Why Is Trump Concerned About the Panama Canal?

The Panama Canal is in the current news cycle due to comments made by President-elect Donald Trump. However, the canal has a long history that “dates back to 1513, when the Spanish conquistador Vasco Nunez de Balboa first crossed ethe Isthmus of Panama.” 

Europeans considered “the possibility to dig a water passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across this narrow land bridge between North and South America.” Several proposals were considered between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.

France was the first nation to attempt to build a canal. Ferdinand de Lesseps built the Suez Canal (1859-1869) and led the first attempt (1880-1889) “to build a sea-level canal.”

… A concession to build the canal was obtained from the Colombian government, at that time the possessor of the Panama Isthmus. The canal was only partly completed, as a result of the severe underestimation of the difficulties in excavating the rugged terrain, heavy personnel losses to tropical diseases, and increasing difficulties in raising finances. The collapse of the French canal company (1889) was followed by a political scandal surrounding alleged corruption in the French government.

Interest in a U.S.-led canal effort developed in the late 1890s, and was considered a priority by President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909). Despite a longstanding preference in Congress and amongst the public for the Nicaragua route, Roosevelt was able to swing Congressional support to buy the French canal concession and equipment. After encountering resistance from the Colombian government to what they considered unfair terms, Roosevelt gave his support to a revolution in Panama and signed a treaty enabling the project with the new Panamanian government.

The Americans’ success hinged on two factors. First was converting the original French sea-level plan to a more realistic lock-controlled canal. The second was controlling the diseases which had decimated workers and management alike under the original French attempt…. [They recognized that mosquitoes played a role in the spread of diseases and focused on controlling them.]

On 7 January 1914, the French crane boat Alexandre La Valley became the first to traverse the entire length of the canal, and on 1 April 1914 the construction was officially completed with the hand-over of the project from the construction company to the Panama Canal Zone government. The outbreak of World War I caused the cancellation of any official “grand opening” celebration, but the canal officially opened to commercial traffic on 15 August 1914 with the transit of the SS Ancon.

During World War II, the canal proved vital to American military strategy, allowing ships to transfer easily between the Atlantic and Pacific. Politically, the canal remained a territory of the United States until 1977, when the Torrijos-Carter Treaties began the process of transferring territorial control of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama, a process which was finally completed on 31 December 1999.

The Panama Canal continues to be a viable commercial venture and a vital link in world shipping, and is periodically upgraded. A Panama Canal expansion project started construction in 2007 and began commercial operation on 26 June 2016. The new locks allow the transit of larger Post-Panamax and New Panamax ships, which have greater cargo capacity than the original locks could accommodate.

Debates about giving the Panama Canal to the Panamanian government took place in the 1970s. Ronald Reagan take on the idea was “We built it. We paid for it. It’s ours.” His actual words were: “We cannot abdicate our responsibility for the operations of the canal and the security of the Western Hemisphere.”

Congress narrowly voted with Jimmy Carter rather than Ronald Reagan. The U.S. Senate narrowly ratified two treaties – signed by then-President Jimmy Carter – with the Central American nation in 1977. However, Reagan won the 1980 election in a landslide because many Americans “were fed up with seemingly endless foreign-policy retreats and failures.”

Carter presided over a failed administration much like that of Joe Biden, so it is understandable that Reagan disagreed with his policies in much the same way that Donald Trump disagrees with the policies of Biden. Trump has already revived the issue of the Panama Canal, and Jarrett Stepman at The Heritage Foundation says that he is right to do it. Trump Is Right About Control of the Panama Canal

“The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America’s Economy and National Security,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Dec. 21. “A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports.”

Trump then wrote that by the terms of a 1977 treaty, the canal was to be operated by Panama alone and not a foreign power, such as China. He then blasted the fees they’ve been charging, which he called “ridiculous.”

