By Diane Scherff
Once again, we lost a fight for individual freedom this week…a right ironically that the Democrat Socialists of America falsely pledge allegiance to. As the Democrat Socialist Party advocates for ‘civil liberties’ (which means “individual rights protected by law”), one of our own conservative Supreme Court Justices voted against individual freedom…freedom of religion. Ironically to Dem socialists, civil liberties doesn’t mean individual freedom for everyone. Democrat socialist believe that civil rights are only for those of their choosing. Interestly, white people, Christians and Jews are not included.
Democrat socialism promotes the idea of a “more generous welfare state” but is actually a reconfiguration of the economic system which deletes capitalism and excludes tolerance for individual religious freedom. How could a group so focussed on diversity, and inclusion not be tolerant of traditional Americans who cherish God, a strong independent work ethic and their individual freedoms? Because we are a threat to their bottomline; total societal submission.
Religious freedom has been dogged once again but this time by the Supreme Court. Last week, a Nevada church, Calvary Chapel, fought Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s ruling capping religious organizations to a 50-person minimum, regardless of the space even though other retail/entertainment establishments didn’t receive a cap. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court’s liberal wing in a 5-4 decision that rejected the church’s request stating that ‘the governor has the prerogative to set the capacities,’ giving more rights to casinos than churches.
In a separate dissent filed by Chief Neil Gorsuch, he said, “this is a simple case. Under the Governor’s edict, a 10-screen multiplex may host 500 moviegoers at any time. A casino, too, may cater to hundreds at once, with perhaps six people huddled at each craps table here and a similar number gathered around every roulette wheel there. Large numbers and close quarters are fine in such places. But churches, synagogues, and mosques are banned from admitting more than 50 worshippers—no matter how large the building, how distant the individuals, how many wear face masks, no matter the precautions at all.”
“In Nevada, it seems, it is better to be in entertainment than religion. Maybe that is nothing new. But the First Amendment prohibits such obvious discrimination against the exercise of religion. The world we inhabit today, with a pandemic upon us, poses unusual challenges. But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel,” he wrote.
Well said, Chief Gorsuch. Although I do understand less government and state’s rights, Roberts’ logic in allowing the state to decide over religious liberty was not a prudent choice, especially for a conservative judge. Shame on him for refusing to follow his oath to uphold the Constitution.
Karl Marx demanded the abolition of the family. Leon Trotsky wanted socialist institutions to raise children. Believing in God causes a problem for the Democrat socialists and maybe some in the Supreme Court as they can’t compete with a “supernatural” force directing our morals from above, and they despise the idea of an afterlife…Heaven. The Dem socialists want you to believe that you are giving everything for the here and now, collectively for the greater good on earth. This irrational belief based on Marxist values propel their fear of the power of the religious family and individual freedom. Freedom for ALL, not just their diverse groups.
Tuning Out the Pro Sports Woke Circus
From Robert Blau
he 2020 baseball season ended for me on opening day as all the players and coaches on the NY Yankees and Washington Nationals kneeled during the playing of the Star Spangled banner. This is painful, as I have been a Yankees fan since the early 1960s, before the NY Mets even existed. And this year had World Series written all over it with the acquisition of pitcher Gerrit Cole in the off season. It also promised to be a fun season as fans everywhere were going to boo the Houston Astros for having been exposed as cheaters in previous post-season series. But I am not going to watch. Nor am I going to watch any NFL, which I used to follow religiously until the players started disrespecting the flag two seasons ago. The NBA fell off my radar screen way back in the 1990s, when some players made completely unprovoked anti-Semitic public comments.
Don’t get me wrong, I love baseball, football and basketball, but I love our red, white, and blue flag more. I have put my hand over my heart to honor that flag in many far corners of the world. For example, on the quarterdeck of a US Navy warship making a port call in West Africa, where it was my job to climb aboard and deliver a cassette tape of the host country’s national anthem, to be played after ours at the arrival ceremony. Or at the Brazilian Congress, where it was my job to provide the musical score of our national anthem to the official government band that would play it to honor President Bush (41)’s arrival into the legislative chamber. During my stint as Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy in El Salvador I would frequently find myself on a stage at public ceremonies, sometimes with that country’s president, and stand at attention for both national anthems. As ours would play, I would feel overcome with pride and emotion, thinking about the greatness that is represented by that flag. The same colors that were planted at Iwo Jima and at Tranquility Base on the moon, among many other places.
