Today is traditionally called “Low Sunday.” While some may think this refers to the typically low attendance following the Queen of Feasts the Sunday previous, this is not the case! “Low” refers to the ending of the octave of Easter. On the Octave Day of Easter, there are fewer expressions of solemnity, thus “lower” liturgically. For example, the double alleluia at the dismissal of Easter goes away, as does the Sequence, both of which were recited throughout the week-day Masses.

The somewhat cryptic Epistle for this Sunday is from the First Epistle General of S. John. Note that it begins, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. Not, “whosover,” but “whatsoever.” The “what” referenced here is our faith. Our faith, which is a free gift from God, is given to us to help us overcome the world. By “world,” S. John does not mean the created order, made by God for man to enjoy. Rather, the “world” is all that is contrary to God’s intention for creation. The created order is meant to point us to the Creator Himself. However, ever since that first sin entered creation, the created order has been distorted. Now we experience many occasions where we are tempted away from the reality of God into the darkness of sin.

The object of our faith is the person of Jesus the Christ, the Anointed of God as foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures. His divinity is revealed repeatedly in the Gospels. We see it in His baptism in the Jordan River at the hand of John the Baptist. He makes this claim in His teaching, and we are made aware of it in the Transfiguration. But most especially, we see His divinity, “the glory of God,” revealed on the cross.

Throughout His ministry, Our Lord claimed that He came solely to perform the will of His Father. By closely observing the words and actions of the Incarnate Son we see the Father revealed. The Son is the icon of the Father, the window through which we look to see the Father revealed to us. We see the will of the Father revealed on the cross, and more especially in the Blood of Our Lord’s Sacrifice poured out on the altar of the cross. The Perfect Sacrifice offers Himself, thus accomplishing the will of God. “It is finished.” God’s will has been carried out to its end and in so doing the Son gives Himself back completely to the Father.

In the midst of this is the witness of the Holy Ghost. All that God does is done by all of God. And so too is the Spirit present, testifying to the fact that the Son has carried out faithfully the will of the Father. The Spirit cannot lie, as God cannot lie. His testimony is infallibly true and so all three witnesses are in agreement: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The requirement of the Law of Moses that three witnesses must agree in their entirety to provide satisfactory evidence is met in the witness of the Blessed Trinity.

S, John is telling us in his epistle that when we place our faith in Christ and in His sacrifice on the cross, we are given the power to overcome the distractions and temptations that would divert us from our true end. We have been created to share in the divine life; we are meant for God. Through the cross, Our Lord has made it possible for us to regain that relationship lost in the Garden of Eden. 

The Easter season is one of celebration. Our Lord’s victory over our ancient enemies of sin and death means that in Him we can share in His triumph. This is the essence of our faith. And although we recognize that our faith may grow weak or even be lost through carelessness, may we ever pray that this gift of faith be continually strengthened within us.

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Secularism, liberalism and Islam sapping the West’s rich religious tradition

Fewer worshippers and shifting beliefs signal a deeper cultural transformation

BY:          Robert Knight, The Washington Times (March 29, 2026).

Last week, the Church of England made history by installing its first female archbishop of Canterbury.

A color photo of Sarah Mullally in full regalia, complete with her golden robe and miter, graced the front page of The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

For feminists, it was another cultural triumph. For traditionalists, it was yet another sign of the church’s surrender to woke ideology.

The Church of England is down from about 3 million members in 1955 to around 1 million today. Of those, about 413,000 attend weekly church services, compared with 1.5 million in 1955.

The cause of the decline has been linked to immigration and population trends, growing secularism (half of the British population now self-identifies as nonreligious) and the church’s gradual embrace of liberal doctrines.

Ms. Mullally, for example, once described herself as “pro-choice rather than pro-life.” She later added some nuance, saying, “This is a complex debate, and I don’t think my or others’ views can be so simply categorized.” Sure, they can.

She also champions the social justice and LGBTQ agendas that are turning the once-staid institution into an English version of a Marxist, San Francisco-style “church of what’s happenin’ now.”

She supports gay clergy and ceremonial blessings of same-sex couples but has stopped short of advocating same-sex marriage. She says she hopes this will help keep the worldwide Anglican Communion together. This is no easy trick when its only growth is in conservative, Third World congregations where they take the Bible seriously.

In the United States, the Episcopal Church USA, a member of the Anglican Communion, is in a similar tailspin, with left-wing leadership and a dwindling flock, some of whom have fled to conservative Anglican congregations. The Episcopal Church USA embraces gay clergy, same-sex weddings, transgender activism and unrestricted access to abortion for “those who can bear children.”

In 1955, there were about 2.7 million Episcopalians, of whom 1.5 million attended weekly services. By 2023, Episcopal Church USA membership was down to 1.5 million, with 413,000 people attending services. For some reason, they stopped issuing statistics in 2024.

They still do have a lot of beautiful, empty buildings from which the spirit has flown.

Why does all this matter? The Church of England was once the spiritual heartbeat of the whole English-speaking world, along with Roman Catholicism. It played a huge role in the formation of America’s Protestant ethic and the views of the founders of America’s constitutional republic.

When roots dry up, a plant dies and other things grow in its place. Among those things taking root in what was once America’s mother country are atheism, agnosticism and Islam.

Britain’s Muslims now number more than 4 million and account for 6.5% of the population, including 15% of Greater London. From 2011 to 2021, the Muslim population increased by 1.2 million.

Half the Muslims in Britain are British-born, and this segment is growing far faster than the general population, which now numbers around 68 million.

At the same time, Jews, who have played key roles over the course of British history, including the two terms of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, now number about 313,000, making them only the fifth-largest religious group behind Protestants, Catholics, Muslims and Hindus.

Not uncoincidentally, Britain has shown a rise in antisemitism, especially in urban areas once considered safe. On March 23, two men were arrested in London on charges of setting fire to four Jewish-owned ambulances. Police are investigating whether the perpetrators were part of an Islamist group with links to Iran.

Since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran on Feb. 28, several anti-Jewish attacks have taken place in Europe. On March 14, a bomb was detonated outside a Jewish school in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. A day earlier, five teenagers suspected in an arson attack at a Rotterdam synagogue were arrested. On March 9, a bomb was set off near a synagogue in Liege, Belgium.

The point is that Jews and Christians have reason not to be complacent as the West’s rich religious traditions are sapped by secularism, liberalism and a vibrant Islam. A culture that won’t defend its core values is ripe for replacement.

Think of what a young, radicalized Muslim thinks when he sees Zohran Mamdani take over New York’s Gracie Mansion and lead a ceremonial Islamic feast on the floor of the mayor’s office.

How about when he sees hundreds of his fellow believers occupy Times Square and Washington Square in Manhattan for open-air prayer sessions not far from 2001’s ground zero? You couldn’t blame him for thinking he was on the winning team and that America’s Judeo-Christian culture was on its way out.

