She Voted for Obama Twice. Now Antonia Okafor Explains Why She’s a Conservative Who Advocates Gun Rights.

/in , , , , /by

This is an edited transcript of a conversation between Antonia Okafor and Katrina Trinko on the May 22 edition of The Daily Signal podcast. Okafor weighed in on her own journey to becoming a conservative, Kanye West, gun rights, and school safety. 

Katrina Trinko: Joining us today is Antonia Okafor, a political commentator and the CEO of EmPOWERed, an organization devoted to the Second Amendment rights of women on college campuses. Antonia, thanks for joining us today.

Antonia Okafor: Thanks for having me, Katrina.

Trinko: First question. You yourself voted for Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012.

Okafor: Yes.

Trinko: Why did you vote for him and what since then has changed your mind on political matters?

Okafor:  I grew up in a pretty traditional Democratic family. I remember when I was young my mom telling me that, ‘If you could vote right now, you would vote for Bill Clinton.’ I remember that.

I just thought I was a Democrat growing up and then I went to college and realized … I was actually taking public policy courses and realizing … [that the policies] for the Democratic Party, I didn’t actually believe in.

Doing a lot more research and realizing that, you know what, my values that I grew up with that actually, coincidentally, and ironically [the values] my mother taught me—working very hard, education is an equalizer for everyone, that traditional family and the nuclear family is important to success, and having a faith in Jesus Christ is important to success as well—and just those traditional values really made me realize that I was in a party that did not reconcile with my values and I needed to change, particularly with the pro-life issue, but then later on, the pro-gun issue.

The only party that I believe that was really always consistently focused on those issues was the Republican Party.

After 2012, I’m [remembering] … voting for Barack Obama, even though I did have a hard time at that even doing that, but realizing that I will never vote again against my values and I would not vote for the Democratic Party because they weren’t doing what was important in that instance for my values.

Trinko: I think your story is particularly interesting because so many people go to college and actually come out liberal, or come out more liberal. This is sort of a personal question, but I’d just be curious: Why do you think you were open to changing? Why was your experience so different than so many other college students?

Okafor: You know what? I think I was open because kind of like what’s going on right now, [although] I think it’s to a worse degree because everybody’s so anti-Trump. It’s because the media’s so focused on making Republicans look like racists, and sexists, and misogynists, and horrible people.

Then me, I guess, I just have this affinity to be around people, or to seek out information for myself. I remember I was like, OK, if they’re really this bad I want to see for myself. Going out and talking to people who were Republicans and finding out that they weren’t bad people, in fact, they were amazing people and they actually share the same values. I mean, who would’ve thunk it that if you did your actual research, that you would find a lot of what people were saying is false.

That’s what happened to me, and so a lot of questions ensued after that of what else I was just believing without actually doing my research and homework on.

I came to find out that there were a lot of things that I didn’t believe that mainstream media for a long time was telling me that I should. It was them saying that you must be a certain way as a black woman, you must think this certain way or you’re not a black woman that made me actually, ‘You know what, I want to do my research and find out why they’re saying this.’

Come to find out, that’s exactly the opposite.

I think that’s what really spurred me onto being more open to finding out what my actual beliefs were and if I believe what they believe.

Trinko: OK. Well, that’s interesting because that relates to, of course, Kanye West, [who] had a huge backlash when he didn’t even really say he supported Trump, just said maybe not everything conservatives say is the spawn of Satan, essentially. What did you think about the backlash? Are we in a unique moment here? What’s going on?

Okafor: Well, two things. Even with Kanye West, I think actually I’m more saddened about what Chance the Rapper said and the backlash that he got right after that. Actually, he had apologized when he said that not all black people have to vote for Democrats. He apologized after that.

I was like, what are you apologizing for? I mean, statistically that’s true but unfortunately with, I think, African-Americans … the media, mostly the left, has been able to monopolize the conversation and narrative when it comes to that, [making it] … that you’re black and these people are white and therefore, if you’re a black person, you should vote for the Democratic Party.

Only white people are for gun rights, only white people are Republican, are conservatives. They’ve done a great job of doing that for so long but, no, because you’re a black person does not mean that you have to vote for the Democratic Party. If anything, when I found out that 95 percent of African-Americans voted for Barack Obama and then 88 percent of them voted for Hillary Clinton, that’s more than any other demographic group and it’s an overwhelming proportion more as well. I mean, Latinos, they voted 66 percent for Hillary Clinton.

I think, for a long time the left has used this narrative that as a black person particularly … you are supposed to vote a certain way.

I think a lot of people like Kanye, and Chance the Rapper, if they apologize or not, are starting to realize that maybe I don’t vote for Republicans, maybe I’m not a conservative. That’s what Kanye said—he said, I don’t really know if I would label myself as a conservative, but I think a different way.

We’ll see what he says, but I think it’s good that we’re having a conversation anyway, to say that you as a person are independent and you can think independently and make up your own decisions regardless of your race or your gender.

I think people are sick and tired of people putting them in boxes. I know I was sick and tired of it.

Trinko: Well, one of the criticisms of conservatives over the years has been they don’t really show up to a lot of minority events. Sen. Rand Paul [R-Ky.], when he was running for president, made a big deal of [it]: ‘I’m actually going to go to African-American neighborhoods, I’m going to speak, I’m going to be involved.’ What do you think conservatives should be doing to reach out to African-Americans?

Okafor: You know what? I’m a testament that that worked, because I remember seeing him when I was afraid of—

Trinko: Oh, Paul?

Okafor: Yeah, of seeing that he was going out to Howard [University in Washington, D.C.], he was going out to these HBCUs [historically black colleges and universities] and … still talking about conservative values.

I hadn’t seen that before, I hadn’t seen politicians on our side who had these values that would go out and talk to people, but not also pander to them and change their values because they’re in a different area.

I remember looking at Rand Paul and him being so focused and so true to his beliefs and his principles, and not budging on those. But the fact that he was even there in the first place just went to show that, yeah, these values are for everyone.

It made me realize that I could be conservative—come out of the closet—and champion these values. Also, still be a black person, still advocate for the fact that I’m very pro-criminal justice reform, and prison reform, and I’m so glad that now we’re seeing that with Trump looking into that, and people coming to a consensus.

It’s a lot of things that we can come to an agreement with and come together in but unfortunately, especially the other side I think sees that and sees that if they don’t make it a partisan issue then they could lose people.

They could have people like me five years later going from voting for Obama to voting for President Trump. That’s scary to them.

Trinko: Well, to switch gears a little bit, you’ve mentioned your support for gun rights. There was, unfortunately, another tragic school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. You’re a Texan yourself. What do you think the response should be? How do you think we should handle all these calls from the left for gun control [being] the answer?

Okafor: Part of it is that, unfortunately, they always get to dictate when we get to talk about the whole issue, after [the shooting]. You know, every time we have a tragedy, to be honest, now it’s like [comedian] Chelsea Handler says something, that’s when it starts the conversation on Twitter, unfortunately.

Trinko: Oh, Twitter.

Okafor: She’s the precursor of when gun control and gun rights conversation [happens]. It’s a sad society, but it’s true. They get to dictate when it’s appropriate to start talking about that, and we respond.

We shouldn’t respond anymore, we should be on the forefront, we should be leading the conversation.

That’s why I started my organization, Empower, because I knew as a gun rights activist, as someone who was part of the organization that brought campus carry to Texas in 2015, we are really … The movement is going to be pushed by young women.

I found that as a young woman that self-defense is important to us, particularly on college campuses. With the … gun control narrative, they don’t want people to see that. They don’t want to say that the strong, empowered woman, the college-educated woman [who] knows other strong, empowered, college-educated women who also happen to be pro-gun.

They want the narrative to be: If you’re a feminist, if you’re pro-female, then you can’t be pro-gun. That’s false. If anything, if you’re pro-female, you should be pro-gun, it’s one of the best equalizers that we have in this great country.

It’s horrific and we do need to do something about it. If anyone, especially my generation … [having] grown up in Columbine [era], grown up with both Virginia Techs and all these shootings on college campuses and high school campuses …

We don’t believe in [gun control] anymore and we want something different. This is our time to put out something different and to say that it’s not about the gun, it’s about the person behind the firearm that we should be focusing on.

Trinko: I certainly share your frustration that feminism always seems to box out conservative women, whether it’s abortion, or gun rights. No matter what, if you’re not right thinking, oh, suddenly you don’t care about women, which drives me insane.

