation and the world in his own distorted, godless image. If Mr. Soros is successful in his endeavor, hopefully we will receive better treatment than he gave his fellow Hungarian Jews 65 years ago.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Bush Jr. showed respect
The Hutchinson News | November 26, 2014

I frequently had concerns about the policies of President George Bush Jr. but I never questioned his integrity or patriotism. He placed the welfare of the country above partisan politics and tried to do the right thing for all of us. I miss the respect he showed the American people and the honesty he brought to our White House.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Who got bin Laden?
Topeka-Capital Journal - January 12, 2011

Did Obama kill Osama? No! If not for the groundwork of George Bush and Dick Cheney, Osama bin Laden could have been living in Trump Tower and the Obama administration wouldn't have had a clue.

Our brave Navy SEAL's, using information obtained from enhanced interrogation techniques and the policies of Bush/Cheney, led us to bin Laden, while the single greatest accomplishment of President Obama is to take credit for the work of someone else.

You can't have it both ways: If you're going to blame everything on "eight years of Bush," you have to give him credit for the demise of bin Laden too.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Obama re-election a national mistake
Topeka Capital Journal - November 10, 2012

With the re-election of Barack Obama, the United States has officially become a banana republic. From a nation that produced patriots like Ronald Reagan and John Kennedy, we have knowingly selected the lowest common denominator as our commander in chief.

From China to Iran, the enemies of freedom can now breathe a collective sigh of relief as the citizens of the United States have placed an empty suit at the helm of state. To think the American people would select Barack Obama over a man like Mitt Romney is a national embarrassment that we will not soon overcome.

Never in history has a nation so great fallen so far, so fast, as ours did on Nov. 6, 2012. Albert Einstein said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Using this definition, anyone who expects anything from Obama must be insane.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Third-rate leaders
The Hutchinson News | 9/29/13

When progressive liberals, including the president, are confronted with opposing points of view, they often resort to unfounded accusations or name-calling of the crudest sort. Bigotry and prejudice are unpardonable, except when they do it.

Progressives feel justified in their own hypocrisy, which is why we have IRS-type scandals. They consider themselves morally superior to the rest of us, so normal rules of conduct don't apply to them. Only in partisan Obama circles could the last five years be touted as a success.

Domestic and international policies are formulated in stumbling ad-hoc leaps resulting in one failure after another. To progressives, success is determined by ideology rather than what is in the best interest of the people. We are a first-class nation with third-rate leaders who have made us the laughingstock of the world—Gregory H. Bontrager

U.S. receding as power
The Hutchinson News | August 29, 2014

It’s almost biblical the way the United States is receding as the pre-eminent World power. And with our decline chaos follows. We lack even the rudimentary political will to control our own borders, much less our vital interests around the world. As Friedrich Nietzsche said generations ago “out of chaos comes order.” The frightening thing is Nietzsche’s kind of order comes at the price of our freedom and if you live in the Middle East … maybe your head.

As the forces of darkness coalesce around our “shining city on the hill” feckless self-serving cowards inhabit the seats of power in Washington. Our enemies' fear has turned into mocking laughter, as this stranded giant can’t even stop foreign children from walking across our border in broad daylight. Deviant lifestyles are taught as if they were normal in our schools and left-wing disinformation is passed off as truth.

Day by day the agencies responsible for maintaining order are being used as tools to spy on and persecute honest citizens because of their political views. As free American citizens it is time that we reassert our constitutional sovereignty and take back our government from leftist usurpers who are determined to save us from ourselves whether we like it or not.— Gregory H. Bontrager

The big lie
Topeka Capital Journal -September 27, 2009

It's true, there is no lie too big to tell. As the debate on health care moves toward legislation, let's not forget how our truth-telling Chicago politician and his crowd - Christopher Dodd, Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi - tried to stifle debate and shove their Orwellian health care plan down our throats sight unseen.

The "Brave New World" is upon us, brought on by President Obama and the socialist left and those other honest folks who inhabit the slimy underbelly of the far left.

