Why Is Illegal Discrimination in Law Schools Bad for America?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns illegal discrimination in law schools.

According to Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell at The Daily Signal, the Department of Justice discovered that the “University of California, Berkeley School of Law illegally discriminated against Asian and white applicants based on race during its 2024 and 2025 admissions processes.” They did this “after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action.” 

“Berkeley Law School’s deliberate efforts to circumvent the Supreme Court’s decision in [Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard] demonstrate a complete disregard for the rule of law,” said assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, Harmeet K. Dhillon. “The department will continue to aggressively pursue compliance from schools who attempt to racially manipulate their student bodies in violation of federal law.”

The DOJ opened a compliance review into the University of California, Berkeley in March 2025 to determine if its admissions practices complied with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The investigation was expanded shortly after to include the university’s law school.

The findings reveal that Berkeley Law uses race, essay prompts, and other tactics to further its admissions diversity goals.

The DOJ is now seeking to enter a voluntary resolution agreement with the law school “to ensure that admissions and oversight practices are brought into legal compliance.”

The admissions application asked applicants to specify their racial identity, so that admitted students could be “grouped” with others of the same “primary identity” in class.

“How will you (your perspective, experience, Voice) contribute diversity in our classrooms and community? Feel free to address any factors or attributes you consider important and relevant. In the past, applicants have included information about characteristics such as: race/ethnicity….” The application asks.

This is exactly what Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky said colleges needed to do to maintain diversity quotas after the Students for Fair Admissions Ruling eliminated affirmative action.

“What colleges and universities will need to do after affirmative action is eliminated is find ways to achieve diversity that can’t be documented as violating the Constitution,” Chemerinsky said in a June 2023 article printed in the Los Angeles Times.

The DOJ also reviewed a video of Chemerinsky in 2020 admitting “unstated affirmative action” practices in faculty hiring.

“You can think it, you can vote it, but our discussions are not privileged, so don’t ever articulate that that’s what you’re doing!” he said.

The DOJ’s analysis of admissions data found highly statistically significant racial preferences in 2024 and 2025.

In 2025, black applicants had 5.8 times the odds of admission as comparable white applicants with similar qualifications. In 2024, a black applicant had 6.5 times the odds of admission as a comparable white applicant.

“The Department finds that Berkeley Law deliberately discriminated against Asian and white applicants based on race in its law school admissions. This discrimination is apparent from the significant disparity in objective academic metrics between racially preferred applicants, and applicants from non-preferred races,” the letter to Berkeley reads, adding that the discrimination is “ongoing.”

The DOJ will continue to investigate law schools’ compliance with Title VI.

“Where a violation has been found, the department will engage in settlement negotiations to ensure the school’s admissions practices are brought into compliance,” a press release obtained by the Daily Signal reads. “If those efforts fail, the department will file suit.”

Chemerinsky, the law school dean, told the Daily Signal that the Supreme Court’s ruling doesn’t stop universities from pursuing diversity.

            “University of California, Berkeley School of Law in its admissions decisions scrupulously                     complies with Proposition 209, federal statutes, and the United States Constitution,” he said in a              statement. “Our admissions policy is clear that race is not considered in any way in admissions             decisions. Proposition 209, federal statutes, and the Supreme Court’s decisions do not preclude                schools from pursuing diversity so long as they give no preferences based on race. Berkeley                    Law does not do so.” 

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Atonement of Jesus Christ? 2

Article of Faith 3

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved,

by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

This is the second essay about the Atonement of Jesus Christ as stated in the third Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Last week, I discussed the importance of understanding how the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as the third pillar of eternity, is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal happiness of His children. The discussion this week comes from the words of Elder James E. Talmage (Articles of Faith [1913], 74—76).

The Atonement of Christ is taught as a leading doctrine by all sects professing Christianity. The expression is so common a one, and the essential point of its signification is so generally admitted that definitions may appear to be superfluous; nevertheless, there is a peculiar importance attached to the use of the word “atonement” in a theological sense. The doctrine of the atonement comprises proof of the divinity of Christ’s earthly ministry, and the vicarious nature of His death as a foreordained and voluntary sacrifice, intended for and efficacious as a propitiation for the sins of mankind, thus becoming the means whereby salvation may be secured….

