Why Does National Sovereignty Depend on Strong Leadership?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the importance of strong leadership in obtaining and retaining strong national sovereignty. President Donald Trump campaigned on closing the national borders and deporting illegal aliens. Once he was inaugurated as President of the United States, he began signing executive orders to follow through on his campaign promises.

Even though Trump plainly told Americans what he would do as President, many people were surprised when he followed through on his promises.

When Trump and his administration began deporting criminal illegal aliens, many people were pleased. However, there are also millions of people who are displeased and who protested, and the protests turned into riots. The rioters hoped that their rioting, demonstrations, and attacks on ICE agents would persuade Trump to stop deporting illegal aliens – just as temper-tantrums-throwing toddlers hope that their unruly behavior will convince their parents to give them what they want. However, things are not working as the Leftists desired, according to Joseph MacKinnon at The Blaze. 

The president announced Sunday evening in a post on Truth Social that he was ordering ICE officers to lean into their mass deportation campaign.

“Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People,” wrote Trump. “ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

Trump indicated that success will depend upon an expansion of detention and deportation efforts in America’s largest cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, which he noted were not only temporarily home to millions of illegal aliens but “the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”

“The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos,” continued Trump. “That’s why I have directed my entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia. Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places form where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States.”

What Is Trump Doing to Solve Issue Between Israel and Iran?

With Israel and Iran sending missiles into each other’s nations with casualties in both countries, President Donald Trump is still urging the two nations to come to the negotiating table. Virginia Allen reported the following in her article published at The Daily Signal. 

“Iran and Israel should make a deal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the two countries “will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and stop!”

The U.S. helped to negotiate a deal between Pakistan and India in May after conflict erupted between the two nations after India blamed Pakistan for a terrorist attack in April that killed a group of mostly Indian tourists.

However, neither Israel nor Iran is ready to back down. Israel continues to strike valuable targets in Iran, and Iran continues to send missiles into Israel. “The IDF has repeatedly stated it is targeting Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, and accuses Iran of targeting civilians.” Nevertheless, Trump has clearly stated that he prefers using diplomacy to solve problems and particularly to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. He gave Iran 60 days to come to the negotiating table and clearly stated his red lines. Israel was patient and allowed the 60-day deadline to expire before striking Iran.

In a video on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained his reasons for Israel’s preemptive attack on Iran’s nuclear program, according to Allen.

“Our enemy is your enemy,” Netanyahu said. “And by doing what we’re doing, we’re dealing with something that will threaten all of us sooner or later. Our victory will be your victory.”

Israeli officials reportedly asked the U.S. to get involved in the fight against Iran and aid in the effort to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, but the U.S. has not indicated plans to do so, and Trump has said multiple times that the U.S. has not bene involved in Israel’s targeted strikes on Iran.

Israel’s strikes are reported to have damaged multiple Iranian nuclear sites, but Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment site is one of Iran’s major nuclear sites and is located underground in northern Iran. Eliminating the site, or even causing significant damage to it, would likely require assistance from the U.S.

Trump also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend and Trump sad Putin “feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.”

Have You Heard About the Movement to Make Our Children Innocent Again?

According to Rebecca Phillips, there is an inscription written on the wall of the Library of Congress in Washington stating: “the foundation of every state is the education of its youth” (quoting Diogenes). Phillips also wrote that America’s Founding Fathers agreed with the Greeks and Romans in their belief that “education meant instilling virtue as well as information. 

Things have changed in America since the nation was founded. “Now, education is progressive indoctrination.” However, “Education of the youth is still the foundation of a state, so what happens when the moral foundation of education itself begins to shift decisively toward a political extreme?” Another change may be coming. Phillips shared the following information.

On Thursday, the House decided in a narrow 214-212 vote to pass Trump’s rescission package to cut taxpayer funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. These media conglomerates have a decidedly left-wing bias, having supported cultural Marxist themes, drag shows, and blatant relativism. Perhaps PBS is more strongly associated in the minds of some Americans with cultural classics for young people such as “Cat in the Hat,” “Sesame Street,” or “Martha Speaks.” True, PBS did have a strong educational content in the early years, but by the turn of this century it took a turn for the woke.

In 2022, PBS was forced to cancel the longest running animated children’s show in the network’s history, “Arthur,” after backlash over their 2019 episode featuring a homosexual wedding and a 2020 episode discussing George Floyd’s death. Previously, when “Arthur” had tried to promote LGBTQ+ narratives, the episodes were removed under pressure from President George W. Bush’s Department of Education. But since Bush departed office, producers shamelessly have aired leftist propagandized shows. And they’re funded by American taxpayers.