Of course, Democrats oppose Trump’s comments on the Panama Canal, and the President of Panama insists that China is not involved in running it. Like President Theodore Roosevelt, President Trump understands the importance of the Panama Canal to the United States. It is important for commercial and security reasons to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The canal is also important to the United States because thousands of Americans died of disease during the construction of the canal. Besides, “Panama exists as a country because of the United States.”

When the U.S. gave up the rights to the canal in the 1970s, it did so for several reasons and with some notable stipulations. Americans didn’t want to be perceived as a colonial power and were wary of, for instance, when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956 and triggered a war with Israel, France, and Great Britain….

On top of that, the treaties signed with Panama obligated the country to run the canal neutrally and without discriminatory pricing. The United States could intervene if that neutrality was ever broken.

While the canal has operated smoothly for the most part since the 1970s, things haven’t always gone smoothly. President George H. W. Bush launched a short and successful invasion of Panama in 1989 to depose Gen. Manuel Noriega, who had seized control of the country, refused to hold a fair election, turned Panama into a narco state, and was getting cozy with the Soviet Union.

More important for the modern state of Panama, a Hong King company purchased the Atlantic and Pacific ports of entry in 1996.

As Paul du Quenoy of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute wrote for the New York Post, the purchase appeared to violate the terms of the 1977 treaties, but they weren’t enforced. That’s likely because at the time Hong Kong was still a part of the British Empire and on friendly terms with the U.S.

That’s since changed.

“In 1997, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese communist rule – and despite its promise to preserve the former colony’s distinct political system for 50 years, Beijing has taken complete control there, du Quenoy wrote. “The Chinese Communist Party can exercise direct and possibly unlimited influence over any of Hong Kong’s companies, anywhere in the world.”

Panama renewed its deal with the Hong Kong company in 2021 and thus, du Quenoy wrote, “preserves de facto Chinese control over one of the world’s most vital conduits of maritime traffic.”

Not only that, but China also has made enormous investments in Panama, and many of its companies operate there. So, the operation of the Panama Canal is threatened in a way that it hasn’t been since the U.S. ceded control more than 40 years ago.

Theodore Roosevelt saw the value of a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. Reagan warned about giving the Panama Canal away. Now Trump is bringing up the issue and making a big deal of it. Through his comments, “Trump clearly intends to move the focus of American foreign policy back toward the country’s interests in the Western Hemisphere.” Is he reviving a new kind of Monroe Doctrine?

Stepman noted that “Trump, and some of his more notable Cabinet picks, have signaled that they intend to focus on containing the rising power of communist China in Asia and the Pacific.” He also observed that China would present “a grave threat to the United States” if it could exert control over the Panama Canal.

When the Panama Canal experiences traffic jams and other slowdowns, it can cause significant damage to global supply chains. It certainly did last September.

Worse, imagine if there was a war that required U.S. and allied ships to cross form the Atlantic to the Pacific or vice versa and suddenly they were impeded from doing so?

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether Panama’s president is angry or if The New York Times is aghast at Trump upsetting the international community. Trump understands that foreign relations is a lot more transactional and a good deal less theoretical than a college classroom discussion.

By putting the issue of the Panama Canal back in the news, he’s simply signaling that the U.S. is returning to the business of looking out for American interests first, and that those will always come before the feelings of foreign leaders or media critics.

Who Is Jimmy Carter?

My VIP for this week is former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday afternoon at age 100. I do not usually choose Democrats or failures – Carter is both – for my VIPs, but Carter is the only former president to reach the age of 100 years.

For many years, Carter held the distinction of being the worst President of the United States, and Barack Obama was next. However, Joe Biden passed both of them as the worst president. Did you happen to notice that all three former presidents – Carter, Obama, and Biden – happen to be Democrats? Could it be Democrat policies that made them such dreadful presidents?

Carter was a bad president because his policies had many negative effects at the time, and some that continue to have negative effects. Let me share some of the reasons why Carter had such a bad reputation as POTUS, while also being an honorable man, faithful husband, loving father and grandfather, and Sunday School teacher.