Our well-scripted president stood before the nation and handed us the same empty words that all propagandists have fed the masses ­- the big lie in a prim, articulate package.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Obama Zone
The Wichita Eagle | Sep. 11, 2012

You unlock this door with the key of intellectual dishonesty. Beyond this door is another dimension – a dimension of lies, a dimension of deceit, a dimension of unparalleled failure.

You’re moving into a land of both darkness and despair, of a downgraded credit rating and a $16 trillion deficit. You’ve crossed into a land where middle-class income dropped by 5 percent, and with the worst economic recovery since the Great Depression. Congratulations, you’ve just crossed over into the Obama Zone—Gregory H. Bontrager

Obama will hand successor a world in chaos
Topeka Capital Journal - July 3 , 2015

When President Obama leaves office on January 20, 2017, he will hand his successor a world in chaos. On every front, this man has inflicted damage that will take generations of recovery.

Obama springs from the dissociative thought process of progressive liberalism. His administration has mastered the art of jumping from one deception, one disaster to another without missing a heartbeat. Truth becomes lies, war is peace, Orwellian memorabilia that fits the “most transparent administration in history” to a T.

Great leaders search for answers to the world’s problems, while Obama and the Clintons try to make the world fit politically correct solutions spawned by the ideological elitism of the left. And when they fail, which they always do, it’s at the hands of some vast conspiracy instead of their own incompetence.

To politicians like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the acquisition of power is an end in itself, an entitlement. Words like “ethics” have become a punch line used at a fundraiser, and are always couched behind the fiction of looking out for the little guy.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Delusional leadership
The Kansan | Feb. 4, 2015

The resounding defeat suffered by Barack Obama on Nov. 4, 2014, wasn’t perceived by him as a rejection of his policies, but a failure to convince the simple minded proletariat just how good the Kool-Aid tastes.

We will suffer through two more years of delusional leadership that has more resemblance to a bad LSD trip than a coherent strategy for the welfare of the nation.

With the rejection of his policies by the American people, Obama is attempting to circumvent the rule of law through the use of executive orders and regulatory fiat.

With everything he stands for in tatters, representative democracy has been dispensed with at every opportunity, in favor of forcing his will down the path favored by left-wing elitist like Jonathan Gruber and by pandering to the likes of Al Sharpton. How much more chaos will America suffer before rational government is reinstated?— Gregory H. Bontrager

Obama 'hope, change' turned to 'cynicism, duplicity'
Topeka Capital Journal - December 16, 2013

President Obama’s inability to “man up” to the malfeasance connected with his administration, coupled with an inability to tell the truth, appears to be a pathological characteristic of his presidency.

“Hope and change” has been replaced with an ethos of cynicism and duplicity.

With the election of her husband, Michelle Obama said, “For the first time in my life, I am proud of my country.” After America has been repeatedly lied to by Obama, who falsely claimed that you could keep your doctor and your health insurance, is the first lady still proud?

Fortunately for the Obama family, they are exempt from Obamacare. Apparently the cook is too good to sit at the same table with the proletariat.

Republican attempts to remove the special carve-outs for Congress under Obamacare were blocked in a party-line vote by the Democratic majority at the time. Is there no limit to the hypocrisy of this president and the Democratic Party?

If you have employer-based insurance, get ready. The other shoe has yet to drop. When the employer mandate kicks in, millions more Americans will lose their coverage and be forced into the uncertainty of overpriced Obamacare exchanges.

After five years of experience with the empty rhetoric of this administration, can anyone seriously have confidence in anything its people say or do?— Gregory H. Bontrager

Obama succeeding at incompetence
Topeka Capital Journal - February 3, 2014

If incompetence were an Olympic event, President Barack Obama would win the gold. Across the board and in every category, this Harvard-educated community organizer has set a new standard in how to mess things up.

If there is a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, just stand back and let Barack be Barack. From the South China Sea to the finest health care system in the world, calamity follows in the wake of this clueless left-winger whose primary skill is standing in front of a teleprompter telling one lie after another.

Does Obama really care about the plight of the American people? Ask former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. or the 5.6 million innocent Americans who have been unceremoniously kicked off their health insurance plans.

