Power to the People

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the fact that mortals long to be free. The people of Great Britain voted themselves out of the European Union in an effort for Britain to be governed by Britain.

                Michael Goodwin at the New York Post writes, “Revolutions are a leap into the unknown and require the right mix of outrage, determination and leadership. They are testament to the ethos of an entire country and culture when they succeed without a shot being fired.

                “That’s the beauty of Brexit, and of grand old England. The people spoke, they were heard, and the wheel of history is turning. Let’s get on with it.

                “It took a revolution because the leaders of both of Britain’s major political parties united in opposition to change, with the pooh-bahs and grandees trying to scare voters into sticking with the status quo. Naturally, the establishment media lectured the rubes on what was good for them.

                “Sound familiar, America?”

                To me, it sounds exactly like what is happening in America. We are led by two major political parties whose leaders are not willing to listen to Americans. They continue to use scare tactics to keep their sheeples in line.

                Nile Gardiner at The Daily Signal claims that “Britain outside the EU will be a stronger ally for the United States.” He also says the Brexit vote “signals a new era of freedom for the British people…. Great Britain has declared its independence…. The vote for Brexit … is a vote for sovereignty and self-determination.”

                The people in Britain have thrown off a heavy yoke of government. I wonderful if the American people will be smart enough to do the same.

                

Benghazi Report

                The two-year investigation into the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans on September 11, 2012, is complete. An extensive report was released on Tuesday by the House Select Committee on Benghazi. Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and members of the committee spoke about the 800-page document with members of the media. They claim that the report “fundamentally changes the public’s understanding” of what happened.” They encourage Americans to read the “lengthy report and to draw their own conclusions based on the committee’s findings.” They did announce that “they found no new evidence specifically against [Hilary] Clinton, though it suggests she and other officials did not adequately address the risks involved in keeping Americans in Benghazi given the high likelihood of a terrorist attack.”

                Hilary Clinton obviously wants to leave Benghazi in the past because “what difference does it make.” However, Patricia Smith, the mother of Sean Smith who was killed in the Benghazi attack, says, “It is definitely not time to move on” because “it has not been dealt with.” She claims that the only thing that will give her closure for the loss of her son is to “see Hillary in stripes.” “I think she ought to be made to acknowledge what she did, and she has not…. So far, all she has done is lied and people are believing her.”

                I personally believe that Americans must remember that the U.S. Government left Americans behind when they could have been rescued. I believe that Americans should also remember that Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, and Susan Rice all lied to the nation and the world about a video causing the attacks to advance their own political agendas. I believe that Patricia Smith should see someone punished for the death of her son. I also believe that she will eventually need to accept whatever happens and move on with her life as best she can. I believe that this is the only way she will ever find peace.

Americans Deserve Secure Borders

                The United States of America has the right to secure its perimeter and the responsibility to protect its citizens. While politicians debate border security, Americans are suffering and dying at the hands of illegal aliens. Both northern and southern borders should be secured, but the focus of this paper is on securing the southern border against future illegal immigrants. By barricading the southern border, the United States could decrease the flow of undocumented immigrants into the United States, eliminate many of the problems caused by illegal travelers, and give American citizens better protection.

                Critics make numerous claims about the border. Some people declare that the border should be wide open because illegal immigrants are good people looking for a better place to rear their families. Some claim that a protective barrier cannot be built because of the rough terrain and cost. Others suggest that people living along the border do not want cross-border trade stopped by a barrier. Still others assert that undocumented travelers would find a way into the USA even with barricade. While these statements might be partially true, a secure border should be constructed to better control the movement of people into the country.

                While many of the people entering the United States unlawfully are good people looking for safety and prosperity, criminals and drugs are also crossing the border. For example, Kate Steinle, 31 years old, strolled down busy Pier 14 in San Francisco with her father on a pleasant summer evening. There was a single popping sound, and Kate fell to the ground with a bullet wound in her upper body. She was the victim of a random killing by 45-year-old Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant. According to immigration officials, Sanchez was a repeat felon who had been deported to Mexico five times. He would have been deported six times, but he was being held in San Francisco on a drug-related warrant. However, the drug charge was dropped, and he was back on the street. The Steinle case is just one example of dangerous people crossing illegally into the United States numerous times. 

