Georgia’s top election official is pointing to the Biden administration’s failure to secure the southern border as a reason the state Legislature must act to prevent voting by foreign nationals in state elections.  “With open borders‚ citizenship verification for voter registration is more important than ever‚” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger‚ a Republican‚ said Monday in a public statement.  Raffensberger called on the Georgia General Assembly to amend the state Constitution to clarify that only U.S. citizens may vote in elections. He warned that liberal organizations are trying to use the courts to overturn citizenship verification ahead of the 2024 election. “Organizations like the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda are currently suing to end critical citizenship verification in our registration process‚ potentially exposing our elections to foreign interference and diluting the power of legally registered voters‚” Raffensperger said. “I’m calling on the General Assembly to take immediate action and pass a constitutional amendment ensuring that no liberal group can leverage the courts to add noncitizens to our voter rolls.” The Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda didn’t respond immediately to inquiries from The Daily Signal for this report. But the organization’s website boasts about the success of past litigation over voting requirements.  “In the area of voter protection‚ lawsuits were won against the secretary of state [Raffensperger] for unilaterally eliminating voters from the rolls and discarding absentee ballots where signatures did not exactly match‚” the coalition’s website says. “Efforts to reduce early voting periods have been thwarted while the coalition has effectively petitioned election boards in order to prevent the closure of polling locations.” As noted in my book “The Myth of Voter Suppression‚” Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams launched a national movement and career off her two failed campaigns for governor‚ claiming without evidence that the first election was stolen from her. Her organization‚ Fair Fight Action‚ has opposed voter ID and citizenship verification measures nationally.  “Failed candidates like Stacey Abrams and the organization she founded‚ Fair Fight‚ have fought in court to eliminate citizenship verification for Georgia voters and they continue to fail in court‚” Raffensperger said.  Georgia has a score of 84 on The Heritage Foundation’s election integrity scorecard‚ ranking second in the nation behind only Tennessee’s score of 88.  About 8 in 10 Georgia voters apply for registration automatically when they get or update their driver’s license‚ according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. The Georgia Department of Driver Services‚ which is REAL ID-certified‚ verifies citizenship status.  Raffensperger’s office worked with the Department of Driver Services to conduct a full citizenship audit of Georgia’s voter rolls. Other states have enacted measures in recent years to protect against noncitizens voting‚ according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.  An Arizona law passed in 2022 requires jury lists to be shared with clerks to remove from voting rolls any individuals who were dismissed from a jury for not meeting citizenship requirements. It also requires county election registrars to review state‚ federal‚ and local databases against their own voter registration databases. Even liberal Washington state passed a measure earlier this year to require proof of citizenship to participate in automatic voter registration. It also requires the state’s Department of Licensing to provide citizenship documents when asked by the secretary of state. Mississippi enacted a measure in 2022 that requires voter registration applications to be compared with driver’s license and identification information held by the state’s Department of Public Safety.  If a comparison reveals that an applicant who wants to register to vote isn’t a U.S. citizen‚ Mississippi’s Statewide Election Management system notifies the local registrar. That registrar then must enter the applicant’s information into U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program and notify the person‚ who has 30 days to provide proof of citizenship. In 2021‚ Texas enacted an election reform law that‚ among other things‚ requires the secretary of state to compare monthly voter registration lists with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s database to verify the accuracy of citizenship status provided on voter registration applications.  The states of North Carolina‚ Alabama‚ Florida‚ Georgia‚ Indiana‚ Iowa‚ and Oklahoma‚ already had similar requirements on the books.  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 Georgia Moves to Block Noncitizen Voting in State Constitution appeared first on The Daily Signal.

