For all the money spent on education in this country–and it is a lot of money–we are an ignorant people. High school students routinely graduate without being able to read, do basic math, or write a cogent sentence. Scores of college graduates know more about identity politics than in the true meaning of the Constitution’s mandate for equal treatment of all persons under the law. And how many of our citizenry actually know who their State and federal representatives are, much less how they vote, what they believe, and how these issues fit within our Constitutional Republic’s framework of government?

How many people believe that ANTIFA is actually anti-fascist? How many people believe that President Trump and MAGA folks are fascists? How many people even know what is fascism?

How many Americans actually consider and debate the issues of our day? How many Americans read or view the news critically? How many Americans know our country’s history? How many Americans actually read for pleasure?

The election results of this week are not surprising in one sense. It is not surprising that Democrats win in heavily Democrat jurisdictions. Is anyone surprised that a Democrat won in New York City, New Jersey, or Virginia? You should not be.

What is surprising, and dismaying, is the ignorance of the voters, the lies told by the mainstream media, and the utterly nonchalant reaction to one Statewide candidate’s affinity for political violence. What is surprising, and dismaying, is the disinterest in informed engagement by voters. How can we possibly govern ourselves if we do not care enough to educate ourselves on the issues of the day, and the actions of our elected officials?

I read The Wall Street Journal religiously. Every Saturday, there is a column by former Reagan and H. W. Bush speechwriter, Peggy Noonan. Peggy Noonan can turn a phrase, and would certainly be considered eloquent. But she is not learned, and she is not introspective. No one would ever accuse her of being a critical thinker. She is often wrong, but rarely in doubt.

Set forth below is an article that recently was published in The American Spectator, on November 3, 2025, written by San Francisco, California attorney John D. O’Connor. Mr. O’Connor dissects Peggy Noonan’s writing, and analyzes her lack of critical thinking. I found it interesting, and hope you will too. Because while you dear readers may, or may not, be familiar with Peggy Noonan’s columns, you should be able to relate to the concept Mr. O’Connor identifies.

We are a superficial people, who need to do better. Our Founding Fathers were geniuses, and they bequeathed to us the finest system of governance known to man. But our system of governance is only as good as those who implement it. It requires education, interest, hard work, and individual participation. It requires critical thinking. We need to do better. Because if we do not, we are wasting our great gift. And our failures are putting us on a path to serfdom.

Peggy Noonan and the Dangers of Uncritical Thinking.

Just because Trump’s style isn’t pretty doesn’t mean he is wrong.

Elvis Presley, as most would agree, sang beautiful songs. But he was wise enough not to attempt composing any of them. Peggy Noonan has written beautiful words and phrases, but she should have the wisdom to collaborate with a sound thinker whose thoughts, not hers, might be expressed through her belles-lettres. In her attempts to appear thoughtful, writing rhythmically from an Olympian perch, she dispenses vapidity disguised as wisdom. Her recent column, “A Republic, But Can We Keep It?” unwittingly shows the danger of a lack of critical thinking to our republic, not, as she claims to demonstrate, the dangers to the country of President Trump’s unconventional, decidedly not pretty, style.

This article purports to tell us all the ways that President Trump has violated our republic’s sacred norms and thus endangers the republic. There is no doubt but that the president is often vulgar, profane, and insulting, offending those who value dignity in our country’s officials. These are fair criticisms. But there is arguably a kernel of common sense in many, perhaps most, of his substantive projects that is lost on citizens who judge primarily on appearance.

What our republic urgently needs today are thinkers who can separate wheat from chaff and argue about this frantic presidency on substance, not style.

As John Stuart Mill so eloquently wrote in 1835, our republic was founded on liberty, which in turn is achieved by principled argument and discussion. Thus, what our republic urgently needs today are thinkers who can separate wheat from chaff and argue about this frantic presidency on substance, not style. We have plenty of TDS victims and Rachel Maddow commentators in the vast legacy media, and do not need any more reflexive bombast. The problem with Ms. Noonan joining this vapid, uncritical crowd is that she claims the conservative mantle of Reagan and Bush Sr. Peggy Noonan is a conservative and a Republican, so her criticisms of Trump must be valid. So, to the extent she cites conclusions that are supposedly beyond principled argument, she thereby uses her status to stifle the very debate that is so crucial to our democratic republic. 

Noonan lists many ways she claims that Trump has crossed the republic’s “lines,” and therefore, pearls be clutched, endangers our republic. They sound good on the surface, but just a small dose of critical thought shows them not to be profound wisdom, but rather, lofty drivel. She does not explore the arguments that what Trump is attempting in many areas is a rough, bullish correction to reform our republic, consonant with its core traditional values. We do need, then, a discussion as to how he may be destroying the norms of our republic versus how he may be making America great again.

Let’s start with her superficial treatment of our elections, which, we all can agree, are at the heart of preserving a democratic republic.

It is one thing to contend, as we do here, that the citizenry must, however begrudgingly, abide by the 2020 election results. But it is quite another to say about this election, as Noonan does: “You can pretty much trust the numbers even factoring in the mischief of any system built by man.” This is didactic, above-the-fray sentiment, but it does not address the problems that serious people have concluded about this serious subject. As a result, in effect, Noonan is denying the need for election reform, not salutary for the republic she cares about oh so ardently. 

Ms. Peggy, for instance, ignores a five-year study by the bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission, which in 2009 found that the biggest problem with achieving fair elections is absentee voting. This is especially so, the Commission found, when vulnerable populations, such as nursing home residents, vote through intermediaries, i.e., vote harvesters. This finding was made well before the special pandemic circumstances of 2020, when mail-in voting was put on steroids, and ballot harvesters, by many accounts, cultivated an unusually bountiful crop. 

So, while Noonan advises us to “trust the numbers,” Jimmy Carter and James Baker advise otherwise, even in a normal election, if absentee ballots are used. In 2020, abnormally, millions of unsolicited ballots were sent to the dead, relocated, and uninterested; the resultant 155.5 million votes were nigh on impossible, after 136.7 million in 2016. Nursing homes? In Wisconsin, a state with a 20,000-vote margin, normal government election monitors were not as per usual sent to nursing homes, leaving Democrat workers to preside. Turnout in Milwaukee homes was close to 100 percent, with 95 percent voting for Biden. In Arizona, residents without proof of citizenship were allowed to vote. Foreign mail-in ballots were, oddly, heavily for Biden. None of this required a reversal of the results, but it suggests the need, per Carter-Baker, for reform of mail-in voting, not the reckless expansion that occurred.

To make it appear that Trump, not suspicious Georgia voting, was fraudulent, she quotes him saying, famously, “I just want to find 11,780 votes.” As she knows well, he was not suborning the manufacturing of votes, but instead the finding of the likely illegal ones. This is a cheap shot from an opinion leader that harms our country. It perhaps escaped her memory that Al Gore tried similarly to find wrongly tallied ballots, which she then said was the essence of the democratic process. So what is sauce for the goose is apparently not sauce for the gander.

By writing, “your governor won, your congressman won,” she implies that Trump’s true 2020 fate can be discerned from congruence with his down-ballot ticket. In Pima County, Arizona, a whistleblower reliably relayed a scheme to insert 35,000 phony ballots. Consistent with that allegation, Trump led his Republican ticket in precincts with normal turnout, while, in a “fishtail” graph, consistently trailing it in unprecedentedly high-turnout precincts, where votes appear to have been injected in a 10,000 margin state.

She is therefore arguing against election reform and improving voting security, since, after all, mail-in vote harvesting is a system “built by man.” According to Noonan, there is no “worry about our democracy” by any “erosion” here, even though there is such worry about Trump’s complaints of obvious voting irregularities. Really?

Only a person with willful blindness toward history or one with entitled Manhattan ignorance would say:

Are we maintaining our republic? Is our equilibrium holding? The last nine months, a lot of lines seemed to have been crossed — in the use of the military, in redirecting the Justice Department to target the president’s enemies, real and perceived… The executive branch takes on authority to bend its foes, defeat them.

One must conclude that Noonan was not around when Obama sicced Lois Lerner on Tea Party nonprofits, preventing them from participating in elections, or when Biden sent the DOJ’s Matthew Colangelo to New York to prosecute Trump on disgustingly specious non-crimes. Is John Bolton wrongly prosecuted by Trump’s DOJ for carelessly allowing Iran our most sensitive secrets, so Bolton could collect a million in book dollars?

The use of the military is in conformance with her idea of “equilibrium,” she implies, when it is used to enforce desegregation in Arkansas and Alabama in the 1960s. Why was that not a danger to our republic, but calling on troops to protect immigration enforcement officers is? How about Washington using the military to put down the domestic Whiskey Rebellion? Was Washington not crossing lines in protecting controversial excise tax collection, but Trump is in stopping violence against lawful deportation orders? 

Is Noonan arguing that the use of the army to enforce Reconstruction and the Civil Rights of freed slaves was right, but Trump’s use to enforce a safe District of Columbia was not? Was Thomas Jefferson correctly using the military to fight Barbary Coast piracy, but Trump is not correctly using the military to interdict Venezuelan drugs that kill millions of Americans? Is she claiming that Rutherford Hayes was noble when, in exchange for the 1876 presidency, he quit using the military to enforce Reconstruction, thus sanctioning Jim Crow Laws?

In yet other claimed “lines … crossed,” Trump’s tearing down the seemingly useless East Wing, an FDR addition, was purportedly “disturbing” and “upsetting.” Are tents a good look for the free world’s greatest country? And does Noonan know of the frequent major remodels of the White House throughout our history, including the addition of the West Wing? What is a better venue to entertain foreign dignitaries, a ballroom or Obama’s $376 million basketball court, built with taxes? Since her thesis is about Trump’s departure from traditional republican norms, why would she conceal abundant relevant comparisons?

While some may reasonably think that Trump’s use of private donations to fund the ballroom is a good thing, Noonan frets about what favors might be gained by “donors who are paying for it.” Are these folks more corrupt than Obama’s, or Biden’s, or any candidate’s donors? Why would she write something so jejune, if not to gratuitously throw shade on Trump?