                A secure border can be built if Americans are willing to pay the price. Part of the southern border is already protected by a 20-mile long, fortified border separating San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.  This section has double fencing with triple fencing in some areas. First, there stands a 10-foot high fence made of thick, welded,metal panels. Then there exists a 15-foot high fence that is constructed of steel mesh, angled inward, and topped by barbed wire. A third fence, shorter and made of chain link, is located in high-traffic areas. The 150-foot-wide space between the two main fences is considered to be “no man’s land” and is monitored “by bright lights, armored trucks, and cameras.” This barrier is successful at eliminating much of the traffic through the area, but it needs to be longer to stop travelers who might go around it.

                A committed America could build a secure barrier along the southern border in a relatively short period of time. During World War II, U.S. Army engineers built the Alaska Highway in less than a year through a vast wilderness in a cold, remote, and forbidding region. This accomplishment included crossing five mountain summits and unnumbered rivers. If a road can be built in that area in eight to nine months, then a secure border can be erected through any terrain in approximately a year.

                Many people living along the southern border want a barrier to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs across their property. A journalist from Esquire Magazine traveled the 800-mile-long Texas-Mexico border with “just an empty notebook.” He was assigned to speak with every person he met in an effort to learn whether or not they wanted a wall. The reporter found that everyone – “Hispanic, Anglo, Democratic, Republican, uncommitted, clueless” – all said, “We want a wall.” The people along the border are directly affected by illegal immigration, and they want it stopped.

                Kate Steinle was killed by a repeat felon who entered the United States illegally at least six times. A secure border may not have stopped all of his entries into the nation, but it surely could have stopped some of them. If the felon had been stopped on his last entry, Steinle could be living today. Americans have the right to be secure within their own nation, and the government has the responsibility to keep its citizens safe by knowing who crosses the border and why they are here. Decreasing the flow of illegal immigrants across the southern border is the first step to bringing more security to Americans. The American people want the southern border to be closed, and the government should build a protective barrier as quickly as possible.

Updated on 3 July 2016:  Here is proof that Kate Steinle was not the only American hurt and/or killed by an undocumented immigrant. The Mexican national in this article was deported to Mexico six times before he killed three people in Oregon. 

Justice Scalia's Dissent

                One year ago on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court “stripped the rights of states to legally define marriage solely as the union of a man and a woman” in Obergefell v. Hodges. The past year has brought many challenges to Americans because of the decision made by the justices.

                Nate Madden at Conservative Review wrote an article titled “Antonin Scalia’s Gay Marriage Dissent Turns One Year Old” in which he reminds his readers of the scathing dissenting opinion written by Justice Antonin Scalia. In his dissent Justice Scalia warns the American people about what would happen because of the vote. Over the past year we have seen people put in jail, sued, and forced out of business because they do not believe in same-sex unions. We have seen states forced to comply with the decision. All of this happened because the public is being coerced to give their approval for same-sex marriages. 

                Justice Scalia writes, “Today’s decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court…. This practice of Constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied … by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence.”

                Madden shares Scalia’s explanation of what really happened. “Scalia then points to the period leading up to the court’s ruling as the true triumph of liberty, rather than the decision itself. `Individuals on both sides of the issue passionately, but respectfully, attempted to persuade their fellow citizens to accept their views,’ he wrote. `Americans considered the arguments and put the question to a vote. The electorates of 11 states, either directly or through their representatives, chose to expand the traditional definition of marriage. Many more decided not to. Win or lose, advocates for both sides continued pressing their cases, secure in the knowledge that an electoral loss can be negated by a later electoral win.’”

                Madden then concludes, “What Justice Scalia described was a true republic in action, at least until the judiciary put a stop to it. The greater problem is that, as devastating as the decision may yet prove to be for the religious liberty of people and institutions who still affirm a traditional, organic and conjugal understanding of marriage, the precedent set in this case and others by the federal judiciary point to a truth antithetical to our political and historical identity as Americans: we are being governed less and less by our own consent.”

                When the majority of justices voted to approve same-sex marriage, I believe that they opened a Pandora’s Box. I believe that we have not yet seen all the destruction that will come from this decision. A tiny minority of Americans has forced through a decision that will bring negative effects to all Americans.

Constitution Works

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from a case decided last week by the U.S. Supreme Court. On Thursday, June 23, 2016, the Supreme Court issued a 4-4 decision blocking Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration. The High Court’s decision was a tie vote, which upheld a ruling by a lower court on the matter. The focus of the case dealt with Mr. Obama’s “unilateral attempt to shield immigrants in the United States illegally from deportation and to make them eligible for work permits without the approval of Congress.” 

