The following is a lightly edited transcript of remarks by Dr. Kevin Roberts‚ president of The Heritage Foundation‚ delivered at the 2024 National Pro-Life Summit‚ hosted by Students for Life of America‚ on Saturday at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington‚ D.C. Look‚ thanks for inviting me to be here. What a tremendous program and how about a round of applause for Alison [Centofante]‚ Kristan [Hawkins]‚ everyone at Students for Life. Most of all‚ from this old history teacher. Thank you for being the Students for Life. A round of applause for you. I’m in a candid mood this week‚ so I’m going to be candid with you. Just got back from Switzerland‚ a place I never thought I would dread going in the battle for the soul and future of our nation. There’s no more important fight‚ as you know‚ than the right to life. And there’s no organization more important to winning that fight than yours. Today’s students for life are tomorrow’s parents for life. Teachers for life. Workers and entrepreneurs and doctors for life. And yes‚ think about this—legislators‚ governors‚ congressmen and even presidents for life. Maybe even the one singing now. As the dad of four‚ I love that sound. We’re going to need them. We’re going to need all of you‚ for we meet today amid a pro-abortion media narrative of smug triumphalism. You’ve heard the story: Less than two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe‚ the abortion industrial complex is celebrating an unprecedented political winning streak. Across the country‚ pro-life bills have failed‚ abortion referenda have passed‚ Democrat leaders are crowing‚ while too many Republican leaders are cowering from the fight. The pro-life movement in general‚ and Washington Republicans in particular‚ were caught flat-footed by Dobbs. Our losses since—especially in red states like Kentucky‚ Ohio‚ Montana and Kansas—have been painful. And like it or not‚ despite a handful of brave stalwarts‚ the GOP remains a fickle ally in the fight for the unborn. If it were up to the Republican establishment‚ the pro-life movement would simply go away. Thank God it’s not up to them. It’s up to you. Long before the Dobbs decision‚ Students for Life understood that the fight for the unborn was generational. Like every great moral crusade‚ victory in the defense of unborn children and their mothers will be measured in decades‚ not mere election cycles. And just like America’s other decisive battles for freedom‚ against segregation‚ against totalitarianism‚ against slavery‚ the fight for life is first and foremost spiritual. That’s what I want to talk to you about this morning. If you’ve seen the schedule for today’s summit‚ you know it’s saturated with practical and tactical advice. That’s why you’re here‚ to learn those important practical skills that will help you defend the unborn through democratic advocacy. But as important as those resources are‚ ultimately‚ the fight for human dignity and freedom‚ this fight for the inalienable rights of every human soul‚ transcends politics. We’re not fighting merely against a policy or a party‚ and we’re certainly not fighting against our opponents on the other side‚ all of whom we are called to love and pray for. Remembering that reminds us that instead‚ we are in a fight against evil itself. St. Paul’s reminder to the Ephesians is timely and timeless. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood‚ he wrote‚ but against the rulers‚ against the authorities‚ against the cosmic powers over this present darkness‚ against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. This is an uncomfortable truth‚ I know‚ but set aside the talking points and the legalisms and ask yourself: What is abortion? It’s the contract killing of defenseless children by white-collar professionals for profit. It’s the invasion of the womb by instruments of torture and mutilation. It’s the ultimate treason‚ man’s betrayal of a mother‚ her child‚ and the natural and supernatural bonds between them. In Genesis‚ God … “put enmity between [the serpent] and the woman‚” between its offspring and hers. In abortion‚ the serpent puts enmity between the woman and her offspring‚ and the most powerful men in the world call this progress‚ for true evil‚ spiritual evil‚ is never satisfied with its own success. Pride depends on degrading others. Unlike the agnostic who’s clouded by doubt‚ or the atheist blinded by hatred‚ the devil himself knows firsthand he cannot deny or replace God. Old Screwtape‚ as you know‚ learned long ago that the surest path to corrupting the souls of the strong is denying