Any student of American history knows that the boundaries between the three branches’ “specific powers and duties” by design are ill-defined. But, according to Noonan, it was Trump, not Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, FDR, Nixon, or this fellow Washington, who first energetically tried to exert executive power.

Unfortunately, this fine wordsmith no longer expresses the wise sensibilities of Reagan, or the traditional wisdom of her hero Edmund Burke, but, rather, her superficial, half-baked thoughts as an intellectual poseur.

It takes courage and intelligence to give voice to critical conservative thought. So the question is, does Peggy Noonan lack critical thinking skills, or does she lack the intellectual courage to live in snooty New York and openly entertain the possibility that Trump may be, in some ways, yes, making our republic great again?

GFK

Congratulations Virginia! You have elected a pasty white, radical socialist. Because Abigail Spanberger (D.) is no moderate. You ignorant voters, particularly in Northern Virginia, are going to get what’s coming to you. And I hope you get it good and hard.

What should Virginians expect? Boys showering with girls, and competing in girls sports. Abortion on demand enshrined in the State Constitution. Abolition of the right to work laws. Higher taxes. More illegal aliens, as they flock to the new sanctuary Commonwealth. Electric vehicle mandates. “Green energy” mandates. And a reversal of Governor Youngkin’s (R.) efforts to improve public education.

Way to go Virginia voters. You have screwed yourselves.

Abigail Spanberger (D.) told reporters that she would not work with President Trump to create jobs in Virginia. She is such an awful person. How does that make sense? Does that sound like a “moderate” to you?

It will not be long before Virginia voters will long for the good ole days of Governor Coonman. Governor Spanberger is going to absolutely ruin the Commonwealth.

Governor Spanberger will get some help enacting her radical agenda from her Lt. Governor, who is a radical Islamist from Northern Virginia, who has never held a private sector job, and who is beholden to the teachers’ unions. Sigh. I remember when Virginians voted in liberal Episcopalians, and that was considered out there. Now we have an Islamist in office? Not good.

The most disappointing result is that Virginians voted for Obama Mini Me Jay Jones to be Attorney General. Jay Jones is a legal lightweight, a convicted criminal, and a man who fantasizes about killing his political opponents and their families. He called for more police to die so that maybe they would be nicer to criminals. Jay Jones is unqualified. Jay Jones is a vile, disgusting, evil man. Virginians who voted for Jay Jones should be ashamed. There is no excuse for this vote, and it shows nothing good about the electorate. All that mattered to these voters is the “D” behind his name. Voters who selected Jay Jones can go straight to hell. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.00.

New Jersey voters exhibited no more good sense than did Virginia voters. Despite Democrats’ misrule over the last 8 years, causing sky high prices in taxes, energy, consumer goods, and an influx of illegal aliens by being a sanctuary State, they rejected the Republican alternative. Mikie Sherrill is a cheater, a poseur, an intellectual lightweight, and reminds every man of their 1st wife. But she won.

It could be worse. Virginia could have elected Comrade Zohran Mamdani, as New York City voters did.

Years ago, London, England elected an Islam socialist as Lord Mayor. How’s that working out? Not too good!

“I don’t think we should have billionaires.”

Zohran Mamdani.

Mr. Mamdani does not have to worry any more about billionaires. They will be leaving New York City, and will not be soiling Mr. Mamdani’s tax coffers with their dirty money.

In the final days of the campaign, Zohran Mamdani (D.) held a campaign where he spoke to the crowd in Arabic. Vile, disgusting, and un-American. So naturally, Puddin’head defended him as being “diverse” and “inclusive”. Sigh.

“Inclusive” is not an American virtue. Not at all. Fairness is an American virtue.

And in the United States of America, we speak English. Not Arabic, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, etc. ENGLISH!

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D. Ca.): He’s [President Trump] just a vile creature.  The worst thing on the face of the earth. 

CNN Reporter: You think he’s the worst thing on the face of the earth?

Nancy Pelosi: I do, yea.  I do.

Nancy Pelosi is the worst person in the world.

“Hi, this is Haley McKnight. I’m a constituent in Helena, Montana.  I just wanted to let you know that you are the most insufferable kind of coward and thief.  You just stripped away healthcare for 17 million Americans, and I hope you’re really proud of that.  I hope that one day you get pancreatic cancer, and it spreads throughout your body so fast that they can’t even treat you for it.”

–Haley McKnight (D.), candidate for local office in Helena, Montana, left this voicemail at the office of U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R. Mt.).

Except maybe for Haley Knight.

Haley Knight is outraged that Senator Sheehy’s office provided the voicemail to local media. She is running for office, and calls the release a “political dirty trick”. Haley Knight says that Senator Sheehy should have called her to discuss this matter, and that it was “not personal”. Uh, huh. It never is when you are wishing a painful death on another.

Representative Nancy Mace (R. S.C.) berated and cursed at TSA officials at the Charleston, South Carolina airport. And this woman wants to be Governor.

Emails released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation reveal that former Director James Comey not only knew of media leaks from the FBI, but approved and supervised the leaks. He then testified under oath before Congress that he never knew of media leaks in advance, and never approved media leaks. Which means he lied. Which is why the federal Department of Justice is prosecuting this liar.

The Canadian Supreme Court ruled that the country’s law mandating a minimum of 1 year in prison for possession or production of child pornography was disproportionate to the offense, and constituted “cruel and unusual punishment”. You have got to be kidding!

Canada’s New Democratic Party is imposing a speech code on its elected officials and party members, instructing them not to say “women”. Rather, the proper term is “non-male”. And the NDP wants to impose its speech code on the entire country.

What in the world is wrong with Canada? What a wussie of a country!

The United Nations is upset that the United States is bombing drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea. One might think that the United Nations would be upset that there are drug trafficking boats bringing death to other countries’ shores.

Great Britain’s Bar Council is relaxing its centuries old tradition of requiring barristers (lawyers who practice in court) to wear powdered wigs. The Bar Council decreed that barristers who sport hairstyles associated with their “ethnicity” need not wear the wigs where the wigs are incompatible with the hairstyles. In other words, if you are black, Islam, or some other minority, you need not wear a wig. But if you are stereotypical English pasty white guy, the wig stays on. DEI, British style.

Mexico and the American Left have been claiming for decades that Mexican drug cartels got their firearms from shady American gun shops. Well, they lied. It turns out that the source of the drug cartels’ guns is . . . the Mexican government. How ’bout that?

The Atlanta Braves have named former Braves shortstop and bench coach Walt Weiss as the team’s new manager. May he enjoy much more continued success.

Former Vice-President Richard B. Cheney has died at age 84. “Dick” Cheney was an excellent Vice-President, a competent administrator, a statesman, and an American patriot. May God Bless his soul. R. I. P.

Grateful Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay has died. She was 78.

Actress Diane Ladd has died at age 89. R. I. P.

Duane Roberts, inventor of the frozen burrito, has died at age 88. R. I. P.

GFK

It is election day in Virginia, New Jersey, California, and New York City. We urge everyone to vote, irrespective of party affiliation or political views. However, if lines are long, and voting is too inconvenient today, we urge our Democrat friends to return home, and go back to vote tomorrow. We guarantee the lines will be shorter tomorrow.

Since former President Obama decided to insert him into the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as the elections in California on Proposition 50, and in New York City’s mayoral race, we thought we would focus today on this bloviating blob of bulls**t. See, Mr. Obama is out there lying. He comes by it naturally.

I listened to Mr. Obama’s speech in Norfolk, where he spent his time attacking President Trump, rather than promoting Abigail Spanberger (D. Va.). It reminded me of Mrs. Spanberger’s speeches, which also concentrate on how truly awful President Trump is, rather than what she proposes for Virginia. Orange Man Bad.

It was also laughable that Mr. Obama dared lecture the American people about restoring “civility” to our public discourse, as he stood on stage with, and endorsed, Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones (D.), who fantasizes about murdering his political opponents and their families.

What Abigail Spanberger and Barack Obama have in common is an unfamiliarty with the truth. Whether by omission or commission, Mrs. Spanberger and Mr. Obama are serial liars. They are bad people, willing to do whatever it takes to wield political power. How else can you explain their demonization of President Trump, and their endorsements of Jay Jones? And they know that the mainstream media will not call them out on their vagueness, untruths, and bald faced lies. They are counting on voters’ ignorance to avoid accountability.

Below I have chosen to share today with you dear readers is an article from The American Thinker, comparing and contrasting former President Obama and President Trump. I have also chosen an article by Victor Davis Hanson who puts the lie to Democrats’ claims that things are worse under President Trump. The facts show differently.

The comparison is clear; Mr. Trump is a successful president, while Mr. Obama, and his chosen Vice-President, then President, China Joe, failed as presidents. There are facts set forth that you will never hear on MSNBC or CNN. But these facts are accurate. The comparison is enough to make Dru cry, because it is the truth. Enjoy.

Myths about Obama vs. facts about Trump, and the hypocrites at the No King rallies

By Jack Hellner (published in The American Thinker on October 22, 2025).

Most of the media exists to push Democrat talking points, nothing more. They sure don’t care about the radicals who fund the “No Kings” protests, and they continue to push a myth, that Obama was extremely popular, and that Trump and his policies are deeply unpopular.

Yet, here are poll averages from Real Clear Politics during each president’s second term:

Sept 19th 2nd Term Job Approval: Trump 46.1 | Obama 44.1 | Bush 41.5

TDIH – Oct 10th 2nd Term Job Approval: Trump 45.3 | Obama 44.4 | Bush 40.3

TDIH – Oct 19th 2nd Term Job Approval: Trump 45.4 | Obama 43.7 | Bush 39.7

Would a popular president with popular and successful policies lose 1,000 seats for his party in eight years?

The Obama Effect: How The Democrats Lost Over 1,000 Seats In Eight Years

When researching what Obama’s great accomplishments were during his tenure, here are the things that seemed to be celebrated the most: ACA, Iran nuclear deal, bringing the economy out of a great recession, Paris Climate Accord, and DACA.

First, it wasn’t Obama’s policies that brought us out of the deep recession of 2008. Three things contributed the most to the recovery, and they all occurred before Obama took office.