                Texas led a 26-state fight to block the implementation of the executive order. The decision by the Supreme Court kills Mr. Obama’s plan. “House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said, `Today, Article I of the Constitution was vindicated….The Supreme Court’s ruling makes the president’s executive action on immigration null and void….. The Constitution is clear: The president is not permitted to write laws – only Congress is. This is another major victory in our fight to restore the separation of powers.’”

                So, what did Mr. Obama do after losing the case? He sent a message to the millions of illegal immigrants in the USA that he was not going to deport them while at the same time acknowledging “his push to reform the U.S. immigration system” was ended by the Supreme Court decision.

                “Obama’s plan aimed to temporarily remove the threat of deportation for up to four million immigrants, building on an earlier Obama plan affecting people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Though the court’s move means that expanded group won’t be eligible for work permits, Obama said his administration would continue prioritizing deportations only for new arrivals and those with criminal records.”

Mothers Who Know

                Being a mother and a grandmother, I am partial to stories about mothers. I particularly like the story that Dr. Ben Carson tells about the impact of his mother on his life. She was a single mother doing her best to rear two sons. She saw Ben’s poor report card and knew she needed to do something. She knew – and told her sons – that they were smart and could be successful. They did not believe her, but she knew they could do better.

                Sonya Carson knew that education was the way out of poverty. She did not know how to motivate her sons to do better in school, but she knew she could get an answer from God. Following the Lord’s counsel, she determined that her sons would do their homework before playing outside, read two books every week, and write reports on the books they read. They would also limit their television viewing to two programs per week. In a year and a half, Ben went from the class dummy who misspelled every spelling word and got every math problem wrong to the top of his class. He learned that reading was the way out of ignorance and into success. Because of his mother’s influence on his education, he became a world-famous neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore.

  

                The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ – tells the story of another group of mothers. Their sons are known as the 2000 stripling warriors who miraculously survived numerous battles because of their faith in the teachings of their mothers. These young men were valiant, courageous, and strong. They were “men of truth and soberness” (Alma 53:21). They paid tribute to their mothers when they said, “Our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:48). What did their mothers know? They knew the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they put their trust in God.

                Sister Julie B. Beck, then Relief Society general president, spoke in General Conference on the subject “Mothers Who Know.” She referenced the story of the stripling warriors and then said: “The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know.  Children are being born into a world where they `wrestles not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places’ (Ephesians 6:12). However, mothers need not fear. When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children.”

                Sister Beck then spoke about the things “mothers who know” do: (1) They desire to bear children and do not postpone their families; (2) They make and keep sacred ordinances and covenants; (3) They nurture – cultivate, care for, and make grow – by creating “a climate for spiritual and temporal growth in their homes;” (4) In equal partnership with their husbands, they are leaders in their homes; (5) They are always teaching; (6) “They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally … less media, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home… willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children….”; and (7) They “know and love the Lord and bear testimony of Him, … are strong and immovable and … do not give up during difficult and discouraging times.”

                Like Sonya Carson and the mothers of the 2,000 stripling warriors, mothers today can have great influence for good in their lives of their children. They must first learn of God and listen to His word; then they can walk in His paths and bring His power and influence to others.

Stay-at-Home Mothers

               Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when mothers invest their time with their children. Are you a stay-at-home mother? Are you happy with your choice? If you are a happy stay-at-home mother, you are among the majority.

                Redbook Magazine surveyed 558 stay-at-home mothers and “asked several questions about their lives and responsibilities.” The magazine also requested an “hour by hour” record of their activities for the previous day. The records showed “incredibly diverse” lives and revealed “surprising truths about modern families.”

                “Stay-at-home moms’ happiness factor was another counterintuitive finding. In general, this was a very content group of 558 survey respondents, with one standout: Moms of four or more showed an outsized proclivity to be `very’ or `extremely’ happy. This was true despite the constant activity four or more children create and these families’ lower-than-average incomes.”

                I know a lot of stay-at-home mothers of four or more children. I am the mother of six and the grandmother of seventeen. I know that stay-at-home mothers rarely stay at home all day because they are enriching the lives of the members of their families. Their children have the opportunity to visit the library, go to movies, take hikes, see their mothers volunteering in their schools, go swimming in the lake, and many other activities. Children of mothers who stay at home are very blessed.