the humanity of the weak. This‚ rather than the comparable body counts‚ is the evil that underlies mankind’s greatest horrors—every slave auction‚ every lynching‚ every concentration camp‚ every abortion mill‚ every pogrom‚ every terrorist bombing from the Middle East to Kermit Gosnell‚ from Herod to Hitler to Hamas‚ has been justified on the same inhuman pretense that the victims aren’t really people—that human dignity is not universal‚ not inherent to our nature‚ but contingent on the convenience to the powerful. And the butcher’s bill of history is chillingly clear. Once a society deems certain individuals not fully human‚ it soon treats them as if they weren’t human at all. And it never stops with one group. Consider the telling example of the pigs on George Orwell’s “Animal Farm‚” who declared some animals are more equal than others. Is it any surprise that the same party of death celebrating violence in the womb also justifies and even cheers the surgical mutilation of children‚ the euthanizing of the depressed‚ the persecution of parents and churchgoers‚ even a genocidal war to exterminate the Jewish people? Make no mistake: This idea of human inequality that some people count and some people don’t doesn’t come from the media or the government or the elite or the Left or even Planned Parenthood. It comes straight from hell. Forgive them‚ Father‚ for they know not what they do. God bless the Dobbs majority‚ the Dobbs majority‚ and the men and women who fought for decades to put them there. But they would be the first to tell you‚ we can’t defeat evil with court orders. The only weapon powerful enough to do that is love. Active love. Building a culture of life means rebuilding a culture of love—in our communities‚ across our nation‚ and around the world. This is not a project of just political activism‚ as important as that is‚ but of relentless spiritual warfare. Generation Life is not only something young Americans can create‚ it’s something you must become. No party or president will build a culture of life for us. We have to do that all the time‚ every day‚ in everything we do. Through prayer‚ Scripture‚ and devotion. Through fellowship and vocation. In the heroic‚ spiritual adventure of falling in love‚ getting married. And yes‚ having lots of kids. To paraphrase St. Francis of Assisi‚ fight for life at all times. When necessary‚ use words. Nor can this work be reactive‚ simply responding to the outrages of the party of death. On the contrary‚ we need to build a culture of life so vibrant that the outnumbered party of death has to respond to us. Generation Life needs to transcend the abortion debate and carry its love for the good‚ the beautiful and the true into every nook and cranny of our society. Don’t wait. Act. Act‚ like 15-year-old Kristan Hawkins‚ who sought out the Crisis Pregnancy Center in her hometown and volunteered‚ who in her high school and then her college lacked a pro-life student group‚ started one‚ who transformed Students for Life—from a small coalition of campus organizations to a culture-shaping crusade that has touched the lives of millions of Americans. This is what Generation Life can look like—and must. Today‚ there are 4‚ 000 crisis pregnancy centers in America. Generation Life can create 10‚ 000‚ including one on every college campus in this country. Today‚ we bristle against a popular culture that degrades women‚ children and families. Generation Life can lead a renaissance of arts and entertainment that celebrate and promote human dignity. So‚ as I close here‚ to those of you in college‚ yes‚ bring pro-life speakers to your campus. But more importantly‚ be the pro-life speakers on your campus. Suffuse‚ suffuse the world around you with your own love of life in all its forms. To fight evil‚ we must do good. And to do good‚ we must be good. Let pundits and politicians worry about strategies and tactics. You can aim higher. Don’t wait for leaders to make pro-life policymaking possible. Be the leaders in your classrooms‚ in your campuses‚ in your families and social circles‚ in your careers‚ and all across American culture‚ to make pro-life policymaking inevitable in this spiritual war for our children and for our very souls. We need you‚ Generation Life‚ to be more than our hope for the future. Starting right now. Right now. We need you to be the heroes of the present. May God prosper the work of your hands. Amen. 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 ‘There’s No More Important Fight … Than the Right to Life‚’ Heritage Foundation President Says appeared first on The Daily Signal.

