Christians in Nigeria were violently assaulted by radical Muslims in the small village of Kulben, located in the central area of the country&#8217;s Plateau state Mangu County. At least thirteen civilians were murdered and three more were injured in the attack.
Nigerian outlet <a href="https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2020/01/09/herdsmen-in-another-massacre-in-kulben-village/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PM News</a> reports that the Plateau Police Command confirmed the January 8 attack was suspected to be the work of armed members of the Muslim Fulani herdsmen extremist group, who have used violence in the past to suppress Christian communities in the African nation. 
Police Public Relations Officer DSP Terna Tyopev explained, “In the early hours of today, we received a distress call that gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, attacked Kulben community of Kombun District of Mangu.”
“Immediately we received the information, the commissioner in charge of the command, Mr. Isaac Akinmoyede, directed the DCP in charge of Operations, Mr. Aliyu Tafida to mobilize to the scene,” he continued. “As I speak, our team of detectives and other officers are in the scene of the crime to prevent further attacks.”
Local resident Michael Mutding described the assault in a text message to <a href="https://morningstarnews.org/2020/01/muslim-fulani-herdsmen-kill-13-christians-wound-three-in-central-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Morning Star News</a>. 
“They were shooting with guns in all directions, forcing the villagers to scamper into surrounding bushes,” he said. “Corpses of those killed have been evacuated by soldiers and police to the mortuary of Mangu Cottage Hospital; and all the victims are members of COCIN.”
According to <a href="https://guardian.ng/news/again-gunmen-kill-13-persons-in-fresh-plateau-attack/">The Guardian</a>, an eyewitness claims that the attack was in retaliation to villagers stopping the heavily armed herdsmen from cattle rustling outside the village of Kerang. 
“It was a tough battle between the youths and the rustlers. At the end, three of them were arrested and some of the cows recovered. The cows and the suspects were handed over to the Police in Kerang,” the eyewitness said. 
The deadly attack prompted swift responses from Nigerian lawmakers. 
Local representative Bala Fwengje said in a statement, “This attack on my people by these herdsmen comes as a rude shock to us, as efforts have been made by security agencies to curtail such incessant attacks on our people.” He added, “It is a sad thing that these attacks are still being carried out by the herdsmen on our people without provocation.”
Plateau state Gov. Simon Bako Lalong echoed those sentiments. “We have toiled to ensure that peace returns to Plateau state, and we will not allow anyone to make nonsense of our efforts,” he said vowing to arrest the suspects. “We are determined to deal decisively and firmly with anybody found culpable in attacking or inciting people to carry out attacks against one another.”
Tyopev confirmed that no arrests have been made. “No arrest is yet to be made, but we are doing everything possible to ensure the criminals are arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
Local Christian leader Audu Tetmut told Morning Star News that the attack was a surprise, since the village has had no prior discernible tension with the radical group. 
“Our community had lived peacefully with the herdsmen without any issues of dispute with them,” he said. “So we are surprised that they attacked us.”
Radical Muslims have engaged in a campaign to force the growing Christian community out of Nigeria. In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-radical-muslims-suspected-may-attacks-jacob-airey">May 2019</a>, the Fulani herdsmen were suspected in an attack near the city Jos that took thirty civilian lives. This assault was on the heels of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/muslim-extremists-murder-over-30-nigerian-jacob-airey">March 2019</a> attack in Maro where over two dozen were killed. 
The aid group Mercy Corps told the <a href="https://www.gulf-times.com/story/652919/Gunmen-kill-12-in-central-Nigeria-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gulf Times</a> that the extremists’ attacks on villages and farmers have, &#8220;contributed to more than 7,000 deaths in the past five years.”

NIGERIA-UNREST-FULANI

Radical Muslims Kill Thirteen Nigerian Christians

Africa

Christianity

Crime

Islam

Persecution

Radical Islam

Radical Islamic Terror

Terrorism

A Catholic cathedral and nearby radio station in the region of Cotabato on the island of Mindanao, Philippines were shaken by a grenade blast on Sunday that caused injury to at least 14 people. This was immediately followed by two more explosions: One by an IED in the town of Libungan, Cotabato province where six more were injured, and one in Upi, Maguindanao where two people were harmed. 
According to <a href="https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2019/12/14-injured-in-cotabato-city-blast-5-in-libungan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MindaNews</a>, three men riding motorcycles threw grenades at members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who were standing guard at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and a radio station owned by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. At least seven soldiers and several nearby civilians were injured by the explosion. 
Military spokesperson Major Homer Estolas insisted the military guards were the target. 
“It was clear that the suspects targeted the soldiers first,” he said. “The civilians were hurt because they were there waiting for their rides home.”
Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, who previously called for martial law to be extended, condemned Sunday&#8217;s attacks. “Tonight is a sad and unfortunate night for all Cotabatenos. As of this time, 16 are reported wounded,” she said, urging citizens to “remain calm as our police and military have the situation under full control.” 
She continued, “We can rise above these acts of terrorism. We are resilient and strong enough to fight against these people whose mission is to disrupt our peace. We must all be united in the face of these adversities.”
The region has been under martial law since 2017, following a series of attacks from suspected members of a local terrorist group. The bombings come just nine days before martial law was supposed to be lifted. 
A spokesperson of the military&#8217;s Western Mindanao Command, Major Arvin Encinas, told <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/22/19/17-wounded-in-series-of-blasts-in-cotabato-city-nearby-town" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ABS-CBN News</a> that the military could not dismiss the possibility of radical Islamic terrorist-linked groups being involved in the attacks. 
&#8220;We do not discount the possibility that Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Daesh-inspired groups are behind this,&#8221; he told the outlet.
BIFF is an extremist group with ties to the Islamic State that operates in the Asia-Pacific country. 
According to <a href="https://www.rappler.com/nation/247753-grenade-attack-cotabato-city-december-22-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rappler News</a>, Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco condemned the grenade attacks as “terrorist acts.”
“The bombings in the Municipality of Libungan and in Cotabato City have struck another blow to our people’s sense of security that is still reeling from the losses, damages, and trauma of the recent earthquakes,” she said in a statement. “Let us keep in mind that these terrorist acts aim to instill fear and to spread panic. Therefore, I call on everyone to remain calm and to stay vigilant. We need to muster our courage and to strongly resist fear.”
The attacks are suspected to be connected to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which distributes certificates of land ownership awards to agrarian reform beneficiaries. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte arrived the following day in Cotabato to personally pass them out and to visit those injured in the explosions. 
“He will distribute land certificates and then visit the venues where the bombing took place. I don’t know which of the two but one of them,” a spokesperson told the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/24/19/duterte-to-visit-cotabato-city-despite-bombings-palace-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">media</a>. 
BARMM is heavily opposed by Islamic State-tied radical Muslim organizations like BIFF and rebel group Abu Sayyaf, who have refused to enter negotiations with the Filipino government over the dispute. 
“It is sad that this kind of violence is happening while we are celebrating the holy Christmas season,” one witness said, according to <a href="https://morningstarnews.org/2019/12/grenade-attack-near-cathedral-leaves-several-wounded-in-the-philippines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Morning Star News</a>. 
This series of attacks follows a similar one in November, when a man on a motorcycle threw a grenade inside a house in Aleosan town, Cotabato during a birthday party. Three people, including a child, were injured, according to <a href="https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1188934/3-hurt-in-cotabato-grenade-blast-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inquirer News</a>, but no one was killed.

Tokyo Holds The Future of Asia International Conference

Philippines Rocked By Multiple Christmas Week Terrorist Attacks

Catholic Church

Catholicism

Islamic State (ISIS)

