President Trump has cleared the way for convicted terrorist Nidal Hassan, who was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder at Fort Hood, Texas in 2009. He will face a firing squad.
One question; what took so long?
Senator Mark Kelly (D. Az.) has a plan to makes things more affordable for the American people. He wants to raise taxes.
The Democrats’ answer to everything is to raise taxes.
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D. Mi.) denied reports that he is an Egyptian citizen. It turns out that Mr. El-Sayed is a dual citizen of the United States and . . . Egypt. Huh.
The United States does not need a Muslim in the United States Senate. But it sure as hell does not need a Muslim Egyptian citizen in the United States Senate.
Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D. N.Y.) is threatening to sue Columbia University if it does not open its campus to the public. Columbia University is a private school. But Comrade Mayor–like all commies–believes that all property belongs to the people.
Several years ago, Milwaukee, Wisconsin received significant federal monies to help build a light rail system. Predictably, expectations on ridership were not met, and the system is losing millions of dollars annually. Milwaukee wants to shut the system down, BUT if it does, it must repay the federal government $48 million. Milwaukee officials have been ringing Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s telephone continuously, hoping to achieve a forgiveness of the forfeiture. So far Secretary Duffy is not answering his telephone. Hopefully, he will not, but if he does, the answer should be “no”.
Seattle, Washington is raising its citywide minimum wage to $22.14 an hour. Would the last business to leave the city please turn out the lights?
Washington State now requires a permit in order for a citizen to purchase a gun. Wow. You must ask the government for permission, and pay a fee, in order to exercise the God given and Constitutionally protected right to “keep and bear arms”. Do you think that there would be a hue and outcry if journalists were required to ask for permission and pay a fee to publish an article in a newspaper or magazine? This tyrannical statute turns a “right” into a “privilege”. It must be overturned.
Loudoun County, Virginia public schools have decided to recognize and celebrate “Pride” every day of the year. Because June is just not enough time to celebrate the sin of sodomy.
Bayer is investing $2.2 billion to build a new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in New Albany, Ohio. This is just another building block in reducing America’s dependence on foreign manufacturing of key products, such as medicine. WINNING!
Southern Living magazine tested 13 commercial mild salsas to determine the very best. And the winner was . . . Newman’s Own. Huh. The real question is why would anyone buy mild salsa? No kick, no taste, just watery tomatoes with some chopped vegetables.
The National Football League has suspended 2 referees for unprofessional conduct towards players, in 2 different instances. Well, well, well.
Novelist and British peer Jeffrey Archer has died at age 86. R. I. P.
Televangelist Jim Bakker has died at age 86. R. I. P.
Former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Denny Hastert has died at age 84. R. I. P.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister, Karen. She does not read The Observations, for some unexplained reason. So I guess I shall have to telephone her later this morning.
Congressional Democrats are complaining and crying about high gas prices. Yes, but at the same time, these same Democrats are planning on stopping the United States acquiring control over the Venezuelan oil fields. Uh, huh.
A federal judge reinstated fired U.S. Attorney Roger Rogoff, and enjoined the President from removing him from office. Federal judges cannot do that. It is well beyond their authority. Good golly, Bob!
A federal judge blocked construction of the border wall in Western Texas. Sigh.
A federal judge dismissed a criminal case against a Jamaican national for illegally voting. The judge ruled that the statutes criminalizing non-citizens for voting were “unconstitutional”. Oh, my!
“I’m of the belief that some people [Republicans] probably need to go to jail. And that should not be a radical concept. That’s not retribution, that’s doing what the hell needs to be done.”
–MS NOW host Symone Sanders Townshend, stating what she expects Democrats to do if they retake power in Congress.
What a Nazi!
If U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D. Tx.) really has had a change of heart on “gender affirming care” (i.e. genital mutilation surgery), then why did a leading LGBTQ++ organization that is pushing the radical “trans” agenda throw a lavish fundraiser for him in New York City? HINT: Mr. Talarico has not changed his heart or his mind. He is lying to Texas voters.
Dallas Cowboys legend Randy White endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R. Tx.) for the U.S. Senate. Randy White told reporters that James Talarico could not be trusted, citing specifically Mr. Talarico’s “trans” agenda.
“Remember, I stopped two gas pipelines from coming into this state.”
–Governor Maura Healey (D. Ma.).
Now Governor Healey is begging the Trump Administration to expedite permits to allow natural gas pipelines into Massachusetts. Go figure.
“It’s the government’s job to give you everything you need to lead a dignified life.”
–Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D. N.Y.).
Comrade Mayor thinks that the “American dream” should be provided and guaranteed by government. But . . . then it would not be the American dream. It would be a communist decree of deprivation.
“If we can’t kick out private facilities, we’ll go after their profits.”
Governor Gavin Newsom (D. Ca.), signing a bill that would impose a special 25% tax on private organizations that contract with ICE.
This is just so wrong. On so many levels.
California is not just adding the Muslim holy days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as paid State holidays. It is also adding “Native American Day” to the paid State holiday calendar. Huh. I am a native American, having been born in Martinsville, Virginia. Why do I get the feeling that California is not celebrating folks like me?
