Who Is Spencer Pratt?

My VIP for this week is Spencer Pratt, Republican campaigning for mayor of Los Angeles. As Brooke Brandtjen, “It is rare that mayoral campaigns receive national attention, but Spencer Pratt’s bid for mayor of Los Angeles is an exception.” 

Since his initial campaign announcement in January, Pratt has been gaining momentum and is now polling in second place behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (D). His campaign has primarily focused on restoring the city to its former glory, particularly in the wake of the damage from the horrific Palisades fires of 2025.

If politicians want to connect with voters, especially the next generation of voters, they will have to become good communicators online.

Two weeks ago, he uploaded his now-viral campaign ad featuring the hit song “Not Like Us,” showing the untouched properties of Mayor Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman. The video then showcases the charred ruins where Pratt’s home previously stood, along with the trailer he now resides in.

Whatever the fate of Pratt’s campaign, he has hit on a messaging strategy that right-wing candidates would do well to emulate going forward if they want to be successful in the digital age.

Conservatives have had trouble breaking out of their image as out-of-touch intellectuals. Pratt’s message has more emotional impact. And his language is assertive. In the past, Republican leaders like George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, and Mike Pence had a cultural reputation for being passive. Pratt’s add makes him look like something out of the “John Wick” action series.

Who Is Marco Rubio?

My VIP for this week is Marco Rubio, the current Secretary of State. The Trump administration and, more specifically, the Department of State, has intensified and enhanced the vetting of foreign nationals who come to the United States. Because of their efforts, a record number of visas have been revoked, according to Candace Hathaway at Blaze Media.

The Department of State announced that in 2025, it revoked over 100,000 foreign visas, including 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialized worker visas. That figure is more than double the number of visas that were revoked in 2024 – 40,000 – under former President Joe Biden’s leadership.

Foreign nationals whose visas were canceled included those who had encounters with U.S. law enforcement for criminal activity, the State Department reported….

The majority of those revoked by the State Department were for business and tourist travelers who overstayed their visas, Fox News Digital reported.

Some students and specialized workers who had their visas revoked also reportedly lost their legal status.

Half of the specialized workers whose visas were revoked had previously been arrested for drunk driving; 30% for assault, battery, or confinement charges; and 20% for theft, child abuse, substance abuse and distribution, and fraud  and embezzlement charges.

A department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that nearly 500 students lost their visas for charges related to drug possession and distribution.

The State Department announced in August plans to review all of the more than 55 million current visa holders to uncover potential ineligibility, such as overstays, criminal activity, public safety threats, and ties to terrorism.

“The Trump administration will continue to put America first and protect our nation from foreign nationals who pose a risk to public safety or national security,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Piggott told Fox News Digital.

During a press conference last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the administration’s increased efforts to revoke and deport foreign nationals.

“Who you allow to visit your country should reflect the national interest. We said that from the very beginning,” Rubio told reporters.

“There are [sometimes] we’ll deny people visas because of activities they’ve undertaken overseas,” he continued. “Other times it’s people that have visas but are in the United States doing things that run counter to our national interests. And the law gives us the right – and, in fact, I would argue, the obligation – to remove people like that from our country.”

  

Who Is Steve Lipscomb?

My VIP for this week is Steve Lipscomb – son, father, husband, Marine, man of faith, coal miner, and hero. Early in November, disaster struck when “Lipscomb and his crew encountered an unknown pocket of water when a ‘sudden and substantial’ flood sent millions of gallons into the Rolling Thunder Mine” [Kanawha County, West Virginia]. Lipscomb became a hero when he made sure that every member of his crew evacuated safely even though rising water in the shaft made it impossible for him – the last man -- to get out. 

After five days of round-the-clock, hazardous search efforts, a two-man crew found Lipscomb’s body in the mine at 7:37 a.m. Nov. 13.

Gov. Patric Morrisey (R-W.V.) announced his death outside the Rolling Thunder Mine. “This is really a very sad day in West Virginia,” Morrisey said. Lipscomb was the fifth coal miner to die this year in West Virginia….

Lipscomb’s tragic death marked the 29^th fatality in the mining industry this year, according to Coal Zoom, a mining trade organization with the Mine Safety and Health Administration, which details mining fatalities, nearly half of which are due to equipment failures. By state, West Virginia has the most mining fatalities this year at five.