Likewise, consider what a young, radicalized Muslim living in London thinks when he sees the Church of England being led by a woman quite comfortable with whatever modern conceits are pasted into her faith’s sacred text.

In “The Abolition of Man,” C.S. Lewis wrote that modern Western society was worse off because of the rise of what Arnold Schwzenegger later called “girlie men.”

“We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise,” Lewis wrote. “We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.”

Or we replace them altogether with a female archbishop of Canterbury who is no Maggie Thatcher.

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What Happens If States Start Codifying Muslim Holidays In Their Calendars?

It’s an important question to ask because doing just that is on California’s legislative agenda.

BY:          Denice Gary-Pandol, The American Thinker (April 2, 2026).

Should California codify Islamic religious observances into state-recognized holidays in the United States?

As a nation, the essence of who we are as a People is rooted in our Judeo-Christian values and principles, dating back to the Magna Carta. This shared moral vocabulary has shaped Western thinking since America’s founding. Why, then, would any State in the Union formally endorse or incorporate into our educational and other public institutions a religious doctrine with practices antithetical to the belief system?

AB 2017, introduced by Progressive Democrats Assemblyman Matt Haney and Senator Aisha Wahab, proposes adding Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast) and Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) to California’s recognized holidays. If enacted, the bill would do the following:

• Authorize public schools and community colleges to close in observance of these holidays
• Expand the list of excused absences statewide
• Establish formal recognition of Islamic religious practices within taxpayer-funded institutions

What must be noted regarding this legislative proposal is the historical foundation in American law and government. What America’s Founding-era figures openly and in writing acknowledged is that our Judeo-Christian moral beliefs, not Islam, influenced the foundation of our system of government and legal system.

The Jews introduced monotheism into the earth realm and gave us the Holy Scriptures, including the Ten Commandments, which, since the Birth of our Nation, have been displayed on numerous public buildings as a “foundational” historical document. In truth, such documents were once taught in our finest schools and universities alongside Scripture and the Hebrew language.

These Judeo-Christian beliefs include deeply held concepts such as the inherent dignity of man, God-given Natural Rights, and the Rule of Law—all grounded in ethical and moral accountability.

To underscore this historical influence, note a letter from President John Adams to Francis Adrian Van der Kemp in 1809. He wrote,

I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing nations … [and] … I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, Almighty Sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.

Consider, too, the obvious lack of justice in codifying a Muslim holiday. It has been Jewish Americans who have contributed so much to the exceptionalism that is America, and they are a people who never thought to fly planes into American buildings in order to kill thousands. Instead, Jewish Americans have made profound and numerous contributions to American society in the areas of medicine, science, technology, and our national security, without receiving state holidays in their honor.

Indeed, at the start of the American Revolution, approximately 2,500 Jews were living in the colonies. As part of their support for the Revolution, many individuals, such as Haym Salomon, were financial pillars of the war.

Not only did Saloman support the Patriots by providing rather large financial services, but he, like so many others, risked his life as a member of the Sons of Liberty, leading the British to arrest him repeatedly on espionage charges. Furthermore, other men, such as Colonel Isaac Franks, served as George Washington’s aide-de-camp and were personal friends.

If California passes legislation that formally recognizes Islamic holidays, would it also extend the same recognition to Jewish holidays, Hindu festivals, Sikh holy days, Buddhist observances, and/or Jain religious events, none of which are officially recognized? What is the limiting principle? Where would this precedent end? Should multiculturalism extend so far as to require equal recognition of all religious systems? This is neither practical nor sustainable. And note, the Jewish population exceeds the Muslim population by nearly 2 to 1.

In addition, the cultural and ethical implications of making Eid al-Fitr, the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” and Eid al-Adha, the “Festival of Sacrifice,” holidays will set an unholy paradigm. Why? Because Eid al-Fitr is a celebration following Ramadan, which means great persecution and suffering against Christians and Jews, particularly in Muslim countries.

And Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, involves the ritual slaughter of animals as a religious act. Around the world, this practice includes the mass slaughter of sheep, goats, cows, buffaloes, camels, and other animals. Publications report Eid al-Adha as “the saddest day of the year” for animal lovers. In 2017, news outlets photographed “rivers of blood” and a photo of a little girl dressed in her best clothes, standing in a “river of blood.”

For many Americans—especially animal welfare advocates—this raises serious ethical concerns. Is it appropriate for the state to endorse or normalize such practices through official recognition? No. Once more, such an outcome would be multiculturalism run amok.

Religious asymmetry also raises concerns. Under Islamic law, celebration of non-Islamic religious holidays is forbidden for adherents to Islam. This raises an important question:

Why should a society rooted in religious pluralism extend recognition to a religious/political belief where celebration of a non-Muslim holiday is unlawful and a punishable offense?

And from a security and public policy perspective, consider the following: There are active threats to the homeland. In California alone, there are 16 active ISIS or Islamic State-related investigations. These investigations are in addition to the ongoing Islamic terrorist threat from Islamic Palestinian, Hizballah, and other groups.

In recent testimony from U.S. intelligence leadership at the U.S. Senate’s Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community on March 18, 2026, FBI Director Patel made clear that in December of last year alone, 4 Islamic terrorist attacks or mass casualty events were averted, including a “bombing campaign” in Southern California. Moreover, Christians and Jews continue to be tortured and/or murdered for their faith in Muslim countries.

This debate on Muslim holidays in California is about policy, precedent, and principles.

• Islam is a religious as well as a totalitarian (political) belief system. Islamism has been compared to both Communism and Nazism. It is not a race, nor is it an ethnicity.
• Critiquing public policy decisions is not intolerance, nor is it racist.

In conclusion, California—and the nation as a whole—faces a fundamental question:

• Do we continue to expand official recognition of religious observances across an ever-growing spectrum?
• Or do we preserve our foundational values, our legal traditions, and the integrity of our public institutions?

AB 2017 would erode the very nature of who we are as a People, what America stands for, our very culture and way of life.

If you’re a California voter, you can act by contacting your own representative or by contacting Assemblyman Haney at 916.319.2017 and Senator Wahab at 916.651.4410 to SAY NO TO AB 2017.

GFK

Alice:     “Where should I go?”

The Cheshire Cat:            “That depends on where you want to end up.”

–Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

The ceasefire with Iran is falling apart. Iran claims that the United States agreed to things that the United States did not agree to at all. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Missiles are still being launched at Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. Iran has no interest in peace, and its behavior demonstrates that it is unserious.

What will President Trump do? The Observations submits that there is only 1 thing he can do; bomb Iran back to the Stone Age. Only with regime change will there be any chance for a lasting peace in that region.

“This is not ok.  Invoke the 25th amendment.  Impeach.  Remove.  This unhinged lunatic must be removed from office.”

–Representative Ilhan Omar (D. Mn.).

Mr. Trump is not an “unhinged lunatic”. And he did not marry his brother, unlike a certain member of Congress. Let us deport this woman, and liberate the citizens of her Minneapolis Congressional district.