• Troubled assets Relief program (TARP). This passed while Bush was in office. These were loans to financial entities, not grants. The government did not lose money on this program.
• The Fed cut rates from 5.25% in late 2007 to zero before Obama took office. 
• High energy prices were destroying the economy in 2008, along with financial malfeasance. The crude oil price was $140 in June 2008, and the average price of gasoline was $4.10 per gallon. Goldman Sachs predicted in May of 2008 that oil could go to $200. To save the economy, Bush essentially opened drilling in July of 2008 and by December, the price of crude oil was down to $38, and gasoline was $1.69 per gallon. This policy especially helped the poor and middle classes along with small businesses. In December, Goldman predicted $45 oil; the moral to that story is to never trust supposed experts’ predictions.

Another myth: Obama’s economic results were good.

Truth: Obama’s policies yielded the worst economic recovery in seventy years.

The Affordable Care Act is what seems to be the thing Democrats are most proud of, even though we see how unaffordable the act has made health care for everyone, especially the government (taxpayers).

When we look at DACA, we see an unconstitutional dictatorial action, yet there were no protests against the king then. They also didn’t protest that Biden and sanctuary cities and states refused to enforce laws Congress passed. Instead, they call Trump a king or fascist for enforcing those laws, which his constitutional oath requires.

Where did Obama and Biden get all the money to pay for illegals since there were no appropriations?

Where were the complaints about separation of power and abuse of power?

Now for the dangerous nuclear deal with Iran: Basically, Obama, without Congressional approval, made Iran and terrorists stronger and wealthier, yet there were no protests. 

The Paris Climate Accord? Obama committed the U.S. to destroying the U.S. economy by essentially outlawing the use of oil, coal, and natural gas, and spending massive amounts of money worldwide without going through Congress. Yet there were no protests about him acting as a king.

There have been endless regulations on energy, COVID, and other things by unelected bureaucrats, and no protests.

No protests when they learned people with an autopen were running the government.

No protests when they learned that the Biden admin and bureaucrats directed Google, Meta, and others to hide information from the public. We didn’t hear about a threat to democracy or freedom of speech then.

Myth: Trump only caters to the rich.

Truth: His tax rate cuts, revocation of regulations, energy policies, and border policies yielded record low poverty, low inflation, and rapidly rising real wages, especially for those at the bottom. Think how the results would have been better if the media and other Democrats weren’t opposing and seeking to destroy him every day.

Myth: Trump is an isolationist who only cares about America.

Truth: Trump works with countries to achieve peace, has NATO countries build up their own defenses, tells other countries not to depend on China and Russia, and seeks to help underdeveloped countries better themselves by utilizing their natural resources.

Myth: Trump handed Biden a disastrous economy.

Truth: Trump handed Biden an economy that was soaring with low inflation, and a fairly secure border. Jobs were growing at around 1.5 million per month for Trump’s last eight months in office.

A king doesn’t try to reduce the size and scope of government, which is exactly what Trump has been doing.

Summary: We will never see protests about what a Democrat does, and always see protests about Trump and Republicans. These people, including most of the media, don’t care about facts or results, only power.

____________________________________________________________________

Are Americans Better Or Worse Off Since January

By:  Victor Davis Hanson

The left wing and media rage hysterically from one Trump psychodrama to the next, while President Donald Trump trolls both on social media.

But all that is verbiage. What matters is the data and facts of Trump’s first nine months since January 20, 2025, in comparison to either former President Joe Biden’s prior year or the averages of his four years in office.

Take the border. No one knows how many illegal aliens entered — or stayed in — the U.S. during Biden’s four years of open borders. What is clear is that he set a presidential record of well over seven million illegal entrants.

The border under Trump is now tightly closed. Prior to his administration, it was common for 10,000 people to cross illegally in a single day. In just nine months, approximately two million illegal aliens have been deported or self-deported. The rate of border crossings is now the lowest it’s ever been since 1970.

How about energy? For Trump’s first nine months, gas prices have averaged $3.19 versus Biden’s 2024 average of $3.30 a gallon. Over Biden’s four years, gas averaged $3.46 a gallon.

During the Biden years, oil production averaged 12.3 million barrels per day, compared to 13.5 million barrels during Trump’s first nine months. Biden removed 200 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, leaving office with only 394 million barrels in the SPR.

The reserve has already inched upward under Trump’s initial months to 406 million barrels. Releases have been canceled. Purchases of replacement oil have been scheduled.

Regarding the economy, Biden’s four years averaged 2.9 percent GDP growth per annum.

Trump’s GDP rose 3.8% in the second quarter, with final estimates for 2025 ranging around 3%.

Inflation under Trump so far averages about 3%. Under Biden’s tenure, inflation increased by 21.4% over four years, or on average about 5.3% a year.

How about U.S. deterrence and defense?

Under Biden, the military fell short by approximately 15,000 recruits per year, crashing to a shortfall of 41,000 in 2023.

Following Trump’s election and throughout the first nine months of 2025, all branches of the military met or exceeded their recruitment goals.

The number of NATO nations meeting their promise to spend 2% of GDP on defense rose from 23 in 2024 to a likely total of 31 in 2025, with several pledging to spend as much as 5%.

Trump left office in 2021 with no major ongoing wars. His first administration had nearly bankrupted Iran, destroyed ISIS, decimated the Russian Wagner group in Syria, and birthed the Abraham Accords.

Under Biden, the Middle East exploded into a four-front war against Israel.

Iran boasted that it was within months of developing nuclear weapons after the Biden administration lifted prior Trump sanctions and courted Tehran to return to the so-called “Iran Deal.”

Over the last decade and a half, Russian leader Vladimir Putin had only kept within his borders during Trump’s first term, invading neighboring countries during the Bush, Obama, and Biden presidencies.

In 2022, Putin attacked Kyiv during Biden’s second year in office — leading to a full-scale Ukrainian-Russian war, incurring the greatest combat losses in Europe since the Second World War.

In August 2021, in one of the greatest military humiliations in U.S. history, Biden ordered the abrupt flight of all U.S. personnel from Kabul, Afghanistan. The skedaddle resulted in utter chaos, the deaths of 13 Marines, and destroyed U.S. deterrence.

Thousands of U.S. contractors and employees were left behind, and the administration abandoned billions of dollars of new weapons and military equipment to the terrorist Taliban.

In contrast, there is now a tentative calm across the Middle East. After Trump’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the theocracy is not expected to be able to acquire a nuclear weapon for years.

Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis are decimated and increasingly impotent.

No wars broke out during Trump’s current year. Tentative Trump-inspired ceasefires helped stop violence between India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, Egypt and Ethiopia, Serbia and Kosovo, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Trump’s tariffs so far have not caused, as critics predicted, a recession or stock collapse. Instead, the stock market has reached all-time highs.

Trillions of dollars in promised foreign investments in the U.S. have set a record. And China, for the first time in 50 years, is facing an American-led global pushback against its exploitative, mercantilist trade policies.

The left is outraged about many of Trump’s executive orders.

But the public largely supports destroying the cartels’ seaborne drug shipments bound for the U.S.

Polls show majorities favor banning transgender males from female sports, ending DEI racialist fixations, and enacting long-overdue higher education reforms.

Yet the daily news is about politicians’ f-bombs, government shutdowns, Trump’s social media trolling, and street violence. But the facts tell a different story of national recovery from the self-inflicted disasters of the recent past.

GFK

“There are three things I learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and The Great Pumpkin.”

–Linus (It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown).

The Sun was bright last Friday, and the wind was blowing, which dried the course up considerably. By Saturday morning, the wind was gone, and the temperatures were moderate. This continued into Sunday, as we concluded another successful Chatmoss Country Club Team Invitational. For 42 consecutive years, golfers from all over the Southeast have descended on Chatmoss to compete, and enjoy great camraderie.

Congratulations to Brandon Grogan and Adam Webb on winning the Men’s Championship Division, with a 2 day score of 129 (-15 under par). Keith Decker and Jon Hurst won the Men’s Senior Championship Division with a 2 day score of 129. Well done, gentlemen.

As always, the tournament was so well run. John Hart and his crew had the course in great shape. Robert, P.C., Nathan, Tyler, and Ethan made sure everything ran smoothly, and that all the golfers were taken care of during the tournament. And Chef Dean and his crew ensured that no one went hungry or thirsty.

The President called for the end of the Senate filibuster to open the federal government. No. The President is wrong. The filibuster should remain.

But, but, but . . . when the Democrats regain power, they will end the filibuster. Maybe. But probably not. Most Democrats have not gone on record opposing the filibuster. And it is likely that many Democrats do not want the filibuster eliminated.

The filibuster is a valuable tool to slow, or stop, bad legislation. The Senate is not supposed to be a mirror version of the House of Representatives, where a majority rules. It is bad enought that the 17th Amendment altered the Senate from being representative of the States, by making Senators elected by the people. That Amendment needs to be repealed. But the Senate is supposed to be “the cooling saucer” for the House’s hot brew. It is supposed to dispel passion, substituting reason.

But nothing is getting done! Good! We don’t need a lot of things getting done. Do you want the Supreme Court expanded? Do you want the federalization of all elections in this country? Do you want “Medicare for All”? Do you want amnesty for illegal aliens? Do you want higher taxes? Because all of those bad ideas, and more, would be enacted if there were no filibuster.

The Founding Fathers never envisioned that the federal government would play any part in the daily lives of the country’s citizens. The essence of the federal government is to promote trade and free commerce, and to defend the country against threats, foreign and domestic. The federal government is not supposed to feed people, provide them healthcare, educate them, subsidize them, give them Obama phones, establish retirement scams like Social Security, etc., etc. Read the Constitution; none of this stuff is in there.

We do not need, nor should we want, an all powerful federal government. We need, and should want, a federal government that conducts its core delegated functions well, and leaves us alone otherwise.

The elimination of the filibuster will only grow the federal government. Please raise your hand if you think that is a good idea.

President Trump; please stay in your lane. You have enough to worry about without getting involved in the Senate’s business.

The Trump Administration is clawing back more than $1 billion from Democrat States that have funded illegal aliens’ healthcare. WINNING!

Governor Gavin Newsom (D. Ca.) vowed to bulldoze and destroy The White House ballroom if elected President of the United States. Why not? He has already destroyed California.

