How humiliating and disheartening must it be for a Miss Universe pageant contestant to lose to a “woman” with a penis and testicles? That‚ regrettably‚ is not a hypothetical question. That’s exactly what happened to real young women earlier this year in preliminary pageants in two European nations‚ Portugal and the Netherlands. On Saturday night‚ those countries will be represented by a pair of transgender faux females at the 72nd annual Miss Universe pageant. To borrow a vintage 55-year-old advertising line from Virginia Slims cigarettes‚ “You’ve come a long way‚ Baby.” Just not in the way Phillip Morris envisioned it in 1968. And there may be yet more humiliation and heartbreak ahead for the XX-chromosomed real women participating in the pageant this weekend. Don’t discount the possibility that either “Miss” Portugal‚ Marina Machete‚ or “Miss” Netherlands‚ Rikkie Valerie Kolle‚ could walk away with the sash and tiara this weekend in El Salvador. That’s because the CEO of the company that now owns and operates the Miss Universe pageant‚ JKN Global Group‚ is Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip‚ a Thai man who himself insists he’s a woman‚ biology to the contrary notwithstanding. His modus operandi for the pageant appears to be “if it ain’t broke‚ break it.”  “Trans women are women‚ full stop‚” the Miss Universe Organization declared after Machete won the Portuguese crown. (“Full stop”? Really? At the risk of a double entendre here‚ they … umm … forgot the “period.” Or maybe the omission was intentional.) Last November‚ shortly after acquiring the pageant‚ Jakrajutatip vowed to the Bangkok Post newspaper: “We will adopt a new concept‚ ‘One universe‚’ in which opportunities to participate in the competition will be given also to trans women and married women‚ and fairness in the contest judging will be ensured.” (emphasis added) And we all know how the unhinged Left spells “fairness”: D-E-I‚ as in “diversity‚ equity and inclusion.”  “This will be the first beauty contest with real gender equality and inclusion‚” Jakrajutatip averred.  Not quite. “Miss” Portugal and “Miss” Netherlands aren’t the first transgender “women” to compete for the Miss Universe crown. In 2018‚ Angela Ponce‚ “Miss Spain‚” beat them to it‚ but finished out of the Top 10 finalists. The Portuguese and Dutch contestants will be competing against 90 real women from around the world‚ including‚ for the first time‚ a contestant from Pakistan. Ten other countries have withdrawn from this year’s pageant‚ though it’s unknown whether any of them did so to protest the participation of the faux females. Italy did the next best thing: It barred transgender “women” from its Miss Universe competition‚ stipulating that its contestants “must be a woman from birth.” (Miss Italy is not affiliated with the Miss Universe Organization‚ however‚ and the Miss Italy Universe pageant is a separate contest‚ according to CNN.) Even if the Miss Universe pageant weren’t owned by a transgender person‚ it wouldn’t be entirely surprising that biological men have been allowed into the competition‚ given that so many other endeavors heretofore reserved exclusively for real women have been invaded by these intersex interlopers‚ most notably high school and collegiate athletics.  So has the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue‚ and earlier this month‚ Glamour magazine named as one of its seven “women of the year” a transgender model‚ whom one critic ridiculed on Glamour’s Instagram page as “a man in a dress.” What’s just as disconcerting is the deafening silence of liberal “cisgender” women who purport to champion women’s rights but who won’t stand up for the real girls and women being cheated out of athletic awards and scholarships—or‚ in this case‚ pageant titles. As recently as 2015‚ the Miss Universe pageant was co-owned by Donald Trump‚ who‚ for the past couple of years‚ has spoken out forcefully against allowing faux females to interlope in girls’ and women’s sports.  Maybe the once-and-(perhaps)-future president should buy the pageant back and make Miss Universe great again. Or at least make it all-XX chromosomes again. Originally published at WashingtonTimes.com 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 Transgender Faux Females Have No Place in Miss Universe Pageant appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The tragic mass shooting last month in Lewiston‚ Maine‚ sent gun control activists into their typical attacks on the right to keep and bear arms. Many defaulted to their standard narrative that the real “bad guy” wasn’t the murderer‚ but the Second Amendment and its supporters. Instead of demanding accountability from the government officials who failed to enforce existing criminal and mental health laws‚ they immediately demanded additional gun control measures that punish ordinary‚ peaceable Americans. Even worse‚ some derided millions of law-abiding gun owners by asserting that the murderer was just another “good guy with a gun” up until the moment he started killing innocent people. Others mocked gun owners by asking where all the “good guys with guns” were to stop the slaughter. Comments like these‚ of course‚ ignore reality. As is the case in so many mass public shootings‚ the Lewiston gunman was anything but a “good guy‚” and he targeted victims in places where he was least likely to be met with armed resistance. Meanwhile‚ the fact that the Lewiston shooter wasn’t stopped by an armed civilian doesn’t negate the many other instances last month in