Philippines

When “The Lost City Of Z” director James Gray announced his latest film “Ad Astra” at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, he made the bold declaration that it would be &#8220;the most realistic depiction of space travel that&#8217;s been put in a movie and to basically say, &#8216;Space is awfully hostile to us.'&#8221; While it is unclear if he succeeded in that regard, the feature is lined with an all-star cast and stunning visuals. The movie, on paper, seems idyllic. Its science fiction story does its best to depict a realistic version of space and space travel with incredible technical skill and stunning effects, but it fails to make an emotional connection.
In the “near future,” Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) works for the United States Space Command. After a series of electric surges begin threatening Earth’s solar system, he is called to a meeting with the brass. There he learns that his thought-dead father, famous astronaut Commander H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) may be alive. It is thought the “Project Lima” mission he vanished on sixteen years ago may have something to do with the surges since they are originating from Neptune, where his father’s team vanished in an attempt to contact extraterrestrials.  
Roy is being sent to Mars with his father’s old friend Colonel Thomas Pruitt (Donald Sutherland), who had a falling-out with his dad before the Project Lima mission. They travel first to the moon where they are attacked by space pirates. Surviving the attack, Roy parts ways with Pruitt, who was injured during the assault. However, he gives Roy a message revealing a dark secret about his father and their mission. Roy boards another rocket to Mars as the surges increase in size and frequency. With the danger growing, his only hope is to contact his father before time runs out.
From a technical perspective, the movie is incredible. Everything was done with excellent detail. As Roy makes his journey into deep space, farther than most have gone before, you feel every tense moment of the lack of gravity, confinement, and the claustrophobic nature of the space vessels. There is a moment early on in the film when the character takes a high fall and you watch every moment with anticipation at the realism on screen. In addition, the musical score by Max Richter, who also worked on “Hostiles,” perfectly complemented the plot as it unfolded before you. 
However, while this movie is impressive when it comes to the technical aspects, it ultimately fails to give the viewer a way to connect with it on a personal and emotional level. 
Though brilliantly acted by Pitt, Roy’s character is a cold, distant protagonist who fails at evoking empathy. He follows the career path of his father, becoming an astronaut. This proves to be a detriment in his life, shown when his wife, Eve (played briefly by Liv Tyler) leaves him. His coldhearted nature pushes her away, but instead of feeling a connection with him over the collapse of his marriage, you almost feel relieved she got out when she did. 
Likewise, the tone of the film is incredibly nihilistic. Religion is portrayed as an obsession to “let go” rather than a personal matter of faith to hold tight. Relationships are shown to be nothing more than a mere bumping into each other rather than emotional connections that guide our life. In the end, only the “duty” of fulfilling the mission is shown to give any sense of peace. Give your life to the state, the mission, because even if they deceive you, they are still better than those old fashioned beliefs or relationships. This left the movie with no substance. 
While impressive in its visuals, composition, and even performances, the story of “Ad Astra” gets lost in its emptiness, both metaphorically in its depiction of space and literally in the weightlessness of its plot. 
Check out the trailer below:
<iframe title="Ad Astra | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P6AaSMfXHbA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Premiere Of 20th Century Fox&#8217;s &#8220;Ad Astra&#8221; &#8211; Arrivals

‘Ad Astra’ Review- Technical Prowess, But Little Else

2016

Brad Pitt

Cannes

Hollywood

Religion

Science

space force

In a bizarre interview on Sunday, David Remnick, author of “The Bridge: The Life And Rise Of Barack Obama” and editor for The New Yorker magazine, expressed his frustration with Trump voters to CNN’s “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter. 
Responding to a question about whether anything will change following President Trump’s impeachment by House Democrats, Remnick stated that, “We’ve seen the Republicans stuck where they are. Their illusions about Trump remain,” adding that “the stakes here are immense.”
The Media Research Center <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2019/12/22/new-yorker-editor-future-earth-hangs-trumps-impeachment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that Remnick began to connect the impeachment hearing to the “future” of the planet, thereby linking it to one of the Left’s biggest political issues: Global warming.   
“It’s not just about the political future of one man, Donald Trump — it’s about the future of democracy and democratic process. And this is a trend throughout the world. It’s about the future of the Earth. We have a party that has decided to be disbelieving about climate change. It’s about issues as essential as that,” he said. 
Of course, Stelter did not bother to ask how global warming is somehow connected to the House Democrats’ move to impeach President Trump. Instead, allowing The New Yorker editor to continue to pontificate, Remnick went to discuss how the mainstream media are at a loss as to why President Trump remains popular in certain sectors of the country. 
“Right now, you have a country that is split, and to the great frustration of people like you and people like me, we don’t somehow understand,” he opined. “We don’t understand why the evidence of things, why facts don’t penetrate so many of our brothers and sisters in the United States of America. And it’s a source of great frustration for the press and for anybody who is thinking about these issues that are so important.”
He emphasized, “And this is a source of great frustration for the press. And for anyone who is thinking about these issues that are so important.”
Stelter echoed the sentiments, repeating, “for the press.” He then asked about the “eclipse of reason” of the Republican Party.
“Let’s not be deluded here. It&#8217;s not as if reason and fact and truth-telling were pervasive in any political party, much less the Republican Party. But things have gotten markedly worse,” Remnick answered. “So much of the Republican Party, their candidates, their leadership know the score. Everybody in the Senate and the House knows this is a man of low character, of ethical, of ethics run amuck. &#8230; Nobody in the Republican Party thinks this is a good and decent man. These are people who are looking to their political advantages. They think if they act against him somehow or speak against him, they&#8217;ll lose their seats. So, the only people speaking against him are people set to retire.”
This interview highlights a lack of self-awareness that is prevalent across large swaths of the news industry. As they try to connect global warming to the vote to impeach Trump, many Americans grow weary of such showboating by the press and congressional Democrats. 
The Daily Wire’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/klavan-cnn-accidentally-reveals-that-its-a-cult" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andrew Klavan</a> has previously commented on the direction of the media and of Brian Stelter’s program, in particular. 
“I mean, it is comical that they can’t see themselves,” he said. “So it drives the Right crazy, it drives me crazy. This is the news. You turn on the news, CNN, the most trusted name in news, but that’s what you see on the news, and it drives you crazy.” 
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/new-yorker-editor-david-remnick-says-trumps-impeachment-is-about-the-future-of-the-earth" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox News</a>’ Brian Flood noted how the Remnick interview was mocked on social media, with Brit Hume pointing out, “Fortunately for the country and the planet, people seem to have sense enough not to believe this sort of claptrap.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fortunately for the country and the planet, people seem to have sense enough not to believe this sort of claptrap. <a href="https://t.co/X9KyPyhiFy">https://t.co/X9KyPyhiFy</a>
&mdash; Brit Hume (@brithume) <a href="https://twitter.com/brithume/status/1208931836161904641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 2019 New Yorker Festival &#8211; Terry Gross Talks With David Remnick

New Yorker Editor David Remnick To Nodding Stelter: ‘It’s A Great Frustration’ Why People Vote For Trump

2019 in Washington

Andrew Klavan

Brian Stelter

Brit Hume

Climate Change

David Remnick

Donald Trump

Global Warming

Media

Fourteen Christians, including several children, were brutally murdered by suspected radical Islamists in the African nation of Burkina Faso. 
The BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50624390" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that the attack occurred in the town of Hantoukoura on Sunday, December 1, by unknown assailants near the border of Niger. Pastor Tchintchiéba Ouoba, thirteen congregants, and five children were among the casualties at the Protestant church. 
The identity of the gunmen are unknown, but Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-burkina-security/at-least-14-killed-in-attack-on-burkina-faso-church-idUSKBN1Y51C6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">notes</a> that there has been growing tension between radical Islamists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, who are violently increasing their influence in the northern region of the small African nation. 
<a href="https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/another-attack-in-burkina-faso-kills-14-christians-the-attacks-have-shattered-the-lives-of-our-people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open Doors</a>, a Christian persecution watchdog group, spoke with a minister in the nearby Burkina Faso town of Kaya regarding the assault. 
“We don’t know who the attackers are, neither do we know who is sponsoring them,” Pastor Samuel Sawadogo said. “All we know is that they attack Christians. These attacks have shattered the lives of our people. We are troubled and filled with pain over the deaths of our family members.”
This follows an attack in November by radical jihadists, who attacked a convoy of coal miners, leading to the death of at least thirty-nine workers. 
In November, the State Department issued a travel advisory on the <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/burkina-faso-travel-advisory.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nation</a>, warning Americans: “Do not travel to Burkina Faso due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.”
When asked about the December attack, a spokesperson for the State Department told The Daily Wire: “The United States is concerned about the increased terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso that led to the displacement of approximately 500,000 Burkinabe citizens. These attacks have targeted representatives of all religious groups in Burkina Faso in addition to non-religious, and governmental community leaders. Burkina Faso has a long tradition of peaceful coexistence among different groups. Islam, Christianity, traditional indigenous religious beliefs, and others are practiced freely without government interference. We will continue to support Burkina Faso’s efforts in the fight against terrorist that threaten the country’s peaceful traditions.”
“The U.S. Department of State has no greater responsibility than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” the State Department spokesperson continued. “As our Advisory notes, the U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens throughout most of the country, as U.S. government personnel are restricted from traveling to regions outside the capitol due to security concerns. Due to these concerns, the Department advises that U.S. citizens not travel to Burkina Faso. We urge all U.S. citizens living in Burkina Faso to evaluate their circumstances and re-consider whether it remains appropriate for you to remain in-country.”
The African country once prided itself as a calm nation, but radical jihadists from Mali have continued to ramp up attacks on Christians and other religious minorities in the region, forcing the closure of schools and displacing thousands of citizens who are trying to survive the chaos. 
In response to the attacks, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-06/burkina-faso-to-use-13-of-budget-for-defense-as-jihadism-soars?srnd=markets-vp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that the Burkina Faso government will increase its defense and security budget by 13%, or $3.8 billion, to help quell the violence besetting the nation.