At the same time that Governor Hair Gel is trashing The White House ballroom, which costs $300 million, and is being paid for with private donations, he is overseeing a refurbishment of an executive/legislative office building near the State Capitol in Sacramento. The cost? It is unclear, as Governor Hair Gel refuses to provide information as to the true costs, but reliable information shows that it has cost at least $1.2 billion, and is expected to be more. And all of those costs are funded by taxpayers dollars.

Gavin Newsom is a hypocrite. Like most politicians. Like all Democrats.

Senator Ruben Gallego (D. Az.) called for President Trump’s arrest for his trolling Democrats about running for a 3rd term as President. Senator Gallego has no sense of humor. And he is not a serious man. He is a clown.

Arizona Superior Court Judge Kristyne Schaaf-Olson was out on the town, and inebriated. But she was just plain drunk. So when she dropped her pants and sat down on a public bench, and began urinating, things went awry. The police arrived, and found a woman so drunk that she could not give her name or produce identification. But she was able to inform the officers that she was a judge, and that they better not mess with her. Judge Schaaf-Olson’s husband tried to get her in his car, and away from the police, which led to his being arrested, and criminally charged. Judge Schaaf-Olson has since resigned.

Maryland has the highest percentage of foreign born residents of all the 50 States, which now tops 14%. And a high percentage of that 14% are illegal aliens. Sigh. Time for the Bays Boys to move to Southside Virginia. I will be happy to sponsor their Chatmoss CC membership applications.

The United Nations Human Rights Commission has condemned President Trump’s bombing of drug trafficking boats on the high seas. Yawn! Who cares?

Auburn fired head football coach Hugh Freeze. Long overdue.

South Carolina fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula. The Gamecocks’ offensive is anemic.

LSU fired athletic director Scott Woodward. There is house cleaning down in the Bayou.

The City of Pasadena, California is suing UCLA for trying to move its home football games from the Rose Bowl. UCLA is exploring playing its home football games in SOFI Stadium (home to the LA Rams).

SMU defeated Miami. Louisville won. N.C. State beat up on previously undefeated Georgia Tech. Florida State beat Wake Forest, so Mike Norvell will have his head coaching job for at least another week. Jordan Hudson’s boyfriend finally guided UNC to an ACC victory over Syracuse.

USC beat Nebraska. Barely. Indiana embarrassed Maryland in College Park. Ohio State thumped Penn State.

Georgia beat Florida. Ole Miss beat South Carolina. Kentucky defeated Auburn. Texas beat Vanderbilt. Really. Texas, the preseason #1, actually beat a decent team.

Texas Tech beat Kansas State. Utah crushed Cincinnati. West Virginia upset Houston. Coach Prime’s team was humbled at the hands of the Arizona Wilcats.

Coastal Carolina thumped Marshall. James Madison rolled over Texas State. The University of Texas San Antonio beat Tulane. East Carolina beat Temple. Army beat Air Force. North Texas State beat Navy. Rocky is thrilled.

New Mexico beat UNLV. Fresno State beat Boise State. San Diego State beat Wyoming.

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers on winning their 2nd consecutive World Series title. Canada denied!!!

Former Seattle Mariners pitcher Yoervis Medina has died at age 37. R. I. P.

For Cincinnati Bengals tight end Bob Trumpy has died at age 80. R. I. P.

GFK

“October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces.”

–J. K. Rowling.

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

–Edith Sitwell.

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

–John Steinbeck.

“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

–Percy Bysshe Shelley.

October ends today. There are only 50 more days of Fall, before Winter begins.

The Sun came out yesterday, late morning, and the temperatures were pleasant. I plan on getting in a little play today, in advance of tomorrow’s Chatmoss Team Invitational.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIMMY BAYS! You are looking younger every year! May your family and friends fete you in the style and manner you so richly deserve. And may you enjoy many, many more birthdays to come.

GOOD MORNING TOM MAHONEY!  You have the very best Halloween decorations.

GOOD MORNING FR. BARNETT!  Please make sure that Holland is behaving in Texas.  And if you pass out candy this evening, do not forget the Snickers Bars. Full sized ones, please.

Today is All Saints Eve, or as it is popularly known, Halloween.  It is the Vigil of All Saints Day, a remembrance of the departed from this Earth.  In some communities, congregants will attend Church services, and place lighted candles on the departed’s graves.  Typically, celebrants abstain from eating meat, and instead enjoy apples, potato pancakes, and other vegetable creations.

The secular celebration of Halloween involves costumes, trick or treating, and parties.  People carve Jack-o-Lanterns, bob for apples, and play pranks.  There is an entire genre of cult horror films to be watched.  And of course there is the greatest Halloween film of all time, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Whether you observe services in church, or pass out candy to trick or treating children, or some combination of all, please enjoy a safe and joyous Halloween.

“Pray as though everything depended on God.  Work as though everything depended on you.”

— St. Augustine

Tomorrow, Saturday, is All Saints Day, when  the Church celebrates all its Saints, known and unknown.  May all follow in their footsteps, and seek the Lord’s will, so that we may one day join the Saints in heaven.

“We believe that Jesus died and rose again, so we believe, that God will bring with Jesus,
those who have died, believing in him . . . .”

–1 Thessalonians 4:14

“The whole Church observes this practice which was handed down by the Fathers –that it prays for those who have died
in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, when they are commemorated in their own place in the sacrifice itself
and the sacrifice is offered, also in memory of them, on their behalf.”

–St. Augustine

Remember, Lord, those who have died and gone before us marked with the sign of faith, especially those for whom we now pray.  May these and all who sleep in Christ find in Your presence light, happiness and peace.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Sunday is All Souls Day, the commemoration of the faithful departed.  On this day, Christians pray that their departed loved ones are blessed with God’s mercy in heaven.

President Trump met with Chinese President Xi in South Korea, and struck a deal regarding soybean purchases, tariffs, rare earth minerals, and suppressing the fentanyl trade. Uh, huh. We shall see.

President Trump ordered the resumption of nuclear weapons testing by the United States, on par with testing by Russia and China. The United States has not tested a nuclear weapon since 1992, which makes one wonder; do they still work? Naturally, Russia and China are protesting the move. As are Democrats. Same thing.

The War Department briefed some Republican Senators on the attacks on drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Senator Mark Warner (D. Va.) is up in arms over the fact that he was excluded from the briefing. Poor baby.

Perhaps if Senator Warner were more of a team player, and less a partisan grandstander, he might be included in reindeer games. But until then, there should be no party favors for him.

The Federal Reserve Bank begrudgingly dropped interest rates 1/4 of a point. Fed Chair Jerome Powell predicted annual economic growth of less than 2%, when all available data shows annual economic growth at 4%. Mr. Powell does not like robust economic growth. We do not like Mr. Powell. He needs to go.

Representative Janelle Bynum (D. Or.) appeared on C-Span to bash Congressional Republicans. She was asked if she voted for the Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government open, and she had a hard time answering that question. She finally answered “no”, and was asked why not. Representative Bynum was then asked “why not”, and she replied that the CR had a “poison pill” in it. When asked what the “poison pill” was, Representative Bynum could not answer the question.

There is no “poison pill” in the CR. Representative Bynum voted against the CR because she was told to by Democrat leadership. The Democrats are reflexively against anything proposed by Republicans. The Democrats are reflexively against the American people.

Representative Ilhan Omar (D. Mn.) donated $1,600.00 of her campaign funds to The Palestine House of Freedom, a non-profit organization located in Washington, D.C. The Palestine House of Freedom is a partner of, and a conduit for money to, a Middle East university affiliated with, and controlled by, Hamas.

So many questions. How is this legal? Why is this not front page news in newspapers across the country? Why is The Palestine House of Freedom permitted to operate in the United States, much less our nation’s capital? And when will Ilhan Omar be stripped of her U.S. citizenship, and deported to Somalia?

The Washington Post editorial board criticized the Democrats for the federal government shutdown, blamed Senator Charles Schumer (D. N.Y.) for orchestrating the shutdown for political reasons, and demanded that the Democrats quit holding the country “hostage”. WOW! If you are a Democrat and have lost The Washington Post, you have lost. WINNING!

Wisconsin is one of the 23 States suing the Trump Administration demanding funding for food stamps. Governor Tony Evers (D. Wi.) denounced that Trump Administration for forcing 700,000 Wisconsinites to “starve”. Well, if money is an issue, why does not Governor Evers use the nearly $400 million in unallocated federal funds he has at his disposal. Oh, no, he won’t do that. If he spends this money, then he won’t have it. But maybe if he does spend this money, 700,000 Wisconsinites won’t “starve”.

The Observations doubts seriously that there are 700,000 Wisconsinites (who are U.S. citizens) using food stamps, and that any of them are in danger of “starv[ing]”. It is well documented that illegal aliens maintain access to food stamps. It is also well documented that there is much fraud in the food stamp programs, where benefits are exchanged for cash, and where food products are purchased with benefits, and then resold on the black market in Caribbean countries.

No one wants people to starve, wherever they are located. But no one in the United States is starving, or in danger of starving. The food stamp wailing is just more performative political posturing by the Democrats to get their way. They want to fund overseas programs. They want to fund public broadcasting. They want to subsidize insurance companies to keep Obamacare afloat. They want to provide healthcare to illegal aliens. Nothing has changed.

Colorado is suing President Trump over his decision to move Space Command from Boulder Springs, to Huntsville, Alabama. Colorado claims that the move is unconstitutional. How? How is the President’s movement of the armed forces “unconstitutional”? Because . . . Orange Man Bad.

In New York City, Sahara Dula screamed “F**k these cops!” and intentionally mowed down a policeman with her automobile, after intentionally turning onto a crowded street, driving into oncoming traffic. For her crime, a New York Supreme Court judge sentenced Sahara Dula was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Two (2) years?!?! For intentionally ramming and trying to kill a policeman with her automobile? Gracious.

LaMar Cook, aide to Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy (D.), was arrested and criminally charged with cocaine distribution, illegally owning a firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition. Authorities caught Mr. Cook after he had sent to him more than 46 pounds of cocaine to the State office building where he worked for the Governor. Sigh. Crooks are stupid.

