Why Is Redistribution of Federal Student Loan Debt Wrong?

            President Joe Biden announced on August 24, 2022, that he was forgiving $10,000 to $20,000 of student loan debt per student, or $20,000 to $40,000 per couple. This announcement has both Democrats and Republicans upset. Most of them claim that it is unfair to redistribute debt from people who took out loans to others who did not take out the loans.

            David Ditch is a policy analyst specializing in budget and transportation policy in the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation. He claims that there is “a long list of reasons” why Biden’s scheme “is a terrible and corrupt idea.” He gave five reasons for the scheme being a bad idea. 

·         It’s flagrantly illegal and usurps powers reserved for Congress, which even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged a year ago.

·         It’s unfair, especially to people who paid back their loans or carefully avoided such debts.

·         It’s bad for the economy and the nation’s finances, especially at a time of high inflation and a labor shortage.

·         It’s a blatant, desperate ploy to boost turnout prior to the November midterm elections.

·         It’s a corrupt financial windfall for those who work around the levers of power in Washington, D.C., since top political staffers tend to have high-priced credentials.

Ditch reminded his readers that Biden was considered to be a “moderate” during the    2020 presidential primaries. However, he moved left to counter Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and to curry “favor with the hard left.” As part of his moving left, he promised to cancel student loan debt. It is now obvious that Biden was not “moderate” because he does not preside at the center.

            According to Ditch, Biden was the “driving force behind the thoroughly flawed $1.9 trillion stimulus package in March 2021.” This package sowed “the seeds of today’s inflation.” He added fuel to the inflation by “proposing a second multitrillion-dollar tax-and-spend boondoggle. His boondoggle did not pass as one bill, but “Congress ended up passing much of that boondoggle over the course of multiple bills.” Ditch concluded, “Yet even a multitrillion-dollar spending spree wasn’t enough to satisfy the administration’s appetite, leading to the announcement of the student loan bailout.”

            Biden’s reason for student debt scheme is more absurd than anything else he has said. He claims that it is “OK to add hundreds of billions of dollars to the federal debt with loan write-offs because this year’s deficit isn’t as high as last year’s.”

            Sane people would understand that the nation’s finances “were already in bad shape before the COVID-19 pandemic.” A wise president and Congress would be trying to strengthen America’s financial situation by spending less rather than this spending spree of the past twenty months. We have this POTUS for two more years, but we can reign in the spending by electing conservatives to Congress.

Republicans promise to conduct oversight investigations and hearings if voters give them control of the House of Representatives. Since the House controls the nation’s purse strings, representatives could block power grabs by the Biden administration. America will continue to slide down the slippery slope to destruction if Democrats remain in control of the Senate and the House. The only way that we can slow the slide is to take control of the House in 2022.

If we desire to reverse the slide, we must take control of the Senate and the House in 2022 and the White House in 2024. If Republicans fail to take over the government, our nation will be destroyed. If you do not believe me, look at the destruction that has taken place over the past twenty months.

Is There a Crisis at the Southern U.S. Border?

            The Biden administration has proclaimed for months that there is no crisis at the southern U.S. border. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently claimed that the southern border “is secure” when he spoke at the Aspen Security Forum. He was asked about the southern border and the more than 200,000 migrant encounters per month for the past four months. Even though Border Patrol agents are dealing with the greatest number of migrants in history, Mayorkas considered the situation to be a “historic challenge” – but not a crisis.

            Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz recently admitted under oath that there is a crisis at the border. According to Chris Enloe at The Blaze, the State of Florida acted to stop illegal immigration last year when attorneys for the state filed lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies. 

In March 2021, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued the Biden administration over its immigration policies. A second lawsuit was filed in September 2021, this time over the administration’s catch-and-release policy. And last December, Florida sued the Biden administration for not complying with FOIA requests.

