Free Republic

Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is, once again, under attack. And, once again, the attacks are from liberals who cannot tolerate Thomas' consistent, unyielding and faithful commitment to America's founding principles. The latest concerns Thomas' 20-page opinion offered up in Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, recently considered by the Supreme Court. Planned Parenthood challenged Indiana law prohibiting abortion for reasons of sex, race or non-life threatening deformity. The challenge was upheld in district court and the law overturned. However, the Supreme Court chose not to rule on the matter for procedural reasons, turning it back to...

“‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’” (Matthew 6:19–21). There is a great potential for your possessions to become idols when you accumulate them for yourself. But possessions that are wisely, willingly, and generously used for kingdom purposes can be a means of accumulating heavenly possessions. When they are hoarded and stored,...

In 1989, two defining moments in modern history occurred. Both involved democratic protests for greater freedom, but they turned out very differently.The first was the peaceful fall of the Berlin Wall, which started a chain reaction that led to the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.The second was the brutal suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests.The Tiananmen Square protests continue to capture the imagination of freedom-loving people everywhere because of what the protests stood for and how the Chinese government responded to them, then and now.Fundamentally, the protests stood for freedom and democracy.For nearly...

~67% of 900 million eligible voters turned out to vote in India’s recent general election, which Narendra Modi and the BharatiyaJanataParty (BJP, “Indian People’s Party”) won. Yes, most commentators cautiously expected a BJP victory. But the surprise was that the BJP-led coalition claimed 352 seats and 40% of tvotes. For some analysts, there is concern that this landslide win could signal the end of India as a secular state. After all, Modi’s victory speech lambasted “secularists” for what he said was their deceit. Five years ago, the BJP won office by focusing on development. Modi promised a stronger economy, and...

Today’s Cryptogram VSR XBDK YSI AZDKM ISMBV RYIZA VSR XBDK MSYK JSQKIXZYP WSG JSQKSYK FXS TBY YKDKG GKOBV VSR.---CSXY LRYVBY Today’s CG is courtesy of the Arkansas Gazette. You can find this little fun word game, to combat early dementia and senility in us baby boomers, in several daily publications. The way it works is a letter stands for another letter. For example: AXYDLBAAXR is LONGFELLOW (does not apply to today's cryptogram). Beware, the game is very addictive. If this is your first time, don't be intimidated. PLEASE DO NOT post the answer in general comments, but DO post your...

Do we old -school Patriots need an MMR booster?

“Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love” (Proverbs 5:19 KJV).

The NHS must be "on the table" in post-Brexit trade talks between the UK and the US, president Donald Trump said in a press conference with Theresa May on Tuesday. "Look, I think everything with a trade deal is on the table," the president told reporters at a press conference in central London. "When you're dealing in trade everything is on the table. So NHS or anything else, a lot more than that." Prime Minister Theresa May attempted to play down the comments, saying "the point about making trade deals of course is that both sides negotiate and come to...

What would you do if you were falsely accused and convicted of a brutal rape and murder you didn't commit? How would you handle a violent maximum-security prison, sentenced 16 years to life, at age 17? And where would you go, what would you choose to do, if you won your freedom back after full exoneration? Jeffrey Deskovic, 45, graduated from Pace University School of Law three weeks ago to rousing cheers from friends, family and faculty. On its own, the achievement warrants celebration. Any graduation does. But Deskovic's feat is just one of an extraordinary set of milestones in...

The more things change, well, the more they . . . So it is with the perpetual German resentments of the U.S. Recently German chancellor Angela Merkel reminded us of that German fixation, when she made some astounding statements to the German media that revealed what many Americans had long ago surmised. Merkel all but announced that Germany, or for that matter Europe itself, is no longer really an ally of the United States: “There is no doubt that Europe needs to reposition itself in a changed world. . . . The old certainties of the post-war order no longer...