BURKINA-MALI-FRANCE-ARMY-CONFLICT

DEADLY ASSAULT: Gunmen Murder Fourteen Christians, Including Children, In Burkina Faso

Al Qaeda

Fire

Guns

Vice President Pence Commemorates Veterans Day At Arlington National Cemetery

WATCH: Mike Pence Slams ‘Partisan’ Impeachment: Hurting National Defense

2020 Election

Democrats

Mike Pence

Military

U.S. Navy

Michelle Malkin is a public speaker, columnist, news contributor, and bestselling author who has dedicated her career to exposing corruption at the highest, and often the lowest, points in government. In her latest book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Open-Borders-Inc-Funding-America/dp/1621579719" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open Borders Inc.: Who&#8217;s Funding America&#8217;s Destruction</a>,” Malkin goes in-depth into the power brokers, politicians, activists, and religious leaders who are doing their best to keep the American borders open to anyone and everyone who wants to come through, even if they are a danger to themselves and to others. Not a single celebrity, community organizer, or lawmaker is safe if they have crossed the line.
Like a laser beam, Malkin exposes the players who are fighting immigration reform to make sure that immigrants come in at an alarming rate. Social justice protesters want a cause to rally around. Corporate bosses, from New York to Silicon Valley, want to keep the cheap labor pouring in so they can keep wages low. The religious Left wants to bring in people to fill their pews. Democrats want to continue bringing in voters to keep themselves in power. She leaves no stone unturned when calling out those who would risk the lives of American citizens to keep their coffers full. 
One of the most interesting things about the book is Malkin’s boldness. She has no problem naming names. While most writers dance around a suspect or drop innuendo, she lets every person know exactly what she thinks about the pandering that a person, group, or company do on behalf of the open borders crowd. Hollywood celebrities, left-wing donors, religious leaders, and even certain members of the Conservative and Libertarian upper echelon are brought to the attention of the reader – and you read scandal after scandal related to the border.  
Another sobering point in the book is the description of the victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens. From public officials to ordinary citizens, the open borders crisis has lead to crimes such as destruction of property, theft, and drug dealing to much more serious crimes like rape and murder. Not lost on the reader is the mainstream media’s decision not to discuss these victims, fearing either being described as racist or to hide the crimes in collusion with the open borders advocates. Whichever it is, as Malkin notes, this does a severe disservice to the numerous victims’ families and to the communities where they lived. 
What might give the book a large impact is that it’s an easy read. Malkin avoids bogging the reader down with deep narration and focuses on relaying the truth of the situation. It reminded me of “Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies,” another one of Malkin’s books that had a way of connecting with its reader without overloading them with large amounts of repetitive data.
“Open Borders Inc.” is Michelle Malkin’s latest bold endeavor to keep the American people informed about what goes on behind the scenes with lawmakers, unelected bureaucrats, and their allies in the private sector.

Fight for Social Justice and Human Rights

Book Review: ‘Open Borders Inc.’ By Michelle Malkin

Democratic Party

Democratic Socialism

Michelle Malkin

Social Justice

Southern Border

PragerU founder Dennis Prager and comedian/podcast host Adam Carolla team up for &#8220;<a href="https://nosafespaces.com/">No Safe Spaces</a>,” a documentary covering the hot topic of political correctness and how it has infected everything from politics to educational institutions to the entertainment industry. From getting speakers banned to harassing public officials, this “woke” crowd is targeting anyone that disagrees with them, and this documentary highlights some of the most egregious examples of bad actors trying to stop free speech.
Prager and Carolla travel the nation, documenting high-profile moments of protest against Conservative speakers. This includes a 2017 speech given by Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro at UC Berkeley, which was violently protested by far-left students and outside Antifa activists who were bent on stopping anyone who supposedly &#8220;offended&#8221; them from engaging in freedom of speech.
The film shines a spotlight on these incidents and does a good job of exposing the bad actors who are trying to do an end-run around of the First Amendment in order to block people they do not like from simply stating their opinion. There is no debate allowed by these hecklers, who only want to stamp out — sometimes literally — the beliefs of others.
The film is well-developed, and moves at an easy pace, interviewing newsmakers, celebrities, authors, educators, and many others who have experienced backlash over their refusal to kowtow to the politically correct. Some of the unforgettable footage burns in your memory. For example, a group of far-left students hold a meeting with one university&#8217;s faculty. When one teacher refuses to pander to their whims, the students take over and overreact.
The most sobering aspect of the film are the personal testimonies of Prager and Carolla. Often, documentary filmmakers are simply observers, but these two have themselves been targeted by the PC crowd. Carolla’s irreverent comedy and Prager’s stand for traditional values have made them both targets of the Left who, at one time, tried to silence them or deplatform them over their views.
Of course, the mainstream media have tried to dismiss &#8220;No Safe Spaces.&#8221; Writing for the AV Club, critic Vadim Rizov <a href="https://film.avclub.com/debate-me-you-coward-takes-movie-form-in-adam-caroll-1839268667" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">opines</a>, &#8220;This isn’t an argument for free speech, it’s just paranoid whining, complete with a roundtable of comics sympathetically agreeing how sad and scary this all is, plus images of the Statue of Liberty with tape over its mouth.&#8221;
This, of course, is echoed by its &#8220;rotten&#8221; status on film rating aggregator website <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/no_safe_spaces" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. This has done nothing to stop audiences, where it has a stunning 100 percent rating at the time of this review.  
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/no-safe-spaces-free-speech-documentary-box-office-1-screen" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that at its first showing in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 25th, “No Safe Spaces” proved a box office success, producing the “second-highest ever box office gross for a documentary playing on just one screen, according to the movie&#8217;s producers.” Heading into week two of its release, the momentum does not seem to be slowing down, with a distribution expansion planned. 
Despite the mainstream media’s sabotage attempts, “No Safe Spaces” is going to reach more Americans who are fed up with the pandering to college students, Antifa mobs, and woke thinkers who are making conversation, debate, and free speech harder and harder in American life. 
Check out the trailer below:
<iframe title="NO SAFE SPACES Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TTOQGvXbZY8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This article has been revised for clarity.

No Safe Spaces title art

‘No Safe Spaces’ Review – How Far Will Political Correctness Take Us?

academia

Adam Carolla

American History

Capitalism

Constitution

Dennis Prager

No villain rooted in the world of comic books has had so much media devoted to him or her than Batman’s most recognizable adversary, the Joker. Created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson, he has been voted number one in <a href="https://www.giantbomb.com/forums/off-topic-31/wizards-top-100-greatest-villians-of-all-time-254325/">Wizard</a> magazine’s &#8220;100 Greatest Villains of All Time&#8221; and number two in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140116073602/http://uk.comics.ign.com/top-100-villains/2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IGN’s</a> &#8220;Top 100 Comic Book Villains.&#8221; He has appeared in over 250 productions, including movies, television series, animation, books, and video games. Now, &#8220;Hangover&#8221; director Todd Philips has left the comedy world to bring a new take on the origins of the Clown Prince of Crime in &#8220;Joker.&#8221;
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled man with a condition that forces him to laugh at odd times. He is living in Gotham City in 1981, as the city is going through a tense political upheaval. While taking care of his sickly mother Penny (Frances Conroy), he works as a party clown and a stand-up comic. Things fall apart after he is mugged one day. The social service institute where he gets his medication gets its funding cut and he is given a gun for his protection, leading to his firing after he drops it at a children’s hospital. On his way home, he is bullied by three wealthy men, whom he kills. To his surprise, mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) comments on the incident, calling him a &#8220;clown&#8221; and igniting a powder keg in the city, as protestors against the wealthy don clown masks. Everyone, including Fleck’s comedic hero and late-night host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro), shares an opinion about the tragic deaths. Fleck, once ostracized, finds that he has become a folk hero of sorts and that attention begins to fill him with true laughter. 
This is truly one of the best films of this year, with Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck serving as the driving force of the film. The narrative is disjointed but, without someone as talented as Phoenix, it could have been a disaster. Todd Philips’ contribution of a noir-style tragedy was genius and it made the movie so much more enjoyable for the tone of the character arc. 
Philips’ version of Gotham is a gritty, filthy city that is descending into chaos as negligence, greed, and ignorance take over. It reflects the conditions that create such a public outcry for help. Even as Thomas Wayne runs for the mayor’s office, promising to help the people, he is seen as an outsider who lives in a mansion and is oblivious to real-world troubles. It is a well-planned atmosphere for the fires that are setting around Gotham. 
Of course, &#8220;Joker&#8221; faced a fabricated controversy, as woke critics tried to bring down the film over its realistic portrayal of violence and mental illness, claiming it could inspire real-life <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joker-update-multiple-cities-deploying-police-amid-fears-of-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">violence</a>. But this is what the movie is, fundamentally, about. A man who is ostracized and abandoned by society finds solace in the violence that he accidentally inspired. For the first time in his life, Fleck feels that he &#8220;exists.&#8221; As it becomes apparent that his own life is full of lies, he finds a connection to the craziness of the protesters who are putting on clown masks. Before he did not belong anywhere, and now he finds himself belonging in a group that worships him — at least vicariously. The story is thus a parable on the dangers of abandoning people just because they are a little &#8220;odd.&#8221; Phoenix brought this story to life in an incredible way. 
The Joker has never had a truly definite origin in the comic books, outside of falling into a vat of acid after a battle with Batman. This movie removes any sort of cliches about the story and, while it pays homage to his comic book connections, it crafts a narrative that, instead of focusing on Joker’s impact on society, focuses upon society’s impact on the Joker. This is a twist that was risky, but, ultimately, it paid off.