which Americans successfully used their firearms to defend themselves‚ their loved ones‚ and even complete strangers from criminal violence. Such defensive gun uses are far from uncommon. Almost every major study has found that Americans use their firearms in self-defense between 500‚000 and 3 million times annually‚ as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged. In 2021‚ the most comprehensive study ever conducted on the issue concluded that roughly 1.6 million defensive gun uses occur in the United States every year. For this reason‚ The Daily Signal publishes a monthly article highlighting some of the previous month’s many news stories on defensive gun use that you may have missed—or that might not have made it to the national spotlight in the first place. (Read other accounts here from past months and years. You also may follow @DailyDGU on Twitter for daily highlights of defensive gun uses.) The 12 examples below represent only a small portion of the news stories on defensive gun use that we found in October. You may explore more using The Heritage Foundation’s interactive Defensive Gun Use Database. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s news organization.) Oct. 3‚ Chicago: In the aftermath of a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus‚ police said‚ a gunman opened fire in the direction of bystanders‚ striking and wounding a Chicago Transit Authority bus supervisor. A tow truck driver with a concealed carry permit returned fire at the gunman‚ who fled. Oct. 5‚ Phoenix: Police said an armed resident fatally shot a man who broke into a residence through a window while the family‚ including two young daughters‚ was home.  Oct. 6‚ Bismark‚ North Dakota: A couple woke up when a highly intoxicated and naked intruder broke into their home‚ police said. The man claimed he was there to “retrieve his clothing.” The husband held the intruder—a complete stranger—at gunpoint until police arrived. Oct. 11‚ Shreveport‚ Louisiana: After a woman’s ex-boyfriend broke into her home while armed with a knife and a bat‚ police said‚ a man inside shot him. The intruder‚ whose wounds weren’t life-threatening‚ was taken into police custody. Oct. 13‚ Virginia Beach‚ Virginia: Police said a contractor for a flooring company was justified in shooting and wounding a man who‚ during a dispute over construction noise‚ brandished a gun and physically assaulted the contractor’s co-worker. Oct. 15‚ Hollywood Hills‚ California: An award-winning Hollywood hair stylist fatally shot an intruder as he tried to force his way into her home through a window in the middle of the night‚ police said. The woman’s neighbors told reporters that this was not the first time she’d been the victim of burglars. Oct. 16‚ Bellaire‚ Ohio: Police said a man shot and wounded an ax-wielding assailant who attacked him and another woman during a domestic dispute. The assailant was taken to jail on active warrants. Both his victims were hospitalized and treated for injuries. Oct. 19‚ Auburn‚ Washington: During an attempted home invasion‚ police said‚ three armed and masked men tried to force their way inside while shouting‚ “Seattle police!” The homeowner fired several shots through the door‚ sending all three men fleeing. Oct. 21‚ Wake Forest‚ North Carolina: An armed bystander with a concealed carry permit intervened during an altercation in a grocery store parking lot that was related to domestic violence‚ police said. The bystander returned fire when a man began shooting‚ causing him to flee. Police caught the assailant‚ who is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill‚ among other offenses. Oct. 22‚ Skokie‚ Illinois: A man attending a pro-Israel rally got out of his car‚ which was covered in Israeli flags‚ only to be surrounded by pro-Palestine demonstrators‚ some of whom physically attacked him‚ police said. The man‚ a concealed carry permit holder‚ drew his gun and fired into the air. Police later determined it was an act of lawful self-defense. Oct. 25‚ Philadelphia: A convenience store employee fatally shot an armed robber who threatened him with a gun and started taking cash from the register‚ police said. Other employees told reporters that their armed co-worker had gotten his concealed carry permit and sought out firearms training after surviving an earlier armed robbery at the store. Oct. 28‚ Atlanta: A man was doing construction work at a residence when he saw a juvenile breaking into his utility vehicle and confronted him‚ police said. The juvenile drew a gun and fired. The construction worker‚ also armed‚ returned fire‚ striking and wounding the would-be thief. As these examples demonstrate‚ far more “good guys with guns” live in the United States than gun control advocates often care to admit. And they successfully protect themselves and others on a regular basis. Don’t be misled: None of the gun control measures proposed in the wake of last month’s Lewiston shooting likely would have saved a single life. Those measures certainly wouldn’t have been more effective than merely using existing laws to disarm those who‚ like that mass killer‚ are mentally ill and dangerous. The right to keep and bear arms won’t protect every innocent person from every evil‚ any more than seatbelts will protect every passenger in every car crash. The Second Amendment does‚ however‚ give them a fighting chance. 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 Good Guys (and Gals) With Guns Still Out There‚ as These 12 Examples Show appeared first on The Daily Signal.

