Who Gets Your VA Benefits After You Die? A Great Video

Since I've received several emails inquiring about VA Veterans Death Benefits, rather than trying to explain what I've recently learned, I thought I would post this very informative video for you.

For a detailed explanation about the VA Veterans DIC Benefits that go along with the video, I copied and pasted the following information from the VA website for you. I hope it helps.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation

What is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation?

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly benefit.

It is paid to eligible survivors of:

• Servicemembers who died while on active duty, active duty for training or inactive duty training, OR
• Veterans who died as a result of a service-connected injury or disease, OR
• Veterans who did not die as a result of a service-connected injury or disease, but were totally disabled by a service-connected disability: 

1. For at least 10 years before death, OR 
2. Since their release from active duty and for at least five years before death, OR 
3. For at least one year before death, if they were a former prisoner of war and died after Sept. 30, 1999. 

Who is eligible? 

Surviving Spouses 

You may be eligible for DIC benefits if you are a surviving spouse who: 

• Married a Servicemember who died on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, OR 
• Married the deceased Veteran before Jan. 1, 1957, OR 
• Married a Veteran who died from a service-connected injury or disease, if the marriage began within 15 years of discharge,OR 
• Married the deceased Veteran for at least one year, OR 
• Had a child with the Veteran and cohabitated with the Veteran until their death. 

[DIC benefits if separated or remarried:]

Note: If you have a child with the Veteran but were separated, you must not be at fault for the separation and not be remarried to be eligible. A surviving spouse who remarries after the Veteran’s death may still be eligible for benefits: 

• If you remarried on or after January 1, 2004, and were at least 57 years old, you may still be eligible.
• If you remarried on or after December 16, 2003, were at least 57 years old, and your claim was received before December 16, 2004, you may still be eligible. 
• If you remarried on or after January 5, 2021, and were at least 55 years old, you may still be eligible. 

Additional information is available at www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnitycompensation/

Surviving Children 

If you are a surviving child, you may be eligible for DIC if the Veteran parent: 

• Died in the line of duty, OR 
• Died as a result of a service-connected injury or disease. You also must be unmarried and either: 
• Under the age of 18, OR 
• Between the ages of 18 and 23 and currently attending school. 

Certain helpless adult children may also be eligible. 

You can call 800-827-1000 for eligibility requirements. 

Parents 

If you are a surviving parent, you may be eligible for DIC if the Veteran child: 

• Died in the line of duty, OR 
• Died as a result of a service-connected injury or disease. 

You can find more information about Parents’ DIC at 

www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/

How Much Does VA Pay? 

• View the benefits tables for surviving spouses and children at www.benefits.va.gov/Compensation/current_rates_dic.asp 

• View the benefits table for parents at www.benefits.va.gov/Pension/current_rates_Parents_DIC_pen.asp

For benefit rates: https://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/survivor-compensation/dependency-indemnity-compensation/survivor-rates/

Surviving spouse rates if the Veteran died on or after January 1, 1993

If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran

Your monthly payment rate is: $1,653.07

Effective December 1, 2024

You may also be eligible for added amounts based on certain factors. Find any descriptions in the table below that are true for you. Add the amount listed in the Added monthly amount column of each description to your monthly payment. This is your total monthly payment.

How Can You Apply? 

Apply for DIC benefits by filling out: 

• VA Form 21P-534EZ, “Application for DIC, Death Pension and Accrued Benefits.” 

Access this form: www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/ 

• VA Form 21P-535, “Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation by Parent(s),” 

Access this form: www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/

Documents may be submitted by mail, in person at a VA regional office, or electronically. However, VA recommends submitting correspondence electronically as this is the fastest method of receipt. 

VA provides several tools to assist in electronic submission. To learn more about how to submit documents and claims electronically, visit www.va.gov/disability/uploadsupporting-evidence. 

You can also go directly to AccessVA to digitally upload any correspondence using Direct Upload. 

By visiting www.va.gov you can also check your claim status and learn about other VA benefits. If you need assistance, you can find a local, accredited representative at https://www.benefits.va.gov/vso/

Bring your application to a VA regional office near you. Find a VA regional office near you at 

Find VA Locations | Veterans Affairs. 

If you prefer to mail your correspondence, please use the related mailing address below: 

Department of Veterans Affairs 

Pension Intake Center 

P.O. Box 5365 

Janesville, WI  

53547-5365 

For more information, call 800-827-1000, or contact your local VA regional benefit office. 

The above information was updated in May 2022.

Here is also a PDF file on the above information:

https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/survivors/dic.pdf

I sure hope this helps answer some of your questions. 

Tom Correa

Late-Night Comedians In 2025 Don't Come Close To The Greatness Of Johnny Carson

Since some of you have written to ask for my opinion on CBS taking Stephen Colbert off the air next year, here you go. Of course, before I get into what I think of what CBS has decided to do, as most of my regular readers know, let me just say up front that I've never been a fan of his show. And yes, I will explain why in a bit. 

Before we get into that, let's talk about the fact that in the news recently was the announcement that "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is being taken off the air in 2026 for "financial reasons." From what I've read, the show costs over 100 million dollars to produce and loses money every year. So, after losing 40 million dollars a year on the show for many years, CBS has finally made the smart business decision to yank it and save itself a lot of money in the process. 

Am I shocked that a business would suffer those sorts of losses and keep losing money year after year? Yes, I am. Frankly, while I am shocked that they let it go on this long, it doesn't surprise me that they kept Colbert on the air because the show filled a political niche as a propaganda tool for the Democrat Party. Of course, Colbert's way too arrogant to admit that he isn't funny, or that he's turned off millions of Americans from watching his show, or that the reason that he is being cancelled is that his show's ratings are not very good compared to just about anything else on television. 

Sure, CBS's Colbert might be the highest-rated late-night television show on broadcast television if his show is only measured against what's on ABC and NBC. But his ratings are pathetic compared to other shows on cable television, especially when measured against The Greg Gutfeld Show on Fox News.

The Greg Gutfeld Show on Fox News has consistently outperformed other late-night shows, including Colbert and Kimmel, in total viewers and when looking at key advertising demographic groups. The Greg Gutfeld Show has led in the 18-49 demographic, with 398,000 viewers compared to Colbert's 288,000. In 2025, "The Greg Gutfeld Show on Fox News has averaged 3.1 million viewers, which is significantly higher than Colbert's 1.6 million. 

And really, for anyone who has spent 5 minutes watching his pitiful excuse for entertainment, you have had to come to the same conclusion that I did years ago: Colbert is not funny and comes off as someone with an exaggerated sense of importance, extremely condescending, with an "I'm better than you" persona. Yes, this is especially true when he's talking about the people he hates -- like President Trump and everyone who has political beliefs that don't agree with his.  

Besides not being funny and pandering to his New York City studio audience of like-minded Trump-hating Democrats, Stephen Colbert is a "useful idiot" who attacks working-class Americans, Conservatives, Republicans, Christians, all 78 million Americans who voted for President Trump, and President Trump every night without fail. He comes off as a jerk who is nothing but a tool of the Democrat Party. 

Colbert, like Kimmel, is disgustingly biased. But worse than being simply a biased Democrat with a platform to influence voters to side with his distorted way of thinking, like many of the "late-night" not funny comedians, he is a mean-spirited, hateful individual who follows the Left's political agenda lock-step to the letter.  

Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if Colbert, as well as Jimmy Kimmel and others who fit the category of also being tools of the Democrat Party, get their talking points directly from the Democrat Party National Headquarters when they send their propaganda out to the Leftist talking heads. What's the difference between him and Kimmel and the other Democrat tools on late-night television? Nothing. They all parrot the same propaganda from the Democrat Party. 

As for late-night shows and their Trump-hating audiences? I've wondered if they even need to be cued by studio applause signs to applaud Colbert's or Kimmel's sorry one-liners. I've also wondered if the show edits out any boos coming from those in their audience who refuse to drink the Leftist Kool-Aid. 

Let's remember that it wouldn't serve them to have an audience that disagrees with their hate mongering, victim projecting, and their obvious loathing of half the nation who doesn't agree with them. Their hate is deep, and their job is to divide the country with each broadcast. The goal of late-night Leftist comedians who aren't talented or funny is simple: help create division and hate on behalf of the Democrat Party. 

That's the reason why, instead of taking responsibility for his lousy show, he and his Leftist celebrity-activist Trump-haters are out these days screaming about how President Trump got him fired. Has it even dawned on them that President Trump, like his supporters, yes, us MAGA folks, have been just waiting for Colbert and others to implode on their own? By the way, that is exactly what has happened. Frankly, the folks on the Left have committed entertainment suicide by alienating half the country with their deep-seated hatred for MAGA voters, Republicans, Christians, Jews, straight white men, blue-collar workers, anyone Conservative, and certainly President Trump. 

