THE AMERICAN TRINITY

The United States is built on a foundation of three unique, core values that shall be known as the American Trinity.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: OLD INK, ETERNAL IDEALS

Following the announcement of the Declaration on July 4, 1776 and the eventual parchment version being signed on August 2, 1776, the document itself was neglected after the revolution.  Even early celebrations of Independence Day ignored the original statement of that independence.  It was the act that was thought important, not the text.

The Declaration became important again after the founding of political parties.  Once that happened, Jefferson's supporters used the fact that he wrote it to their political advantage.  This created heated back and forth over the document's authorship itself and eventually resulted in it being more prominently thought of in terms of importance of the text.  Even then, however, it wasn't until the 1850s that the document itself became important for more than historical reasons.

Once the abolitionist movement gained prominence in the early 1850s the "all men are created equal…" concept embedded in the Declaration became useful in the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

This usage of the text was taken up by Abraham Lincoln in 1854.  He felt that the Founding Fathers expected that slavery would be a dying institution in the new United States.   Lincoln also felt that the Declaration of Independence was one of the founding documents of the nation and not just a simple statement declaring secession from Britain.  He used this view frequently in his arguments against slavery:

"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for some men to enslave others is a 'sacred right of self-government.' … Our republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust. Let us repurify it. … Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with it, the practices, and policy, which harmonize with it. … If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union: but we shall have saved it, as to make, and keep it, forever worthy of the saving."

Lincoln's view that the Declaration was one of the founding documents in terms of defining the nation eventually became the nation's view, even though it was not predominately so before him.  This was an extremely important development in America's history in terms of interpreting the Constitution.

You can read more about the history of the document itself here. 

AFTERBURNER: UNDER THE SEA

INDEPENDENCE DAY: OLD INK, ETERNAL IDEALS

Following the announcement of the Declaration on July 4, 1776 and the eventual parchment version being signed on August 2, 1776, the document itself was neglected after the revolution.  Even early celebrations of Independence Day ignored the original statement of that independence.  It was the act that was thought important, not the text.

The Declaration became important again after the founding of political parties.  Once that happened, Jefferson's supporters used the fact that he wrote it to their political advantage.  This created heated back and forth over the document's authorship itself and eventually resulted in it being more prominently thought of in terms of importance of the text.  Even then, however, it wasn't until the 1850s that the document itself became important for more than historical reasons.

Once the abolitionist movement gained prominence in the early 1850s the "all men are created equal…" concept embedded in the Declaration became useful in the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

This usage of the text was taken up by Abraham Lincoln in 1854.  He felt that the Founding Fathers expected that slavery would be a dying institution in the new United States.   Lincoln also felt that the Declaration of Independence was one of the founding documents of the nation and not just a simple statement declaring secession from Britain.  He used this view frequently in his arguments against slavery:

"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for some men to enslave others is a 'sacred right of self-government.' … Our republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust. Let us repurify it. … Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with it, the practices, and policy, which harmonize with it. … If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union: but we shall have saved it, as to make, and keep it, forever worthy of the saving."

Lincoln's view that the Declaration was one of the founding documents in terms of defining the nation eventually became the nation's view, even though it was not predominately so before him.  This was an extremely important development in America's history in terms of interpreting the Constitution.

You can read more about the history of the document itself here. 

REAGAN FLASHBACK, 1964: A TIME FOR CHOOSING

Nancy and Ronald Reagan in 1964, the year he delivered "The Speech"

In honor of President Ronald Reagan's 104th birthday, here is the entire televised speech he gave on October 27, 1964 on behalf of the Goldwater campaign.  It was titled "A Time For Choosing" and now remembered simply as "The Speech."  The name of the program was "A Rendezvous With Destiny."  The speech raised $1 million for Goldwater's campaign and is considered the event that launched Reagan's political career.

Among other things, it is remarkable (and frightening) how eerily similar the problems he addressed on that day are to the problems we face on this day, except that today they are even more acute.  And the rhetoric of the liberals is also quite familiar to us.  During the speech, Reagan uttered this famous quote:

Yet anytime you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we're denounced as being against their humanitarian goals. They say we're always "against" things -- we're never "for" anything.

Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.

You can read the complete transcript of the speech here.  I would strongly suggest that you take the time to listen to the entire speech and also read the transcript.  It is a magnificent example of why Reagan was known as the "Great Communicator" and it needs to be read as well as heard.  Here is an excerpt:

Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, "We don't know how lucky we are." And the Cuban stopped and said, "How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to." And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there's no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.

And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man.

This is the issue of this election: whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.

You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I'd like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There's only an up or down: [up] man's old -- old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. And regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.

In this vote-harvesting time, they use terms like the "Great Society," or as we were told a few days ago by the President, we must accept a greater government activity in the affairs of the people. But they've been a little more explicit in the past and among themselves; and all of the things I now will quote have appeared in print. These are not Republican accusations. For example, they have voices that say, "The cold war will end through our acceptance of a not undemocratic socialism." Another voice says, "The profit motive has become outmoded. It must be replaced by the incentives of the welfare state." Or, "Our traditional system of individual freedom is incapable of solving the complex problems of the 20th century." Senator Fulbright has said at Stanford University that the Constitution is outmoded. He referred to the President as "our moral teacher and our leader," and he says he is "hobbled in his task by the restrictions of power imposed on him by this antiquated document." He must "be freed," so that he "can do for us" what he knows "is best." And Senator Clark of Pennsylvania, another articulate spokesman, defines liberalism as "meeting the material needs of the masses through the full power of centralized government."

Well, I, for one, resent it when a representative of the people refers to you and me, the free men and women of this country, as "the masses." This is a term we haven't applied to ourselves in America. But beyond that, "the full power of centralized government" -- this was the very thing the Founding Fathers sought to minimize. They knew that governments don't control things. A government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy.

"Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so."

MARIE CLAIRE MAG HIGHLIGHTS REAL FEMINISTS

Dear Cosmo: Marie Claire features real feminists — the women of the Kurdistan Army

We've seen this week how Cosmopolitan - the "bible for fun, fearless females" - has defined its own brand of feminism by trashing reality TV star Jessa Duggar as "tone deaf" and "deranged" for her pro-life views. In the meantime, Cosmopolitan continues to pedal its own version of feminism with articles such as "8 Inspired Ways to Decorate Your Vagina (NSFW)," and "7 Sex Tips from Cosmo That Will Put You in the Hospital," as well as oral sex tips involving glazed donuts.

Let's skip this month's issue of Cosmopolitan, then, and instead pick up an issue of Marie Claire, which this month features a photo essay on "the Women's Protection Unit, an all-women, all-volunteer Kurdish military faction in Syria that formed in 2012 to defend the Kurdish population against the deadly attacks lead by Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, the al-Nusra Front (an al-Qaeda affiliate), and ISIS." Real feminism? Behold.

@Cameron_Gray @marieclaire uplifting, and yet sad that someone would have to fight at this age
— jonathandavis (@davisj1) October 3, 2014

THIS: These Remarkable Women Are Fighting #ISIS. It's Time You Know Who They Are. http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA (@marieclaire) #TwitterKurds #YPJ
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 3, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Hevedar Mohammed, 12 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/3yflVwRjZv
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 3, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Mizguin Emraly, 14 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/hRSIjcT1IW
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 3, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Hasrat Sahad, 23 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/xbjKXEnoRt
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 3, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Sosen Shingel, 17 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/d9nyi9pr1k
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Evin Sadak, 20 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/gzx7lDwnef
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Sa-el Morad, 20 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/NkMfmqt4fn
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Zevin Botan, 20 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/IsDnxDmVDQ
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

#YPJ solider, Narlene, 20 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/lsHoRWKrBf
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Shavin Bachouk, 26 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/vy4bMK7Oly
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

#YPJ soldier, Evin Ahmed, 26 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA #TwitterKurds #Kurds #ISIS #ISIL #IS @marieclaire pic.twitter.com/ipze5o1str
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

RT and show these brave female #TwitterKurds fighting #ISIS #YPJ General Zelal, 33 years old http://t.co/W8tHL5IJTA pic.twitter.com/qUrC2C4fjf
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) October 4, 2014

@Cameron_Gray @marieclaire Someone make a calendar that people can buy, with proceeds going to them for supplies and support. I am in!
— Jeremy Pond (@JeremyPond) October 4, 2014

The Kurdistan Army today provides a sad reminder that these fierce feminists do far more than pose for photos.