California employers–including churches and religious organizations–are now required to incorporate anti-hate speech training into their employee training. What is “hate speech”? Well, since the usual suspects in the radical LGBTQ++ community are celebrating, we suspect that traditional Biblical teachings of sin and morality are in the cross hairs.
Episcopal Bishop for the Diocese of Washington, D.C. Mariann Budde, better known for her embrace and celebration of sin, and her opposition to all things Trump, is resigning. Wow. That is the best news out of the Cathedral in decades!
“It feels like the free exercise of faith for chaplains has become more important than protecting the free exercise of those they serve.”
–Episcopal Bishop Ann Ritonia, expressing her distaste for War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Office of Religious Affairs within his department.
Bishop Ritonia accused Secretary Hegseth of being “Christocentric” and a “fundamentalist Christian”. Is that a bad thing? Oh, right. She’s an Episcopal Bishop.
The radical Leftist group Americans United for the Separation of Church and State agrees with Bishop Ritonia, and opposes the office’s creation. But of course!
Greensboro, North Carolina based The Fresh Market has been named the #1 grocery store chain in the United States. Congratulations!
The cable news networks have been covering the riots throughout France, characterizing the rioters as “students”. Hmmm. Maybe. What the cable news networks have not been reporting that these “students” are all Muslims, angry over the plight of the so-called “Palestinians”.
Great Britain already houses, clothes, and feeds the steady stream of illegal aliens, largely from Muslim countries, entering the country. But now taxpayers are paying to hand out hijabs to every Muslim illegally entering the country. Sigh. Great Britain is lost.
Shipping through the Straits of Hormuz have returned to pre-Iran conflict levels, EXCEPT Iran is unable to ship any oil through the Straits, thanks to the U.S. Naval blockade. WINNING!
The NBA’s Portland Trailblazers hired, and immediately fired, their new play by play announcer. Why? It seems that in 2012, when the man was 15 years old, he posted some things on social media that the Trailblazers deem offensive. In 2026. This is just pure stupidity. What 15 year old, boy or girl, does not commit silly offenses?
Former Atlanta Falcons center Jeff Van Note has died at age 80. R. I. P.
Former Yale University head football coach Tony Reno has died at age 52. R. I. P.
“If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads; in short, everything, from the highest object of state legislation down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress… Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for, it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America.”
–James Madison.
Read that quote carefully. Because James Madison’s fears are our present day nightmares.
President Trump used a pocket recission to cut $810 million in spending. It ain’t much, but it also ain’t nothing. Democrats are livid.
A few items of economic comparisons between Trump 2.0 and China Joe. Under China Joe, 401 K retirement accounts lost, on average, $24,000. Since Mr. Trump resumed office, 401 K retirement accounts have gained, on average, $25,000. Household income under Trump 2.0 is up more than 4 times as much as it was under China Joe, and has outpaced inflation. Under China Joe, household income gains were smothered by inflation. And due to the tax cuts initiated in Trump 1.0, and made permanent during Trump 2.0, American household’s purchasing power has increased more than 20 times than it was under China Joe. Affordability.
“But the question is, does the law and order, throw-the-book-at-em approach actually work? There’s a long history in this country of criminalizing drugs and the costs of that fall hardest on people who suffer from substance abuse. And too often, the enforcement has targeted black and brown people.”
–U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D. Mi.), criticizing the use of the criminal laws to stop the spread of illegal narcotics in the United States, including the closure of the Southern Border.
Under President Trump’s law and order approach, illegal narcotics are scarce, and drug related deaths are way down. What direction do you think these deaths would take if a Senator El-Sayed got his way?
Christa Pike is a convicted murderer in Tennessee. She lured her victim into an isolated area, tortured her, eventually killing her, and dismembering her body. Upon conviction, Christa Pike was sentenced to death. It took 32 years to get her off death row, and into the execution chamber. And then Tennessee botched the execution–by lethal injection–twice. Christa Pike was rushed to the hospital, and is expected to live. #&$!
Ever hear of the electric chair? A firing squad? Hanging?
Lethal injection was instituted in many States so as to humanely execute convicted murderers. Why? Why would we care about murderers being humanely being put to death? Their victims were not humanely murdered. And 32 years for an execution?
It gets worse. A journalist actually called for Christa Pike’s release, because she had suffered enough. No. She. Has. Not. She has not suffered near enough!
The head of Tennessee’s prison system has resigned in the wake of the botched execution. Fine.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, before the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren rewrote the Constitution in his own “progressive image”, a murderer could be arrested, tried, convicted, given an appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia, and then executed, in a span of roughly 1 year. That was justice. What we have now is not justice. What we have now is a completely dysfunctional system that coddles the evil amongst us.
“If you polled our members, and asked them if they were Christian, agnostic, or atheist, the vast majority would say agnostic or atheist . . . .”
–Reverend Babs Miller, a pastor at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, spiritual home to U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D. Tx.).
Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D. N.Y.) called for the United States to join the International Criminal Court so that it could then arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu for “war crimes”, including “genocide” in Gaza. WHAT IS IT WITH THIS GUY?
Santa Barbara, California instituted a “rent stabilization” ordinance (i.e. rent control), in order to address housing affordability. What the city has done is to ensure, not only that high rents continue, but that rental properties become scarce, and unavailable, and that existing properties will not be properly maintained. Sigh. Government is not the solution. Government is the problem.
