Free Republic

You've probably heard the relativist line that goes something like this: "'Gay marriage' won't hurt anyone. Live and let live, already!" Well, don't buy it for a minute. With its recent 4-3 opinion - which arrogantly presumed to redefine the millennia-old definition of legitimate marriage - the California Supreme Court daftly divined that the framers of the California Constitution intended - all along, I guess - that Patrick Henry really had a constitutional right to "marry" Henry Patrick. In so doing, four black-robed Dr. Frankensteins have loosed that paradoxical abomination tagged same-sex "marriage" on the countryside. "Abomination," you say?...

For the first time, the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is about to get a substantial hand from advertisements by an outside group. Conservative and Republican groups have been largely quiet, leaving McCain heavily outmatched by Sen. Barack Obama's campaign fundraising juggernaut. Next week, Vets for Freedom — a 20,000-member, nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — plans to begin spending more than $1 million on a TV campaign that will include Ohio, Virginia and New Mexico. The group plans to spend millions more and to add other states to the...

On this 4th of July, President Bush attended the 46th Annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia (Transcript) Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail from 30 different nations. You represent many different ethnicities and races and religions. But you all have one thing in common -- and that is a shared love of freedom. This love of liberty is what binds our nation together, and this is the love that makes us all Americans. You may have heard about the uninvited guests at today's ceremony. More on that...

Members of the terrorist-supporting group Code Pink repeatedly heckled President Bush's speech at a naturalization ceremony for new American citizens this morning at Monticello, the home of Declaration of Independence author, Thomas Jefferson.Code Pinko Desiree Farooz, infamous for getting in the face of Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice at a House hearing last fall in a stunning breakdown of security, rushed the stage where President Bush was speaking. Taking advantage of distractive actions being taken by other Code Pinkos, Farooz was able to get past the front row and turn toward the stage before she was intercepted by security. It...

This is the typical European TV News story of Code Pink protestors at President Bush's July 4th speech at Jefferson's home, Monticello. The President was welcoming new citizens until Code Pink decided to ruin ceremony for everyone. The story and moodbats are typical until about :40 into the story when the man dressed as Uncle Sam starts screaming. Older man (Vietnam era vet age looking) stands up behind him and pulls him to ground before the wierdo is hustled off by cops and USSS. Pinko wasn't hurt, but it sure shut him up! You can also see it on CNN...

President Bush traveled to the home of Thomas Jefferson Friday to help swear in new U.S. citizens as part of Independence Day celebrations. "When you raise your hands and take the oath you will complete an incredible journey. This journey has taken you from many different countries and has now made you one people," Bush said at the naturalization ceremony at historic Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. "From this day forward, the history of the United States will be part of your heritage. The Fourth of July will be a part of your independence day and I will be honored to...

Mary Patricia McFadyen, a native of Scotland, stepped up to the microphone just moments after being sworn in as an American citizen and thanked her friends and neighbors. But, she added, President Bush was also a powerful influence in her decision. “Mr. President, I’d like to thank you for inspiring me to complete this process,” she said. “Without you, this day may have never come.” For new citizens like McFadyen, it seemed especially fitting that the president honored 72 new citizens and reflected on Thomas Jefferson’s legacy during the 46th annual Independence Day and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello.

"Hick." "Hillbilly." "Redneck." "Inbred." "Cracker." "Ridge Runner." I heard and self-effacingly used them all when I left the mountains of Appalachia to attend college in the great metropolis of Williamsburg, Va., in the '80s. I was mercilessly ribbed as a rube when I brought along my sky-blue JCPenney suit—with reversible vest—and my stack of Willie and Waylon albums, and entered a world that was as foreign to me as I must have seemed to my fancy William & Mary roommates from the private schools. Imagine my surprise at their surprise when, thinking nothing of it, I casually mentioned that I...