This #Kurdish fighter shot herself when she was out of bullets to nt be captured by #Isis #TwitterKurds #YPG #Kobane pic.twitter.com/2OjGRPlH8o
— KURDISTAN ARMY (@KURDISTAN_ARMY) October 3, 2014

Also read: Meet the female peshmerga forces fighting ISIS 

While looking for a video to include in this post I found a BBC report, dated September 5th, and realized that the fighter in the last tweet, who took her own life rather than be captured by ISIS, was prominent in the video. She is identified as Diren, age 19. Diren is highly motivated and her morale is high. She's proud to be fighting ISIS in defense of her people but also relishes the fact that she fights in defiance of the ideology of ISIS that women are basically weak and fit only for feeding and breeding.

RIP, Diren

The video below does a great job of showing the proximity of the opposing forces. When watching fighters in a war zone being interviewed one can't help but wonder what will happen to them. In the case of this young but brave woman warrior, we now know. These people are the boots on the ground and it's time the U.S. back them with whatever they need to defeat ISIS.  Remember these faces...

AFTERBURNER: AND NOW SOME GOOD NEWS...

THE AMERICAN TRINITY

The United States is built on a foundation of three unique, core values that shall be known as the American Trinity.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: OLD INK, ETERNAL IDEALS

Following the announcement of the Declaration on July 4, 1776 and the eventual parchment version being signed on August 2, 1776, the document itself was neglected after the revolution.  Even early celebrations of Independence Day ignored the original statement of that independence.  It was the act that was thought important, not the text.

The Declaration became important again after the founding of political parties.  Once that happened, Jefferson's supporters used the fact that he wrote it to their political advantage.  This created heated back and forth over the document's authorship itself and eventually resulted in it being more prominently thought of in terms of importance of the text.  Even then, however, it wasn't until the 1850s that the document itself became important for more than historical reasons.

Once the abolitionist movement gained prominence in the early 1850s the "all men are created equal…" concept embedded in the Declaration became useful in the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

This usage of the text was taken up by Abraham Lincoln in 1854.  He felt that the Founding Fathers expected that slavery would be a dying institution in the new United States.   Lincoln also felt that the Declaration of Independence was one of the founding documents of the nation and not just a simple statement declaring secession from Britain.  He used this view frequently in his arguments against slavery:

"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for some men to enslave others is a 'sacred right of self-government.' … Our republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust. Let us repurify it. … Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with it, the practices, and policy, which harmonize with it. … If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union: but we shall have saved it, as to make, and keep it, forever worthy of the saving."

Lincoln's view that the Declaration was one of the founding documents in terms of defining the nation eventually became the nation's view, even though it was not predominately so before him.  This was an extremely important development in America's history in terms of interpreting the Constitution.

You can read more about the history of the document itself here. 

IN MEMORY OF OUR HONORED DEAD

TRIFECTA: MEET HEROIC MALALA YOUSAFZAI

The U.N. declared July 12 to be "Malala Yousafzai Day."  You can read about Malala's background here.

Addressing an assembly at the United Nations was an amazing way to celebrate her 16th birthday.  Sadly, many of her own countrymen and fellow Muslims were not impressed and, in fact, were highly cynical in their assumption that she is being exploited by the West.  Of course, it wasn't white men from the West who shot her in the head.  And it wasn't white men from the West who have forced an actress slated to portray Malala in a biopic to fear for her own life.

A member of the Taliban published a letter to Malala, ostensibly to explain why she deserved what happened to her.