The following negative effects come by way of Andrea Widburg, who cast her first presidential vote for Carter. She was later grateful that her vote did not help him to win. She claimed that “Much of the turmoil that characterizes the world today started with Carter’s presidency. 

·         Pardoned draft evaders, angering many veterans.

·         Gave away the Panama Canal for $1, a blunder that now threatens American trade and national security.

·         Created the Department of Education, an organization that made education worse, not better.

·         Presided over inflation, stagflation, and the energy crisis. [Cold? Too bad! We have to save on energy. Keep the thermostat low and wear a sweater.]

·         Moralized from the White House.

·         Brought malaise to the entire nation.

·         Presided over an inefficient White House.

·         Was POTUS when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan  [like Ukraine under Biden], which led to the rise of the Taliban.

·         Was POTUS during the rise of the Ayatollahs in Iran – and the American hostage crisis that lasted for 444 days until the day that Reagan was inaugurated – who unleashed Islamic extremism (Muslim Brotherhood, Taliban, Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas to name a few).

Even a broken clock can have the correct time twice a day, and even a bad POTUS can get a few things correct. Carter brokered the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, which are lasting. However, he has been said to be antisemitic.

 

 

What Does the POTUS’ Power to Pardon Include?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the pardoning power of the President of the United States. Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 states: “The President … shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” Constitution Annotated explained this pardon clause as follows: 

The Constitution establishes the President’s authority to grant clemency, encompassing not only pardons of individuals but several other forms of relief from criminal punishment as well. The power, which has historical roots in early English law, has been recognized by the Supreme Court as quite broad. In the 1886 case Ex parte Garland, the Court referred to the President’s authority to pardon as unlimited except in cases of impeachment, extending to every offence known to the law and able to be exercised either before legal proceedings are taken, or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment. Much later, the Court wrote that the broad power conferred in the Constitution gives the President plenary authority to ‘forgive’ [a] convicted person in part or entirely, to reduce a penalty in terms of a specified number of years, or to alter it with certain conditions.

Despite the breadth of the President’s authority under the Pardon Clause, the Constitution’s text provides for at least two limits on the power: first, clemency may only be granted for Offenses against the United States, meaning that state criminal offenses and federal or state civil claims are not covered. Second, the President’s clemency authority cannot be used in Cases of impeachment.

Beyond textual limits, certain external constitutional and legal considerations may act as constraints on the power. For instance, the Court has indicated that the power may be exercised at any time after [an offense’s] commission, reflecting that the President may not preemptively immunize future criminal conduct. In Schick v. Reed, the Court recognized that an exercise of clemency may include any condition which does not other wise offend the Constitution, suggesting that the President may not make clemency subject to a condition that is prohibited by another constitutional provision. Other apparent limitations include not affecting vested rights of third parties, such as where forfeited property is sold, or proceeds paid into the treasury, which an only be secured to the former owner … through an act of [C]ongress. The Court in The Laura also alluded to an exception for fines… imposed by a co-ordinate department of the government for contempt of its authority, though a later case recognized that the President may pardon one who is subject to criminal punishment for contempt of court.

Assuming the recognized limitations are not transgressed, a full pardon granted by the President and accepted by its subject prevents or removes any of the penalties and disabilities consequent upon conviction….

Congress generally cannot substantively constrain the President’s pardon authority through legislation, as the Court has held that the power of the President is not subject to legislative control. Congress can neither limit the effect of his pardon, nor exclude from its exercise any class of offenders….

The topic of pardons is in the news currently because President Joe Biden has pardoned questionable people, including his own son Hunter Biden and thirty-seven people on death’s row. More pardons are expected to be given before noon on January 20, 2025.

According to Hailey Gomez at The Daily Signal, Victor Davis Hanson, historian, commentator, and Hoover Institution senior fellow, believes that President Biden will pardon all members of his family. Is this an admission that all members of the Biden family were involved in the Biden crime family business? Hanson also believes that Biden is pardoning people who will benefit his family or who will bring the largest response from the public. 