Okafor: That New York Times article.

Trinko: Oh my gosh.

Okafor: They just had saying that the myth of conservative [feminism]—

Trinko: They were saying [conservatives] can’t appropriate feminism …

Okafor: I was like, thank you. First of all, the first feminists are the ones who were pro-life, so if anything, we could say ‘the myth of liberal feminism’ … I’m not going to say that because feminism is not dictated by liberal, or progressive, or being conservative. It’s about equality between the sexes. Absolutely, I believe it’s a big 10 issue when it comes to that.

Empowering women can look like, you can be empowered as a woman and believe that you have a right to defend yourself with a firearm just as much as you can be empowered if you don’t want that. I mean, just as long as you’re not impeding on other people’s rights, I think that’s what it comes down to. That’s really the equality of rights.

Trinko: What is the response to your group then on college campuses? As I mentioned, I don’t think historically or traditionally people tend to think of college women as gun carriers or advocates of gun rights.

Okafor: Yeah, well, it was because of my time as an advocate for campus carry and realizing that’s who the anti-gun side was always focusing on … women on college campuses, and making it seem like they were the ones who should not have guns. They were the ones who should not have any, or be advocates of anybody having firearms at all, and being very frustrated in the fact that, no, that’s exactly the opposite.

I wanted those pro-gun women to have a voice because I knew they were out there, I’d talked to them, I’d spoken to even professors who definitely don’t feel like they have a voice if they’re pro-gun on campuses. They would email me all the time during my time with students for conceal carry saying, ‘I completely support what you’re doing, I just cannot say anything or I would never get tenure.’

Trinko: Oh gosh, that’s so frustrating.

Okafor: Yeah, exactly. I was just like, you know what, they’re out there. People don’t want them to have a voice, but I can give them a voice, I have a platform, let me do so. I think that was my opportunity and so I’ve been grateful the last year that people actually believe the same thing too, I thought it was just me being crazy, but it’s not.

There are a lot of people who are just afraid to say something. The same thing with March for Our Lives and these high school students telling me that they’re afraid to say things too because their peers and their administrators are telling them the opposite, [that] if they believe anything other than being anti-gun, then they’re awful people, and that’s just not true. We need people to stand up for them because they’re afraid to stand up for themselves.

Trinko: And that’s such an important point. I often think, how different would our politics be if everyone was able to speak about what they truly believed?

Okafor: Yeah.

Trinko: I do realize, not everyone gets to work at a conservative outlet where you’re OK with that. There’s a lot of societal pressure, but I’ve definitely experienced the same phenomenon where people will say to you quietly, or behind closed doors, ‘I agree.’ It’s like, OK, well say that out loud.

Okafor: I’ve had people who agree with me after lectures. There’s a few African-American women that came up to me after my Dartmouth lecture just a couple weeks ago. I was like, ‘Can I take a picture with you?’ They’re like, ‘You had really good points.’ [And then] they’re like, ‘Is this going to be on social media?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, you don’t want it.’ [They said], ‘Yeah, let’s not do it.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, OK. Well, I understand.’

It’s sad that they feel like they can’t outwardly agree with me because then they’ll be a traitor to their race and their gender.

Trinko: Well, someday.

Okafor: Yeah, someday.

Trinko: I’m sure you’re inspiring a lot of people … thank you so much for joining us today, Antonia.

Okafor: Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

COMMENTARY BY

Portrait of Katrina Trinko

Katrina Trinko

Katrina Trinko is managing editor of The Daily Signal and co-host of The Daily Signal podcast. She is also a member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors. Send an email to Katrina. Twitter: .

Dear Readers:

With the recent conservative victories related to tax cuts, the Supreme Court, and other major issues, it is easy to become complacent.

However, the liberal Left is not backing down. They are rallying supporters to advance their agenda, moving this nation further from the vision of our founding fathers.

If we are to continue to bring this nation back to our founding principles of limited government and fiscal conservatism, we need to come together as a group of likeminded conservatives.

This is the mission of The Heritage Foundation. We want to continue to develop and present conservative solutions to the nation’s toughest problems. And we cannot do this alone.

We are looking for a select few conservatives to become a Heritage Foundation member. With your membership, you’ll qualify for all associated benefits and you’ll help keep our nation great for future generations.

ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY

Trump’s Populist Coalition Reshapes American Politics

/in , , , , /by

Salena Zito and Brad Todd recently co-authored the book “The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics.” They spoke to The Daily Signal’s Ginny Montalbano about who the Trump voters are, what motivated them during the 2016 election, and what they can tell us about the future.

Ginny Montalbano: Your new book called “The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics” just came out. Can we start with what inspired you to write this book and what it’s about?

Brad Todd: I didn’t see Trump’s nomination coming in 2016 in the election. I was working for a different candidate. After watching it come about in spite of my expectations and then watching the general election develop, I really was interested to know if the long-term question; was this something that was just starting, was this something that was in the middle, or was this something that was finishing with this reforming of the coalition on the right?

Salena Zito: He and I had numerous conversations that began back in 2006 when we first met, in trying to understand this disruptive force that was starting to build among conservatives. That’s not just Republicans, but independents and Democrats as well.

I saw that this was coming, but mainly because as a reporter I live in Pittsburgh, so I spend my time outside the Beltway. I saw the evidence of this in 2016, really beginning with the April Pennsylvania primary. How Trump just steamrolled through my state and created an enthusiasm that I have never seen among Republican primary voters.

I remember right before the night of the primary election going to the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, which is massive. I went there and there was 25,000 people inside, there’s at least 10,000 to 15,000 outside. I remember thinking, “Wow, this is April in Pennsylvania. Something’s happening here.”

Montalbano: The president has tweeted about your book. He said, “It does much tell the story of our great election victory, the forgotten men and women are forgotten no longer.” What is the disconnect between the actual Trump voters and the Trump voters that a lot of the media tries to portray?

Todd: It’s a pretty optimistic coalition. I think you see a lot of the stories about the Trump voters convince you that they’re all destitute, and laid off factory workers who are strung out on heroin, and convinced that they’re angry with the world.

We found something exactly the opposite. In traveling through the five Rust Belt states that switched from Obama to Trump and conducting a survey of Trump voters in those states, 86 percent of those people actually are optimistic about their own economics situation and their own economic career prospects.

They’re scared to death about their communities, but they’re very optimistic. We think that that sense of optimism and forward-looking nature is a thing that was missed.

Zito: Yeah, absolutely. I think one of the things that people will enjoy about “The Great Revolt” is that there is these seven different archetypes, the most surprising archetypes of the Trump coalition, that emerge and come to life. I think as people read it, more often than not that they’ll see themselves through these stories.

Brad is right about the optimism. “Make America Great Again,” people made fun of it as nostalgic or racist. I’ve even heard dog whistle, which I’m not even sure what that means. To them it was an aspirational about doing something and being part of something that was bigger than themselves.

That’s a very important component, a very uniquely American thing whether you have been in this country for two weeks or for seven to nine generations. It’s something that you find inherent within all American people. I think that the national press missed that and missed that understanding of who these voters are.

Montalbano: You’ve written that Trump was not the cause of this movement, he was the result of it. What exactly are these Trump voters reacting to and what can they tell us about the future?

Todd: Nothing in American politics happens on accident for one time, usually it’s something that builds. When these trends happen, it builds over a period of time and it continues. Trump, it may have taken someone as uniquely outside the political system to fully catalyze the coalition.

Most Trump voters just think both parties are responsible for the dysfunction in Washington, they trust him more than they trust politicians of either party. To some extent, therefore, he definitely was essential in bringing it together, that’s a fair argument.

In the end, this populous coalition, this fusion of populism and conservatism, it’s been coming for a while. We saw it in Republican primaries in 2010, 2012, and 2014. It really almost had to crystallize in the general election at some point and it’s going to continue even after Trump’s off the stage.

Zito: Yeah, absolutely. I think one of things that’s really important to understand is that the influence of this coalition goes well beyond the ballot box. We saw evidence of that on Wednesday, when you saw what the NFL made the decision about what they’re going to do about what happens if you as a player want to make this decision to kneel or not.

To me and Brad, you can tell me if this is wrong, to me, it meant that they cried uncle. That they recognized that in these past two seasons, that they have seen a crumbling of not only their fan base, but also of their brand, a gold standard brand.