American higher education is reeling from a litany of well-deserved scandals‚ most recently from the congressional hearing on antisemitism last week‚ which pulled back the curtain to reveal the world’s oldest hatred cloaked in the language of “diversity” and “inclusion.” Harvard President Claudine Gay’s hedging when asked to condemn antisemitism during the hearing and her new plagiarism scandal follow years of universities mandating COVID-19 masking and vaccines; the pay-to-play “Varsity Blues” scandal; and a decade of embarrassing scuffles over “microaggressions‚” “trigger warnings‚” and the cancellation of conservative speakers. The university has abandoned its fundamental purpose: the search for truth in an atmosphere of free inquiry. America’s colleges and universities deserve opprobrium‚ and perhaps even a complete uprooting to start over again. The Marxist ideology pitting the “oppressed” against “oppressors” has ravaged higher education‚ discarding the wisdom of the ancients in a destructive pursuit of intersectional one-upmanship that is poison not just to the pursuit of truth but to the foundations of the social order and prosperity we take for granted. The antidote‚ however‚ is not a wholesale rejection of higher education but a return to the animating force that gives higher education its value—the artes liberales‚ or “liberal arts” education. Not liberal in the sense of the Left or the Right‚ but in the sense of equipping a person with the skills to enjoy and maintain freedom. What Is Liberal Education? Oxford professor and theologian John Henry Newman wrote that a liberal education entails a “process of training‚ by which the intellect‚ instead of being formed or sacrificed to some particular or accidental purpose‚ some specific trade or profession‚ or study or science‚ is disciplined for its own sake.” The liberal arts trains students to contemplate the good‚ the true‚ and the beautiful‚ which Aristotle said was the highest end of mankind‚ and to articulate the truth once it has been discovered. The great thinkers of the West raised timeless philosophical questions that students should ponder‚ and the Western intellectual tradition laid the foundation for the freedom and prosperity we enjoy today. Liberal arts involves embracing the roots of our civilization‚ studying them‚ questioning them‚ and learning from them. This kind of education can produce great reformers who are wise enough to know what to change without rejecting our heritage wholesale. It fosters intellectual curiosity‚ humility‚ and a resolve to change things for the better. Even amid the rot of higher education today‚ diamonds in the rough like my alma mater‚ Hillsdale College‚ keep the liberal arts spirit alive‚ teaching students that pursuing truth is an end in itself and equipping them to learn from the rich tradition of education in the West. Hillsdale knows better than to discard Plato‚ Aristotle‚ Augustine‚ Aquinas‚ Thomas Hobbes‚ and John Locke in pursuit of a “racial justice” that sees these luminaries as building blocks in the structure of oppressive white supremacy. Hillsdale students learn from these thinkers‚ and if students ultimately reject their ideas‚ they have at least expanded their minds by seriously considering them. Hillsdale seriously wrestles with the Western tradition and America’s heritage‚ teaching students to read the original documents and contemplate how they shaped the world around us. While this kind of education may not be for everyone‚ it represents a good in itself‚ and America would be wise to preserve it amid the reckoning in higher education to come. A Reckoning for Higher Education Such a reckoning is long overdue. C.S. Lewis highlighted the central problem in his book “The Abolition of Man.” He noted that human beings have to learn to navigate between our animal appetites and our reason‚ and this requires a well-trained moral compass. Yet modern education teaches the young to debunk morality and follow their own course. Lewis calls these people “Men without chests”—men and women without grounding in a proper response to the way things really are‚ a foundation that makes it possible to live a good life.. “In the older systems‚ both the kind of man the teachers wished to produce and their motives for producing him were prescribed by [conscience]—a norm to which the teachers themselves were subject and from which they claimed no liberty to depart‚” Lewis explained. “They did not cut men to some pattern they have chosen‚” but rather “they initiated the young neophyte into the mystery of humanity which over-arched him and them alike.” It