Free Republic

When hammer-thrower Gwen Berry turned her back on the American flag at the Olympic Trials last weekend, it made me think of Sergeant William Carney. Berry probably doesn’t know who Carney was. Neither, I bet, do the Black Lives Matter activists who spent last summer blindly tearing down statues of historical figures to protest the racist origins of America and the systemic racism they claim exists today. Thanks to the lousy way history is taught in our schools, most Americans – of every color – have never heard of William Carney. But who he was, what brave things he did...

At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams predicted that Independence Day would be “celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forevermore.” Bonfires might violate local fire codes. The president says we don’t need no stinking guns -- because he has all the F-15s...

The Monthly Fiber Arts Thread is a monthly gathering of people that love yarn and fabric of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first project, to experienced fiber artists and beyond, we would love to hear from you. It is impossible to hijack the Monthly Fiber Arts Thread. Knitting, crochet, quilting, weaving, general crafting - there is no telling where it will go, and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our Fiber Arts...

Buildings keep falling down in America. What the heck’s going on? Is it bad science? Champlain Towers South, for example, was erected in 1981. These buildings may face loads and other threats that designers did not anticipate, including those linked to climate change. …what are you going to do with an area that never had high snow loads before, and suddenly, one winter, there’s a storm in the South like one you’d normally get in Boston? We design roofs based on historical records for snow, but those rare events aren’t so rare anymore. We have bigger hurricanes. We have longer...

A bizarre incident is playing out Saturday morning in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Local police are saying that "during a motor vehicle stop, several heavily armed men claiming to be from a group that does not recognize our laws exited their vehicles and fled into the woodline" near I-95. "Approximately 8 males fled into the woods carrying rifles and handguns and appear to be contained in the wooded area adjacent to the highway," the Wakefield Police Department said in a statement. "No threats were made, but these men should be considered armed and dangerous." Massachusetts State Police, who are also on the...

Many argue rural America has been in steady decline for decades. It was particularly hard hit by the “Great Recession of 2007-09,” according to a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Task Force on Agricultural and Rural Prosperity, which was created by Executive Order in April of 2017. The report found that rural Americans working in agriculture still lacked access to electronic connectivity, technology-oriented jobs, and businesses that otherwise improve quality of life in metro areas. The effects of the Great Recession, the report concluded, “still permeate throughout rural life, particularly for communities with high poverty rates, low...

Turns out French food — all those crunchy baguettes, tasty pastries, scrumptious cheeses, and fine wines — is racist, according to a law professor who studies "food whiteness" and "food privileges." What are the details? The Times U.K. reported that a video of Mathilde Cohen discussing the issue for a seminar outside Paris is upsetting folks in France, as the paper noted that the country's cuisine is "seen as a cornerstone of the national identity." Cohen, who hails from the University of Connecticut School of Law, suggested that French eating habits reinforce the "dominance" of white people over ethnic minorities,...

HERE'S A SAMPLE OF WHAT YOU CAN FIND DAILY IN FR's Religion Forum by CURTIS SIKES "Walk on Water" PETER WALKS ON THE WATER!?. 2 9 A. D. Bible Timeline Resources to CLICK: To read MATTHEW 14 in full To hear MAX McLEAN reading it To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it To see an ANIMATION of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or JohnHarmony of the Gospels Mt 14 + Mk 6 + Jn 6 New International Version, emphases added Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible .MATTHEW14:22-36 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

Along with $1,400 stimulus checks and monthly child tax credit payments, the American Rescue Plan has another important benefit available to people who qualified for unemployment assistance this year – free health care. The no-cost and low-cost health care plans became available on July 1, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). They will provide coverage through the end of the year. "The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on providing relief to millions of families who need to access health insurance coverage because they have been impacted by job losses or underemployment during the pandemic,” said HHS Secretary...