Morrisey issued all flags flown at half-staff, not just for Lipscomb but for all five of the West Virginia coal miners who lost their lives on the job in 2025: Steven Fields, Billy Stalker, Eric Bartram, Joey Mitchell and Lipscomb.

Mitchell died last week in the Mettiki Mine in Grant County, marking the second mining fatality in November….

The history of coal in West Virginia dates back to the 1800s. Government and family records indicate that settlers of what was then Virginia (West Virginia seceded during the Civil War and became its own state) resided in a region rich in abundant reserves of bituminous coal. In fact, of the state’s 55 counties, only two do not have coal seams. It wasn’t until the railroads arrived that coal, previously used only for heat and fuel, became the backbone of a booming commercial industry in the 1880s….

 

Why Should We Honor Christopher Columbus?

My VIP for this week is Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who made his voyage from Spain to the Caribbean because today (Monday) is a national holiday officially known as Columbus Day.

Melissa King stated that Columbus “opened the seaway to greater discovery and prosperity for the world.” In her opinion piece titled “Perspective: To understand Columbus, try reading even more about him,” King stated: “Portrayals of Columbus as a villain often rely on select moments taken out of context, while dismissing a great deal of other evidence, including his own stated intentions.” She shared the following ideas. 

Unfortunately, Columbus Day has become an occasion for denigrating him rather than acknowledging his extraordinary contributions. In recent years, crowds have defaced Columbus statues by spray-painting graffiti, beheading and toppling and burning them. The voices behind these acts are not subtle about their distaste and derision for him. For example, 2015, one Vox writer described him as a “murderer, tyrant, and a scoundrel.”

My own family experienced their antagonism, albeit indirectly. Once when I finished reading a storybook about Columbus to my children, my second-grader said, “Mom, Columbus is not a very good guy.” When I asked where that idea came from, I received a proud and cheerful response: “I learned it in kindergarten!”

This startled me. How have so many Americans come to see Columbus as a villain? And why is that viewpoint being taught in our schools?

King states that there is an antidote to the idea being taught in schools that Columbus is a villain.

She things that the antidote is “seeking to understand his actions, his motivations and who he really was.”

Bravery and faith

Bartolome de las Casas, a contemporary of Columbus who championed the cause of the native peoples of the Caribbean, wrote, “I think Christopher Columbus was the most outstanding sailor in the world, versed like no other in the art of navigation, for which divine Providence chose him to accomplish the most outstanding feat ever accomplished in the world until now.”

Columbus was a 15^th-century entrepreneur, not unlike Steve Jobs or Elon Musk in our day, and he changed the world as everyone then understood it. He was a diligent student of the maritime disciplines required to be a successful sea captain.

Columbus was also a devout man of faith and a fervent student of the Bible. He was patient and persistent, undaunted and courageous in the face of peril and uncertainty at sea. He embodied the American spirit: forward-looking optimism, willingness to confront a challenge with courage, and a desire to maximize his potential and better the world he lived in.

Columbus and slavery in the New World

Modern-day critics of Columbus claim that he brought nothing to the New World but enslavement and pestilence. Would it surprise you to learn that Columbus liked the natives he encountered, considered them intelligent and ordered his crew to treat them with respect?

In his book “America’s Destiny,” the late Tad Callister quotes Dr. Carol Delaney, a Stanford emeritus professor and leading Columbus scholar. Asked in an interview if she agreed with the “popular view today that Columbus is responsible for countless atrocities against the native peoples,” she responded, “No, not at all…. The more I read of his own writings and that of his contemporaries, my understanding of him totally changed.”

She continued, “His relations with the natives tended to be benign. He liked the natives and found them to be very intelligent. Christopher strictly told the crew not to do things like maraud (or) rape, and instead to treat the native people with respect. There are many examples in his writings where he gave instructions to this effect. Most of the time when injustices occurred, Columbus wasn’t even there.” …

During Columbus’s second expedition, in 1495, he was approached by a native chief who assisted the Spaniards on their maiden voyage. King Guacanagari asked Columbus for help and protection against a neighboring cannibal tribe that was killing and eating his people. According to his own record, Columbus intervened and captured about 500 cannibal attackers, who were sent back to Spain as slaves….

A more honest assessment would reference Columbus’s letter to the King and Queen of Spain, in which he expressed his hope that the slaves would be put under competent care and taught the Spanish language so they could learn Christianity, gain salvation and forsake cannibalism. Columbus also intended for them to be returned to their native land so they could instruct others in Christianity….