was merely “old birds teaching young birds to fly.” The new morality is more a form of “conditioning‚” forcing students to follow a particular ideology. In recent decades‚ the university has become dominated by a Marxist ideology teaching that society is fundamentally oppressive and the oppressed (women‚ minorities‚ LGBTQ people) must throw off the yoke of the oppressors (men‚ white people‚ straight people). This great revolution justifies tossing out the entire Western heritage and producing people who adhere to a new “woke” morality. It increasingly brooks no dissent‚ encouraging students to view with suspicion anyone who questions its pseudo-religious tenets. These ideas themselves represent a threat to liberal education. They aim to transform the sanctuary of learning into a factory of ideological warriors bent on pulling down the very foundations on which it stands. Americans should vehemently oppose this ideology and demand reform in higher education. Such reform should not aim to abolish the universities but to restore them to their original purpose—the artes liberales. Editor’s note: The author of this column is a graduate of Hillsdale College. 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 Don’t Throw Out Liberal Education With the University Bathwater appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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The Satanic Temple of Iowa set up an altar on the first floor of the Iowa state Capitol building as a form of free speech and religious freedom‚ the Des Moines Register reported. In response‚ Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) insisted that the display is part of a "free society" and was blasted for her words. The Satanic Temple allegedly received permission and followed protocol to get the display set up. It features many candles‚ the Satanic Temple logo and a red-caped figure that represents the pagan idol‚ Baphomet. The figure also has a silver ram’s head‚ and the display highlights the “seven fundamental tenets” of Satanism. According to a local news report‚ the department of administrative services said‚ “there’s a procedure to apply for getting to have [a] display” at the statehouse and the Satanic Temple did follow it. Satanic display featuring demonic ram in a red cloak is set up in the Iowa Statehouse as "an expression of religious freedom."pic.twitter.com/bQsE62IkXl — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) December 12‚ 2023 Amid the announcement‚ Reynolds stated that the display is “absolutely objectionable‚” and though she herself disagrees with the teachings of The Satanic Temple‚ she insisted that her only response can be to pray. “In a free society‚ the best response to objectionable speech is more speech‚ and I encourage all those of faith to join me today in praying over the Capitol and recognizing the nativity scene that will be on display ― the true reason for the season‚” she said.  State Rep. Brad Sherman (R-Williamsburg) “called it unconstitutional and called for it to be taken down‚” the Des Moines Register noted. Reports allege that there is a nativity scene in the Capitol but personally‚ this Satanic display really shouldn’t be allowed. “Tolerance has its limits‚” one user commented on X. Others went straight to blasting Gov. Reynolds. "I think it's time we find a new governor. This Satanic statue at our capitol shows how weak she is on fighting for Iowan's‚" a user wrote on X. Another commented‚ "Why is there a Satanic altar in the capital building?" on one of Reynolds posts.  Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec even spoke with The Federalist's Evita Duffy about how Reynolds is "flailing instead of taking action against the Satanic ritual alter in the Iowa State House" during a segment with Real America's Voice: .@evitaduffy_1 to @JackPosobiec on the Satanic Temple: "They are very much a religion of marxism‚ of modern leftism." pic.twitter.com/Qp3bRhHCCq — Human Events (@HumanEvents) December 12‚ 2023 Reynolds tried to backstep a little by posting an image praying around a Christmas tree in the Iowa capitol. She was blasted for that‚ too. Seems more like proof that good will let evil do whatever the hell it wants and settle for a photo op. https://t.co/YzwsxrTI98 — Cody Derespina (@CDerespina) December 12‚ 2023 As much as I am an advocate for free speech‚ this country was built on Christian values‚ not principles from Satan. This is a mockery of Christianity. “What a disgrace. Just shows how far the US has fallen‚” a user wrote on Twitter‚ while another added‚ “Promoting evil isn't freedom of speech.”