No Dirty Dozen this week but a dozen of clean shaven gents and wise lady Patriots were in Olney today. They included Legionnaires Glenn (WWII - USMC), Francis (WWII - Army), Dave (WWII - Army), (YES - that is 3 WWII Vets!!), Halsey (Korea - USMC), Frank (Korea - Army) Lurker Bill, Fraxinus, Olney-Keith, PrezUSA222, Sensei Ern {Mrs} Trooprally, aka [Mrs] T, and myself, [Mr] T. Below Pics are by our Wise Lady Patriot, [Mrs] T PrezUSA222 is in the Army now but before he actually leaves, he is making the best of it by attending 3 Freeps. YES, that...

West African bushmen are denied U.S. visas They'd been recruited to build a mud-hut village at a Staunton museum Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 - 12:55 AM By CARLOS SANTOS TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER • PDF: Letter STAUNTON -- Three West African bushmen recruited to build an authentic mud-hut village at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia were denied visas because they are too poor and inarticulate. In a letter to Sen. John W. Warner, R-Va., Debra Heien, chief of the consular section for the U.S. in Nigeria, said one applicant "could not articulate anything about the project. . . . The...

Virginia resident Lisa Miller, mother of 6-year-old Isabella Miller, was involved in homosexuality for a short time. Thankfully, she found freedom from the destructive "gay" lifestyle – as so many others have done –through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and, along with Isabella, is now a Christian. For the past five years or so, Lisa and Isabella have been trying to live their lives in peace at home in Virginia. But unfortunately, they've been unable to do so, as Lisa's dark past has come back to haunt them. They've been the target of a vicious legal attack by militant...

The Trooprally's drive in heavy rain on the way to WR In a few weeks PrezUSA222 (Chad) will no longer be able to stand with us at Walter Reed on Friday nights. He's got new responsibilities. Responsibilities that will require 12 weeks of basic training, several months on job training, and then a probable tour in Free Iraq. Chad answered the call. He's in the Army now. We presented him with a plaque of a photo montage of most of the troop support signs we've used over the years. The montage is an original creation by iMacMan. After I...

ARLINGTON, Va., July 2, 2008 – A new relationship with IndyCar promises to propel National Guard recruiting forward and give citizen-soldiers and –airmen a more personal interest in another sport. Driver Vitor Meira; Maj. Gen. Ray Carpenter, special assistant to the director of the Army National Guard; and Panther Racing team owner John Barnes unveil the new 230-mph, No. 4 National Guard IndyCar at the Army National Guard Readiness Center, at Arlington Hall in Arlington, Va., June 25, 2008. The National Guard is participating in the Indy Racing League for the first time. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt....

"Rush Limbaugh Renews Long-Term Contract with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Radio as He Celebrates 20 Years on Air!!" July 2, 2008 LOS ANGELES, July 2, 2008 – Rush Limbaugh, who’s heard weekly by nearly 20 million listeners on about 600 radio stations nationwide, renewed his contract with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Radio, continuing syndication of The Rush Limbaugh Show many years into the future. The deal also includes continued syndication of The Rush Limbaugh Morning Update, a 90-second commentary that airs Monday through Friday. Furthermore, Premiere Radio, in partnership with Mr. Limbaugh, will continue to oversee...

Apparently, some District residents aren't waiting on the District Council and the Fenty administration to work out the specifics of how to modify the gun ban to comply to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week. Gun shops in Maryland and Virginia suburbs told The Washington Post's Allison Klein that they've gotten a number of inquiries from D.C. residents trying to buy hardware. See the article here: The Washington Post: Gun Shops Await New D.C. Rules.

John McCain is a fighter -- at least when it comes to defending his military record. Today, a "Truth Squad" for the presumptive Republican nominee forcefully rejected General Wesley Clark's comments that McCain lacks foreign policy experience, and suggested Barack Obama do the same. Led by John Warner, a Virginia Republican who serves with McCain on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the squad blasted Clark and sought to reenforce the military reputation of McCain, a former Vietnam POW who once headed the largest Navy aviation squadron. "I find General Clark's comments to be unworthy, unseemly, for someone of his stature....