Governor Abigail Spanberger (D. Va.) is returning to the “green energy” playbook that makes electricity rates skyrocket, and ensures scarcity of energy resources. She wants zero (0) emissions by 2050. Sigh. Governor Spanberger is living in fantasyland. Clearly she believes that China Joe is still president.
Governor Spanberger’s parole board released 7 out of 8 felons who have had parole hearings on October 1. We’re talking about people who were convicted of murder, rape, child abuse, and bank robbery. Several had decades left on their sentences. Several victims have pleaded with the board not to release. One inmate told the Virginia Parole Board he and his fellow inmates are thankful the board is letting them out and then told the board to have a “safe day.” Sigh. Virginia Democrats are not soft on crime. Virginia Democrats are pro-crime.
Make Abigail Go Away!
After the merger between Paramount and Discovery is completed, the new company will be named Skydance. Uh, huh.
In Douglasville, Georgia, a man tried to avoid paying his dinner bill by faking a medical emergency, and summoning EMTs to the scene. The EMTs found the man to be in perfect health, but he declined to pay his dinner bill. So the EMTs summoned police, who arrested the man on criminal charges relating to theft of services and goods.
Bojangles has a pork chop biscuit. It is flavorful, moist, not at all dry. It’s delicious. For a limited time only.
McDonald’s restaurants are installing advertisements for other goods and services on their drive-thru menus. Just another reason not to go to McDonald’s.
Butter’s BBQ in Sinton, Texas has struck beef brisket from its menu. It must be James Talarico’s fault. In Texas, this is just not done!
Congratulations to Cam Robertson and Bruce Young on winning the Chatmoss Country Club’s Member/Member golf tournament. Well played, gentlemen.
Congratulations to David Hutsell on winning the Senior Open of Virginia. The tournament was played at The Keswick Club.
CBS Sports fired NFL announcer Tony Romo. But do not feel too bad for the miscreant drunk driver. Tony Romo will be departing with millions of dollars in severance. More than enough to keep him in Miller Lite for years to come.
SMU defeated Boston College. N.C State prevailed over Louisville. Miami clobbered Clemson in Death Valley. Wake Forest, Florida State, and Syracuse won. California, and North Carolina lost. VPI played a real college football team for the 3rd week in a row. It did not turn out as well, with Pittsburgh prevailing in Blacksburg.
Alabama neutered the Mississippi State Bulldogs. South Carolina blew a big lead, and lost to Kentucky in overtime. Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Missouri won.
Northwestern University celebrated its 1st game in its new stadium by clobbering Penn State. Ohio State beat Iowa. Minnesota beat Michigan for the 1st time in 49 years. Nebraska beat Maryland. USC rallied to beat Washington in the Coliseum. FIRE LINCOLN RILEY! Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue won.
Iowa State, BYU, Arizona, Texas Tech, and Baylor won. Air Force defeated Navy.
Boise State beat Utah State. Oregon State blew out Colorado State. It was so bad Colorado State relieved its defensive coordinator of his play calling duties in the first half, and then fired him at the end of the game. San Diego State and Fresno State won.
Liberty toppled Delaware. New Mexico State beat Western Kentucky. North Texas State got by Tulsa in a high scoring thriller.
The Epistle today is taken from S. Paul’s first letter to the Christians at Corinth, from the opening section of that epistle. It may be helpful to recall the conventional form of a letter in the Hellenistic world. Such letters normally began by identifying the sender and the recipient, followed by a greeting. The body of the letter then contained the argument or purpose of the writing, and concluded with final greetings and other personal details. The actual scribe, when one was employed, might also identify himself—as Tertius does in the Epistle to the Romans—and the letter would ordinarily be carried to its recipients and read aloud before the assembled community.
S. Paul adopts this familiar form but transforms it for Christian purposes. Instead of the conventional Greek greeting, he characteristically speaks of “grace” and “peace,” words now filled with the meaning of the Gospel. Thus, in Sunday’s reading he writes: I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.
This is more than a polite greeting. S. Paul is reminding the Corinthians of what God has already done for them. They have received grace from God through Jesus Christ and have been incorporated into Christ and His Body. This grace is not something they have earned or achieved through their own abilities. It is gift—freely bestowed by God.
There is, however, a certain irony in what follows. S. Paul continues: that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge.
The Corinthians placed considerable importance upon eloquence, knowledge, and rhetorical ability. As the epistle unfolds, we discover that these very gifts had become occasions of pride and division. Some boasted in particular teachers; others prided themselves upon their knowledge; still others regarded certain spiritual gifts as signs of superiority.
S. Paul does not deny that the Corinthians possess gifts. Quite the contrary: he insists that they do. But he redirects their attention to the source of those gifts. They are “enriched by him.” Whatever knowledge they possess, whatever eloquence they display, whatever spiritual gifts they exercise, all have their origin in God.
The problem, therefore, is not the possession of gifts, but forgetting the Giver. S. Paul wants the Corinthian Christians to move beyond confidence in their own abilities toward the wisdom and knowledge that come from God. Indeed, this will become one of the great themes of the opening chapters of the epistle: the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
And there is an urgency to this, because S. Paul immediately directs their attention toward the coming judgment: that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The expression “the day of the LORD” occurs throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly in the Prophets. It is the day upon which God comes in judgment against evil, vindicates His people, and sets things right. In the New Testament this expectation becomes focused upon the return of Christ—the final Day when, as we confess in the Creed, he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead.