            Ortiz was questioned under oath for a deposition related to the lawsuits on July 28. He testified that there are “no consequences” administered to migrants entering the United States illegally since Joe Biden became President of the United States. The lack of “consequences” encourages migrants to come across the border illegally.

Attorney: “Why is it important to detain and remove demographics that are amendable to the Border Patrol?”

Ruiz: “You want to make sure you have consequences.”

Attorney: “OK. And if you don’t have consequences, what is likely to happen?”

Ruiz: “In my experience, we have seen increases when there are no consequences.”

Attorney: “OK. So, if migrant populations believe that they’re going – there are not going to be consequences, more of them will come to the border. Is that what you’re saying?”

Ruiz: “There is an assumption that if migrant populations are told that there is a potential that they may be released, that yes, you can see increases.”

Attorney: “So, it will increase at an exponential rate. Is that what is being suggested here?”

Ruiz: “Well, I do think it will increase, yeah.”

            According to Enloe, Ruiz admitted other highlights during the deposition. He agreed that there is a “crisis” at the southern U.S. border and that “unprecedented numbers of aliens are illegally entering the United States right now.” He also admitted that the numbers of migrants coming to the southern U.S. border have increased under Biden. He also stated that America is “less safe” because of the border crisis.

Ruiz is the first member of the Biden administration to admit that there is a crisis at the border. Will the dam of denial break with more administrators admitting a crisis, or will Ruiz lose his job?

Who Is Brittany Aldean?

             My VIP for this week is Brittany Aldean, wife of country music Jason Aldean. According to Tracy Wright, Brittany has two million followers on her Instagram account, and she recently posted a video of her transforming from relatively little makeup to full makeup. In the background, viewers could hear “Upgrade U” by Beyoncé and Jay-Z. She put the following caption on the post: “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life.” 

In other words, Brittany was happy being a woman even though she had at once time enjoyed doing boy things. According to Wright, there were “many” people who chose to criticize Brittany’s video. Among them were country music singers Cassadee Pope and Maren Morris. Pope tweeted that celebrities could “see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging,” and Morris added, “it’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human?"

Brittany responded to Pope’s message on Instagram: “Advocating for the genital mutilation of children under the disguise of love and calling it ‘gender affirming care,’ is one of the worst evils. I will always support my children and do what I can do protect their innocence.” She added, “The other day Memphis wanted to be a dinosaur and tomorrow Navy will want to be a cat. They’re children,” she said of her two kids with Jason.

Brittany continued, “Some parents want to be accepted by society so badly that they’re willing to make life-altering decisions for their children who aren’t old enough to fully comprehend the consequences of those actions. Love is protecting your child until they are mature enough as an adult to make their own life decisions.” She ended her response with, “Until then, leave children alone.”

The 137,000 “likes” on Brittaney’s post show that there are many people who agree that children should be allowed to be children for as long as they are children. Parents should love and teach their children how to become loving, accepting, and productive adults, but they should not expect their children to make decisions that should not be made until at least adulthood.

Can Americans Trust the FBI and the Department of Justice?

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the topic of the FBI interference in the 2020 presidential election. There have been many “conspiracy theories” proffered about the election, and those who offered them were deniers. Now, President Joe Biden claims that all supporters of former President Donald Trump are “semi-fascists.” This name comes in addition to the usual insults of “racists” and “sexists.”

            Claims of the FBI interfering with the 2020 presidential election have gained support with a statement made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. From Zuckerberg’s statement, the FBI continued to use the false Russia collusion hoax as an excuse to pressure Facebook to censure material. Will Thibeau described the situation as follows. 

In an appearance Thursday on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook suppressed news of the [Hunter Biden] laptop and its contents in the weeks preceding the 2020 presidential election, after FBI agents requested to meet with Zuckerberg’s staff to deliver dire warnings of a supposed dump of Russian election “misinformation.” Although Zuckerberg said he couldn’t recall whether the FBI agents specifically mentioned the Hunter Biden laptop story in their warning, he said the store “fit the pattern” that concerned the FBI, so he sprang into action and suppressed the story.