Seeing Columbus clearly

Columbus wasn’t a perfect human being, like most anyone else in history. But it’s easy to take particular incidents out of context and criticize them as inconsistent with contemporary sensibilities. A fair evaluation of Columbus’ own writings and those of his contemporaries reveal a man worthy of our admiration and respect – at least as worthy as most pro athletes, social media influencers, politicians or business tycoons today or in the past.

King’s counsel is to consider “the voyages, discoveries and writings of Columbus” as “historical treasure” from which we can all benefit. Therefore, we should not be “ashamed to say … Happy Columbus Day!”

 

Who Is Erika Kirk?

My VIP for this week is Erika Kirk, the widow of the late Charlie Kirk and the mother of his soon-to-be three children. She was unanimously elected as the new chair of the Turning Point USA and CEO of the conservative organization for youth outreach.

According to Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell at The Daily Signal, TPUSA made the following announcement about the new leader of the organization. 

“In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death,” TPUSA said on the social media platform X.

“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side,” the statement said. “Charlie prepared all of us for a moment like this one. He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests. And now, it’s our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA.”

In her first comments after the death of her husband, Erika promised that his movement would continue. While listening to her remarks, I marveled at her strength, and I believe that she will bring that same strength to TPUSA.

Who Is RFK?

My VIP for this week is RFK – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – the current Secretary of Health and Human Services who appeared before the Senate Finance Committee last Thursday. There, he was asked to explain why he authorized the layoff of more than 600 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other actions s HHS chief. He defended the “shake-up” as an attempt to eradicate “corruption and politicization at HHS and the CDC.” 

When Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) asked him to “talk about the corruption of science that you’re trying to deal with and trying to correct.” According to Mary Mobley at The Daily Signal, Kennedy responded as follows.

In response, Kennedy pointed to a 2002 CDC study in Fulton County, Georgia, that compared children who got the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine at the CDC-recommended age to those who got them later.

“The data from that study showed that black boys who got the vaccine on time had a 260% greater chance of getting an autism diagnosis than children who waited,” Kennedy said.

But the chief scientist on that study, Dr. William Thompson, was called into an office by the head of the Immunization Safety Branch of the CDC “in order to destroy that data.”

“Then, they published it without that fact,” Kennedy said.

Thompson’s account surfaced in 2014, when he provided whistleblower information to then-Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., that he said proved the CDC “intentionally withheld controversial findings” about the connection between the measles vaccine and autism. Kennedy said, “I could sit here and point to thousands” of similar examples of agency cover-ups.

“It happens all the time,” he concluded. “We are being lied to by these agencies, and we’re going to change that right now.”

Since “the government” and any site with .gov are considered to be acceptable sources of truth, government officials must be accurate in the information given to the public. I hope that RFK finds the underlying cause of the problems with immunizations. I want to know if vaccinations are causing serious diseases and problems to be more frequent today that in previous years.

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. 

Who Is Ken Paxton?

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration in October 2023 with accusation that Border Patrol was illegally destroying Texas state property while helping illegal aliens to break American law. According to Joseph MacKinnon at Blaze Media, the lawsuit further asserted that federal agents “not only cut Texas’ concertina wire, but also attach[ed] ropes or cables from the back of pickup trucks to ease” the way for illegal aliens to break into the United States. 

MacKinnon reported that the Fifth Circuit Court issued a temporary order on the matter in December 2023 that prohibited the federal government from cutting the wire with the exception of medical emergencies. In January 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the order and sent the case back to lower courts. The most recent ruling came the day before Thanksgiving Day 2024.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 opinion Wednesday granting Texas a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration. Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan … noted in the majority opinion:

The injunction is not barred by intergovernmental immunity because Texas is seeking, not to “regulate” Border Patrol, but only to safeguard its own property. Nor, for similar reasons, is the injunction barred by the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”). Finally, Texas has satisfied the injunction factors from Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 555 U.S. 7 (2008). Most importantly, the United States does not even contest that Texas has shown it will likely succeed on its state law trespass claims.

The court noted that while the Biden administration contends that the concertina wire poses a risk to human safety, the administration’s own behavior does as well as it has “facilitated and encouraged aliens to ‘undertake the dangerous task of crossing the river.’”