The United States has a problem, for sure. It’s the “ends justify the means” philosophy of progressive liberals like Obama and the academic elitists like Zeke Emanuel. These folks know what’s better for you than you do, and think nothing of using the coercive power of the state to force you into submission.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Into the abyss
Topeka Capital Journal - December 25, 2011

America is being held hostage by the most destructive force in modern history. This malignant force didn’t come from Russia or China, but the halls of Harvard and a cadre of ultra-left, America-hating higher educational organizations.

The end result of this education is Barack Obama, a confused, disorganized, incompetent mentality who can only survive in the fish bowl of the cloistered halls of some Ivy League world of make believe. We find ourselves spiraling into the abyss, led by a clueless narcissist who will stop at nothing to extend his failed regime without a wit of concern that he is dragging the rest of us down with him. Merry Christmas, Jimmy Carter, your place as the most incompetent president in history has been taken by Obama.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Use our drones against druggies
Topeka Capital Journal | June 22, 2012

We have used Predator drones effectively to eradicate anti-American terrorists throughout the world. Maybe it’s time to target Mexican drug cartels. Give the Mexican government an ultimatum: Take care of business or the United States will.

Let drug cartel members look to the uncertain skies with dread.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Invasion grows
Topeka Capital Journal -August 6, 2010

Not only are the citizens of Arizona being invaded from Mexico, it would seem the invasion also includes mercenaries bused in from neighboring states.

Evidently Arizona citizens aren't capable of handling their problems without help from George Soros of the Open Society Institute and his crowd.

As left-wing fascism strikes at the heart of our nation, heroes like Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, stand firm in the face of provocation by radical left-wing organizations like the Service Employees International Union. These barbarians are no longer at the gate. They have metastasized into the body politic of our sleeping nation.

With insidious deliberation, we are being devoured from within by forces alien to our Constitution who are replacing our beliefs with their distorted progressive dogma.

We must be aware, we must resist, or we will lose all that we value.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Third world invasion has begun / Border crisis is third-world invasion of U.S
The Hutchinson News | Jul 21, 2014

The third world invasion of the United States has begun. Not in darkness but in broad daylight the invaders walk across our southern border unchecked and are fed, housed and clothed at taxpayer expense.

At the same time the most highly trained soldiers in the world are receiving pink slips in the field and receiving shoddy medical treatment at home.

Among the invaders are a fifth column of gang members and violent criminals who pass themselves off as children.
Is this just another unintended consequence of the most incompetent administration in history or a calculated effort to polarize the electorate along racial lines?

When all you have to offer is six years of total failure the only strategy left is to divide and conquer.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Obama is no Reagan
Topeka Capital Journal - February 25, 2013

If Ronald Reagan had been elected in 2008, the recession of that year would be a receding memory. Instead of fleeing the country to escape unreasonable taxation and regulation, a renaissance would be sweeping American businesses. The national coffers would be overflowing with tax revenue from a booming economy. Unemployment would be a fading nuisance and our military would be second to none.

A Reagan administration would promote technologies like “fracking” and the Keystone Pipeline to make us energy independent. The Chinese would never attempt to hack Reagan White House computers and Iran and North Korea would be quivering under a rock.

Instead of Reagan’s vision of a “shining city on the hill,” we are being guided into a slum by a Pied Piper and a Democratic Party that knows no shame.

Does anybody ever look at Al Gore and think, “My God, this guy was almost elected president?” In five years, will anybody look at Barack Obama and think, “My God, this guy got elected president twice?”— Gregory H. Bontrager

We need Reagan
The Hutchinson News | Mar 6, 2013

If Ronald Reagan had been elected in 2008, the recession of that year would be a receding memory. Instead of fleeing the country to escape unreasonable taxation and regulation, a renaissance would be sweeping American businesses. The national coffers would be overflowing with tax revenue from a booming economy. Unemployment would be a fading nuisance and our military would be second to none.

A Reagan administration would promote technologies like "fracking" and the Keystone Pipeline to make us energy independent. The Chinese would never attempt to hack Reagan White House computers and Iran and North Korea would be quivering under a rock.

Instead of Reagan's vision of a "shining city on the hill," we are being guided into a slum by a Pied Piper and a Democratic Party that knows no shame.