The Atlantic magazine's unintentionally hilarious IF TRUMP WINS series warns its readers of the scary apocalyptic future should Donald Trump emerge victorious in 2024‚ but Helen Lewis brought a mildly moderating tone to the flock‚ urging the Trump-loathing readers not to "go bonkers" again as they did after Trump won in 2016. Should the unthinkable happen again‚ Lewis urged her readers not to go full mental jacket as explained in the title‚ "THE LEFT CAN’T AFFORD TO GO MAD." The Trump years had a radicalizing effect on the American right. But‚ let’s be honest‚ they also sent many on the left completely around the bend. Some liberals‚ particularly upper-middle-class white ones‚ cracked up because other people couldn’t see what was obvious to them: that Trump was a bad candidate and an even worse president. The clinical term for that ailment is Trump Derangement Syndrome which is a subset of Just Plain Nuts! Rather than focusing on how to oppose Trump’s policies‚ or how to expose the hollowness of his promises‚ the resistance simply wished Trump would disappear. Many on the left insisted that he wasn’t a legitimate president‚ and that he was only in the White House because of Russian interference. Hmmm... Lewis is close to admitting here that Trump-Russia Collusion which the media obsessed about for over two years was a hoax. She's hinting at election denial. It continued: Social media made everything worse‚ as it always does; the resistance became the #Resistance. Instead of concentrating on the hard work of door-knocking and community activism‚ its members tweeted to the choir‚ drawing no distinction between Trump’s crackpot comments and his serious transgressions. They fantasized about a deus ex machina—impeachment‚ the Twenty-Fifth Amendment‚ the pee tape‚ outtakes from The Apprentice—leading to Trump’s removal from office‚ and became ever more frustrated as each successive news cycle failed to make the scales fall from his supporters’ eyes. The other side got wise to this trend‚ and coined a phrase to encapsulate it: “Orange Man Bad.” She was on the mark with her "Orange Man Bad" analysis‚ and you can't argue that the left distinguished itself by imagining Trump could be removed from office at any moment‚ with "the walls" constantly "closing in" on him. Imagination and speculation about "The End" was their daily ritual. Lewis concluded: The path back to sanity in the United States lies in persuasion—in defending freedom of speech and the rule of law‚ in clearly and calmly opposing Trump’s abuses of power‚ and in offering an attractive alternative. The left cannot afford to go bonkers at the exact moment America needs it most. The left can't afford to "go bonkers" but their extreme TDS guarantees they will do so... and provide great comedy entertainment along the way.

Former Vice President‚ climate activist and Apple board member Al Gore has a new scheme for Big Tech algorithms. Speaking at the Bloomberg Green Summit at COP28‚ climate doom prophet Gore compared online algorithms to AR-15s and opined‚ “They ought to be banned.” He mourned how social media changed the fact that Americans supposedly had a “shared base of knowledge‚” implying that individual control over what information they choose to access is dangerous for democracy. Gore sits on Apple’s board of directors.  “These devices are the enemies of self-government  and they are the enemies of democracy‚” Gore scare-mongered. He concluded by saying the quiet part out loud and urging for reforms to “democracy” and “capitalism” as well. “Gore runs straight to the same answer that most leftists do when facing something they perceive as a problem: label it a danger to society‚ and then‚ call for a ban‚” said MRC Free Speech America Director Michael Morris. “No‚ Gore isn’t afraid of algorithms per-se. He’s afraid that Americans‚ and indeed the world‚ will be able to learn the truth about things the left doesn’t want them to know or talk about.” Earlier in his remarks‚ Gore told the Bloomberg interviewer‚ “If you have social media that is dominated by algorithms that pull people down these rabbit holes that are a bit like pitcher plants—these algorithms‚ they are the digital equivalent of AR-15s. They ought to be banned. They really ought to be banned.” He went on to call algorithms “an abuse of the public forum.” The former vice president excitedly claimed that social media “disrupted the balances that used to exist that made representative democracy work much better.” The switch from print news to broadcasting to the internet changed how people access information‚ as Gore noted. “But when people are pulled down these rabbit holes‚ you know what’s at the bottom of the rabbit hole? That’s where the echo chamber is‚” Gore pontificated. “And if you spend too much time in the echo chamber‚ what’s weaponized is another form of AI‚ not artificial intelligence. Artificial insanity. I’m serious. I’m serious.” Gore serves on the board of directors for the anti-free speech Big Tech company Apple‚ according to the company’s Leadership and Governance webpage. During that same interview with Bloomberg Green‚ Gore demanded a faster move away from fossil fuels to save the planet. This comes not long after Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. John Clauser declared that there is no climate crisis. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand government agencies and Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