Maryland State Senator Dalya Attar (D.), her brother, and a Baltimore policeman, have been criminally charged with extortion against a political consultant critic, whom they arranged to be filmed having sex with a married man. Oh, my!

During the Virginia General Assembly’s special session, called by Democrats to trash our Constitution, Republican Delegate Delores Oates was silenced after she called for a resolution to condemn political violence. Because the Democrats do not care about political violence. Democrats are purveyors of political violence.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are a disgrace. They would sell their own mothers into sexual slavery if it would cause them to pick up an additional legislative seat.

The Shenandoah County, Virginia School Board spent an entire meeting discussing students coming to school dressed as animals, including wearing animal ears and tails. That this needs to be discussed at the School Board level is strange. That students are going to school dressed like animals is beyond strange. And where are these students’ parents in the morning when they leave for school?

Former Shenandoah County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Amanda Wiseley was indicted on 2 criminal felony charges related to her alleged misuse of public monies. This is not good.

Southwest Airlines will begin serving pistachio nuts as a snack on its flights. The usual suspects are outraged, demanding that only snacks that are allergen free be allowed on flights. Oh, where to begin? First, you do not get to dictate what others may enjoy, or that Southwest might serve. Second, you are not required to eat pistachios. Third, if you are so fragile that the mere presence of a pistachio nut causes you to react, you really should never leave your house. Stay inside, with the blinds closed, and cower in the back of your clothes closet with the lights off.

General Motors is laying off thousands of UAW employees who worked at plants manufacturing electric vehicles. Now that the government subsidies are gone, customers are no longer buying EVs, and the market is disappearing rapidly. This is the perfect illustration of permitting the government to interfere in the marketplace. Billions were invested in EV technology, and now billions will be lost due to the lack of demand for EV technology. The government giveth, and the government taketh away.

Glamour magazine has named its “Women of the Year”. Nine (9) of them are men.

I am really sad and sorry to have written that last observation. But it is true.

In London, England, police arrested a Jewish lawyer for wearing a Star of David necklace while out in public. The government announced that the wearing of a Star of David was likely to cause “offence” to Muslims, and perhaps incite violence against the peace. What in the world . . . ?

Every Jew residing in Great Britain should immediately move to the United States, seeking asylum. Just do not relocate to New York City.

“We have to stop allowing the Left to paint our resistance to Islam as bigotry.  This is a tactic that silences much-needed dissent.  Rest assured, if Islam has its way, what you know as the United States will disappear, little by little.  Pushing back against Islam is no different than pushing back against communism, and the moment the American people can classify it as ideological and not racial comfortably is the moment Islam will truly start to lose its grip.”

–Brandon Morse.

Does no one remember that Spain had to expel the Moors in 1492?  Muslims had conquered Spain, and ruled it for 800 years, before King Ferdinand expelled them.  And it took until 1609 before King Phillip could expel their descendants. It is happening all over again in Europe, particularly Great Britain, France, and Germany. 

You don’t think it could happen here?  Look no further than Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dearborn, Michigan, or Brooklyn, New York.  Or even parts of Northern Virginia.  We are being invaded.  By an enemy bent on conquest.

But, but, but . . . what about freedom of religion?!? What about it? Let us assume that Islam is a religion (I do not concede that point). How many Catholic masses are celebrated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia? What about Tehran, Iran’s annual Christmas parade? Are Baptists, Methodists, and Lutherans enjoying their coffee hours after Sunday Services in Indonesia? None. Never happened. And, no.

Consider this carefully. A Jewish lawyer in Great Britain was criminally charged for wearing a Star of David because it offends Muslims. And that is in a country where the official State religion is protestant Christianity, not Islam. Where is the freedom of religion for this man?

“The choice is not between order and liberty.  It is between liberty with order and anarchy without either.  There is danger that, if the court does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, it will convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact.”

–Associate United States Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, dissenting in Terminiello v. City of Chicago (1949).

Get back to me on this question of tolerance for Islam, and the presence of Muslims in Western Countries, when Islam truly becomes a “religion of peace”. Until then, I stand by my warning, above.

Prince Andrew is no longer a “prince”. He is merely Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. And he is being evicted from Royal housing. Sigh. I hope his “fun” was worth it.

“Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select him before I let him do it.”

–Governor Jeff Landry (R. La.), announcing that the LSU Athletic Director would not be allowed to choose the Tigers’ next head football coach, after the firing of Brian Kelly.

Pierre Robert, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania disc jockey for 50 years, has died at age 70. R. I. P.

GFK

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying good-bye so hard.”

“If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart and I’ll stay there forever.”

–Winnie The Pooh

Today is my Father’s birthday.  If he were alive, he would be 103 years old.  And still telling me what to do.  Sigh.  I really miss him telling me what to do.

Yesterday was a long day. I left the house at 4:30 a.m. to get to court in Staunton. And I won, in part because the other side decided to pack it in, and not show. The judge entered a final order. It was a long day for that result. But it beats losing.

The cold rain is expected to continue through today, but the Sun returns on Friday, and through the weekend. The temperatures will be a little cooler than I prefer for the Fall 4 Ball, but Robert was kind enough to give John and me a very civilized tee time.

The United States and South Korea signed a $350 billion trade deal yesterday during President Trump’s visit to South Korea. WINNING!

The South Korean president gifted President Trump with a gold crown and necklace. The Left melted down in rage.

Originally it was thought that the FBI spied on 8 Republican U.S. Senators during the China Joe Administration. Originally. Now we know that in addition to those 8 U.S. Senators, the China Joe FBI also spied on more than 160 prominent Republican figures. Hmmm. What were Democrats saying about the politicization of the Justice Department?

“I’ma tell y’all straight up like this, I just got that text that the link is definitely cut the f**k off for November.  Y’all better stay the f**k out of my way in these stores because I’m walking out with carts and I’m not paying for s**t!”

–An anonymous food stamp recipient.

“You know what?  Since they wanna take food stamps away, I’m gonna go to f**king Walmart, grab anything I damn want, put that s**t right in the basket and walk right up out that b**h . . . I’m not paying for a damn thing.”

–Another anonymous food stamp recipient.

You see what happens when you depend upon the government to feed you? The government can decide not to feed you. And then you may go hungry. Or get a job.

Congressional Democrats claim that more than 42 million Americans use food stamps weekly. That is a lot of food stamps. Has anyone actually seen proof of these claims? And what is going on in this country that 42 million people depend upon the government to eat?

Another good question is, assuming that 42 million food stamp consumers is correct, how many of that 42 million are illegal aliens? Or even just aliens? Hmmm.

Who do you trust more, the federal government, or your local television weatherman? We bet that your local weatherman has a better track record for accuracy.

Senator Charles Schumer (D. N.Y.) called for a stand alone vote on the question of funding food stamps ahead of the November 1 cutoff deadline. No. There is no point. Just reopen the federal government, and the money will flow again.

Governor Tampon Tim (D. Mn.) claims that food stamps should resume immediately, claiming that every $1.00 of welfare spending results in $1.80 in private economic activity. He’s a moron. By Tampon Tim’s economically illiterate thinging, if everyone in the country were on welfare, and we increased welfare, our economy would be going gangbusters. BUT, that is not the way this works.

Twenty-three (23) States have sued the federal government, demanding that the Department of Agriculture prioritize its funds to be spent on food stamps. The States do not get to instruct the federal government on what and how much to spend. That is not the way this works.

“I have a real job.  I’m a mom.  It’s the most important & rewarding job in the world.  I think if you had a baby girl like I do, you’d understand my positions a little better.”

–Riley Gaines, former University of Kentucky varsity swimmer.

Riley Gaines was responding to Puddin’head’s comments advising her to “get a real job”, which were a response to Riley Gaines’s challenge to Puddin’head to a debate on the question of allowing men to compete in women’s sports. Puddin’head is adamant that “trans” women are women, all biological evidence to the contrary.

“Sex work is work.”

–Puddin’head.

Was Puddin’head advocating that Riley Gaines become a prostitute when she told her to “get a real job”?

Early polls show that Mary Pete Buttigieg leads all 2028 Democrat presidential candidates, including Commiela and Governor Hair Gel. How embarrassing for all concerned.

“Although climate change will have serious consequences — particularly for people in the poorest countries — it will not lead to humanity’s demise.  People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future. “[Climate activists] should measure success by our impact on human welfare more than our impact on the global temperature.”

–Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who for decades claimed that the sky was falling due to man-made “climate change”.

It was always a grift. It was always a scam. Man cannot destroy God’s creation, and that reality is beginning to set in with the Left.

Did Bill Gates sell his private jet? Did Bill Gates sell his oceanfront homes? No, and no.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s (D.) mother told reporters that her son “was not American at all”. She is proud that her son is Indian, and that he maintains his Ugandan citizenship. She further explained that the family does not speak English at home, just Hindustani [whatever that is].

House prices are soaring in Connecticut in advance of an expected Zohran Mamdani win in New York City. Bidding wars are breaking out, as wealthy New Yorkers flee the city, with their money.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People endorsed the pasty white chick for Virginia Governor, overlooking the colored woman running for the same office. Wow.

Let’s think about this. Did the NAACP protest the racist signs held by Abigail Spanberger (D. Va.) supporters when Lt. Governor Winsome Sears (R. Va.) appeared as an invited speaker in Arlington County? No, it did not. Did the NAACP protest the racist Democrat bore who yelled at the Lt. Governor to “go back to Haiti”? No, it did not.

Perhaps the NAACP really stands for the “National Association for the Advancement of [the right kind] of Colored People”. Because it looks more and more like an arm of the Democrat Party than like a civil rights organization.

California’s Proposition 50 may well pass, returning the power to draw legislative districts to the legislature, rather than the citizen passed non-partisan redistricting commission. But efforts in other States are not going well. Though Virginia Democrats are trying the same maneuver as California, their efforts will fail, as they are trying a clearly illegal end run around the Commonwealth’s Constitution. In Maryland, the Democrat Senate Leader indicated that he did not support redistricting efforts, and would not permit its consideration. And in Illinois, Democrats are similarly unenthusiastic about redistricting. Sigh. Sorry Hakeem Jeffries. Too bad, so sad.