In 2017, Bustle, the online women’s magazine with an audience of over 100 million monthly readers, said unashamedly that, “these progressive children’s shows prove that you don’t need to have an over 18 target audience to create work that challenges assumptions abut gender, race, and politics … that’s the beauty of these shows … this is education via stealth” [emphasis added]. They said the quiet part out loud, which gives me the chills, and not in a good way.

In line with this approach, Sesame Street ran an episode called “Family Day” with gay couple Dave and Frank in 2021, and in 2022, Elmo encouraged children to get the COVID shot, as part of PBS’s “the ABCs of the COVID Vaccine” learning initiative.

Sesame Street hosted outspoken homosexuals in recent years, such as Ellen DeGeneres and rapper Lil Nas X. Even PBS’ bipartisan literacy initiatives launched during the Reagan administration are now focused on “racial literacy.” PBS’ movie “Real Boy” features a transgender teenager who struggles with sobriety. The perfect viewing for a Friday family movie night! Lest we forget, these programs are aimed at children, who should not be over racialized or sexualized if the goal is to educate, not indoctrinate.

Phillips continued her article by explaining that “NPR’s programming over the past decade is rife with woke propaganda” and sharing some examples. She ended her article this way:

Feeling edified? Well, hopefully taxpayers across the political spectrum who value education won’t have to fund programs like this for much longer, as 214 House members concluded Thursday afternoon on the House floor: Federal funds do not belong in the pockets of woke media conglomerates. Education of youth is the foundation of a state, and elected officials are beginning to take that seriously.

Who Is Hans von Spakovsky?

My VIP for this week is Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation. I chose him as my VIP because of his understanding of the U.S. Constitution.

When a lower court ruled against President Donald Trump about his activating California’s National Guard, the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals acted within a few hours to block the ruling.

According to an article by Tyler O’Neil, von Spakovsky claimed that the quick action by the 9^th Circuit was because Trump clearly had the authority to take the action required. 

“Look, what the president did is something he is statutorily authorized to do, much less looking at his constitutional authority as commander-in-chief,” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal in an interview Friday.

He cited 10 U.S.C. 12406, which allows the president to call the National Guard – which ordinarily falls under the purview of state governors – into federal service in three circumstances: invasion or threat of invasion, rebellion or threat of rebellion, and if the president cannot execute U.S. law with regular forces.

Trump invoked the third reason when he ordered the California National Guard to assist federal law enforcement in Los Angeles amid the riots. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had carried out raids to detain and deport illegal aliens, and agitators physically blocked them from doing so. Protests against the raids devolved into violence, as agitators attacked ICE agents, set vehicles ablaze, and looted retail stores.

After Trump activated the California National Guard, Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., filed a lawsuit challenging the action.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, an appointee of President Bill Clinton and brother to former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, issued an order Thursday demanding that Trump turn control of the National Guard back to Newsom by Fridy afternoon.

The president appealed, however, and later that afternoon, a three-judge panel of the 9^th Circuit granted his request to stay the order….

“The 9^th Circuit moved almost immediately to stay the decision while they take a look at the case,” he noted.

Von Spakovsky also mentioned that the 9^th Circuit is “very liberal,” but he insisted, “This is really not a gray issue. The statute’s very clear.” …

 

What Authority Does Trump Have to Use National Guard in Los Angeles?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the authority of the President of the United States to protect Americans. When riots broke out in Los Angles and threatened ICE officers, Mayor Karen Bass refused to order police officers in to protect ICE officers, and California Governor Gavin Newsom refused to send in the National Guard. So, President Donald Trump ordered the National Guard into Los Angeles to protect federal employees and federal property.

California Governor Gavin Newsom would not order the National Guard into action, but he would use the court system in an attempt to force Trump to surrender the control of the National Guard to him. Joseph M. Hanneman at The Blaze reported the following information. 

President Donald J. Trump has authority under the U.S. Pservice [sp.?] for defined purposes that include putting down rebellion, defending against invasion, and ensuring execution of the laws of the United States.

When rioting broke out in and around Los Angeles on June 6 and federal employees and facilities were attacked, President Trump used his constitutional and statutory powers to call 2,000 and later 4,000 members of the California National Guard into federal service.

Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 9 asked a federal district court judge to force the commander in chief to relinquish control of the National Guard, complaining that President Trump had not adequately consulted him.

