Free Republic

BOSTON (AP) -- For the first time in court, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev dropped his blank, impassive demeanor and cried as his sobbing aunt briefly took the stand Monday in his federal death penalty trial. Tsarnaev, 21, wiped tears from his eyes quickly and fidgeted in his chair as his mother's sister sobbed uncontrollably. He had maintained a disinterested expression since his trial began in January. The aunt, Patimat Suleimanova, cried as she sat down about 10 feet from Tsarnaev. The tears began falling before she began to testify, and she was only able to answer questions about her...

Police Chief Tim Styka identified the dead as 33-year-old Jonathan Stoffel, of Neenah, his 11-year-old daughter, Olivia, and Adam Bentdahl, 31, of Appleton. Stoffel's wife, Erin, was shot three times but survived and is hospitalized in critical condition. The chief said the 27-year-old gunman, Sergio Valencia del Toro, fatally shot himself after randomly shooting the others near a pavilion on the bridge Sunday. Styka said del Toro and his fiancee had recently called off their wedding and had argued before the shooting.

The Family in God’s Plan The Commandment to Honor One’s Father and Mother Reflects the Family’s Role in Church and Society By: Most Reverend William E. Lori, Archbishop of BaltimoreArticle Tools The fourth commandment instructs us to “Honor your father and your mother.” How many times as youngsters did we confess that we had disobeyed our parents in ways great and small? Yet we can understand this commandment more fully by considering how it encompasses God’s entire plan for marriage and family life.The fourth commandment instructs us to “Honor your father and your mother.” How many times as youngsters...

According to reports, President Obama’s Kenyan family has now completely “disowned him.” The much-chronicled “complicated” relationship between Obama and his Kenyan family has reportedly utterly collapsed in the last few years, the family accusing him of turning a blind eye to them and only touting his Kenyan heritage for “political expediency.” ... The relationship really melted down last year when Obama allegedly stonewalled the family over the funeral of Obama’s aunt Zaituni, which the president skipped in order to play another round of golf.

Fathers and Daughters – Is This a Missing Key to Modesty Today? By: Msgr. Charles PopeWe often speak today of the terrible toll that fatherless homes have on young boys. And this is true. Without a reasonably good (even though not sinless) model of manhood and responsibility, many boys lose their way. Fathers also play a large role in disciplining boys, especially as they grow older and become  stronger than their mothers.But missing fathers also bring forth terrible effects on many girls. Women, even young girls, certainly do seek and desire the love and appreciation of men and have...

On the Lost Justice of the “Sabbath Rest” By: Msgr. Charles PopeSome of us who are older remember that Sundays were once quiet in downtown; in shopping areas, parking lots were empty. Most businesses were closed and few people had to work on Sundays. Surely there were exceptions, such as medical personnel, emergency workers, and those who ran essential services like power plants. But for most, Sunday was a day off. And although the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, in a largely Christian nation Sunday was the “Sabbath” day of rest.In those days, Church was in the morning and then it was...

At the Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day event at the White House Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama had a hard time remembering how long she and the president of the United States have been married. She also made sure she curried favor with the children by pandering to them, saying, "We are grateful to you all, for what you do to support your parents ... " and added a pitch for the nanny state, saying of the children's parents, "We're taking care of 'em, at least we're trying to ..." The First Lady began by siting down...

Back to Basics: A Summary of the Teaching of the Catechism on Holy Matrimony By: Msgr. Charles PopeThere’s an old story told about the legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi. At one point he was so concerned that the players on his team had lost any sense of the basics of the game that he summoned them all into a classroom and had them all sit down at desks. Most of them expected a detailed review of the playbook, with diagrams on the board of X’s, O’s, and arrows. But to their surprise, the blackboard was empty and no playbooks were in sight. Lombardi walked in...

There used to be a stigma in recent years toward forming male-only organizations, due to the perception they were sexist; excluding women for the benefit of men. But as boys and men are increasingly failing in so many areas - crime, violence, and education to name a few - that perception is changing. There is a real need for organizations that can reverse this trend and prevent men from turning to destructive lifestyles. The purpose of men’s interest groups is evolving; it isn’t to help men excel over women, it’s merely to stop the spiraling path downward so many are...

Get it , grandma! This 72 year old woman tells the straight up truth. Share with everyone you know.