Zuckerberg was oddly proud of distinguishing the mere throttling of the laptop story by Facebook (now Meta) from the outright ban of the story by Twitter.

When pressed by Rogan, Zuckerberg wouldn’t admit to the scale of his company’s censorship of the laptop story, other than to say: “Fewer people saw it than otherwise.” Given Facebook’s gargantuan influence, “fewer than otherwise” likely is many millions – and possibly enough to have flipped the election to Donald Trump rather than Joe Biden had the story been allowed to gain steam.

            Thibeau reminded his readers that the FBI already had possession of the Hunter Biden laptop in 2019, and the Facebook censorship action took place in October 2020. The Facebook spokesman, Andy Stone, claimed that the suppression of the Hunter Biden story was “part of our standard process to reduce misinformation.” Thibeau put it plainly: with Stone was lying at the time, or involvement by Facebook was “standard process” all along.

            Zuckerberg’s statement warrants questions about FBI pressure on the 51 left-wing former intelligence officials who signed and published a letter calling the story of the Hunter Biden laptop as being “classic Russian disinformation.”

            Katrina Trinko also wrote about the Zuckerberg interview with Rogan, stating that Facebook suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story after a warning from the FBI. This is how Trinko described the interview: 

Asked by podcast host Joe Rogan about Facebook’s approach to the Hunter Biden report, published in October 2020, Zuckerberg said, “The background here is the FBI, I think, basically came to us … and was like, Hey, just so you know, like you should be on high alert. … We thought that there was a lot of Russian propaganda in the 2016 election. We have it on notice that basically there’s about to be some kind of dump … that’s similar to that.”

The Meta CEO contrasted Facebook’s approach with Twitter, which completely banned sharing the Post article.

“The distribution on Facebook was decreased, but people were still allowed to share it,” Zuckerberg said on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, noting that the social media giant was waiting on fact checkers to give a verdict on the report. “So you could still share it. You could still consume it.”

Asked by Rogan how significantly the distribution was affected, Zuckerberg did not give an exact figure, but said the impact was “meaningful.”

In the years since the Post’s Hunter Biden articles, other news outlets, including the New York Times and Washington Post, have reported that emails from the laptop appear authentic. “So the FBI preemptively warned Facebook off Hunter Biden laptop reporting,” tweeted Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., adding: “This same agency effectively laundered Russian [disinformation] in the 2016 election in the form of Steele dossier. And later lied to a court to get wiretaps.”

            The same FBI that pressured Facebook to censor the Hunter Biden laptop report was the same FBI that lied to the FISA Court and investigated Donald Trump for more than two years for a false dossier paid for by Hillary Clinton. The same FBI raided the Mar-a-Lago estate of Trump on August 8, 2022, and trampled on his Fourth Amendment rights.

            Is there any question about why Americans do not trust the FBI and the Department of Justice? If the government institutions want Americans to trust them, they must prove that they are trustworthy. Actions such as those listed above do not foster trust.

How Do the Psalms Point Us to Jesus Christ?

            My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to Psalms 100-150. The lesson manual provided the following introduction to this material. 

The traditional Jewish name for the book of Psalms is a Hebrew word that means “praises.” That word, Tehillim, is also related to the exclamation “hallelujah” (meaning “praise Jehovah” or “praise the Lord”). If you had to choose one word to sum up the main message of the Psalms, “praise” would be a good choice. Some of the Psalms contain the direct invitation to “praise ye the Lord” (see especially Psalms 146-50), and all of them can inspire a feeling of worship and praise. The Psalms invite us to reflect on the Lord’s power, on His mercy, and on the great things He has done. We can never repay Him for any of this, but we can praise Him for it. That praise may take different forms for different people – it may involve singing, praying, or bearing testimony. It often leads to a deeper commitment to the Lord and to following His teachings. Whatever “praise ye the Lord” means in your life, you can find more inspiration to do it as you read and ponder the Psalms.