The court also rejected the Biden administration that the Lone Star State’s fencing undermines international relations, adding that “concerns about international relations do not erase property owners’ rights over thousands of square miles along the border.” …

The ever-defiant Republican Gov. Greg Abbott noted in response to the ruling that Texas will “continue adding more razor wire border barrier.”

Paxton called the result a “huge win for Texas,” tweeting, “We sued immediately when the federal government was observed destroying fences to let illegal aliens enter, and we’ve fought every step of the way for Texas sovereignty and security.”

“It was shocking to me that the federal government would go out of their way to cut razor wire to allow illegals to cross when we’re just trying to protect our own land,” Paxton reportedly told Newsmax Wednesday evening. “This wasn’t their land. This was our land, our private property. It had nothing due to the federal government. So this is a good win for Texas, a good win for the country, that this court recognized our ability to protect our land.”

Who Is Mike Rowe?

My VIP for this week is Mike Rowe for his stand about attendance at universities. In his opinion and in mine, a university degree is not for everyone – meaning that not everyone can become a teacher, nurse, doctor, scientist, or any other career that needs university training. High school students should understand that there are other honorable and needed jobs/careers that do not require a university degree but which provides well for families. There is a great need in our world for people who know the trades of plumbing, carpentry, electrical, car mechanics, heating technicians, and so forth.

Another reason high school students should know that there is another path to success is that the cost of attending a university is astronomical and getting worse. According to an article written by Ethan Xu, “Some families are paying upward of $90,000 a school year at some private universities, and graduates face sky-high payments on their student loans.” 

While some conservatives have argued that it’s time to abandon the four-year university and to invest in the trades, others think college is still beneficial for some. And some even want young conservatives to attend elite universities in hopes of reclaiming America’s institutions.

Rowe, Emmy Award-winning TV host, producer, author, and CEO of the MikeroweWORKS Foundation, discussed the state of higher education in America with James Poulos.

Even though more young Americans are attending college at unprecedented rates, Rowe thinks Americans are “overeducated but I also think conversely, or maybe perversely … underinformed.”

“I feel like we know a lot of things that we don’t necessarily do anything with. And the things we ought to know we don’t have at our ready disposal,” said Rowe. “No one talks about the fact that 41% of people who start don’t graduate. Like 85% of people who do graduate wind up not working in their chosen field.”

Rowe believes that college is not the best option for many young Americans. However, the idea of going to college has been ingrained into the minds of almost all Americans by society, so many families do not know what the other options are. “There are just so many things about the primacy of a 4-year transaction that don’t get laid out honestly and so parents and kids unfortunately have never, at least in my lifetime I think, had an honest chance to look at all the options,” argued Rowe.

All six of my children and five of their spouses are college graduates, and most of them have graduate degrees. My son is an emergency room doctor but makes more money with a blog and his associated business than in emergency medicine, but he still loves to work in the ER to help people and to stay current with his skills. He now employs fifteen or more people in his blog business, including two of his sisters.

One sister has a master’s degree in social work, and the other sister is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Both of them make more money working for their brother than they would in their field of training. However, all three of them use their degrees in numerous ways, such as serving other people or in their current jobs. Another daughter is a registered nurse and recently received certification as an emergency medical technician (EMT).

As stated above, I agree with Rowe that not everyone should go to a university. However, I believe that every single adult should embark on life-long learning. Whether or not a person has a university degree or graduate degree, he or she should continue learning. There are many ways that a person can gain helpful information on the internet, such as on YouTube. My husband and I often consult Dr. Google to gain better understanding about medical matters.

There are many how-to books on the market about numerous information. There are diverse types of classes that a person can take from cooking classes to quilting classes to gardening classes to carpentry classes to family history classes. Whatever one’s interests, each person should continue learning no matter their choice in a job or career.

Who Is J.D. Vance?

My VIP for this week is J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s choice for his vice-presidential candidate. Trump chose a grassroots favorite, 39-year-old Vance and made his choice known on Truth Social moments after delegates at the Republican National Convention officially nominated him for President of the United States in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump posted the following message: 

After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio. J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. J.D.’s book, “hillbilly Elegy,” became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country. J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond …

Vance is now a staunch supporter of Trump’s Make America Great Again, but he was once a Never Trumper who did not vote for Trump in 2016. He has blue-collar roots in Ohio that could help Trump against Biden’s “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. His youth could bring in younger voters.