Thus S. Paul begins his epistle by placing the entire Christian life between two divine acts: the grace already given and the Day of the Lord still to come. We have received something from God, and we are being prepared for something by God.
This is why gratitude is so fundamental to the Christian life. Gratitude continually turns our attention away from ourselves and toward God as the source of every good gift. Instead of asking, “What have I accomplished?” gratitude teaches us to ask, “What has God given me, and what am I doing with what He has given?”
S. Paul expresses the same confidence elsewhere when he writes that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).
But this does not mean that we are passive. The grace of God calls for our cooperation. Thus the same Apostle commands usto work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), immediately adding the reason: for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
There is no opposition here between God’s grace and our effort. Our effort itself becomes possible because God is already at work within us. Grace does not abolish human freedom; it heals, strengthens, and directs it toward its proper end.
And so S. Paul gives the Corinthians—and us—remarkable grounds for hope. The One whom we shall meet as Judge is the same Lord who even now gives us the grace by which we are being prepared for that judgment.
We therefore neither presume upon God’s grace nor despair of our weakness. Rather, receiving His gifts with gratitude, we cooperate with the grace already given to us, trusting that God is faithful and will strengthen us unto the end, so that we may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Stop the Nonsense! Reinstate Reverent Silence in Our Churches Now! Our Lord Deserves Nothing Less!
BY: Michael Seagriff.
It should trouble the hearts of all Catholics to see how we have lost the sense of the Sacred within our Church buildings, where for the most part we act as if our Lord is not really, substantially and physically present among us in our tabernacles and on our tongues. In far too many parishes, our Church’s have become nothing more than another social gathering space with the focus on those present rather than on the God to Whom our prayerful silence, reverence and worship is owed.
What is even worst is how hurt our Lord is by our neglect and irreverence. But how many of us ever think of how He feels? Listen and feel His anguish and pain:
“I remain unknown. I am left alone. Even those who claim to profess the mystery of my Real Presence in the Sacrament of the Altar forsake Me. I am treated with a terrible indifference, with coldness, and with a lack of respect that causes the angels to weep because they cannot offer Me reparation for the coldness and indifference of human hearts. Only men can make reparation for men. What is lacking is the loving response of a human heart to My Eucharistic Heart, pierced, alive and beating in the Sacrament of the Altar. Only a human heart can make reparation for a human heart. For this reason, the angels are sorrowful.” (The Soul of the Apostolate – Jean-Baptiste Chautard, O.C.S.O.)
Nothing in the documents of Vatican II directed parishes to move the tabernacles from the center of our Church sanctuaries. Nor did any of those documents direct the abandonment of reverent silence before, during and after Mass, Latin, Gregorian chant, kneelers, communion rails, reception of Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue, or Mass celebrated with the priest and congregation facing our Lord in the tabernacle.
We have lost the sense of reverence, sacredness and silence. Our every action while in Church should reflect to all those present that we actually believe that Jesus Christ is really, substantially and physically present in the tabernacles of our Churches and in the Sacred Host which we consume.
Nothing that is inconsistent with this fundamental Truth can be tolerated or permitted.
This lack of reverent silence and belief in our ever-present Eucharistic Lord is the greatest crisis facing our Church. It must end in every parish where it exists!
We must speak up! Our priests and bishops must return to basics and instruct us as to the appropriate manner in which we are to act when in the Presence of God and in His House. Thank God for those who have done so. More must.
With his permission, I would like to share an excerpt from Father Darr Schoenhofen’s January 1, 2019 homily as he addressed this pressing issue with his flock:
“… when we are in the presence of this unique kind of Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament, either on the altar or reserved in the tabernacle, we should maintain a proper silence. Talking in church should be limited to brief greetings, spoken in a hushed voice. Although there are obvious exceptions to this rule, exceptions pertaining to the conduct of practical matters in the service of church life — for example, the need to talk during choir and wedding rehearsals, liturgical training sessions, when cleaning in the church with other workers, and so on — in general carrying on conversations in church as one would in other places is very disrespectful and irreverent, and such behavior saddens the Lord and his Mother greatly (my emphasis). The real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament reserved in a Catholic church is itself a call from heaven to behave there as the angels behave in the presence of the holiest of holies — and, to be sure, angels are invisibly present, adoring the Blessed Sacrament unceasingly, in every Catholic church. Mary, for this reason, wants us to practice reverent silence at all times when we are in church, after Mass as well as before, and to come there, the sacred house of God, to adore and worship her Son truly present, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Let all mortal flesh keep a reverent silence before the Blessed Sacrament as do the angels! By this reverent silence we dispose ourselves to receive the graces the Lord wishes to bestow upon us during our time in church, his house of prayer.”
I believe, as did St. Vincent Ferrer, O.P., that we cannot be timid when addressing problems in our Church and the lukewarm manner in which many of us live out our faith. St. Vincent was direct and confronted people with the Truth since it is only the Truth that will set hearts and souls free.
There should be absolutely no unnecessary talking in Church. Ever! What talking that does occurs must be in whispered soft voices and for the briefest of time. This is not subject to debate. This is the Truth which we have been too often unwilling or fearful to teach to those many Catholics who don’t know it, have been misled or who have lost their Faith.