Federal judge Brian Murphy, a China Joe appointee who must love getting slapped down by the appellate courts, ruled that the Trump Administration could not withdraw Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopian aliens present in the United States. What part of “temporary” does Judge Murphy not understand?

“The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity.”

–Barak Hussein Obama, commenting on terrorist attacks that occurred on Easter Sunday at 3 churches in the majority Muslim country.

“Easter worshippers”?  Does he mean Christians?  And does he not know that Christians do not worship Easter.  Christians worship Jesus Christ.

Barack Obama’s “Easter worshippers” locution was more than a stylistic choice; it was symptomatic of anti-Westernism and a deeper reluctance to confront uncomfortable realities about religious persecution in the Muslim world.  Muslim leaders who preside over or tolerate the eradication of Christian communities should face unrelenting international pressure to reform or be exposed as enablers of atrocity.  And the West—if led by leaders with a clearer moral vision—should stand unapologetically with the persecuted Church.  Anything less is not diplomacy; it is surrender.

Christians are not seasonal worshippers or abstract “people of faith.”  They are the body of Christ under siege, and their defense is a test of our civilization’s soul.  History will judge those who looked away.

In Fairfax County, Virginia, 75% of murders just this year were committed by illegal aliens. Governor Abigail Spanberger (D. Va.) continues to insist that Virginia embrace her “sanctuary” policies, and refuse to cooperate with ICE and the Border Patrol. Enter Border Czar Tom Homan who informed Governor Spanberger that her obstinance will not prevent federal law enforcement from doing its job, and that he would just send ICE agents into the Commonwealth.

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. is already preparing for its annual “Pride” celebration during the month of June. Nothing like getting an early start on the celebration of sin!

The Masters golf tournament is being played this weekend. Now that Spring has sprung, the sporting world’s eyes turn South to Augusta, Georgia, where the world’s greatest golfers gather to contend for the season’s first “major” tournament. The magnolias, dogwoods, and azaleas are in full bloom. The green grass is meticulously maintained. There are carpets in homes which are not as nice as the fairways. The wind is warm and light. The Sun shines benevolently down on, perhaps, the most beautiful golf course in the United States, if not the world.

For those lucky enough to be admitted to Augusta National Golf Club’s hallowed grounds, it is a return to a simpler time. Cellphones, cameras, and other technology are banned, thus requiring the patrons to live in the moment. Pimiento cheese and egg salad sandwiches are eaten, and Georgia peach ice cream sandwiches are in high demand. There is no running, or obnoxious cheering or jeering. Patrons are knowledgeable and polite, acknowledging good shots, and lamenting poor shots.

English and I are not lucky enough to be there this year. Uncle Tom’s widow possesses his badges, and so far, our telephone has not rung nor has an invitation otherwise been extended. But we will watch the tournament on television this weekend. It is the best show of the year.

Mark Calcavecchia, the winner of the 1989 Open Championship, was removed by Augusta National Golf Club security for using his phone this week at the Masters.  The members take their rules very seriously.

“How are you guys?  No wonder you’re smiling working with this good-looking chick, eh . . . .”

–Gary Player, addressing male members of The Golf Channel crew, and referring to Anna Jackson, an on air host, at The Masters on Wednesday.

Social media erupted following Gary Player’s remarks, calling him names that we will not reprint here. LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE! It was a compliment. Gary Player is 90 years old, he is not a pervert, and he has a lifelong reputation as a gentleman. GOODNESS, WHY IS EVERYONE SO DAMN SENSITIVE?!?

Former Los Angeles Dodger 2nd baseman Davey Lopes has died at age 80. R. I. P.

GFK

HdQrs Army of No Va
10th April 1865

General Order No. 9                                                                                                                       

After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.

I need not tell the brave survivors of so many hard fought battles who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to this result from no distrust of them, But feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that would have attended the continuance of the contest, I determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen.

By the terms of the agreement, Officers and men can return to their homes and remain until exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you His blessing and protection.

With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.

R E Lee
Genl

Today, April 9, 1865, is the date that General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to U.S. General Grant, at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.  The trench warfare around Richmond and Petersburg had bled and exhausted both Lee’s men and supplies, and caused him to seek fresh supplies and the unification of his forces with those of General Joseph Johnston who was then in north central North Carolina.  Fast moving Union troops cut off Lee’s hoped for supply line, and a decision was forced upon him.  He could release his troops to scatter into the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountain ridges, fighting a guerilla battle against the invaders.  Or he could, in essence, end the War by surrender. 

Lee was urged from all corners to slip into the mountains, and not surrender.  The fate of the Confederacy lay heavy on his shoulders.  For 4 years his troops had fought valiantly, against great odds, and had come within a whisker of complete victory in the war on more than 1 occasion.  His troops behaved with honor, and with pride, in love of their country.  The war had not been in vain, yet it appeared to be on the verge of an inglorious end.  Reviewing his battered and undernourished troops, Robert E. Lee reached the most difficult decision of his life.  He would surrender the Army of Northern Virginia to General Grant.  The War would end.

Lee, dressed in his best uniform, arrived at the house of Wilmer McLean to meet with General Grant.  The Battle of First Manassas had been fought on Mr. McLean’s farm in Prince William County, and he had thereafter moved South to avoid the War, with the irony being that it all ended at his new home at Appomattox Court House.  General Grant was dressed shabbily, in a private’s uniform, when he cordially greeted Lee.  The 2 men talked of better days, at West Point, and of their time in the U.S. Army.  Eventually the conversation turned to the matter at hand, wherein Lee accepted what can only be described as generous terms.  The Confederate soldiers were to be paroled, and absent again taking up arms against the United States, they would not be prosecuted or punished.  Officers could keep their sidearms, and all men could keep their horses and mules, so as to assist in the Spring planting.  At Lee’s urging, Grant relented to allow the soldiers to keep their rifles so as to permit them to hunt game for food.  And then it was over.  General Grant ordered his troops to make available food and clothing supplies to the beleaguered Confederate troops.  General Lee took his leave.  There was not gloating, retribution, or anger.  The War, for all practical purposes, was over.

Ceasefire? The Straits of Hormuz to open? President Trump announced a 2 week ceasefire, and that Iran would open the Straits of Hormuz. But there is 1 problem; Iran. It is an untrustworthy nation, whose leaders lie about everything. It is more likely that the bombing will have to resume soon.

Indeed, after the ceasefire was announced, bombs were still raining down on Israel. Iran announced it would “destroy” any ships that sought to pass through the Straits of Hormuz without its permission. An internal statement released by the Iranian government to its people hailed its defeat of the United States, and its determination to acquire and use nuclear weapons against the enemies of Allah. Hmmmm.

President Trump has information not possessed by The Observations. Perhaps the ceasefire is a good idea. Perhaps it will work, and peace will prevail. Perhaps.

But The Observations submits that history is a powerful teacher, and history teaches that Iran’s mullahs cannot be trusted, and will never abandon their mission to destroy Israel and the United States (indeed, Western Civilization). We expect the bombings to resume, sooner than later.