Best of all, Vance has the capacity to lead our nation successfully if something should happen to Trump - something that cannot be said for the Democrats.

After the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday, President Joe Biden, other Democrats, and members of the media “called for toning down the political rhetoric.” In his Sunday night address from the Oval Office, Biden encouraged everyone to “lower the temperature in our politics.”

That attitude was so yesterday. Today – after Trump announced his pick for vice president – “the Biden campaign and media leftists have employed hyperbolic language to describe his VP pick, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).” Among other charges made against Vance, the Biden-Harris campaign “claimed Vance would help advance Trump’s ‘extreme MAGA agenda.’” Why is “Make America Great Again” so extreme? Shouldn’t all Americans want America to be great?

Who Is Kari Lake?

             My VIP for this week is Kari Lake. I just learned that she was defeated by Katie Hobbs to serve as the next Governor of Arizona. This election result puts the people of Arizona on the same level as the people of Pennsylvania. I can only assume that they did not know who they were voting for.

            Like Pennsylvanians who elected brain-damaged John Fetterman, Arizonians elected a woman who cannot string three coherent sentences together. Both of them refused to debate their opponents, but Fetterman at least tried. Anyone who votes for such people deserves what they get. Of course, what can we expect from people who elected Joe Biden as President of the United States? We have a doddering old fool in the White House, so we might as well have a Senator with brain damage and an incompetent governor who cannot speak clearly.

            Kari Lake could have been a governor on par with Ron DeSantis, a governor that would straighten out the election mess and get results within twenty-four hours of the close of the election. Instead, Arizonians elected the person who was supposed to ensure that the election was free and fair and ran smoothly – but took a week to get results.  

            Arizona, you really messed up! The biggest problem with your result is that the entire nation will suffer for your choice. The southern border will remain open instead of being closed. Arizona will continue to be the laughingstock of the world for not being able to run an election in such a way as to get timely results, and Americans will continue to wait for election results out of Arizona. Americans deserve better!

Who Is Ava Donegan?

            My VIP for this week is 17-year-old Ava Donegan who was involved in a terrifying situation that required instant heroism. According to Dave Urbanski, Donegan and her boyfriend were shopping in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. They were stopped at an intersection when two police officers attempted to pull over a driver who had a warrant on him “for assaulting a law enforcement officer.” 

            The wanted man’s truck was just behind Donegan’s car. She saw the police officer get out of the car and then get shot several times. The wanted man shot one police officer in the shoulder and in the hand, and then he was shot in the head by a second officer.

            Donegan had never heard gunshots previously, but she and her boyfriend ducked down when they heard shots being fired. Then there was a wounded officer right in front of her car asking for help with a tourniquet. Donegan said that instinct kicked in when she saw that he needed help. Her hands were soon covered with blood, and blood was on her car.

The “officer complained of feeling numbness,” and his hand was “completely limp.” Donegan helped the officer to remove his vest, put on the tourniquet, and call for help on his radio. She was already “familiar with tourniquets and how to use them” because her father is an ICU nurse. Besides, she plans to go into pre-med.

            The officer needed a second surgery but is expected to recover. The 64-year-old suspect is dead. Donegan is grateful to have been able to help the officer and received “good peace of mind” when she heard that the officer will be okay.

Who Is Tim Scott?

             My VIP for this week is Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. Scott address Americans last Wednesday night in response to the address of President Joe Biden to a joint session of Congress. Scott presented a candid evaluation of the problems in our nation as well as reasonable resolutions for them.

            David Harsanyi from the National Review called Scott’s response “competent” compared to “mendacious” for Biden’s speech. Leftists went crazy about Scott’s response – “contrived, hyperbolic outrage and derision” from the “liberal talking heads.” 

There was one statement from Scott that caused more outrage than any other in his response. He declared that “America is not a racist country.” Scott was mocked because he dared to claim that the nation is not racist, even though “he had personally experienced bigotry.”

Leftists claimed that America is racist, and they tried to prove it with “Uncle Tim” trending on Twitter. “The left’s demeaning of any African American who strays from leftist orthodoxy is one of the ugliest acceptable smears in our political discourse.” Harsanyi continued:

Scott’s two claims are wholly compatible. Bad actors and ugly ideas exist among people of all nations, and always will. And yet that does not necessarily mean the nation itself is fundamentally, legally, culturally, or systemically racist.