While NBC’s Today stayed on the sidelines and ABC’s Good Morning America only had a news brief‚ Tuesday’s CBS Mornings was eager to trumpet Harvard University’s diversity tool and President Claudine Gay being told by the school’s poobahs that she could keep her job despite showing support for anti-Semitism on her campus so long as it didn’t evolve into an on-site genocide. “It appears Harvard University’s president will not be forced to resign. Claudine Gay has been under fire since last week’s controversial testimony...on campus hate speech and anti-Semitism‚” co-host Nate Burleson began. “Gay still has strong support from the Harvard faculty members.”     Congressional correspondent Nikole Killion cited the news first leaked out courtesy of the student newspaper The Harvard Crimson before boasting she survived “calls for her resignation over...testimony last week on Capitol Hill” in which she suggested it’s an open question whether speech advocating for a genocide of Jews violates Harvard’s code of conduct. “Alumni and staff rallied to Gay’s defense Monday. To date‚ more than 700 faculty members signed a letter urging Harvard’s governing boards ‘to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvard’s commitment to academic freedom‚’” she added‚ doing nothing to address the fact that this Ivy League institution suddenly cares about speech after years of attacking conservatives and other contrary voices (which is perhaps best documented by the great team at Campus Reform). Killion then played sound from “history professor Alison Frank-Johnson‚” who “co-authored the letter” in support of Gay: “We need to make decisions on leadership based on a sober view of what a person has done and what they have the potential to do and not a moment of panic.” Cry me a river. Before touching on the status of the other two university bosses who appeared at the now-infamous hearing (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Pennsylvania)‚ Killion fretted that while “Gay has apologized for her testimony...that has done little to slow down the calls for resignation from Washington lawmakers to wealthy donors‚ including Harvard alumnus and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman”. As mentioned‚ ABC had short‚ 13-second brief. Co-host and George Stephanopoulos made the announcement in the second half-hour: And amid anti-Semitism allegations on college campuses and the testimony — criticized testimony by college presidents on Capitol Hill‚ Harvard president Claudine Gay apparently will remain in office with the support of the Harvard corporation. That’s according to The Harvard Crimson. To see the relevant transcripts from December 12‚ click “expand.” ABC’s Good Morning America [via Houston’s KTRK] December 12‚ 2023 8:31 a.m. Eastern [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Right Now; Harvard President to Remain in Office] GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And amid anti-Semitism allegations on college campuses and the testimony — criticized testimony by college presidents on Capitol Hill‚ Harvard president Claudine Gay apparently will remain in office with the support of the Harvard corporation. That’s according to The Harvard Crimson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CBS Mornings [via condensed‚ one-hour version on CBS News Streaming Network] December 12‚ 2023 8:08 a.m. Eastern [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; Harvard President to Remain in Office; RPT: Caludine [sic] Gay Will Not Leave Job After Controversial Testimony] NATE BURLESON: We have breaking news this morning. It appears Harvard University’s president will not be forced to resign. Claudine Gay has been under fire since last week’s controversial testimony at a congressional hearing on campus hate speech and anti-Semitism. As Nikole Killion reports‚ Gay still has strong support from the Harvard faculty members. NIKOLE KILLION: Harvard University President Claudine Gay will remain at the helm of the Harvard University‚ according to The Harvard Crimson‚ the campus newspaper. Her continued tenure getting the support of the school’s governing body on Monday night. The decision comes after calls for her resignation over this testimony last week on Capitol Hill. CONGRESSWOMAN ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment? Yes or no? HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY: It can be‚ depending on the context.  KILLION: Alumni and staff rallied to Gay’s defense Monday. To date‚ more than 700 faculty members signed a letter urging Harvard’s governing boards “to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvard’s commitment to academic freedom.” History professor Alison Frank-Johnson co-authored the letter. ALISON FRANK JOHNSON: We need to make decisions on leadership based on a sober view of what a person has done and what they have the potential to do and not a moment of panic. KILLION: Gay has apologized for her testimony‚ but that has done little to slow down the calls for resignation from Washington lawmakers to wealthy donors‚ including Harvard alumnus and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman‚ who said all the university presidents that testified last week should resign in disgrace. Saturday‚ Penn President Liz Magill resigned while MIT President Sally Kornbluth has received strong backing by the university. TONY DOKOUPIL: Nikole Killion‚ thank you very much‚ appreciate it.