Prince William County (VA) officials Friday attributed a 19.3 percent decline in crimes against people from 2006 to 2007 to last year’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart said the major difference between Prince William and other counties where crime is on the rise is the county’s “very aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration...” But Nancy Lyall of Mexicans Without Borders, an immigrant advocacy group, said that the declining crime rates are misleading....Prince William’s homicides declined by 43.8 percent, from 16 to nine, the incidence of rape increased by 33.3 percent, from 21 to 28, robberies declined...

The FBI and Maryland State Police are investigating the death of a 19-year-old man accused of running down and killing a Prince George's County police officer. He died while in police custody Sunday, a little more than a day after he was charged with the killing. The Maryland medical examiner ruled Monday that the inmate, Ronnie White, died from strangulation. Two small bones in his neck were broken. The FBI, which investigates prison deaths as a matter of course, said it is focused on possible civil rights violations. White had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Cpl....

THE interim between the primaries and the parties’ nominating conventions is, according to ancient writ, a fertile period for presidential campaigns to talk about how they plan to expand the political map in the fall. This year is no different. Barack Obama’s strategists are suggesting that the first African-American presidential nominee of a major political party can parlay increased turnout among black voters into a string of victories in the South. Given that roughly half of all African-Americans live in the 11 former Confederate states, the idea seems intuitive enough. It’s also wrong. Prying Southern electoral votes away from the...

Fairfax County approved a landmark housing program yesterday to buy foreclosed properties for middle-income families, becoming one of the first communities in the country to tackle the nation's growing mortgage crisis while also addressing the region's increasing demand for affordable housing. County leaders said the program, through which Fairfax will purchase some properties outright and help families buy others through subsidized loans, takes advantage of a unique moment when thousands of homes are entering foreclosure and available for purchase at below-market prices. The program will expand the county's stock of affordable housing and help stabilize areas where clusters of abandoned,...

There is nothing that has fascinated Democrats this election cycle more than the prospect of their nominee winning Virginia in November. It would indeed be the Democrats’ first time to do so in more than 40 years, and the idea of cutting into the Republicans' hold on the south is, understandably, extremely exciting for them (although if they have set foot in Northern Virginia, which contains a third of the state's votes, they would understand the foolishness of interpreting a Virginia victory as anything resembling the takeover of a “southern” state.) Nonetheless, that is all they are talking about. They...

When Sen. Barack Obama chose the Nissan Pavilion in the outer suburbs of Northern Virginia to kick off his general-election campaign, one of the 10,000 supporters there was David Bruzas, who recently moved to the fastest-growing part of a state that is moving rapidly away from its Republican past. "Being in this area has made me a lot more politically in tune with what's going on," said Bruzas, 27, a systems engineer from Illinois who moved to Fairfax County to work for Cisco Systems in 2005. "And I identify with Obama." Only a few hours west on Route 50, in...

An employee of a Virginia Beach pizza restaurant shot and killed a masked robber who had come in the back of the shop to rob it Saturday night, police said.

VIRGINIA BEACHAn employee of a Virginia Beach pizza restaurant shot and killed a masked robber who had come in the back of the shop to rob it Saturday night, police said.The shooting happened about 10:08 p.m. at Dominick's Pizza & Pasta, in the Timberlake Shopping Center in the 4200 block of Holland Road.Employees had opened the back door to let a breeze come in, and the robber came in the door to the kitchen and pointed a gun at them, said Sgt. Rene Ball of Virginia Beach police.An employee then shot and killed the robber, she said. No one else...

"...Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" only cemented the mystique of Christopher McCandless for Alexander and others heading to Alaska this summer to retrace the steps of the young adventurer along the Stampede Road near Denali National Park. In particular, they want to see the old abandoned bus where the 24-year-old Virginian starved to death in 1992 after more than three months alone trying to live off a harsh landscape. "That's sort of the heart of the story," said Alexander, 44, of Arlington, Va. "It's almost like a Jim Morrison grave site, where people just want to go see it." This...