Premiere Of Warner Bros Pictures &#8220;Joker&#8221; &#8211; Arrivals

‘Joker’ Review- Joaquin Phoenix At His Finest

CBS announced on Monday that the hit action television show &#8220;Walker, Texas Ranger&#8221; will get a modern reboot and complete overhaul.
According to <a href="https://deadline.com/2019/09/walker-texas-ranger-reboot-jared-padalecki-in-the-works-chuck-norris-1202741160/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deadline</a>, &#8220;Supernatural&#8221; star and Texas native Jared Padalecki is set to both produce the show and take over the role of Cordell Walker from original star, acting legend Chuck Norris, who wore the Texas Ranger badge for nine seasons and starred in a television film after the show ended. 
Anna Fricke, best known for executive producing the military drama &#8220;Valor,&#8221; will write and executive produce the remake along with Dan Lin (&#8220;Lethal Weapon&#8221; and &#8220;Godzilla: King of the Monsters&#8221;) and Dan Spilo (&#8220;Sunnyside&#8221;).
&#8220;Walker, Texas Ranger&#8221; was known for exploring themes of morality, family, justice, and faith. Deadline is reporting that those themes will all be facets of the new series with a focus on &#8220;rediscovering our lost common ground.&#8221;
Moving the action from its original city of Dallas to Austin, The Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jared-padalecki-star-walker-texas-ranger-reboot-1242551" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">notes</a> the plot will revolve around widower Cordell Walker returning home after some time undercover. He will receive a female partner and begin patrolling the streets of Texas&#8217; capital city and possibly beyond. No word yet on who will play his partner or if other familiar characters will appear on the show.
CBS Studios has not decided on which network the series will land. Some have speculated that the series will join their flagship network beside other remakes such as &#8220;Hawaii Five-0&#8221; and &#8220;MacGyver.&#8221; However, it is also possible that &#8220;Walker&#8221; could land at the CW, where Padalecki has spent fifteen years on their long-running series &#8220;Supernatural,&#8221; along with his co-star Jensen Ackles. That series will end on its fifteenth season later this year, freeing up Padalecki for this new project. 
&#8220;Walker, Texas Ranger&#8221; ran for eight seasons from 1993 to 2001 and starred Norris as the titular character, Clarence Gilyard as his partner James Trivette, Sheree J. Wilson as Assistant D.A. Alexandra &#8220;Alex&#8221; Cahill, and Noble Willingham as &#8220;semi-retired&#8221; Captain C.D. Parker. The last two seasons would add Nia Peeples and Judson Mills as fellow Rangers. The original show won several TV awards including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Gilyard at the 2000 NAACP Image Awards.
&#8220;Walker&#8221; crossed over with fellow law enforcement action series &#8220;Martial Law&#8221; starring Sammo Hung and spun-off the short-lived private detective show &#8220;Sons of Thunder.&#8221; Its iconic theme song &#8220;Eyes of the Ranger,&#8221; composed by Tirk Wilder and performed by Norris, was introduced midway through the second season. 
Four years after the show ended, a reunion television film, &#8220;Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire,&#8221; was produced by Paramount Network Television and aired in October 2005. Norris, Gilyard, Wilson, and Mills all reprised their roles. Though the film garnered high ratings, CBS ultimately passed on doing further projects. 
In February 2018, Chuck Norris&#8217; film company Top Kick Productions filed a lawsuit against CBS Productions in Los Angeles for over thirty million dollars in unpaid royalties over &#8220;Walker, Texas Ranger.&#8221; According to <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/cbs-legal-battles-lawsuits-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox Business</a>, the suit was forced into arbitration and its verdict is yet undecided. 
Norris currently hosts &#8220;Chuck Norris&#8217;s Epic Guide to Military Vehicles&#8221; on the History Channel.

walker_texas_ranger.jpg

CBS Rebooting Hit Series ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’

Texas

mike_pence_heritage_foundation.jpg

Pence Warns Iran: ‘We’re Locked And Loaded’

Iran

Trump Administration

DeAnna Lorraine is a relationship expert, political commentator, conservative activist, the author of &#8220;Making Love Great Again: The New Road to Reviving Romance and Winning at Relationships,&#8221; and a GOP challenger to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California&#8217;s 12th Congressional District. She recently spoke with The Daily Wire about her campaign and the issues she thinks conservatives should be focusing on in the upcoming election.
Q: Why are you running for Congress?
A: First of all, I was a relationship coach and counselor for about eight years before I became an outspoken conservative political activist. I just saw where the country was going, and I had frustration [with] how it was affecting both the country and our families. I started getting to the bottom of what was breaking down our relationships and family units. I was witnessing this firsthand in my practice and it was leftist ideology and practices that were destroying our country. They were destroying our country and our relationships.
So I published a book last year called&#8221;‘Make Love Great Again,&#8221; and it has to do with this exactly. It thrust me into politics because the personal has become the political. And it really got me active because we aren’t addressing the real issues that are affecting America and the family unit. We need to restore the things that are part of making American great. We have to focus on things like the culture, relationships, and the family. So I decided to run for Congress to really make a difference.
Q: How will you combat accusations that having no political experience disqualifies you from office?
A: This is the new school of politics and government. Trump wasn’t a politician, but he won the presidency against all odds. Then we have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who, like her or hate her, was a bartender and now she is an outspoken member of Congress.
And yes, I’m not a seasoned politician, but that is my asset. I’m down in the trenches with my fellow Americans and I’m dealing with what they are dealing with. I’m not sitting in a gate-guarded mansion totally out of touch with America.
I think the most important thing is we have someone who cares about fixing the real problems facing America. I don’t know anyone better who can fix those problems than an average, ordinary American. This is the time for Americans with no political background to do bold and extraordinary things.
Q: Nancy Pelosi is an entrenched politician and many conservatives have tried and failed to unseat her. What sets your campaign apart to bring about a victory?
A: I’m bringing the issues right to Nancy Pelosi’s front door. Most of the issues in America, you can find Nancy Pelosi and her party at the head. Yes, it’s a long haul and a tough battle, but I think we can win this and show conservatives are here. Previous Republicans who have challenged Nancy Pelosi have been softer on the issues and have tried to cater to the Left. They’ve been afraid to support Trump or tackle LGBT issues. They’re just saying, &#8220;Vote for me because I’m a Republican.&#8221; I have yet to see a real conservative issue these candidates have been championing, but I’m going to be championing issues we need to have national discussions about. We need to address fatherless homes, &#8230; broken family courts, LGBTQ curriculums in school, national security that affects this district, and repair some of these issues. Most Republicans have backed down and I won’t shy away from these issues.
Q: Unlike Nancy Pelosi, you’ve been a big supporter of President Trump. Will this help or hurt your campaign?
A: Let’s be honest, California is largely Democratic and I’m running in a heavily blue district, so it might hurt my campaign. If I were more moderate, it would be easier. Here’s the thing, though: We need strong conservatives in Congress who will support the president.
Now, I’m not going to be a cheerleader for the president. If there are things I disagree with, of course, I will say so — like &#8220;red-flag laws,&#8221; for instance. That being said, conservatives should not be afraid to run in blue districts like mine while supporting the president. If nothing else, it sends a message that we care about these issues and we will fight for them.
Q: If someone goes to one of your rallies, or hears you at a debate with Nancy Pelosi, what is the message you want a voter to hear?
A: My main message to Americans is that now is the time for bold and extraordinary things in order to save the America we love.
We need to get past the trigger words and safe spaces because my generation, the millennial generation, has work to do and important conversations to have that don’t involve trigger warnings. If Nancy Pelosi were more concerned with these issues and not gender pronouns, we might be able to solve some of these issues.
We need to stand up, put our differences aside, and if you’re not someone who usually votes for a person like me, can we put our differences aside and at least acknowledge that these issues ring true? Can we work together to solve these problems, that our predecessors left us, for the good of our country? That way, we can leave the next generation with a nation that is safe, happy, and free.
&#8212;-
You can find out more about candidate Lorraine and her campaign on her <a href="https://www.deannaforcongress.com/">website</a>.