“It works like this. He just said, ‘I’m going to pardon people, and I have two criteria for pardoning them. Whatever they can do for the Biden family or the larger friend and associate of the Biden consortium, I’ll do it,’” Hanson said on his podcast.

“‘And whatever makes people angry, because I’m going to be a puny little Samson that’s going to pull down the temple when I go out. Give me as much chaos and nihilism as I can. Make it symbolic and the more egregious the pardon, the better.’”

Does the Book of Mormon Testify of Jesus Christ?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week concerned Christmas. The lesson was titled “He Shall Come into the World to Redeem His People” and was introduced by the following information. 

From Nephi to Moroni, every Book of Mormon prophet was committed to the sacred purpose summarized on the book’s title page: “the convincing of [all people] that Jesus is the Christ.” One prophet saw Him as a premortal spirit, and another saw His mortal ministry in a vision. One stood on a wall to proclaim the signs of His birth and His death, and another knelt before His resurrected body, touching the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. All of them knew this essential truth: “There is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who … cometh to redeem the world” (Helaman 5:9).

So during this Christmas season, as believers around the world celebrate the goodness and love of God in sending His Son, ponder how the Book of Mormon has strengthened your faith in Christ. As you think about His birth, ponder why He came and how His coming has changed your life. Then you can experience the true joy of Christmas—the gift that Jesus Christ gives to you.

There were several principles taught in this lesson with all of them being worthy of this discussion. Two of the principles were (1) Jesus Christ was born to be my Savior and (2) Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world. I feel prompted to discuss a third principle: The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ.

“Another Testament of Jesus Christ” is more than just a subtitle for the Book of Mormon. It is also a statement of the divine purpose of the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The following scriptures are just a few of the scriptures that testify of Jesus Christ.

1 Nephi 6:4

4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

1 Nephi 19:18

18 And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer.

2 Nephi 25:23, 26

23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

2 Nephi 33:4, 10

4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.

10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

3 Nephi 11:8-11

8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.

I love to study the Book of Mormon because it always brings me closer to Christ. There are numerous stories that strengthen my testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. However, my favorite story is found in 3 Nephi 17, and it took place during the personal visit of the resurrected Jesus Christ to some people living in ancient America.

In 3 Nephi 17, we are told that Jesus Christ had instructed the people for several days. He could see that they could not understand all that He had taught them, so He told them to go home, ponder the things that He had taught to them, and prepare their minds to be taught some more on the morrow. He said that He needed to go to the Father, and He also needed to show Himself to the lost tribes of Israel, who are not really lost because Heavenly Father knows where they are.

The people had tears in their eyes, and He understood that they wanted Him to stay longer with them. He had compassion for them and asked them to bring forward all people who were sick, lame, blind, halt, maimed, leprous, withered, deaf, or afflicted in any manner. The people were brought forward and were healed.

Then Jesus Christ commanded that all the little children should be brought forward, and the multitude gave way to make room for the children. Once the children were brought forward, Jesus commanded the multitude to kneel down on the ground. Then He prayed for all the people, and the multitude bore the following record:

16 …The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;

17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father. (3 Nephi 17:16-17)

After praying for the people, “he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (3 Nephi 17:21).

Verse 23 tells us that He said to the multitude: “Behold your little ones.” Then verse 24 tells us that the people cast their eyes towards heaven, and “they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them” (3 Nephi 17:23-24). Then verse 25 tells us:

25 And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children. (3 Nephi 17:25).

Are Students Still Threatened by Gender Ideology in Schools?

Families, communities, and nations are stronger when parents understand what is happening in their schools. According to Tyler O’Neil, there is a “threat of gender ideology in schools.” He posted an article at The Daily Signal discussing the problem of schools indoctrinating kindergarteners into “trans joy” and school clinics that offer transgender “medicine” for minors. 