Democrats have been opposed to the war with Iran, openly cheering for America’s defeat. They have repeatedly accused the President and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth of committing “war crimes”. They decried the President’s threat to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age. AND THEN, after the President announced the 2 week ceasefire, the Democrats accused the President of backing down, chickening out, and tanking U.S. interests. Sigh.

It does not matter what President Trump does, as the Democrats will oppose whatever it is. Trump Derangement Syndrome.

“The President’s mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted.  To every individual in the President’s chain of command: You have a duty to refuse illegal orders. That includes carrying out this threat [against Iran].”

–Puddin’head, cheering for America to lose its war with Iran.

Puddin’head is not merely stupid.  She is also vile, dangerous, and unpatriotic.

A former staffer has accused Representative Eric Swalwell (D. Ca.) of sexually pursuing his female interns and staffers. Representative Swalwell predictably blamed the accusations on . . . President Trump. Because, Orange Man Bad.

Twenty (20) House Republicans introduced a bill–the Dignidad Act–which is a radical amnesty bill for illegal aliens. It also expands immigration from the Third World. And among other indignities, the bill is written in Spanish. A Congressional bill, written in Spanish. Sigh.

Is it any wonder that the Republicans are The Stupid Party? Is it? Because this bill is the epitome of stupid!

“Trump is a military moron.  His war, with a price tag of $44 billion and $4+ gas, made us worse off today than we were when he started it.  And if he restarts this war we will be in even worse shape.  We must pass our War Powers Resolution to end this war for good.”

–Senator Charles Schumer (D. N.Y.).

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D.) is crowing about all the investments and jobs she just brought to the Commonwealth. One (1) problem. The firms she is touting and for which she is claiming credit had already committed to the Commonwealth under Governor Glenn Youngkin (R.).

Abigail Spanberger is such a liar.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota City Council is considering legalizing the opening of public venues whereby consenting adults could engage in sexual activity (i.e. bathhouses). Almost 40 years ago, these venues were outlawed, due to the outbreak of AIDS. We guess that the City Council misses that scourge, having forgotten lessons learned.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ANGIE WEINERTH! Robert tells me he gave you everything to celebrate your special day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Musso & Frank’s Grill.  For 107 years, the iconic watering hole on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles has been serving up the coldest martinis, and perfectly charred steaks to the famous, infamous, and everyone else in between.  If you find yourself in LaLa Land, you should stop by, settle down in one of the red leather booths, and prepare for an experience like no other. 

Former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be publishing his memoir later this year. Crayons are not included.

GFK

The foliage on our property must read The Observations. Because 2 days after writing that the Dogwoods needed to catch up with the other plantings, what do you know; the Dogwoods are in full bloom! Beautiful!

And our Japanese maples are flowering. Things are really looking like Spring. Of course, then why is it so cold and windy in Clarke County, Virginia?

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullins is considering the withdrawal of Customs and Border Patrol agents from airports in “sanctuary cities”. The effect of this policy would be to bar international travelers from clearing U.S. customs at those cities. Ha, ha, ha, ha! That would frost their flakes! If sanctuary cities will not cooperate with DHS, why should DHS cooperate with sanctuary cities? WINNING!

Under China Joe, public schools were penalized for not adhering to students’ “preferred pronouns”. Under President Trump, the Education Department is vacating those penalties. WINNING!

“Eviction is an act of violence.  And we have to do everything to prevent it.  It degrades the health of communities.  There is great stigma associated with it.  Housing is a human right.”

–Representative Aynna Pressly (D. Ma.).

You know how to avoid the “great stigma” associated with eviction?  Pay your rent!

What about the rights of landlord with respect to their property?  Has Representative Pressly ever heard of the Constitution’s 5^th Amendment?

And housing is a “right”?  If the Democrats give us any more rights, we will not have any rights.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D. Md.), drinking buddy of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, claims ICE agents recklessly crashed into an illegal alien who was driving to work one morning, in Baltimore, Maryland. That is a lie. The truth is that when ICE agents attempted to arrest the illegal alien, he got into his automobile, and then drove recklessly through the streets of Baltimore until he crashed into other vehicles. The illegal alien then fled on foot before being apprehended. Meanwhile, 2 ICE agents were seriously injured and hospitalized, while countless other innocent persons were endangered by the illegal alien’s evasion.

A federal judge has rejected Minnesota’s bid to force the Trump Administration to continue funding the State’s Medicaid program, finding that the State’s program was riddled with fraud. COMMON SENSE!

The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that it believed that a 72 hour waiting period to purchase a gun was constitutional. So. A fundamental God given right can be suspended for a period of time. Is that how rights work? Would the Court rule that one could not speak out on an issue until after 72 hours had passed? Or that a newspaper could not publish a story until waiting 72 hours? No, of course not! That is not how rights work. The First Circuit is wrong.

The Washington Post has discovered an inconvenient fact. It seems that Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D.) is enjoying the lowest approval rating in her initial months in office than any Governor since Doug Wilder (D.). She is far behind Governor George Allen (R.), who was wildly popular as Governor. But she is also significantly behind Coonman (D.), who was a terrible Governor, and terribly unpopular. Hmmmm. Maybe she should not have lied about her views while running for office.

When the Obama Presidential Center opens, Illinois residents will be given free admission on Tuesdays. That is, if they can prove that they are Illinois residents by presenting photo ID. Something that they need not do to vote. But to gain entrance into Obama’s Ministry of Truth? Oh, yes.

Democrat led States are hemorrhaging residents, as higher taxes push high, and medium, earners to pull up stakes and move to low tax States. Now Democrat led States are considering imposing “exit” taxes, that these earners would have to pay after leaving a high tax State for “greener pastures”. My goodness, is this still the United States of America?

The California State government is implementing a program whereby tax dollars will reimburse electric vehicle owners up to $7,500.00 to repair the car batteries. If the battery is unrepairable, the State will provide the EV owner up to $10,000.00 to buy a new battery. Is this what government is for, to pay for some people’s personal car repairs, using other people’s money? Really?

Maine Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner called Jesus “a zombie”, and the Virgin Mary “a skank”. Words fail me.

“The illegal U.S. blockade of fuel to Cuba—90 miles south of the United States—adds to the longest embargo in world history and is causing untold suffering to the Cuban people.  The United States prevented a single drop of oil from entering Cuba for over three months.  This is cruel collective punishment—effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country—that has produced permanent damage.  It must stop immediately.”

–Representative Pramila Jayapal (D. Wa.).

Huh? The Cuban people are “suffering” because of communism, you twit! And now that that country’s brutal regime is on the verge of collapse, you want to throw it a lifeline? Is this the Democrat version of strategic foreign policy thinking? That we should always side with our enemies?