South Carolina Republicans are drawing fire from the South Carolina Freedom Caucus for pushing a pro-abortion former Democratic House leader as the state’s next circuit court judge for the 5th Judicial Circuit. James Smith‚ the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee and the former Democratic leader of South Carolina’s House of Representatives‚ is described by one Planned Parenthood affiliate as a “vocal supporter and advocate for Planned Parenthood.” The former lawmaker was endorsed by Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic (PPVSAT) in May 2018 when he ran for governor of South Carolina. The pro-life group‚ Citizens for Life‚ has said that it will score against the legislators who vote for Smith. Smith was also a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump’s tariffs and voiced his support for Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In South Carolina‚ members of the Supreme Court‚ the Court of Appeals‚ and the Circuit Court are elected by a joint public vote of the General Assembly. FITSNews.com reports that “Smith has earned the support of a majority of ‘Republican’ lawmakers in his bid for a S.C. circuit court judgeship.” The Daily Signal reached out to multiple Republican members of the South Carolina legislature who did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Proud to stand w/ my colleagues and @MsVivicaFox @ImAngelaBassett in support of @HillaryClinton for President ?? pic.twitter.com/OBasDLnm43— James Smith for South Carolina (@JamesSmithforSC) February 9‚ 2016 Congrats @HillaryClinton @HillaryforSC on the win tonight! It's an honor to support the next President of the United States ?? #ImWithHer— James Smith for South Carolina (@JamesSmithforSC) February 28‚ 2016 According to The State‚ the seat that Smith is seeking has historically been held by a black judge‚ “representing Richland County’s large Black population.” Smith is challenging African American attorney Justin Williams‚ a former assistant solicitor for the 5th Judicial Circuit and an insurance defense lawyer. Members of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus‚ which is opposing Smith’s appointment‚ tore into the former Democratic house leader in statements to The Daily Signal. “This judicial race highlights exactly why South Carolina desperately needs both a reformed judicial system and more reform-minded‚ true conservatives in the South Carolina General Assembly‚” said South Carolina State Freedom Caucus Network Director Evan Newman. NOTE—we just passed the Help Not Harm bill which prohibits gender transition procedures on minors. How do you think the person who reposted this would rule if a challenge arises? pic.twitter.com/I1BQS8ccFs— South Carolina Freedom Caucus (@SCFreedomCaucus) January 22‚ 2024 “The fact that a pro-Planned Parenthood‚ former Bernie Sanders-supported Democrat candidate for governor is the chosen candidate by the Republican establishment is laughable and should serve as a warning to all ‘red’ states that just because someone has an ‘R’ by their name‚ doesn’t mean they are actually representing your values‚” he added. The SCFC’s vice chair‚ state Rep. RJ May of Lexington‚ described Smith as a “Planned Parenthood-endorsed‚ Trump-hating‚ Biden-loving liberal.” “No wonder the South Carolina General Assembly is consistently ranked the most liberal Republican Legislature in all of America‚” he added. “It’s time for judicial reform‚ it’s time to clean house.” State Rep. Adam Morgan of Greenville‚ the SCFC chair‚ also slammed the Republicans in the South Carolina legislature. “The same ‘Republicans’ currently pushing James Smith’s appointment to the bench are also the same ‘Republicans’ who reappointed a liberal justice who struck down the Heartbeat bill‚” he said‚ referring to former South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Kay Hearn‚ who struck down the state’s law protecting babies with a heartbeat. He added: “This is just the latest damning evidence that the Republican establishment in SC is no different than the Liberal Democrats.”  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 South Carolina Republicans Slammed for Pushing ‘Trump-Hating’ Pro-Abortion Democrat for Judicial Appointment appeared first on The Daily Signal.

When Reality Bites the LA Times

Canadian Court Sides With Freedom Convoy!