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Candidate DeAnna Lorraine Speaks Out On Trump, Conservative Values, And Running Against Nancy Pelosi

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

California

Conservatism

Nancy Pelosi

Republican Party

In a story largely ignored by the mainstream media, the socialist government of Cuba banned several Christian ministers from visiting a religious freedom conference and arrested a journalist earlier this week.
Alliance of Evangelical Churches of Cuba (AECC, Alianza de Iglesias Evangélicas Cubana) members Rev. Moises de Prada Esquivel and the Rev. Alida Leon Baez were stopped by the Cuban State Security at Havana’s José Marti International Airport, where they were informed they would not be allowed to fly to Washington, D.C. for the event, Morning Star News <a href="https://morningstarnews.org/2019/07/officials-in-cuba-forbid-church-leaders-to-attend-religious-freedom-event/">reports</a>. Both men serve as executive board members of the AECC and were to represent the religious organization at the event.
The regime cracked down on several other Christian ministers seeking traveling privileges. The Cuban government denied them visa renewals and permissions to make the trip outside of the country for the conference.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commissioner Kristina Arriaga released a <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/press-releases-statements/uscirf-statement-cuba-preventing-religious-leaders-attending">statement</a> condemning the actions of the Cuban government.
<blockquote>“If the denial of religious freedom in Cuba was ever in question, the Cuban government laid to rest all doubt this weekend by blatantly prohibiting four pastors, leaders of the country’s major religious organizations, from leaving the country to attend the State Department’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington, D. C,” she said. “This is exactly the type of human rights violation that we and Ministerial attendees from all over the world are working to expose and to prevent. We urge the Cuban government to allow these religious leaders to participate in this important conversation &#8211; in person &#8211; and to return to Cuba to work together with officials to improve religious freedom conditions for all of its citizens.”</blockquote>
This comes on the heels of Cuban state security officials forcibly detaining religious journalist Ricardo Fernandez Izaguirre after he visited a human rights group.
Metro Voice News <a href="https://metrovoicenews.com/cuba-ramps-up-crackdown-on-evangelical-pastors/">reports</a> that Fernandez was arrested following his visit to the offices of the Ladies in White in the city of Havana.
Religious freedom advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) condemned the arrest in a <a href="https://www.csw.org.uk/2019/07/13/press/4411/article.htm">statement</a> from their head of advocacy, Anna-Lee Stangl.
“CSW holds the Cuban government responsible for the wellbeing of Ricardo Fernandez Izaguirre,” she said. “Violations of freedom of religion or belief have increased in Cuba over the past six months, and Ricardo has dedicated himself to (traveling) across the country, often at great personal sacrifice, sleeping in bus stations and skipping meals, in order to document these cases and to offer solidarity to the victims. We call on the authorities to release him immediately.”
The travel bans and arrests have prompted criticisms from the Cuban religious community.
One pastor spoke to Morning Star News on the condition of anonymity, out of fear for his safety.
“In Cuba, there is no real freedom of expression or of worship,” he said. “Any person who openly opposes the established system is looking for problems.”
Despite the obvious violations of both the human rights of religious freedom and freedom of the press, the mainstream media has largely been silent on both of these issues.
UPDATE:
Premier UK <a href="https://www.premier.org.uk/News/World/Christian-freedom-defender-released-from-detention-in-Cuba">reports</a> Izaguirre was released from prison following a seven-day detention.
&#8220;The experience has given me the opportunity to know a reality that I had no idea about. Many times I had to stand between the prisoners and police as the guards would often beat the prisoners and I refused to let this happen. Many were there due to unjust circumstances and because of arbitrary laws.&#8221; He said in a statement to CSW. &#8220;They kept me handcuffed all day in a locked patrol car. That evening, they took me to a prison, gave me prison clothes and took away all of my belongings and put me in a cell. I was with 14 other prisoners; nearly all of them had light sentences.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;I was freed without any explanation &#8211; just as they had arrested me.&#8221;

Cuba Bans Pastors From Visiting Religious Freedom Summit, Detains Journalist

Cuba

Journalism

Socialism

In an interview with leftist media outlet <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sheryl-sandberg-planned-parenthood-donation-abortion-laws_n_5d151134e4b07f6ca57a55c1">HuffPost</a>, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg bragged about a whopping $1 million donation she recently made to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, an advocacy group owned by the eponymous abortion giant.
Sandberg told HuffPost that she is doing it to help Planned Parenthood fight what she calls the “draconian laws” recently passed by Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri to protect unborn children.
“I think this is a very urgent moment where the rights and the choices and the basic health of the most vulnerable women, the women who have been marginalized, often women of color, are at stake,” she said. “Planned Parenthood is going to fight back in the courts, in Congress, in the state houses, in the streets, for women’s health and rights.”
“If you are a wealthy woman, you can just fly to New York,” Sandberg continued. “I want to make sure that the women with the fewest resources still have access to these services, and I think that is slipping away every day in our country.”
“We all have to do everything we can to protect women,” she opined, noting that the massive donation came from her, personally — and not from Facebook.
The social media executive bragged that the gesture was “a very strong political statement.” However, Sandberg hedged on whether she supports the Hollywood-led boycotts of the pro-life states. She said that she neither supports nor condemn the boycotts.
“I certainly think people should do what they can,” Sandberg said.
Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen bragged about the support in a statement.
“Now, more than ever, Sheryl’s generous support is necessary to help Planned Parenthood fight back against unprecedented attacks on people’s health and rights,” Wen said, thanking Sandberg “for her longstanding commitment to Planned Parenthood and her leadership as a role model for women and girls everywhere.”
Wen added: “As anti-women’s health politicians try to pass extreme abortion bans across the country, our freedom and rights hang in the balance.”
This is not the first time Sandberg has given a large donation to the abortion lobby. According to <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/sheryl-sandberg-planned-parenthood-donation-abortion-laws-110000334.html">Yahoo! News</a>, she gave a similarly large donation to Planned Parenthood in 2017 to protest President Donald Trump’s order that international abortion lobbying organizations would be banned from receiving federal taxpayer funding.
Actress and left-wing activist Alyssa Milano has led a boycott against the state of Georgia after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a “heartbeat bill” that protects unborn children there after a heartbeat is detected.
“I will do everything in my power to get as many productions as possible, including ‘Insatiable,'&#8221; she said at the time. “To move out of this state which continues to put forth oppressive, hurtful policy that contradicts everything the entertainment industry stands for.&#8221;
As noted by The Daily Wire’s James Barrett, actor and director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48874/clint-eastwood-ignores-alyssa-milano-set-start-james-barrett">Clint Eastwood</a> is set to shoot his new film “The Ballad of Richard Jewell,” in Georgia, thus ignoring the calls for a boycott. The movie is directed by Eastwood and stars Paul Walter Hauser, Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, and Ian Gomez.

Facebook COO Donates $1 Million To Planned Parenthood

Abortion

Alabama

Alyssa Milano

Clint Eastwood

Facebook

Georgia

Planned Parenthood

Not satisfied with bringing progressive themes to the upcoming CW series &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/46948/watch-trailer-lesbian-batwoman-hits-internet-paul-bois">Batwoman</a>,&#8221; social justice warriors in the comic book industry have a new target related to the DC Comics hero Batman. It is none other than his faithful butler and father figure Alfred Pennyworth.
Responding to a tweet asking who should play the butler in the upcoming Matt Reeves adaption, Marvel Comics writer and co-creator of &#8220;The Punisher&#8221; Gerry Conway said, &#8220;Hear me out. Maggie Smith.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hear me out.
Maggie Smith. <a href="https://t.co/8ToF8FxCVP">https://t.co/8ToF8FxCVP</a>
&#8212; Gerry Conway (@gerryconway) <a href="https://twitter.com/gerryconway/status/1137064136246845440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Smith is an actress best known for playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise and starred in &#8220;Downton Abby&#8221; as Lady Violet Crawley.
According to <a href="https://boundingintocomics.com/2019/06/10/punisher-co-creator-gerry-conway-wants-female-alfred-in-matt-reeves-upcoming-batman-film-starring-robert-pattinson/">Bounding Into Comics</a>, the tweet garnered thousands of likes as other like-minded people began to suggest other actresses such as Judi Dench, Emma Thompson, Helen Mirren, and Olivia Coleman.
After the failure of feminist movie remakes like &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/8277/finally-some-good-news-about-feminist-ghostbusters-amanda-prestigiacomo">Ghostbusters</a>,&#8221; one would hope that the entertainment industry would learn its lesson, but that appears not to be the case.
Conway, an iconic comic book writer, should realize this. Both DC Comics and Marvel Comics were hit with backlash following the replacement of prominent characters with more &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/15033/marvel-vp-diversity-our-characters-killing-our-ben-shapiro">diverse</a>&#8221; figures. When Marvel Comics hired left-wing commentator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42878/captain-america-captain-nothing-new-sjw-themed-jacob-airey">Ta-Nehisi Coates</a> to write a more inclusive version of &#8220;Captain America,&#8221; sales of the title <a href="https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2019/2019-05.html">dropped</a>.
That has not stopped the SJWs from targeting Alfred Pennyworth as the next project for what Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro calls the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/39864/2019-year-wokescolds-ben-shapiro">wokescolds</a>.&#8221;
This is not the first time the entertainment industry has attempt to push an agenda on Alfred. In a thankfully unused &#8220;Batman: Year One&#8221; script from <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2017/09/14/batman-year-one-darren-aronofskys-unmade-dark-knight-noir-predicted/">Darren Aronofsky</a>, Alfred would&#8217;ve gone from British manservant to &#8220;Big Al,&#8221; a junkyard attendant who takes in a wayward Bruce following the death of his parents.
Batman has always been a somewhat difficult character for the social justice warriors to change since he is the definition of what the Left calls &#8220;toxic masculinity.&#8221; He is wealthy, smart, white, cisgender, and his secret identity Bruce Wayne is a womanizing party boy. As such, the SJWs are targeting his supporting characters.
Alfred is an iconic character in the Batman canon. He was originally introduced as a bumbling oaf unaware of his employer&#8217;s crimefighting escapades, but this was later changed into making him a loyal butler who used the skills he picked up as an actor (and later spy) to help Batman protect Gotham City. Modern writers have emphasized his status as a father figure to the Dark Knight who offers sage advice, comfort, or aid depending on the crisis at hand. Removing that aspect from Batman&#8217;s firmly established mythology would severely damage the nature of his story.
Ironically, casting a woman as a maid or housekeeper who has a white, cisgender male boss at Wayne Manor would only serve as a counterpoint to far-left feminists who insist that all relationships between men and women be about their distorted version of equality. Hopefully, it will not affect the upcoming television series &#8220;Pennyworth,&#8221; which will tell the story of Alfred&#8217;s early days as a spy and explore his relationship with future employer Thomas Wayne.
From Alan Napier to Michael Caine, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. to Jeremy Irons, and Michael Gough to Sean Pertwee, Alfred has always been a recognizable figure in the Batman universe. It is unnecessary to change such an iconic character into another notch on the belt of the unimaginative SJW agenda.