Todd: This means that the fans got what they asked for. The league’s original position was that they were going to allow players to kneel, there would be no ramifications for it. The fans spoke, I’m not saying every person in that fan base is politically motivated, but it’s another example of a coastal decision-maker getting it wrong and the customer base responding.

That’s really what it was in the election, both in the Republican primary and the general. Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton represent the last gasp of the legacy brands in politics and the voters broke both of them.

Zito: Brad makes this point all the time, he said, “Look where the NFL’s located, Park Avenue.” They make their decisions based around that sort of life and people that are like them. Brad has said to me several times, “They should be located in Canton, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame is.” They would be more attuned to how their fan base thinks.

Montalbano: What are you hoping that political elites and media take away from the lessons that you’ve learned throughout writing this book?

Todd: This culture craves respect. That I think that treating them and their cultural backgrounds without respect is peril for both sides.

Zito: Absolutely. I think that both political parties have shown these voters, and a lot of voters across the board, very little dignity. They have made it appear as though their opportunities aren’t as important as coastal opportunities are. Again, that’s a problem in the ballot box, it’s a problem outside of the ballot box. Honestly, both parties would learn from “The Great Revolt.”

Montalbano: Thank you both so much.

Zito: Thank you.

Todd: Thanks a bunch.

COMMENTARY BY

Portrait of Ginny Montalbano

Ginny Montalbano

Ginny Montalbano is a contributor to The Daily Signal. Send an email to Ginny. Twitter: @GinnyMontalbano.

RELATED ARTICLE: These California Rebels Are Working With Trump, Not Against Him

Dear Readers:

With the recent conservative victories related to tax cuts, the Supreme Court, and other major issues, it is easy to become complacent.

However, the liberal Left is not backing down. They are rallying supporters to advance their agenda, moving this nation further from the vision of our founding fathers.

If we are to continue to bring this nation back to our founding principles of limited government and fiscal conservatism, we need to come together as a group of likeminded conservatives.

This is the mission of The Heritage Foundation. We want to continue to develop and present conservative solutions to the nation’s toughest problems. And we cannot do this alone.

We are looking for a select few conservatives to become a Heritage Foundation member. With your membership, you’ll qualify for all associated benefits and you’ll help keep our nation great for future generations.
ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image of President Donald J. Trump at the U.S. Naval Academy graduation 2018 is by Kevin LaMarque/Reuters /Newscom.

VIDEO: Geert Wilders speaks out, demands the release of ‘freedom fighter’ Tommy Robinson

/in , , , , , /by

Jerry Gordon in his September, 2017 column “Telegraaf interview Dutch MP Geert Wilders — ‘In my opinion Islam is not a religion‘” wrote:

Party for Freedom leader Geert Wilders is deeply concerned about Muslim integration. In our series Islam in the Netherlands  he is warning about the “perishing”of our culture. “It is not five to twelve or two to twelve, it is almost morning!” The leader of the second party in the country is pondering about very far-reaching measures.

It appears that England’s culture is perishing with the arrest and imprisonment of Tommy Robinson. Geert Wilders calls Tommy Robinson a “freedom fighter.” MP Wilders should know. His freedom to speak about Islam has led to his being sued by his own government.

RT.com in an article titled “‘UK behaving like Saudi Arabia’: Geert Wilders calls for release of Tommy Robinson” reports:

A petition asking Prime Minister Theresa May to free Robinson has collected over 400,000 signatures.

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is of Tommy Robinson’s supporters on Saturday,  May 26, 2018 outside Downing Street / Facebook.

Memorial Day: Our Principles Are Still Worth Fighting For!

/in , , , /by

By KrisAnne Hall, JD

Our contemporary American experience seems often Orwellian. We have a Congress that denies our Rights in the name of security. We have a judiciary that often denies the Constitution and violates it by asserting a power to make law. Many patriots have expended a great deal of energy this year in the fight to see our Liberty protected and America’s greatness restored. We are all aware that there are still many struggles ahead and mountains yet to be conquered. But let us be reminded of a hope that is rooted firmly in the original American experience that makes our land so exceptional.

Our history is rich with men and women who have surrendered all so that many could live in the greatest place the world has ever known. For over 700 years before the Declaration of Independence, men and women were learning the lessons that would be taught to our founders. Lessons that would infuse our founders with the courage and hope that would build this exceptional land.

Patrick Henry said, “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way to judge the future but by the past.” He was letting us know that his knowledge of those last 700 years, were the very reason he knew how this fight would turn out. He knew that every time men and women understood the value of Liberty and pledged all to protect it, they were always victorious.

These guarantees of history must have raced through Henry’s head; 1100 Charter of Liberties, Magna Carta, 1628 Petition of Right, 1641 Grand Remonstrance, and his very own Bill of Rights of 1689. These were battles fought in the name of Liberty and he knew that victory was a guarantee. This is our history. This is our guarantee. This is our victory!

We have so much to be thankful for. Let us not forget that Liberty is a gift that was purchased for us with great sacrifice. Among the many things we have to be thankful for, we must be eternally grateful for the wisdom of men and women that understood that Liberty was a gift from God and that all God’s gifts are worth our every sacrifice. John Adams, in a letter to Abigail in 1777 expressed this sacrifice.

“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it.”

We must honor this sacrifice by honoring their memory and continuing their efforts. Too often I see the revisionism of our history in an effort to demean these men and women with the purpose of destroying our Constitution. We do not properly respect their efforts by allowing these lies to be taught to our sons and daughters. We must teach the truth. We owe it to them. We owe it to our children. It is our hope.

I am not trying to give the founders some divine status or even suppose them a level of perfection that they did not have. We must understand that our Liberty was not founded upon people, but upon principles. The people that gave us our exceptional American principles were flawed vessels just like you and me. However, the really amazing part of this history is that flawed men understood that the foundation of an enduring union must be Liberty moored in morality.

Consider these words by Alexander Hamilton:

“Equal pains have been taken to deprave the morals as to extinguish the religion of the country [France], if indeed morality in a community can be separated from religion…The pious and moral weep over these scenes as a sepulcher destined to entomb all they revere and esteem.

“The politician who loves liberty sees them with regret as a gulf that may swallow up the liberty to which he is devoted. He knows that morality overthrown (and morality must fall with religion), the terrors of despotism can alone curb the impetuous passions of man, and confine him within the bounds of social duty.” The Stand, No. III (April 7, 1798)

Our founders knew that Liberty is a combination of two equally important parts — it is freedom under the constraints of moral law. Liberty cannot survive where there is pure freedom. Pure freedom gives man the right to do whatever is right in his own mind: cheat, lie, rob, murder. Pure freedom is anarchy. At the same time, Liberty cannot survive with moral law alone. Moral law not mingled with freedom is theocracy. Theocracy in the hands of men is tyranny in the name of religion. Our founders attempted give us this balance and secure the blessings of liberty for us in our founding documents. If we abandon our history, we abandon our founding documents and disregard our moral foundations, then liberty is in peril.

Thomas Jefferson gave us this warning: “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that is justice cannot sleep forever.”

While Benjamin Franklin warned America’s founders directly:

“In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection…. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of Superintending Providence in our favor…have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?…. God Governs in the affairs of  men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

Patrick Henry said “Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.”

Did these brave men and women live without fear? Hardly so! Mercy Otis-Warren articulated this dilemma so well.

“I have my fears. Yet, notwithstanding the complicated difficulties that rise before us, there is no receding; May nothing ever check that glorious spirit if freedom which inspires the patriot in the cabinet and the hero in the field, with courage to maintain their righteous cause, and to endeavor to transmit the claim to posterity, even if they must seal the rich conveyance to their children with their own blood.”

They knew that bravery was not the absence of fear, but doing what you must in the face of fear. They knew that the battle for Liberty, as Mercy called it, was a righteous cause. Knowing the source of her courage is the key to understanding her resolve. Mercy wrote a letter to her friend Mrs. Macauley in 1774, from this letter we can know the source of her strength. She said they were “ready to sacrifice their devoted lives to preserve inviolate, and to convey to their children the inherent rights of men, conferred on all by the God of nature.”

The key to victory, the key to the courage that brings victory is not simply fighting the fight, but knowing we fight a righteous battle for the One who gave us that Liberty. Our founders were in a position to pledge their lives, the lives of their families, everything that they had because they were firmly rooted in all the assurances of Liberty. Our founders knew that Liberty is a gift from God, and those that stand for God’s gifts will be victorious through God’s promises. They firmly believed that living in tyranny was worse than dying for Liberty. They knew that through their faith in Christ, their rewards in standing for God’s gift would be certain, whether on the battlefield or in Heaven.