Welcome to Woke of the Weak where I’ll update you about the most woke‚ progressive‚ insane‚ and crazy clips and stories that the left thinks is tolerable and well‚ point out why exactly they’re nuts.  This week marked the 51st annual March for Life in Washington D.C. While many pro-lifers gathered to honor and protect life‚ people on the left did the complete opposite online and tried their hardest to normalize moral degeneracy and mental disorders. For starters‚ two different drag queens mocked mothers. One pretended he was the Virgin Mary having an abortion. He yanked the baby Jesus doll out from between his legs and swung him around by his umbilical cord. This queen received a roaring applause from the audience. Similarly another drag queen posed as an octomom and talked about “pussification realness.” Whatever that is.  The left didn’t stop their aggression towards children with babies. This week’s episode featured many of the left’s attempts to indoctrinate kids.  One LGBTQ activist insisted she wanted to turn kids trans. Though she seemed to be sarcastic‚ it is what the left really loves to do! A first grade teacher bragged about a book that featured a nonbinary rodent who uses they/them pronouns and another book that was sold at a toy store called “Lesbian Brothels.”  We saw a he/she explain ways to “tuck‚" giving visual examples on how a female identifying male would “tuck” his penis to hide the bulge when getting dressed. This kind of mental confusion leads up to the last few clips where boys took part in womanface. Whether it was the excessive makeup‚ the mini dresses or the dramatic hand gestures‚ their videos are insulting to real women.  All in all‚ if you haven’t started praying for the left to get a grip on reality‚ now might be a great time to start.

After relentlessly pushing environmentalism on businesses‚ ESG-obsessed Bloomberg whined that flights may be too frequent and too comfortable.  A Jan. 22 article for Bloomberg headlined “No-Frills Flying Emerges as Travel’s Painful‚ Greener Future” lauded budget airlines for reducing customer space and flight perks‚ but lamented that cheaper flights drive an increase in customers. After praising more spartan airlines for their choices‚ Bloomberg reporter Angus Whitley admitted that “the budget flight movement has also driven a boom in air-travel demand because of the bargain ticket prices.” However‚ he disclaimed: “Low-cost carriers were responsible for almost 90% of growth in fuel use and CO2 emissions from US airlines between 2005 and 2019‚ according to the International Council on Clean Transportation.”  It is almost as if Bloomberg does not want Americans to fly at all.  In the news piece‚ Whitley cited ICCT Director of Research Dan Rutherford‚ who first fretted about customers benefiting from low-cost flights before proposing radical measures to hurt airline passengers. “It’s time for more punitive measures‚ according to Rutherford. There’s ‘clearly’ a need for policies such as a tax on frequent fliers or a price on carbon‚ he said‚” Whitley wrote. Notably‚ Whitley also published an article on Aug. 10‚ 2023‚ arguing that the industry must decarbonize and massively raise prices on consumers to do so. “Some $5 trillion of capital investment may be needed to deliver on aviation’s goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050‚ almost all of it plowed into sustainable fuel production and renewable power generation‚ according to McKinsey &; Co‚” he wrote at the time. “It's a mountain of money so large it could wipe out global airline revenue for the best part of a decade.” This leftist media outlet doesn’t just publish articles advocating for net zero and against customers. Leftist billionaire owner Michael Bloomberg celebrated his infamous Bloomberg Philanthropies Impact Report in June 2023. This report detailed extensive attacks on new and existing sources of energy in the United States such as coal and natural gas.  The Impact Report also provided ESG ratings for 5‚500 companies. Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Associate Katrina White admitted that her company is aware of the role these ratings play in putting pressure on companies to embrace radical environmentalism.  Conservatives are under attack! Conservatives are under attack! Contact Bloomberg News at letters@bloomberg.net and demand the outlet disclose its parent company’s ESG interests in every ESG article it publishes from now on