This irreverence and lack of sacred silence is not of God. As James Monti noted in his recent column entitled Reverence as A Way of Life In Church and Beyond: “Satan is the father of irreverence. He hates the sacred, and so he seeks to hurl against the sacred all that can desecrate it. Art that makes the human face and form hideous, music that make life and love ugly, immodest clothing that blaspheme against the Temple of the Holy Spirit, architecture that makes man crawl on his belly rather than raise his eyes to Heaven all suit Satan’s purposes quite well.” (The Wanderer, March 21, 2019).
To violate the sacred silence and reverence owed our Lord is a big deal. As uncomfortable as this may make many of us feel, it is a sin. It is an offense to God and neighbor. Listen to Dan Burke here as He explains why.
Thank God for Father Darr, Dan, and the army of unsung and unknown pastors whose Churches are filled with sacred reverent silence. They have done what so many others have been unwilling or fearful to do – speak and share the Truth – not for their own benefit (I suspect many have been or will be criticized for doing so) but for the Glory of God and in reparation for the profane manner so many of us have treated Him.
Now is the time, as Father Schoenhofen urged us, “to keep a reverent silence before the Blessed Sacrament as do the angels”.
Now is the time to adore, love and worship God as we ought and as He deserves!
BY: Don Feder, The Washington Times (September 27, 2026).
Who would have thought that a day on which 1,200 Jews were murdered — the largest one-day Jewish death toll since the Holocaust — would lead to an upsurge of antisemitism?
It used to be medieval mobs shouting, “Death to the Jews” and the Nazis promising to make Europe “Judenrein” — free of Jews. Now, it is “Free Palestine,” the new “Heil Hitler.”
The latest Joseph Goebbels clone is a creep called Benjamin Macklemore, who was scheduled as an opening act on select tour dates for pop star Ed Sheeran until stadium owners began banning him from their venues. A few years back, Mr. Macklemore donned a prosthetic nose, black wig and bushy beard, widely criticized as invoking a Jewish stereotype.
After strutting across the stage shouting, “Free Palestine,” Mr. Macklemore exclaimed, referring to the war in the Gaza Strip, “I know enough to know this is a genocide,” to which HBO’s “Real Time” host Bill Maher replied: “Actually, you don’t know s—-. It’s not. It’s not a genocide. It’s a counterattack in a war.”
Hamas forced the war on Israel. It did everything possible to increase the civilian death total. Israel did its best to avoid civilian casualties. From the end of 2022 to mid-2024, Gaza’s population increased by 7%. What kind of genocide is that?
Fighting in Gaza sparked the greatest outpouring of antisemitism in the post-World War II era.
Mobs of terrorist sympathizers roamed college campuses, harassing and attacking Jewish students. In 2025, American Jews — who are 2% of the population — accounted for nearly two-thirds of all religion-based hate crimes. According to the Anti-Defamation League, attacks on Jews involving a deadly weapon increased 39% in 2025 over the previous year.
The Democratic Party has exploited antisemitism in the pursuit of power. The highest levels of antisemitism are in New York, New Jersey and California, all deep-blue states.
The party’s nominee for the Senate in Michigan, former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, who has said he is obligated to follow Shariah, has campaigned with commentator Hasan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11, the United States had caused more terrorism than al Qaeda “pound for pound” and it did not matter that Israeli women were raped during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.
Mr. El-Sayed has repeatedly refused to distance himself from Mr. Piker. Except for Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, every prominent Democrat has rushed to embrace Abdul Jihad.
A super PAC connected to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York has pumped $30 million into Mr. El-Sayed’s campaign. Last week, former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned with him.
This madness is not confined to the left. Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, the friend Vice President J.D. Vance refuses to disavow, is also a fan of the Michigan Democrat. Mr. Carlson says Mr. El-Sayed’s campaign is “literally Trumpian.” Are you nauseated yet?
It is not just the fate of Jews that is at stake, but the fate of America too.
To call for Palestine “from the river to the sea” is to demand the end of Israel and the extinction of the Jewish people.
Israel is home to 46% of the world’s Jewish population. Absent Israel, Jews would lose their most reliable defender. President Trump will not be president in 2½ years.
It should come as no surprise that hatred of Jews and hatred of America go hand in hand. Since its inception, the Iranian regime has denounced America as the “Great Satan” and Israel as the “Little Satan.”
The groups that hate America the most — including antifa and the Democratic Socialists of America — are also inveterately anti-Israel. America and the Jewish people are both the subject of curious conspiracy theories.
Modern antisemitism is based on the paranoid delusion that Jews want to rule the world, which, presumably, is manifested by managing to get themselves killed so often. America’s alleged drive for domination may be seen in the U.S. spending $45 billion to keep Iran from blowing up the world.
The fate of America and the Jews is intertwined. America was founded on the Jewish Bible. The existence of modern Israel owes much to U.S. support, from President Truman to President Trump.
Antisemitism is never a one-off thing.
In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, a 16-year-old resident of an Israeli settlement was murdered in an ambush, a police officer was wounded in an attack on an Ontario synagogue, a Connecticut town was covered in swastikas and a German synagogue was firebombed — for the second time.