Dame Athene Donald, the Master of Churchill College Cambridge, is probably breathing a little easier today. Last week, a commission she appointed in reaction to the George Floyd killing was disbanded, or disbanded itself, depending upon whom one believes. That commission had arranged a panel at Churchill College about the racism of Winston Churchill. The panel featured several rants on this theme that are entirely typical of our day. The charges were virtually undisputed by any of the panelists. This caused a reaction from Churchill’s descendants and from some historians, notably Churchill biographer Andrew Roberts, who knows the real story....

by CURTIS SIKES "Walk on Water" PETER WALKS ON THE WATER!?. 2 9 A. D. Bible Timeline Resources to CLICK: To read MATTHEW 14 in full To hear MAX McLEAN reading it To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it To see an ANIMATION of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or JohnHarmony of the Gospels Mt 14 + Mk 6 + Jn 6 New International Version, emphases added Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible .MATTHEW14:22-36 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he...

In 2014, Richard Dawkins, a British evolutionary biologist, author, and a one-time University of Oxford Professor, advised a woman who was pregnant with a Down syndrome baby that she should "Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice."There is no way to quantify the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling to legalize abortion and the effect it has had on our consciences let alone its impact on our culture. It is reasonable to conclude given the remarks like Dawkins that Roe has desensitized us to the meaning of...

Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem Psalm 113Psalm 113 1 Praise the Lord.[a] Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. 2 Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. 4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the...

This is the week we really learned that Doktor Jill Biden is in fact running the White House as the reincarnation of Edith Wilson. We know this because Vogue magazine, which put her on the cover of the current issue wearing a picnic tablecloth, called her a “goddess in stilettos.” We think they means shoes with the reference to “stilettos,” but better check with Kamala Harris about that, as she’s got a thin knife stuck in her back by someone. Who might that be?

The state of Arkansas embarked on its biggest highway construction program ever undertaken by the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and the people couldn't be more excited. "Arkansas is a small state with a population of just three million, but this project touches every corner of the state, with a total of 36 projects in 19 corridors," said Keli Wylie, administrator of the CAP Program and alternative project delivery administrator. The goals of the Connecting Arkansas Program include improving transportation connections between cities; increasing capacity by widening highways to four or more lanes; improving safety; and easing congestion. Supplementary aims of...

Most of us recall as children getting into a dispute with another kid and then blaming him for starting a fight. When Mom approached you said, "he hit me first." The other kid denies it and accuses you of hitting him first. As adults we become more sophisticated when lying. That's why White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said last week in a briefing that "Some might say that the other party was for defunding the police..." all because congressional Republicans won't sign off on two "infrastructure" bills. Psaki is channeling the line of the day from Democrats who want...

CHICAGO -- Twelve people were shot, five fatally, in Chicago weekend violence since Friday night. A 19-year-old man was found shot to death early Saturday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side. About 1:25 a.m., officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 2200-block of North Lockwood Avenue and found the teen lying unresponsive on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen, Chicago police said. He was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. A 40-year-old man was fatally shot Friday night during an altercation in an Englewood apartment after he...

The Louisiana Legislature voted overwhelmingly Thursday to move approximately $300 million annually from a fund that pays for higher education and health care to a fund that pays for large transportation projects. Supporters have said the spending will not only improve the state’s infrastructure system, but that it will also create construction jobs. Critics are concerned the proposal would exacerbate an already expected budget deficit in July 2025 affecting state universities, hospitals and other health care programs. Gov. John Bel Edwards needs to sign the legislation for it to become law. Edwards hasn’t decided if he approves of the bill...

Back in February 2020 I had a post asking the question whether justice in this country is “dispensed impartially” as between Democrats and Republicans, at least in cases involving significant political issues. The post was inspired by a letter that had been written on February 11 by then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on the occasion of the sentencing of Roger Stone. Line Justice Department prosecutors had recommended a (wildly excessive) sentence of 7 to 9 years for Stone (for process crimes related to the Congressional investigation of the Russia collusion hoax), but top (political) Justice officials had just withdrawn that...