                LDS Living summarized the study and ended with this statement: “So, when all is said and done and the research is examined, we should ask ourselves, just as Neal A. Maxwell did, `When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?’"

                The value of having a mother who chooses to invest her time and energy in her children is rarely seen at the moment of the sacrifice. It is seen in the lives of those children when they become parents. I am very pleased to know that all of my daughters, by blood and by marriage, are stay-at-home mothers. Most of them have four children and are very busy. All of them have college degrees, and most of them have graduate degrees. I have one daughter who has no children – not of her choice. She is a successful, well-known business executive who believes that a day-at-home mother has the best career possible. I am happy in my choice of a career and know that my daughters are happy in their choice to be at home with their children. I hope you are happy in your choice to be home with your children because you can strengthen your family, your community, and your nation by investing your time with your children.

Call It What It Is

                Vince Scully is a veteran baseball announcer “known for some of the most memorable calls in sports history.” He recently made a statement that has nothing to do with baseball but everything to do with our world today.

                “Socialism, failing to work as it always does, this time in Venezuela. You talk about giving everybody something free and all of a sudden there’s no food to eat,” Scully said as Milwaukee third baseman Hernan Perez stood at bat in the sixth inning. “And who do you think is the richest person in Venezuela? The daughter of Hugo Chavez. Hello.”

                Scully proves once again that people with common sense can see that socialism never works, no matter where or how often it is tried. Socialism does not work, but democracy does!

Allah or God?

                Infowars.com claims that the “Justice Department replaced references to `Allah’ with `God’ in an edited transcript of the 911 call” that the Orlando jihadi terrorist made during his attack on the night club last Sunday.

                The site claims that “an Islamic prayer” was made saying “Praise be to Allah…” and the edited DOJ transcript says “Praise be to God….” “It’s obvious the Obama administration is doing everything it can to downplay the Islamic connection to the attack, all while demonizing Christians and gun owners…. [The Obama administration] knew right away and they have been deceiving the American people ever since, protecting and defending the ideology [that] calls for our destruction.”

                If Infowars.com is correct, Americans need to know the truth. Why are the Justice Department (DOJ) and the Obama Administration protecting Islam while attacking Christianity?

Thomas S. Monson

                Thomas S. Monson is my very important person for this week because he is God’s prophet for the world. He speaks the words that Jesus Christ would speak if He were on earth today. The latest words from President Monson were recently found on his Facebook page. They are part of a talk given in the October 2008 General Conference titled “Finding Joy in the Journey” and are very helpful and applicable to today. 

            “This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone.

I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not.

I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.”

Bigger Gun Sales

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns Americans battle to save their right to “keep and bear arms” as guaranteed in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Barack Obama is the greatest salesman of all times for guns. Every time some idiot decides to take out his – it is usually a male – aggression in killing unarmed Americans, Mr. Obama always considers it is a call for more gun control.

                After the extreme Islamic terrorist killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 in Orlando last week, stock prices for gun companies rose. In the week following that attack, the sale of AR-15 rifles skyrocketed across the nation. “Hunter’s Warehouse Owner Tom Engle … [said]… that “his online gun shop, which carries an inventory of 300,000 to 400,000 weapons, has sold 30,000 AR-15s since Sunday.”

                Engle said that “the price for AR-15s ranges from $350 to $8,000. But according to the gun shop owner, the recent spike in sales of AR-15s is not attributable to the desire to protect oneself from terrorists…. These sales, he said, stem from a different type of fear.

                “`Shootings don’t push up gun sales,’ he explained. `It’s when the government starts talking about banning particular guns and up go gun sales. When people lose their right to buy a particular gun or a particular type of gun, they go after them and they want them then.’”

                Investors would be dumb if they chose not to invest in gun shops. Every time a liberal opens his or her mouth about gun control, the price for guns goes up. It is a winning combination for a wise investor.

Fathers

                Father’s Day is here once again. It is a day when we honor the fathers in our lives. Of course, we should give honor to our biological father. We should give honor to any other man who has acted as a father to us. We should give the most honor and glory to our Father in Heaven who watches over each of us every day. Wise men and women understand that fathers are important in our lives and particularly in the lives of children and teens.