It is all part of the war that never ends. Everyone must choose a side. Neutrality is impossible.
Some thoughts on the passing events of the day. We offer comments about the doom and gloom crowd, the genius of Ronald Reagan, and our nation’s Constitution. Please enjoy.
Every election cycle we hear the same stupid spiel from a certain band of pseudo-conservative quitters: “Oh no, I’m not getting my way. I’ve got no reason to vote. I’m not going to vote. The Republicans aren’t conservative enough, so I’m just going to let the communist pervert Democrats win. Waa, waa, waa.” I don’t know whether this is tactical stupidity or a cry for attention — maybe it’s both — but it’s exhausting. Boss, I’m tired.
Tired of the ostentatiously blackpilling pundits and posers who think electing Democrats by sitting out the election is the way to morph the Republican Party from a bunch of crony codgers managing America’s decline like gentlemen into a party that’s making America great again. It’s not. You never win by losing. And in fact, we’ve been winning. If you’re mad because you think Donald Trump hasn’t performed, you’re not thinking at all. The only question is whether that’s because you can’t or you’ve chosen not to.
“But Kurt, we’ve got to teach the Republicans a lesson!” Yeah, we do. Do you think the Republicans haven’t learned anything? What’s Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) going to be doing after January? The answer is nothing. He’s not going to be doing anything because, after he voted for gun control and hinted at support for amnesty even as he awkwardly donned a Stetson to fool the Lone Star rubes, the Texas GOP decisively fired him. Ask tofu-spined Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) what he’s going to be doing. Again, nothing. The squish got squashed. How about the ridiculous Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)? He didn’t even bother running because he knew he’d get drop-kicked into oblivion in the North Carolina primary.
Oh, and of course there’s that fake-libertarian doofus Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-4), whom most of these dim doomers probably adore, who got his walking papers in the primary. Now he’ll have time to finally get around to disclosing that Epstein list he keeps running his fool mouth about — that is, when he’s not blaming all his problems on the Jews.
The fact is that we are getting rid of the deadweight. We are making progress. The Republicans are learning their lesson. That’s what primaries are for. That’s what the primaries have done. But what the general election is for is stopping the communists. This is when it counts. This is when it matters. Yet a bunch of prima donnas — mostly on social media, because I haven’t actually met any of them in real life — are announcing they’re going to be AWOL because they didn’t get their way. They want to quit while we’re ahead.
Yeah, I know gas is too expensive. Get over it. Yeah, I know Donald Trump is fighting a war that we should’ve won 30 years ago and that bothers some people. But defeating a generational enemy and preventing it from being able to drop a hot rock on New York — again, a lot of these doomers probably wouldn’t mind the mullahs nuking Tel Aviv because, you know, the Jews — is a good thing. Donald Trump knew he was risking his majority and did what he had to do anyway. We should be proud of him, not act like whiny little teenage girls, pouting in our rooms and desperately scribbling our gripes and complaints in our figurative dream journals.
I just can’t deal with people who are so dumb, or so disingenuous, that they would actually argue that we must protest the Republicans not being conservative and populist enough by electing a bunch of perverted communist weirdos who want to castrate kids, throw open the penitentiaries, invite in the entire Third World, and persecute anybody to the right of
Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14). Burn it all down? It’s our house! We’ve got all three branches of government. Did we get everything we wanted from Congress? No. And you know what? We’re never going to get everything we want from Congress. We’re never going to get everything we want from any institution. Because we’re adults — at least some of us — we understand that you don’t always get what you want.
But we have gotten a lot, all of which this nonsense strategy of sitting out the midterms puts at risk. See the border? It’s closed. What kind of idiot would think it’s a great idea to give power to the people who want open borders in order to protest Donald Trump not deporting quite enough illegal aliens so far? And you’re mad about gas prices? Do you think the party that hates fossil fuels, that wants us riding buses with homicidal hobos or pedaling bicycles like ponytailed gender-studies TAs, is going to make for lower gas prices?
They’re going to shut down our entire petroleum industry. Do you think that’s going to make gas cheaper, Einstein? In what universe do you live? Did you think this through?
Once again, we’re faced with the classic “stupid or thinks you are stupid” conundrum: Are they really dumb enough to think that’s a good plan, or do they just think you’re dumb enough to think that’s a good plan? Be mad – good, you should be. But be smart.
Like I said, we get the same ostentatious opt-out announcements every cycle. Once upon a time, I would try to gently reason with people like this. I would provide them evidence and facts showing that choosing defeat was not the best path to victory, either short-term or long-term. But cycle after cycle, we get the same loud, stupid people on social media who stand up and advocate failure as the key to success. You can’t argue with an idiot because he’s an idiot. And you can’t argue with somebody whose purpose is only to draw attention to himself. I don’t want to put these people in the spotlight; they’re political narcissists who want us to beg them for their support. I guess it gives them some sort of meaning, and the attention gives them the false impression that they matter.
There are demoralized Republicans out there, so there’s a market for dooming. It’s easier to exploit them than to energize them. Sadly, social media pays a premium to loudmouth posers who try to draw attention to themselves by taking obnoxious positions, like not voting in the general, as some sort of dimwitted protest. You just need a relatively small slice of the media pie to be successful, and the slice these guys are aiming to claim is topped with a heaping dollop of strategic stupidity.