As Thomas Paine so eloquently put it, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” But Paine’s full statement gives a richness that is lost with the initial quote alone. Payne continues to tell us who will last in this battle and why they will last.

“The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing (sic) its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”

If we want to have the resolve that Mercy Otis-Warren spoke of, the confidence that Patrick Henry displayed, we must know what Thomas Jefferson knew so we will not become the sunshine patriots Thomas Paine condemns. We must know Liberty is a gift from God. We must know this Gift, although coming at a high price, is worth fighting for because God is with us. If God be with us, who can be against us?

As an exceptional union built upon exceptional principles, we cannot deny that we are built with a foundational understanding of an exceptional God. Thomas Jefferson reminds us that, “We are not in a world ungoverned by the laws and the power of a Superior Agent. Our efforts are in His hand, and directed by it; and He will give them their effect in His own time.”

Because of our historical understanding that America was built on the principles of freedom and morality, America has always been the haven of rest when tyrants oppress their own. She is the vineyard of innovation and opportunity. We are a people that open our arms to the tired, to the poor, to the oppressed, to the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. No other people can claim this legacy; no other people have this birthright. This is the shining city upon a hill, and we cannot hide our light under a bush.

The focus of our education should not be on the flaws of the men who gave us our Constitution, but on the exceptional principles that they gave us. We have an exceptional union where “all men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights.” A land birthed by the principle that the power of the government is to be held by the people and not where the government holds power over the people. A country that believes the principle that says all are free to worship according to the dictates of their conscience, and all are equally free, “Jews, Turks, pagans, and Christians.” We have prospered based on the principle that ideas and hard work open the door to prosperity regardless of bloodline, skin color or social status. A land that has remained free based on the principle that liberties remain secure by maintaining the right to defend self, property and Liberty.

In the profound words of Daniel Webster,

“Is our Constitution worth preserving? Guard it as you would guard the seat of your life, guard it not only against the open blows of violence, but also against that spirit of change…Miracles do not cluster. That which has happened but once in six thousand years, cannot be expected to happen often. Such a government, once destroyed, would have a void to be filled, perhaps for centuries, with revolution and tumult, riot and despotism.” An Anniversary Address by Daniel Webster July 4th 1806

Let us maintain a true focus on what is important. In this day it is so popular to denigrate America for every little flaw. Why not take back a bit of American Exceptionalism? Why not embrace what makes us different from every other place on the globe? America is exceptional because we are built on exceptional principles. Principles of Liberty, freedom, morality, and equality as derived from our Creator. And these principles are STILL WORTH FIGHTING FOR!

ABOUT KRISANNE HALL

KrisAnne Hall is a former biochemist, Russian linguist for the US Army, and former prosecutor for the State of Florida. KrisAnne also practiced First Amendment Law for a prominent Florida non-profit Law firm. KrisAnne now travels the country teaching the foundational principles of Liberty and our Constitutional Republic. KrisAnne is the author of 6 books on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, she also has an internationally popular radio and television show and her books and classes have been featured on C-SPAN TV. KrisAnne can be found at www.KrisAnneHall.com.

EDITORS NOTE: This column first appeared on The Revolutionary Act.

TRUMP’S CANDOR, ANIMALS AND MS-13: What the Left’s feigned anger about our president’s honesty really reveals.

/in , , , , , /by

President Trump recently used the term “animals” in referring to members of MS-13, a vicious, barbaric and murderous transnational gang.

The mainstream media immediately attacked the President and falsely claimed that he used the term “animals” to describe all immigrants.  In reality, a reality substantiated by videos of the President making his remarks about MS-13, the President was solely referring to members of the MS-13 Gang as “animals.”

The lies spewed by the mainstream media, wherein President Trump was seriously and intentionally misquoted, was paraded as a factual news reports that provided the leader of another infamous gang, the Washington-based, “Gang of Eight,” Chuck Schumer, an opportunity to once again get his voice heard.

However, Schumer was no more honest than the reporters who misquoted the President.

Schumer said that it was wrong to call immigrants animals and noted that his grandparents, who immigrated to America, were not animals, thereby blithely ignoring that the President was crystal clear that he was not lumping all aliens in with the barbaric gang members whose tactics parallel those of ISIS terrorists.

This is the same Chuck Schumer who, at the helm of the Gang of Eight (or “Eight Gangsters,” as I came to call that bipartisan Senate wrecking crew) attempted to provide millions of illegal aliens trespassing on America, with lawful status and even United States citizenship yet proposed federal legislation that would incarcerate, for a period of five years, anyone who trespasses on national landmarks and/or critical infrastructure.

What hypocrisy!

I began investigating MS-13 roughly 25 years ago.  Back then their numbers were relatively small, but their proclivity to use extreme violence to recruit new members, some as young as 8 years of age (that is not a typo), caught the attention of law enforcement.

Since then the number of MS-13 and other transnational gang members in the United States sky-rocketed particularly as a result of the “Unaccompanied Minors” program of the Obama administration.

In June 2017 a pair of hearings were conducted in the House and Senate to explore the threats posed by MS-13 and other violent transnational gangs in the United States.

I wrote about those hearings in my June 28, 2017 article, America’s Gang Crisis: Congressional Hearings Focus on MS-13 in which I called attention to the way that international terrorists and transnational gangs exploit failures of the immigration system and, all too often, with deadly consequences.

The article included the prepared testimony of Subcommittee Chairman Peter King who focused on how the flood of unaccompanied minors from Central America flooded America with young and violent gang members who are now recruiting more gang members in our schools.

Here is the brief description of that hearing, and its predication, as posted on the official Congressional website:

This field hearing will examine the threat posed by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), particularly Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) and the extent to which this violent gang is able to circumvent border security measures to gain entry into the U.S.  Since January 2016, there have been 17 murders linked to MS-13 in Suffolk County alone. The hearing will feature testimony from the stakeholders related to the interaction and cooperation between Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies to combat MS-13. Additionally, testimony will be provided by community members directly impacted by these TCOs. The two panels reflect the broad cross section of the community required to respond to the threat posed by MS-13 and other TCOs on Long Island and across the nation.

My article also included Judiciary Committee Chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley’s statement and this excerpt of his prepared remarks about MS-13:

This organization has been dubbed the world’s “most dangerous gang,” and some say it could be a terrorist organization. But, you wouldn’t expect anything less from a group whose motto is “kill, rape, and control.”

Unfortunately, over the past two years, this terrifying motto has become a vicious reality for many communities across our nation. So far this year, the gang has been publicly linked to dozens of high-profile killings, rapes, and assaults across the country, from the Washington D.C. metro area to Houston, Texas.

If the term “Animal” is inappropriate to describe these savage thugs, it would be because animals only kill to survive, to protect themselves or to eat.  These gang members kill for sport- for the pleasure they derive from their unspeakable crimes.

A day or two after the video of President Trump, in which he clearly explained that he was referencing MS-13, was widely circulated, the mainstream media had to concede that the President was solely referring to MS-13 when he used the term“Animal.”

Unbelievably, even in spite of this, Nancy Pelosi quickly jumped into the fray and indignantly took to referencing Scripture as was reported in the May 17, 2018 Blaze article, Nancy Pelosi says Trump denies the ‘spark of divinity’ with insult to MS-13 gang members.

Pelosi’s reaction was stunning.  For years the carefully crafted and very false narrative that had been constructed by the immigration anarchists, claimed that “immigrants” commit far fewer crimes than anyone else including American citizens.

Of course, as I have noted in a long list of previous articles, because of a bit of slight of language by the Carter administration, the term “Immigrant” has come to be used to describe all aliens, no matter whether they were illegally or legally present in the United States, and no matter how they entered the United States and whether or not they were admitted for a temporary period of time as nonimmigrants or lawfully admitted for permanent residence and issued Alien Registration Receipt Cards also known as “Green Cards.”

In furtherance of the strategy to eliminate the term “Alien” from the vernacular and therefore, from the document that over the years satisfies the statutory requirement that aliens carry such proof of registration at all time, today such cards are often referred to as “PERMS.”  (When I was a boy growing up in Brooklyn, my mom and her friends would frequently go to a beauty parlor to have their hair treated to get a “perm.”)

How the times, nomenclature and ethics have changed!

Back then journalists took their profession seriously and understood that democracy requires an informed electorate.  For the most part Americans trusted the journalists.