            There are numerous principles taught in the fifty Psalms of this lesson. However, this post will focus on one principle: “The Psalms can point me to the Savior” as found in Psalms 110 and 118. Here are some teachings found in these two chapters.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and sits on the right hand of Heavenly Father.

Psalms 110:1: “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

Matthew 22:43-44: “He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?”

Jesus Christ is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Psalms 110:4: “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 5:4-10: “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

“So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee.

“As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

“Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.”

Hebrews 6:20: “Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

Jesus Christ is the chief corner stone.

Psalms 118:20: “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”

Matthew 21:42: “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?”

Acts 4:10-11: “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”

1 Peter 2:7: “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.”

Jesus Christ came in the name of the Lord.

Psalm 118:25-26: “Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

“Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.”

Matthew 21:9: “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

            Psalms point us to Jesus Christ because they foretold truths about Him. The writer of Psalms was writing about events in the future, and the writers in the New Testament testify of the truthfulness of those events. I have given a few of the comparisons between Psalms and the New Testament. As you study Psalms, look for other passages that teach you about the Savior.       

How Can Parents Help Their Children to Become Self-Reliant?

            Families, communities, and nations are stronger when children are taught to be more self-reliant. For parents to teach self-reliance to their children, they must first learn it for themselves. According to Kristena Eden, parents are responsible to give their children “a strong foundation for life.” She reminded her readers that a child’s early learning and experiences will determine how they deal with obstacles later in life. She also stated that parents should help their children build a foundation based on strong principles and suggested “three basic principles” for helping “children to love, learn, and progress in their path toward self-reliance.” 

            Eden’s first principle is for parents to set a good example “because every action and word we use either influences our children for good or bad.” If we want our children to learn self-reliance, we must show them “what self-reliant learning looks like.” She asked an important question: “Do your children know that you are studying the scriptures on your own? Do you ask questions and seek answers?” Eden gave four questions and principles for parents to teach to their children to consider before they decide on something.

1. How am I feeling? Have them ask themselves this question before reacting to a situation.

2. Why am I feeling that way? Teach them that they don’t have to share why, but it is good for them to recognize what is causing their feelings.

3. Know that others see us differently. When confronted with a situation or question, it is good for children to know that they can learn by trying to see their actions from another’s point of view.

4. Know that God knows more about ourselves than anyone. This means they can ask Him for help with anything they are struggling with.

            Eden’s second principle is listening. “The greatest way to teach children is to listen to them.” When parents listen to their child, they can learn about their child’s worries and struggles. They can also help them learn more self-reliance. Eden provided the following reminders for good communication with anyone, including your own children.

1. Do not prepare a counter argument or advice while others are sharing.

2. Do not interrogate or cause them to be defensive.

3. Do not order or demand.

4. Do not attack or criticize.

5. Do not sidestep a question.

            Eden stated, “We are more effective using positive reinforcement, especially in teaching and setting the example. Our children are more willing to listen to us if we use positive tactics.” She listed the following reminders.

1. When children come to you visibly upset, state what you see. “I see you are upset.”

2. Ask them to share with you why they are upset. This is where you just listen, even if you don’t like what you hear.

3. Repeat in your own words to them what you understand they are saying or feeling.

4. Use empathy phrases such as, “I am sorry all of this happened.”

5. Ask them what you can do to help. Don’t take it over and fix it for them. This is a good time for them to learn to problem solve. If necessary, ask them if they need a few ideas on how to overcome this. It is important to let them ask you for help and tell you exactly what you can do. If they ask you to do it for them, say, “I am sorry I can’t do that. Is there something else I can do to help?” …

6. After they share what they want to help with, you may ask to share your ideas or feelings. If they feel understood, they are more willing to be taught. Again, do this kindly and with none of the previous “don’ts.”