Think back to the 2001 World Series, just after 9-11. On October 30 Game 3 was at Yankee Stadium, and President Bush (43) appeared to throw the ceremonial first pitch, and to honor America in the city that was so violently attacked by al qaeda terrorists less than two months before. This fabulous video clip captures the raw emotion of that event, as the fans cheered wildly for the President and broke out into chants of ” USA, USA. ” It did not matter that New Yorkers were mostly Democrats; at that moment they were all red, white, and blue Americans.
Compare that kind of unifying patriotism with the divisive anti-patriotism of the take-the-knee athletes. NBA legend Charles Barkley said recently that pro sports was becoming a “woke circus” that very likely would alienate the fan base. Sir Charles has read my mind, as I will tune out pro sports indefinitely. It’s not that I object to sports stars having political views different from mine or supporting whatever cause they want. That’s their business and is protected by the first amendment to our great constitution. But that’s for off the field. On the field they are contracted at multi-millionaire salaries to block, tackle, pass, run, hit, field, steal bases, make no-look passes and buzzer-beater baskets in ways that amaze us with their talents and create excitement and drama as the seasons enter their climactic playoff rounds. On the other hand, when they bring their social justice warfare onto the field it completely ruins the atmosphere.
Similarly for the Olympic games. We got a taste of how unpleasant international competition looks when an American star disrespects her own flag–that being Megan Rapinoe, captain of the US Women’s World Cup soccer team. On the one hand I didn’t want the US team to lose, but on the other hand I was not going to tune in to watch Rapinoe take a knee in front of the whole world. In this way it may be a blessing in disguise that Japan had to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics because of COVID-19. We can easily imagine how ugly it would be for US champions taking a knee at their medal ceremonies. Juxtapose that image with the robust patriotism in Lake Placid in 1980 when the US Olympic hockey team upset the USSR and went on to win the gold medal. As the championship game ended, the American players draped US flags over their shoulders, and with their hands over their hearts proudly sang the Star Spangled banner at the medal ceremony. And in 1992 Magic Johnson beamed a high wattage smile with the American flag draped over his shoulders as the USA “Dream Team” won the gold medal in Barcelona. These are memories that are worth replaying until the modern-day players get past their virtue signaling and make it exciting and even inspirational to watch them again.
President Trump discusses restoring American energy dominance
From the White House
President Trump discusses restoring American energy dominance
Watch: President Trump speaks in Texas
Wednesday,President Trump addressed Americans from the Permian Basin in Texas, which stretches nearly 86,000 square miles into New Mexico. Both these states have helped America lead the shale oil and natural gas revolution that is changing the world.
Upon taking office, President Trump ended the war waged on American energy by the previous administration. Rather than expand the reach of bureaucrats, President Trump rolled back overregulation, ended stifling rules, and unleashed energy resources.
The results of American energy dominance couldn’t be clearer:
· America is leading the world in oil and natural gas production.
· U.S. energy exports reached an all-time high last year, marking the first time in 67 years that our annual gross energy exports exceeded imports.
· Oil production has soared, surpassing records that stood for nearly half a century.
This energy dominance means more affordable utilities and gas prices for families, more jobs for American workers, and less reliance on unstable foreign energy sources.
Shale-driven improvements have reduced the global price of oil by 10 percent. According to the Council of Economic Advisers, these price decreases alone save American consumers $203 billion annually—an average of $2,500 for a family of four.
These savings equal nearly 7 percent of income for the poorest fifth of U.S. households.
Most important, President Trump’s agenda of U.S. energy dominance is good for both for the economy and for our environment. Key pollutant concentrations are down since 2017, with lead down 28 percent and sulfur dioxide down 10 percent. Additionally, the electricity sector has reduced per unit carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent relative to 2017 government forecasts when President Trump took office.
President Trump wants even more of this American innovation to drive results for consumers, workers, and our environment. The left, meanwhile, wants more government mandates to create jobs for lawyers, lobbyists, and politically connected industries.
American energy dominance may be bad news for the bureaucrats, but it’s great news for your family, your community, and our country.