According to O’Neil, the historic reelection victory of President-elect Donald Trump “represented a loud rebuke to the transgender movement.” However, the “noxious ideology still has a stranglehold in many institutions” and is backed by official state policy in some cases. In fact, a new report from The Heritage Foundation states that there are at least 16 U.S. states that have “curriculum standards that force teachers’ hands on the issue.”

The report, “Gender Ideology as State Education Policy,” highlights the state-level education standards and frameworks of 16 states that encourage gender ideology, which the report defines as “the subordination or displacement of factual, ideologically neutral lessons about biological sex with tell-tale notions such as ‘gender identity,’ ‘sex assigned at birth,’ and ‘cisgender.’”

This ideology rejects biology and tradition, promoting vague notions of identity that often rely on rigid sex stereotypes that feminists have rejected for decades.

Jay Richards, director of Heritage’s DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family, and Daniel Buck, senior visiting fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, analyzed the state-level education frameworks of all 50 states.

Richards and Buck asked whether the frameworks “encourage a distinction between sex or sex organs, and gender, the latter of which is undefined or treated as a social construct?” The analysts also asked whether the policies promote the notion that sex is merely “assigned at birth” and whether they use terms such as “cisgender,” “transgender,” and “nonbinary.”

These tell-tale signs reveal the promotion of gender ideology, which not only contradicts basic biology and tradition but also poses a real danger to impressionable children.

By telling little boys that they may really be girls, schools prime them for experimental medical interventions that leave kids stunted, scared, and infertile. The fact that medical societies endorse these interventions – despite the lack of evidence that they improve children’s lives and in the face of evidence that they carry severe side effects such as the risk of cancer in teens – is a scandal of epic proportions.

Even simply teaching children that “gender identity” may be different from biological sex carries the risk of setting kids on a destructive path. These lessons are rightly controversial, and parents should be able to remove their children from any such indoctrination.

O’Neil’s article lists the states and “the specific state policy requiring each to teach gender ideology. I will list the states, and you can link to O’Neil’s article to see the state policy. However, I will include the policy of a single state because I did not expect this state to even be on the list. The sixteen states are: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Wyoming’s policy is as follows: “Sexuality: the sum of the physical, functional, and psychological attributes that are expressed by one’s gender identity and sexual behavior.”

Wise parents will know the policies on gender ideology in their schools and can strengthen their family, community, and nation by rooting the ideology out of their school.

Can the Roadblocks Thrown Up by Biden Be Eliminated by Trump?

Joe Biden is the worst President of the United States in the last 100 years. Years ago, he easily surpassed Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter. Any honest American who voted for Biden must be questioning their own sanity in that vote. I hope that they take into consideration that they were blinded by hatred for Trump.

Since Biden’s quest for the presidency was cut short and Kamala Harris lost the election, Biden has been “Trump proofing” the federal government. This means that he is doing everything in his power to make Donald Trump’s job as POTUS even more difficult. Selling the unused parts for the border wall for pennies on the dollar is one example, and a second one is hiring dozens of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) employees to be embedded into the federal workforce. According to Sarah Holliday at The Daily Signal, the process to fill DEI-related jobs started less than ten days after Trump’s win. 

Within 10 days of President-elect Donald Trump’s landslide victory, 33 DEI-related jobs were posted by the federal government. Now, with barely a month until Trump takes office, The Daily Wire reported that the feds are “currently in the process of hiring as many as 1,200 employees to work on … [diversity, equity, and inclusion] – employees who would be embedded into the permanent federal workforce headed into the Trump administration.”

The outlet noted that the posted “jobs have annual salaries of up to $310,000 and could add up to total salary payouts of $160 million a year.” One example was the job listed by the Department of Health and Human Services on Nov. 15. The position was a deputy assistant secretary for Minority Health, and it was meant to “promote health equity” with a possible salary of up to $221,900.