The glaciers are melting, the coral reefs are dying, Miami Beach is slowly going under. Quick, says a voice in your head, go see them before they disappear! You are evil, says another voice. For you are hastening their destruction. To a lot of people who like to travel, these are morally bewildering times. Something that seemed like pure escape and adventure has become double-edged, harmful, the epitome of selfish consumption. Going someplace far away, we now know, is the biggest single action a private citizen can take to worsen climate change. One seat on a flight from New York...

Both Republican and Democratic politicians want government to "do more" to give parents paid time off. "This is not a women's issue. It's a family issue," says Ivanka Trump. "(E)very worker in America should be guaranteed at least 12 weeks," says Sen. Bernie Sanders. "That's a very arbitrary number! Why not 14 weeks? Why not 26 weeks?" asks Independent Women's Forum analyst Patrice Onwuka. She opposes Sanders' plan, saying government one-size-fits-all policies don't meet most parents' needs. When Onwuka had a baby, IWF gave her six weeks off with pay. She wanted more time off, so she supplemented her maternity...

President Trump on Wednesday morning is scheduled to participate in an event marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The event, in Portsmouth, U.K., is scheduled to begin at 6:15 a.m. D-Day 75th Anniversary

The more things change, well, the more they . . . So it is with the perpetual German resentments of the U.S. Recently German chancellor Angela Merkel reminded us of that German fixation, when she made some astounding statements to the German media that revealed what many Americans had long ago surmised. Merkel all but announced that Germany, or for that matter Europe itself, is no longer really an ally of the United States: “There is no doubt that Europe needs to reposition itself in a changed world. . . . The old certainties of the post-war order no longer...

This week, celebrities emerged from their Hollywood cocoon to sound off on abortion law ... in Georgia. If this sounds bizarre, that's because it is: The people of Georgia don't spend an awful lot of time trying to control the policies of New York or California. Yet the greatest and most moral among us -- people who read lines for a living and look attractive for magazine covers -- now lecture people thousands of miles away on the necessity of late-term abortion. Netflix led the charge, announcing that it might cease filming in the state of Georgia should the state...

A federal judge has issued a restraining order preventing Oregon ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond...... Charges against the sheriff's deputy guarding the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida when the mass murder attack took place on February 14th, 2018...... Four are dead and one injured in shootings at multiple locations in Northern Australia at the port city of Darwin..... The offices of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney raided Wednesday by federal police probing news reports about unlawful killing and misconduct allegations against Australian special forces in Afghanistan..... Australian Federal Police also raided the home of a News...

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As we review the reporting of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s progress in his first 100 days in charge of the Golden State, much of it focuses on his continuation of criticism of the White House, his attention grabbing authoritarian repeal of the death penalty and his headlines of international diplomacy to Central America. Newsom’s theatrics make for great national television morning show content and social media click-bait. I think part of his motivation and political strategy is to divert valuable air away from Democratic presidential primary candidates, so that after the president wins reelection in 2020, Newsom is well-positioned for a...

President Donald Trump’s UK State Visit has prompted a ring of steel has been put in place outside the US Ambassador's residence in Regent's Park in London, with cops implementing strict safety measures. The President will also enjoy the protection of state-of-the-art security equipment and staff. An eight-foot-high temporary steel mesh fence has been placed on the road between Winfield House and London's Central Mosque…

The unannounced visit to Turkey of the chief of the Russian National Guard — an internal security establishment also known as Vladimir Putin’s personal army — will undoubtedly be given hard scrutiny by Western capitals amid increasing criticism of Turkey’s drift away from its NATO allies. Viktor Zolotov, the head of the Russian National Guard, Rosgvardiya, a security unit that oversees anti-riot police and SWAT teams, paid a surprise visit to the capital, Ankara, from May 13-18 with a “heavily loaded” agenda, Turkish security sources told Al-Monitor. Although his Russian delegation's carefully crafted schedule didn't include any direct contact with...