“Spread Kindess‚ Not Germs‚” reads a sign I once saw in my children’s preschool. If only we had such a choice! In reality‚ as all parents know‚ there’s nothing so efficient as “kindness” — sharing‚ playing nicely together‚ greeting friends with enthusiasm — when it comes to spreading sickness‚ especially at this time of year. For crunchy moms‚ the situation poses an issue. Overuse of OTC anti-inflammatories like Tylenol and Nyquil as well as of antibiotics has been shown to correlate with the long-term suppression of kids’ immune systems through damage of the gut. So how do we provide our kids some relief without messing with their microbiomes? The true blue homesteader mamas will make their own elderberry syrup‚ fire cider‚ or honey-fermented onions. But what of our suburban queens‚ who may not be ready to experiment with home brew? Here are five dye-free‚ organic cough syrups for the season of sniffles. Keep in mind that formulations and availability may change‚ so it's a good idea to check the latest information and product labels: Zarbee's Naturals Cough Syrup: Known for using honey and other natural ingredients. Some formulations may include additional herbal extracts. Maty's All-Natural Cough Syrup: Emphasizes natural and whole-food ingredients. Often contains ingredients like honey‚ apple cider vinegar‚ and various herbs. Nature's Way Umcka ColdCare: Uses pelargonium sidoides root extract‚ a traditional herbal remedy. Available in syrup form to help relieve symptoms associated with the common cold. Boiron Chestal Honey Cough Syrup: Contains natural honey and other homeopathic ingredients. Designed to relieve both dry and productive coughs. Gaia Herbs Bronchial Wellness Herbal Syrup: Formulated with herbal extracts like plantain leaf‚ grindelia‚ and helichrysum. Intended to support overall respiratory health.

The United States and the Jewish state of Israel might sit separately in different hemispheres‚ but they are ever connected through their foundational promises. Now as the souls of these two nations are challenged and must stare directly into the face of evil‚ they are bonded‚ distinguished from the rest of the world‚ as covenantal societies. We are living through an obvious and disconcerting shift in Americans’ belief in their foundational ideas. But the rejection is deeper than culture; it is a complete abandonment of the Judeo-Christian values that have tied this country together from the beginning. We have reached a point where people are so open-minded that their brains have fallen out. The founding fathers envisioned religious freedom for all and understood that society could not survive without religion. Religious freedom meant freedom and religion. American liberty is inextricably linked to religion and God. This is understood on a deep level in Judaism. The name in Hebrew assigned to the United States does not literally translate to “united states.” It is Artzot HaBrit‚ which means “The Lands of Covenant.” So the United States joined the children of Israel as a society rooted in a covenant with God and with each other. Faith in the nation and in the success of both nations‚ hinges on faith in the covenant. The understanding that faith and liberty go hand in hand is deeply rooted in the writings and speeches of America’s founders. In a letter to the Massachusetts Militia in October 1798‚ John Adams wrote: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Locke‚ the English philosopher whose ideas heavily inspired the framers of the Constitution‚ argued in “A Letter Concerning Toleration” that atheists could not be trusted in a covenantal society: “Lastly‚ those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of a God. Promises‚ covenants‚ and oaths‚ which are the bonds of human society‚ can have no hold upon an atheist.” Of course‚ belief can not and should never be forced on anyone. But the waning of religion certainly explains the current phenomenon of nationwide institutional and cultural collapse. We are becoming a country of spiritually bankrupt cities and purposeless people. The covenant challenges us every day to do better and to be better. The independence of our nations also brought obligations — responsibility is intrinsic to freedom. So it comes as no surprise that at a time when playing the victim yields faster results than honest‚ hard work‚ people abandon this social and religious contract. When Americans turn their backs on this founding bond‚ society collapses. We have reached a point where people are so open-minded that their brains have fallen out. An excessively liberal mentality has dimmed our national spark. When we try to accept everything‚ we become nothing. We can look to our forefathers and founders to know what happens when we neglect each other and stray from the path. After all‚ as Ecclesiastes reminds us‚ “There is nothing new under the sun.” But we don’t have to feel completely lost. We are “the Lands of Covenant‚” and we can find our way back.