United States District Judge Charles Breyer, appointee of President Bill Clinton and brother of retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, sided with Newsom in a ruling that was quickly stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A hearing is set for June 17….

The fight that Newsom started in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is shaping up to be more about partisan politics, policy, and lawfare than presidential authority. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit quickly stayed a district judge’s ruling that President Trump exceeded his authority. The case will almost certainly end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Attorneys general for nineteen states and Guam -- conservative and liberal states – “petitioned to file an amici curiae brief in opposition to Newsom’s attempt to wrestle control of the Guard back from the president.”

Newsom complained bitterly in California’s application for a federal temporary restraining order that President Trump and Defense Secretary Pet Hegseth are using a “warrior culture” that targets “the streets of cities and towns where Americans work, go to school, and raise families.”

In his application seeking judicial fiat to regain control of the Guard, Newsom denied the existence of any rebellion or invasion, instead describing the fiery rioting and assaults on federal agents and buildings by supporters of illegal aliens as “civil unrest that is no different from episodes that regularly occur in communities throughout the country that is capable of being contained by state and local authorities working together.”

“Absent immediate injunctive relief, defendants’ use of the military and the federalized National Guard to patrol communities or otherwise engage in general law enforcement activities creates imminent harm to state sovereignty, deprives the state of vital resources, escalates tensions and promotes (rather than quells) civil unrest,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote in the state’s motion for a restraining order….

In calling up the National Guard and ordering 700 active-duty U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, President Trump judged that Newsom and Bass were unwilling to support the rule of law and protect federal employees, vehicles, facilities, and the general public.

Attorneys for the DOJ insist that the authority to use the military to protect federal agents rests solely with the president, and it is his job alone to determine the measures needed to keep federal employees, facilities, and interests safe from mob rule….

Under Section 10 U.S. Code § 12406, the president has authority to use the National Guard to suppress rebellion, repel an invasion, or execute federal laws…. [Emphasis added.]

Judge Breyer’s issuance of a temporary restraining order, quickly stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals, was a “dangerous” overreach of judicial authority, Edelman suggested….

The president’s authority under Section 10 was tailored in this case to protect those engaged in law enforcement functions, such as ICE agents and Department of Homeland Security officers. Neither Guard troops nor Marines were assigned law enforcement duties, so President Trump’s actions do not run afoul of the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits U.S. military personnel from performing domestic law enforcement functions.

“Plaintiffs offer no contrary evidence, only a speculative assertion that the National Guard and Marines will be used for unlawful purposes in the future,” Edelman wrote.

“Courts did not interfere when President Eisenhower deployed the military to protect school desegregation … when President Nixon deployed the military to deliver the mail in the midst of a postal strike. And courts should not interfere here either.”

Given the rioting involved, President Trump could have federalized the National Guard by enabling the Insurrection Act. But he chose to work through federal statute in Section 10.

“The statutory lineage of [sub] Section 12406 begins with the First Militia Act of 1792, which, among other things, was used by George Washington to respond to the Whiskey Rebellion,” Edelman wrote….

            The Insurrection Act has been legally invoked 30 times by 17 presidents, according to the                        Brennan Center for Justice, a New York-based law and policy center. 

What Is the Law of Chastity?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 60-63 in a lesson titled “I Am with the Faithful Always.” The lesson was introduced by the following paragraphs.

In early August 1831, Joseph Smith and other elders of the Church were preparing to return to Kirtland after a short visit to the “land of Zion” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:3). The Lord had wanted them to preach the gospel during their trip (see Doctrine nd Covenants 52:10), and some of them did so diligently. But others were hesitant. “They hide the talent which I have given unto them,” the Lord said, “because of the fear of man” (Doctrine and Covenants 60:2). Many of us know how these elders felt. Even though we love the gospel, fear and doubt might keep us from sharing it. But the Lord is merciful. He “knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor [us]” (Doctrine and Covenants 62:1). Scattered throughout these revelations to early missionaries are reassurances that can help us overcome our fears and shortcomings: “I am able to make you holy.” “All flesh is in mine hand.” “I am with the faithful always.” And “He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world.” (Doctrine and Covenants 60:7; 61:6; 62:9; 63:47.) 