The structure of the word in its present form is suggestive of the true meaning; it is literally at-one-ment, “denoting reconciliation, or the bringing into agreement of those who have been estranged.” And such is the significance of the saving sacrifice of the Redeemer, whereby He expiated the transgression of the fall, through which came death into the world, and provided ready and efficient means for man’s attainment of immortality through reconciliation with God.

Nature of the Atonement – The atonement wrought by Jesus Christ is a necessary sequel of the transgression of Adam; and, as the infinite foreknowledge of God made clear to Him the one even before Adam was placed upon the earth, so the Father’s mercy prepared a Savior for mankind before the world was framed. Through the fall Adam and Eve have entailed the conditions of mortality upon their descendants; therefore all beings born of earthly parents are subject to bodily death. The sentence of banishment from the presence of God was in the nature of a spiritual death; and that penalty, which was visited upon our first parents in the day of their transgression, has likewise followed as the common heritage of humanity. As this penalty came into the world through an individual act, it would be manifestly unjust to cause all to eternally suffer therefrom without means of deliverance. Therefore was the promised sacrifice of Jesus Christ ordained as a propitiation for broken law, whereby Justice could be fully satisfied, and Mercy be left free to exercise her beneficent influence over the souls of mankind. All the details of the glorious plan, by which the salvation of the human family is assured, may not lie within the understanding of man; but man has learned, even from his futile attempts to fathom the primary causes of the phenomena of nature, that his powers of comprehension are limited; and he will admit, that to deny an effect because of his inability to elucidate its cause would be to forfeit his claims as an observing and reasoning being.

Simple as is the plan of redemption in its general features, it is confessedly a mystery in detail to the finite mind….

            However incomplete may be our comprehension of the scheme of redemption through Christ’s                vicarious sacrifice in all its parts, we cannot reject it without becoming infidel; for it stands as                the fundamental doctrine of all scripture, the very essence of the spirit of prophecy and                            revelation, the most prominent of all the declarations of God unto man. 

What Has the Trump Team Accomplished Since January 2025?

The Trump administration released a compilation of “Historic Results for the American People” this week. All GOP candidates should use “this impressive (albeit non-exhaustive) list of public policy victories” in their campaigns. Here is a partial list of Trump administration historic results. 

·       The border is closed. “The Trump Administration … has not released a single illegal alien into the country for 15 straight months.”

·       The “illegal alien population is down by at least 2.3 million” thanks to deportation and self-deportation.

·       Under Trump, “asylum is now granted in just 7% of cases – a historic low” vs. more than 50% under Biden’s “Everybody in!” policy.

·       “ICE has arrested more than 10,000 illegal alien gang members.”

·       Tren de Aragua and MS-13 cartels have been designated as terrorist organizations.

·       Trump signed the Laken Riley Act to hammer violent illegal alien criminals.

·       Trump “launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal alien Commercial Drive License [CDL] fraud” – stopping unvetted illegals who cannot read plain English signs – such as “Road Closed” or “Do Not Enter – Wrong Way.”

·       “The U.S. murder rate fell to an historic low in 2025 – the lowest level” since 1900.

·       For the first half of 2026, “violent crime slipped another 10%, versus 2025’s like period.”

·       Rapes are down 18.6%, and murders are 23% lower.

·       Team Trump has captured nine of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives – more than twice the number caught by Biden’s “Social Justice Department” in four years.

·       The Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Tax Cut” established No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and No Tax on certain Social Security benefits.

·       The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 also extended the personal and business tax rate reductions first established via the Trump/GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. [Remember that every Democrat in Congress voted against both tax-cut bills.]

·       Trump and the GOP launched Trump Accounts – tax-advantaged accounts that parents can open for children born in 2025-2028. Other adults may deposit up to $5,000 per account.

·       The “manufacturing sector has expanded for eight straight months.”

·       In 2026 alone, 58,000 factory jobs have emerged.

·       Under Trump 47, some 100,000 factory-construction workers have been hired, and 1 million private-sector jobs have bloomed.

·       Companies increased domestic investment: Amazon ($340 billion), Apple ($600 billion), and UAE ($1.4 trillion).

·       “The White House cites $11 trillion in domestic and foreign investment in America, none from U.S. taxpayers, all with the smallest federal workforce since 1966.”