Today all too many “journalists” are propagandists and the majority of Americans understandably do not trust these members of the “Fourth Estate.”

Lawful immigrants are generally law abiding.  They value their lawful immigrant status because many had spent years and incurred significant expenses pursuing their status.

Many have come to America from countries around the world, the way our own ancestors did, legally, to share in the American dream and experience freedom.

Illegal aliens, however are, not to be confused with lawful immigrants, except, of course in the rhetoric of the immigration anarchists.

As John Adams famously observed, “Facts are stubborn things.”

My recent article Illegal Immigration And Crime began with the following sentence:

On December 21, 2017 the Department of Justice issued a press release, “Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Release Data on Incarcerated Aliens—94 Percent of All Confirmed Aliens in DOJ Custody Are Unlawfully Present.”

The false rhetoric and the false narrative created by these anarchists from both parties and in the mainstream media, insisted that the “immigrants” were all doing the work Americans wouldn’t or couldn’t do.  They were all simply trying to grasp their thin slice of the “American Dream” and it is because of this bogus narrative that the concept of the DREAM Act, was born.

(Of course where the American Dream is concerned, Americans need not apply!)

Pelosi’s statement marks a serious turning point.  She has made it blatantly clear that for her, aliens, including aliens who rape, torture, kill and dismember others, often children, are worthy of protection and respect.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she treated the victims of these vicious savages with half as much concern or reverence as she demonstrated for MS-13 gang members?

Incredibly, members of the mainstream media jumped into the battle to defend Pelosi and other Democrats.  To provide a case in point, on May 24, 2018 KITV reported, Trump claims Democrats are ‘sticking up for MS-13,’ but his example misleads.

This article included the following “explanation”:

At a news conference last week, Pelosi did not express support for the gang, but criticized the President’s use of the term “animals.” At the time, Pelosi appeared to be referencing media reports that Trump was referring to all undocumented immigrants, though he was speaking about gang members.

The point is that Pelosi and many of her colleagues in the Democratic Party support “Sanctuary Cities” and now “Sanctuary States.”  These jurisdictions should truly be called “Magnet Cities” and “Magnet States” because they attract international terrorists, transnational gangs such as MS-13.

Indeed, Sanctuary Cities Endanger – National Security and Public Safety.

Actions do, indeed, “Speak louder than words.”

The creation of unforgivable criminal “Sanctuary” policies and jurisdictions Ms Pelosi and many of her Democratic Party colleagues support, constitutes an action that demonstrates their irrefutable support for vicious criminals including members of MS-13.

Could Pelosi and company possibly demonstrate more contempt for the innocent victims of these savages?

Let’s get that language straight.  Pelosi is not “Pro-Immigrant” she is an immigration anarchist!

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared in FrontPage Magazine.

Brotherhood – I Choose Life

/in , , , , /by
matt best ranger

Matt Best, U.S. Army Ranger.

Mat Best is a former U.S. Army Ranger turned online video satirist and film producer. Mat has five OIF/OEF combat tours with the 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment. Mat is the President of Article 15 Clothing. I learned about Mat from a column David Reeder did in Issue 14 of RECOIL Magazine.

One of the videos Mat did is titled “Brotherhood – I Choose Life.” On Memorial Day 2018 it is fitting and proper that we watch this video by Mat, who knows what this day truly means.

Democrats Undermining Black Civil Rights Heroes’ Legacy

/in , , , /by

My four younger siblings and I have been taking turns caring for our 90 year old Dad who is in home hospice. After checking on Dad sleeping in his bedroom, I visited Dad’s office in the basement. Hung on the walls are numerous citations from governors and mayors, pastoral awards and service awards from civic organizations which tell the extraordinary tale of Dr. Reverend Lloyd E. Marcus’ life.

Dr. Reverend Lloyd E. Marcus

In 1952, Dad was among the first handful of blacks to become Baltimore City firefighters. In spite of humiliating racist working conditions, Dad won “Firefighter of the Year” two times. He was Baltimore’s first black paramedic and first black Fire Department Chaplin. Dad achieved numerous firsts for blacks. I began to understand and feel at peace about Dad saying he is ready to go home to Jesus. Dad’s work on earth is done.

But most enlightening was seeing Dad’s office walls plastered with pictures and laminated newspaper clippings chronicling achievements of his five kids and grand-kids. Two articles were about my baby brother winning two awards as a Maryland police officer – a photo of my daughter, Dad’s granddaughter, becoming an officer in the Navy – an article about a grandson who is 37 scoring a game winning touchdown when he was 10 years old. Clearly, Dad is extremely proud of his offspring. I pray and believe Dad’s legacy will live on via his kids and grand-kids.

Practically every room in Dad’s home features pictures of Jesus and civil rights icons; MLK, Malcolm X, Fredrick Douglas and numerous portraits of Obama. No matter how hard I tried to explain to Dad that Obama put implementing leftists’ agenda above helping blacks, Dad loves Obama. I guess it is a generational black thing.

My mom passed away 25 years ago. My sister recently told me she excitedly took Mom to see the home she and her husband purchased in a new community. Driving into the community, Mom saw a sign, “No Thru Access”. Mom panicked and demanded to be taken home immediately. Mom feared my sister’s family would be trapped if her white neighbors decided to attack. Mom’s fear sounded absurd to my sister and me. But it gave us an insight into the racial trauma many blacks experienced back in the day. Thus, I can understand blacks of Dad’s generation emotional ties to Obama – the first black president. Dad did vote for Trump.

Like the Virginia Slims cigarette slogan, America has “come a long way, baby” in race relations since Dad’s day. There is something extremely evil about fake news media, Hollywood and democrats relentlessly deceiving American blacks into believing very little has chanced racially since the 1950s. Democrats tell black parents to send their kids to school wearing bulletproof vests to protect them from racist cops. Democrats teach students that whites are born racist and labor 24/7 conceiving ways to undermine black progress. Black millennials believing leftists’ lies is as absurd as my Mom’s fear of a mob of white neighbors attacking my sister.

It is extremely disrespectful to my dad and other black civil rights pioneers for Democrats to promote the lie that their hard work, suffering and sacrifices produced very little change in race relations and opportunities for blacks in America.

Democrats have abandoned Dad’s generation of black civil rights pioneers’ mission for an America of brotherhood and equal rights for all. As a kid, Dad took me to the 1963 March on Washington. We heard Dr King say…

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.”

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

The crowd of 250,000 erupted in thunderous applause. Clearly, Dr King and his followers dreamed of racial unity. Today, leftists have transformed Dr King’s movement into demonizing whites while instigating racial division, hate and revenge. Democrats have so overtaken and twisted Dr King’s movement that blacks who do not resent whites or hate America are trashed by democrats; Kanye West, Candace Owens, Dr Ben Carson, Justice Clarence Thomas and Herman Cain to name a few. Democrats are obsessed with punishing white Americans.

Dr King also said,

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Old blacks say you had to have your act together to march with Dr King; clean, sober and well behaved. Democrats have thrown character out the window regarding blacks. Everywhere you turn Democrats seek to lower the bar for blacks. Obama’s PROMISE program blocked reporting crimes by blacks in schools. Despite needing a driver’s license for numerous transactions, Democrats say it is racist to require blacks to show a photo ID to vote. Democrat teachers lobby for black students to be allowed to speak Ebonics, claiming English is too challenging for blacks. Forty years of Democrats lowering the educational, moral and cultural bars for blacks has resulted in 70% of black kids growing up in fatherless households. Poverty is a whopping 37% in black families headed by a single female.

It is evil the way Democrats continue to undermine Dad and other civil rights heroes achievements. To further their lie that America will always be a racist hellhole for blacks, Democrats have falsely branded Trump a racist in the minds of many blacks. The truth is Trump is the best thing for blacks since sliced bread. Black unemployment is at an all time low. 

America is the greatest land of opportunity on the planet for all who choose to go for it!

Regardless of Democrat lies, Dad and his generation of civil rights pioneers transformed America, paving the way for blacks to enjoy extraordinary success today. And for that, I am extremely grateful and say thank you.

Memorial Day: The Imperative Holiday We Cannot Lose

/in , , , , /by

This is not your warm and fuzzy Memorial Day column. We have for too long subsumed Memorial Day into the trivialities of summer’s advent, backyard cookouts, a long weekend, bargain sales and vacations. It’s not universal but it is culturally broad.

This is a sad and dangerous devolution to a narcissistic day celebrating little more than the prurient pursuits of a day off, not the ultimate sacrifice of so many who died protecting our lofty ideals.