Colbert and others on the left cannot understand that their Leftist political propaganda and vehement hate for President Trump and his supporters are the main reason why Americans are not watching their late-night shows. No one other than a die-hard Democrat Leftist wants to go to bed insanely angry at President Trump. No one but a lunatic Leftist political extremist wants to listen to hate speech for President Trump night after night, and listen to some Democrat Party talking head spout Democrat Party talking points over and over again before turning in for the night. But really, that's Colbert's audience! 

Why is it that Colbert, and also Kimmel, as well as others on the Left, can't understand what Johnny Carson understood decades ago? Americans want entertainment and maybe a laugh or two before calling it a night and going to bed. Are Colbert and Kimmel, as well as others on the Left, too stupid to understand that? Can they be funny without being malicious and hate-filled? Frankly, I don't think so.  

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is filmed before a live audience in New York City's historic Ed Sullivan Theater, airing on CBS four nights a week. Colbert took over "The Late Show" in September 2015 from previous host David Letterman. Letterman had hosted the show since its debut in 1993 until his retirement in May 2015. Before becoming the host of The Late Show, Colbert was part of Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 1997 to 2005.

Late-Night Comedians In 2025 Don't Come Close To The Greatness Of Johnny Carson

Since everyone who reads my blog knows that I write mostly about American History, while it's not the Old West, let's talk about Johnny Carson and his contribution to America. He was a writer and best known for hosting "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" on NBC. He was often called "The King of Late Night." Some say Johnny Carson was a cultural phenomenon. Yes, I agree. Johnny Carson was indeed a cultural phenomenon. 

Why was Johnny Carson considered a cultural phenomenon? What made him great versus the low-class attitudes we see today from late-night television hosts?

Well, for over 30 years, Johnny Carson hosted "The Tonight Show," becoming a nightly fixture in American homes. Frankly, he reflected American life. That was huge since the show and Carson's persona provided a glimpse into the lives and concerns of everyday Americans, making him a relatable figure. Yes, he was relatable -- something that Colbert and Kimmel and the rest of today's late-night Democrat Party talking heads are not.

Johnny Carson was a real comedian in that he was actually funny without being mean-spirited or coming off like a pretentious jerk like the late-night so-called comedians today. No, there was nothing mean or callous or vicious or condescending about Johnny Carson. He had great opening monologues, sometimes goofy, but nothing that could have been considered an attack on half of the American population for being Conservatives. 

John Carson brought on A-List Celebrities to talk about their upcoming films, their new projects, hobbies, to answer questions about the inner workings of Hollywood or the music industry, and maybe tell some interesting "entertaining" stories or jokes. All that in a short, sometimes scripted, interview. That was "feel-good late-night entertainment." It's something that we lack today. 

Americans enjoyed it and went to bed feeling good about what they watched. Most times, viewers went to bed thinking that they might go see the upcoming movie that was talked about, or maybe they hoped that they could remember the joke that so-and-so told Carson, since it was so funny that they would pass it along. His show humanized celebrities, made them more relatable, especially if they appeared "down to earth" during the show. It was entertaining. And really, people felt good about tuning in to see who Johnny Carson had on as guests. Back in the day, late-night with Johnny Carson improved the mood of Americans through light late-night humor. 

None of that is today's late-night television. Today, Colbert and Kimmel have celebrity activists on their shows night after night to spew their hate and bash their mutual despised enemy -- which is the American people who are not like them and don't share their Leftist political ideology. 

Today, late-night television hosts act like elitists who look down on anyone who may see political issues such as Climate Change, Abortion, 2nd Amendment Rights, Free Speech, Government Overreach, Socialism,  Communism, Patriotism, and several other issues differently than they do. Today, those Democrat propagandists see working-class Americans, Conservatives, Republicans, Christians, all 78 million Americans who voted for President Trump, and President Trump as the "threat to democracy" -- all while they support things and people who are true threats to democracy.  

For over three decades, Johnny Carson was a consistent presence in American homes, shaping the late-night television landscape and becoming a deeply ingrained part of the nation's social fabric. His show, "The Tonight Show," was more than just entertainment. It was a nightly ritual for millions and a reflection of American culture during his tenure. It was all good, light-hearted fun. And yes, America was a better place for having him on television nightly. 

What was his formula for success? Johnny Carson's success as the host of "The Tonight Show" for 30 years wasn't due to a single "secret formula." Instead, it was a combination of things.  

First, Johnny Carson possessed a unique and captivating communication style that truly resonated with Americans across the board, his studio audiences, and guests alike. This included his signature deadpan delivery, impeccable comedic timing, and skillful improvisation. During an interview, he'd create an intimate atmosphere where guests felt comfortable opening up. This made his interviews feel like natural conversations rather than interrogations. This allowed guests to relax and reveal aspects of themselves that viewers found engaging and relatable, while it was also entertaining to watch. 

In contrast with today's late-night host like Colbert, displaying mean, selfish, malicious attacks is anything but entertaining. And no, Americans were not blind to what we were seeing. That's probably why "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" lost millions of dollars in revenue -- despite the lie that the show had high ratings. Highly-rated shows don't lose money like Colbert's show has. 

As for Johnny Carson, despite his relaxed demeanor on screen, he is said to have been a meticulous planner, dedicated to preparing for each show. He would even read books by authors he was about to interview. While his show was well-planned, Johnny Carson had the remarkable ability to ad-lib and improvise, and go with the flow, often turning unexpected moments or even mistakes into hilarious segments. Yes, the Ed Ames axe-throwing episode sparked incredible laughter from Carson, Ames himself, guests, and his audience. 

Johnny Carson had a "Cool" and controlled demeanor. And yes, he was genuinely funny while also maintaining a sense of control over the show. Americans loved how he projected a relaxed and easygoing persona. With guests, he was perceptive, knowing when to extend a conversation and when to pivot, all while ensuring the show remained entertaining. That's key. He ensured his show was entertaining. Today, late-night television is anything but entertaining with its Liberal propaganda and hate for anyone who differs with the host politically.

While Johnny Carson made his guests shine, and he was certainly known for making his guests look good, offering support, and giving them space to be funny and engaging, today, guests are all like-minded Liberals there to bash Republicans and Trump. 

And as for his legacy, as you can see by my comments about Johnny Carson, his lack of mean-spiritedness and fine entertainment is still remembered. And yes, I believe Johnny Carson contributed greatly to making America a great place to live. As for the legacy of Stephen Colbert, he will be remembered for being a propaganda tool of the Democrat Party. What good has he contributed to America? Nothing. I can't see anything good that may have come out of his hate-filled show. And frankly speaking, I don't see anyone other than like-minded Trump-haters who will miss him. I certainly won't. America will be a better place with Colbert off the air.

So, do I think CBS's cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is a good thing? Yes. Absolutely yes. It's about time. It wasn't entertainment. And as it's probably no surprise to most, I hope Kimmel's late-night show is next to be canceled. 

Now, do you want me to tell you how I really feel about Colbert being canned? 

Tom Correa

Ranchers and Rustlers In Harshaw, Arizona

Harshaw, Arizona, circa 1880s

Today, Harshaw, Arizona, is a ghost town. What's left of the town of Harshaw can be found off on Harshaw Road in Santa Cruz County. Actually, if you go to Patagonia on Highway 82 and then turn East onto Harshaw Road and follow it South-East for about 8 and a half miles, you'll come to where the old Harshaw townsite sits. That area is Harshaw Canyon. 

On the East side of the road is the ruins of a single adobe building. On the West side of the road, you'll find the Harshaw Cemetery. For a ghost town, there isn't that much there in the way of old buildings. But the Harshaw Cemetery is pretty large and looks as if it may be maintained to a certain extent. As for the graves, it's interesting to note that some families are still burying their loved ones there. Or at least did into the 1980s. 

If you make the trip to Harshaw, you have to be very careful, and I recommend being armed. First, it is only about 9 miles from the Mexican Border and is a route used for drug smuggling and for Illegal Aliens to enter Arizona. In fact, there is at least one sign posted to warn Americans that drug smuggling and Illegal Alien traffic may be encountered in that area.  

As for the name Harshaw? The town was settled in the 1870s, in what was then the Arizona Territory. And the story of its name is a lot like that of other towns in the Old West. It's named after someone who may or may not have been the first to settle in that area. In this case, David Harshaw was a Sergeant in the 1st Regiment of Infantry of the California Column. 