                Ditta M. Oliker, Ph.D., wrote about “The Importance of Fathers” in an article published by Psychology Today. She quotes from a report in “Fathers and Their Impact on Children’s Well-Being.” The report states, “Even from birth, children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident to explore their surrounds, and, as they grow older, have better social connections.

                “The way fathers play with their children also has an important impact on a child’s emotional and social development. Fathers spend a higher percentage of their one-to-one interactions with infants and preschoolers in stimulating, playful activity than do mothers. From these interactions, children learn how to regulate their feelings and behavior.

                “Children with involved, caring fathers have better educational outcomes. The influence of a father’s involvement extends into adolescence and young adulthood. Numerous studies find that an active and nurturing style of fathering is associated with better verbal skills, intellectual functioning, and academic achievements among adolescents.” 

                Oliker then asks, “What is the reality these days? There is no question that fathers do play an important part in their children’s lives; that the majority of studies affirm that an involved father can play a crucial role particularly in the cognitive, behavioral and general health and well-being areas of a child’s life; that having a positive male role model helps an adolescent boy develop positive gender-role characteristics; that adolescent girls are more likely to form positive opinions of men and are better able to relate to them when fathered by an involved father; that it is generally accepted, under most circumstances, a father’s presence and involvement can be as crucial to a child’s healthy development as is the mother’s; and that experiencing validation of their importance in the general parenting literature has made fathers much more conscious of their value and, in turn, leads to their greater desire to be involved.”

                As Oliker states, fathers are important in the lives of children from the time they are born. An involved father has a great impact in the life of his child or children. This impact is felt both emotionally and socially. Fathers teach values and principles that are difficult for mothers to teach.

                In a General Conference talk given in October 1987 and titled “To the Father in Israel,” President Ezra Taft Benson explained that fatherhood is an “eternal calling from which you are never released… and its importance transcends time. It is a calling for both time and eternity.”

                President Benson then quoted President Harold B. Lee. Whenever a prophet quotes another prophet, we should pay extra attention to the counsel. President Lee said that “the most important of the Lord’s work that you [fathers] will ever do will be the work you do within the walls of your own home. [Other] Church duties are all important, but the most important work is within the walls of our home.”

                Then President Benson then gave “two basic responsibilities” that belong to every father “within the sacred walls of his home.” They are: (1) the “sacred responsibility to provide for the material needs of our family” and

(2) the “sacred responsibility to provide spiritual leadership in your family.”

                Fatherhood is a divinely appointed responsibility that lasts throughout the mortal existence and into eternity. Fathers, particularly involved fathers, deserve honor, love, and respect.

                I am blessed to have an involved father. He was not a perfect man, but he did the best he could with the circumstances he had. He taught the importance of work, honest, integrity, and many other principles to my siblings and me. He worked hard to provide for my mother and their twelve children. I miss being able to go to him for counsel, and I look forward to associating with him once again in the next life. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

Teach about Fatherhood

                Families are strengthened when all individuals know and honor their fathers. There are many good and loving fathers in the world who love and care for their wives and children. Those men deserve to be honored.

                This site  has a wonderful family home evening outline to help teach the value of fathers in our lives. It is only fitting as we celebrate Father’s Day that we also honor our fathers. Please strengthen your family, community, and nation by honoring the fathers in your life. Of all the names that God could have chosen, He wants to be known as our Father in Heaven. The title of father is an honor to have.

War on Poverty, Part 2

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the war on poverty. I explained in Part 1 that the United States of America has been fighting the war on poverty since 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his War on Poverty initiative. The initiative was to use the full force of the U.S. Government to intervene and provide all manner of welfare for those in need. Since that time, the initiative has grown to “70 welfare programs to aid the poor and has spent $22 trillion.” Yet, we have more poor among us now than we did in 1965.

                This is Part 2 of the four programs produced by Glenn Beck about the War on Poverty. “The Great Depression in the United States of America changed the world. The American experiment, launched by its Founders, revolutionized how the world viewed personal freedom, government, business, culture, commerce – everything. It set an example for liberty that captured the world’s envy and imagination. In short, the American experiment worked. It worked so well that the poverty rate went from 90 percent in colonial America to 14.3 percent today. Some would argue the War on Poverty lowered that rate and not American exceptionalism. They would be wrong. The poverty rate before Lyndon Johnson and the Welfare Act was actually lower than today – 14 percent.