“But Kurt, Congress hasn’t done anything!” Yes, it has. Putting the Big Beautiful Bill, a bunch of judges, and things like the Laken Riley Act aside, it has stopped all sorts of horrific Democrat initiatives. “But Kurt, we haven’t jailed all the Obama/Biden crooks, we haven’t deported every single illegal alien, and we aren’t guaranteed ponies at Christmas!” All true. In any human endeavor, you don’t get everything you want all at once. You make compromises. You set priorities. You win some, and you lose some.
Don’t be mad at me for telling you that — be mad at whoever told you differently, because they lied to you. So grow the hell up and stop acting like a bunch of sissies.
Now, I’m going to get a lot of grief about this column because I’m allegedly not taking legit complaints and dissatisfaction seriously enough. What they’re really mad about is that I’m not sufficiently catering to their caterwauling because they have to pay another buck at the gas pump to make sure we all don’t glow in the dark. Oh, do they need a hug? Well, this isn’t the time for hugging. This is the time for voting. This is the time for doing what you have to do to win in the long run. No, gritting your teeth and marching forward doesn’t provide the giddy emotional satisfaction of a temper tantrum. But then, adults aren’t out for emotional satisfaction. They’re out for victory. And the only way we’re going to have any chance of winning our country back is by defeating the communists who want to destroy what’s left of it.
So to those of you who want me to beg you for your support, here’s some sand. Feel free to pound it. I’m not going to pretend that anybody out there urging us not to do everything we can to win this midterm election — one where the deck is already historically stacked against us — is anything but a clown.
Life is hard. So is ensuring our freedom. Get over it and get to work.
Ronald Reagan believed ordinary Americans could be trusted with their own freedom. In 2026, that increasingly feels like a radical proposition.
There are plenty of reasons why conservatives still talk about Ronald Reagan nearly four decades after he left office. He won 49 states. He rebuilt the military. He helped win the Cold War. He cut taxes and, maybe most importantly after the miserable 1970s, reminded Americans that there was nothing wrong with believing America was a pretty great country.
But I think we’ve turned Reagan into a highlight reel over the years.
We remember the speeches, the landslide, and the jokes. We remember “Morning in America.” We remember him telling Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
What gets lost is the idea beneath it all.
Reagan trusted people.
That sounds ridiculously simple, but look at our politics in 2026 and ask yourself how many people in Washington really believe it anymore.
On June 12, 1987, Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin and delivered the line everybody knows:
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
We’ve heard it so many times that it’s easy to forget how extraordinary it was to say at the time.
The Berlin Wall was still there.
Communism wasn’t something safely tucked away in a history textbook. The Soviet Union was very much alive. Millions of human beings were living under communist governments, and the experts had spent years telling us that this was simply the world we lived in. The Soviet Union wasn’t going anywhere. East Germany wasn’t going anywhere. The wall certainly wasn’t going anywhere.
Reagan didn’t buy it.
He also didn’t feel compelled to pretend that the two sides were morally interchangeable.
One system had to build a wall to keep its own people from escaping. That pretty much told you everything you needed to know.
Two years later, Berliners were standing on top of that wall with sledgehammers.
Reagan understood that freedom occasionally requires somebody to say the obvious out loud, especially when all the smart people have decided saying the obvious is unsophisticated.
There’s a lesson there for conservatives today.
We have become so accustomed to political language being run through consultants, pollsters, communications teams, and focus groups that politicians can speak for 20 minutes without risking an identifiable thought.
Reagan could certainly be diplomatic. But he also understood there are moments when clarity matters more than cleverness.
America is good.
Freedom is better than tyranny.
Communism is evil.
People should be free to run their own lives.
None of this required a white paper.
And Reagan applied that same basic principle at home.
Six years before Berlin, in his first inaugural address, he asked a question that ought to be printed over the entrance to every federal building in Washington:
“If no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?”
That’s a devastating question because Washington still doesn’t have a very good answer.
Instead, the federal government has spent the ensuing decades accumulating responsibilities that once belonged to states, communities, families, and individuals.
Washington increasingly tells us what kind of car we should drive, what appliances we should buy, how businesses should operate, what schools should teach, and how
Americans should spend the money they earn.
There is always a perfectly reasonable explanation.
There is always an emergency.
There is always an expert.
And somehow the answer always seems to involve giving somebody in Washington a little more authority over your life.
Reagan wasn’t arguing that government was unnecessary. He said explicitly in that 1981 address that government has important functions. His argument was about where government gets its authority in the first place.
From us.
That distinction seems obvious. It is also the heart of the American experiment.
And conservatives should be careful about forgetting it simply because we’re the ones temporarily holding political power.
Limited government isn’t a principle that applies only when Democrats are running it.
If conservatives spend years complaining about an enormous federal government and then decide our real objection was merely that the wrong people were operating it, we’ve learned precisely the wrong lesson.
Government power doesn’t become harmless because somebody with an “R” after his name is exercising it.
There is another side to Reagan’s argument that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
Self-government requires self-government.
Freedom comes with responsibilities. It requires adults who are willing to take care of themselves, raise their children, help their neighbors, build businesses, support churches and charities, participate in their communities, and solve problems without immediately demanding that Washington create a department to handle them.
