Free Republic

In denying his application for a concealed-carry permit, Oceanport Police Chief Daniel W. Barcus said Russell was unable to demonstrate “justifiable need” because there had been no specific attacks or threats made directly on him. To legally carry concealed firearms in New Jersey, residents have to apply to their local police for a permit demonstrating such a need. But critics of the state’s strict gun laws say this results in very few people other than acting and retired law enforcement officials getting approval for such permits.

A backdrop of Third World atrocity, suffering and merciless human-rights violations serves as the canvas for a faux-profound Hollywood love story in Sean Penn's stunningly self-important but numbingly empty cocktail of romance and insulting refugee porn, The Last Face. Beautiful movie stars — rugged, earthy Javier Bardem sporting flawless, bedroom-chic stubble, and iron butterfly Charlize Theron, wearing dewy no-makeup makeup and an excellent moisturizer — battle for 130 stultifying minutes to listen to their hearts while their souls take a hammering. Audiences are more likely to check out and just leave them to it....

We take life before it is born and we take life before nature calls. We are a nation without gratitude. Joseph Fletcher quoted in The Ethics of Genetic Control 1988, “The world no longer needs all the individuals we are capable of bringing into it—especially those who are unable to compete and are an unhappy burden to others. If the size of our families must be limited, surely we are entitled to children who are healthy rather than defective”(emphasis mine). This seems to be the mantra today. Entitlement. Only healthy children need apply to be born, when I want them....

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz says Bernie Sanders added fuel to the fire that raged at last weekend's chaotic Democratic convention in Nevada, criticizing him for choosing to denounce party leaders before condemning violence in a written statement. Liberal CNN commentator Van Jones sees things very differently. [Snip] As the Democratic presidential nominating contest drags on - with the Republican race already over - left-leaning pundits are increasingly pinning the blame for disunity on the party boss, instead of the underdog candidate who refuses to drop out. Sanders might be stubborn, but Wasserman Schultz drove him to it...

An openly gay pastor who claimed that a grocery store bakery wrote a homophobic message on his cake has dropped his lawsuit against Whole Foods, claiming he made up the story, according to news reports.

Four people were killed and at least 14 people have been wounded in Chicago since early Wednesday afternoon, including a triple fatal shooting in Englewood and five people shot in the evening in the Park Manor neighborhood. A man and two women were shot to death during a domestic-related incident in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. A 50-year-old man, his 30-year-old daughter and her 26-year-old sister-in-law were in the 1500 block of West 71st Street when a known man fired shots at them during a domestic-related incident. The shooting happened inside and outside of a home on the...

A new dating website is offering to pair Americans with Canadian singles to save them from a Donald Trump presidency. MapleMatch.com promises love and a U.S. escape plan if Trump becomes commander-in-chief. The website promises to “make dating great again,” parodying the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s slogan. “It’s easy to say, ‘This is just about Americans trying to find a way to get residency in Canada,” CEO Joe Goldman said in an interview. “I think ... many Americans may be frustrated by the community that they’re in or the dating pool they’ve had access to. “Why not seek something different?...

(Reuters) - A former administrator in Flint, Michigan, charged in a federal lawsuit on Monday that she was fired for seeking a probe into allegations the mayor tried to redirect donations to her personal campaign fund from a charity meant to help families hurt by the city's water crisis. The wrongful termination lawsuit filed in federal court in Detroit said former City Administrator Natasha Henderson was fired in violation of whistle-blower and free-speech protections under Michigan law and the U.S. Constitution. An attorney retained by the city of Flint on the matter did not immediately respond to a request for...

Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what's going to happen to us, with both a Senate and a House?" — Will Rogers Most Marylanders are wondering the same thing. This year, the liberal majority in the Senate and House launched a fiscal attack on Gov. Larry Hogan's efforts to balance the budget, reduce the deficit and cut taxes. Their goal: to handcuff Hogan and prevent him from doing the job we elected him to do. Fencing and mandated spending are the manacles Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Mike Busch are using. Here's how they work....

If they care more about students than teachers’ unions, every school district in the country needs to pay attention to this: When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker gave the boot to teachers’ unions, liberals predicted a disaster of apocalyptic proportions: Teachers quitting, slack-jawed, uneducated students meandering down vacant downtowns that closed shop. It turns out, though, that Walker’s “Act 10” may have been the best thing to happen to schools and teachers in decades. That’s because not only is teacher pay up for the best students, but without burdensome union rules, school administrators are empowered to make real changes they need...

This video was a parody that opened a talk at the Church Leaders Conference encouraging people to see past the stereotypes and recognizing the unique potential that millennials have!