The 1st Regiment of Infantry of the California Column played a significant role in the Union Army's efforts to secure the Southwest during the Civil War. Yes, particularly Arizona. The 1st Regiment was initially organized in California and then marched through Arizona as part of the larger California Column. It was organized between August and October 1861. Many of its companies were formed from existing California militia units, including those from Sacramento, San Jose, and Jackson, California.

The 1st Regiment was a key component of the California Column because it was ordered to secure the Southwest and prevent the Confederate Army from advancing into California from the South. There were a lot of Democrats in Southern California who sympathized with the Confederate cause, were for slavery, and wanted to destroy the Union. One objective for the Confederacy during the Civil War was to take California from the South. It saw the riches coming out of California as important if the South was to even successfully win the war. 

The California Column, under the command of Colonel James H. Carleton, also included cavalry and artillery units. The California Column's march through Arizona was a notable feat, covering 900 miles of desert terrain. They faced challenges like dehydration and skirmishes with Native American tribes. Yes, some who were armed by the Confederate Army. 

The 1st California Infantry established and garrisoned several posts in Arizona, including Fort Yuma, Camp Wright, and others. They also participated in expeditions and scouts, including those near Tucson, Fort Goodwin, and the Gila River. After their march across Arizona and New Mexico, the 1st Regiment had various companies stationed at different posts, and most were involved in further expeditions and skirmishes with Indians.

The 1st California Infantry mustered out of service between March 6 and October 19, 1866. Sergeant David Harshaw mustered out of the Army and returned to his previous occupation of ranching.

He had been ordered off of Apache land by Indian agent Tom Jeffords in early 1873 for illegal grazing, and he settled later that year in the area that was to become Harshaw to find new pastures for his cattle. While ranching in what is now Harshaw Canyon, he prospected and staked claims to several deposits of silver ore, one of which he sold to the Hermosa Mining Company around 1879.

Soon, besides the Hermosa Mine, the town of Harshaw saw the construction of a twenty-stamp mill designed to process or "stamp" the silver ore into fine powder in preparation for smelting, and opened a Post Office in 1880 under the name Harshaw in order to honor its founder. As for its mail, the town received mail service by way of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Tombstone three times a week.

By the 1880s, Harshaw was home to about 200 buildings, 30 of them commercial, which included 8 general stores, 2 hotels, 2 blacksmiths, 3 stables, 4 breweries, 3 dance halls, and several saloons. So yes, besides mining, the town's merchants did a good trade. And as for its mining, it is said that at the town's peak, Harshaw's mining and milling of silver was performed cheaper than in any other mining town in the Arizona Territory. As for silver production, the mines were considered rivals of the Tombstone mines. Sadly, though, as was the way of things in the Old West where boom towns can go bust out of the blue, such was the case for Harshaw. 

The town of Harshaw was dealt a death blow when the Hermosa Mine and mill both closed down in late 1881 due to a drop in the quality of silver ore extracted from the property. Along with the Hermosa closures, fires swept through the area and wiped out the town. In 1882, The Tombstone Epitaph noted Harshaw's decline, and wrote that "Over 80% of the town's 200 buildings stood empty with broken windows and open doors." 

The following story was syndicated by telegraph wire and published in the Daily Alta California on November 9, 1883:

Bloody Battle Between Rustlers And Stockmen

Tombstone, A. T . November 8th.— V. H. Igo, a prominent stockman, arrived here today and furnishes the following particulars of a bloody, but successful, fight between stockmen and a band of rustlers, near Harshaw on Tuesday last. 

A sign-rider on the Richardson ranch, on Sonoita, discovered that 25 head of cattle had been stolen from the ranch. He returned to the house and got three men to accompany him in pursuit of the stolen cattle. They were found in a canyon near Smythe's ranch, on the road to Harshaw, in possession of two Mexicans and one American. The rustlers refused to give up the cattle, but consented to accompany their pursuers to Smythe's, retaining their arms meanwhile.

On arriving there, the American rustler surrendered, but the Mexicans refused. and the ball opened. The pursuing party got into an adobe house, while the Mexicans intrenched themselves behind adjacent trees. 

There were a hundred shots exchanged as rapidly as Winchester rifles and six-shooters could belch them forth. The older of the two Mexicans was finally shot through the heart, but raised and fired three shots before he expired. The other one then, although shot in the abdomen and through the thigh, made a rush for his horse, and amid a perfect hailstorm of bullets succeeded in riding off, but died when he got to San Rafael Ranch. a few miles distant. 

The four pursuers then started for Harshaw with the member of the gang who had surrendered, for the purpose of giving him a legal examination, but they soon returned with the report that their prisoner had "got away." It is surmised that he may have got entangled in a rope, the other end of which was attached to some elevated object. 

-- end of report from 1883

When looking through the graves at the Harshaw Cemetery, you'll come across the grave of local rancher Angel Soto. His cross says he was born in 1846 and died on December 23, 1899. And there, in a small frame, someone took the time to type up a sheet of paper that tells the story of how he died. As well as I can make out, below is what the paper in the frame says: 

A Violent Death

Angel Soto

Harshaw, Az 1899

"The man buried in that place was a rancher who was preparing for the holidays. He intended to sell one of his cows to someone near the Morning Glory Mine. When he reached his destination, his cow was already being butchered. Evidently, an argument arose, and Angel Soto was killed. The killers put him in a buggy and took him to Blue Nose Canyon (south of here). The killers then fled to Mexico ten miles away. 

It wasn't until late February of 1900 that Angel's body was found by a woodcutter. Having been covered by snow, the body was well preserved. This allowed his family to give him a Christian funeral. 

The mail carrier at the time, Val Valenzuela, was the last known person to see him alive besides his murderers.   

When Angel Soto was killed, he left behind a wife and 8 children. They were all grown up. The family consisted of 6 girls and 2 boys. Of his immediate family, the two boys and two girls are buried in this same cemetery. There is a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter. Next to him is his wife, Josefa. 

Josefa Torres de Soto died in 1925. She outlived her husband by 25 years. Upon this date, June 1997, there are 24 grandchildren ranging in age from 60 to 90 years old. 

We are proud to be descendants of this pioneer family from this area. We ask visitors to respect the graves of the people buried here. Thank you."  

-- end of what the letter in the frame on Angel Soto's grave. 

The above story of rancher Angel Soto is a true story of the Old West. It was reported in The Arizona Republic newspaper on February 28, 1900: 

Word came from Harshaw that a rancher by the name of Soto has mysteriously disappeared from his home. The last seen of Soto was over twenty-five days ago, when he was seen on a burro near his ranch. The next day, the burro returned to the ranch, but the rancher, up to last Sunday, has not been seen. Parties have been searching for the missing man, but as of this writing, no news of his whereabouts has been learned. Foul play is suspected.  

And here's this, reported in The Oasis newspaper a few days later on March 3, 1900:

Sunday, the remains of Soto, the missing rancher, was found near Blue Nose Mine. There is every evidence that the man has laid there the entire time that the man has been missed, and it is thought that he was a victim of foul play.

Such was life for rustlers and ranchers in the Old West. Sometimes rustlers were found and brought to justice by way of a gun or a rope. Other times, rustlers would kill ranchers who caught them in the act. It was a common way of life. Yes, it was a dangerous life in many ways since ranchers never knew who was on their property for what reason. And yes, it was a common way of life -- especially in isolated areas. 

As for Angel Soto, he caught rustlers in the act of butchering one of his cows, and the rustlers killed him. They then dumped his body in a place where they thought it wouldn't be found before fleeing back into Mexico. Frankly, it sounds like something that could very well happen today. 

And as for the "ghost town" of Harshaw today? Well, as I said before, hardly anything remains other than the ruins of a single adobe building and the Harshaw Cemetery. For tourists who like to venture into such places, a visit to the Harshaw Cemetery would be an interesting visit. Just be safe when you do.

Tom Correa

The Babylon Bee -- Satan Asks Democrats To Tone Down All The Evil

Produced in May of 2024, this Babylon Bee video has Satan holding a "marketing" meeting with Democrat Party Political Activists to coordinate their 2024 election strategy. During his regularly scheduled marketing meeting with Democrats, Satan asks them to tone down all the evil rhetoric just a little bit to make their evil causes, causes created to destroy America, more marketable to voters

The Babylon Bee expertly uses satire to make the point that Abortion is all about a desire by the Left to kill babies for population control, that Climate Change is a scam, that Illegal Immigration is an attack on our social structure and blue-collar Americans, that the Gay/Trans Agenda is all about trying to justify child mutilation, pedophile access to children, and taking away women's rights. 

As for the Free Palestine activist, Satan is intrigued by how a white man, someone obviously not Middle Eastern, is for the Free Palestine Movement and espouses the Left's desire to kill Jews. The video even points out how open hatred for Jews, and actually being in favor of killing Jews, has become fashionable to Democrats. 