We can always do better, but by the world’s standards, the United States is likely the least racist place.

Indeed, Scott never alleged that racism was nonexistent in America. To do so would have been absurd. Scott, in fact, wrote a police reform bill that Senate Democrats such as Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, and Dick Durbin had shut down using the filibuster, which they now call a “relic of Jim Crow.”

            Left-wing media was quick to mock Scott’s statement. Van Jones, CNN Political analyst, called Scott’s message “nonsense. He also said that Scott “had lost African Americans ‘by the tens of millions’ by denying what everyone knew was true about the United States. However, Vice President Kamala Harris answered questions by ABC News by saying, “I don’t think America is a racist country, but we also do have to speak truth about the history of racism in our country and its existence today.”

            Scott and Harris said the same thing, but their statements are treated completely different. This shows that there are “flagrant double standards in politics.”

            Scott is an intelligent, articulate Senator who is doing his job in the Senate. The leftists hate him because he is a conservative Black man who escaped from the Democrat “plantation.”

Who Is Ron DeSantis?

            My VIP for this week is Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida. DeSantis may be the most popular Republican politician in America – second only to Donald Trump. There are approximately 22 million people living in Florida, and people are moving to Florida because they see the good government of Governor DeSantis.

            When the coronavirus from China came to the United States, DeSantis and his administration looked at the data. They quickly recognized that the elderly residents were the most vulnerable. They shut down nursing homes and isolated the elderly and their caretakers. The number of elderly people in Florida are nearly the same as those in New York. Yet, the death rates are hugely different.

            Governor DeSantis kept Florida open, even though residents began to shut their businesses. DeSantis encouraged them to stay open, and he encouraged the schools to stay open. The schools have been open for the past year, while schools in other states have been closed most of the time.

The state departments recognized that revenue would be down and cut as many expenses as possible. Florida came through the pandemic/economic disaster with excess funds.

When other states were condoning riots, DeSantis called the National Guard and told them to be prepared to step in. Word went out that rioters would be arrested, and Florida stayed peaceful.

Florida was prepared for the 2020 presidential election. The state had rules in place that would keep the election fair and free. The election results for Florida were available by 11:00 on election night – unlike states that have fewer residents.

DeSantis is a leader, and the environment in Florida is prospering under his leadership. The Leftists are always criticizing DeSantis and Florida, but their criticism falls on deaf ears. People are flocking to Florida from Democrat-led states because they are tired of the tyranny and leadership disasters.

DeSantis’s name has been mentioned repeatedly as a potential candidate for President of the United States. He has a different type of personality than Trump, but he is a fighter too. I watched one of his press meetings. He told the reporters, “You can whiz on my leg, but do not try to tell me that it is raining.” He is smart, conservative, hardworking, and good-looking.

I would not be surprised to see him on the 2024 Republican presidential ticket – either as vice president to Trump or as the President. This is probably the reason why Democrats and leftists are already trying to destroy him.

Obama and Other Presidents

                Barack Obama and/or his supporters seem determined to compare him with other men who have served as President of the United States of America.  He has been compared to Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), and John F. Kennedy with the latest comparison being Ronald Reagan.  When asked about where he would rank among all Presidents, he once said that he thought he was about the fourth greatest of all the President.  Some of his supporters supposedly think that Obama’s likeness should be carved into Mount Rushmore.

                Anyone who is even minimally informed can see that Obama is no Ronald Reagan!  There is simply no comparison between the two me, at least in the ways that matter.  Reagan loved our nation and stood up for it, and Obama does not and will not.  I believe that Obama is comparing himself to Ronald Reagan, not because he likes Reagan’s principles, but because he wants to shift the country left just as Reagan shifted it right. 

                Nick Ragone wrote an interesting article about Obama and Reagan entitled “The Big Difference Between These Two Presidents”  that I encourage you to study in full.  After listing a few ways the two President are similar, he wrote:  “But that’s where the comparisons should end.  At the heart of the matter, what defined Ronald Reagan most was the resoluteness of his convictions and fidelity to those ideas.  He came to the office with a few major goals – to strengthen the economy, restore pride in the military, meet communism head-on, and roll back the influence of government – from which he never wavered.  He compromised on occasion, knowing full well that 70 percent of something was better than 100 percent of nothing, but never retreated from the central tenets of his governing philosophy.  That was simply out of the question.