AIREY: Comic Book Writer Suggests Alfred Be A Woman. Here’s Why That’s A Bad Idea.

Feminism

Harry Potter

Leftism

Marvel

As the calls for the breakup of big tech corporations grow louder from consumers to presidential candidates like Democrat presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Apple CEO Tim Cook took this perspective head-on in an interview with CBS news anchor <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-cook-interview-apple-ceo-insists-company-is-not-a-monopoly-exclusive-today-2019-06-04/">Norah O&#8217;Donnell</a>. 
At the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Cook laid out his case for why Apple is not a monopoly, though he acknowledged the big tech company is not above &#8220;scrutiny.&#8221;
&#8220;No. I don&#8217;t think so,&#8221; he replied when O&#8217;Donnell asked if Apple is too big. 
&#8220;I think scrutiny is fair,&#8221; Cook said. &#8220;I think we should be scrutinized. But if you look at our&#8230; any kind of measure about is Apple a monopoly or not, I don&#8217;t think anybody reasonable is gonna come to the conclusion that Apple&#8217;s a monopoly. Our share is much more modest. We don&#8217;t have a dominant position in any market &#8230; You know, our share of smartphones in the U.S. is typically in the high 30s or so, mid-30s. On PCs, it&#8217;s lower than that.&#8221;
He emphasized, &#8220;We are not a monopoly.&#8221;
Elizabeth Warren has been on the warpath, targeting big tech and Apple specifically in an interview with <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/9/18257965/elizabeth-warren-break-up-apple-monopoly-antitrust">The Verge</a>.
&#8220;Apple, you&#8217;ve got to break it apart from their App Store,&#8221; she opined. &#8220;It&#8217;s got to be one or the other. Either they run the platform or they play in the store. They don&#8217;t get to do both at the same time. So it&#8217;s the same notion.&#8221; 
When asked directly about Senator Warren&#8217;s desire to break-up Apple, Cook doubled down on his comments.
&#8220;Well, I strongly disagree with that,&#8221; Cook told O&#8217;Donnell. &#8220;I think some people would argue, if you are selling a good, then you can&#8217;t have a product that competes with that good.&#8221; 
Cook continued. &#8220;And I think that&#8217;s part of what is being argued there. But that&#8217;s an argument, Norah, that takes you down the path that, Walmart shouldn&#8217;t be stocking alternative or house brand. And so this is decades of U.S. law here. But I think scrutiny is good, and we&#8217;ll be&#8230; we&#8217;ll tell our story to anybody that we need to or that wants to hear it.&#8221;
Watch the clip below:
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_3cGWQ96P1Y" width="853"></iframe></div>
When pressed by <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-cook-interview-apple-ceo-privacy-protections-exclusive-today-2019-06-03/">O&#8217;Donnell</a> about the privacy of Apple users, Cook emphasized that they stand apart from Facebook and Google, though he claimed he was not &#8220;really taking a shot at anybody.&#8221;
&#8220;We focus on the user. And the user wants the ability to go across numerous properties on the web without being under surveillance,&#8221; Cook explained. &#8220;We&#8217;re moving privacy protections forward.&#8221; 
He added, &#8220;I actually think it&#8217;s a very reasonable request for people to make.&#8221;
Cook also praised users for becoming more aware of the lack of privacy that is starting to creep in on digital platforms.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not good for our country,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You can imagine an environment where everyone begins to think there&#8217;s no privacy. And if there&#8217;s no privacy, your freedom of expression just plummets. Because now you&#8217;re going to be thinking about that everybody&#8217;s gonna know every single thing you&#8217;re doing. This is not good for our country, not good for democracy.&#8221;
<div> </div>

Tim Cook: “Apple Is Not A Monopoly”

Apple

Elizabeth Warren

Technology

Tim Cook

Earlier this week, Christians traveling home following church services near the city of Jos, Nigeria were ambushed by terrorists who murdered at least thirty congregants.
The Sun of Nigeria <a href="https://www.sunnewsonline.com/scores-killed-many-injured-as-fresh-violence-erupts-jos/">reports</a> that the violence erupted in communities of Dutse Uku, Angwan Rukuba, and Rikkos, in the Nigerian state of Plateau. 
&#8220;We have received reports of tension around Dutse Uku, Rikkos, Cele Bridge and we have mobilized our personnel to the area,&#8221; Police Public Relation Officer DSP Mathias Terna Tyopev told The Sun. &#8220;As we speak, the Area Commander, Jos Metropolis is there on the ground. We are still on the trouble spots to bring the situation under control, I can&#8217;t guarantee you that I will issue a statement today but until I return from the area.&#8221;
Locals have accused radical Islamic Fulani herdsmen of attacking the Christian communities in their ongoing plan to create a &#8220;Fulanisation and Islamization&#8221; in the African nation. 
Jos city pastor Luke Shehu told <a href="https://morningstarnews.org/2019/05/local-muslims-suspected-killing-of-christians-after-sunday-worship-in-jos-nigeria/">Morning Star News</a>, &#8220;Despite the intervention of security operatives, in less than twelve hours about thirty Christians were killed and over twenty houses where burnt or destroyed by Muslim militia, some in military uniforms from around Tina junction, Cele bridge, Dutse Uku, and Nasarawa areas, all bordering Muslim communities in Jos North.&#8221;
He continued, &#8220;These targeted attacks on innocent Christians are unacceptable, particularly with confirmed arrests of over thirty Christian women fruit and food vendors by soldiers around Tina junction in Jos after the attack today, 27th May 2019.&#8221;
This comes on the heels of seven Christians being kidnapped from choir practice at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in the village of Dankande in Nigeria&#8217;s Kaduna state, which saw at least one congregant murdered. 
An unidentified witness told <a href="http://saharareporters.com/2019/05/20/gunmen-raid-church-kaduna-during-choir-rehearsal-kill-1-abduct-17-others">Sahara Reporters</a>, &#8220;As we were in the church, the armed men numbering over twenty just surrounded the church and started shooting. Everybody was terrified but there was no how we could run because they had already surrounded the church.&#8221;
Rev. Nathaniel Waziri confirmed that minister Zakariya Ido was taken with his daughter and fifteen other worshippers, including ten women and five men. 
&#8220;The gunmen came and asked everyone in the church to surrender phones and thereafter demanded the whereabout of the pastor,&#8221; he told <a href="https://morningstarnews.org/2019/05/armed-gunmen-kidnap-19-christians-kill-one-in-kaduna-state-nigeria/">Morning Star News</a>. &#8220;After threatening the choristers, they became afraid and showed them the pastor&#8217;s house.&#8221;
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has responded to the attacks by purposing an executive order that would revoke gun licenses, but many Christians see this as an attempt to disarm them in the face of heavily armed radical Muslim.
One survivor of the attacks, identified only as <a href="https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/nigeria-attack-survivor-i-have-seen-the-love-of-god/">Aisha</a>, told Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors that she and others have been sexually assaulted during the ongoing struggle. 
&#8220;And, as I said before, I&#700;m not the only one in my community &#8212; many other women have been raped. We are weak, as women,&#8221; Aisha said. &#8220;We do not have strength to fight back, and the attackers have [a] great advantage over us. We are not [educated] and don&#8217;t have the money to reach out and tell the world what is happening.&#8221;
She added, &#8220;Continue to pray for us. Pray also for me. I really want to go to school. I was in school before. I dropped out because of finances. I&#700;m not going to school, and my children are not going to school. If there&#700;s one thing I desire in this life, it is to go back to school. I want my children to have an education. Please pray for that.&#8221;