The letter sent by a senior figure in the Pakistan Taliban to Malala Yousafzai setting out the case against her is an extraordinary document by any standards. It is an attempt to defend the indefensible – the attempted assassination of a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

In it, Adnan Rasheed deploys all the arguments he can think of, referencing Henry Kissinger (a Jew, he helpfully points out) and quoting Bertrand Russell on the way modern science might be manipulated – via diet and injections – to control populations. His letter complains that she is pushing UN propaganda, of promoting an education system that has no place for Islam and it wonders whether there would have been such an outcry if she had been injured in a US drone strike.

He knows his audience.

Apparently he does know his audience. Nevertheless, she has her defenders and admirers.  I certainly am one of those.  It's so easy to take an education for granted when it's not a matter of life or death.  I started watching the video out of curiosity but found I couldn't stop watching because it was such a well-done and inspiring speech.  I encourage everybody to watch the full speech below and pray for her continued safety.  God bless you, Malala!

THESE RAYS OF SUNSHINE WILL MAKE YOU SMILE

It's easy to forget that this week began with a heartfelt and heartwarming "thank you" from Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, the Cleveland girls rescued from captivity at the hands of the monster, Ariel Castro. It is a powerful reminder that sometimes tragedy does end in triumph and a sad story can have a happy ending. These ladies are survivors. 

And while celebrating their survival and rescue it's also an amazing feeling to see another young girl rescued before the predator could get away, due to quick-thinking heroism by Temar Boggs and his friend.  If these don't make you smile then...you're obviously a cyborg.  Peace!

RAFAEL CRUZ SPEAKS TO FREE THE PEOPLE

FreedomWorks hosted another grassroots training and networking opportunity last weekend for over 16,000 people. Free The People 2013 was held at the USANA Amphitheater in Salt Lake City, Utah.  One of the speakers was Rafael Cruz, the father of Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

As you can see from watching the video, the elder Cruz is a compelling speaker with an inspiring message derived from what has obviously been a very interesting life.  Now you know where Ted gets much of his own love of liberty and Conservative - that is to say American - ideals.

I dubbed Cruz "Senator Honey Badger" back in May.  Since then I've come across a couple more useful insights about the man.  It's not news to his supporters in Texas, of course, but he's a really good campaigner.  There is a nuts-and-bolts aspect of campaigning that cannot be overestimated.  Apparently Cruz has mad campaigning skilz!

Almost a year ago, on July 31, 2012, Cruz — formerly the nearly anonymous Texas solicitor general — pulled off an improbable victory against the Governor Perry–endorsed Dewhurst and jump-started a high-profile career in the U.S. Senate. And as Cruz's profile has risen, Dewhurst's fortunes have flagged.

The situation started looking grim at the state Republican convention, which came shortly after Dewhurst and Cruz took the top two spots in the primary, advancing to a runoff. At the convention, which more than 10,000 people attended, Dewhurst had a relatively small presence, with only one booth set up. Cruz, on the other hand, had numerous booths, with tons of volunteers passing out so many thousands of stickers that they had to order more during the convention, according to one Texas GOP source. Cruz shook hands for hours. Dewhurst's retail politicking wasn't as aggressive — the source describes him as personable but not charismatic. And Cruz gave his speech before Dewhurst did, rousing the already enthusiastic crowd. There were Cruz placards on every seat and hundreds in the air during his speech. Dewhurst passed out placards, too, but during his speech there were about as many signs waving for his opponent as for him, according to eyewitness accounts.

I've also learned the reason for much of the hostility John McCain and Lindsey Graham have exhibited toward Cruz.  It goes back to the 2000 presidential election.

Anything involving junior Texas Senator Ted Cruz is likely to invoke some level of toxic response from Senator John McCain of Arizona and his secondary outlet of public communication, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

That Senator McCain harbors a grudge against "the Bushies" for the South Carolina primary defeat that ended his presidential run in 2000 is the worst kept secret in Washington. Having "his" candidate lose in his home state was also a blow to Graham. Known for his long memory, some Senate staffers joke the "R" behind McCain's name is for "revenge." Other quip Lindsey Graham is "the senator from McCain."