·       Regarding Critical Race Theory, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: “boys in girls’ sports, biological men in women’s locker rooms; child sex-mutilation surgery, and Planned Parenthood all have withered beneath the wrath of Trump and lost their federal subsidies.”

·       “Trump’s deregulation will save Americans $1.3 trillion this year. The Green New Steal is dead, and U.S. energy independence is alive and well. Last year, America became the first nation to achieve 100 million metric tons of annual liquefied natural gas exports.”

·       “The U.S. Armed Forces jointly met 103% of its recruitment goals. America’s intrepid Gis whisked Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro from his Caracas palace to a Manhattan prison. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, and his son does not feel too well. Their atomic ambitions glow uselessly in the dark beneath tons of rubble.”

VOTE REPUBLICAN – PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!

Why Is Victor Davis Hanson Considered to Be a Trump and MAGA Historian?

Victor Davis Hanson has been a “commentator on modern and ancient warfare and contemporary politics.” He is a “professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno,” a fellow in “classics and military history at the Hoover Institution,” and a “visiting professor at Hillsdale College. 

Hanson is known for his work on war and ancient Greece, and he recently wrote a history on President Donald Trump. 

In her article published at Deseret News, Jennifer Graham reported on a discussion with Hanson. The first thing that Hanson made clear his relationship with Trump. He voted for Trump, but he writes as a historian when he writes about the POTUS. In fact, he intentionally does not talk with Trump about what he wrote in his book. He gives Trump “the same dispassionate eye” as he does when “writing about warfare in ancient Greece.”

“My interests are not in defending or attacking Trump but in offering an explanation of why he did not disappear from the political scene and likely will not for quite some time,” Hanson writes in his latest book, “The Counterrevolution,” which chronicles what he calls Trump’s “wilderness years” between presidencies and the factors that led to his political resurrection after the 2020 defeat.

Hanson calls it the “greatest political comeback in American presidential history.”

… Hanson … sees Trump’s fall and rise as a counterrevolution – a reversal of liberal ideologies that had seized the country – and says that although Trump might not be the hero that people wanted, he was what the country needed to change course.

“He’s done some fundamental things that no one else can do, and he doesn’t care what people say about him,” Hanson said in an interview with the Deseret News.

When Deseret News asked about Trump’s favorability ratings, what happened, and how it affects what Trump wants to accomplish, Hanson replied:

I think that was a result of his decision, not necessarily to go into Iran and deal with that problem, but more importantly, there was the expectation by both his adversaries and also his supporters that the operation would be similar to his taking out, in the first term, of (Hasem) Soleimani, or (Abu Bakr) al-Baghdadi or the Wagner Group … or the bombing last year in June of the nuclear facilities.

And I think the administration underestimated two things. First, that Iran is the largest area in the Middle /east; it’s the size of Oklahoma and Texas. It has the second-largest population, 93 million. And it’s invested essentially a half-trillion dollars in a nuclear industrial military complex. It’s a vast country, and it terrified everybody….

So I think they underestimated the challenge that was posed. They thought they would do some damage and then these people will be rational. That didn’t happen.

I don’t think he was every going to win any of the left, but the fall in the polls I think reflects three things: The war is too long for the MAGA base. There are some defection there…. And I think the independents were for the elimination of the threat, but they wanted it, like the other operations, quickly.

Then there’s the affordability question; for five months, (the administration) did not address these issues. They didn’t address those defections and the economy.

When asked about a “forever war,” Hanson reminded his listeners that the war was “not 20 years in Afghanistan, or eight or nine.” However, the US is in a “test of wills with Iran,” and Iran thinks that it can “delay, delay … and drag it out.” Trump will either hit Iran hard and leave “containment to the Arabs and Israel and our bases in the area,” or forget about it and emphasize

the economy. “Iran is losing $100 million a day. They don’t get the message out that the embargo is in place, the sanctions are in place, the debanking is in place,; they bombed all the bridges to Russia and China. There’s no import, no export. And they’re just about at the brink of bankruptcy.

When asked where the situation leaves the president politically, Hanson said, “The only thing that is saving him right now is, he has been given a number of gifts that he didn’t expect. Thirty-nine of the last 41 midterms, the incumbent president and party in the White House have lost seats – (but for) Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Frankline Roosevelt, as I remember.