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is scheduled to pay a solemn visit to wounded Iraq veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on Saturday, Politico has learned. The visit will be Obama’s third. Obama’s staff is keeping his trip low key. It is not on his public schedule, and his campaign would not confirm it. A pool of reporters will go with him, but will not accompany him inside. (snip) McCain occasionally visits soldiers at Walter Reed on weekends when he is in Washington, most recently May 31. McCain’s visits are usually unannounced to the press, and sometimes he...

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 27, 2008 – On Aug. 19, 2006, the life of Army Capt. James Barclay IV changed forever. Army Capt. James Barclay IV bonds with his hunting dog, Bryant. A Williamsburg, Va., trainer donated his services to train Bryant for Barclay, who was wounded in an Afghanistan roadside-bomb attack. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joe Laws   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. He was in the lead vehicle of a convoy in a remote area of Afghanistan when a roadside bomb tore through his vehicle. Barclay survived, but suffered burns over 40 percent of...

Barack Obama’s vice presidential vetting team will undoubtedly run across some quirky and potentially troublesome issues as it goes about the business of scouring the backgrounds of possible running mates. But it’s unlikely they’ll find one so curious as Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb’s affinity for the cause of the Confederacy. Webb is no mere student of the Civil War era. He’s an author, too, and he’s left a trail of writings and statements about one of the rawest and most sensitive topics in American history. He has suggested many times that while the Confederacy is a symbol to many...

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 – Sunny days will be just around the corner when Elmo and his friends bring “The Sesame Street Experience” to 43 military installations to help children trying to cope with parents’ deployments. Jillian Kules, 13 months, shows Leslye Arsht, deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy the new DVD she got June 26, 2008, at the launch of Sesame Workshop's "The Sesame Street Experience." Both the DVD and the live show were developed with the support of Arsht's office to help young military children cope with parents' deployments. Defense Dept. photo...

Virginia's 100th execution in modern times was carried out last night as Robert Stacy Yarbrough died by injection for the 1997 slaying of a country store owner. Yarbrough, 30, was pronounced dead at the Greensville Correctional Center at 9:28 p.m. Asked if he had any last words, he said, "Tell my kids I love them. Let's get it over with. Make people happy," according to a prison spokesman. He was sentenced to die for the May 8, 1997, capital murder of Cyril H. Hamby, 77. Hamby was tied up and nearly decapitated with a knife during a robbery of the...

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of terrorists to get access to our courts, illegal aliens can stay even when they agree to leave, and ruled in favor of child rapists. Based on this I wouldn't put it passed them to rule against law abiding gun owners if they ruled against an 8 year old rape victim!!

The State Department has no authority to close a Saudi-supported school criticized for violent teachings, a spokesman said Tuesday, despite an official request for guidance from the Northern Virginia county that leases space for the school's main campus. The department will "respond as appropriate" to Fairfax County supervisors, spokesman Rob McInturff said. "We work with the Saudi government ... to revise educational materials in Saudi Arabia, but this is a private school in the U.S.," Mr. McInturff said. "We don't monitor their activities or anything like that." Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly sent a letter Monday...

Va, Senate Democrats Reject New Energy Bill June 24, 2008 Richmond, VA: Virginia State Senator Frank Wagner (R - Virginia Beach) saw Senate Democrats scuttle his effort to dedicate potential royalties to transportation and environmental protection programs from any off-shore exploration and drilling of natural gas 50 miles or more off the Virginia coastline. On a straight, party line vote, Democrats voted to "pass by for the day" effectively killing Wagner's measure for this Special Session. Sixteen other Republican senators had already signed on as co-patrons of Wagner's bill. Senator Ken T. Cuccinelli, II (R - Fairfax) had introduced a...