Satan also learns how the white Free Palestine activist took up his cause and learned to hate Jews in college. Later, when asked how he could get away with encouraging such hate for Jews, the Free Palestine activist says that all their cause has to do is portray themselves as "victims" and they can get away with rape, murder, and genocide.

All in all, the video does a great job of pointing out how the Democrat Party's horrible agenda includes making their desire to destroy America more pleasant to taste of voters. 

Who is The Babylon Bee?

The Babylon Bee is a Conservative Christian News Satire website that publishes satirical articles on topics including religion, politics, current events, and public figures. They have outstanding content.

The Babylon Bee was founded by Adam Ford and was launched on March 1, 2016. In late 2018, Adam Ford sold the website to Seth Dillon. Today, Seth Dillon is the owner and CEO of The Babylon Bee. It is headquartered in Jupiter, Florida.

According to Wikipedia, at the time of its sale to Seth Dillon, The Babylon Bee was receiving 3 million page views per month. By January 2021, The Washington Times said that The Babylon Bee was receiving more than 20 million page views per month, had more than 20,000 paid subscribers, and had a Twitter account with more than 856,000 followers. In January 2022, The Economist said that The Babylon Bee was "claiming as many as 25 million readers a month at its peak", and that Dillon had turned The Babylon Bee "into one of the most popular Conservative sites after Fox News".

I really enjoy what The Babylon Bee publishes. If you want great Conservative Christian News Satire that takes on the Left with wonderful humor, check out their website. You won't be disappointed.

Tom Correa

The Babylon Bee -- Liberal Goes Back In Time To Kill Hitler

In this Babylon Bee video, a time traveler who embodies the Democrat Party Leftist Liberal Socialist Anti-Jewish, Anti-Gun, Abortion, Authoritarian ideals wants to kill everyone who doesn't agree with her political position, travels back in time to 1933 Germany. Her initial intention was to travel back in time from 2025 to kill Adolf Hitler, but she then realizes that her beliefs and politics are the same as those of what Hitler believed.

The time traveler soon learns that her political beliefs of blaming a certain race of people for all of the world's problems, targeting Jews, judging people, hiring people, selecting people based on race and genetics, their ancestry and genes, all that and wanting gun-control to disarm citizens, use of abortion as a form of genocide, having a political party that controls a dishonest media to disseminate lies and use propaganda for the Democrat Party to silence the people, and even the Left's dream of creating an all-powerful authoritarian government to force their ideas on the American people to make the United States into a "Socialist" Utopia -- all agree with what Hitler wanted.

This is an excellent video that makes the point that Democrats today have a great deal in common with the Nazi Party of the 1930s. Yes, it's something that the video's Democrat Party Leftist Liberal Socialist Anti-Jew Anti-Gun Abortion Supporter time traveler discovered. 

The video makes the point that Hitler would be happy to learn that, because of the Democrat Party, the Nazi movement will not die. Yes, she finds out that her Democratic Party ideals are not democratic and are, in reality, fascist and steadfastly aligned with Hitler's core principles. 

Who is The Babylon Bee?   

The Babylon Bee is a Conservative Christian News Satire website that publishes satirical articles on topics including religion, politics, current events, and public figures. They have outstanding content. 

The Babylon Bee was founded by Adam Ford and was launched on March 1, 2016.  In late 2018, Adam Ford sold the website to Seth Dillon. Today, Seth Dillon is the owner and CEO of The Babylon Bee. It is headquartered in Jupiter, Florida.

According to Wikipedia, at the time of its sale to Seth Dillon, The Babylon Bee was receiving 3 million page views per month. By January 2021, The Washington Times said that The Babylon Bee was receiving more than 20 million page views per month, had more than 20,000 paid subscribers, and had a Twitter account with more than 856,000 followers. In January 2022, The Economist said that The Babylon Bee was "claiming as many as 25 million readers a month at its peak", and that Dillon had turned The Babylon Bee "into one of the most popular Conservative sites after Fox News". 

I really enjoy what The Babylon Bee publishes. If you want great Conservative Christian News Satire that takes on the Left with wonderful humor, check out their website. You won't be disappointed. 

Tom Correa

Buckshot Is Gone And I'll Miss Him

Back in 2011, not too long after starting my blog, I wrote about how we should be careful when naming a horse. I used my horse, Buckshot, as an example of how to jinx your horse with a name that might bring out a part of their personality that may be best kept under wraps.  

I wrote about how back in 2003, my shoer-buddy, a pretty good friend, asked me to help him take his Arab mare to the Turlock Horse Auction. To make a long story short about that, he wasn't happy with his mare. And really, I had no idea why he didn't want to breed her to someone who'd like to extend their bloodline. For whatever reason, it seemed a mystery why he wanted to take her to the Turlock Horse Auction. I thought she was too nice a horse to simply dump at the Turlock Auction.

Some refer to the Horse Auction in Turlock, California, as a "Killers Auction" because a lot of the regular buyers there are looking for horses to turn into dog food. "Killer horse auctions" are horse auctions where "kill buyers" purchase horses for slaughter. The kill buyers go looking for cheap horses sold at auction, and buy them to sell the horses for meat. I know I said it three times. I also know that I have zero respect for kill buyers. 

While some horses are purchased for riding, kill buyers hang around auctions, wanting to buy cheap horses. Sometimes, they'll buy healthy, good riding horses, in many cases horses that were being dumped there by horse owners who can't afford their feed bills. The horses are shipped to slaughterhouses, primarily in Mexico and Canada. A lot of horse auctions have kill buyers. A lot of horse auctions have kill buyers who try to get horses for nothing by keeping down the bidding. I've been to a lot of horse auctions over the years, and some are as disreputable as the day is long. I've known of some horse auctions that get a cut from the kill buyers. 

And no, my opinion of the places hasn't changed over the years. As far as I've always been concerned, it's always a case of "Buyer Beware" at most auctions. And here's this, they will tell you that all sales are based on the idea that the buyer is buying a horse "as is." That's a scam. In reality, most state laws say that buyers are buying horses "as represented." That's a big difference since horse auctions are notorious for selling "drugged horses," which are horses that are drugged to appear calmer than they really are. 

Drugged horses are falsely represented as calm, rideable horses when, in fact, those horses have been known to get people seriously hurt after they're sold and the horses' drugs wear off. 

So, along with me, my friend who needed my trailer to get his mare down there, my kid brother from Hawaii, also went with us. My brother was in California visiting, he ropes and bull rides, and does a lot of Rodeo. He knows stock and cowboying pretty good. So yes, it was great to have him along. And like he said, "You never know what you'll find that someone is selling. There are prizes and surprises. Hopefully, you buy a prize and not a surprise."

When we got to the auction, my friend went over and took care of business while my brother and I decided to check out the local horse flesh up for sale. I was not there to buy a horse. I was just the driver delivering one. But as everyone knows, cowboys at a Horse Auction have to see what's being sold. It's sort of like taking your wife shopping; there's no guarantee she'll just look at the things she doesn't have on her shopping list. There is just too much temptation.

My shoer pulled me over to where he was standing just so that I would take a look at the horse, and even my brother, who was standing there, said, "Tom, that's the horse for you!"

I said, "I saw another horse over there ...," but they wouldn't hear it! They were convinced that this was the best horse at the sale. This was the horse that I was looking for to give my horse Murphy a break.

And yes, there at the Turlock, California, Horse Auction, I found a horse I liked. He was a stocky, short-backed, straight-legged horse in the small show coral. And though he didn't have a BLM freeze brand, he was built more like a Mustang Cross than a Quarter Horse. But if he were a Quarter, then that was fine with me because I like Quarter Horses.

He was about 15.2 hands, and he was being ridden by a 13-year-old girl without a problem like there was no tomorrow. And looking at the horse, I have to say that I couldn't help but agree with my friend and my brother. He was built like a tank.

So even though I really wasn't in the market for another horse, once the auction started, I wanted that horse! Well, I got him. And once the paperwork was done, I went outside to load him. And yes, he loaded great. In fact, he trailered great and rode quiet all the way back from Turlock, which was about 3 3-hour drive.

Once I got him home, he handled like a charm. Talk about proud cowboys, I think our hats were way too small for our heads. I can say with certainty that at that precise moment that there was no better Horse Traders in the entire U.S. of A. And yes, all the way home, I heard nothing but how good they both did picking out this horse.

The next day, I put my saddle on him and we went out for a short ride in the nearby BLM land. It was a nice, easy ride. Nothing hard to handle, especially for a horse built like this guy.