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen, who was pushed out of the ice cream business by parent company Unilever over his radical views, is back with a new dessert idea. Mr. Cohen is fashioning a “Palestine themed” sorbet, which will have a base watermelon flavor. Ben Cohen is a Leftist, a terrorist lover, and apparently, a self-hating Jew. That’s a shame.

“25 years ago I criticized New York for it’s rapid decline into a third world country.  I was forced to undergo Psychological Counseling, as if I were the crazy one.  25 years later, the city is voting in a muslim socialist for mayor.  F**K NEW YORK.”

–Former Atlanta Braves relief pitcher John Rocker.

Some people should probably just be quiet. John Rocker is one of those people.

Kylie Kelce, wife of former Philadelphia Eagles lineman Jason Kelce, will not give trick or treaters dressed as Dallas Cowboys any candy. She insisted that parents need to raise their children better than to allow them to cheer for the Cowboys, and said that any Cowboy dressed trick or treaters would receive a box of raisins or some old, moldy avocados or other spoiled fruit. B***h!

GFK

GOOD MORNING DRU!

A cold rain continues to gently fall in Southside. I went out to attend court yesterday, and to run errands. It was good to be back inside the house.

Today, having finished editing and writing The Observations, I am driving down to Staunton for court. I hope to be back by early afternoon, and am optimistic that the skies will have cleared by then. Still, we need the rain. God gives us what we need, and I am thankful.

It may sound strange to non-Virginians to read that I am driving “down” to Staunton, as I am driving North from Southside. But as every Virginian knows, the Valley of Virginia (in which sits Staunton), is higher at its Southernmost point than at its Northernmost point. Therefore, if you are traveling North in the Valley, you are headed down, not up. The Valley of Virginia, in this, and many other ways, is a geographis anomaly.

The President is still in Asia. The House of Representatives is still out. And the Senate is doing nothing much, as Senate Democrats continue to keep the federal government closed down. Washington, D.C. is so much nicer when the government is closed. Traffic is lighter, there is less noise, and things are calmer and cooler, due to the absence of so much hot air emanating from bloviating politicians.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Leftist anarchist Tyler Avalos for conspiring to murder Attorney General Pam Bondi. More Democrat violence.

The FBI arrested Ashley Tellis of Vienna, Virginia for possessing 1,000 classified federal government documents in his residence. Let him go; surely this is a political act of retribution. Nothing to see here!

Representative Eric Swalwell (D. Ca.) demands that there be a litmus test for the 2028 Democrat presidential primaries. Mr. Swalwell wants all Democrat candidates to pledge to tear down the ballroom being built by President Trump. Sigh.

Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D. Ca.) and Kevin Mullins (D. Ca.) called for the State of California to arrest ICE agents operating in The Golden State. In response, the federal Justice Department warned Governor Hair Gel (D.) and Attorney General Rob Bonta (D.) that any effort to interfere with federal operations to enforce federal law would be illegal, and dealt with accordingly.

Senator Chris Coons (D. De.) opined that it may be “unpleasant” to deny poor Americans their food stamps, but it was “necessary” in order to “give Democrats political leverage”. Despicable.

With regard to the Justice Department spying on United States Senators, it turns out that it was not the case of Special Counsel Jack Smith going rogue. Nope. That spying was personally approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland, his deputy, and FBI Director Christoper Wray.

But it is President Trump’s Justice Department which is acting in an “unprecedented”, “partisan” scheme of “retribution”. Uh, huh.

More than 100 former federal Justice Department officials filed an amicus brief urging the presiding judge to dismiss the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, claiming that the prosecution was “vindictive”, “politically motivated”, and “baseless”. How would they know? These are “former” officials, with no access to, or knowledge of, the prosecution’s files, motivations, etc. It is more accurate for them to have written a brief urging the presiding judge to dismiss the case against James Comey, lest they be next to find themselves in a prosecutor’s cross hairs.

Democrats and “journalists” (but we repeat ourselves), are constantly criticizing the Justice Department’s prosecution of Democrats over the objections of “career prosecutors”. You see, career prosecutors are never wrong, and Donald Trump’s appointees are never right. EXCEPT, it turns out that the career prosecutor who refused to file criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James (D.) was fired for mishandling sensitive case information. What do you know, a career prosecutor can be wrong after all.

MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace said that no Democrat ever has called President Trump “Hitler” or compared President Trump to “Hitler”. Is she kidding? What Democrat has not called President “Hitler”, or compared President Trump to “Hitler”? Democrats and “journalists” call President Trump “Hitler” on her show all the time! Nicolle Wallace is dumb. Unbelievably dumb. But here she is just gaslighting people. She is a shameless liar.

The Brady Center Against Gun Violence has long opposed individual citizens owning guns, the 2nd Amendment be damned. But now the Brady Center has gone further, and is calling for the stripping law enforcement of its guns. The Brady Center contends that law enforcment’s possession and use of firearms fuels violence among the criminal class. Seriously. The Brady Center believes the criminals would disarm if only law enforcement did so first.

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger (D.) is supporting General Assembly Democrats’ efforts to amend the Constitution [again] to wrest the power of drawing legislative districts by a non-partisan commission, and giving the power back to the General Assembly. She explained that while she opposes Republican gerrymandering, she supports Democrat gerrymandering. Abigail Spanberger is the most unprincipled Democrat among all the other unprincipled Democrats.

Abigail Spanberger put on her Agent Maxwell Smart hat while talking to a reporter, where she explained that the original purpose of ICE was to oversee the importation of goods from abroad. The former CIA analysist and Congressional Representative went on to opine that ICE’s mission went sideways when it became concerned with people illegally crossing the border, and engaging in counterterrorism.

Abigail Spanberger is a moron. She is a dolt. She is dumber than the object of a blonde joke. ICE was never organized to oversee the importation of goods. ICE was also charged with protecting our country’s borders and engaging in counterterrorism. ICE is, and always has been, a law enforcement agency under the umbrella of the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Virginia, if you elect Abigail Spanberger, expect your streets to look a lot like Chicago, Portland, Boston, Los Angeles, and New York. Because Democrats will make Virginia a sanctuary jurisdiction, and it will be a magnet for all the illegal aliens and gangs out there.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D.) tearfully told the assembled press corps covering his campaign that in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks, his “sainted” aunt quit riding the subways and wearing her hijab out of fear of being violently attacked by angry New Yorkers. A couple of problems with that story; Mr. Mamdani’s aunt was not living in New York at the time, she was living in India. Also, photographs of Mr. Mamdani’s aunt from 2001, and after, show her not wearing a hijab in public. Oh, my!

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D.) appeared at a rally with Zohran Mamdani, and led the crowd in a “Tax the Rich” chant. Things are looking very bleak in New York.

A Broward County, Florida judge has ruled that Florida’s ban on adults under 21 carrying concealed firearms is unconstitutional — a decision that could set up a broader legal battle over gun rights for young adults.  The ruling stems from the arrest of 19-year-old Joel Walkes III, who was charged after an officer found him carrying a concealed firearm when his car broke down on a Plantation roadway. 

Circuit Judge Frank Ledee sided with Walkes, saying the state’s age restriction violated constitutional rights.  Of course it does!  There should be no 2^nd class citizens when it comes to constitutional rights.

Kansas State Representative Susan Ruiz (D.), a radical Leftist lesbian social worker, contends that the only reason the Trump Administration is working with Argentina’s government to stabilize that country’s economy, is because President Trump and his appointees plan to flee to Argentina after his term ends, just like the German Nazis did after World War II. Sigh. Someone please alert Nicolle Wallace to this news.

Southern Living magazine has named Publix Original Saltines the nation’s best saltine crackers. Zesta saltines were ranked near the bottom. For what it is worth, this Saltine American prefers Premium Saltine Crackers.

Voting in Argentine’s mid-term elections, voters rejected a return to socialism, backing President Millei and his libertarian-conservative reforms. WINNING!

Hamas continued its attacks on Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza. The IDF is poised to respond. This will not turn out well for the Arabs.

God Bless the people of Jamaica. They were pummeled by Hurricane Melissa.

The 3rd game of the World Series went an incredible 18 innings, with the Dodgers winning on a Freddy Freeman home run. WOW!

Following LSU’s home loss to Texas A&M, the school fired head football coach Brian Kelly. Now LSU has to find a new head coach, and figure out how to pay Brian Kelly his $54 million buyout.

Former Oakland Raiders defensive star George Atkinson has died at age 78. R. I. P.

GFK

Today I woke up in beautiful, bucolic Southside Virginia. It is a lovely day to be in Chatmoss.

Yesterday I drove down U.S. 29, going through Warrenton, Madison, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Chatham, before descending into Henry County. The drive began under a sunny, not a cloud in the sky morning, and ended arriving at our home in Chatmoss in a cold rain. The rain began as I entered Chatham, but it did not make the drive less pleasant. It changed the scenery from the morning, but the farms, pastures, and forests were as pretty as earlier, just in a different way.

The forecast for Tuesday through Thursday is rain. Temperatures will be cool. But it does not look like there will weather disrupting this week’s scheduled Chatmoss Team Invitational–The Fall 4 Ball. It is a great event. The Bermuda greens are at their fastest speed of the year. The foliage colors are at their brightest. And the caliber of golf played by the competitors is top notch (this writer, excepted).

I was going to rise and write a news filled column today, but I decided against it. The rain gently fell on the skylights in the house, casting a sea of calm over my mind. Somehow, the thought of polluting that sea of calm with the news of the day seemed just plain wrong. And stupid. So I returned to my peaceful sleep, and ask my dear readers to forgive my indulgence. The news never stops, and tomorrow is another day. I shall be more diligent then.

GFK

English made pecan pancakes with bananas for Sunday brunch. DELICIOUS! Served with spicy sausage (which we had to obtain from outside Northern Virginia, because no one up here eats spicy sausage). Dudley did not get any pancakes or sausage, but English fixed him a nice fried egg, which he loves.

The United States Navy took out a drug trafficking boat in the Eastern Pacific, and another boat in the Caribbean Sea. WINNING!