A job the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is looking to fill is described as the “Director of the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion.” This position handles “the development, implementation, and ongoing review and renewal of the FDIC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan,” among other duties.

The FDIC is also looking into hiring a director for its Office of Equal Employment who would be tasked to develop “Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), employee development, employee performance, and other personnel plans, processes, [and] programs.”

Notably, should people be hired for these jobs, taxpayers would fund their salaries. These are hires “the Trump administration had no say in selecting, … [who will be advocating] for DEI policies the Trump administration does not support,” DW highlighted. The jobs outlined here are only a fraction of the “equal employment opportunity specialists” the government seems littered with. However, it appears that while the government is boosting its supply of DEI, corporate America is actively ridding it from their shelves.

Any new hires should be the first jobs eliminated by the new DOGE team led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, along with the people who hired them.

What Is the Big Lie That Biden and the Media Told Americans?

Four years ago, when former President Donald Trump left the office of President of the United States, the border of the United States was the most secure in history, and illegal immigration numbers were the lowest in decades. Then Joe Biden was inaugurated as POTUS and decided to conduct an experiment.

Biden’s thesis question was: “What happens if you open the U.S. border to nearly all who seek entry? Simon Hankinson posted an article discussing this thesis question and the experiment at The Daily Signal. 

Hankinson explained the experiment: Biden “released millions of illegal aliens at the border, paroled over a million more using programs Congress never authorized, and allowed at least 2 million more to evade the Border Patrol.” The result was “the fastest illegal influx in U.S. history.”

Biden did not conduct the experiment by himself. He had the assistance of the legacy media that “did its best to hide all this, habitually ‘gaslighting’ their audience – telling many smaller lies in the hopes that eventually people will believe one big lie.” What was that lie?

According to Hankinson, the lie is that “open borders bring unmitigated good.” The media “told many little lies” to get Americans to swallow the big lie. Hankinson discussed the following lies told by the American media.

1. They Pretended Legal and Illegal Immigration Are the Same.

They aren’t. Congress authorized around 850,000 legal immigrants a year, based on family relationships and labor needs. The millions Biden has paroled, released, or given “temporary” protection to under dubious programs are outside what Congress intended. And unless Congress changes it, the law should be upheld.

2. They Said Illegal Aliens Commit Fewer Crimes Than Americans.

The methodology of studies claiming this is suspect, but we know some illegal aliens do commit additional crimes, every one of which is preventable if laws are enforced. One report estimates that “crime by illegal aliens … cost the country some $166.5 billion.” But the cost in victims assaulted or murdered, and a declining sense of public safety, is incalculable.

3. They Told You That All Immigrants Boost the Economy.                                                 Which ones? Those under 30 with doctorates in rocket science do. But those without a high school degree, skills, or English don’t. Almost 60% of families headed by an illegal immigrant are on a federal welfare program. Illegal aliens are less educated than U.S. citizens. Over their lifetimes, most of those let in under Biden’s border boom will be a fiscal burden to the country, not a benefit.

4. They Told You Illegal Immigrants Cost Nothing.                                                       According to one congressional estimate, illegal immigrants cost over $150 billion a year. To take but one example, the Biden administration wrote a rule forcing Americans to pay for health insurance for people here illegally. “Congress never intended that illegal aliens should receive Obamacare benefits,” said Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, after a federal court overturned Biden’s rule this week.

5. They Told You It Was Inevitable.                                                                                      While the Biden administration undid every effective policy of previous eras, it asked you to believe that mass illegal migration wasn’t its fault. But it was not earthquakes, wars, or feckless governments that attracted the world’s economic migrants to our borders. This week, even The New York Times admitted: “The Biden administration’s policy appears to have been the biggest factor.”

Americas with wide-open eyes and common sense have been saying the same thing for many years. However, the legacy media is just admitting it now that Trump is preparing to return to the Oval Office. Overwhelmingly, Americans voted for Trump to fix the terrible mistake made by Biden. According to Hankinson, “The recipe is clear, and with Tom Homan as border czar, the cook is in the kitchen.”

1. Reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols.                                                                      Also known as “Remain in Mexico,” this policy discourages fraudulent asylum claims by keeping applicants outside the U.S. until their claims are decided. We also need to conclude Asylum Cooperative Agreements with every possible country, to deal with refugee claimants closest to their homes.

2. Turn Off the Cash Spigot.                                                                                                   Mass movement of people from the Third World to the First is facilitated by the U.N. and globalist elites – elected and unelected. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent to bring inadmissible aliens to and into the U.S. We can reverse the polarity of this flow by defunding nongovernmental organizations that facilitate the process and by funding law enforcement.

3. Seal the Border.                                                                                                            Authorize Border Patrol to remove or detain illegal entrants, not process and release them. Reactivate lights, sensors, and other measures Biden’s Department of Homeland Security sidelined. Close gaps in the border wall. Barriers don’t stop everyone, but they channel illegal crossing to ports of entry. And, given that both sides of the wall are generally in the United States, we can prosecute anyone cutting or climbing it.

4. Enforce Laws in the US Interior.                                                                                          The Biden administration hamstrung Immigration and Customs Enforcement with prohibitions, arbitrary limits, and paperwork. Biden’s dereliction of duty has created a huge backlog in enforcement, including deportations, that needs a major effort to reduce.

5. Get States on Board.                                                                                                           States and cities need to hand over illegal aliens in their custody to federal authorities when asked. They need to stop giving out jobs, driver’s licenses, in-state tuition, welfare, and other benefits to people here illegally.

The Biden administration broke the secure border. Even with all the lies of the administration and their friends in the legacy media, Americans saw the results and voted Democrats out of power. Americans want the rule of law to be restored. They want the value of American citizenship to be given only to Americans, and they want a government that puts Americans first and welcomes only legal immigrants.

What Is the Source of the Christmas Spirit?

In searching for material that would be appropriate for Christmas, I found President Dallin H. Oak’s remarks given at the First Presidency Devotional held on December 8, 2024. His message is particularly appropriate and fitting for this Christmas message. 

Christmas reminds us to think of one another…. The spirit of Christmas brings out the best in us.

The warmth and light of Christmas is the Light of Christ. As we read in modern scriptures, the Savior is “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” All who celebrate the birth of Christ—all who have what we call the “Spirit of Christmas”—have a portion of that light.

Over a billion people will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. The whole world should do so. Even in worldly terms, Jesus of Nazareth is the most important person who ever lived. He is the principal subject of prophets and poets for over 6,000 years. He is the subject of the world’s greatest music and art. He is the greatest teacher who ever lived. Most important, He is the Only Begotten Son of God the Eternal Father. He is the God to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is our Creator and Redeemer, the Savior and God of this world.

“Peace, goodwill toward men” is the message of Christmas. It is the dominant theme of the poets and musicians who have given us the glorious music of Christmas….

From the time of our childhood, each of us has known that Christmas is a time of gift-giving among families and friends. It is a time of special kindness to those we love. But the spirit of Christmas giving should extend beyond our circle of family and friends….

So, Christmas is a time to extend ourselves beyond our normal ties of love and friendship. “Peace, goodwill toward men” is not just a message for those for whom we already have feelings of love and affection, such as fellow citizens of our Church or nation, residents of our hometown or neighborhood, or people of common culture. The heavenly hosts proclaimed goodwill to all men—to casual friends, to strangers, even to enemies. Christmas is a time to remember that we are all children of a Father in Heaven, who gave His Only Begotten Son that all would be redeemed from death. Our Father in Heaven has also offered the blessings of salvation and exaltation to all mankind on the same conditions: faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ; repentance; baptism; and compliance with the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

The Spirit of Christmas encourages us to use this season to step across barriers and promote understanding and love with people of all races, creeds, and national origins….

We should teach our children to be kind and considerate of everyone….