During our ride, he was a little blowy. But other than that, he worked fine. After we got back, I put him up. And since I was busy that day with other things to do, I didn't work him anymore that day, other than feeding him when I fed everyone else.

Since the horse had no name, I figured that I really should find a nice name for this great-looking light red roan. Beings that he has some red spots on his rump, almost an Appy sort of markings that looked like a shotgun spray pattern, I thought I'd name him "Buckshot."

Great huh? I thought so at the moment. When I was a kid, there was a horse that was named "Buckshot" that was a real nice horse. It was a horse on TV in one of the many Westerns that used to be all over the tube back then. Of course, since I was also into Cowboy Action Shooting, I figured Buckshot would be a good link to that as well.

The next day, my shoer-buddy came back out to shoe Murphy. While we drank coffee with my brother, my friend went on and on about the horse that he picked out for me. My brother, not wanting to be cut out of the "at-a-boys," wanted his share of the credit for my purchase. I just grinned and laughed. Told them about taking him out yesterday and how it was. The coffee was good and I loved it all.

I loved it all, that is, until we walked over to where I had "Buckshot" tied and found him breathing fire as I tried to reach to untie his lead rope. He reared back and became wild-eyed and crazy. He spun away each time I reached for him. He tried all he could to pull free. He even tried to rear up and strike me.

My shoer-buddy, who not so secretly always wanted to be a Trainer, said, "I'll sack'em out!" But the horse was crazed! Turning, Buckshot fired kick after kick at me and my friend until my friend gave up out of fear.

My brother said, "Oh man, Tommy, you've been taken! Look what you bought! He was drugged! He was aced!"

My shoer looked at me and laughed, "Wow! You picked a rank horse, Pard!"

After a few minutes in disbelief, my brother had to leave for an appointment in town. My shoer-buddy left soon after my brother -- laughing as he drove off. Personally, I didn't see the joke. I didn't think it was funny. While Buckshot was a nice horse, it seemed he was certainly "aced" for the sale. After all, he wasn't the same horse that I bid on at the horse auction. It was obvious that they had "aced" him to appear calm and rideable to scam someone. In this case, I was scammed. 

Horses being "aced" usually refers to them being given the tranquilizer Acepromazine, or "ace". Acepromazine is a medication often used to calm or sedate horses for various reasons, such as veterinary procedures that require a horse to be still, to manage anxious horses to help a horse handle stressful situations like trailering or unfamiliar environments, for post-injury management to hand walk or turnout a horse that's been on stall rest, and some horse trainerrs have been known to "ace" a difficult horse to make it more manageable during schooling or handling. 

For me, I've learned not to trust some dog trainers as well as some horse trainers. Some of them are not exactly the most reputable people to deal with. And frankly speaking, while I won't have anything to do with either dog or horse trainers who purposely mistreat animals, I won't have anything to do with horse trainers who'll "ace" a horse to show how well their training is coming along. Sadly, it's a scam that some trainers try to get away with. 

Drugging a horse is not what's needed to train a horse. Drugging a horse should never be a substitute for proper training. And really, it's important to use a lot of caution around horses that have been drugged -- especially as the drugs are wearing off. Some aren't safe to be around as the drugs are wearing off. You can get hurt if you don't use caution around them.  

As for me, because I rode him the day before, I was having a hard time believing it was true. Of course,  seeing him act like a maniac made me realize that Buckshot was definitely "aced" for the sale. So what convinced me? Well, I had a hard time accepting that this horse was the same horse that I rode. So, I decided that I had to ride him out. To do that, I went into my tack room and got my saddle off its rack and headed for Buckshot.

It took me a while of fighting with him, but after a while, I did get him saddled. Then I decided to take this real slow so that I wouldn't get hurt in the process, and I led him out into an open area in front of my barn.  He seemed to lead okay at first, unless, of course, I turned to face him. I found that if I did face him, he'd get wide-eyed and pull back and try to rear up.

Once in what I thought was an open space away from trees and anything else, I put my left foot in the stirrup and then just as I was throwing my right leg over the saddle ... he blew!

Now, if you've been to Rodeos, then you know what a Bronc coming out of the chute looks like. Well, without a bucking-strap, he went straight up into the air and into the air and into the air, bucking over and over and over again. No, it wasn't just really bad crow-hopping. He was bucking like nothing I'd ever seen in or out of a Rodeo.

At one point, he came down so hard that he lost his footing, crashed right into the picket fence that used to be in front of my home. He tore up a few sections of picket fence before moving on and away from the house.  

Just before he got up, my thinking was that he may have been done, but then he started up again as I went towards him. Again, up and in the air, again and again until he went head first into a tree. That knocked him silly and down onto the ground. And again I thought that that was the end of it - and again I was wrong.

This time he bucked over to some water-pipes, and stomped them good before heading for my lower well pump house. Yes, I really thought he was going to take out my pump shack. But instead, he headed toward my creek. And yes, in the blackberry bushes, in the thicket, he slowly calmed down. Then, finally, he just stood there, nostrils flared and breathing heavily. I slowly walked over to him and reached for his lead rope, then took it and led him over to his pen.

Later, a friend of mine shook his head and laughed a little when he heard about Buckshot going berserk, saying, "Look on the bright side. Naming him Buckshot was fairly accurate. He is explosive!"

I replied that I now understood why the people who sold me the horse didn't name him. After all, there is the possibility that they didn't want to name something that they might feel like shooting later!

Do I regret calling him Buckshot? Well, let's just say that after seeing him buck the way he did, I started to think that maybe I should've named him "Peaceful!"

Buckshot shotgun ammunition contains large pellets and is designed for hunting medium to large game like deer and for self-defense. Birdshot shotgun ammo contains smaller pellets for hunting birds and small game. Shotgun slugs are large single projectiles for bigger game. Of course, shooting buckshot ammo usually produces more recoil than lighter loads of birdshot. 

As I said above, since the horse had no name, I figured that I really should find a nice name for this great-looking light red roan. Beings that he has some darker red spots on his rump, almost an Appy sort of markings that looked like a buckshot shotgun spray pattern, I thought I'd name him "Buckshot." 

Was he "explosive" like my friend said? Yes, he was. And here's the rest of the story of Buckshot. 

Since the Turlock Auction was held every two weeks, I had to wait two weeks to take him back. After going down there and talking with the owner of the auction in private, I got most of my money back.

But, unlike my friend who got under $200 for his good-looking Arab mare two weeks earlier, I decided that I wanted to make up the difference of $500 that I lost when bringing him back. To make up for what I lost on him, I had to sell him at the auction. 

When the bidding started, the kill buyers bid $10. Then it went to $20. And it went back and forth between two to three kill buyers at $5 increments until it reached about $120. At that point, the auctioneer called it. But then, the auctioneer stopped the sale to the kill buyer. 

The auctioneer looked up from his paperwork and asked if the seller of this horse was in the audience. That's when I stood up and said I was. He said, "Sir, you have a hold on the price you will take for this horse. Do you want to waive that hold and go with the last bid?" 

The kill buyer stood up and said his bid was good and the horse was his. The auctioneer looked at him and told him to sit down. He told the kill buyer that I put a hold on the amount of money that I would take for my horse. And then he looked to me and asked again, "Sir, will you take your hold off this horse and accept the final bid amount?"

I said, "No. I'd rather take the maniac home than let the killers have him." To my surprise, while the kill buyer was visibly upset, the crowd stood up and applauded. 

With that, the auctioneer pounded his gavel and said, "No sale!" Then looked at me and said, "Sir, that maniac is still yours. Good luck."

I said thank you and took him home.  Before I left the auction, a few people approached me to ask what I planned to do with him since he wasn't rideable. I told them, "He'd either make a great companion horse or lawn ornament, but the killers weren't getting him."

That was 2003. He was supposedly either 7 or 8 years old when I brought him home that night. And yes, my friends, I tried to provide him with a good home for the last 22 years. Yesterday, my boy Buckshot, my "Bucky Boy," a horse that I rescued from a killers auction so many years ago, a horse that I only rode once but became very close to, a horse that became part of my small herd of rescues, died last night. 

I found him this morning in his stall. He was either 29 or 30 years old. And yes, I will miss him. He really was a great horse. He really was a wonderful friend. And as for how I see life, while I know I will revisit him in my dreams, I also know I will see him again later when, like him, God also calls me home.   

Tom Correa

CIA Blockbuster Report Makes It Clear President Trump Was Framed

John Brennan and James Comey Need To Be Tried For Treason

In the great article below from Gregg Jarrett of Fox News, he points out how there was a concerted effort by members of the U.S. Government to overthrow a sitting President of the United States, Donald Trump. It was a failed coup orchestrated by Democratic Party heads in concert with several people in charge of the FBI, CIA, and other agencies. This is the real threat to democracy. This is power unchecked, embedded, and out of control. Those involved need to be charged and prosecuted for treason.