The Department of Homeland Security announced that Abrego-Garcia would be deported to Liberia this week. Naturally Abrego-Garcia claims a fear of prosecution. Of course. My goodness, send him somewhere outside the United States! Let’s get rid of this criminal!

“No, we’re not going to allow Chuck Schumer to play selfish political games and hold the American people hostage.  We will not negotiate with legislative terrorists.”

–House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.

Senate Democrats voted 12 times to reject a clean continuing resolution, keeping spending levels at China Joe era levels, for the short time required for Congress to finalize its 12 appropriations bills. Senate Democrats also filibustered a bill that would have paid our troops, border patrol, air traffic control and airport security people, and other essential workers who are due to begin skipping paychecks on November 1. Senate Democrats are to blame for any and all harm that results from the federal government’s shutdown.

Congressional Democrats are outraged that an anonymous donor (now known) donated $130 million to pay America’s troops. The Democrats cannot imagine that any monies should ever come from any source other than the government. Also, the Democrats do not want the troops paid. The troops, along with others, are their government shutdown hostages.

Congressional Democrats are obsessed with the President’s construction of a ballroom at The White House. It’s illegal! It is not. It’s unconstitutional! It is not. It’s unprecedented! It is not.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D. N.Y.) announced that the ballroom’s construction, since it is being paid for with privately donated funds, is corrupt. He vows an investigation by Democrats of all private donors, when the party regains power. That is a winning campaign message.

Is it not interesting that the very same people who tore down statues of historical figures, rewrite history, and denounce our country’s founding are now expressing great outrage of any change to the “historical” White House? It is. It is very interesting.

A Virginia couple filed suit against President Trump, seeking an emergency motion to stop the demolition of the White House’s East Wing, and thus halt the construction of the ballroom. Too late, East Wing is gone.

“What do you do when the racists are in charge, like they are now?  I mean, like Stephen Miller is a white supremacist.  I mean, he is.  And he’s basically running the White House.  They keep Trump busy with his decorating projects.  He’s got building the arch now.  He’s got his Oval Office design.  And then you have these real sociopaths that are real antisemites, true white supremacists like Steven Miller.  And even though he’s Jewish, he’s like a Nazi Jew.”

–Jennifer Welch, Democrat contributor to MSNBC and CNN.

Just when you thought the Left could not go any lower. It does.

Congressional Democrats are establishing an ICE tracker, whereby they will publish ICE sightings and planned activities, warning illegal aliens to avoid those activities. New York State Attorney General Letitia James is setting up a companion system, whereby she will be able to reveal the identities and residences of ICE agents. Sigh. These people are not just obstructing the laws’ enforcement. These people want to get ICE agents and their families killed.

“I’m not optimistic.  I’m not.  I mean, I know she’s going to win because I just have to believe she’s going to win.  But, like, she wins, and then what?  It’s supposed to be just magically better after she wins?”

–Abigail Spanberger (D.) campaign organizer Fredrica-Maame Ama Deegbe.

If you thought Coonman was a bad Governor (we did), then you should be very, very afraid of a Governor Spanberger. She would be 10 times worse.

In 2022, Virginia voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment vesting all powers for the drawing of legislative district lines in a non-partisan redistricting commission. The Commission’s work has been acceptable, and Virginia’s Congressional make-up is 5 Republicans, and 6 Democrats. The system would seem to be working well. But it is not working well for the Democrats. Beginning today, the General Assembly will be reconvened by the Democrat majorities to pass a constitutional amendment restoring the power of the General Assembly to draw legislative districts. This is eerily similar to California’s efforts with respect to Proposition 50. Coincidentally, Lt. Governor Winsome Sears, Republican candidate for Governor, will have to be in Richmond to preside over the Senate, instead of campaigning during the final week before the election.

Virginia Democrats are desperate. Attorney General candidate Jay Jones’s (D.) campaign is imploding over his homicidal fantasies. Gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger (D.) is being revealed to be the radical Leftist she is, as her “moderate” veneer has been stripped away. The Democrats are panicking as they can see their hopes for regaining power slip away. Displaying their contempt for the people of the Commonwealth to further their political ambitions is beneath contempt.

“The Allies who prosecuted individual Nazis at Nuremberg were invested in ignoring Nazism’s political roots, for these roots were also America’s.  The United States is the outcome of a history of genocide, ethnic cleansing, official racism and concentration camps (known as Indian reservations).”

–Mahmood Mamdani, father of New York City mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani (D. N.Y.), a man Zohran calls the greatest influence in his life.

Sigh. Immigrants to this country used to be grateful for the experience and the opportunity, and were determined to become patriotic Americans. Nowadays, not so much.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor. Mr. Mamdani’s father’s comments probably convinced Mr. Jeffries to support his campaign.

Zohran Mamdani himself made remarks concerning the 9-11 attack and Muslims. Did you realize that Muslims were the real victims of 9-11? Neither did I.

In Ontario, California, an intoxicated illegal alien slammed his tractor trailer into a line of traffic, setting his truck and some cars on fire, killing 3 people. The illegal alien crossed our Southern Border in 2022, and was paroled into the United States by China Joe (D.). Then Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D.) DMV gave him a Commercial Drivers License. And now, because of Democrat mismanagement, another 3 people are dead.

As a result of this horrific incident in Ontario, California, and other incidents in other States, the Department of Transportation issued emergency regulations to stop illegal aliens from obtaining Commercial Drivers Licenses. Two (2) unions representing government employees sued to block the emergency regulations. Because . . . who knows? This makes no sense.

About 10 days ago, the U.S. Marines performed some live fire events along the Southern California coast near Camp Pendleton. Governor Hair Gel closed the area’s main road artery, I-5, claiming that the Marines were firing over the highway, and that an artillery shell exploded over I-5. FAKE NEWS! It never happened. Gavin Newsom is a #($*! liar.

Graham Platner (D. Me.), U.S. Senate candidate and the darling of the socialist Left, revealed that he had a Nazi tattoo on his chest. And not just any Nazi tattoo, but a tattoo of the Nazi deathhead, which was worn by those charged with carrying out Hitler’s Final Solution in the death camps. Despicable! And absolutely disqualifying. But Mr. Platner claims that he had no idea what the tattoo–on his own body–meant. That is not believable. Yet Democrats insist that this is much ado about nothing.

Calic Bagels are big, fluffy, dome-shaped bagels that pull apart, no slicing required. The name is a combination of California and garlic. And now Calic Bagels are stuffed, come in 4 flavors (signature garlic, habernero, pizza, and bacon-scallion), and are sold in Gelson’s, an upscale Los Angeles, California grocery store chain. Gelsons is having a hard time keeping them in stock, that is how good these bagels are.

One might think that California might be a strange place to get bagels. Isn’t New York famous for bagels? Yes, but over the years there have been so many New Yorkers move to California, there is a thriving bagel bakery industry in The Golden State. If you are ever in San Francisco, go to Noah’s Bagels in the Marina District. You will not be disappointed.

It’s here! Coca-Cola is rolling out nationwide original Coke made with pure cane sugar. WINNING!

A group of “scientists” are calling for the banning of bacon. According to these “scientists”, bacon is too dangerous for human consumption. Hmmm. You will have to pry my bacon out of my cold, dead hands. I’m not giving it up.

Hardee’s beloved cinnamon raisin biscuits are returning. No doubt the “scientists” calling for the banning of bacon also disapprove of these delightful breakfast treats. Indeed, these “scientists” probably want to ban Hardee’s as well.

Shouk is a small chain of Jewish plant-based restaurants in Washington, D.C. Or it was. Beginning at the onset of Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023, anti-Semitic, Hamas supporting demonstrators have picketed the restaurants, blocking customer access, harassing customers and employees, and urging citizens to boycott the chain. Because it is owned by Jews. Congratulations you terrorist lovers; Shouk is now out of business, given the 2 years of demonstrations. What a terrible thing to happen in a “civilized” society.

Just because you have a right to protest does not make your protest right.

“The utterly humiliating inability of French authorities to either prevent the theft of the literal crown jewels or promptly arrest the perpetrators after the fact is the most poetic possible way to demonstrate a point that has come up in so many of my conversations this week: At best, European political and cultural elites have no interest in protecting and preserving their culture; and at worst, they have an interest in seeing that culture replaced root and branch.”

–Josh Hammer, The American Spectator (October 24, 2025).

Over the weekend, the French arrested suspects in the Louvre heist. No word yet on the recovery of the stolen jewels.

Democrats are wringing their hands over President Trump’s military actions against South American drug traffickers. Mr. Trump’s position is that these drug traffickers are engaged in a war against the United States. Democrats, on the other hand, want to arrest them, give them lawyers, and allow years long legal proceedings. It has now been revealed that Hezbollah–as in the Islamic terrorist organization founded and funded by Iran–has a stranglehold on the drug trafficking flow out of both Colombia and Venezuela. This would seem to be a war, somewhere between the Barbary Pirates and the Empire of Japan. It certainly is on par with Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

The U.S. Treasury levied more sanctions against Russian oil companies. The sale of oil is what funds the Russian war machine in Ukraine.

President Trump terminated all trade talks with Canada after our Northern neighbor cut, spliced, and aired deceptive videos of President Reagan on the subject of tariffs. Lying surrender monkeys!

Prince Andrew’s crest and banner was removed from Windsor Castle. Yet another humiliation for the man who cannot keep his trousers buttoned.

The International Olympic Committee has recommended that Indonesia be barred from hosting any international sporting events after that country banned Israeli gymnasts from competing in a gymnastic trial competition. Naturally the Israeli hating Indonesians are madder than a wet hen.

Birmingham, England has banned all Israeli fans from attending a soccer game involving an Israeli soccer team in a Europa League match. Birmingham city officials cited the possiblity of violence by Muslim residents at the presence of Jews Sigh. How could this be done in the land that gave us the Magna Carta

The SEC “permanently suspended” football referee Ken Williamson for his disgraceful performance during the Auburn/Georgia football game. Mr. Williamson is the official who wrongly–REALLY WRONGLY–ruled that the Auburn running back fumbled the ball, when in actuality video shows that the running back scored a touchdown before the “fumble”. Mr. Williamson’s wrong call shifted the game’s momentum and likely deprived Auburn of what looked to be a victory. Will Smith is now vindicated (somewhat).

