Free Republic

Black History Month is a time to reflect on the great achievements of African-Americans and black Africans, while also confronting the sordid history of racism. Thankfully, racism has declined considerably over the past decades. However, we still need to combat vestiges of racism in our society, so that we can properly love our neighbor, regardless of their race or ethnicity.Indeed, scholars today are cranking out multitudes of books about racism. Three prominent examples from 2021—published by academic presses—are Anthea Butler, White Evangelical Racism, Randall Balmer, Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right, and J. Russell Hawkins, The...

Loudoun County has been in the news a great deal lately because of its leftist policies and the beginnings of a parental revolt. The school board’s leftist proclivities are to be expected, though, given that Biden got almost 61.5% of the votes in November 2020, compared to Trump’s 36.5%. In other words, Loudoun County is a strongly Democrat redoubt. That’s why, although I’m terribly sorry for the 36.5% who aren’t leftist, Loudoun is getting its comeuppance for having put a leftist in the White House: The Biden administration is sending as many as 1,000 Afghan refugees to the county. The...

19 February 2022 Saturday of week 6 in Ordinary Time Benevento Cathedral, Italy Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green.First readingJames 3:1-10 ©The tongue cannot be tamedOnly a few of you, my brothers, should be teachers, bearing in mind that those of us who teach can expect a stricter judgement. After all, every one of us does something wrong, over and over again; the only man who could reach perfection would be someone who never said anything wrong – he would be able to control every part of himself. Once we put a bit into the horse’s mouth, to make it do...

Israel must end its evictions of Palestinian families in east Jerusalem, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi when the two met in Ramallah. Their meeting took place as tensions have flared in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where at least 28 Palestinian families face eviction. Abbas spoke with Pelosi on Thursday about "finally putting an end to Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem," according to the Palestine News Agency Wafa. He similar called for Israel to respect the "status quo" on Jerusalem's Temple Mount and for it to put an...

Since freedom is White and White is bad, then freedom is bad. From the inky print of the Washington Post to the digital pages of Teen Vogue, an astonishing movement is underway. Simply put, the argument being made is that, because what we know as “freedom” is a historically White / colonialist / patriarchal (emphasis on the white) construct and White / colonialist / patriarchal concepts are intrinsically evil then the very idea of freedom is bad (again, emphasis on the white). Just as asking a person what 2 plus 2 is and getting the response “harbor” can indicate that...

The hard-left National Archives management is trying to turn Trump into another Hillary but the facts are against them. The National Archives, which is controlled by a hard leftist cadre, very excitedly announced that President Donald Trump took classified information with him when he left the White House. The problem—which the AP reluctantly concedes—is that, as President, he had the final say over what’s classified. That means that there’s no hypocrisy in his reaming Hillary Clinton for her conduct. As a predicate, the National Archives management has turned that government office into a purely leftist entity determined to advance all...

It is usually Republicans who blast the media for what they consider biased or unfair coverage of their policies, but increasingly we are hearing Democrats engaging in the same behavior, apparently frustrated their agenda is not being embraced by some of their fellow Democrats and the public. Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has yet to stem rising crime as he promised to do, criticized reporters for what he regards as their negative coverage of his administration. To be fair, he was just sworn in on Jan. 1, 2022, but there are few signs that the policies...

JEFFREY Epstein's pal Jean-Luc Brunel who is alleged to have also abused Prince Andrew "sex slave" Virginia Giuffre has been found dead in prison.French daily newspapers Le Monde and Le Parisian report that the disgraced fashion agent was founded hanged last night in his prison cell at La Santé in Paris.

All racial stereotypes and links to slavery must be removed from art, history, education, and literature, lest they contaminate others. Are you having any fun? Is cancel culture wiping out comedy because of fear of offending someone.? A BBC poll just reported that virtually half the British population toned down or disguised their opinions to avoid causing offense to someone they’ve just met. Life is full of ifs and buts. Better have a little fun. In so many activities, content that may be seen as potentially offensive, and all racial stereotypes and links to slavery must be removed from art,...