Below is Gregg Jarrett's story:

CIA Report Makes It Clear Trump Was Framed

Top spy chiefs reportedly pushed discredited Steele dossier despite internal warnings from Russia experts

By Gregg Jarrett, 

Fox News
Published July 9, 2025

In a blockbuster report, the CIA has belatedly exposed the rank corruption among top intelligence officials who connived to frame President Donald Trump and drive him from office during his first term.

Their pernicious lie was that Trump colluded with Russia to rig the 2016 presidential election in his favor. The principal piece of so-called evidence was a document known infamously as the dossier.

It was secretly financed by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and Democrats, conceived by a foreign agent with a checkered past in espionage, and then brokered to solicitous collaborators at the FBI, CIA, the Department of Justice and the Trump-hating media.

WHITE HOUSE WANTS OBAMA INTEL OFFICIALS 'HELD ACCOUNTABLE' FOR ROLE PEDDLING 2016 RUSSIA HOAX

The dossier was garbage, of course. The FBI largely debunked it before Trump was even sworn in and fired its author, Christopher Steele, for lying as a confidential human source. But the bureau concealed those inconvenient facts under then-Director James Comey and deftly exploited the document as a cudgel to bludgeon the newly elected president.

 
Comey was aided and abetted by others in the intelligence community, including CIA Director John Brennan and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. This malignant force of unelected officials plotted to smear Trump with what is surely the dirtiest trick in political history.

Recently, current CIA Director John Ratcliffe declassified and released an internal agency review of the machinations that helped fuel the Russia hoax. In a statement posted on social media, Ratcliffe stated, "All the world can now see the truth: Brennan, Clapper and Comey manipulated intelligence and silenced career professionals — all to get Trump."

BRYAN DEAN WRIGHT: JOHN BRENNAN WAS MY BOSS AT THE CIA. HE BELONGS IN PRISON

Citing previously hidden records, the review concluded that Brennan, in particular, pushed for the phony dossier to be included in the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) to catalyze a false narrative against Trump. Senior CIA experts on Russia objected but were sidelined and silenced.

The CIA’s deputy director for analysis warned Brennan in writing that including the discredited dossier in any capacity jeopardized "the credibility of the entire paper." Brennan didn’t care. The fiction penned by the ex-British spy conformed to the director’s preconceived fable that Trump colluded with Russia.

The ICA, which was ordered by President Barack Obama, was rushed to completion just days before Trump’s inauguration. Brennan directed its composition and handpicked the analysts who compiled the ersatz information. To stifle dissent, 13 other key intelligence agencies were deliberately excluded. To put it bluntly, Trump was set up.

According to the new CIA review, Comey and Clapper were all in on the scheme. In an interview with the New York Post, Ratcliffe said, "This was Obama, Comey, Clapper and Brennan deciding ‘We’re going to screw Trump.’"

EX-OBAMA INTEL BOSS WANTED ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER INCLUDED IN 'ATYPICAL' 2016 ASSESSMENT DESPITE PUSHBACK

They knew the dossier was junk, which motivated them to prop it up as a reliable indictment of Trump. By incorporating it in the ICA they could leak and propagate both documents as mutual corroboration. It was a clever ruse. An illusion.

Those of us who have long covered the bogus collusion story knew it long ago. In my 2019 book, "Witch Hunt," I recounted how Brennan "insisted that the dossier be included in the classified intelligence report," but then told Congress under oath that the dossier was "not in any way used as the basis for the intelligence community’s assessment." Clapper’s testimony was nearly identical.

 


The cover of Gregg Jarrett's book the Russia collusion hoax, "Witch Hunt."

Here is what I wrote in chapter 2:

"Brennan and Clapper were spinning a deception. A prominent colleague contradicted them and produced documents as proof that they were not telling the truth. In a classified letter to Congress, National Security Agency director Michael Rogers disclosed that the uncorroborated document (the dossier) ‘did factor into the ICA’ report. Having been caught in a falsehood, Clapper then repudiated his earlier statement. Brennan continued to deny all of it, the contrary evidence notwithstanding."

CIA BEING RESTRUCTURED TO ELIMINATE 'WELL-DOCUMENTED POLITICIZATION': RATCLIFFE

Neither Brennan nor Clapper was ever prosecuted for perjury.

None of that bothered news organizations. MSNBC promptly hired Brennan, while Clapper went to work for CNN. I described what they did from their media perches:

"The two super spooks launched an all-out attack on Trump, exploiting their new television platforms to advance the toxic fiction that the president was a secret Russian asset who had ‘colluded’ with Putin. It didn’t matter to CNN that a House Intelligence Committee report determined that it had been Clapper who had leaked news of the phony dossier to the network before Trump had ever taken office."

The collusion narrative was a conspiracy itself. The collaborators knew it was a lie, but they manipulated the dossier and the ICA to peddle their fairy tale. With Hillary and her confederates, they engineered the hoax. Brennan even accused Trump of treason.

DNI TULSI GABBARD REFERS ALLEGED INTELLIGENCE LEAKERS FOR PROSECUTION; DETAILS POSSIBLE MOTIVES

Comey also knew the dossier was spurious, as I wrote in chapter 4:

"He knew exactly where the dossier came from and who paid for it. He used it as the primary basis for the warrants, used it as part of the nonpublic version of the intelligence community assessment, and used it to debrief President-elect Trump so that it could be leaked to the media in January 2017."

They knew the dossier was junk, which motivated them to prop it up as a reliable indictment of Trump. By incorporating it in the ICA they could leak and propagate both documents as mutual corroboration. It was a clever ruse. An illusion.

Comey’s decision to purloin and leak additional FBI documents triggered — just as he planned — the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his dilating investigation of Trump that hobbled his presidency for two years.

On the day that Mueller issued his report concluding that there was no evidence of a Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy, the sheepish Brennan conceded, "I don’t know if I received bad information, but I think I suspected there was more than there actually was."

That’s quite the Jekyll-Hyde metamorphosis for a guy who enthusiastically endorsed the dossier and who kept claiming that "it was in line" with his own CIA sources, in which he "had great confidence." That, too, was a fabrication, according to the newly released CIA review.

What did Comey have to say? In public, the master prevaricator dissembled and pleaded ignorance. But before Congress, he was forced to admit that some of his actions would have been different had he known then what he knows now. Not likely. He was wedded to the artifice of collusion because he despised Trump.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has vowed a reckoning. She told Fox News, "We are digging deep to find everything that has been related to this, and I guarantee you there are some U.S. attorneys who are eager to see what we are finding — in some cases are already working their own cases to bring about that necessary accountability."

Unless those who unscrupulously weaponized their immense power for political purposes are held to account, it will happen again. And again. The only remedy for lawlessness is justice.

The reckoning awaits.

Gregg Jarrett is a Fox News legal analyst and commentator, and formerly worked as a defense attorney and adjunct law professor. 

Gregg Jarrett’s latest book, "The Constitution of the United States and Other Patriotic Documents," was published by Broadside Books, a division of HarperCollins on November 14, 2023. Gregg is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book "The Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump." His follow-up book was also a New York Times bestseller, "Witch Hunt: The Story of the Greatest Mass Delusion in American Political History."

Texas Flash Flood 2025 Disaster Brings Out The Ugliness Of Democrat Hate

THE AFTERMATH

Right now, there are a lot of people missing after flash floods tore through parts of Central Texas on July 4th. State and County Emergency Services, along with Federal Services, are doing a heroic job. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference on Sunday that flash floods could still pose a danger to some regions and urged caution over the next few days. 

While some survivors are being found, many with incredible stories of survival, some of the bodies of those who have perished are being recovered, and families are now having to deal with the horrible, sudden, devastating loss of loved ones.

Among the missing are many young girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Kerr County located near the Guadalupe River. Those young girls and a camp counselor remain missing according to Texas officials. 

Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp situated on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas, apparently suffered the worst losses just before daybreak on Friday, the Fourth of July, amid a torrential downpour, when the river rose 27 feet in just 45 minutes. It rose 27 feet in about 45 minutes. That's incredible. 

According to reports, Camp Mystic has been operated by the same family for generations. It has been a place that offers girls a chance to grow "spiritually" in a "wholesome" Christian atmosphere. It's said that the Christian summer camp has been a place of laughter, prayer, camaraderie, and fun. Yes, a place for girls to swim, canoe, ride horses, and form lifelong friendships. 