Clapping for the loss of an innocent life isn’t a good look. On Monday‚ Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in Waukesha County‚ Wisconsin to kick off a series of events she has planned to highlight abortion restrictions. During the event‚ Harris asked the audience to applaud the so-called “courage” one couple had to kill their child in the womb. “In a state whose motto is‚ 'Forward‚' these extremists are trying to take us backward — but we're not having that‚” Harris said at the first stop of her “Reproductive Freedom” tour. At the event she also took the opportunity to bash former President Donald Trump for his pro-life moves while he was in office. “The former president handpicked three Supreme Court justices because he intended for them to overturn Roe‚" Harris said. "It is a decision he brags about. How dare he!" Harris continued to call those who want life to be valued‚ spared and respected “extremists.” Of course‚ the ones who want to rip apart a baby‚ limb by limb‚ in the womb aren’t the extremists! No‚ they’re the ones advocating for freedom according to Harris and many of the left. What was most striking was when Harris applauded a baby being aborted. She began talking about one woman named Megan who’s child was diagnosed with a genetic disorder in utero.  “Megan had to leave the state where she calls home‚” Harris said‚ “to save her life.”  Harris was sure not to expound on what exactly was wrong with the baby but instead insisted that an abortion was absolutely necessary. Yet many genetic conditions‚ one being down syndrome‚ is not life threatening to a mother or her child in utero. But having a disabled child isn’t ideal for the left‚ so they pretend they “need” abortions to elevate anything less than their idea of "perfect." That logic is evil and so was Harris’ next move. BREAKING: Kamala Harris Literally Claps for Killing a Baby in an Abortion https://t.co/erqqrdBFPY pic.twitter.com/QkpJjXkNjb — LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) January 22‚ 2024 “Megan and her husband John are here with us today and in front of all the friends‚ let us applaud them for their courage‚” Harris said. “Can we please applaud them?” The pro-abort audience erupted in applause and shouts of praise. But‚ users on X were disturbed by her move.  “What a ghoulish response — to applaud such a grotesque thing‚ a child-killing‚” one user wrote. “She will not be clapping when she stands before God and everyone that enjoys killing babies‚” another wrote. A few more agreed‚ adding that Harris’ “afterlife will be very warm‚” and “The demons are anticipating clapping at her torments in Hell.” At one point in her speech Harris insisted that since Roe’s overturn‚ “women have been robbed of a fundamental freedom‚” yet she never considered or cared to admit the fact that babies who are aborted are being robbed of their most basic fundamental freedom - the right to life.

Last week on MSNBC‚ The 11th Hour with the not-so-bright host Stephanie Ruhle tag-teamed with leftist Twitter snob‚ raging hypocrite‚ and Hack Madness mainstay Judd Legum to throw a hysterical hissy fit over conservatives launching a charter school in South Carolina and Hillsdale College writing grade-school curriculums teaching students to — wait for it — love America. “And Moms for Liberty pushing their agenda in the classroom. All at the expense of taxpayers. We’ll get into the impact this could have an education‚” Ruhle whined in the first of three teases.     While the second tease huffed about the dangers of conservatives polluting young minds by “teaching from the book of MAGA” (even though the 1619 Project is probably fine with her)‚ the third was comical as she demanded viewers not make a late-night drink or go to bed because she would be talking about “[h]ow the far-right...is getting their own MAGA agenda in the classrooms.” She brought in Legum with more hyperventilating: Moms for Liberty activists in South Carolina are taking the group’s mission a step further this week. They are launching their own charter school called the Ashley River Classical Academy. Students will learn from the 1776 Curriculum‚ or‚ as one historian calls it‚ “the red [MAGA] hat in textbook form.” And one might think with a name like Ashley River Classical Academy‚ it would