            Eden’s third principle is to “provide opportunities for independence.” She gave the following techniques that are helpful in teaching self-reliance skills to children.

1. Do the principle or action you want to teach them for them while they are watching. For example, show them how to find an answer to their questions using the scriptures.

2. Do the action with them. Both hands on.

3. Observe while they are doing it.

4. Let them do it on their own.

5. Have them teach someone else what they just learned.

            Parents have the responsibility to care for their children and to teach them the principles and skills that they will need to be successful in life. An important principle that is critical for successful living is self-reliance. When parents teach and model self-reliance to their children, their family, community, and nation is stronger.

Who Should Pay for Student Loan Debt?

             The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is President Joe Biden’s executive order about student loan debt. Under Biden’s plan, the federal government will “forgive” $10,000 of student debt for any American earning less than $125,000 ($250,000 per couple). If the former student received Pell grants, they would have $20,000 of student debt “forgiven.”

Responsible Americans worked their way through college and/or paid off their student loans as soon as possible after graduating. My children worked in high school and college. They even donated plasma to pay college expenses. They sacrificed after graduation to pay off their student loans. Their children are working and saving for college to decrease the amount that they will borrow. Biden’s plan is unfair to former students like my children and future students like my grandchildren. College should prepare the students to become self-reliant adults who pay off their own loans and their own bills.

Rachel Greszler at The Daily Signal believes that Biden’s “morally and economically derelict” plan will make our out-of-control inflation worse, and it will also make the labor shortage worse. Greszler explained her thinking as follows. 

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that a $50 billion, one-year extension of the pause in student loan repayment would increase inflation (as measured by the personal consumption expenditures index) by 20 basis points.

The budget group’s estimates for the roughly $500 billion worth of taxpayer spending on loan “forgiveness,” payment pause extensions, and other payment reductions will be significantly more inflationary.

Moreover, in one year these provisions would wipe away almost two times the 10 years’ worth of deficit reduction estimated to come from congressional Democrats’ recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.

Student loan repayments generally require people to work to repay their debts. The extended pause on loan repayments, up to $10,000 or $20,000 in outright loan forgiveness, and a new income-based repayment provision that eliminates payments for those who don’t work would make it even easier to work less or not at all.

And this comes on top of a slew of bad government policies that have caused unprecedented labor shortages.

Nearly two job openings are available today for every unemployed worker, and half of employers report that they have job openings they can’t fill….

If all those missing workers were contributing to the economy instead of sitting on the sidelines, it’s possible that gross domestic output would not have declined in the first half of this year and the U.S. might not be entering a recession.

            In addition to increasing inflation and making the labor shortage worse, Biden’s “forgiveness” of student loans will lead to an increase in the costs of college. This means that future college students will take out even bigger student loans that they cannot repay and will need help to get out from under the loans. The better action for the federal government would be to force universities to control their costs or even lower them.

One way to lower costs is to stop offering all the degrees – such as gender studies and basket weaving – that will never benefit the students. If the degrees will not help the students to pay off their degrees, they are worthless degrees that should be discontinued. Parents should teach their children to be self-reliant and to be wise about how much money they borrow. Biden’s student loan forgiveness does not help irresponsible former students or America.

Who Is Hurt Most by Hatred?

            Most people agree that hatred is a negative characteristic that must be eliminated wherever and whenever possible. However, many people do not know that hatred is a “poison” that can cause destruction in a soul. 

Hate is a mighty strong emotion. This mental venom can pollute your spirit, poison your soul and seep into all of the relationships that surround you. Anyone who has found themselves wrapped up in the arms of hate knows how damaging and mind-consuming it can become. Even the word carries power, particularly if it comes from a friend, a family member or a child. While hate can be directed at almost anything – animals, foods, jobs, movies – the most destructive is hatred toward other people…. Hate, when left unchecked, will drain your spirit, tarnish your soul and darken your days.