You know things are bad for you as an ex-speaker of the House when the people who took you down are using the "I'm not angry‚ I'm just disappointed" line on you --- particularly after you allegedly elbow him in the kidneys. Yet‚ that's where Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett is....

Just when you thought the moral character of America's youth had hit rock bottom‚ TikTok takes it to a disturbing new low. Osama bin Laden's "Letter to America" is making the rounds on the social media platform‚ with users expressing their agreement with the 9/11 mastermind and sharing how his...

Tick-tock. It is only a matter of time. Last week‚ the House Oversight and Accountability Committee subpoenaed Hunter Biden and other family members and associates of President Joe Biden as part of an investigation into alleged influence-peddling‚ according to Newsmax. On Thursday‚ GOP Committee Chair James Comer of Kentucky told...

When woke liberals' products prove unpopular‚ or when their ideas fail to persuade‚ they never bother with self-reflection. After all‚ they already know how good and smart they are. Instead‚ they buttress their self-conceit with accusations of bigotry against others. In an October interview with Variety‚ Nia DaCosta -- 31-year-old...

This video is a rescue unique to itself. 5 farmers in Britain worked hard to get a sheep rescued. This sweet animal spent 2 years lost and alone‚ and these young men saved the day. The men named this rescued sheep Fiona. They describe how she is now in incredible health‚ considering all that she has been through. As they are interviewed‚ the lead man on the rescue tells of how they heard news of this gentle creature being stranded in the Scottish Highlands at the bottom of a cliff. RELATED: Overgrown Sheep Found Roaming The Wild Weighed Down By Over 77 Pounds Of Wool The men worked as a team with heavy equipment to get Fiona up out of the cliffs. In a picture shown‚ poor Fiona had ridiculously overgrown wool from months of neglect. One man said‚ "I've worked with sheep my entire life‚ and I've never seen anything like it." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dalscone Farm (@dalsconefarmfun) They discuss how she had food and water‚ but the weight of her fleece alone was damaging to her joints and health. The men are asked‚ "Will she be integrated back into a flock?" They describe this rescued sheep as being an animal who needs a group. They will begin to introduce her to being part of that again and returning to her natural environment. It is truly inspiring. They share that Fiona is already a famous sheep. Her rescue is widespread good news. See this Sheep Rescued‚ and Be Amazed at the Transformation The farmer called on these men to come help get this sheep because he could not rescue her alone. This is a beautiful reminder that we‚ too‚ are made for community. Isolation is not how humanity was made. We were not created to be alone but to be known and to know others. As we see this rescue‚ may it remind us to press into the gift and blessing of friendship. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Dog Was Missing for 2 Weeks‚ Then Family Gets a Call That Rescuers Found Him on a Cliff Ledge “Brothers and sisters‚ if someone is caught in a sin‚ you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves‚ or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens‚ and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2 WATCH: 5 Farmers Worked To Ensure the ‘Loneliest’ Sheep Was Rescued  LISTEN: Dog Finds Grave Of Beloved Late "Grandma" | Bride Heartbroken As Dad Refuses to Dance with Her at Wedding h/t: People Featured Image Credit: Youtube/Sky News The post 5 Farmers Rallied Together‚ and Fiona the ‘Loneliest’ Sheep Was Rescued from Cliff appeared first on GodUpdates.