Cookouts and vacays are not why we have Memorial Day.

The more we lose our heritage, our founding principles, our moorings anchored to how we got to where we are, the more we lose who we are. And when we lose who we are, we are no more. We become another geographic location on the map, not an ideal, not a bright shining city on a hill.

And as exceptional and imperative as are the principles that created America and turned it into the most fundamentally world-changing nation for good in history, it could not have happened — or been maintained — without those willing to fight and die to protect her from centuries of tyrants and dictators around the world.

This is the hard reality we can never lose sight of: Freedom is not free.

It must be fought for every generation, or it will be taken by those who do not love it. Always that battle is done with the proverbial pen and mic, by people such as me, along with good political leaders. But too often it must be done by huge numbers of brave men and women who are willing to kill and be killed to maintain those freedoms for others. Sometimes it has been to bring those freedoms to others.

Yes, please thank a veteran. They risked the same. But remember, the ones you cannot thank are the ones who never came home; those who never got the flag-waving return, the glorious reunion hugs, the warmth and glow of family, even the struggles of reintegration from battlefield into a society of peace and laws.

The ones we cannot thank for their service are the ones we celebrate today, along with those family and friends that bore the brunt of their loss — who live without them daily because of what they gave for us.

So let us resolve to remember Memorial Day for what it truly is. Remind your friends and family before unloading the grill, before heading to the beach, before heading to a game, that this is a day of sober reflection, of remembrance of those whose chairs at the table are empty. If you have the courage, remind the server at the restaurant, the clerk at the gas station, the neighbor mowing the yard of what this day really means. Remind the young person who may not know.

The only way we don’t lose Memorial Day’s profound meaning is if we as individual Americans find a tiny fraction of the courage of those no longer with us, to remind each other why we have this day — why we are still free, why we are who we are and must continue to be for the next generation.

And why we must always be grateful, and never forget.

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared in The Revolutionary Act.

COVER-UP: Broward County Sheriff’s son held down 14-year old boy while friend sodomized him with a baseball bat

/in , , , , , /by

Bob Norman an investigative reporter for ABC News in Miami in his article “Parents call for investigation into Stoneman Douglas assault involving sheriff’s son” reports:

…But now, a report that recently surfaced has some victims’ families calling for a renewed investigation of [Broward Deputy Sheriff and Stoneman Douglas resource officer] Peterson for a case he handled four years to the day prior to the massacre. The case involved two 17-year-old students bullying a 14-year-old freshman, with one holding down the younger boy by his ankles while the other kicked the victim, grabbed his genitals and then took the victim’s own baseball bat and began shoving it against his buttocks, simulating rape, through the boy’s clothes. 

One of those assailants, the boy who allegedly held down the victim, was Israel’s son, Brett. Defense attorney Alex Arreaza, who represents shooting victim Anthony Borges, who was shot five times in the Valentine’s Day massacre but survived, said the case could have led to felony charges.

“He could be charged with a lewd and lascivious, and I’m being conservative,” Arreaza said.

Peterson claims in the report that it was a “simple battery” under the board’s discipline matrix, and he decided to give both of the boy’s attackers a three-day suspension. [Emphasis added]

Read more.

Heavy.com in an article titled “Brett Israel: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know” reports:

Deputy Scot Peterson is being sued by Andrew Pollack, the father of Meadow Pollack who was shot dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14. Pollack told ABC Miami, “[Peterson] was lazy and this could have given him protection to keep his job at the school during those four years.” Pollack, who is also on an investigative committee looking into the Parkland massacre, said that Peterson was rewarded with job security for protecting the sheriff’s son.

Peterson was widely criticized for his perceived cowardice during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. As the school’s resource officer, Peterson did not engage the suspect.

[ … ]

On his Twitter page, Brett Israel has been constantly defending his father against attacks over the handling of the Douglas High School shooting.

[ … ]

Brett has also been [at] odds with Parkland survivor, Kyle Kashuv, who is known for placing the blame of the massacre at the feet of “the cowards of Broward,” referring to Sheriff Israel’s department. When Kashuv shared a Daily Caller article about a no-confidence vote for Sheriff Israel, Brett wrote on Twitter, “You know Kyle, I hate to denounce you because I like what you stand for but this whole “politically motivated” movement to have the Sheriff removed has to stop. There is no basis for criminal conduct.”

Read more.

It is the duty of the Broward County School Board to protect its students. It is the duty of the Broward County Sheriff to protect and defend the citizens of Broward County, Florida. As the case of Nickolas Cruz moves forward more information about the shooting will be revealed. As the civil suit moves forward more information will be revealed.

It appears the political systems in Broward county are dysfunctional at the least and potentially criminal at the worst.

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image of Brett Israel from his Facebook page.

Gun Ownership Up, Accidental Shootings Fall

/in , , , /by

Gun ownership has risen to an all-time high. Accidental shooting deaths have fallen 48% since 1999.

Baffled. That’s the best way to describe the reaction by the liberal media outlets when they discover that statistics for accidental gun deaths are down, even as the number of Americans owning guns is at an all-time high. But somehow these media outlets, and their compatriots in groups like Michael Bloomberg’s so-called Everytown for Gun Safety, always have the answer: Despite the fact that many attempts by anti-gun politicians to enact more restrictions on Second Amendment-protected rights have failed, according to them, we can ultimately thank gun control for the decrease in accidents.

When you dig into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics, the number of accidental shooting deaths since 1999 hasn’t merely declined—it has dropped off significantly. Taking into account population growth, the number of deaths is down by a whopping 48 percent! It certainly is a statistic to celebrate, and one would imagine we’d know exactly how and why this plummet has occurred.

According to Los Angeles Times contact reporter Kurtis Lee, “Experts attribute the decline to a mix of gun-safety education programs, state laws regulating gun storage in homes and a drop in the number of households that have guns.”

Who are those “experts”? Everytown for Gun Safety is of course at the top of Lee’s list. We know it as the organization that makes a mockery of real gun safety. Responsible gun owners know that safely storing firearms when they are not in use is key in preventing unauthorized access and accidental deaths. We know this because of true firearm safety education programs, not laws in some anti-gun states that take firearm storage mandates to the extreme.

What about the population of responsible gun owners in America? These “experts” also cite victory in the reduction in the number of households with guns. Yet fbi statistics from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (nics) indicate otherwise. When looking at the same period, 1999-2015, the number of background checks more than doubled, from 9,138,123 checks in 1999 to 23,141,970 in 2015. The numbers for 2016 and 2017 are also up from 2015, with nics stats reporting more than 25 million checks for each year.

Of the three reasons listed, Dr. Robert B. Young, of Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, says that gun-safety education programs are most likely the real reason for the decrease.

“Thanks to the NRA, NSSF, SAF and countless state and local organizations and gun clubs, millions of people each year learn real gun control and safe shooting, and enjoy it,” Young said. “Reaching children through schools, Scouting and places of worship with programs teaching safety at relevant developmental levels is the optimal intervention.”

We know that despite its name, Everytown isn’t about gun safety. The group has stolen the term to cloak gun control initiatives. Real gun-safety programs go beyond social media shares and advertisements. Real programs educate. Teaching gun owners about safe storage practices and providing resources for parents and educators to talk about firearms and firearm safety with children through programs like the Eddie Eagle GunSafe program is having a positive effect.

How long might it be before the words “gun,” “firearm,” or “ammunition” become so monitored that we are no longer able to use them to connect with each other?

The Washington Examiner recently reported another reason for the decline in accidental gun deaths—one that has gun control advocates especially worried. A recent article highlights the “2017 gun sales surprise: Second best ever!” citing the increased social acceptance of firearms for a rise in sales.

Despite what the anti-gunners tell you, with 25 million background checks in 2017 and the increasingly powerful influence of social media over the past few years, American gun ownership is not declining. Concealed-carry permits and programs are on the rise, and training opportunities for ccw holders, such as the new NRA Carry Guard program, have increased as well.

Perhaps even more disconcerting to groups like Moms Demand Action is the fact that firearm ownership is not exclusively male. The number of women using guns is also growing, and shooting groups like The Well Armed Woman and A Girl and A Gun are thriving. Resources like NRA Women and Women’s Outdoor News are connecting with women from all walks of life, answering their questions and providing valuable information to help educate those interested in learning more about guns, personal protection and the shooting sports.