You'd think they'd be over it, but never has their ax grinding against former George W. Bush allies been more obvious and counter-productive than over the last few months.

Ted Cruz was a key Bush campaign staffer in 2000. Primarily a legal advisor, he also provided domestic policy advice and served as a contact for movement conservatives. A brilliant legal mind, Cruz was a critical asset to Bush's Florida recount team. Ted was well-liked and respected among campaign staff, and like Karl Rove, known to perform congressional district voter math in his head.

Including, no doubt, for the 2000 South Carolina presidential primary.

Fortunately, the future of the GOP lies with patriotic Conservatives like Ted Cruz and not with elitist, back-stabbing RINO losers like John McCain.

BILL WHITTLE: WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

I first posted this video on New Year's Day because I found it to be so incredibly inspirational.  Fans of this blog are now fully aware of my admiration for Bill Whittle. After the defeat in November I know that I needed to hear what he had to say.  Some of the things he mentioned in this talk - such as Mr. Virtual President - have been put into motion.  Even though this talk is now approximately eight months old it is still totally relevant and extremely inspirational.

So, for those who haven't seen it yet and for those who have seen it but need to see it again, I encourage everybody to set aside an hour to give this a listen.  If you're a Conservative I guarantee you won't regret it!

We must FIGHT ON because we OWE it to those who made the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE for this nation to do so!

RITUAL: THE 4TH OF JULY DECLARATION

I think this is a brilliant idea.  I'm just sorry I didn't post it before Independence Day, but hey, there's always next year!

We Americans need a ritual to remind ourselves of our national origins and our national purpose. That is why Prager University has created the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony, which draws its inspiration from one of the most enduring rituals in the world: the Jewish Passover Seder. ("Seder" means "order" in Hebrew.)

For thousands of years, the Passover Seder has helped Jews around the world to remember that they are descendants of an enslaved people who were liberated by the mighty hand of God. The Founders of the United States (including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and others) were all well-versed in the Bible and knew the story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. They viewed their break from England as a new exodus; so much so that Franklin and Jefferson wanted the seal of the newly-formed United States to depict the Israelites escaping across the Red Sea.

Even though that design was not chosen, the original historical inspiration still remains. Like the Passover seder, the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony can be a powerful ritual that helps us transmit our love for this country to our children and grandchildren.

In keeping with our philosophy at Prager University that profound concepts can be taught in five minutes or less, we have kept the Declaration Ceremony brief. In our experience, adults find it meaningful and children find it fascinating.

If you follow our simple guide, the Fourth of July will be more than just another barbecue or fireworks display. It will become the kind of day it was meant to be: a celebration of the birth of our exceptional country, and a way of showing gratitude for the gift of liberty that has been bestowed upon us all.

You can always add more to your 4th of July Declaration (and we have lots of suggestions as to how) but we've given you the basics here.

Doing a little will mean a lot --to you, to your family and friends, and to the nation.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: OLD INK, ETERNAL IDEALS

Following the announcement of the Declaration on July 4, 1776 and the eventual parchment version being signed on August 2, 1776, the document itself was neglected after the revolution.  Even early celebrations of Independence Day ignored the original statement of that independence.  It was the act that was thought important, not the text.

The Declaration became important again after the founding of political parties.  Once that happened, Jefferson's supporters used the fact that he wrote it to their political advantage.  This created heated back and forth over the document's authorship itself and eventually resulted in it being more prominently thought of in terms of importance of the text.  Even then, however, it wasn't until the 1850s that the document itself became important for more than historical reasons.

Once the abolitionist movement gained prominence in the early 1850s the "all men are created equal…" concept embedded in the Declaration became useful in the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

This usage of the text was taken up by Abraham Lincoln in 1854.  He felt that the Founding Fathers expected that slavery would be a dying institution in the new United States.   Lincoln also felt that the Declaration of Independence was one of the founding documents of the nation and not just a simple statement declaring secession from Britain.  He used this view frequently in his arguments against slavery:

"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for some men to enslave others is a 'sacred right of self-government.' … Our republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust. Let us repurify it. … Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with it, the practices, and policy, which harmonize with it. … If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union: but we shall have saved it, as to make, and keep it, forever worthy of the saving."