Generally speaking, there are two kinds of hate: the kind that’s turned outward (explosion), and the kind that’s turned inward (implosion). Both of these will eat you up inside, so if you find yourself living with hate, perhaps today is a good day for a little wellness housecleaning.

Hate turned outward is both dangerous and ugly. It can motivate violent crime and damaging behaviors…. At the heart of all hatred is blame, and this is particularly true for hatred turned outward. When one feels like they’ve been seriously wronged or victimized by someone, their discontent and anger carries with it the potential seeds of hatred. This quote from Siddhartha Buddha says it all: “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

            There are millions of Americans who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. The Never-Trumpers and other people hate Donald Trump so much that they would rather see America destroyed than to support Trump in making America great again. No one shows hatred for Trump more than does Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming.

            Cheney is co-chair of the special committee investigating the January 6 assault on the Capitol Building. Her work on the committee kept her from meeting the needs of the people of Wyoming, and the Wyoming voters decided to elect another representative.

Cheney does not seem to care because her main goal in life is to keep Donald Trump from being re-elected as President of the United States. With this goal in mind, Cheney confirmed last week that she is considering the idea of being a candidate for president in 2024. Most clear-thinking Americans know that Cheney would never become the Republican candidate for president, and she has said that she will not switch to the Democrat Party. Her only choice would be to become an independent. A poll taken August 18-22 (after Cheney lost her election) shows that Cheney may want to reconsider becoming such a candidate. 

A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll released this week shows that if Cheney runs for president in 2024 as an independent – since she is making no friends in a Republican Party that continues to prop up Trump – she will help Trump win.

In fact, Yahoo News aid Cheney would “single-handedly swing the election to Trump.”

Specifically, the poll discovered that in a hypothetical matchup between Biden and Trump, Biden would win by three points, 42% to 39%; 20% of respondents said they are not sure who they would support.

But when Cheney is thrown into the race as an independent spoiler, Biden’s re-election chances sink completely – and Trump is propelled to victory.

With Cheney in the race, Trump would win by eight points over Biden, 37% to 29%, while Cheney would secure 11% of support. Nearly one-quarter of respondents (23%), however, said they are unsure of who they would support in such a scenario.

The result makes sense because in theory, Cheney would siphon moderate voters who lean Republican from Biden but only support Biden because they refuse to vote for Trump. Thus, supporting Cheney, who is an otherwise stalwart Republican, would be a conscience-acceptable vote for such Americans.

The Yahoo News/YouGov poll results confirm this thesis.

According to Yahoo News, “a full 69% of Cheney’s support among registered voters comes from those who would otherwise support Biden on a two-way ballot. Just 15% comes from Trump supporters.”

            Cheney and other Trump haters may want to reconsider their hatred for the former president, or they may play an active part in electing Trump without ever voting for him.

            I have difficulty understanding why anyone would vote for Joe Biden after experiencing the disastrous American experience of the past twenty months. Who are the people who are so blind that they cannot see that Biden is a senile puppet in the hands of the people who are doing their best to “fundamentally transform” America? I do not understand why anyone would vote for the man again, so I can understand why Cheney would siphon so many voters from him. Go ahead and run for president, Cheney. It will be the best thing that you can do for America! 

What Would the Savior’s Flag Look Like?

            I have been pondering something for the past several weeks that I will share with you tonight. I sing a hymn before I kneel for my morning prayer. Over the past months, I have felt as though American citizens are fighting a war. The contention is between Democrats and Republicans, but the war is between good and evil.

Socialism is evil and leads to communism, which is an even greater evil. The problem is that there are open supporters of socialism in Congress trying to move our nation away from our constitutional government and into a socialist one. This feeling that we are at war has weighed heavily on my heart and spirit, and I have heard numerous other people remark that we are fighting a spiritual war as we strive to save America from those who wish to “fundamentally transform” it into a different type of country.