There is strength in numbers, and many gun owners no longer feel the need to be secretive. Where it can be taboo to talk about firearms at work or face-to-face, the rise of social media has provided an outlet. More and more, we’re seeing gun owners proudly share targets from range time sessions as well as their personal firearm interests by posting on their Facebook pages and sharing photos and videos on their Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Social media influencers aren’t just limited to actors, singers or beauty gurus. Gun influencers are also sharing their experiences on the range along with the importance of shooting sports, firearm safety programs and training opportunities. Even at the individual level, a simple “like” on a firearm manufacturer’s post or page is making it easier for lawful gun owners to identify one another and connect in ways never before possible.

Because of the virtual communities being built and growing on YouTube channels, blogs, Facebook groups and Instagram feeds, gun owners can now go beyond a Google search to find answers to their questions from real people they can interact with. As a result, they are discovering a thriving and knowledgeable firearm community that once existed solely at ranges or in gun clubs. 

This community is also dedicated to the preservation of rights and the knowledge that firearm safety is deeply connected with those rights. Its members are quick to share the importance of real gun safety. In many ways, it polices those who don’t use firearms safely through exposure. Social sharing trumps anti-gun media efforts in a real and personal way. This is terrifying for organizations that wish to control the narrative and, ultimately, control you.

Of course, media and gun control groups also use social media—and it’s often backed by anti-gun advertising dollars. Unlike those who use their influence and leadership to educate others about firearm safety rules and practices, a critical look exposes how these sites are centered solely around gun control activism. You won’t find basic firearm safety rules listed on any of their sites or accounts. They are anything but resources for education about firearm safety practices.

Social media is still a thriving forum for free expression. Slowly but surely, however, we are seeing more controls placed on how we can use it. Pro-gun voices are being silenced on YouTube, with channels locked down or deleted. How long might it be before the words “gun,” “firearm,” or “ammunition” become so monitored that we are no longer able to use them to connect with each other?

The increasingly common idea that the truth can vary from person to person is equally dangerous to our rights. The media and Hollywood thrive on creating and storytelling such falsehoods, and these “personal” or media truths are in some cases becoming more important than the real truth. Case in point, the L.A. Times cited reasons for the decline in both accidental gun deaths and the number of gun owners in the United States. Can we now expect to see a whole new level of activism through entertainment—one that dictates how we should feel and what we should believe through the “personal” truths of those who fight for gun control?  Despite box office failures like “Miss Sloane,” Hollywood is tenacious.

The success our gun community has with connecting one gun owner to another might be ignored, but it cannot be denied. We don’t rely on “personal” truths, but the real truth based on facts and statistics. As social media begins to regulate the gun owner, we need to find ways to keep connecting. We must be willing to keep the conversation going by sharing facts and experiences—not for mere social acceptance but to maintain our way of life.

At the same time, we must encourage and welcome those who want to learn more. Unlike gun control groups, the NRA is more than just a Second Amendment activist or lobbying group. Real resources, training programs, support for the shooting sports community and media outreach efforts such as NRATV prove how dedicated we are to safety and personal freedom.

In the end, it’s not at all “baffling” to see how true gun safety programs and initiatives—combined with our thriving, connected firearm community—are to be credited with the decline in accidental gun deaths. It is not “our” truth, but the truth. Please share it.

ABOUT JULIE GOLOB

Julie Golob is one of the most accomplished professional shooters in the world with more than 130 championship titles in international, national and regional marksmanship competitions in seven different shooting disciplines. A veteran of the elite U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, she is regularly featured on outdoor television programming offering introduction and insight into the shooting sports and actively shares the importance of safety and training as lead instructor of NRA Women’s “Love at First Shot” and content contributor for NRA media outlets.

President Trump to U.S. Naval Academy graduates: ‘You are now leaders in the most powerful and righteous force on the face of the planet’

/in , , , , /by

President Donald J. Trump addressed the graduating class of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland on May 25, 2018. At the beginning of his remarks the President of the United States used the words “righteous force.” The word righteous appears in Bible 493 times. From Genesis to Revelation righteousness is used to show how evil is defeated. Revelation 15:4:

Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Here are some excerpts (watch the full speech below):

You are now leaders in the most powerful and righteous force on the face of the planet: the United States military. Each of you will make your own mark on the Navy, the Marine Corps, the military, and the history of our great nation…There is no hill our Marines our can’t take and there is no stronghold the SEALs can’t breach. There is no sea the Navy can’t brave.

Together you are the tip of the spear, the edge of the blade and the front of the shield defending and protecting our great country. America is the greatest fighting force for peace, justice, and freedom in the history of the world.

[ … ]

Together their is nothing America can’t do. Absolutely nothing. We are all in for America like never before. We are all in for our great country.

Strive for excellence, live for adventure, think big, dream bigger, push further, sail faster, fly higher, and never, ever stop reaching for greatness. As long as we are united with the same mission, the same purpose, the same patriotic heart, we will win because we are one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God.

President Trump understands that our military must be righteous in order to be a “glorious nation under God.”

VIDEO: MSM caught red-handed lying about us!

/in , , , /by

As you are aware, some of our video is being used as evidence in several court trials of Disrupt J20 protesters. This is the video where we caught them planning to chain trains and put butyric acid in the ventilation system of the National Press Club. Right now, the protester’s lawyers are trying to get this damning evidence disqualified – which is the role of defense lawyers in cases like this.

What’s so terrible is the way the mainstream media is handling this – turning the legal issues into a propaganda campaign against us. Although we turned over the full video to law enforcement officials, Esquire, the Daily Beast and other outlets are twisting words to suggest or insinuate that we deceptively edited the video, even though this is the exact opposite of the truth.

Watch this video to see me challenge them for accusing us of deceptively editing video when we provided them the full footage. You will also want to watch this video to see me call them out and debunk their propaganda.

In Veritas!

VIDEO: How to Stop the Media From Inspiring Killers — #NoMSM

/in , , , , /by

TRANSCRIPT

Can anyone tell me the last time a mass school shooter left a manifesto, a comment on social media, or a video where they said they were inspired to commit their atrocity … by a firearm. Name one. I’m sure you can’t and neither can I.

Because as much as the media love to pivot the conversation after a mass school shooting to gun control, the pen is still mightier than the sword. These kids aren’t being inspired by an innate hunk of plastic and metal laying on a table, they’re inspired by the infamous glory of past shooters who they relate to … and no entity on the planet does a better job whether directly or indirectly, of glorifying these killers, and thereby providing the inspiration for the next one … than our mainstream media.

You may hate guns and want to ban every single one of them, but even you know what I just said is true.

Attention seeking in this country is at an all time high and if social media has proven one thing, it’s that there are people out there willing to do anything for attention, even if it means slaughtering classmates they hate but letting the ones they like live so that they can tell their story to every mainstream media news outlet who are itching like fiends to be the FIRST to do a deep sea dive into the killers’ background.

As they see it, they get to leave a legacy of carnage, and the higher the body count the better—and we all know Wolf-Blitzer will be right there with the death toll counter keeping score.

While they’re doing all of that, the next mass shooter is quietly watching in envy as the guy who was just like him gets his name etched into the history books as he’s showered with attention and even love letters from women who would otherwise never acknowledge his existence. And this kid will be inspired to not only do the same thing, but to outdo the last kid and get as one high school student once said to me, “a higher score.”

It’s time to put an end to this glorification of carnage in pursuit of ratings, because it is killing our kids. It’s time for Congress to step up and pass legislation putting common sense limitations on our mainstream media’s ability to report on these school shootings.

There’s no need to cover these shootings for two weeks straight plastering the kids’ face over and over and over again. Pass a law stopping the media from reporting the killer’s name or showing his face.

You can still report on the shootings … we just need reasonable laws that place limitations on the glory and fame you give to these killers and their twisted motivations…

You know that feeling of anxiety that shot through your body when I said the government should pass laws to limit the media’s ability to exercise their First Amendment right.

That’s the same feeling gun owners get when they hear people say the same thing about the Second Amendment. Hearing me advocate for the government’s ability to limit anyone’s First Amendment rights, including the media, should anger all of you watching this video, the same way it should anger you when anyone tries to use the same limitations on the Second Amendment.

Here’s the thing. I do believe our mainstream media news outlets should hold themselves accountable in the way they cover school shootings. They should take into account how over reporting on school shootings inspires other shooters.

I honestly believe ignoring shooters and not giving them any attention will do more to stop school shootings than any gun control measure ever will.

