Tea at Trianon: Meawhile, in Talbot County...

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Meawhile, in Talbot County...

From The Easton Gazette:

Republican parties across the State host Lincoln Reagan Dinners every year to help fundraise for campaigns. Usually they are attended by local, state and national political figures and a guest speaker is often invited as part of the attraction to the event. Donors pay different amounts to participate. Over 100 were in attendance in the Tabot County Republican Lincoln Reagan Dinner October 24th.

Rarely do these dinners provide the excitement that the Talbot County Republican Party event supplied on Thursday. The guest speaker was Ivan Raiklin, former Green Beret and Lawyer, known as the "State Marauder" on "X" where he has over 200,000 followers. Raiklin speaks on a variety of constitutional topics but is best known for his support of President Trump and concern about the deep state's role in elections. Raiklin has been on Tucker Carlson's blog and Alex Jones' Info Wars.

During his speech, Raiklin said, "Everybody who is in attendance here has courage." He outlined plans to deal with whatever election results come in November, including how County Sheriffs and Attorney Generals could be involved if there are issues. He also spoke about how social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google, colluded with the Biden Administration to shut down alternative viewpoints on a variety of topics, including the elections.

Early in Raiklin's presentation, a protester, Ferdinand Joseph Ricci, broke into the room, physically assaulted the speaker, and began yelling alledging that Raiklin was being "paid by Elon Musk." Immediately, Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble stepped between Ricci and Raiklin and had the man arrested and charged with assault. Ricci was transferred to the Talbot County Central Booking facility for processing and an initial appearance before a District Court Commissioner. Ricci was held pending further action by the court.

Raiklin's presentation, and the evening, continued. (Read more.)

From WBOC:

Despite the strong start, Maryland’s early in-person voting numbers are lower than at this point in the 2020 election. Statewide, 10.4 percent of eligible voters have cast ballots in the first four days of early voting. However, the Eastern Shore has outperformed this rate, with 12.4 percent of eligible voters turning out so far.
Nearly every county on the Eastern Shore has exceeded the state average, with Talbot County setting the pace at 16.7 percent – the highest turnout in Maryland. Only Dorchester County falls below the state average for early voting on the Shore.
Bruce Robson, of Salisbury, praised the high turnout, calling it a reflection of civic pride and engagement. “It shows voter engagement, and gosh knows the more of that the better, no matter the party you are and who you're voting for. I’m proud of the Eastern Shore for that.”
Mail-in ballots are also playing a big role this election. Of the nearly one million Marylanders who have already voted, more than half have done so by mail.
Thursday, October 31 is the last day to vote early, in-person. You can do so between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m at your county's designated early voting sites which can be found here. (Read more.)