Get ready America, liberals are on the rampage After decades of unchecked illegal immigration and liberal policies, conservatives are in a distinct minority in California. It is most definitely the case in the California Assembly. On Thursday, state lawmakers rejected a harmless resolution to honor legendary actor John Wayne, a native son of California. Wayne grew up in Glendale, California and later became a beloved actor known for his tough guy roles in dozens of popular movies. In fact, he won an Oscar for his performance in “True Grit.”

Last night, anti-Trump protesters rioted in Costa Mesa, California. Yes, rioted. That’s what you call it when “demonstrations” turn into this: [video of rioters trying to turn over police car] Or this: [photo of bloody Trump supporter] Just imagine for a moment the shrieking outrage if Trump supporters had tried to flip a car outside a Hillary Clinton rally. Imagine the fury at the sight of a bloody man wearing a Hillary shirt. So how did the mainstream media cover the anti-Trump riot? Hot Air’s Larry O’Connor has the details: Check out the LA Times headline: Protests rage outside Trump...

The Census should be demanding more information about “gender identity,” leading liberal lawmakers said Wednesday, asking the agency to start including more probing questions to get at the increasingly complex family dynamics in America. “Many federal data collection instruments gather respondents’ race, ethnicity, sex, marital status and other personal demographic information. However, most of these instruments do not include direct measures of respondents’ sexual orientation or gender identity,” Rep. Raul Grijalva and Sen. Tammy Baldwin said in a letter they led, and which was co-signed by dozens of their Democratic colleagues.

At Georgetown, the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the U.S., the official teachings of the church against homosexuality have been set aside. Wednesday is the occasion for a “Lavender Graduation” event, described as “a special ceremony for LGBTQ and Ally undergraduate and graduate students,” in order to “acknowledge their achievements, contributions, and unique experiences at Georgetown University.” Before this eyebrow-raising event was set to occur, Georgetown University hosted Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, which is responsible for 40 percent of all reported abortions committed in the United States. The student newspaper reported that Richards spoke...

I don’t know why progressives hate Israel. But it is undeniable that they do. There is a palpable contempt, the anti-Semitism of our day, bigotry dressed up as compassion. They talk about Palestinians, and identify with their cause, and you can almost hear them cheering the suicide vests. Whether from the college classroom or the black pulpit or the progressive stump speech, there is a strident anti-Israeli theme to the prattlings of the American left. And protests to the contrary notwithstanding, it is inseparable from a contempt for the people and religion of Israel. To my ear, in all honesty,...

"Bullying isn't cool. Bullying is lame.Bullying is ugly and has a stupid name.For a healthy world, bullying's unfit.And I think I know what we should do to i-it.Do do do do do to i-it.Let's all get together and make bullying kill itself.Bullying's an ugly thingLet's shove its face in the dirt and make bullying kill itself.Woah-oh. Woah-oh. Woah-oh." -- From the song Make Bullying Kill Itself on South ParkWhat’s the difference between a bully and a victim? It seems like a simple question, but in America’s victim-obsessed culture, the bully is often the supposed victim. As Voltaire said, “To learn...

Boris Johnson was accused of 'dog whistle racism' and likened to right-wing 'Tea Party' politicians in the US this morning after his attack on the 'part-Kenyan' Barack Obama. The Mayor of London spoke out against the US President after he urged British voters to stay in the EU and mentioned his African ancestry as he criticised the decision to remove a bust of Sir Winston Churchill from the Oval Office shortly after Mr Obama entered the White House. Mr Johnson - who is favourite to succeed David Cameron as Prime Minister - suggested the President got rid of the statue...

Bernie Sanders (champion of the "downtrodden", the climate, wannabe punisher of the successful and "free stuff" Santa Claus) charted a Boeing 767 jet for his overnight trip to Rome to see fellow socialist Pope Francis. According to the Daily Mail... that requires approx 33,192 gallons of fuel for the round trip. 50 or so passengers made the trip with Bern (767 capacity is 250 or so). Comparison to me: calculations of driving patterns based on my two vehicles (one a dreaded eeeveel SUV!), my wife and I "Bern" about 25 gallons of fuel a week. Based on our total fuel...

NEW YORK -- Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw has been suspended for one game for making a homophobic slur during Game 4 of the team's first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series with the St. Louis Blues in Chicago on Tuesday, April 19, the National Hockey League announced today. Shaw has also been fined $5,000 for directing an inappropriate gesture at the on-ice officials during the same game. Shaw will also be required to undergo sensitivity training. Both incidents took place at 17:56 of the third period. Shaw will miss Game 5 of the series on Thursday, April 21, in St. Louis....