However, I vehemently disagree with the government infringing on the media’s First Amendment rights the same way I don’t believe the government should infringe on anyone’s Second Amendment rights.

The solution to the problem we all want to solve will only come with a firm commitment to all of our rights—not just the ones you think are important.

Colion Noir
Host

The enigmatic Internet sensation never holds back or stays between the narrow lines of political correctness. As a NRA Commentator and the host of NOIR, his mission is to spread the facts about guns and hopefully change some minds. The practicing attorney, urban enthusiast and new face of gun culture didn’t pick up a firearm until later in life, and wasn’t pro-gun until the day he went to a range. “It was an eye-opener,” he said. The reality behind a firearm is, “It doesn’t have a soul, it isn’t evil, it’s just an inanimate object.”

Keep an eye out for new episodes of Colion’s show NOIR dropping year round here on NRATV.

Activist Judges Scrub Bathroom Complaint

/in , , , , /by

If you think it’s tough speaking up as an adult in today’s culture, try being a kid. Christian teenagers are swimming against a strong tide these days, but that hasn’t stopped Alexis Lightcap. The Boyertown student wants every classmate to feel safe — even if it means fighting school leaders to guarantee it.

Going to the bathroom at school shouldn’t be a life-changing experience – but that’s exactly what it became for Alexis the day she walked into girls’ restroom and saw a man’s face in the mirror. “My body went into immediate shock,” Lightcap writes in her new op-ed. “My first thought was to get out.” So she did. She raced down the hall to a teacher and didn’t look back.

“The teacher told me to tell the principal, so I did. And the principal did nothing.” Instead of listening to her concerns she said, “they made me feel like I was the problem for feeling uncomfortable, unsafe, and vulnerable with a boy in the bathroom.” Alexis couldn’t believe it. Neither could her parents — who, like most Boyertown families — had no idea the policy was in effect. The Lightcaps’ attorney, Alliance Defending Freedom’s Christiana Holcomb, explained that the only ones that did seem to know were a couple of students who identified as the opposite sex.

“It felt like a specific group of people were protected while the rest of the population was not,” Alexis said. And thinking about her little sister having the same experience made her realize: if the school didn’t care, she had to make them. “You have a say in this world, and you need to speak up,” she remembered her adoptive parents telling her. “In that moment, I knew I had to do something.”

That “something” was joining a high-profile lawsuit against the school. Months earlier, a male classmate – known only as Joel Doe — had taken Boyertown to court. He was just as horrified as Alexis had been when he walked into the boys’ locker room and saw a biological girl in a sports bra and shorts. The administrator he talked to told him to “tolerate it” — to “make it as natural as possible.” Did they really think everyone would enjoy the surprise and just embrace this idea, Alexis asked? “No one prepared us, warned us, counseled us,” she wrote.

According to the people on the blogs and at the microphones, those of us who object to finding ourselves in private spaces with people of the opposite sex must be bigots, or religious extremists, to deny our peers who identify with the opposite sex their choice of restroom. I guess it’s always easier to label people than to think about where they’re coming from.

Alexis could have fought the policy anonymously. Instead, she decided, “I have a chance to speak up. I’m a representative for all those people who don’t have a voice.” No other girl, she vowed, should have to go through what she did. “It’s common sense that boys shouldn’t be in girls’ locker rooms, restrooms, and shower areas. Every student matters and schools should put our privacy, safety, and dignity first.”

Unfortunately for Alexis and the other 1,649 kids in Berks County, the courts don’t agree. This week, her case with Joel Doe made it all the way to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, where, to everyone’s amazement, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously that Alexis and Joel didn’t prove that school was infringing on their “bodily privacy.” In an unusual move — rare enough that every newspaper covering the story seemed to notice — the court took less than an hour to rule. A stunned ACLU attorney on the other side told reporters, “We were not expecting a decision when we walked in the door today.”

Thanks to our friends at ADF, it may not be the last one. Although Alexis and her co-plaintiff are weighing their options, odds are the group will appeal to the full Third Circuit court. “The school administrators failed her,” Holcomb said. “She reported her concerns. She brought it to the adults in the room — the adults who should have been protecting her — and they ignored her.” One of the biggest problems in districts like Boyertown, she explains, “is that the policies are tailored to a small group of students at the expense of every other student at the school.” What families want are policies that protect everyone’s privacy, everyone’s dignity.

Meanwhile, if you want to know why President Trump’s judicial confirmations matter, kids like Alexis are exhibit A. Back in November of last year, the Senate sent reinforcements to the Third Circuit in the form of Judge Stephanos Bibas, the first White House pick to fill a vacancy on that bench. Two more are waiting in the wings — Paul Matey and David Porter, both strict constructionists who are waiting for their turn on the fast track of Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) committee. Once they make it through the process (which, given the lightning-quick pace of this Senate’s confirmations, could be any day) maybe they can help inject some common sense into Alexis’s case.

In the meantime, we applaud ADF and these courageous students, who may be half the school administration’s age, but they sure have twice the wisdom!

Tony Perkins’ Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Laying Down Their Lives for Their Friends

Watchmen: Standing on the Wall and in the Gap

Laying Down Their Lives for Their Friends

/in , , , , /by

“It’s something I will never forget. Never,” recalled 106-year-old Ray Chavez, America’s oldest survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor in an interview this morning with FRC’s radio producer Russ Jones. The World War II veteran was honored yesterday by President Trump — a visit Chavez called “the highlight of my life.” But he also shared another motivator for traveling more than 2,600 miles away from his home in Poway, California: to ensure the nation never forgets “what we went through.”

Last year, the San Diego Tribune reported Chavez’s role in history on the morning of the Pearl Harbor attack:

“Chavez had just gone to bed after a night aboard the Condor. A San Diego fishing boat that had been converted into a minesweeper and stationed in Hawaii, the Condor was cruising near Pearl Harbor when a lookout spotted a submarine. ‘We’ve got company!’ the lookout yelled.

At the helm, Chavez couldn’t see the intruder. When a friend relieved him, he walked to the Condor’s port side and scanned the dark sea.

“All I saw was a periscope,” he said.

“About 3:50 a.m. on December 7, the Condor reported the sighting. The destroyer Ward searched the area and around 6:37 a.m., sighted and attacked the sub.

“Preceding the Zeros assault on Pearl Harbor by more than an hour, this was the first American action in World War II.”

Within hours, 2,341 of his fellow brave Americans in uniform would lay down their lives for the cause of freedom. On this Memorial Day, we can and should remember their sacrifice and the sacrifice of so many others who have given the last full measure of devotion to this country of ours. This is not just another three-day weekend. It’s a time for remembrance. It’s a time for thanksgiving, that our country still has so many who are willing to risk all in this world for the sake of their families, and fellow Americans.

We also honor all those who stand ready to defend America. As President Trump said yesterday in announcing the cancellation of the summit with North Korea, “I’ve spoken to General Mattis and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our military, which is by far the most powerful anywhere in the world that has been greatly enhanced recently, as you all know, is ready if necessary.” And more ready they are – especially now that they finally have a commander-in-chief who is putting the focus on the military’s mission: preparing to fight and win wars.

North Korea’s Kim Jun Un is learning that this is a president who won’t be pushed around like President Obama. As FRC’s General Boykin noted, “Kim got overconfident and pushed the president too far. He is now most likely thinking through where he went wrong and what he has to do to resurrect the summit.”

A lot is at stake especially for the estimated 300,000 Christians in North Korea – with as many as 50,000 of them in hard labor camps. Open Doors USA ranks North Korea as #1 in the world as the most dangerous country to be a Christian. To the relief of North Korea’s Christians and so many persecuted people of different faiths around the globe, America is regaining its voice on international religious liberty. While the move toward North Korea’s denuclearization is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we must continue to pray and press North Korea to move away from totalitarianism where religious minorities have suffered so greatly.

As we pray that the people of North Korea will one day live in freedom, let us thank God for the freedoms we enjoy. And let us also remember that freedom is not free, which is what Memorial Day is designed to do. So this weekend take time to pray; pray a prayer of thanksgiving for those who have bought and fought for our freedom. And just as importantly, pray for those families who are reminded of the cost of freedom each time they see the empty seat at the table or the absence at the family gathering. In remembering their deeds, paying homage to their memory, and praying for those left behind, we preserve this last best hope of men on earth.

Tony Perkins’ Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Activist Judges Scrub Bathroom Complaint

Watchmen: Standing on the Wall and in the Gap