“Canadian truckers: Ottawa police arresting demonstrators, clearing out streets. Ottawa police announced Friday that some protesters 'are being arrested' during an operation to clear out those who have been demonstrating. ... There is a large police presence on Nicholas Street, protesters are being advised to leave immediately. Some protesters are surrendering and are being arrested, 'You will face severe penalties if you do not cease further unlawful activity,' Police tweeted.” (Fox News, 2/18.) “It is with deep sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cuba’s longest serving President. Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served...

"Unprecedented financial costs" if Russia invades

Sometimes it takes me a while for the impact of events to sink in. I try to tune out the talking heads with their conventional wisdom, and not rush to judgment. I believe that most Americans and I usually try to give most folks the benefit of the doubt. However, it is increasingly clear we can no longer do that. With every issue, with every passing day, there is more news (when the news is honestly reported) that shows us exactly who these people are. They have anointed and installed themselves at the top of our government, from the Oval...

An Airbnb user who never intends to leave. Tenants not paying enough rent to keep up buildings. A roommate temporarily renting a room who later decides not to move out. Under the Legislature’s misleadingly named “Good Cause Eviction” bill, these occupants can all remain in their apartments forever and the property owner has virtually no recourse.­ “No Eviction Ever” would be a better name for an absurdly vague, sweeping proposal that would place strict new limits on rent increases and evictions for nearly 1.6 million New York renters.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said the Covid-19 Omicron variant had outpaced world vaccine drives in spreading immunity: “Sadly, the virus itself – particularly the variant called Omicron – is a type of vaccine. That is, it creates both B-cell and T-cell immunity, and it’s done a better job of getting out to the world population than we have with vaccines,” he said.

My son Cameron and I can hardly wait for resident Biden’s upcoming State of the Union address. What do you think he’s going to say on March 1, Dad?” he asked me earlier this week during our phone call. “That the State of the Union is …. very sad? Screwed? You finish the sentence.” “Seriously,” Cameron said. “The State of the Union is supposed to be upbeat – positive – or at least hopeful, right?” “Yeah,” I said. “His speechwriters must be working overtime. The list of big things he’s messed up in a single year is long and getting...

"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." "Love worketh no ill to his...

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Rescuers are racing to salvage a US-bound cargo ship in the Atlantic engulfed in flames with 4,000 cars on board including Bentleys, Audis and Lamborghinis. The operation is taking place off the Azores archipelago where the 'Felicity Ace' cargo ship caught ablaze at sea on Wednesday. Lithium-ion batteries in the electric cars on board have caught fire and the blaze requires specialist equipment to extinguish. Investigators are probing whether the batteries started the onboard inferno. The ship is still ablaze and plumes of white smoke are billowing from the vessel as a Portuguese navy ship works to stop it sinking...

Murdered Uber driver and mother of four begged passenger not to kill her A Pennsylvania Uber driver and mother of four begged a customer to spare her life before he allegedly shot and killed her during a robbery attempt, police said. “I’m begging you, I have four kids,” 38-year-old Christi Spicuzza pleaded, according to dashcam video of the horrific crime, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Spicuzza, of Turtle Creek, was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the head in a wooded area on February 12 in Monroeville, according to the Allegheny County Police Department. She had picked up 22-year-old...

Like most liberal poster boys, Justin Trudeau’s claim to fame wasn’t based on his record or his talents, it was instead based on a famous father, virtue signaling and being a subscriber of the groupthink. From climate change conferences to marches for abortion rights, LGBT rights, and even BLM, Trudeau was always an eager participant, playing the part of a ‘nice guy’ before slobbering media personnel and cameras. But real nice guys don’t feel any need to make a spectacle of their niceties. For them, the act of kindness itself is the reward. When an individual such as Trudeau dedicates...