I have long made it a practice to sing a hymn prior to kneeling for my morning prayer. Lately, I have been drawn to military-sounding hymns. I have chosen to sing hymns such as “Onward, Christian Soldiers” (Hymns, 246), “We Are All Enlisted” (Hymns, 250), and “We Are Marching on to Glory” (Hymns, 225).

            A couple of weeks ago while singing “We Are All Enlisted,” I had a learning experience that I would like to share with you. I sang the first verse that goes as follows:

We are all enlisted till the conflict is o’er;

Happy are we! Happy are we!

Soldiers in the army, there’s a bright crown in store;

We shall win and wear it by and by.

Haste to the battle, quick to the field;

Truth is our helmet, buckler, and shield.

Stand by our colors; proudly they wave!

We’re joyfully, joyfully marching to our home.

            The second and third verses make it clear that the “army” is composed of Christians who are fighting against the world and for the Savior. The soldiers are fighting for the kingdom of God. However, I want to discuss something in the first verse.

            I came to the line “Stand by our colors; proudly they wave!” I tried to imagine the colors that Christians would wave, and my first thought went to the Stars and Stripes, the flag of the United States of America. I immediately thought that the “colors” would be red, white, and blue but realized that a Christian flag would not be the Stars and Stripes.

            I began pondering the idea of a Christian flag. I love the American flag, and I know that America is the promised land that was held in reserve for people who will serve Jesus Christ. However, I do not believe that the Savior’s army would be carrying the American flag. So, what kind of a flag would Christians carry?

            I thought that red, white, and blue could be the colors on the Savior’s flag because red stands for love, white stands for purity, and blue stands for loyalty. However, I distinctly understood that the flag would look different than the American flag. I began to consider the design that would go on the Savior’s flag. Many people may expect that a Christian flag would have a cross on it, but I do not believe that there would be a cross on the Savior’s flag.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of this Church believe in Jesus Christ and are Christians. However, this Church does not use a cross on its buildings, web sites, literature, or anything else. We believe in a risen Christ, a Christ who lives and leads His Church, and we believe that the cross is reminder of the Savior’s death. Therefore, I did not consider a cross.

I considered having a picture of Christ on the flag and debated the colors for His robe and other clothing. I thought about the colors for several days and could not decide on a color scheme. The matter sat at the back of my mind for several days. Suddenly one morning, I knew exactly what should be on the Savior’s flag.

Heavenly Father, through the Holy Ghost, reminded me that the emblem for the Savior’s Church was revealed to His Prophet, even President Russell M. Nelson, several years ago. When this thought entered my mind, I immediately understood why the emblem would be perfect for the Savior’s flag. I am still contemplating the colors for the Savior’s flag, but I know without doubt what the main design should be.

In his April 2020 General Conference talk, which was given in a special Saturday evening session, President Nelson introduced a new Church symbol, which signals “the central place of Jesus Christ” in His Church. In a Church News report on the meeting, Jason Swensen wrote the following description:

Aptly, the symbol includes the name of the Church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – contained within a cornerstone. As taught since Biblical days, Jesus Christ is the “chief corner stone” of His Church (Ephesians 2:20).

“At the center of the symbol is a representation of Thorvaldsen’s marble statue the Christus,” said President Nelson. “It portrays the resurrected, living Lord reaching out to embrace all who will come unto Him.

“Symbolically, Jesus Christ is standing under an arch. The arch reminds us of the resurrected Savior emerging from the tomb on the third day following His Crucifixion.”

The new symbol, he added, should feel familiar to all identifying the restored gospel with the living, resurrected Christ.

“The symbol will now be used as a visual identifier for official literature, news, and events of the Church. It will remind all that this is the Savior’s Church and that all we do, as members of His Church, centers on Jesus Christ and His gospel.”

            President Nelson did not include a flag in his list of items, but he could have. Swenson included a picture of the symbol in his article, and you can see it here. At this point, I am thinking about a flag made of royal blue with the emblem in white on it – similar to how the symbol is shown and signaling that soldiers in the Savior’s army are loyal to Him. 

