The term “Orwellian” is overused in modern political discourse. That’s because the authoritarian regime of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel is an easy comparison for whatever thing the speaker wants to argue against in the political debate du jour.  But sometimes the comparison is truly deserved—like when politicians seek to quell political discourse by torturing language itself to suit their ends and disparage their opponents.For example‚ radical progressives use the term “decency” to cover up legally indecent and morally reprehensible materials in the hands of school-age children. This is exactly what is currently going on in the Maryland General Assembly. A few weeks ago‚ the speaker of the House of Delegates‚ Adrienne Jones‚ D-Baltimore County‚ announced what she calls her “decency agenda.” What could be wrong with that? After all‚ American politics could certainly use more decency.  And‚ to her credit‚ Jones’ team is pretty adept at selling her supposed “decency” angle. “I am not asking for Marylanders to believe in what I believe in‚ or compromise their values. We know that we will never agree on everything‚ and we shouldn’t‚” the speaker said in her announcement. “To me‚ decency is about respect. Respect for our community‚ co-workers‚ friends‚ and families.” But if politicians had to name their bills and agenda to accurately describe what’s in them‚ then most of them would be out of a job in a heartbeat. In reality‚ Jones’ “decency” agenda is merely clever marketing. Even a cursory look beneath the surface reveals what this whole thing is really about. The “decency agenda” includes several “nondiscrimination” bills. One is the Freedom to Read Act‚ which would take away the ability of local libraries that receive state funds to regulate or restrict access to pornographic materials. I’m not exaggerating. Anyone paying attention to debates about the content of public school libraries over the past several years—including all the allegations of “book banning”—is familiar with the caliber of smut that the radical progressives are trying to foist upon our kids.In truth‚ this bill literally guarantees access to “indecent materials”—which is the term that the Maryland Code uses to describe this kind of stuff. And so we arrive at the proper definition of the word “Orwellian.” Jones may as well have declared‚ “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” After all‚ if exposing school-age children to sexually explicit materials is now the “decent” thing to do in Maryland‚ then words have no meaning anymore. Let’s be clear about this: There is nothing “decent” about sexualizing our young children. The seemingly nationwide obsession with doing so among some public school leaders is beyond disturbing. Public schools should be focused on teaching reading‚ writing‚ math‚ and critical thinking so that our children can flourish in the real world. They should not be focused on indoctrinating kids with sexual materials and ideologies to suit the vested interests of those in Annapolis‚ Maryland‚ and Washington‚ D.C.  This isn’t just about books in school libraries; that’s just another steppingstone along the way. The only things standing between where we are and where the radical progressives want to go are the tried-and-true institutions of civil society—family‚ religion‚ and common decency.  The progressives in Annapolis are doing their dead level best to tear down those institutions and destroy the foundations of our society. But that’s exactly what this is all about; if the radical activists in our school systems left discussions of sexual ethics and values to families‚ then kids actually might disagree with them—and the progressives simply can’t allow that.  So what are people of faith and those with traditional values supposed to do to meet and confront this trend? We can’t confront deception with deception. We’re going to have to root ourselves in the truth and fight with everything we have for it. These are attacks on our beliefs‚ our values‚ and our children. The radicals may despise what we believe‚ but we will not overcome this hostility with more hatred. Truly loving our neighbor means telling him the truth.  Above all‚ we must remain steadfast in our beliefs and courageously stand for true decency. Our children‚ our families‚ and our future depend on it.The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.  Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Democrats Push ‘Decency Agenda’ Focused on Porn for Kids appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Christian conservatives in the United States are‚ at this point‚ used to institutions blaming them for problems that plague minority groups. But‚ the American Cancer Society's recent report might just take this trend to its most absurd lengths yet. As reported by Fox News‚ the American Cancer Society has written...

Marxism's peculiar mixture of narcissism and nihilism means that authoritarian leftists despise the world around them. They cannot make themselves greater than God's creation‚ so they try to destroy all that they cannot control‚ and they make beautiful things ugly by design. According to a staff report published Thursday‚ the...

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has decided that two criminal defendants were rightly prohibited from possessing firearms while awaiting trial in California. Jesus Perez-Garcia was arrested at the border after authorities found 11 grams of methamphetamine and half a kilogram of fentanyl in a vehicle he was a passenger...