be an expensive private school that families were shelling out big bucks in tuition for. But here’s the shocking part: They’re not paying anything. They are using your tax dollars to do this whole thing. Pants on fire‚ Stephanie. The school isn’t a Moms for Liberty petri dish. While three Ashley River Classical Academy board members are‚ to varying degrees‚ involved with Moms for Liberty‚ they don’t constitute a majority and none of them are the board chair. Legum explained the gist of a post on his Substack‚ Popular Information‚ that “the whole group of Moms for Liberty activists came together to start up this school and...structured it” so there would be “essentially no oversight for this new school” launching next school year. Worse yet for this clown was that “they’re planning on using...this curriculum called the 1776 Curriculum” from Hillsdale College and “flows directly out of the Trump administration‚ who had a — a 1776 Commission to establish more patriotic education.” Nevermind that‚ for example‚ New York City Public Schools had a map without Israel‚ New Jersey was promoting far-left activism in kindergarten‚ Nebraska’s education department colluded with a Planned Parenthood official on sex ed‚ and Fairfax County‚ Virginia schools shelled out thousands for a leftist commentator. Ruhle was almost certainly fine with those acts of politicization in public schools. But a private school wanting to expose students to a Judeo-Christian education? MSNBC is acting like this is a school that’ll teach‚ say‚ Holocaust denialism or use a swastika for its logo (which they aren’t) (click “expand”): RUHLE: Okay‚ but explain how it even works — right — that they could finagle a system that they are avoiding any regulation or oversight. Because‚ on its surface‚ they kind of like to present‚ you know‚ we are Moms for Liberty‚ we’re gonna create this traditional education environment for kids. But you’ve got to know some pretty sophisticated structuring to get around regulation and oversight. This isn’t just a bunch of concerned moms. LEGUM: Yeah. So‚ typically in South Carolina‚ the charter schools are overseen either by a — a state body that’s set up for that or the local school board. And they’ll both approve the applications for charter schools and then also keep track of how they’re doing and‚ if they’re not doing well‚ they can revoke the charter‚ which they have done in the past. There was a provision put into the charter school law in South Carolina that said‚ oh‚ also‚ if a college or university wants to get involved in sponsoring a school‚ they can do so too. And a very small‚ Christian — right-wing Christian school‚ or Erskine — Erskine College‚ which has its staff and students sign an oath before enrolling saying that they believe homosexuality is a sin and abortion is a sin‚ so a very fundamentalist institution‚ has gotten into this business of sponsoring charter schools. And they’ve done it‚ it seems‚ because they’ve been in severe financial distress and they’re able to collect two percent of the money that the state provides to the charter schools that it sponsors‚ so only this very small Christian college will have any oversight over the school that’s being set up by Moms for Liberty. And — and the state really has no role. Pivoting to Hillsdale and its 1776 Curriculum‚ she whined the school is “very strong” and “conservative...with hugely powerful friends in D.C. and endowment to the tune of 900 million bucks.” Legum pigeon-holed Hillsdale in the way you’d expect‚ blasting President Larry Arnn for having taken the work from President Trump’s 1776 Commission and made it palatable for schools so it “downplays the role of slavery in the United States‚ downplays discrimination against women‚ does all sorts of things that‚ you know‚ you might — be looked well upon by — by the MAGA crowd”. Ruhle concluded in horror: “My goodness. We must‚ must continue to pay attention to this. Education is everything. Knowledge is power and just think about these brand-new schools with a totally different game plan.” Time for some fact-checks.  