The Democrats are a bunch of surrender monkeys, no better than the cheese munching French. Look below at another example of what passes for astute foreign policy thinking by the Democrats:

“We need to end the war and we can do it with three things.  We need an immediate ceasefire, stop the bombing.  We need to make sure that we give Iran an ironclad guarantee that Israel or we will not attack again, and involve China and Russia in that. And then we need to look at some of the sanctions and have a diplomatic solution . . . The only way we’re going to get out of this is to have some kind of diplomatic solution.  And that would require us to stop the bombing and to figure out how we convince Iran that we’re not going to continue to bomb them.”

–Representative Ro Khanna (D. Ca.).

Notice that Representative Khanna says nothing about actually preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon.  This reflects the Democratic approach as a whole: celebrate talks and claim progress while America’s adversaries maneuver around us.  And why would we empower Russia and China—our nation’s enemies—to enforce a deal, and secure Iran’s safety?  That is madness!

Democrats would settle for no war and symbolic victories.  President Trump is aiming for real results: total victory.  Bomb Iran back to the Stone Age.

A resolution was introduced at the United Nations Security Council, addressing the reopening of the Straits of Hormuz.  It failed due to vetoes cast by China and Russia.

The vetoed resolution, which was introduced by Bahrain, “strongly encourages states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate with the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz.”

The resolution also demanded that Iran immediately halt attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and stop impeding their freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian infrastructure. 

The resolution encouraged defensive action. The resolution called on Iran to stop attacking civilian commercial traffic. And Russia and China vetoed it. These countries are who Representative Khanna wants to enforce a peace agreement, and guarantee Iran’s security? Really?

Iran called on its youth to form human chains around the country’s power plants in advance of expected U.S. bombing raids this week. Holy Hamas! What kind of barbaric government uses innocent civilians as hostages to prevent military strikes?!?

President Trump should ignore any human chains. Bomb away!

French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in South Korea, urged smaller and medium sized countries to unite against the United States and President Trump. Really? Wow. Big talk for a cheese munching surrender monkey.

Does President Macron really think that South Korea wants to unite with France against the United States? Because the only thing keeping the North Korean Army from swarming over the border is the presence of 47,000 American army troops.

The late Iranian General Soleimani’s niece and her daughter have been living the high life in Los Angeles, California. No more. The anti-American pair had their green cards revoked, and were arrested, pending deportation. Next stop: Tehran.

Hey! Maybe they can get to Tehran in time to participate in a human chain around a power plant!

In Oxfordshire County, England, the leader of the county council blasted acts of intimidation, promising that the police would arrest and punish all those guilty of such criminality. What was the crime, the awful act of intimidation? Flying the English flag.

Cheers and congratulations to the University of Michigan men’s basketball team on winning the NCAA men’s tournament championship. Jeers and boos to the University of Michigan fans, who decided to celebrate their team’s victory by setting everything in sight on fire.

Tom Nieto, former coach for both the Yankees and the Mets, has died at age 65. R. I. P.

GFK

Today we are focusing on the scourge of anti-Semitism. One would think that following Lent, the celebration of The Resurrection, and being in The Easter Season, so-called Christians would be cognizant of, and knowledgeable concerning, the close ties between Jews and Christians. And for the most part, that would be true.

Sadly though, just as most of the Left wallows in hatred of Jews and Israel, so do some of the louder voices on the “Right”. I framed “Right” in quotation marks because while these folks are often identified as being conservative, there is nothing conservative about being anti-Semitic.

The hatred of anyone is deplorable, particularly when that hatred is directed at a group of people. It is rude. And it is irrational. Does anyone really believe that Jews control the weather (other than Washington, D.C. Councilman Trayvon White)? Does anyone really believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu forced President Trump to attack Iran? Does anyone really believe that if only Israel disarmed, and gave the so-called “Palestinians” a homeland, that there would be peace?

I commend to you the following 2 articles. I trust you find them enlightening.

The shocking antisemitism of the right

So-called Christians are some of the worst Jew haters there are

BY:          Everett Piper, The Washington Times (March 29, 2026).

I’ve always tried to stay informed. Understanding our present cultural narrative and having a pretty good handle on how our ideas will likely shape our future has always been front and center for me. Frankly, my job has demanded it.

As an educator, how could I possibly pretend to be relevant if I didn’t know what was going on in our world? Bottom line: Over the course of my career, I’ve fancied myself as being “in the know” as well as having a better-than-average ability to predict the attitudes and agendas that are just around the corner and likely to impact our daily lives.

I must acknowledge, however, that my confidence has been misplaced. In all my efforts to stay on the cutting edge of political and social debate, one major trend has taken me completely by surprise. Frankly, I didn’t see it coming and am utterly stunned by its magnitude. What is this movement, and what are these ideas? What is it that I totally miss? It’s the antisemitism of MAGA conservatives and those who call themselves Bible-believing evangelicals and Catholics.

Take last week, for example. On Tuesday, I posted a picture on my social media of the cover of a book I am reading. The title of the book is “How Should Christians Think About Israel?”

My post included nothing other than the photo and my recommendation to “read this book.” That’s it. That’s all it said. I took no position and presumed to grind no ax.

Well, within minutes, my Facebook blew up with more than 1,800 comments. Here is just a snapshot of what my “friends and followers” had to say.

Chris responded: “Modern-day Israel should be turned to glass and given back to the Palestinians.” Caroline chimed in, “Israel is demonic. That’s how we should think of them.”

Luke added, “We don’t need to be told by Jews how to feel about anything.”

Corey was less wordy. He simply said, “F—- Isreal.” Joe was even more concise. He just posted a meme of a man stomping on a bunch of cockroaches.

Glen suggested that we should “Beware of dogs and evil workers; Beware of the circumcision party.”

Perry opined that “Israel is evil” and that “they have killed thousands of women and children.”

James suggested that “any discussion on modern Israel has to begin by acknowledging that it is an illegal state.”

Kris added, “I like the Catholic approach much better. Fully reject Zionism.”

More “friends” than I can count said, “Today’s Israel is not the same as the one described in the Bible. It is a secular state governed by atheists.”

Then there were the more academic-minded folks such as Zane, Jill and Jeremy (and others too numerous to count) who didn’t have much to add other than to say, “I don’t need a book to tell me how to feel or what I see” and “I don’t have to read that book to know how I should think about the corrupt nation state of Israel.”

Finally, there were comments such as those from Dwight and Dino, who said, “The Jews killed Jesus. They crucified the messiah and still deny him today,” and Dianne, who said, “We shouldn’t care any more about Israel than we do Canada. The church has replaced Israel.”

So there you have it. I simply suggested that Christians would do well to learn a bit more about what the Bible really says about Israel, and “conservatives” came out of the woodwork with incredulity. How dare I? How dare anyone refute their long-discredited antisemitic tropes? How dare anyone challenge their highly questionable “replacement theology”?

Ask these people to read something, and more than 1,800 of them respond with “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” nonsense about how “the Jews are evil cockroaches who killed Jesus” and how we should turn Jerusalem into glass.