Nobody anticipated there would be more red-state legislatures gerrymandering than blue states, so (Republicans) could pick up three or four seats. We never thought the Supreme Court would outlaw racial gerrymandering; they may pick up one or two seats from that. In addition, people were talking about the Democrats getting a whole lot of money, but the Republicans have raised more. So they’re going to have a lot of money, and that’s aside from people like the so-called tech oligarchs, like Elon Musk, who have pledged to put hundreds of millions of dollars in.

And then finally, he was given a great gift by the prominence of these democratic socialists. Everybody thought they were kind of an isolated phenomenon, but they’re in the news, people like Hasan Piker and Zohran Mamdani.

Ironically, I think there’s more pressure on Trump now, because now people are saying you could win the midterms, you could hold it, if you get out of Iran. That’s the dilemma they’re in.

When asked about the economy, Hanson explained that most people do not follow the Iran war “because it’s not really a war.… What they’re following is affordability of houses, insurance, food, fuel. Donald Trump promised to lower them.” Even though inflation is half what it was during the Biden administration. “They thought Donald Trump was going to come in and not just have lower inflation, but lower the price. He’s saying the inflation is a lot lower (than under Biden), but that’s a bad argument. It’s almost impossible historically for a president to get into a deflationary cycle and lower the prices of his predecessor.”

In answer to a question as to how overcomes the problem of high prices with Iran continuing, Hanson said, “It’s going to be very hard.” He thinks that the US might hit Iran really hard for a week or two to knock out Iran and cause them to cave. Then announce that they will leave Iran as it is and work on affordability getting the price of fuel down.

There is more to the interview, and you can find it here if you are interested in reading more. 

How Do We Protect the Constitution from Sharia Law?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday concerns the creep of Sharia law in the Unitd States. The Sharia-Free America Caucus is helping to preserve the U.S. Constitution beyond Washington in the 120^th Congress. Pedro Rodriguez explained the news in his article published at The Daily Signal. 

The caucus, which has previously raised awareness of the controversial Islamic rule known as Sharia law and pushed legislation to protect the U.S. Constitution from it, is looking to work with state leaders to codify legislative efforts.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith told the Daily Signal that the Hoosier State could be a potential partner for the caucus, saying that he would “100 percent [be] all in on this.”

Beckwith said the idea to partner with the congressional caucus to protect his home state from a foreign law that enforces female genital mutilation and creates a hostile environment for those of other religions is not just his personal desire, but one shared by his Indiana constituents.

“I’ve gotten so much support, not just from Republicans, but also Democrats who see that the rise of Sharia is a problem,” he continued.

However, Beckwith explained that people need to raise awareness of what the law entails. “Islam is not just a religion; it is a political and military ideology,” Beckwith said.

During his phone interview with the Daily Signal, Indiana’s lieutenant governor referred to some uninformed constituents as people who don’t realize the extent of the threat posed by Sharia law, adding that it “will destroy our Constitution.”

“Hoosiers are people who are normally reactive to things instead of being proactive,” he said. “But we don’t have the luxury of being reactive here – we have to understand the issue. Raising awareness will be important.”

One roadblock to defeating Sharia law in America, Beckwith continued, could come from Democrats aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, whom he called “useful idiots for Sharia.”

He cited the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 as a prime example of “what the red-green alliance will look like,” adding that, at the time, the Islamic revolutionary forces used socialist propaganda to secure sufficient public support to overthrow the government. The revolutionary forces then turned around and suppressed the same crowd of people who lifted them up, especially women.

“The only difference between Islam and the [Chinese Communist Party] is that Islam will hide behind a false religion to build a military ideology,” Beckwith said. “We saw it sine Muhammad immigrated from Mecca to Medina; they immigrated, populated, and dominated.”

Despite the potential backlash, the lieutenant governor said he believes that “it’s in the realm of possibility” that Indiana will follow Florida and Texas in standing up to the Islamic rule. “I see an appetite for it,” he concluded.

The idea might have support with state lawmakers. Previously, Indiana state Rep. Andrew Ireland told the Daily Signal that he is ready to work with colleagues to solidify the push in the Indiana Statehouse….

Do You Trust God?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in a lesson titled “He Shall Direct Thy Paths.” The following information introduced the lesson. 