Many of the hundreds of girls at the camp were sleeping in bunk beds in low-lying cabins less than 500 feet from the riverbank. And while those cabins were hit the worst, even cabins at higher elevations on hills were hit by the rising water.  It had to be a horribly chaotic scene in the early morning darkness as those children fought for dear life. I can't imagine the sheer terror of the rushing waters carrying trees, mud, and all sorts of debris, consuming their camp, and the children trying to make it to safety. 

The beauty of the Guadalupe River draws so many to the area, and the floodwaters arrived with almost no warning, ripping through the picturesque riverfront area that I'm told is home to nearly 20 youth camps. And while Camp Mystic suffered the greatest loss of life, state and county officials say the scale of the disaster is far-reaching. 

Another summer camp, the all-girls camp Heart O' the Hills, was also hit by the deluge. I read that while it was fortunate for that camp that it was out of session at the time, it still suffered the tragic loss of the camp's co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, who is among the dead. 

 

So now, there are those who will inevitably ask why those summer camps were situated so close to a river or why more was not done to evacuate the children in time?  

For me, I like the response Republican Congressman Chip Roy, who represents the area, has given to those questions. Acknowledging the devastation while urging caution against premature blame, Congressman Roy said, "The response is going to be, 'We've gotta move all these camps - why would you have camps down here by the water? Well, you have camps by the water because it's by the water. You have camps near the river because it's a beautiful and wonderful place to be."

A news report this morning said, "More than 80 people have been confirmed dead in the floods. Camp Mystic has confirmed that at least 27 girls and counsellors are among them. Of course, besides those organized camps, there were many other campers in the area for the holiday weekend when the flash flood struck. And now, more rain is forecast, which will make the rescue effort even harder. Days after the deluge, hope is fading, and this is rapidly becoming a recovery exercise more than a rescue mission." Of course, Texas is blessed with having Governor Greg Abbott, who has vowed to "stop at nothing" until every missing person is found. 

For me, I'm impressed by those of us whose better Angels rise up to meet the needs of others during such tragedies. A report in the news today talked about how Petty Officer 3rd Class Scott Ruskan, 26, was singled out by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for his efforts saving 165 victims as the only triage coordinator at the scene of the floods. 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted the following on her social media account on X: "United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petty Officer Scott Ruskin (Ruskan), directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas. This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene. Scott Ruskin is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG." 

Kerr County Sheriff's Office says that as of 1:30pm, Sunday, they had recovered 68 deceased in Kerr County, stating, "Among those who are deceased, we have 40 adults and 28 children. Eighteen adults are pending identification, and 10 children also pending identification. At present, there are 10 Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, along with one counselor. We continue to have hundreds of officers, deputies, and support staff working every aspect of this emergency, along with air, water, K9, and other assets conducting search and rescue." 

A Houston Democrat Says The Rescue Effort Is All About White Privilege. 

So while the better part of humanity shows it's most admirable attributes in the form of people such as people as U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Petty Officer Scott Ruskan and all of the hundreds of officers, deputies, volunteers, and support from communities and so many agencies, we get another look at the ugliness that is Democrat hate for White Americans, Trump supporters, Conservatives, and Christians. 

It is absolutely pathetic that Democrats have to make everything, including such a tragedy and horrible loss of life, about race and hate for Whites. The Democrat who found a microphone to spew her hate for White Americans is a former Houston appointee who claims flood-ravaged Camp Mystic is "Whites-only, Conservative, [and] Christian."

Sade Perkins, a former member of the Houston Food Insecurity Board, made the claims about Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, in a TikTok video this last weekend. The office of Houston Mayor John Whitmire confirmed that Perkins was appointed by former Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2023, and her term expired in January 2025.

In her TikTok video, Perkins' racist ugliness wasn't restricted to just Whites as she also slammed Asians and something she called "Token Blacks." You can read this for yourself from what she said in her video when Perkins stated, "But Camp Mystic is a Whites-only girls Christian camp. They don't even have a token Asian, they don't have a Token Black person. 

Perkins claimed, "It is a all White, White-only conservative Christian camp. If you ain't White, you ain't right. You ain't getting in, you ain't going, period."

Then, Perkins had the nerve to try to say, "It's not to say that we don't want the girls to be found, whatever girls that are missing… but you best believe, especially in today's political climate, if this were a group of Hispanic girls…. this would not be getting this type of coverage that they're getting. No one would give a f--k." 

As unbelievable, as that asinine statement is, it just shows how Democrats are totally ignorant and utterly filled with hate for White Americans today. She even went so far vain concern by saying "hope[s] they all get found," before going on to say the last thing that the families needed to hear by suggested that there was too much sympathy for those killed in the floods. 

Imagine for a moment just how warped you have to be to spout political talking points during a time like this. But that's how I see such Democrat rhetoric today, especially when they say, as Perkins said, "They want you to have sympathy for these people. They want to get out of your bed and to come out of your home and to go find these people and to donate your money to go to find these people. Meanwhile, they are deporting your family members. Meanwhile, they're setting up concentration camps and prisons for your family members. And I need you all to keep that in mind before you all get out there and put on your rain boots and go find these little girls."

The ugliness of such hate for others not like them is not limited to a single Democrat. There are many more out there who share the same mindset. For example, today, a Houston Pediatrician was fired after a Facebook post, which appeared to mock victims of the recent Texas floods, went viral. 

Dr. Christina B. Propst, who has been previously associated with Blue Fish Pediatrics, came under fire for a post which was made under the name “Chris Tina” on Facebook. This was reported by the New York Post. While it has since been deleted, Dr. Propst wrote, "May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry. Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts."

Families are grieving their loss. And as for the families whose loved one will always live with the trauma of what took place, they are praying that their children survive such an ordeal with minimal scars. And frankly, vile Democrats who think like Perkins should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.

Now, before someone writes to tell me that Perkins and Propst are only speaking what they see as the "truth," please understand that Democrats today are the worst of their long history of hate. Their truth is delusional. From not admitting that "trans-women" are gay men, to their inability to identify what a woman is, to their inability to prosecute Illegal Aliens for breaking the law, they are delusional because they are detached from reality. But worst, their delusions fuel their hate for others who are not like them. And no, to them, there is absolutely no room in our world for people who love America, worship God, and believe in everything that they hate.

For those Democrats who feel such deep hate for White Americans, hate us to such an extent that they are okay with having sold their soul just to keep their hate burning, hate so deep that you have lost all compassion for other suffering for such loss, our society is wronged by their low character. And yes, such people are low-character individuals. The lowest.

What makes them the way they are? Why would even the Texas flash flood disaster bring out the ugliness of Democrat hate for White Americans, Trump supporters, Conservatives, and Christians? Who knows. The hate coming from Democrats runs deeper than most of us will ever be able to understand. Democrats have proven themselves to be a cold-blooded, extremely vile group of people. 

Tom Correa

Veterans Became Cowboys After The Civil War & Beyond

While popular culture often romanticizes the life of the American Cowboy, their reality has always involved hard work, relatively low pay, and a tough, often lonely existence. So, have you ever wondered what sort of men were perfectly suited to become cowboys in the Old West? 

Well, below is an interesting article from the New York Star published in August of 1889. It's titled "A Soldier's Life." The short article concludes with the writer giving his opinion of what sort of career a soldier would be suited for after serving his time in the Army on the American Frontier. After looking at a soldier's life while serving a five-year enlistment in the United States Army stationed in the West, the writer for the New York Star recommended that veterans become "Cowboys." 

The New York Star published this in August of 1889:

A SOLDIER'S LIFE. 

Routine duty on the frontier is about as follows: The soldier gets $13 per month straight pay, rations, clothing, and a certain allowance which is paid him on the date of his discharge; an increase for each year's service or re-enlistment; additional remuneration if promoted corporal, sergeant or artificer; extra pay if worked as a carpenter, plasterer or mechanic, and lota of other perquisites too small to mention. Guard duty is the hardest in the service, and to this the soldier is eligible about one day in six.

Three roll calls a day, reveille, retreat, and tattoo of a cavalryman, stables twice a day; drills Mondays or Fridays, dress parade every evening, and target practice whenever weather permits. The rifle used is the ordinary Springfield service pattern, 1888 Springfield "Trapdoor" in .45-70 Government, a breech-loader, carrying seventy grains of powder and 500 grains of load, with common service sights that never get out of order. The U.S. Army standard sidearm is the Colt Model 1889 revolver, a double-action revolver with a swing-out cylinder, chambered in .38 Long Colt and .41 Long Colt. 

Each company in the service is provided with a pair of breech-loading shotguns, a certain annual allowance of powder, shot, wad, and shell, and these are open to everybody for hunting purposes when not employed on other duty. A soldier can then amuse himself knocking over jack rabbits, bagging sage hens and prairie chickens, and missing as many ducks and wild geese as he wants to. Tours of detached service are merely picnics. Large game of some kind can almost always be found, and what better sport could anyone ask? 