I just didn’t see any of this coming. As I said, I’m stunned and dumbfounded by it. Another Facebook follower named Billy summarizes it best: “I am simply appalled at the idiocy and lack of biblical understanding displayed here. Do these people not understand that God is not done with Israel? To not get this is to fundamentally misunderstand His plan for humanity.”

Amen, Billy, amen. Even if the acolytes of Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes can’t read a book, then maybe they can at least read a paragraph — and I pray they read yours.

____________________________________________________________________

Passover and antisemitism: From pharaoh to Fuentes

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition

BY:          Don Feder, The Washington Times (March 29, 2026).

They used to say that the only two things certain in life are death and taxes. They forgot antisemitism.

Passover marks history’s first attempted genocide, when the pharaoh of Exodus tried to annihilate his fleeing slaves. It’s a long and winding road from pharaoh to Adolf Hitler wannabe Nick Fuentes.

The road branches off in every direction imaginable: pagan antisemitism, Christian antisemitism, Muslim antisemitism, communist antisemitism, fascist antisemitism, Black antisemitism, liberal antisemitism and conservative antisemitism.

Throughout the course of history, Jews have been everyone’s favorite scapegoats. That the accusations are often contradictory is irrelevant. Jews have been accused of creating both communism and capitalism. Medieval antisemites said the Jews killed Jesus. Hitler believed Jews invented Christianity.

Today’s antisemites, such as podcaster Tucker Carlson with his millions of followers, claim Israel and its auxiliary — the “Jewish lobby” — have dragged us into another war in the Middle East, this time against the kindly ayatollahs, who wouldn’t nuke a fly.

Joe Kent made that claim when he resigned as national director of counterterrorism. Creeps such as Messrs. Carlson and Kent claim they are not antisemitic, just anti-Zionist.

When someone tried that on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights icon replied, “When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews.”

There is no shortage of excuses for antisemitism. People hate Jews because they are said to be stingy, even though American Jews are famous for their charitable giving. Jews are hated because they don’t fit into other cultures or because they are said to try too hard to fit in.

Some are offended by the idea of a universal moral code based on eternal principles, which originated at Sinai. In his book “Table Talk,” Hitler said, “The Jew came into our happy pagan world with his thou-shalts and thou-shalt-nots and spoiled everything.”

Jews have been called the miners’ canary, warning of the presence of toxic fumes, such as Nazism and Islamism, which, if left unchecked, will envelop the earth. That’s good for the earth, but how does it help the canary?

Jewish conspiracy theories are legion, predating by centuries the czarist forgery “The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.” The Romans and Babylonians probably had their own conspiracy theories about Jews.

“Jews are plotting to take over the world” is still the most popular. How they can accomplish that with 0.2% of the world’s population has always been a mystery to me.

Once they have the world, what will they do with it?

It’s scant comfort to the victims of antisemitism, but every nation that stood against the Jewish people is either no longer standing or teetering on the brink.

The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Today, their empire is a distant memory. Spain was a rising power when it expelled its Jews in 1492. Then came the defeat of the Spanish Armada less than 100 years later. Czarist Russia ended in a basement in Yekaterinburg, where the last Romanovs died in 1918.

The Thousand Year Reich lasted 12 years. Germany was divided for 44 years and is about to be engulfed by Muslim immigration. The Islamic Republic of Iran is having a fire sale.

Blessings and curses, God’s promises are eternal.

How should Jews confront today’s antisemitism?

First, with unwavering support for Israel. Odious creatures such as Tucker Carlson and podcaster Candace Owens hate Israel because they want Jews to be defenseless again.

Prayer is indispensable. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

In the United States, most terrorist acts, such as the recent assault on a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, are lone-wolf attacks, and security guards aren’t always handy to save the day. Jews should be ready to defend themselves.

Know your friends and your enemies. Among the former are evangelical Christians and many prominent Catholics, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A poll at a recent Turning Point USA conference, reported in The New York Times, showed 87% view Israel as an ally.

President Trump is in the process of destroying what is currently the greatest threat to Jewish survival in the world.

Until the Messianic Age, when “The Law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem,” antisemitism will always be with us.

GFK

“Never give in.  Never give in.  Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense.  Never yield to force.  Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

–Winston Churchill.

The Japanese Magnolia in our front yard is in full bloom. The white and violet flowers are stunning. And the grass has greened up nicely. Our dogwoods need to catch up!

An American fighter jet was downed over Iran. Both pilots safely ejected, and were rescued by special military forces. WINNING!

Democrats are very unhappy about President Trump’s speech concerning hostilities with Iran. Despite the obvious metrics of success achieved to date–an unbelievable level of success, never before achieved by any military–Democrats insist that the U.S. is losing the war with Iran. Democrats insist that no strategic objectives have been accomplished. Democrats cling to the fiction that Iran posed no “imminent threat” to the United States (why must the threat be “imminent” before it is addressed? Must everything be an emergency?). Democrats are cheering for an American defeat. By contrast, the President is focused on victory, channeling Winston Churchill. Because there is no substitute for victory.

“[God] does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

–Pope Leo XIV.

General George S. Patton, the United States Third Army, General Anthony McAuliffe, and the 101^st Airborne would beg to differ.

The United States economy added 178,000 private sector jobs in March. But even better news is that the federal workforce shrunk by 18,000 jobs. The fewer bureaucrats, the better! WINNING!

Representative Eric Swalwell (D. Ca.) is one of the leading proponents of releasing everything Epstein. But when it comes to his own files, detailing a criminal investigation into his association with a Chinese spy and paramour, Representative Swalwell is throwing a hissy fit, threatening to sue the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Wow. What hypocrisy!

San Francisco, California Democrats are up in arms after President Trump proposed returning Alcatraz to a prison, instead of a tourist attraction. They are probably afraid of being among the first new inmates.

Torrey Pines High School [California] permitted students to leave class and demonstrate against ICE. The students’ demonstration was crude and profane. But then a student later put up posters, supporting ICE. Torrey Pines High School suspended that student, claiming is posters were “intimidating”. Oh, please!

In 2022, Massachusetts enacted a “millionaires’ tax”, pledging that the funds would be used to fund education. But now Massachusetts Democrats want to use those funds to hire attorneys to represent illegal aliens facing deportation. Because nothing is more important that protecting foreign criminals in our midst. Not our children’s education. Nothing.

“Yeah. I think marriage is legalized slavery.”

–Former Saturday Night Live cast member, Leslie Jones. She further suggested that husbands might as well “break out whips and chains”. What a bitter old maid!

Little Debbie is releasing Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream sandwiches and Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream bars. Oh, my gosh! I’ve got to try them!

The United Nations Security Council considered a resolution authorizing member States to act to open up the Straits of Hormuz to all commercial traffic. It was expected that Russia and China would oppose the resolution, but then there was another; France. French President Emmanuel Macron explained that the effort would be “too difficult”, “dangerous”, and “time consuming”, with no guarantee of success. My goodness! What a cheese eating, surrender monkey!