The spirit with which we should receive the message of “peace, goodwill toward men” is the spirit of giving ourselves in service to others. Just as Christmas celebrates the birth of Him who gave His life for all of us, so each of us should use Christmas as a time for improving the ways we give to our fellow men.

As we do so—as the giving spirit of Christmas permeates our thoughts and our actions—we will each be making our own contribution to the eternal goal of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” …

You can watch the entire First Presidency Devotional here. 

Who Is Jesus Christ?

My VIP for this week is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The following information comes from a special 2024 Christmas study plan. 

President Russell M. Nelson said, “[Jesus Christ’s birth was] foreseen by prophets since the days of Adam [and Eve].”

·         Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Jesus Christ during a time of great trouble and uncertainty for the people of Judah (see Isaiah 9:6-7).

·         Nephi, one of the first prophets in the Book of Mormon, was shown the Savior’s birth by an angel 600 years before the birth of Christ (see 1 Nephi 11:13-23).

·         King Benjamin was another Book of Mormon prophet who learned from an angel about the Savior’s coming (see Mosiah 3:5-10).

·         Samuel the Lamanite, who lived just before Christ’s birth, told of great signs in the heavens that would appear on the day the Son of God was born (see Helaman 14:1-13).

An angel appeared to Mary to tell her that she had found favor in the sight of God and that she would be the mother of the Son of God. Mary was humble and had great faith in accepting her role in God’s plan of salvation as the mother of the Son of God. Mary replied to the angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word”  (Luke 1:38).

The same angel appeared to Joseph to tell him that Mary’s baby was the Son of God and that he should go ahead with plans to marry her. Joseph was a man of integrity and humility, who was divinely appointed to protect and support Mary and to help her rear the Savior of the world.

More angels announced the birth of the Son of God to shepherds caring for their sheep.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The angelic announcement to the shepherds was a divine declaration that the Savior’s birth is a cause to celebrate! It replaces fear with joy, glory, peace, and goodwill. The angel said this good news “shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10), so the shepherds “made [it] known abroad” (verse 17).

Elder Neil L. Andersen observed: “What comfort and reassurance Joseph and Mary must have felt as they realized there was purpose in the difficulty that surrounded them. The angels had declared His coming and His noble mission.” As humble shepherds worshipped at the manger, they were adding their witness to Mary’s and Joseph’s that this baby was God’s Son and a divine plan was at work.

The Lord provided a night without darkness in the Americas. President Russell M. Nelson taught the following:

“The scriptural story of Jesus Christ” … “is indeed a two-hemisphere story. While Mary and Joseph in the East were making preparations for the holy child’s birth in Bethlehem, Nephi in the West was being taught by the premortal Messiah. To Nephi the Lord said, ‘Be of good cheer; … on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets’ [3 Nephi 1:13].”

Jesus Christ was born and presented in the temple. “She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger” Luke 2:7). Jesus Christ was born to be the Savior of the world. Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem. Away from the crowded inn, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable. Angels appeared to shepherds, who then went to see the baby Jesus. After the shepherds left to spread the good news, “Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

Simeon had been waiting for the Messiah, and he finally received a personal prompting that the day had come. Following that prompting to the temple, Simeon was blessed with a one-on-one encounter with the Messiah he had been seeking.

Anna, an elderly widow, spent much of her time in the temple. One day, Anna had a unique and personal experience with the Savior.

The wise men worshipped Jesus and gave Him gifts. “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). We do not know much about the wise men mentioned in Matthew 2, but we know they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. They were willing to travel far to worship Him. And their gifts have inspired a long tradition of giving at Christmastime. “We cannot doubt,” President Dallin H. Oaks said, “that they were led by the Lord for His sacred purpose…. These wise men were of another land and culture, so a witness to them was a reminder that the Messiah was born for all people.”

Their simple story reminds us to reflect on our hope in Christ’s coming, our diligence in worshipping Him, and the gifts we can give to Him.