Lincoln's view that the Declaration was one of the founding documents in terms of defining the nation eventually became the nation's view, even though it was not predominately so before him.  This was an extremely important development in America's history in terms of interpreting the Constitution.

You can read more about the history of the document itself here. 

WHEN REAGAN SPOKE AT THE BERLIN WALL

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood before the Berlin Wall, symbol of an atheistic, totalitarian empire that robbed millions of basic human dignity and freedom, and delivered one of the great speeches of the 20th century. More than a quarter century earlier, Soviet-backed East Germany had built the wall to keep its people from escaping Communist rule. Reagan, who knew his words would be heard on the other side of the wall, spoke directly to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...

VALEDICTORIAN DEFIES POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

One week ago today, Roy Costner, IV stood up and defied anti-Christian bigots and First Amendment foes when he dared to include prayer as part of his valedictorian speech.  As Megyn points out, it's a sad state of affairs when reciting a prayer at a graduation ceremony must be filed under "profiles in courage."  But that's where we're at these days and so it makes me smile to watch this clip. Well done!

The Christian Post provides additional details:

"I am a strong Christian, and when I heard about our local school board getting attacked by the ACLU and Freedom From Religion Foundation, I realized it was outside groups pressuring our local officials. The complaints came from a Wisconsin organization and the ACLU also tried to make things difficult, even though this was not a local problem and no one from our county had complained about public prayer."

Costner and his friends run a local news website, libertyspeaks.net, so they followed the school district's proceedings closely. "We stay involved in our community, so we all went to the school board meeting when they were deciding on public prayer and we packed it out," he recalls. "It was so crowded that you couldn't move inside, and there was a huge circle of people outside, too. It seemed like everyone in attendance supported prayer in schools, but the school board voted against prayer 3-2 even though not all the members were present for the vote."

The initial complaints from the Freedom From Religion Foundation only demanded that the school board stop prayers and invocations prior to their meetings, but Costner says that some board members were intimidated and reacted by instituting sweeping restrictions. "The school district got so scared and blew things out of proportion that they took prayer out of everything," he lamented. "They did not allow teachers or faculty or staff to participate in the annual 'See You At The Pole' initiative, and they banned prayer and all religious references from athletic events and anything school-related. They took away a lot of rights relating to prayer and free speech."

In addition to ending invocations at all school functions, school officials also decided to replace prayer at high school graduations with a "moment of silence."

Liberty High School's principal, Lori Gwinn, described Roy this way:

"He greets everyone with a positive attitude and always has a smile on his face. He has a passion and an intensity that not many see fully; he has a vision too, and I eagerly anticipate what he will do with that for his future. He dreams big, encourages others, and creates his own path."

Welp, there you have it.  He's clearly a menace to society.  No wonder atheists are angry at him.  A kid like that could cause problems for years to come!

"The valedictorian who so insensitively inflicted Christian prayer on a captive audience at a secular graduation ceremony, is a product of a school district which itself set an unconstitutional example by hosting school board prayer," FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a prepared statement.

In other words, the haters at FFRF will probably sue the district.  Free speech and the First Amendment simply cannot be allowed to thwart the totalitarian impulses of those who view prayer and hate speech as one and the same.  The saddest part is that the misguided folks at FFRF operate under the delusion that they are the good guys in this fight.  Inspired by Roy Costner, I think I'll pray for FFRF that its members and supporters can someday replace the hate in their hearts with something better.

IN MEMORY OF THE HONORED DEAD

THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK

I am the eagle, I live in high country
In rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky
I am the hawk and there's blood on my feathers
But time is still turning they soon will be dry
And all those who see me, and all who believe in me
Share in the freedom I feel when I fly

Come dance with the west wind 
and touch on the mountain tops
Sail o'er the canyons and up to the stars
And reach for the heavens and hope for the future
And all that we can be and not what we are