Traditionally the British monarch issues an Easter message to the faithful. Which only makes sense, since the monarch is the head of the Church of England. But this year, King Charles III did not have the time or inclination to issue any such message. But last month, King Charles III did find the time and inclination to issue an effusive message about Ramadan. Hmmmm.

Toronto, Canada’s socialist mayor loudly proclaimed that ICE would not be permitted to operate in her city. Okay.

“We already know that biology, as much as we want it to be just nice and clean and tight and perfectly in one category and another, it’s not. We know that.  So, now what we’re doing is subjecting everybody, all women and all people who are identifying as women to this really invasive testing that only to me says like, ‘Oh we’re just trying to whittle it down to a certain type of woman.’ Is that what we’re doing?  That’s really the whole game here.  They sort of lost the battle on gay marriage and lost the battle on all these things so it’s just like, ‘We’re gonna have this whole campaign for all these years to just hate trans people,’ which is such a small percentage of the population.  It’s actually on a single hand when we’re talking about sports.  And just like thread the absolute tightest needle thread that you possibly could.”

–former U.S. women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe.

Why are media outlets still covering this disgruntled harpy? She was overrated as a soccer player, and she is a lousy advocate for her favorite perversions. If she was not a homosexual, no one would ever pay attention to her.

“This is a serious thing he’s [Eldrick Woods] done, you know.  The PGA Tour statement was so predictably weak, how they showed that the Tour will look after him, as they always have done.  And then you’ve got Jack [Nicklaus] saying it’s tarnished the entire sport.  You’ve got your opposites, but there has to be some accountability.

I feel sorry for Tiger because he’s living in 24-7 pain.  I asked him that years ago, even before the LA accident (in 2021), but it’s all been self-inflicted.  The bottom line is I really think that something should be done a little bit more serious than waving him off to a tropical island and saying ‘Welcome back’ in three or four months.”

–former PGA Tour professional Nick Faldo.

And then there were 2. Michigan will meet Connecticut this evening, and the winner will be the national champion basketball team.

GFK

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

–Matthew 28:6.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

–John 3:16.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:3.

“We ask that streams of Easter light might flow into the intimacy and privacy of our hearts this morning, to heal us and encourage us and enable us to make again a new beginning.”

–John O’Donohue.

Imagine if you can, the weight of the burden that Christ took upon his shoulders, when on that day on Calvary he took on all the sins of mankind, so that we might live.  What a gift!

Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! “Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed!” 

With these words, we welcome Easter morning. Standing on the resurrection side of Good Friday is always a wonderful experience, but not necessarily a challenging one. Our Lord’s victory over death doesn’t truly resonate until we are willing personally to accompany Him on the Way of the Cross during Holy Week. To go from Palm Sunday to Easter Day without experiencing the Triduum – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday – is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace.”

The work of our salvation was won at a tremendous cost to God: nothing less than the death of His Son. Until we attempt to comprehend the events surrounding Our Lord’s death, we cannot begin to appreciate that cost.

Sometimes we gloss over the events that led up to Our Lord’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Evangelists make clear in each of the Gospels that Our Lord intentionally “went up” to Jerusalem, knowing what lay ahead. There can be no doubt of the anxiety behind such resolve. Even as He made His “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem, He knew the fickleness of men’s hearts. Within a few short days, the religious establishment would send the Temple guard to make His arrest.

That evening spent in the upper room would be heart-wrenching, for he loved His own “to the end.” Establishing the sacrament of the Eucharist and the sacrament of Holy Orders would ensure that His ministry would continue. At the same time, “the servant is not above his master.” He knew that His apostles, too, would “drink of the cup” of suffering, torture and eventual martyrdom.

Then, in the Garden of Gethsemane, in anguish He would pray the Father to “remove this cup” if possible. For again, He knew what tortures would be in store at the hand of the Roman forces. And still He went willingly with the Temple guard to the house of the High Priest, even after His betrayal by His friend Judas Iscariot. The mocking, the scourging, the crown of thorns was only preparation for the final abuse, that of crucifixion.

Stretched out upon the cross, Our Lord suffers the ultimate consequence of human sin – alienation from Our Creator. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” His trial was not facing the distorted justice of sinful man as much as it was trusting in His Father that He would not “leave [His] soul in Hell,” that He would not “abandon [Him] to the pit.” But even in death, He does the will of His Father and “descended into Hell” and “preached unto the spirits in prison.”

Then on the third day, He rises triumphantly from the grave, having smashed down the gate of death. And He offers His victory over sin and death to each one of us. At every celebration of the Mass, He invites us to share in that victory, but most especially on Easter Day, the Queen of Feasts. 

May we discover that victory in our own lives, both this Easter and at every Eucharist! Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!

GFK

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” 

— St. Francis of Assisi.

Twenty percent (20%) of the world’s oil is transported through the Straits of Hormuz. Who benefits? India, China, and . . . Europe. The President has repeatedly asked European nations–our NATO allies–to assist with keeping the Straits of Hormuz open to maritime traffic. And our NATO allies have said “no”.

Fine. President Trump has suggested that if they do not want to assist the U.S., they can figure it out on their own. Sounds sensible. They are the beneficiaries of an open Straits of Hormuz. Why should the U.S. assume such responsibility, especially since the United States has already neutralized the military threat from Iran which was aimed at Europe?

President Trump is questioning the point of NATO membership, and is pondering the future of U.S. membership. It is a fine point. The U.S. is NATO. Yes, NATO was effective against Soviet expansion in Europe. Because of the U.S. military. Not the German army. Not the British navy. Because of the U.S.

But, but, but, . . President Trump started hostilities with Iran without proper consultation with NATO. So? Again, who benefits from an open Straits of Hormuz?

The U.S. is expected to back its NATO allies in Ukraine’s war with Russia. And it has done so, even though Ukraine is not a NATO member, or a strategic interest of our country. NATO allies demand it. But when the U.S. acts for NATO countries’ benefit, and merely asks for minimal assistance, NATO countries petulantly cry “no”.

They won’t help with the Straits of Hormuz. They will not permit the U.S. to use its European based airbases. They will not permit the U.S. military to cross through their airspace. They will do nothing.

France particularly should be ashamed. It was France which granted asylum to the radical clerics seeking to overthrow the Shah of Iran. It was France who flew the Ayatollah Khomeini into Iran. Arguably, but for France (but let’s not let Jimmy Carter off the hook), there would be no need for U.S. military involvement in Iran today. Yet F

The U.S. does not benefit from NATO. European countries benefit from NATO. These welfare dependent countries maintain socialist economies based upon having outsourced their securities to the United States. These welfare dependent countries engage in predatory trade practices against the United States, while demanding U.S. military protection. President Trump is asking the correct questions. We need to arrive at the correct answers.

“Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination.  Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers—and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors—Iran has never initiated a war . . . The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries . . . For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts.”

–Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran rejected the United States’ proposed peace plan, instead insisting that it would win the war. Good luck.

The President fired Attorney General Pam Bondi. It is about time. She was always a poor choice.