REPORT: Radical Muslims Suspected In May Attacks On Nigerian Christians

Sexual Abuse

Sexual Assault

On Wednesday, the Transportation Department suspended all commercial flights to the South American nation of Venezuela as the country remains in turmoil. 
According to <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/us-suspends-commercial-flights-to-and-from-venezuela-/4919550.html">VOA News</a>, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao made the decision based on recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that there are conditions in Venezuela &#8220;that threaten the safety or security of passengers, aircraft, or crew.&#8221;
According to a DOT press <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/secretary-transportation-orders-suspension-air-service-between-us-and-venezuela">release</a>:
<blockquote>
With the approval of the Secretary of State and in close coordination with the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao has issued an order today suspending air service between the United States and Venezuela.
Federal law authorizes the Secretary of Transportation, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to take immediate action to suspend the rights of foreign and U.S. air carriers to provide service between the U.S. and foreign airports when conditions exist at those airports that threaten the safety or security of passengers, aircraft, or crew.
The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has requested this action based on his assessment of current security conditions in Venezuela, and the Secretary of State has given his approval. Secretary Chao has agreed to the request and is exercising her statutory authority to suspend air service to Venezuela.
The Secretary&#8217;s suspension order is in addition to the FAA&#8217;s Notice to Airmen issued on May 1, which prohibits most U.S.-certified aircraft operators and pilots from flying below 26,000 feet over the territory of Venezuela, also for reasons of safety and security.
</blockquote>
DHS released its own statement, <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2019/05/15/dhs-determines-conditions-venezuela-threaten-safety-and-security-passengers-aircraft">saying</a>, &#8220;This determination is based on the ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated inadvertent risk to flight operations.&#8221; DHS added that, along with the Transportation and State Departments, they &#8220;will continue to monitor this situation. If and when the conditions in Venezuela change, and if in the public interest, the [underlying] Secretaries will revisit this determination. Until then, the flight suspension will remain in effect indefinitely.&#8221;
Many international airlines, including American Airlines, have indefinitely suspended flights to Venezuela as a result of the order. However, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-airlines/us-orders-suspension-of-flights-between-the-us-and-venezuela-idUSKCN1SL2F2">Reuters</a> reports that local airlines Avior, Laser, and Copa will continue passage to the South American nation through other international hubs including Santo Domingo and into the United States through airports in Miami and Panama City. 
As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Ryan Saavedra reported in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/46586/watch-socialist-venezuela-rams-military-vehicle-ryan-saavedra">April</a>, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has been trying to supplant socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro, whose forces were ramming military vehicles into protestors.
President Trump said at the time on social media: &#8220;I am monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely. The United States stands with the People of Venezuela and their Freedom!&#8221;
Vice President Mike Pence echoed those sentiments. &#8220;We are with you,&#8221; he said according to the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/1b271ef1f15940f394343dd2027a23e2">AP</a>. He added on social media: &#8220;[A]ll the freedom-loving people of Venezuela who are taking to the streets today in #operacionlibertad_Estamos con ustedes! We are with you!&#8221;
Despite international pressure to step down and the loss of support from locals, dictator Nicolas Maduro has refused to surrender power.

Transportation Department Suspends Air Travel To Venezuela

Department of Homeland Security

Nicolas Maduro

United Airlines

Venezuela

&#8220;Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile&#8221; is a Netflix original crime biopic about serial killer Ted Bundy. It is directed by Joe Berlinger, who also created the documentary series &#8220;Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.&#8221; Rather than focusing on the grotesque nature of Bundy&#8217;s crimes, as one might expect from the title, the film centers around Bundy&#8217;s relationships and the impact his various trials had on them. 
In 1969, divorced single-mother Elizabeth &#8220;Liz&#8221; Kendall (Lily Collins) meets aspiring law student Ted Bundy (Zac Efron). They share some tender moments before she brings him home, expecting him to run when he discovers she has a daughter. Instead, Ted seems to tenderly care for her and her child. 
The movie jumps to 1975 when Ted is pulled over by the Utah Highway Patrol and goes on trial for the first time, charged with multiple murders. Soon, Bundy is transferred to Colorado, where he is accused of even more grotesque crimes. Liz stands by Ted, but the horrific reality of the situation drives her to alcoholism. Liz tries to move on, but frequent letters and phone calls from Bundy keep her connected.
In 1978, Bundy is arrested in Florida, and the shocking and famous trial for the murders and assaults of the Florida State University Chi Omega sorority house begins. As Bundy battles the prosecution and the court, the public watches with some openly cheering for the accused murderer. Meanwhile, Liz watches with bated breath, even as more gruesome evidence comes to light. 
Berlinger chooses to skip over whole portions of the serial killer&#8217;s story, focusing instead on some key moments of his criminal life. His troubles in Utah, his escape from the Colorado authorities, and finally his trial in Florida. In-between, the director uses Bundy&#8217;s relationship with Kendall as a bridge.
Casting Zac Efron in anything other than Disney television films and trashy comedies is always a risk, but in this case, it paid off. Efron turns in an excellent performance as Bundy. While he doesn&#8217;t look much like Bundy, he nails his speech, his walk, and his mannerisms. One of the most chilling scenes is when Bundy interrupts Florida authorities reading his indictment; Efron handles the moment with skill and nuance. 
Lily Collins does a satisfactory job as Kendall. While her portrayal is a bit muted at times, she manages to make you feel her growing grief and shock in discovering the man she loves is in fact one of the most prolific serial killers in the world.
Jim Parson delivers a short but excellent performance as Florida Prosecutor Larry Simpson. As he prosecutes the case, he expertly conveys his growing frustration at Ted&#8217;s courtroom antics and his drive to see justice for the victims. His opening and closing statements contain the gravitas of a prosecutor who knows he is tasked with taking down one of the most evil men in American history. 
The title, &#8220;Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,&#8221; prepares viewers for a horror film replete with torture and gore, but this turns out to be a false expectation. While the film does contain some tense scenes, the movie instead unsettlingly draws you in with Bundy&#8217;s charm to the point where you start to feel empathy for him, though Berlinger makes clear the killer shows no empathy for his victims.
Check out the trailer below:
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Review: ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’: A Tense Look At Bundy’s Charm