The scripture block contains several principles, including (1) I can share my love and testimony of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 60; 62, (2) The scriptures teach of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 60:2-4; 61:1-2, 20, 36-38; 62:1, 6), (3) My decisions should balance “judgment and the direction of the Spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 62), (4) Signs come by faith and the will of God (Doctrine and Covenants 63:7-12), (5) I can be chaste in my thoughts and actions (Doctrine and Covenants 63:16), and (6) Sacred things should be treated with reverence (Doctrine and Covenants 63:58-64).

This essay will discuss principle #5 “I can be chaste in my thoughts and actions” (Doctrine and Covenants 63:16). We will first look at the applicable verse of scripture.

16 And verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear.

In the above quoted scripture, the Savior reaffirmed what He taught in the New Testament – that the law of chastity should govern not just our actions but also our thoughts (see Matthew 5:27-28). This verse tells us that we commit adultery in our heart if we lust after anyone. It also says that adultery causes us to lose the Spirit.

Many people think the Lord’s standards of chastity of thought and action are old-fashioned or even oppressive. It would be wonderful if all of God’s children lived the law of chastity. Even when we know the blessings of being chaste in our thoughts and actions, it is not always easy to live the law. In his general conference address titled “We Believe in Being Chaste,” Elder David A. Bednar gave the following counsel: 

The means by which mortal life is created is divinely appointed. “The first commandment … God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129). The commandment to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force today. Thus, marriage between a man and a woman is the authorized channel through which premortal spirits enter mortality. Complete sexual abstinence before marriage and total fidelity within marriage protect the sanctity of this sacred channel.

The power of procreation is spiritually significant. Misuse of this power subverts the purposes of the Father’s plan and of our mortal existence. Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son are creators and have entrusted each of us with a portion of Their creative power. Specific guidelines for the proper use of the ability to create life are vital elements in the Father’s plan. How we feel about and use that supernal power will determine in large measure our happiness in mortality and our destiny in eternity….

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are proper only between a man and a woman in the marriage relationship prescribed in God’s plan. Such relations are not merely a curiosity to be explored, an appetite to be satisfied, or a type of recreation or entertainment to be pursued selfishly. They are not a conquest to be achieved or simply an act to be performed. Rather, they are in mortality one of the ultimate expressions of our divine nature and potential and a way of strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife. We are agents blessed with moral agency and are defined by our divine heritage as children of God—and not by sexual behaviors, contemporary attitudes, or secular philosophies….

The doctrine I have described will seem to be archaic and outdated to many people in a world that increasingly mocks the sanctity of procreation and minimizes the worth of human life. But the Lord’s truth is not altered by fads, popularity, or public opinion polls. I promise that obedience to the law of chastity will increase our happiness in mortality and make possible our progress in eternity. Chastity and virtue are now, always have been, and always will be “most dear and precious above all things” (Moroni 9:9). I so testify in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen (Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 41-44).

Why Do We Celebrate Father’s Day?

Families are stronger when members commemorate important days. Sunday, June 15, 2025, is Father’s Day in the United States. This non-federal holiday is celebrated on the third Sunday in June in the United States.

Most government offices and businesses run their usual Sunday schedule. If they are open or closed on a regular Sunday, the same will be true on Father’s Day.

Even though Father’s Day is not a federal holiday, it is a meaningful day that most Americans observe. It is a day to thank the father-figures in our lives: fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, guardians, and other male role models who give us their love, guidance, and support. It can be observed with a quiet meal or a big celebration.

The important thing about Father’s Day is the act of showing appreciation for fathers and their important role in our lives and society. This site gives the following history of Father’s Day in the United States. 

The idea of celebrating Father’s Day started in the early 1900s. In 1908, Grace Golden Clayton held a church service in Fairmont, West Virginia, to honor fathers who died in the 1907 mining disaster in Monongah, West Virginia.

A year later, Sonora Smart Dodd, a young woman from Spokane, Washington, proposed a national Father’s Day. Inspired by a Mother’s Day sermon, she wanted to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran and widower who raised his six children alone.

Sonora approached the Spokane Ministerial Alliance for support. Although she suggested June 5, her father’s birthday, the alliance opted for the third Sunday in June to give pastors more time to prepare their sermons.

With help from local churches, community groups, and the Spokane Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the first Father’s Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson visited Spokane and spoke at a Father’s Day service, showing early presidential support. The idea gained momentum over time.

By the 1930s, advertisers and retailers began promoting Father’s Day as a commercial holiday, encouraging people to buy gifts and cards. The National Council for the Promotion of Father’s Day helped push the holiday into wider public acceptance through marketing campaigns.

In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a presidential proclamation recognizing Father’s Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed it into law as an official national observance.