                “Naturally, there were bumps along the way, including a few major ones like 1929 and The Great Depression, when the financial house of cards collapsed and an overinflated stock market plunged…. Practically overnight, an economic blizzard swept the world. During the crash of 1920, the hands-off policies of President Harding’s administration allowed the free market to correct itself and send America into the Roaring Twenties. In 1929, there was a completely different approach. Government intrusion and welfare programs increased exponentially after Franklin Roosevelt’s election in 1932. Rather than help end the depression, his actions actually deepened it. Americans who had seen tough times before had never seen anything like this. In 1932, the situation became so dire that 3,000 unemployed workers marched on the Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan….

                “In March of that same year, FDR signed the Emergency Banking Act into law and the FDIC was born. He also ordered the nation off the gold standard. Then came the Civilian Conservation Corp, the Federal Emergency Relief Action, the National Industrial Recovery Act, the National Labor Board, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Glass-Steagall Act, the Soil Erosion Service, the Civil Works Administration, Works Progress Administration, the Wagner National Labor Relations Act and the Social Security Act – all by 1935. Much more government intervention was to come, but no relief. In fact, things actually got worse. By 1937, five years after FDR took office, the percentage of Americans living in poverty had hit 45 percent….

                “The Great Depression stretched on throughout the 1930s and into the ‘40s, with rationing and shortages until America’s war machine geared up enough to finally overcome the joblessness and stagnation. By most estimates, the Depression lasted 13 years. Yet, millions of Americans continue to revere FDR….”

                People with common sense and students of history understand there are limits to what governments can do. Government is in place to protect the God-given rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Once those rights are secured, government should get out of the way and let the people and the market work as they should.

                President Harding’s administration let the market correct itself, and FDR’s administration tried to manipulate the market by new regulations and programs. Most of those programs are still part of the federal government today. The war on poverty will never end as long as the government continues to meet the needs of the people without requiring anything from those same people. Government handouts keep people in poverty because they prevent the people from working their way out of poverty. Assistance should be temporary except in cases of people who are too old, sick or disabled to provide for their own needs, and that assistance should come first from the family. The government is the cause of most of the poverty in our nation, and its war on poverty is a sham.

Increasing Terrorist Attacks

                Does it seem to you like terrorist attacks are increasing? If so, you are exactly right. There were terrorist attacks before 9/1, but they did not occur at the current rate. What is happening?

                David Inserra has the numbers that prove attacks are accelerating. The attack in Orlando, Florida, is the 22^nd uncovered plot or actual attack since January 1, 2015. It is the sixth attack in 2016. It “is also the 20th attack or plot aimed at large public gatherings, such as bars and restaurants, shopping malls, parks, and conventions.

                “Mass gatherings are the second-most common target, just after military targets, which have been targeted 21 times. Since January 2015, the U.S. has seen an uptick in plots targeting mass gatherings (nine) as well as law enforcement (five). Orlando presents the 11^th attack since 9/11, and, perhaps most worryingly, the fifth attack in the past 12 months.

                “The shift to `soft targets’ like malls and bars places additional importance on stopping terrorists before they ever get to their target. The U.S. cannot secure every soft target, nor would its citizens want a police state that would try to be everywhere. The best way to protect the U.S. and its citizens’ liberties is through proactive intelligence. The FBI and other law enforcement organizations need adequate resources and tools to find, investigate, and stop terrorists before they strike.”

                In addition to being proactive with intelligence, the United States must develop a spine and stand up to ISIS and other terrorist groups. We must go after radical Islamist terrorists wherever they are, at home or abroad, and destroy their power to terrorize. 

Extreme Islamist Terrorism

                Another radical Islamist terrorist died in a shootout after a mass killing. This terrorist killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 others before he was killed by police. He shall remain unnamed in this post because I refuse to give him any glory. He chose to go on a murderous rampage at a gay club in Orlando, Florida, Sunday morning. This is the worst mass shooting in American history as well as the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. It seems that radical Islamist terrorists hate gays much more than devoted Christians do.

                The usual calls for more gun control are coming from the liberal progressives, including Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama. The strange thing about these calls for more gun control is that they tend to sell more guns. The statement reads, “Shares of gun and ammunition companies closed higher Monday following the mass shooting tragedy in Florida.” 