Does anybody ever look at Al Gore and think, "My God, this guy was almost elected president?" In five years, will anybody look at Barack Obama and think, "My God, this guy got elected president twice?"— Gregory H. Bontrager

Appreciating Reagan
Topeka-Capital Journal - October 29, 2013

The foundation for our modern military and economic growth was established during the Reagan era. All the left-wing revisionism in the world can’t change that.

President Ronald Reagan pulled the United States out of recession within the first two years of his administration and placed the nation on the road to unprecedented prosperity. He did this with sound economic policy and an ability to work with people of differing political views. That is an attribute profoundly lacking in the current administration.

Reagan navigated government shutdowns that were managed as painlessly as possible. That, too, is unlike the Obama administration, which uses every opportunity to treat the American people as if they are pawns to be played for maximum political effect.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Thomas pegs Obama
Topeka-Capital Journal - July 20, 2009

Once again, syndicated columnist Cal Thomas was on the mark. His insight, expressed in a recent column, into Obama's belief that a good press release or putting on a good show in front of a teleprompter makes for sound policy is so true.

The fact is, Obama is all fluff and very little substance. It's unfortunate that some liberals in this country swoon every time they see his face and fail to realize it's backed by a head filled with tried and failed left-wing policies as old as Karl Heinrich Marx.

Down the road to oblivion we travel, with the belief that Obama's pretty face and glib syntax are going to save us from something.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Judiciary's integrity iffy
The Hutchinson News - Febuary 10, 2010

There needs to be a comprehensive investigation of the 27th judicial district. In my view, The Hutchinson News article of Nov. 27 represents the tip of the iceberg. I don't think this is a problem with one judge, but a result of having elected officials whom the community has allowed to take up residency in their positions.

An examination of various attorneys and their relationship with the Reno County courts is in order. From personal experience I have called into question the conduct of our legal/judicial system as it relates to civil issues in Reno County. I believe cronyism and favoritism are rampant in the 27th district.

I am of the opinion the Commission on Judicial Qualifications' primary roll is not to protect the citizenry from bad judges, but to protect judges from legitimate grievances of the public. I personally have had a local attorney refuse to take me as a client because I filed a complaint against one of our local judges. I was warned by another attorney to drop my complaint "because this is a small town with a long memory."

Such is the political environment in Reno County. Lawyers who have to appear before the same judge year after year have more concern for their careers than the welfare of their clients.—Gregory H. Bontrager

How many citizens of Reno County have found themselves before our esteemed 27th judicial district?
The Hutchinson News - Sep 16, 2007

How many citizens of Reno County have found themselves before our esteemed 27th judicial district? How many of you have had one of our 'guardians of justice' place bald-faced lies about your supposed courtroom conduct in public record.

How many of you have read sworn court transcripts listing you as present in court, when you were home in bed? I have. All of our jurists are of the highest character, or are they? I guess the question is have enough citizens of Reno County seen the dark side of our legal/judicial system as it works on an everyday basis? If you haven't, you may be in for a surprise.

Here is good news. We don't need a revolution or revolt to change this system. The founders of our nation have given us all the tools we need to effect change. Go to the polls and vote. With a little involvement we can make our community a better place to live.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Beware of 'predator'
The Hutchinson News - Febuary 23, 2010

Citizens of the United States beware. At this moment, you are being stalked by a cunning, sophisticated predator. Thousands of American men and women have fallen victim to this ruthless hunter. The tool this predator uses is a smile, and the warm embrace of a lover.

This predator has one goal, to gain entry into the United States by marrying an American citizen. Once this objective is accomplished, you have served your purpose. You will be discarded like a rag. Be assured this predator is not alone. He or she will have access to attorneys who specialize in distorting the intent of our legal system.

No matter how unethical, they will get the job done. The predator, through legal maneuvering, is now transformed into a "victim.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Letter: Immigration vote
Topeka Capital Journal | June 26, 2008

Is Sam Brownback a U.S. senator? If you look at his voting record on immigration issues, it's hard to tell. It appears Brownback is having problems remembering which side of the border he's on.