No, this isn’t an article on what you’re probably thinking. It’s true that much of the press these days is focused on whether or not too many people want to get married, (i.e. “Teh Gayz”) but there is a less advertised current of concern over the idea that marriage in general is on the decline and may, in fact, be on the way out. I noticed one editorial at CNN on the subject which cites some rather interesting statistics. It’s easy enough to dismiss the piece out of hand because the author is CNN anchor Carol Costello, but given the...

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe Come on in, we're open Need a place just to hang out? This is it. We serve coffee, tea,or maybe a tall brew? Topped off with great conversation and music. No worries in the FReeper Canteen Just Hangin' Cafe. Grab a glass and start a conversation. You never know who you might meet in the Cafe. Glad you could join us. Enjoy your stay. Our...

"Valerie Jarrett is one of the more mysterious figures in Washington. She’s a Senior Advisor to the Obama Administration and seems to be one of the more powerful people in D.C. We discussed the “Healthy Family Act” that the White House is urging Congress to pass. "

Having served overseas in three deployments during his tenure for the United Stated Army, SFC Monte Kaiser assumed his days of fighting were over. Tragic events in the past month however have charged a Desert Storm veteran with the task of preparing for what could be his greatest mission, where love and his sense of honor will be his primary weapons. Having lost his fiancee, Tanaya Goins, in a senseless and devastating tragedy, he need carry on without her for the sake of the son she left behind, and fulfill an obligation he takes on without reserve. Shortly after graduating from high...

I know that many Progs will contest this. "We don't hate families! Why I have a mother/father/spouse/child/etc.. who means the world to me! That's crazy wingnut hater talk!". That's probably true, and as individuals I'm winning to concede that they may think families are spiffy. As Progressives, however, they are in service to an ideology whose greatest obstacle is the extended and especially the nuclear family. Not Conservatives, not Christians, not the Koch brothers. The family is the greatest threat to the Progressive worldview.

Full title: 'He died while smoking, drinking whiskey and telling lies': Hilarious and heartfelt obituary to Alaska fisherman, 60, published in local paper by adoring daughter ".........The obituary goes on to tell the story of Malcolm's life, starting with his upbringing in Kirkland, Washington. At the age of 19, Malcolm left his home state for Dutch Harbor, Alaska in order to realize his life's calling to 'yell at deckhands on commercial fishing boats.' For forty years, Malcolm worked as a boat cook, mechanic, deckhand, captain and boat owner catching crab, halibut, black cod and salmon - mostly out of the...

Our kids, at least many of them, are not doing very well. The reason, writes Harvard professor Robert Putnam in his just-published "Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis," is the "two-tier pattern of family structure" that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s and continues to prevail today. Starting in the late 1960s, rates of divorce, unmarried births and single parenthood rose sharply among all segments of society. About a decade later, they fell and leveled off among the college-educated, who almost entirely raise their kids in Ozzie-and-Harriet style families today (except that Mom usually works outside the home). Among...

NAPLES, Italy, March 23, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- For at least the third time in his pontificate Pope Francis has used very strong language to condemn the gender theory, one of the intellectual underpinnings of the ‘LGBT’ agenda. Speaking Sunday with young people on his voyage to Naples, Italy, Pope Francis spoke of the “ideological colonization” of families seen throughout Europe and the West.“Gender theory is an error of the human mind that leads to so much confusion," he said. “So the family is under attack.” As to how to deal with the “secularization” or the “ideological colonization,” the pope said...

There is so much bad news, fallacious rhetoric, bad faith, and general unscrupulousness coming from the ligbitists (my name for LGBT activists) that it might be tempting, at times, to write off everyone queer as a bunch of incorrigible homofascists.  When sterling exceptions remind us that no constituency has a monopoly on human dignity, we ought to stand up and give proper credit where it is due. Openly gay Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, the Italian geniuses in evening wear and accessories, came forward and stated their defense of the traditional family of mother-father-child.  The Daily Mail among many...

Children remind us that “we are always children”, they bring their way of seeing reality, with a “confident and pure” gaze (“they have not yet learned the science of duplicity which we adults have learned”), they can “teach us to smile and cry again”. “Of course they also bring concerns and sometimes many problems, but a society with these concerns and these problems is far better than a society that is sad and gray because it has no children!” This was the crux of Francis’ message at this Wednesday’s General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.  After reflecting on the different figures...