A Delta Airlines Boeing plane flying from Aruba to Atlanta‚ Georgia‚ made an emergency landing after an engine blow out on take-off. The Boeing 737-900 was forced to turn back and land on the Caribbean island. Daily Mail reports the plane circled the island four times before landing. An airline spokesperson told the outlet that the aircraft carried 168 passengers‚ four flight attendants‚ and two pilots. Passengers had to spend an extra night in Aruba before being flown out on Wednesday. JUST IN — A Boeing-made Delta Airlines flight out of Aruba and bound for Atlanta was forced to turn back and make an emergency landing after an engine blow out on take-off‚ Daily Mail reports pic.twitter.com/GvVnuIJmEH — Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 20‚ 2024 “A Boeing-made Delta Airlines flight out of Aruba and bound for Atlanta was forced to turn back and make an emergency landing after an engine blow out on take-off. The Pilot of the Boeing 737 900 circled the Caribbean island four times before coming back into land following the… pic.twitter.com/xEKdy28gVM — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) March 20‚ 2024 “Delta flight DL581 from Aruba to Atlanta experienced a mechanical issue shortly after takeoff. It landed safely and returned to the gate uneventfully‚’ the spokesperson said‚ according to Daily Mail. “Delta teams are working to get our customers to their final destinations as quickly and safely as possible and we apologize for the delay in their travels‚” the spokesperson added. More from Daily Mail: One passenger described the ordeal on Reddit saying that ‘one of the engines blew up mid takeoff‚ we circled Aruba four times and emergency landed.’ The passenger said that Delta paid for hotels and meals for the passenger. Another passenger said that they heard a ‘loud boom’ shortly into the flight. ‘It sounded like it happened right after the landing gear went up. I thought at first one side of the gear got stuck and went up late.’ The passenger said that the captain came on the announce system to say that the left engine was on fire but that it was under control. After performing the necessary checks‚ the pilot made the decision to fly back to Aruba. ‘The passengers were all pretty calm about it. We deboarded the plane and was told a large bird had flown into the engine.’ The passenger said that Delta’s meal vouchers amounted to around $15 per person. This is just the latest bad press for Boeing who have to endure a rough year. The Delta flight is the latest mishap for Boeing. The commercial jetliner manufacturer has experienced numerous emergency-related events with its aircraft in 2024. On Sunday‚ an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 cracked its windshield as it landed at Portland International Airport. Alaska Airlines Boeing Lands With Crack In Windshield Also‚ a ‘mechanical issue’ forced a Japan-bound United Airlines flight to return to the gate at San Francisco International Airport on Monday. The incident involved a Boeing 777-200ER. ‘Mechanical Issue’ Forces United Airlines Boeing To Return To Gate

Just hours after the Supreme Court allowed a Texas immigration law allowing police to arrest migrants suspected of illegal entry to take effect‚ a federal appeals court issued another hold on the bill. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals let an earlier injunction stand‚ preventing enforcement. The appeals court scheduled a hearing for Wednesday morning. “And on the night before hearing oral arguments the appeals court issued an order to let a lower court’s earlier injunction stopping Senate Bill 4 stand‚” The Texas Tribune reports. UPDATE: Appellate court blocks Texas law criminalizing illegal border crossings hours after Supreme Court allowed it to take effect The flip flop continues on SB 4https://t.co/3dW11EzPLU https://t.co/8EiaGAks9M — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 20‚ 2024 From The Texas Tribune: The Supreme Court earlier Tuesday let SB 4 go into effect but stopped short of ruling on the law’s constitutionality‚ which has been challenged by the Biden administration. Steve Vladeck‚ a University of Texas at Austin law professor‚ said the back-and-forth is “indefensibly chaotic.” “Even if that means SB 4 remains paused indefinitely‚ hopefully everyone can agree that this kind of judicial whiplash is bad for everyone‚” he said. SB 4 seeks to make illegally crossing the border a Class B misdemeanor‚ carrying a punishment of up to six months in jail. Repeat offenders could face a second-degree felony with a punishment of two to 20 years in prison. The law also requires state judges to order migrants returned to Mexico if they are convicted; local law enforcement would be responsible for transporting migrants to the border. A judge could drop the charges if a migrant agrees to return to Mexico voluntarily. The Mexican government criticized the legislation‚ with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying it would not accept migrants ‘under any circumstances.’ Mexico Says It Will Not Accept Migrants From Texas ‘Under Any Circumstances’ "On behalf of the Government of Mexico‚ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the entry into force of Texas law SB4‚ which seeks to stop the flow of migrants by criminalizing them‚ and encouraging the separation of families‚ discrimination and racial profiling that violate the human rights of the migrant community‚" a press release from Mexico's Foreign Ministry read. "Mexico categorically rejects any measure that allows state or local authorities to exercise immigration control‚ and to arrest and return nationals or foreigners to Mexican territory‚" it continued. "Mexico recognizes the importance of a uniform migration policy and the bilateral efforts with the United States to ensure that migration is safe‚ orderly and respectful of human rights‚ and is not affected by state or local legislative decisions. In this regard‚ Mexico will not accept‚ under any circumstances‚ repatriations by the State of Texas‚" it added. Here we go. Mexico’s foreign ministry says it won’t “under any circumstances” accept non-Mexican asylum seekers deported by Texas under SB4. The Supreme Court seeing the effects of its complicity immediately. pic.twitter.com/ugBHOYWn11 — Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) March 20‚ 2024 CBS News reports: In a late-night order‚ a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel dissolved a pause that it issued in early March to suspend a lower court ruling that found SB4 to be unconstitutional. The order reinstated a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra‚ who concluded in late February that SB4 conflicted with federal immigration laws and the Constitution. Earlier on Tuesday‚ the Supreme Court denied a request from the Justice Department to void the initial 5th Circuit order that had paused Ezra's ruling. The high court allowed SB4 to take effect for several hours‚ though it's unclear whether Texas arrested any migrants under the law during that short time span. Ezra's order blocking SB4 will stay in place until the 5th Circuit rules on Texas' request to allow the law to be enforced while the appeals court considers its legality. A virtual hearing on that question is scheduled for Wednesday morning. TODAY provided additional coverage:

Charges against Gold Star father Steve Nikoui‚ who was arrested for shouting at Joe Biden during the State of the Union address‚ have finally been dropped. Capitol Police took Nikoui‚ 51‚ into custody after yelling “Abbey Gate!” and “Second Battalion‚ First Marines!” at Biden during his speech. “Nikoui’s son‚ Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui‚ was one of 13 US service members killed by an ISIS-K suicide bomber outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26‚ 2021‚ as Kabul fell to the Taliban during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan‚” the New York Post reports. “All charges against Gold Star parent Steve Nikoui have been dropped. He did nothing wrong. And this is the right decision‚” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said Tuesday evening. BREAKING: All charges against Gold Star parent Steve Nikoui have been dropped. He did nothing wrong. And this is the right decision. — Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) March 20‚ 2024 “Charges against Steve Nikoui have been DROPPED. Steve is a GOLDSTAR FATHER who lost his son during the botch withdrawal of Afghanistan. He stood up to Biden to remind him at the State of the Union‚” Graham Allen writes. WATCH: IT IS ABOUT TIME. Charges against Steve Nikoui have been DROPPED. Steve is a GOLDSTAR FATHER who lost his son during the botch withdrawal of Afghanistan. He stood up to Biden to remind him at the State of the Union. pic.twitter.com/G3eNevv0uk — Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) March 20‚ 2024 Fox News reports: Brian Schwalb‚ the Democratic attorney general in Washington‚ D.C.‚ has dropped charges against Gold Star father Steve Nikoui for disrupting Congress during President Biden’s State of the Union speech earlier this month. Nikoui is the father of Kareem Nikoui who was killed during the Biden Administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Fox News learned of the decision Tuesday evening. The decision to drop the charges was confirmed by the Speaker’s Office. The DC AG’s office told Fox News that it decided not to prosecute in this case just as they have in the cases of protesters in the past. Fox News was told that Nikoui was “thrilled and humbled‚” and that there were tears when he heard the news from Rep. Darrel Issa of California. Other families were also with him when he found out the news. Nikoui was a guest of Rep. Brian Mast‚ R-Fla.‚ for the speech and interrupted the president‚ shouting “Abbey Gate!” I’ve seen enough. I wrote directly to the head of the Capitol Police to drop all charges against Gold Star parent Steve Nikoui. https://t.co/8ocBjpMPer — Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) March 19‚ 2024 WATCH: Gold Star father Steve Nikoui should’ve never had to pay for Joe Biden’s failed withdrawal. All charges were dropped‚ thanks to the intervention from @SpeakerJohnson. pic.twitter.com/FY6fL5hqTr — Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) March 20‚ 2024 From the New York Post: Nikoui has said he did not intend to interrupt Biden’s speech‚ but became frustrated after the president mentioned slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley‚ who was allegedly killed by an “illegal” immigrant‚ but not his son‚ nor the 12 other US service members killed in the Abbey Gate blast. “I’ve waited three years‚ I paid $3‚000 and I’ve traveled 3‚000 miles to finally hear my son’s name in the State of the Union‚” he told the Daily Mail. “That trip to the State of the Union — what a kick in my a**.” Nikoui was charged with crowding‚ obstructing‚ or incommoding Congress‚ a misdemeanor that typically results in the offender’s release after paying a $50 fine. Several Republican lawmakers‚ including Mast and Reps. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) had demanded that charges against the Gold Star father be dropped.