                Barack Obama still refuses to call the perpetrator an extreme Islamist terrorist, but Donald Trump has no qualms about doing do. He is calling for Obama’s resignation for not naming the enemy who continues to attack people in our nation and others.

                The Heritage Foundation launched an initiative called “Islam and Liberty” several years ago. The purpose of the initiative was to “document and analyze the threat that political Islam poses to liberty around the world and to make recommendations for how the U.S. ought to address it.”

                Walter Lohman at Heritage writes, “Very early on in the Islam and Liberty initiative, we wrestled with what to call the threat. We settled on `Islamist extremism and terrorism.’ We did so because, on the one hand, through our experience with Muslim friends and colleagues over the years we know that the threat to liberty is not from Muslims because they are Muslims. The threat emanates from a particular extreme interpretation of the faith – essentially a violent political ideology cast in religious terms.

                “On the other hand, the threat cannot be honestly separated from its religious context. ISIS and al-Qaeda and the myriad of other violent Muslim extremist groups around the world may well be cults of murder masquerading as piety. However, we are not theologians. It is not up to us to say what Islam is and what it is not. When people kill or tyrannize populations in the name of religion, we must take them at their word.

                “We must because we are engaged in a war of ideas. One cannot combat a tactic, terrorism. `Extremism’ alone is meaningless. Calling the threat `Islamist’ allows us to distinguish friend from foe and empower the good guys. There are Muslims among our friends in this fight and enemies among non-Muslims. In the end, we only aid our enemies by not calling the threat what it is.” 

                I wonder when Barack Obama and other liberal progressives will get the word. We must name our enemy – extreme Islamist terrorism - before we can destroy it!

A New Idea for President

                I cannot vote for Hilary Clinton because I believe she is an evil woman who would do more damage to the United States than Barack Obama. I do not like Donald Trump and am amazed that he is the Republican candidate. I am far from being alone in my dislike of Clinton and Trump because they are the two most disliked presidential candidates in history. Democrats and Republicans alike are wondering if they can pull the lever for their party’s candidate. I do not actually know who will get my vote this year, but I am thinking about the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. I decided to do a little research on him.

                Gary Johnson served as the Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1994-2003 and was referred to as the “most fiscally conservative Governor” in America. He started as a door-to-door handyman and eventually ran a large construction companies with more than 1,000 employees. He has the mentality of a businessman, “believing that public policy decisions should be based on costs and benefits rather than strict ideology.” According to his site, he is well known for his record of vetoes. He vetoed more than 750 bills during his term as governor and gained the nickname of “Governor Veto.” He never raised taxes but cut them 14 times. He retired from public office in 2003 and left New Mexico with a balanced budget when he term-limited out of office as governor.

                Johnson was reared as a Lutheran. He has a son and a daughter, both of whom are grown. He built the house he lives in. He is “an avid skier, adventurer, and bicyclist” and “has scaled the highest peak on each of the seven continents, including Mt. Everest.”

                Johnson’s running mate is Bill Weld, who is also a former governor. Weld is an attorney and business. He also served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts (1981-1986) and as the head of the Department of Justice Criminal Division (1986-1988). He served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1991-1997.

                The above information came from Johnson’s campaign site. I knew he was governor of New Mexico but did not give him a second thought because he was running as a Libertarian. He has essential leadership experience because he served as governor. He apparently was popular because he was re-elected to the office. 

                This may be the election that a Libertarian can win over a hated Democrat candidate and much maligned Republican candidate. Please join me in researching this candidate and pray about your choice for President. Voting Libertarian could be better than a write-in candidate!

A Constitutional Right

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the threat to American’s constitutional right to bear arms. Hilary Clinton is the Democrat presidential front runner and recently interviewed by George Stephanopoulos (ABC). Stephanopoulos asked Clinton a direct question:  “Do you believe that an individual’s right to bear arms is a constitutional right, that it’s not linked to service in a militia?”

                Clinton replied that she believes, “I think that for most of our history, there was a nuanced reading of the Second Amendment … we can have common-sense gun safety measures consistent with the Second Amendment.”

                Stephanopoulos asked the question again, “I said, do you believe that their conclusion that an individual’s right to bear arms is a constitutional right?”

                Clinton answered, “If it is a constitutional right, then it, like every other constitutional right, is subject to reasonable regulations, and what people have done with that decision is to take it as far as they possibly can and reject what has been our history from the very beginning of the republic, where some of the earliest laws that were passed were about firearms” [emphasis added].