They contended the curriculum is based on some pollyannaish commission from the Trump administration that — horrors! — spoke positively of the Founders (since Legum views them and their Founding documents as evil). If that’s the case‚ then why did the 45-page report not only call for an education that focuses on how “the American story has its share of missteps‚ errors‚ contradictions‚ and wrongs”‚ but “have always met resistance from the clear principles of the nation‚ and therefore our history is far more one of selfsacrifice‚ courage‚ and nobility.” In its section on Jim Crow‚ the Commission wrote this about America’s backslide (click “expand”): The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution‚ passed after the Civil War‚ brought an end to legal slavery. Blacks enjoyed a new equality and freedom‚ voting for and holding elective office in states across the Union. But it did not bring an end to racism‚ or to the unequal treatment of blacks everywhere. Despite the determined efforts of the postwar Reconstruction Congress to establish civil equality for freed slaves‚ the postbellum South ended up devolving into a system that was hardly better than slavery. The system enmeshed freedmen in relationships of extreme dependency‚ and used poll taxes‚ literacy tests‚ and the violence of vigilante groups like the Ku Klux Klan to prevent them from exercising their civil rights‚ particularly the right to vote. Jim Crow laws enforced the strict segregation of the races‚ and gave legal standing in some states to a pervasive subordination of blacks. It would take a national movement composed of people from different races‚ ethnicities‚ nationalities‚ and religions to bring about an America fully committed to ending legal discrimination. The Civil Rights Movement culminated in the 1960s with the passage of three major legislative reforms affecting segregation‚ voting‚ and housing rights. It presented itself‚ and was understood by the American people‚ as consistent with the principles of the founding. On women‚ the Commission wrote that “women’s suffrage” was one of many “great reforms...that improve[d] our dedication fo the principles of the Declaration of Independence under the Constitution” and that not only men‚ but also “women...have changed America for the better.” None of that sounded sexist and segregationist to us! And‚ Judd‚ if you’re reading this‚ we have a question for you: What is a woman? Pivoting to the school itself‚ Legum and Ruhle should know classical education isn’t political‚ as students will not only study history‚ but other basic subjects like math‚ reading‚ science‚ and even physical education. Legum’s Substack piece was even more pathetic in its half-baked propaganda. Legum spilled ink blasting Ashley River’s Head of School‚ Alexandria Spry‚ as a failed educator in Florida at the Jacksonville Classical Academy East: For the 2022-23 school year‚ when Spry served as Head of School‚ Jacksonville Classical Academy East received a grade of "F" from the Florida Department of Education. The school‚ under Spry's leadership‚ saw a low percentage of students receiving passing grades in state assessments for English (29%)‚ math (23%)‚ and science (12%). Fact-check: False. Legum left out a few key facts. First‚ this was Jacksonville Classical Academy East’s first year in an impoverished neighborhood‚ which led to the second point that the student body was disadvantaged but diverse (50 percent black student body with 40 percent economically disadvantaged) and had fled failing public schools exacerbated by their high-crime‚ high-poverty surroundings. In turn‚ students weren’t immediately proficient and‚ unfortunately‚ struggled to begin the year‚ but saw dramatic improvements as the year went on. Legum‚ of course‚ ignored this. According to Florida Department of Education statistics‚ Spry’s students went from 85 percent being “well below grade level” in October to only 44 percent in May. For reading‚ the story was much the same with 65 percent failure in October to only 38 percent falling “well below” in May. This former Think Progress tool should have a basic understanding of how students need time and space to learn and improve throughout the year as the graduate of the ultra-wealthy Ponoma College and Georgetown Law. He’s supposed to be smarter than all of us‚ right? But most importantly‚ Legum should know because his mother has spent over four decades at the selective Key School‚ a private school in Annapolis where the cost for pre-K starts over $16‚000 and high school (“upper school”) can run north of $33‚000. To see the relevant MSNBC transcript from December 17‚ click here.

