Wednesday on the Wake Up Call: Local Deep Dive on Pensacola and Escambia Topics of Interest

Today on the wake-up call live on WPNN 103.7 -we welcomed to the program Rick Outzen-owner and publisher of Rick’s Blog, InWeekly, and the We Don’t Color on the Dog Podcast.  We went deep on local issues of great interest.  After my interview with Outzen, we discussed hard hitting local, national and international stories of interest- covering multiple topics from around the country that traditional media outlets just won’t cover—in ways and at a depth they never will show you.

We are live each weekday morning from 6:00AM-8:00AM on WPNN-Pensacola's Information Station, where local, conservative morning-drive talk radio is ALIVE and Well and where we give you the most powerful 2 hour(s) in local morning drive talk radio.

Pensacola's only conservative, local morning drive talk show giving you information, weather, traffic, humor, and educated, intelligent discourse with no PC filters....The Wakeup Call with Jeff Bergosh on WPNN FM 103.7: Radio UNRESTRAINED!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: If Antifa can violently protest in America and destroy cities and provoke fights while masked, can peaceful “White Supremacist” demonstrators wear masks while actually, peacefully protesting in America?

 

Check out the whole show here

What to do about Panhandlers? Homeless?

 

I've been contacted by a number of citizens that want the county to draft an ordinance "prohibiting" panhandling.

Our board has discussed it, this issue comes up frequently.  The problem is panhandling is allowable free speech according to the lawyers.  Where counties can step in is when there is behavior is unsafe (e.g. if panhandlers are in the road).  But even this behavior is tough to tackle--as by the time a complaint is made and a police officer is dispatched, such a violator more than likely will have retreated to the right of way or sidewalk.  Thus, even that unsafe (and already illegal) behavior is next to impossible to curtail.  And an additional ordinance enacted would do little to nothing to curb the behavior.  It's like the genius state law passed last session about "noise from vehicles" that is so subjective, so opaque, that not ONE law enforcement agency in the state of Florida will be able (or willing) to enforce it.

But they passed a law, though!  Problem solved!  Drinks all around!!  (Yet the noise from car problem persists.....)

You cannot legislate your way out of every problem.

Despite this being an axiom of truth most of us understand with crystal clarity--some folks with whom I have recently spoken "Want us to do something, pass an ordinance, or something, anything, to make this go away!"

Of course that's a fool's errand for multiple rational reasons.

And meanwhile----panhandling persists.  Homelessness is a growing problem.  And yes, the two are intimately intertwined.  Along with untreated mental illness, poverty, social dysfunction, and addiction.

Yesterday evening we received word that Pensacola is opening a homeless facility.  Good, good for them and I wish them all the best.  Meanwhile, the county has $4 Million to help with the problem and I can't get the city to even respond to a request for a joint meeting.  We have sent no fewer than 4 requests.  I've spoken personally to the mayor.  I've spoken to Connie Bookman.  They obviously don't want a meeting with the county. 

So I'm adding this topic to our next meeting on August 4th.  Maybe the city will do their thing, and the county will do our own?  Maybe that is what the city wants, due to their lack of interest in a joint meeting?  Who knows?

Nevertheless---I still think scaling up the Satoshi Forest model, deep in the woods, away from subdivisions and residences is the way to go. Something that is secure, with wrap-around services brought out to the camp, and where no drugs are tolerated and where security and CC cameras are present to maitain safety and order. 

Interestingly---The students from CLA independently brought the same general, basic concept. (Minute 13:00 of this video)

So the county will discuss this on the 4th and figure out the answer to an important question:  How do we best spend the $4 million earmarked to assist this problem?  

I have my thoughts, now hopefully we will get the conversation started on the dais so I can hear what my counterparts want to do about it.

And I guess we will be doing it separately from what the city is doing....

Complex issue, lots of moving parts, no easy solutions.

Yes: This Happened on Palafox and Government Last Night In Pensacola

The angry left:  "You don't have the right to say things or protest in ways that offend us. You're also NOT ALLOWED to disagree with us.  If you do, we will attack you and the press will side with us!"

Wow this is crazy.  And it happened yesterday afternoon right here in Pensacola, downtown Pensacola, Florida.

So about three dozen young, mostly white and primarily female protesters were marching around downtown in support of Abortion.  It was a "pro-abortion" rally.  Signs, banners, and chants.

Okay, fine.  I've seen this on Palafox and Garden over the last few weeks.  No issue.