Now that President Trump has fixed the mess at the airports, using ICE agents to assist TSA, what will Democrats now use as leverage to prevent full funding of the Department of Homeland Security?

“I will not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to a government that consistently ignores international law and U.S. law.”

–Puddin’head, explaining that she will no longer support any aid to Israel.

The Left got to her.  What a coward.

“So f**king f**ked up.  I’ll pray they f**k him to his face.  Sorry, I say f**k a lot these days.”

–Representative Susie Lee (D. Nv.), reacting to President Trump’s presence at a United States Supreme Court hearing.

What a potty mouth!  Like most Leftists, Representative Lee thinks cursing makes her sound “cool”, “hip”, and “in the know”.  It does not.  It makes her sound like an inarticulate moron. 

Representative Haley Stevens (D. Mi.) is running for the United States Senate. She recently posted an advertisement seeking campaign employees. The advertisement explicitly stated “immigration status” and “citizenship” were not disqualifying, and those persons were encouraged to apply for a position. Wow. Representative Stevens wants illegal aliens and non-citizens to work to elect her to the United States Senate? You would think that a member of Congress would know that it is illegal to hire illegal aliens. But apparently, you would be wrong.

Senator Elizabeth “Lieawatha” Warren (D. Ma.) wants to impose a national wealth tax on one’s assets. But won’t that cause people of wealth (wealthy people?) to flee the country? Senator Warren has got that covered, as she would impose a 40% tax on assets of those leaving the country. Wow. The Democrats want to build a financial “Berlin Wall” to keep taxpayers in the country.

The United States Supreme Court overturned a Colorado law that prohibited counselors for advising children on how to avoid engaging in homosexual or “trans” behaviors. The Court ruled that allowing counselors to encourage homosexual or “trans” behaviors, but forbidding them from discouraging such behavior, constituted viewpoint discrimination, in violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment.

The Supreme Court’s Colorado ruling was 8-1. Justice Black Female dissented, and claimed that science trumped the First Amendment. Really? Her dissent was sooooo stupid that Justice Elena Kagan called her out for her reasoning. That is bad.

But Justice Black Female’s dissent does suggest one thing; she probably cannot define what constitutes a “woman”.

The China Joe Administration allowed illegal aliens to announce their presence in the country via a smartphone app, and they would be allowed to stay in the country until . . . who knows when. The Trump Administration shut down that app, and ended all legal protection status for those illegal aliens. NOT SO FAST, rules federal district court judge Allison Burroughs. China Joe illegally permitted these aliens–more than 1 million–to stay in the U.S. But according to Judge Burroughs, President Trump cannot legally terminate their stay in the U.S. NOTE TO JUDGE BURROUGHS: the United States is not the Hotel California.

It should not surprise anyone that Judge Burroughs is a China Joe appointee.

Federal Judge Richard Leon ruled that President Trump could not continue constructing his ballroom. A ridiculous decision, that will be overturned.

Federal Judge Randolph Moss ruled that President Trump’s actions in cutting off funding to public broadcasting violated the Constitution. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting celebrated, popping champagne corks and cheering. One problem; Congress defunded the CPB, and no judge can make Congress fund it. There is still no money. Another ridiculous decision.

Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s husband is a cross-dresser. Who knew?

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D.) wife, Jennifer, told MS NOW that she took her children on a tour of the Deep South so that they could witness racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and bigotry generally. Because there is nothing like that in California?

The State of Florida renamed the Palm Beach International Airport the Donald J. Trump International Airport. That has got to frost the Left’s flakes.

“The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence.  I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us.”

–Providence, Rhode Island Mayor Brett Smiley (D.), demanding the removal of a mural honoring 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska who was brutally stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte last summer.

A mural honoring serial criminal George Floyd is fine.  But a mural honoring a young girl murdered by a crazed serial criminal?  Divisive.  Got it.

Why are Minnesota Somali fraudsters receiving such light sentences from State court judges? One welfare fraud defendant stole $5.6 million in public funds, was convicted, and then sentenced to 6 months in jail, with no requirement for reimbursement. That is ridiculous! Apparently the corruption in Minnesota extends to its judicial system.

The Episcopal Church USA’s gender justice office hosted its first spiritual retreat for transgender, nonbinary and two-spirit Episcopalians, as an opportunity for them to share their life experiences and faith in a safe and affirming environment.  Oh, my!

I did not know that the Church had a “gender justice office”, but I cannot say I am surprised.  But affirming the illnesses of those who think that are of an opposite sex, of no sex, and . . . what the hell is a two-spirit?—is just wrong.  These things do not exist in God’s world.  They are mental illneses, or worse, intentional adoptions of perversions.  The Church has turned from bringing souls to God, and is now focusing on using God to justify man’s wants, desires, and perversions.  This is just so wrong.

The Episcopal Diocese of New York is going to pay at least $1.2 million in “reparations” to black folks. Yep. People who have done no wrong will pay monies to people who have not suffered a wrong. Typical Leftist reasoning. And racist. This is just so wrong.

Jif introduced a new chunky peanut butter/chocolate spread. YUM!

“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?  They proclaim Pride Month.  And the NBA, they proclaim it.  They show it to the world.  They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.’  They proclaim it on the billboards.  They proclaim it in the streets.  Unrighteousness.”

–former Chicago Bulls player Jaden Ivey.

The Chicago Bulls dismissed Jaden Ivey from the team after he made this statement, affirming his faith in Jesus Christ and his opposition to mandatory Gay Pride celebrations within the NBA.  The Bulls said his comments represented “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Former New York Yankees reliever Ken Clay has died at age 71. R. I. P.

GFK

“On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.”

— Max Lucado

“Good Friday and Easter free us to think about other things far beyond our own personal fate, about the ultimate meaning of all life, suffering, and events; and we lay hold of a great hope.” –

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

–– Romans 3:23

“Go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead.”

–Matthew 28:7

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

–Romans 10:9

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”

― Pope John Paul II

“Regardless of nationality, religion, or race, we are united by faith in God, and the barriers between us seem less significant.  Observing the rites of Passover and Easter, we’re linked in time to the ancient origins of our values and to the unborn generations who will still celebrate them long after we’re gone.  As Paul explained in his Epistle to the Ephesians, He came and preached peace to those who were near.  So then you were no longer strangers and aliens, but you were fellow citizens of God’s household.  This is a time of hope and peace, when we give thanks for our blessings—chief among them, freedom, peace, and the promise of eternal life.

–President Ronald W. Reagan (1983)

The Observations hopes that all our readers enjoy a glorious and happy Easter.  May we heed the wisdom of those who came before us, and pass that wisdom onto those who come after us.  For those readers who observe Passover, we offer the same hopes, that the blessings of the Lord will be upon you as they were on your ancestors whom he led out of Egypt.

GFK

“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love; it signifies Love, it produces Love.”

– St. Thomas Aquinas.

Today is Maundy Thursday.  It is the day where Christians commemorate Christ’s Last Supper.  Within hours following, He will be betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

GFK