The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously ruled that USA Powerlifting discriminated against a male athlete by refusing to allow him to compete in a women’s athletic competition. I do not understand.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is standing by Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. Of course he is!

There is a cheating/point shaving scandal in the National Basketball Association. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith blames Trump for the scandal, and posits that the WNBA is next. Because, . . Orange Man Bad.

Cal lost. SMU lost. UVA beat UNC in overtime, in Chapel Hill. Miami beat Stanford. Georgia Tech beat Syracuse.

Ole Miss beat Oklahoma in Norman. Alabama nipped South Carolina. Texas A&M routed LSU in Baton Rouge. Mississippi State gave the game away against Texas. Vanderbilt beat Missouri.

Oregon beat Wisconsin. Michigan beat Michigan State. Indiana thumped UCLA. Washington beat Illinois. Nebraska, Rutgers, and Iowa won.

Memphis beat South Florida. Navy won. Temple won.

Boise State had its way with Nevada. Wyoming shut out Colorado State. New Mexico beat Utah State. San Diego State beat Fresno State.

Coach Prime’s team took a licking at the hands of Utah. Houston beat Arizona State. TCU just did beat West Virginia. BYU beat Iowa State. And Texas Tech pummeled Oklahoma State.

Texas Tech has banned its football fans from tossing tortillas on the field, as had been a tradition. How much damage can a tossed tortilla cause?

Dartmouth crushed Columbia. Harvard beat Princeton. Yale beat UPenn. And the Cornell anti-Semites beat Brown.

Actress June Lockhart, Timmy’s Mom in Lassie, died at age 100. R. I. P.

GFK

Today I return to a subject that brings me much angst and frustration, and that is the continued drifting of Christianity generally, and The Episcopal Church USA and The Church of England, specifically.

I am not the best Christian, not even close. I struggle, I strive, and I fall short. But I never give up. But it seems to me that the Church has given up.

English and I were married at St. Paul’s on K Street, in Washington, D.C. It was, and remains, a special place in our hearts. Holland was baptized there. English and I worshipped often, no less than weekly, sometimes daily, and learned so much from our fellow parishioners, and our clergy, particularly the 10th Rector, Andrew Sloane, and his Curate, Edwin Barnett. Fr. Barnett is the priest who performed our wedding Mass, and remains a source of inspiration and friendship to this day.

Fr. Sloane and Fr. Barnett are far more liberal than English and me, as were, I suspect, many of our fellow parishioners. Which is fine, because politics did not infect worship at St. Paul’s. Fr. Sloane and Fr. Barnett were deeply committed to presenting Scripture, traditional liturgy, and ministering to their flock, and to our neighbors in need. In my mind, St. Paul’s was the epitome of the Church, as it was intended, and supposed, to be. English and I remain so grateful for our years there.

Of course, things change. Fr. Sloane returned to England. Fr. Barnett went, first to Pennsylvania, and then to Texas. English and I left Washington, D.C. proper to reside out in the horsey country West of town. St. Paul’s, without the protections afforded by Fr. Sloane and Fr. Barnett became more liberal, more political, and began bending to modern secular tendencies as commanded by Bishop Budde. As has the entire Church generally.

Yesterday the news broke about a scandal involving the Anglican Church of North America’s Archbishop, Stephen Wood. That is sad, but that is not the source of my despair. Humans are flawed, and are frail. We will fail, often. So when Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist clergy are found to have sinned, those are personal failings, but should not be reflective of the Church as an institution. No, I am concerned about what should be the foundations of faith, the bedrock Biblical principles which Christ charged the Church to bring to the world.

When traditions are altered, it should be gradual, and with very good, studied reason, that remains faithful to Biblical principles. But it is not, and cannot, be considered to be faithful to Biblical principles to celebrate–CELEBRATE!–sin. Man cannot be permitted to take innocent life under the guise of “choice”. Man does not get to change the definition of God’s creation, such as the institution of marriage. And the Church should not be involved in politics, particularly to the detriment, sometimes the exclusion, of worship and Scripture. Jesus commanded that we render unto Caesar those things that are Caesar’s, and render unto God those things that are his. But more and more, the Church renders everything unto Caesar, and nothing unto God. All of this worries me deeply, and daily. And I have no answers.

I realize that not all of you dear readers are of a single faith, or even religious at all. But I would posit that society, all of society, even the non-religious, benefit greatly from a religiously based, Christian centered society. I am definitely not excluding the Jewish faith when I write this, as Christianity and Judaism are intertwined, and forever bound together (hence the phrase, Judeo-Christian values). And I am not condemning other religions, or professed religions. I am simply addressing what I submit is historical reality.

Set forth below is an article written by F. Andrew Wolf, Jr., which was published in The American Spectator (October 21, 2025). It is centered on the recent elevation of Sally Mullally to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury, and reflects on the decline of the Church where we live. It is a sobering, insightul piece. I commend it to you.

England is in political meltdown — there is social unrest — and the state Church is in serious decline.

While all three of the above are related, it is the church that belies division within the “United Kingdom.”

For the first time in the history of the five-century-old institution, a woman will lead the Church of England. The Rev. Sarah Mullally was appointed the 106th archbishop of Canterbury recently; she will become the spiritual leader of the 85 million Anglican faithful globally. And this includes 1.5 million Episcopalians in the U.S. — a number that continues to decline.

Wife and mother of two, Mullally will soon walk in the footsteps of the 12th-century Roman Catholic martyr Thomas à Becket, 16th-century martyr, Thomas Cranmer — the first to hold the ecclesiastical seat for the Church of England — and the renowned scholar and ecumenist of the 20th century, William Temple.

Mullally, a former nurse in Britain’s National Health Service, has for the past seven years served as the liberal Church of England’s progressive-minded bishop of London — the first woman to hold that position. She had previously been the U.K. government’s adviser on nursing — the youngest person ever to be so appointed.

It is one of those roles where good can result, but as with her predecessor, who advocated acceptance of virtually all things secular, it is a role in which the incumbent can also do a great deal of damage.

But before we get too caught up in the prestige of high office, there are a few things to consider: the archbishop of Canterbury has virtually no formal powers. The ecclesiastical seat is considered to be primus inter pares (first among equals); the office holder gets a seat, alongside other “Lords Spiritual,” in the House of Lords. It is one of those roles where good can result, but as with her predecessor, who advocated acceptance of virtually all things secular, it is a role in which the incumbent can also do a great deal of damage.

The role is symbolic — it’s about appearances — and the liberal leadership of the church has thrown down the gauntlet; it is sending a message. The Church of England has entrenched itself in a liberal ideology.

The fact that the new archbishop is a woman is not the issue — her controversial liberal views are.

England’s state church is in serious trouble and, as is often the case with institutions, the reason is found in the numbers. The demographics of the Anglican Communion have shifted; Africa now holds the majority of the faithful. As of 2025, the Anglican population in Africa is roughly 43 million, with the largest communities found in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa. The Church of Nigeria alone claims approximately 25 million members, making it the largest province in the “Communion.” 

In contrast, Church of England numbers within Britain itself denote a harsh reality: the “Church” has lost 160,000 attendees across an average week, including Sundays, since 2019, when 854,000 people attended its churches. Since 2003, the all-age average weekly attendance has declined from 1,126,000. 

With the population of England now around 68 million, 685,000 worshippers in 2023 means barely 1 per cent of the people living in the nation are turning up to fill Anglican pews.

And this despite the Church of England being an institution possessing enormous advantages over other Christian denominations and religious groups there. It is “the Church” by the Act of Supremacy (1534) established in England, with 26 of its bishops entitled to and being compensated for the privilege of a seat in the House of Lords. Its Church Commissioners manage an endowment fund worth £11.1 billion. It has 16,000 buildings across England and 4,630 schools teaching about 1 million children.

Yet, forecasts suggest the virtual extinction of the Church of England on the shores of Britain in the 2060s — thus, the scope of the problem. And it just got worse.

This last week, the Church of England hit another milestone in its 491-year existence since Henry VIII created it in rebellion against the Vatican — the latter had refused the king’s petition to ditch Catherine of Aragon and consummate his infatuation with Anne Boleyn — one of several “unions” that will not work out.

The head of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a coalition of Anglican leaders opposing the liberalization of the Anglican Church, announced on Thursday that they would split from Canterbury, declaring itself the true leadership of the Church.

Most Revd Dr. Laurent Mbanda, the chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council and the Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, published a letter declaring that the true Anglican Church was now under GAFCON — not the Archbishop of Canterbury, as it had been for five centuries. The letter is a direct response to Mullally’s selection for the role.

The new archbishop’s appointment in early October triggered widespread outrage in the most conservative churches under Anglicanism. Critics noted that Mullally publicly supported blessing gay marriages and “supported pro-LGBTQ initiatives within the Communion” as well as other positions described as “liberal” — like being pro-abortion when “the Church” itself says otherwise. 

So here we are; history is made, and another woke agenda has been satisfied. The Church of England, which cannot fill its pews and cannot seem to decide what it actually believes about Christianity, now has a leader who embodies its most fashionable, trendy, and provocative views. It does not seem to matter that fewer people than ever attend its services (since it embarked on its woke adventure with the previous leader in Canterbury) or that the liberal folks “the Church” is now trying to attract know more about the Kardashians than the Commandments. Does the Church of England today — with membership in Britain declining steadily — have any idea what it wants to be, or is it just about how it wants to be viewed: where truth is whatever one says it is, where meta-narratives like English history and traditions (ecclesiastical and otherwise) are eschewed, where objective truth has given way to relativism? Is it just about being “postmodern” in the eyes of people who don’t understand why patriotic Brits in the countryside hoist the flag of St. George on businesses, homes, and churches, and think “Unite the Kingdom” protests are contrary to what it means to be British?

Perhaps, in time, the faithful remnant will find solace if not in sermons or scripture, but in the comforting knowledge that — at least — the archbishop’s pronouns will be politically correct.

I wish all a very good weekend. And as my good friend Fr. Barnett signs off in all his emails, “May God Bless Us All”.

GFK