After all--this is America and we enjoy the freedom of speech and assembly.  And peaceful protest is a uniquely American "thing" that others around the world do not enjoy (e.g. look what happens to protests of the government in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and/or Russia for stark examples of the difference between them and us--where some protesters there get "disappeared" or thrown off of buildings for demonstrating or expressing themselves).

So whether it is the pro-abortion folks doing what they do----OR the Pro Life folks doing what they do--complete with graphic and bloody post-abortion photos---they both have the right to protest PEACEFULLY.    Peaceful protest is a right we enjoy in America--NO MATTER WHAT the topic or subject.  And protesters have the right to NOT be harassed and they also DO NOT have the right to bully, intimidate, or harass those who are present to watch--or even potentially DISAGREE peacefully.  

That's the way the bill of rights is supposed to work.

Now, not wanting to wade into hot-button topics here (and I won't) I will simply say that not all protests are equal, though. NOPE.   And the coverage of these protests are definitely NOT EQUAL by the left-leaning, dishonest, and compromised media. (e.g. the summer of 2020 riots around the country resulted in $Billions of dollars in property damage, hundreds of police injuries nationwide, and several dozen deaths of citizens.  And the national press downplayed those events, ignored them, justified the reasons for them while attacking the political "right" wing, and/or flat out lied characterizing them as "mostly peaceful"--which is dishonest and we all know it.)

Contrast that with a few dozen right wingers who planned a protest in Idaho and the national media immediately arrests them and tells you they were "planning a riot!" and drops the hammer of judgement on them.  Apparently, one of them had a "smoke bomb."  Then, a few dozen protesters in Boston marched with American flags, peacefully, down the famous Freedom Trail and they are immediately denigrated by that city's mayor, police chief and national news with David Muir deridingly referring to them ---with a "serious look" on his face--- as dangerous "white nationalists."  ABC NATIONAL covered it as an Alarming act of white supremacy!  What??  Wait--so if I carry an American flag and walk a trail that is the definition of "white supremacy?"  When is 4th of July going to be cancelled??!!?? 

Meanwhile, they (National media) all but ignored Antifa riots all around the nation in 2020 where actual weapons were being used (not smoke grenades) on police and national guardsmen, people were being assaulted and killed,  and buildings were being burned to the ground....

Talk about a weird double standard and selective coverage (and outrage).

And do not misunderstand me--I am NOT making light of the situation that occurred on January 6th when that protest became a riot and laws were broken.  Those that broke the law in that instance should be punished and charged appropriately--so this post is NOT a defense of the lawless component of that day.

But, I digress.   

Meanwhile, back in Pensacola on Palafox street last night, this happened.

As the Pensacola pro-abortion protesters marched by a group of three men, who were simply bystanders, one of the pro-abortionists looked over at them and said "Do you support a woman's right to choose?"  to which the group of three did not respond.  Growing more beligerant-the same protester raised his voice "Do you support us!!"  to which the group of three ignored the comment.  The protester then ratcheted up the tone saying "I assume by your silence you Don't support a woman's right to choose!" to which one of the three men there just watching resonded "I support Life."  Now this agitated the protester, who trailed off from his group and  began yelling and screaming obnoxiously at the three citizens who were simply there by happenstance walking through downtown.  These three men, who were only and simply standing and watching---then backed away and walked the other direction, west on Government street, as they were headed to a different establishment to have a cocktail.  "Have a nice day" one of the three men said back to the yelling, agitated, apoplectic pro-abortion protester.  This really set the protester off, though, and he commenced an even more vile and offensive verbal tirade on the three men, with expletives I won't print here.  Meanwhile, the three men just kept walking the other way.  The one man of the three who had a brief exchange with the pro-abortionist grew mildly agitated at this point, even as he walked away, and so he briefly turned back to the still-yelling and following protester, made eye contact,  and yelled back at him "Your mother should have aborted you!"  Which actually muted the protester--who was (literally and figuratively) a much smaller man.  He mused something inaudibly as he scurried back to his group of pro-abortion protesters--who were by this point marching ahead and away from him.  And the three men then continued on to their destination establishment to have a beverage.  (By the press's new apparent standard--the bystander who stood his ground and verbally responded would/should probably be characterized as "aggressive, dangerous, threatening, and provocative" and summarily arrested, LOL.)

So yes,  the contrast and hypocrisy is astounding.  Peaceful protesters (who do not engage, harass, or