                Clinton acknowledged that “reasonable people” would say that “responsible gun-owners have a right,” but “the rest of the American public has a right to require certain kinds of regulatory, responsible actions to protect everyone else.”

                How can anyone who believes that the “Right to keep and bear arms” is protected by the U.S. Constitution vote for Hillary Clinton?

Book of Mormon

                My regular readers know that I frequently refer to the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ. They know that I share stories and quote scriptures from the Book of Mormon. Tonight I realized that some of my readers may wonder what the Book of Mormon is and why it is important to me. I know it is the word of God, but I would like my readers to gain that knowledge also. Tonight I want to share a very short video that explains what the Book of Mormon is and how anyone can find out more.

                Mormon.org has a “Mormon Beliefs” section on their YouTube channel. The site has numerous short videos, including a 60-second video that explains the Book of Mormon. I encourage all to watch the video. It may be just what you are looking for!

Gender Identity

                Individuals, families, communities, and nations can know the importance of identifying gender correctly. Gender is one of the ways individuals identify themselves and each other. A correct identification is essential to people knowing who they really are.

                In 1995 the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published a proclamation on the family. The second verse of the proclamation discusses the gender issue. “All human beings – male and female – are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose” (emphasis added).

                Since gender has been a part of people since their premortal lives, it cannot be simply a mistake in how physical bodies develop. Males were males and females were females long before their physical bodies were conceived. Each came to earth with a specific purpose. One day every person will stand before God to report on their earthly experience and how they handled their physical bodies. No one can mess with God’s plan and succeed!

                Walt Heyer is an author and public speaker. He writes to raise public awareness about people’s experiences with gender change. The Daily Signal published one of his articles “I Wish I Had Been Told About These Risks Before I Had Gender Surgery.”

              “Many Americans are unaware of the serious problems that face transgender persons…. While it may not be politically correct to link psychological disorders with the transgender population, the researchers see the evidence that a link exists. As a former transgender person [emphasis added], I wish the guy who approved me for gender surgery would have told me about the risks.

          “The experience of many gender-confused individuals is that medical professionals are quick to reach a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and recommend immediate cross-gender hormone therapy and irreversible reassignment surgery without investigating and treating the coexisting issues. Research has found that powerful psychological issues, such as anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or alcohol or drug dependence often accompany gender dysphoria.”

            Heyer reviews findings from a study published in JAMA Pediatrics in March 2016 that “shows a high prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses in a sample of 298 young transgender women aged 16 through 29 years old.”

                The study found that more than “40 percent had coexisting mental health or substance dependence diagnoses” and “one in five had two or more psychiatric diagnoses” with the most common disorders being “major depressive episodes and non-alcohol psychoactive substance use dependence.”

                In spite of these findings, there are no required tests to determine gender dysphoria. “This condition can’t be verified through lab results, a brain scan, or review of the DNA makeup.” Research studies (2013, 2009) looked for a “transgender gene” but could find no evidence of one. “No alternations in the main sex-determining genes in male-to-female transsexual individuals were found, suggesting strongly that male-born transgender persons are normal males biologically.”

                The study concluded that transgender people need “improved access to medical and psychological care” because their mental health and substance dependence disorders need to be addressed.

                Thoughts and feelings are never constant, but DNA is constant. The gender of mortals was determined in the premortal life. The DNA of a man or boy will always be male, and the DNA of a woman or girl will always be female. This is according to God’s plan and cannot be changed by mere mortals. There is little wonder that there is confusion and depression involved when a man thinks he is a woman or a woman thinks she is a man.

Demands for Religious Freedom

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that we must demand our freedom of religion. This freedom is supposed to be protected by the U.S. Constitution, but it is under attack from all sides.

                Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday, June 8, 2016.

                “We want the blessings of religious freedom to be claimed by all the inhabitants of this planet, and we are far short of that at present…. We are at a time when religious freedom is under pressure. There is pressure to define religious freedom as something that takes place in church or a synagogue and is not entitled to a place in the public square.

                “We demand as a matter of constitutional right a place in the public square and want to use our religious freedom to accomplish [good].”

                Elder Jeffery R. Holland spoke to the same group a year ago. I wonder if any of the apostles have spoken directly to the Senators and Representatives in the Congress of the United States. I wonder if it would do any good if they did!