From "chain migration" to "refugee and asylum" votes, Brownback has shown a consistent pattern of favoring foreigners at the expense of American citizens. If Brownback continues, Ronald Reagan's "shining city on the hill" will soon become another third world slum! — Gregory H. Bontrager

Americans live in a world of many threats from abroad.
The Hutchinson News | Jul 25, 2008

Americans live in a world of many threats from abroad. One of the least understood or talked about is marriage fraud. Foreign nationals, who marry American citizens solely to gain entry into the United States.

Thanks to the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, safeguards that once protected U.S. citizens from this type of fraud have been largely swept away.

There are Web sites that instruct foreigners how to circumvent U.S. law by using VAWA and an abundance of attorneys who specialize in distorting the well-meaning intent of this law.

While we wage war in Afghanistan and Iraq to combat terrorism, this insidious form of terrorism is taking its toll on American citizens inside our own borders.

Don't count on help from your government or elected officials, you will be met with indifference or open hostility. Chief among this group is Sen. Sam Brownback.

Only Sen. Ted Kennedy has a more liberal voting record on this issue.
This elitist group has turned a blind eye to fraud perpetrated against their own honest, hardworking citizens, while claiming to do so in the name of justice and fair play.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Letter: Marriage game
The Capital-Journal -September 12, 2010

As the market in marriage fraud grows unabated, Kansans are increasingly targeted by dishonest foreign nationals who marry citizens to gain entry into the United States. These people will use any means necessary to escape poverty and social deprivation, including destroying your reputation and financial well-being.

Aided and abetted by attorneys and many well-intentioned church and social organizations, a silent atrocity is being perpetrated against innocent Americans who have naively married foreign nationals.

Without hesitation, your home, job and standing in the community will be sacrificed to maintain their visa status. Your rights as an American citizen have become secondary in the new world order of political correctness.

Are all such marriages fraudulent? Of course not, but beware if you are marrying a foreign national, you are placing yourself in a high risk category.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Letter: Threat from within
The Capital-Journal - August 06, 2008

Americans live in a world of many threats from abroad. One of the least understood or talked about is marriage fraud. Foreign nationals will marry American citizens solely to gain entry into the United States.

Thanks to the Violence Against Women Act, safeguards that once protected U.S. citizens from this type of fraud have been largely swept away.

There are Web sites that instruct foreigners how to circumvent U.S. law by using VAWA and an abundance of attorneys who specialize in distorting the well-meaning intent of this law.

While we wage war in Afghanistan and Iraq to combat terrorism, this insidious form of terrorism is taking its toll on American citizens inside our own borders.

Don't count on help from your government or elected officials, you will be met with indifference or open hostility. Chief among this group is Sen. Sam Brownback. Only Ted Kennedy has a more liberal voting record on this issue.

This elitist group has tuned a blind eye to fraud perpetrated against their own honest, hard-working citizens, while claiming to do so in the name of justice and fair play.— Gregory H. Bontrager

Disappointment in the Republican Party
The Hutchinson News | May 8, 2008

As a lifelong Republican, I can only express my disappointment in the Republican Party. From president to dogcatcher, the Republican Party has failed its constituency. What a bunch "we the people" placed in power! Of all the problems wrought by my party of choice, the biggest disappointment is Sen. Sam Brownback. I remember shaking hands with the incumbent senator in front of Wal-Mart years ago, and the elation I felt with his election.
 
Now, all I see is a politician pandering to an increasing population of illegal aliens in the hope of (garnering) votes at the expense and welfare of his fellow citizens. This is a man who took his Washington phones off line during a vote on "immigration reform" to thwart the outcry of fellow Kansans to vote against what amounted to amnesty for people who entered our great nation through illegal means.

In my view, Brownback has placed the status and welfare of foreign nationals above his own country men and women and has begun embracing positions of groups that were once referred to as the "loony left." We see in Brownback a disturbing thing that happens to many politicians who have held office too long: They forget they hold office to serve their constituents, not their own re-election. To paraphrase Al Gore, it's time for him to go.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Abused orders
Topeka-Capital Journal - February 24, 2010

Protection from abuse orders were put in place to address a serious problem. Unfortunately, they have become a tool used by dishonest attorneys or vengeful spouses to extort money or seek revenge on hapless spouses.