To their everlasting horror, the global-warming alarmists have discovered that ExxonMobil advertises with the Washington Nationals. This act of free enterprise cannot go unpunished, so the global-warming alarmists have initiated a campaign to educate the Lerner family and baseball-supporting public in the hope the Nationals will end their relationship with ExxonMobil. It is unclear whether the global-warming alarmists walked to the ballpark from their homes, took mass transportation or drove there in an automobile. That, of course, is often the rub with the global-warming zealots. They talk a good game if it concerns you, your neighbor and the person down...

RICHMOND | The couple walked into a Norfolk courthouse on a spring day, exchanged a few words and, within 10 minutes, were seemingly husband and wife. It was an unremarkable ceremony - except that several weeks later, officials realized that the shapely bride might not have been a woman. Now authorities in the state, where same-sex marriages are illegal, are weighing whether to file misdemeanor charges against the couple, Antonio E. Blount, 31, and Justin L. McCain, 18. An announcement is expected this week. At issue is whether the couple lied on their marriage license. A prosecutor says the decision...

Why is Rep. Randy Forbes all alone out there? Rep. Forbes is an earnest Republican congressman from Virginia who has distinguished himself by calling for a "Manhattan Project" to fully end the U.S.'s dependence on foreign energy within 20 years. The Manhattan Project label harks back to the government's crash project to develop and field a nuclear weapon within just a few years to prevail in World War II.

After spending the winter in a warmer climate, 3DJoy in back in town for the summer. And she’s back in style. Just arriving last week, she was at Walter Reed, spent Friday night at the Olney Compound and was out at Olney, cheering for our brave troops. Then lunch at Dave’s Bistro. For those who know the place, they actually have a 6 page menu now. And the weather was almost perfect, just a little on the warm side in Olney. What a way to spend her first weekend in town. BELOW 3D in her stylish outfit at Walter Reed....

Oil Is Not the Only Saudi ExportSaudi hate is no worry for the just-say-no-to-energy crowd. By Deroy Murdock Look what your petrodollars helped to finance: “The cause of the discord: The Jews conspired against Islam and its people. A sly, wicked person who sinfully and deceitfully professed Islam infiltrated [the Muslims].” “In these verses is a call for jihad, which is the pinnacle of Islam. . . . Only through force and victory over the enemies is there security and repose. Within martyrdom in the path of God (exalted and glorified is He) is a type of noble life-force that...

On Evil Bethany Stotts, June 23, 2008 Is evil the result of human choice or manufactured by social circumstances? Professor Philip Zimbardo, known for his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971, opted for the latter explanation at a recent CATO book forum. Zimbardo told the audience that he believes Lucifer was expelled from heaven not for sinning, but for disobeying an authority figure. “It’s really a story about what happens when you challenge authority—you go to hell,” said the Stanford University professor. The author of The Lucifer Effect, Zimbardo believes that any person has the capacity for terrible deeds, torture,...

Catholic History Restored by: Malcolm A. Kline, June 23, 2008 One of, if not the main, problem with the way that history has been taught for decades is that students gain little indication of the majesty of it all. Facts that help explain why the world works as it does are casually tossed aside by those we would entrust with passing on the past because they do not fit some theory du jour. Such theories usually spin around the alleged avarice of Christian white males, such as, supposedly, our founding fathers. Richard Hofstadter famously echoed this motif in his still-widely...

WASHINGTON — The Marines, in full dress uniform, perform their summer drills in silence, flipping their rifles in near-perfect precision in front of the Iwo Jima memorial, illuminated by the glow of sunset. One man, the guest of honor, stands stock-straight at the center of the pageantry, Marines on both sides, watching as they pass. Order. Precision. Tradition. Just across the Potomac River from his Senate office, this is Jim Webb's world. The first-term senator from Virginia has built a life around a deep love for the military. His sons have followed him, with one serving in the Marines in...

My name is Paulie Abeles and until two days ago, most people knew me as a typical busy wife and mom. I am a life-long Democrat. My father, a triple eagle at Boston College, campaigned for JFK’s first Senate campaign; my mother actively supported Democratic candidates. My parents instilled in me a strong sense of fairness and equality, a thirst for knowledge, and an expectation that intelligent discussion should be based on well-researched facts. I graduated from Smith College and have worked for Salomon Brothers, The Stars & Stripes, and The Freight Forwarders Council.I have spent the past six months...