Who Is John Solomon?

            My VIP for this week is John Solomon. He is a respected, award-winning investigative journalist who is also an author and digital media entrepreneur. He held reporting and executive roles at The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, and The Hill. Now, he is the Chief Executive Officer and Editor in Chief of Just the News. 

            I learn to trust Solomon before he started Just the News. He investigated news stories before he reported them, so he had truth on his side. Solomon has also broken important news stories. Today he broke an important story about the raid on Donald Trump’s estate at Mar-a-Lago. The Biden White House insisted that they heard about the raid on Trump from the news.

            Solomon investigated the Biden story and found that the story coming out of the White House was false. He broke the following story this afternoon. 

Long before it professed no prior knowledge of the raid on Donald Trump’s estate, the Biden White House worked directly with the Justice Department and National Archives to instigate the criminal probe into alleged mishandling of documents, allowing the FBI to review evidence retrieved from Mar-a-Lago this spring and eliminating the 45^th president’s claims to executive privilege, according to contemporaneous government documents reviewed by Just the News.

The memos show then-White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su was engaged in conversations with the FBI, DOJ and National Archives as early April, shortly after 15 boxes of classified and other materials were voluntarily returned to the federal historical agency from Trump’s Florida home.

By May, Su conveyed to the Archives that President Joe Biden would not object to waiving his predecessor’s claims to executive privilege, a decision that opened the door for DOJ to get a grand jury to issue a subpoena compelling Trump to turn over any remaining materials he possessed from his presidency.

The machinations are summarized in several memos and emails exchanged between the various agencies in spring 2022, months before the FBI took the added unprecedented step of raiding Trump’s Florida compound with a court-issued search warrant.

The most complete summary was contained in a lengthy letter dated May 10 that acting National Archivist Debra Steidel Wall sent Trump’s lawyers summarizing the White House’s involvement.

“On April 11, 2022, the White House Counsel’s Office – affirming a request from the Department of Justice supported by an FBI letterhead memorandum – formally transmitted a request that NARA provide the FBI access to the 15 boxes for its review within seven days, with the possibility that the FBI might request copies of specific documents following its review of the boxes,” Wall wrote Trump defense attorney Evan Corcoran.

That letter revealed Biden empowered the National Archives and Records Administration to waive any claims to executive privilege that Trump might assert to block DOJ from gaining access to the documents.

“The Counsel to the President has informed me that, in light of the particular circumstances presented here, President Biden defers to my determination, in consultation with the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, regarding whether or not I should uphold the former President’s purported ‘protective assertion of executive privilege,’” Wall wrote. “… I have therefore decided not to honor the former President’s ‘protective’ claim of privilege.”

The memos provide the most definitive evidence to date of the current White House’s effort to facilitate a criminal probe of the man Joe Biden beat in the 2020 election and may face again as a challenger in 2024. That involvement included eliminating one of the legal defenses Trump might use to fight the FBI over access to his documents…. [Emphasis added.]

            Solomon’s article contains much more information, and I encourage you to read the entire article. My focus in this post is the fact that his investigation uncovered evidence proving that Biden is behind the raid on Trump’s home. This makes the FBI raid a purely political attack and something that had not happened since the founding of the United States of America. 

            Democrats, the intelligence agencies, the swamp, and the media have sought to destroy Trump since he first announced his candidacy for the office of President of the United States. They hate Trump because he stands in their way of transforming America into a socialist state.

            Americans are in a war to preserve the Constitution and our American way of life. Yet, there are many Americans who still blame Trump for causing the contention. All those Americans who are still driven by hate for Trump, it is time that you get over it and join the effort to save America. Anyone who believes that our Constitution was written under the influence of God should understand that we are fighting a spiritual war – good against evil. This evil is evident in the collusion between the White House, the DOJ, the FBI, and NARA in a last-ditch effort to take down Trump.