Sean Strickland isn’t just notorious for being cutthroat in the arena. He’s also an assassin with his words‚ especially when he’s faced with the utter nonsense that is progressivism. In the press conference leading up to Strickland’s match against South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis‚ the former UFC middleweight champion was confronted by a Canadian reporter over his prior comments about potentially having a gay son. “A couple years ago you said‚ ‘If I had a gay son I would ...’” the reporter began before Strickland cut him off. “You’re a weak f***ing man‚ dude. You’re part of the f***ing problem‚” Strickland fired back before going on a tirade about Justin Trudeau’s horrendous policies. “[Trudeau] shut down your country and seized bank accounts and you ask me some stupid s**t like that?” While Dave Rubin may not agree with everything Strickland said‚ he admires the “Trumpian way” he shut down the woke reporter. “The problem‚ of course‚ with the woke is that they are so fixated on these faux social issues that they actually ignore real tyranny‚” he says‚ referencing Trudeau’s authoritarian grip on Canada. While Strickland’s comments during the press conference sparked immediate controversy‚ UFC president and CEO Dana White wasn’t the least bit phased. In fact‚ he had his own shining moment where he muzzled a woke reporter who was hoping he would publicly condemn Strickland’s comments. “You obviously give a long leash to your fighters about what they can say. When they are up there with a UFC microphone and you are getting into territory of homophobia and transphobia‚ like is there ...” the reporter began before White interjected. “I don’t give anybody a leash‚” he corrected‚ citing the right to free speech. “Control what people say and tell people what to believe? I don’t f***ing tell any other human being what to say‚ what to think‚ and there’s no leashes on any of them. What is your question?” “I’ll move on‚” the stunned reporter muttered. “Yeah‚ probably a good idea. That’s ridiculous to say I give somebody a leash. Free speech‚ brother. People can say whatever they want‚ and they can believe whatever they want‚” White retorted‚ effectively silencing the reporter. According to Dave‚ White’s position is “not only completely right‚” it’s also “the way we always did it before this woke thing infected absolutely everything.” To see Strickland and White eviscerate progressive reporters who made the mistake of virtue-signaling in UFC territory‚ watch the videos below. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Washington Democrats recently introduced legislation that‚ if passed‚ would require a convicted sex offender to serve on a state advisory board.House Bill 2177‚ introduced earlier this month‚ would change the name of the "Sex Offender Policy Board" to the "Sex Offense Policy Board" in an attempt to destigmatize convicted rapists by doing away with the term "sex offender." According to SOPB staffer Whitney Hunt‚ the board seeks to adopt a "person-first language" approach."This bill incorporates recommendations the board has previously indicated its support for regarding the use of person-first language‚" Hunt said last week‚ WPDE reported. "This change aligns with best practices and research and encompasses all the individuals involved and impacted by the sex offense management system‚ including victims."The proposed bill‚ sponsored by Democratic state Representatives Tarra Simmons and Rodger Goodman‚ proposes increasing the SOPB membership from 13 to 17. It would require "a representative from a community-based organization advocating for persons convicted of sex offenses‚" "a representative with lived experience with incarceration for a sex offense‚" and "a representative with lived experience as the victim of a sex offense" to serve on the board. It also adds a membership position for a member belonging to an Indian tribe to sit on the advisory panel.SOPB chair Brad Meryhew stated that the board aims to add "as many diverse voices as we can.""One of the things that we try very hard to do on the board is to facilitate as many diverse voices as we can at the table‚" Meryhew continued. "The first thing that we talk about and we always focus on in our discussion is community safety‚ the victim's perspective‚ which is why the people who have committed these offenses look for redemption and look for a better world for themselves and for others."Alex Mayo‚ a member of a local sex offender advocacy group‚ claimed that adding a sex offender to the board would add "a much-needed perspective‚" WPDE reported."For far too long our public policy has treated people who have offended sexually as though they will never be able to control their actions‚ as though they are moments away from reoffending‚" Mayo said. "This simply is not true."During a House Community Safety‚ Justice‚ and Reentry hearing‚ Simmons condemned the stigmatization of convicted sex offenders."I think that we all do better when we have a diverse legislature. That's why I'm here‚" Simmons said. "And I'm proud to be here. I think I bring some lived experience that was missing from here. And while some people may have a stigma for people who have committed a sex offense‚ I think they have invaluable information to share that can really guide this board." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!