Last Wednesday, Virginia Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner proposed an emergency federal crackdown on "oil speculators." "Make no mistake about it: What has happened over the past few months has not been the result of the market," Mr. Warner said, sounding not so much like the level-headed, moderate Democrat he was once reputed to be. Democrats clearly are worrying about high gas prices interrupting their march to landslide victories in the fall. In Virginia, Republican James Gilmore is given virtually no chance to win against Mr. Warner. Mr. Gilmore might be a former governor and offer a clear contrast on...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With his two Purple Hearts, three tattoos and spoiling-for-a-fight attitude, Sen. Jim Webb is emerging as the Democrats' point man on two of the most profound matters facing the electorate this November: national defense and the military. A highly decorated war veteran who opposes the Iraq war, Sen. Webb is considered by many Democrats to be the best person to go into battle against another war hero, expected Republican nominee Sen. John McCain. The ex-Marine, who hails from the important swing state of Virginia, could also become Sen. Barack Obama's go-to person on national security, where the...

The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office for documents related to its plans to check the immigration status of all people arrested in the county who are suspected of being in the United States illegally. "We believe these kinds of policies are ill-advised in all circumstances, placing the federal responsibility to implement immigration laws in local hands and leading to hostile relations between local governments and their Latino communities," said Kent Willis, executive director of ACLU's chapter in Virginia. "But where these policies do exist, those in charge must train police officers in non-discriminatory practices,...

My understanding is the case is to be ruled on this Monday, based on recent decisions and with the left buying off Kennedy we are likely to see another 5-4 decision against the American people. They could put it off until next Monday the 30th, this should be an easy decision in American citizens favor but the length of time it is taking makes it look like the fix is in.

Richard Just at the New Republic magazine is not impressed with Virginia senator Jim Webb as a running mate for Barack Obama. Webb is fundamentally illiberal, he writes, a misogynist and an ethnic nationalist and "something of an apologist for the Confederacy." So why do lots of liberals like Webb, Just asks. "In the years since he left the Republican party, Webb has found his way to certain policy stands that liberals correctly find attractive. He was right about Iraq, and, on economics, he is right to criticise the disparity between rich and poor." Just can't figure out how a...

(CBS) American taxpayers are paying for a Middle Eastern television network that broadcast an anti-Israeli diatribe as recently as last month, a joint investigation by 60 Minutes and ProPublica reveals. This, despite the fact that Al Hurra management promised Congress nearly two years ago that they would take measures to prevent such mistakes, which had occurred repeatedly before. The joint investigation will be broadcast on 60 Minutes this Sunday, June 22, at 7 p.m. ET/PT and be detailed on ProPublica's Web site simultaneously. Al Hurra is headquartered in Springfield, Va.; it was created four years ago by the Bush Administration...

U.S. District Judge F. Bradford Stillman this morning ruled that the College must turn over the names of 20 students suspected of downloading music illegally to the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA plans to sue the students for copyright infringement after they allegedly downloaded music on peer-to-peer music sharing programs such as Limewire. 7 students have already settled independently, paying between $3,000 and $5,000 each. The suit had previously been denied by U.S. District Judge Walter D. Kelley Jr. Kelley recently retired, and the RIAA asked Stillman to overturn his ruling. According to RIAA lawyer Katheryn Coggon, the...

On Wednesday, the buzz was that the Democrats came out for nationalization of the oil industry and refineries. There were clips of a congressman making the declaration. It was plain, unambiguous talk. That is important, because he did not botch the job like Maxine Waters who earlier got so nervous she couldn’t come up with the word and blurted socialize instead of nationalize. So there we have it. The American liberals are in fact socialists. They can’t hide behind their favorite euphemism “progressive”. Nationalization is not progressiveism, it is pure ol’ Hugo Chavez Socialism. Capitalist business is bad, government ownership...