                “Reagan took pride in the fact that his world view could be squeezed onto an index card.  Back then it was called simplistic and naïve; today it’s seen as disciplined and focused.  He understood – intuitively – that the presidency is essentially a narrative – an arc with a beginning, middle and end – that was built to hold but a few story-lines at a time, a notion that seems to be lost on President Obama.  He resisted the temptation – all too common among office holders – to become everything to everybody.  If it meant alienating some constituencies or ruffling a few feathers, so be it.  He never mistook popularity for posterity.”

Ronald Reagan was a great President in many ways.  His love for our nation and his willingness to stand up for her were some of his strongest qualities.  Here is a typical statement from President Reagan:  “Harry Truman once said that, ultimately, our security and the world’s hopes for peace and human progress `lie not in measures of defense or in the control of weapons, but in the growth and expansion of freedom and self-government.’

                “And tonight, we declare anew to our fellow citizens of the world:  Freedom is not the sole prerogative of a chosen few; it is the universal right of all God’s children.  Look to where peace and prosperity flourish today.  It is in homes that freedom built.  Victories against poverty are greatest and peace most secure where people live by laws that ensure free press, free speech, and freedom to worship, vote, and create wealth.

                “Our mission is to nourish and defend freedom and democracy, and to communicate these ideals everywhere we can.  America’s economic success is freedom’s success; it can be repeated a hundred times in a hundred different nations.”

                I believe that Obama should be very careful about comparing himself to Lincoln and Kennedy.  In the first place, he appears to feel different about our nation and our Constitution than either of the late Presidents.  Abraham Lincoln said, “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who would pervert the Constitution.” I believe that no other President - besides Obama and maybe FDR - has tried to make so many end runs around the Constitution.  John F. Kennedy is famousfor his statement, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”  This seems to be the exact opposite from Obama who uses tax payer money to play Santa Claus to the different groups to “buy” their votes for the Democrats and runs our nation further and further into debt.  He wants bigger and bigger government in order to give more “gifts” instead of assisting Americans to exercise personal responsibility.

                A second reason that Obama should not compare himself to Lincoln and Kennedy is that things did not end well for them.  There are many interesting similarities and coincidences between these two Presidents.  I found the following information here,  but I did not check any dates or other facts.

                “Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846; John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.  Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860; John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.  Both were particularly concerned with civil rights; both lost a child while living in the White House.  Both Presidents were shot on a Friday; both Presidents were shot in the head.

                “Lincoln’s secretary was named Kennedy; Kennedy’s secretary was named Lincoln.  Both were assassinated by Southerners; both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.  Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808; Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.  John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.  Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.  Both assassins were known by their three names.  Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

                “Lincoln was shot at the theater named `Ford;’ Kennedy was shot in a car called `Lincoln’ made by `Ford.’  Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials….  Lincoln was shot in a theater and the assassin ran to a warehouse; Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and the assassin ran to a theater.”

                Obama and/or his administration showed their real audacity when information about Obama was inserted into the biographies of other Presidents.  Ben Shapiro explained, “The White House website has always featured biographies of past presidents.  The biographies are largely designed for students, so they can research the history of the White House occupants; the text is taken from The Presidents of the United States of America, by Michael Beschloss and Hugh Sidey."

                Shapiro then listed examples of various Presidents and the information about Obama that was inserted.  I particularly liked what he wrote about Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), whose policies Obama seems to favor.  “`On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act.  Today the Obama Administration continues to protect seniors and ensure Social Security will be there for future generations.’  Once again, Obama ignores his actual similarities to FDR – driving a bad economy into a drainage ditch.  FDR’s Social Security was supposed to provide for widows and orphans; Obama’s will be bankrupt within a few years.”

                Shapiro ends his article thusly:  “There you have it:  Obama In History….  An arrogant president who thinks that every president of the last 80 years was just fate’s foreshadowing of the ultimate White House occupant.  This is a president trying to buy legitimacy on the backs of others and trying to connect himself to predecessors who largely would have shunned his policies.  Perhaps we should just be grateful that he decided not to insert himself in President Lincoln’s biography:  `President Lincoln maintained the Union and disestablished slavery.  President Obama once thought about growing a beard!’”