You might think of the book of Proverbs as a collection of wise counsel from loving parents (see Proverbs 1:8). Its main message is that if you seek wisdom – especially God’s wisdom – life will go well. But Proverbs is followed by the book of Ecclesiastes, which seems to say, “It’s not that simple.” The Preacher quoted in Ecclesiastes observed that he “gave [his] heart to know wisdom” but still found “vexation of spirit” and “much grief” (Ecclesiasts1:17-18). In various ways, the book asks, “Can there be real meaning in a world where everything seems vain, temporary, and uncertain?”

And yet, while the two books look at life from different perspectives, they teach similar truths. Ecclesiastes declares: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). This is the same  principle found throughout Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart” (Proverbs 3:5; see also verse 7). Life is always better – if not always perfect – when we trust and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

The scripture block teaches numerous principles, including the following: (1) “Incline thine ear unto wisdom” (Proverbs 1-4; 15-16; Ecclesiastes 1-3; 11-12). (2) “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord” (Proverbs 1:7; 2:5; 3:7; 15:33; 16:6; 31:30; Ecclesiastes 12:13). (3) “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart” (Proverbs 3:5-7; 4). (4) “A soft answer turneth away wrath” (Proverbs 15; 16:24-32). (5) “A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:10-31). (6) Mortal life is temporary (Ecclesiastes 1-3; 12).

This essay will discuss principle #3 about trusting God. The applicable verses are Proverbs 3:5-7, so we will look at them first.

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

Sometimes it is difficult to put our trust in God. Elder Gerrit W. Gong shares helpful counsel in learning to trust God in his conference talk titled “Trust Again” (Liahona, Nov. 2021, 97–99). Trust Again

Trust is an act of faith. God keeps faith with us….

As we reflect on trust, we know God is a God of truth and “canst not lie.” We know truth is a knowledge of things as they are, were, and are to come. We know continuing revelation and inspiration fit unchanging truth to changing circumstances….

Trust becomes real when we do hard things with faith. Service and sacrifice increase capacity and refine hearts. Trust in God and each other brings heaven’s blessings….

Trust what the scriptures call “in process of time.” With God’s blessing, process of time, and continuing faith and obedience, we can find resolution and peace….

Trust God and His miracles. We and our relationships can change. Through the Atonement of Christ the Lord, we can put off our selfish natural self and become a child of God, meek, humble, full of faith and appropriate trust. When we repent, when we confess and forsake our sins, the Lord says He remembers them no more. It is not that He forgets; rather, in a remarkable way, it seems He chooses not to remember them, nor need we.

Trust God’s inspiration to discern wisely. We can forgive others in the right time and way, as the Lord says we must, while being “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

 

What Will You Teach Your Children and Grandchildren about 9/11?

Families are stronger when parents and grandparents teach correct history to their children and grandchildren. Strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations.

This week, Americans commemorate the terrorist attacks on the towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. as well as the heroes on Flight 93 who prevented an attack on the White House or the Capitol Building.

I had one grandchild – less than a year old – on September 11, 2001. This means that all nineteen grandchildren were too young or not born yet when 9/11 happened. I hope that my children have shared with their children where they were and what they were doing when they learned of the attacks on 9/11. Here are some facts to help all parents teach the truth and importance about remembering 9/11; 

[September 11 is known as 9/11 Remembrance Day as well as Patriot Day. This day] is observed annually to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost during the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, as well as the bravery of first responders and ordinary citizens who risked or gave their lives to save others. The day serves as a tribute to victims, a recognition of rescuers’ courage, and a demonstration of national unity and resilience against terrorism.

Historical Context

On the morning of September 11, 2001, four hijacked planes were used in coordinated attacks:

·       8:46 a.m. – Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

·       9:03 a.m. – Flight 175 struck the South Tower.

·       9:37 a.m. – Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.

·       Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers resisted the hijackers.

The attacks resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, over 6,000 injuries, and the collapse of the Twin Towers, leaving a lasting impact on the United States and the world.

Legacy and Reflection

9/11 Remembrance Day emphasizes compassion, solidarity, and resilience, encouraging Americans to reflect on the courage of those affected and to engage in acts of service. It also serves as a reminder of the enduring impact of terrorism and the importance of unity in the face of tragedy.

By observing this day, individuals and communities honor the memory of the victims, celebrate the heroism of first responders, and reaffirm a commitment to national values and collective healing.