There is one undeniable fact about a five-year term in the United States Army. All sorts of material are caught for soldiers; the beer-drinking Teuton, the bulldog Englishman, the fun-loving Irishman, the ignorant darky, and, in fact, men of all nationalities and all climes. They come to us as bright as meteors and as verdant as cucumbers, but no matter how green and unsophisticated the recruit may be when he joins, he has developed into a fine marksman when he leaves the Army, and with decidedly more sense than he was enlisted with. 

The bump of fun is exceedingly large in the average soldier of the line. Generally. as remarked, they are young men in the prime of manhood, of fine physique and perfect in every way (else they would not have been accepted by the recruiting officer), who look upon the term of enlistment as a sort of lark, and propose to get as much amusement and fun out of the five years as possible. 

Astonishing as it may seem, yet it is nevertheless true that it is no easy matter to enlist in the United States Army. Nineteen out of twenty applicants are rejected for cause, and the twentieth man must be up to the mark, or lie is liable to travel the road of his nineteen predecessors. 

After enlistment expires, a majority of the discharged soldiers, who originally came from some of the states back East, never return to their former homes. Civilization, with all its drawbacks, has lost its charms for them, and so they stick to the West and grow up with the country. 

Long service and extensive scouting over the plains have cured them of city life and the struggle for existence. They either take up land claims somewhere, buy farms from the railroads, or drift to ranching or stock raising. Many of them prefer cowboy life, which a term of service in the Army, saddle, and scouting work especially equips them for. 

— end news article in the New York Star, August 1889

So, what do you think of the writer's reasons for recommending that career path for veterans who served in the West in 1889? 

Taking a look at those serving in our military and the lives of cowboys, you can't help but agree that there are a lot of similarities between the lives of soldiers and cowboys. Yes indeed, soldiers, especially those stationed in the American West, possessed physical strength and stamina and were usually excellent riders and marksmen. Cowboys also needed to have physical strength and stamina, be skilled riders and marksmen, as well as know how to rope -- besides having other skills. 

Cowboys were primarily young men who worked long hours, endured hardship, and toughed it out while tending cattle on horseback. Cowboys were responsible for carrying out the instructions of the Cow Boss, which isn't much different than soldiers carrying out the orders of their First Sergeant. Typically, a Cow Boss reports to the general manager or ranch owner, answering for the well-being of the cattle and the performance of the cowboys. And yes, a First Sergeant reports to his Company Commander or Commanding Officer, to answer for the well-being of the unit and the performance of the soldiers.

While not all soldiers became cowboys, there wasn't much of a difference between following orders in the military and following orders on a ranch. Tending cattle and maintaining a ranch takes work, such as repairing fences, maintaining buildings, and managing horses. Tending to a military unit and its structures within a fort also took work. Soldiers had to paint and repair their barracks, offices, and other buildings within an Army fort. No, they didn't contract it out as they do today. Although military installations have always had their share of civilian employees employed for various reasons. 

As for their living conditions? Cowboys lived in a bunkhouse with other cowboys, enduring long solitary hours and harsh weather, the same as soldiers living in barracks and pulling guard duty.

Of course, cowboys who participated in cattle drives and transporting herds to market often lived a nomadic life while traveling with the herds. In most cases, all they had as companionship were other cowboys. The same applied to soldiers assigned to patrol wide-open spaces, on escort duty, or away from the fort on assignments. Whether it was a detail to gather firewood or searching for missing pioneers, or having to patrol the frontier, it was a very solitary existence. 

As for life on the range, even after the cattle drives died out, cowboys still patrolled the boundaries of their ranch, checked water sources, mended fences, and kept an eye out for rustlers. Soldiers did the same when it came to patrolling treaty boundaries, checking water resources, establishing outposts, and keeping an eye out for hostile Indians and criminals. 

At the end of the Civil War in 1865, soldiers, both from the Union and Confederacy, became cowboys. In fact, former soldiers contributed significantly to the rise of the "Cowboy Culture" and the cattle industry in the West. The fact is, soldiers sought work and opportunity after the Civil War when jobs were hard to come by and the nation was still reeling from the ruin and economic aftermath of that war. 

Several soldiers who were discharged from military service needed to find new ways to support themselves, and in many cases, also their families. The expanding cattle industry and the promise of a fresh start in the West, particularly in states like Texas with large herds of wild cattle, offered such opportunities. The demand for beef grew after the Civil War, and the development of railroads further West facilitated cattle drives to distant Northern markets. 

These factors created a demand for skilled cattle herders and drovers. Many veterans came West to meet the demand. Some specifically headed to Texas, where the cattle industry was booming. They brought with them skills, experience, and a willingness to adapt to the frontier lifestyle. The Civil War and its aftermath on former soldiers and dislocated Southerners who fled a destroyed South had a huge impact on the West. Because of the need for people to work in a growing cattle industry, and more folks taking advantage of the Homestead Act after the Civil War, the settlement of the West was taking place faster than most understood.  

The 1890s were after the Great Die Up. It was an era when open-range cattle drives were on the decline. And with the Indian Wars ending, many former soldiers became cowboys seeking a fresh start. After being without employment or prospects, many sought new opportunities and a new life in the West. The cattle industry experienced a boom, a glut, a slump, and a resurgence, all between 1865 and 1890. 

Though not as robust, and unlike the huge demand for cowboys that took place before the winter of 1886, before the Great Die Up, the 1890s did see a demand for cowboys. What was considered the "Golden Age of the American Cowboy" was ending by the mid-1880s, mainly because of the expansion of railroads and barbed wire fencing. But even though that was the case, the cattle industry remained a cornerstone of the Western economy.

With cattle, there will always be a need for cowboys. And though the role of the American Cowboy was evolving because of the decline in cattle drives, ranches still needed management and hands to work those spreads. Of course, the diminishing open range led to the establishment of large fenced ranches. This saw the rise of family-owned ranches and larger cattle companies giving way to family-owned ranches. Those smaller ranch operations still required skilled cowboys to manage their livestock.

It was at that time that cowboys became more focused on caring for horses, and tended to fenced-in herds to manage grazing lands, while still maintaining fences and ranch infrastructure. They still performed the ranch work, including gathering and branding, but the massive cattle drives were pretty much at an end.

Of course, there were smaller-scale cattle drives. With the decline of the massive cattle drives to distant railheads, some smaller-scale cattle drives did not stop. After all, cattle still needed to be moved to market or between grazing lands. And really, while they were not the drovers who moved those huge herds up cattle trails to railheads, they were still cowboys who drove livestock to markets or new grazing lands.

Many soldiers, particularly those men who served in the cavalry, had experience with horses, which was a key skill for cowboy work. The demand for beef in the East, facilitated by the expanding railroad network, made cattle ranching a potentially profitable venture. So while the peak of long-distance cattle drives occurred in the decades immediately following the Civil War, the 1890s still saw an enormous amount of ranching activities -- and veterans would have been among those working as cowboys during that time.

So yes, a lot of former soldiers made the move to become cowboys after their enlistment ended, even into the 1890s. That's the reason why there was a strong presence of former soldiers, both Union and Confederate veterans, working as cowboys in the Old West. They were drawn by the opportunities presented by the expanding cattle industry and the possibility of a new life that wasn't that much different than the life they led as soldiers.

By the late 1890s, the cowboy had become a powerful symbol of the American West. It became an image that influenced popular culture through Dime Novels, Wild West shows, and later Hollywood films. Of course, while it's true that the romanticized image of the cowboy portrayed in popular culture might not fully reflect the reality of their demanding and sometimes dangerous work, the relevance of the "Cowboy Culture" and the cattle industry is what keeps an ongoing demand for cowboys alive to today.  

As for what was being called "The Closing of the West," the U.S. Census Bureau's 1890 report indicated that the frontier line, defined as a continuous settled area with a population density of at least two people per square mile, no longer existed. It was a method for the Federal Government to track Westward Expansion. Since it was deemed as being no longer discernible, this declaration, made in 1890, signaled that the vast, unsettled lands of the American West were largely occupied and integrated into the nation's settled territory.

That declaration is considered by most as the "End of an Era" because it marked the end of the period of major Westward Expansion and the beginning of a new era focused on urbanization and industrialization. Of course, just because some Federal bureaucrat says that the "End of an Era" took place, doesn't make it so. The fact is that settling the West continued into the early 1900s. 

And since there were still opportunities for cowboys who wanted to cowboy, primarily on established ranches, large and small family ranches, on smaller-scale cattle drives, and on feed lots, veterans would be among those who became cowboys well into the 20th Century and beyond. 

Tom Correa