By the thousands, Kansans are labeled "abusers" by those who have a vested interest in misrepresenting the truth. Unscrupulous attorneys shamelessly manipulate protection from abuse rules for financial gain while masquerading under the color of law.

Even more disturbing is that our judiciary will stand idly by as false claims of abuse are taken at face value. With a wink and a nod, the reputations of Kansans are being destroyed in a quasi-legal process with standards akin to the Salem witch hunts.

Why is this disgrace allowed to continue? Because most legislators are attorneys, guaranteeing themselves continued profits at the expense of honest folks in what has become a corrupt money making scam called "divorce.—Gregory H. Bontrager

Improved economy creates prison staffing crisis for Kansas
JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer Published: January 3, 2016

ELLSWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Unemployment is down and wages are up in Kansas — except for corrections officers.
They are leaving state prisons in droves because of low pay, creating a public safety crisis that legislators will have to deal with on top of plugging a budget hole. continue reading article

How does it feel to be slapped in the face?
The Hutchinson News | Mar 3, 2008

How does it feel to be slapped in the face? If you are a corrections officer in Kansas you already know. The sad fact is the slap didn't come from and inmate, but the Kansas Legislature.

Instead of being recognized for safeguarding the safety and welfare of our community we are being treated like a doormat by the Kansas Legislature. While they sit safely in guarded chambers and walk on polished marble floors, we, the corrections officers of Kansas, walk on hard concrete with the sound of steel on steel and the ever-present danger of sudden physical assault.

At a time when assaults on staff are increasing, coupled with an overwhelming turnover rate, the Kansas Legislature, in their wisdom, is attempting to reduce the standard of living of Kansas Department of Corrections employees. They are attempting to take away our cost of living increase, our longevity pay, and in a feeble attempt to appease us, they wish to issue insulting one and a half percent wage increases.

Add to this, currently, inmates of KDOC can take grievances to Topeka for review; but the Legislature is attempting to take away that right for corrections officers. The inmates seem to have gained more rights than law-abiding citizens. As citizens we pay for gas, medical care, food and roofs over our head; this is all provided to inmates at taxpayer expense, the biggest welfare system in the state.

The citizens of Kansas should be outraged at the treatment we are receiving from our elected leaders. Kansas corrections officers rank 40th in pay in the United States. It seems as though our state leaders are aiming to make us number 50. We of the KDOC represent part of the thin line that stands between "them" and the community. With every action the Kansas Legislature takes, that line is becoming thinner and thinner.

Ultimately, the citizens of Kansas are the ones who will suffer from the Legislature's recklessness. While Kansas legislators will retire with hefty pensions, the dedicated men and women of the KDOC will continue to sink into a low standard of living while working in an increasingly violent environment. I hope they are proud of the legacy they leave the citizens of Kansas.—Gregory H. Bontrager

http://cjonline.com/stories/030308/opi_253107002.shtml

Letter: DOC role vital
Topeka-Capital Journal - November 27, 2009

Kansas Department of Corrections officers and staff provide an unseen, but nevertheless vital, role in the safety and security of the citizens of Kansas. With our decline, the lives of average Kansans will become less secure.

In the midst of a declining economy, rest assured the first priority of legislators is to feather their own nest first.

If you think I'm joking, look at their health insurance, retirement and other benefits compared to state and private sector employees. Wouldn't it be nice if we all controlled our own paycheck?

When was the last time you gave your staff $25,000 bonuses in the middle of economic hard times? Ask House Speaker Mike O'Neal — Gregory H. Bontrager

For the past several years all Kansas corrections officers
The Hutchinson News | Apr 4, 2008

For the past several years all Kansas corrections officers have received intense training in cognitive communication skills. If there is a reduction in recidivism, the rank and file corrections officers are responsible, not Secretary Werholtz or a legislator sitting securely in an office in Topeka.

Yet we hardly received mention in his article of March 15 in The Hutchinson News. According to Werholtz, we have obviously saved the state of Kansas millions of dollars, and made Kansas a safer place to live. I think a substantial pay raise is in order for the successes we have made of the system. Let's keep up the good work - we serve the citizens of Kansas.

GREG BONTRAGER