                Barack Obama should not be compared to other Presidents, either good ones or bad ones.  There is no comparison because the good ones had their faults and the bad ones had their good points.  I believe that Obama has all the faults and none of the good points.

William Blount

                    William Blount, the American statesman and signer of the United States Constitution, was born on March 26, 1749, in Windsor, Bertie County, North Carolina; he was born into a prominent North Carolina family of distinguished merchants and planters.  The family owned extensive property along the banks of the Pamlico River. 

                    Blount married Mary Grainger, and the couple had one son named William Grainger Blount (1784-1827; Tennessee state representative and U.S. Representative from Tennessee, 1815-1819).  Blount had one brother named Thomas (1759-1812; Revolutionary War veteran and U.S. Representative from North Carolina, 1793-1799, 1805-1809, and 1811-1812) and a half-brother named Willie (1767-1835; Governor of Tennessee 1809-1815).

                    William Blount served as a paymaster during the American Revolutionary War.  When North Carolina faced British invasion, Blount helped organize citizen-soldiers and went into the field with them.  He was elected to the North Carolina legislature in 1781 where he served for most of the decade except while he represented North Carolina at the Constitutional Convention of 1782 and 1787.  He led the efforts to ratify the Constitution in North Carolina in 1789. 

                    Blount is distinguished as being the only governor of the Southwest Territory and was a leader in efforts to help the territory be admitted to the Union as the State of Tennessee.  He was elected to be a Senator from Tennessee in 1796.  He was behind the push to open the lands west of the Appalachians to settlement.  As governor of the Southwest Territory negotiated the Treaty of Holston in 1791; this treaty brought thousands of acres of Indian lands under the control of the United States.

                    Blount was an "aggressive land speculator" and acquired millions of acres in Tennessee and the trans-Appalachian west.  He made "risky land investments" that left him in debt and led to some bad decisions.  In the 1790s he entered a conspiracy with England to seize the Louisiana Territory from Spain with the hope that the prices of western land would be boosted.  The conspiracy was discovered in 1797, and Blount was expelled from the U.S. Senate.  In fact, he became "the first U.S. public official to face impeachment."  The people of Tennessee still liked him and elected him to the state senate where he became speaker.

                    William Blount died at age 50 on March 21, 1800, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was buried in First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Knoxville.  He and his family have an extensive legacy of schools, streets, towns, and counties being named after them.  The town of Blountville and Blount County, both in Tennessee, were named after William.  The town of Maryville and the county of Grainger, both in Tennessee, were named after his wife, Mary Grainger Blount.  They both had schools named after them:  William Blount High School, William Blount Middle School, and Mary Blount Elementary School.  Blount Street in Madison, Wisconsin, was named in his honor as was a street through the center of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.  Blount County, Alabama, was named after William's half-brother Willie Blount, who was governor of Tennessee.

Father of Constitution

                    James Madison is known as the "Father of the United States Constitution" because he had the basic idea for the Constitution before the Framers of the Constitution even met to discuss it.  Madison came to the Convention with knowledge of ancient republics and the political theories down through the ages and a plan for a new government based on that knowledge.  During the Convention, he kept detailed notes, notes that allow us to know the inner workings of the meeting.

                    After the Constitution was written and signed, James Madisn joined Alexander Hamilton and John Jay to write the Federalist, a series of papers intended to educate the people as to why the Constitution should be ratified.  The Federalist  included some of the phrases associated with but not actually in the Constitution, such as federalism, checks and balances, and separation of powers. 

Thomas Jefferson considered the Federalist to be "the best commentary on the principles of government, which ever was written."  Madison himself wrote, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary.  If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary."  He also wrote, "In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men … you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."

James Madison served in Congress after the new Constitution was ratified and activated.  There he had the opportunity to be the principle author of the Bill of Rights.  "This position enabled him to look after a cause dear to him throughout his political career - religious liberty.  Madison's original draft of the First Amendment read: `the civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship… nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed…'  though somewhat less expansive in its protections, the final version bears Madison's mark:  `Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'  Joe Loconte argues that thanks `largely to Madison, free exercise replaced toleration as the national standard for protecting religious liberty.'"

George Washington (Father of our Country), Thomas Jefferson (Father of the Declaration of Independence), and Abraham Lincoln all have marble monuments to help us remember their greatness.  Madison does not have a marble memorial, but his legacy is the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  He deserves the title of "Father of the Constitution."