Colorado

Florida

Netflix

Utah

Speaking at the National Rifle Association Leadership Forum in Indianapolis, Indiana, Vice President Mike Pence declared that the Trump administration is not backing down from its strong support of the Second Amendment and law-abiding citizens. 
&#8220;You know, the president and I stand with the NRA because, like all of you, we stand for freedom. And the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a freedom that is at the heart of the American story,&#8221; Pence said. &#8220;Our Founders won our independence with the power of their ideas and with the powder in their muskets. Our pioneers won the West with their daring, their courage, and their Springfields, Winchesters, and Colts.&#8221;
The vice president praised the gun rights organization and its five million members &#8220;because the National Rifle Association stands for freedom.&#8221;
Pence challenged the notion that increased gun ownership leads to higher crime rates in communities and promised that the Trump administration will protect law-abiding gun owners.
&#8220;Nowhere is this ongoing struggle for freedom more visible every day than in the struggle to defend the Second Amendment. Firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens don&#8217;t threaten our families, they protect our families. And we know that firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens make our communities more safe, not less safe,&#8221; he said. 
Pence continued, &#8220;Well, I&#8217;ll make you a promise: Under this president and this vice president, no one is taking your guns. Under this president and this administration, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.&#8221;
The vice president also discussed the Trump administration&#8217;s support for law enforcement, as well as their signature policy of enforcing the border. 
Video and transcript below:
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FULL TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>
Well, hello, NRA! Thank you, Chris, for that great introduction. Chris and I have been friends for a lot of years. I have great respect for him. But he knows the introduction I prefer is a little bit shorter: I&#8217;m a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.
And as Vice President of the United States, it&#8217;s my great honor to be back home again in Indiana with so many freedom-loving Americans at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association. Welcome to the Hoosier State.
It really is great to be here with so many friends. Chris, and Ollie North, and Wayne LaPierre, and, really, with some outstanding leaders that we respect greatly and admire every day, like Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky, and so many distinguished members of the United States Congress, including the House Minority Whip, the courageous Steve Scalise.
And speaking of friends of mine, it&#8217;s especially great to be here with another friend, a great champion of freedom who I can tell you personally gets up every day and fights to keep the promises that he made to all the American people. I can&#8217;t wait to join you to welcome the 45th President of the United States of America, President Donald Trump back to the Hoosier State.
You know, the President and I stand with the NRA because, like all of you, we stand for freedom. And the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a freedom that is at the heart of the American story.
Our Founders won our independence with the power of their ideas and with the powder in their muskets. Our pioneers won the West with their daring, their courage, and their Springfields, Winchesters, and Colts.
Our forebears have fought our nation&#8217;s wars and defended our way of life with the skills they learned on the rifle range, in a deer stand, at the knee of a father, a mother, or a grandparent back home.
And in our own day, there are no greater champions of America&#8217;s tradition of responsible gun ownership than all of you and the 5 million proud men and women of the NRA. Thank you for your stand.
And I&#8217;m here today to tell you: We&#8217;re with you. President Trump and I are with the NRA today, and tomorrow and always, because the National Rifle Association stands for freedom.
Nowhere is this ongoing struggle for freedom more visible every day than in the struggle to defend the Second Amendment. Firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens don&#8217;t threaten our families, they protect our families. And we know that firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens make our communities more safe, not less safe.
You know, at this podium, nearly two decades ago, Charlton Heston said those famous words, and I quote, &#8220;I&#8217;ll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.&#8221;
Well, I&#8217;ll make you a promise: Under this President and this Vice President, no one is taking your guns. Under this President and this administration, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
And the truth is, from the first day of this administration, President Trump has been fighting for freedom, and you all know that. And, really, I couldn&#8217;t be more proud to be Vice President to a President who fights every day not just for freedom but for those who defend it.
I mean, think about it: This President stood with those who defend our freedom when he signed the largest increase in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan.
Thanks to the President&#8217;s leadership, we&#8217;re once again giving our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard the resources and the support they need to accomplish their mission and come home safe.
And this President has stood with those who defend our freedom her at home, who protect and serve on the Thin Blue Line. And under President Trump&#8217;s leadership, we&#8217;re giving all the men and women of law enforcement at every level the resources and the respect that they deserve every single day as they protect our families.
I know there&#8217;s a lot of law enforcement members who are here today, who have taken time to be at this convention. Why don&#8217;t you all just show them how much we appreciate the men and women who serve on the Thin Blue Line and protect our families every day? (Applause.) God bless you all.
And this President has stood for freedom in the American economy as well. President Trump has already cut more federal red tape in the last two years than any President in American history. We&#8217;ve unleased American energy. And President Trump signed the largest tax cuts and tax reform in American history. (Applause.) And the results are in: Businesses large and small have created 5.5 million new jobs. More Americans are working than ever before. And it was just reported this morning: The American economy grew by 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2019.
And beyond our security and our prosperity, this President has also strengthened the very foundation of our freedom. At this point, President Trump has already appointed to our federal courts more principled conservatives in the last two years than any President in American history. And they are all conservatives who will uphold the God-given liberties enshrined in our Constitution &#8212; like the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms. It&#8217;s an incredible group.
But despite the fact that this President has faced unprecedented opposition, obstruction, and resistance, I believe that when this President&#8217;s story is written, when he finishes his term in office, six years from now I believe history will record: No other President in all the modern era has done so much for so many in so little time. President Donald Trump has delivered.
So, under the President&#8217;s leadership here at home and around the world, America is winning again. But to keep on winning, I came here today to say that we need you to stay in the fight. Because the truth is, we live in a time when freedom is under assault. And it&#8217;s not just the freedom that the NRA so nobly defends, but the freedom to live, to work, and to worship God are all being threatened by the radical Left every day. It&#8217;s true.
And the same people who threaten your right to self-defense want to stifle our economy by raising taxes and increasing regulation. The same people who want to take away your unalienable rights routinely denigrate the faith of millions of Americans and advocate late-term abortion and even infanticide.
But I&#8217;ll make you a promise: Under this President and this administration, we will stand without apology for the sanctity of human life.
But our freedom is under assault every day in other ways. The same blue states and cities that are trying to bankrupt the NRA have become sanctuaries for illegal immigrants, including dangerous gang members and human traffickers. And the same people who want to restrict the right to keep and bear arms of law-abiding citizens believe the Boston Marathon bomber should be given the right to vote on death row.
I got news for you, Bernie: Not on our watch!
Violent convicted felons, murderers, and terrorists should never be given the right to vote in prison &#8212; not now, not ever.
You know, I heard the other day that another Vice President actually said that &#8220;we&#8217;re in a battle for the soul of our nation.&#8221; And, for once, I agree with him &#8212; but not for the reason he thinks. We are in a battle. We&#8217;re in a battle for the soul of America, but it&#8217;s a battle between liberty and tyranny. As the President has said before, it&#8217;s a battle between independence and government control. And, ultimately, it&#8217;s a battle between freedom and socialism.
You know, under the guise of the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, the same Democrats who want to take away your freedom openly advocate a failed economic system that has robbed the liberty and impoverished millions of people around the world.
But let&#8217;s be clear: It was freedom, not socialism, that gave us the most prosperous economy in the history of the world.
It was freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won two world wars, and stands today as a beacon of hope for all the world.
It was freedom, not socialism, that&#8217;s moving us beyond the prejudices of the past to create a more perfect union and extend the blessings of liberty to every American, regardless of race or creed or color.
And it was freedom, not socialism, that gave us the highest quality of life, the cleanest environment, and improved the health and wellbeing of millions around the world.
You know, what Medicare for All really means is quality healthcare for none. And the only thing green about the so-called Green New Deal is how much green it&#8217;s going to cost all of us if they ever sign it into law.
You know, Margaret Thatcher probably said it best: &#8220;The trouble with socialism is [you] eventually run out of other people&#8217;s money.&#8221;
So I say, from my heart, to all of you freedom-loving Americans gathered here: The moment America becomes a socialist country is the moment America ceases to be America. And as President Trump said in his State of the Union Address, so we must say with one voice: &#8220;America will never be a socialist country.&#8221;
So, men and women of the NRA, the stakes have never been higher, but the choice has never been clearer.
It won&#8217;t be enough just to win the next election; we&#8217;ve got to win the next generation. And this is our challenge. It won&#8217;t be easy. But it never has been.
Thomas Paine explained, during the American founding, that the battle for freedom is always arduous. As he said, quote, &#8220;The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.&#8221; And then Thomas Paine added, &#8220;What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly&#8221; and that &#8220;Heaven knows how to put a [proper] price upon its good[s]; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.&#8221;
It&#8217;s really about freedom that we gather here today, and preserving the freedom that&#8217;s at the heart of America. But as you&#8217;ll hear in just a few minutes, President Donald Trump and I are ready for the fight. (Applause.) We are ready to stand with all of you and fight to defend and expand freedom for every American.
But we can&#8217;t do it alone &#8212; so keep doing your part. Talk to your neighbors and friends and tell them what we&#8217;ve been able to accomplish over the last two years. And tell them about the challenges that we face, and tell them what the opposition offers. I mean, tell them this President and this administration have been fighting for all the liberties you hold dear. Tell them we&#8217;re setting things right in Washington, D.C. Tell them we&#8217;re draining the swamp &#8212;because we are. And tell them the forgotten men and women of America are forgotten no more, because it&#8217;s the God&#8217;s honest truth. (Applause.) Go tell them.
So thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Thank you for coming here to the Hoosier State and giving me a chance to be home.
You know, it&#8217;s amazing for me to think about the journey that my wife and I have been on. Five years ago, when I was governor of the state of Indiana, I stood at this podium in that role. And I have to tell you, for this small-town boy from southern Indiana, the grandson of an Irish immigrant, it&#8217;s hard to describe how humbling it is to have the privilege. So I want to &#8212; I want to thank you for the honor of serving as your Vice President. And I want to thank you for your support.
And because of your support of this President, his Vice President, and this administration, I&#8217;m proud to report America is standing strong again. America is prospering again.
The Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States is secure again. And freedom is winning all across America.
And I know we&#8217;re going to keep on winning. I know we&#8217;re going to keep on winning because I have faith &#8212; faith in this President I serve alongside every day. I mean, I got to tell you, somebody said to me the other day, &#8220;Tell the President to keep on going, keep on fighting.&#8221; And I said to them, &#8220;That&#8217;s not something you got to tell him.&#8221;
You know, as we say here in the Hoosier State, all the reverse is stripped out of that pickup truck. It is straight ahead, straight forward. He&#8217;s bringing the energy, the leadership, and the fight for the American people. And I promise you we&#8217;re going to do it every day in the next two years.
But I got faith in my friend. I got faith in conservative leaders that you&#8217;ve helped elect all across this country, who have been standing with us for the principles and the ideals that we hold dear.
And lastly, I&#8217;ve got faith in all of you. As I travel across this country, I see Americans every day who are standing with us, encouraging us. I meet them at grocery stores. I meet them on rope lines at airports. I meet them at rallies and in diners. And they&#8217;re folks just like you and me who always knew that we could be strong again; who knew that we could be prosperous again; who knew that we could be standing tall again. And they&#8217;re standing with us every step of the way.
And so, for their sake, I just want to encourage all of you: Be confident as we go into the days that lie ahead in the next year and a half. Because I have faith that if we hold the banner of freedom high, if we put into practice those words inscribed on the Liberty Bell to &#8220;proclaim liberty throughout all the land [and] unto all the inhabitants thereof,&#8221; those same Americans will rally to our cause again and we&#8217;ll keep on winning a great victory for the American people.
And remember, as you leave Indiana and go to your homes, and all of you that are looking on from afar, remember that when we fight for freedom, we do not fight alone because where the spirit of the Lord is, there&#8217;s freedom. And that means freedom always wins.
So thank you for the honor. Thank you for the honor of addressing you today. Thank you for the stand that you&#8217;ve made and the stand that each one of you take. We&#8217;re proud to stand with you.
And I truly do believe that with your continued support, with President Donald Trump in the White House for four more years with freedom-loving leaders serving at every level all across this nation, and with God&#8217;s help, we&#8217;ll finish what we&#8217;ve started. We will make America safe again. We will make America more prosperous than ever before. And as I know you&#8217;ll hear in just a few minutes, we will make America great again.
Thank you very much. God bless you all. And God bless America.
</blockquote>

WATCH: Mike Pence Affirms Trump Administration’s Pro-Gun Stance At NRA Event

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Jacob Airey

Articles by Jacob Airey