That’s harder.
Dependency is easier.
But a nation of people who surrender every responsibility to government shouldn’t be surprised when government eventually starts treating them like children.
This is where Reagan’s challenge from Berlin and his question from the inaugural address meet.
Both were statements of confidence in human freedom.
The people trapped behind the Berlin Wall deserved the freedom to determine their own lives.
So do we.
The question for conservatives in 2026 isn’t whether we can find another Ronald Reagan. We aren’t going to.
The better question is whether we still believe what he believed.
That America is worth defending. That freedom is better than government control. That Washington works for us, not the other way around.
And, most importantly, that Americans can still be trusted with the responsibility of being free.
“If the states do not have the right to secede, then they have no rights at all.” — Dr. Walter Williams
Dr. Williams is one of the few men I’ve ever read who understood the American Constitution. That marvelous document has been so warped all through U.S. history that very few Americans truly understand what our Founders did in the Constitution. It isn’t going to change any time soon, and Dr. Williams’ statement is probably shocking to many. Let’s look at it.
The Declaration of Independence created 13 “free and independent states”; it did not create the United States of America (read it). Those states (colonies under England) jealously guarded their individual colonial rights and privileges. When they declared independence, leading minds convinced most colonists that there were certain matters (like fighting a war) that were better accomplished collectively than individually. Many, many of the new Americans were very suspicious of any nationalized government (that was, remember, the very thing they were rebelling against), but enough of them went along with it to establish the United States, and finally, in 1789, provide a constitution for the new nation. That Constitution went into effect only when nine of the states ratified it; the other four didn’t have to, but they eventually did. Each state voluntarily joined the American Union; none of them was forced in, and none of the subsequent 37 states have been “forced” to join the Union, either. That wouldn’t be freedom if they had.
In that 1789 Constitution, the “national” government was allowed very limited power. Congress, the only branch with the authority to make laws, was given only about 17 powers (read Article 1, Section 8); that’s all. The powers of Congress, the president, and courts were clearly defined in the Constitution. And just to make sure Congress stayed within its authorized powers, a Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, was added in 1791 to tell Congress what it could not do. The last of those 10 amendments specifically proclaimed that any power not “delegated” to the “United States” belongs to the states or the people.
James Madison, who basically authored the Constitution, said that the federal government’s powers were few and defined; the powers that resided in the states were many and indefinite. It made perfect sense. The states were closer to the people; thus, theoretically, they should be more responsive and aware of their needs. A one-size-fits-all protocol probably wouldn’t work in a country as geographically, economically, and ethnically diverse as the United States.
So, 13 (eventually 50) states voluntarily joined the Union. They were given most of the governmental rights, and the federal government was not to infringe upon those rights. A contract. But power being what it is — even in the hands of Americans — the feds did, indeed, begin to usurp certain rights that belong only to the states. In other words, the federal government broke the contract. What recourse did the states have? Only submission to tyranny?
No, as Dr. Williams said, they had the right to secede if they (eventually) so chose. If they didn’t (don’t), then they really have no rights at all. If all they can do ultimately is submit to whatever Washington, D.C., tells them to do, then what is “states’ rights”? A state only has a “right” if the federal government allows it to have it? That’s not states’ rights; that’s tyranny.
Undeniably, throughout American history, states have abused their powers at times, but I encourage readers to peruse Article 1, Section 8 in the Constitution and show me where 99 percent of what Congress spends money on today is found in those defined powers the Constitution gives it. States haven’t abused their powers nearly as often as Congress has abused its. And every abuse of congressional power is tyranny against the states and the people — taking away a right the Constitution gives only to the states and people.
And when one denies the states have a right to secede against tyranny, then…well, there remains only a tyrannical, totalitarian national government.
Did our Founders have a “right” to secede from England? Did Texas have a “right” to secede from Mexico? Did the Southern states have a “right” to secede from the United States? We may not — and shouldn’t — like slavery, but that’s a different question. Actually, “freedom” would mean a people have the right to secede from their country for any reason. Jefferson in the Declaration: Government’s “just powers” are created by and given from “the consent of the governed.” What can the “governed” do if they no longer “consent” to the government? If they are unwillingly forced to remain in a union they no longer “consent” to, they are no longer “free” to govern themselves. That’s a total denial of the Declaration’s main point. If the American colonists could secede, why can’t the states?
So, yes, if states have no right to secede, they ultimately have no rights at all, except whatever the national government allows them. That’s not the American Constitution, that’s Communist China.
So, that’s why the Democrats…
Disagree with Dr. Williams? Check out Abraham Lincoln: “Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable—a most sacred right—a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the whole people of an existing government may choose to exercise it. Any port of such people that can, may revolutionize, and make their own, of so much of the territory as they inhabit. More than this, a majority of any portion of such people may revolutionize, putting down a minority, intermingled with, or near about them, who may oppose their movement.”
Unless, of course, they do it when Abraham Lincoln becomes president.
Our Non-Constitutional Form of Government Is Dysfunctional
It’s past time for our government to return to its roots.
BY: Allan J. Feifer, The American Thinker (September 23, 2026).
Much of the general malaise gripping our nation stems from a growing consensus that our form of government no longer fits the task. While we can still trumpet that we have the best form of government compared with other major pluralistic countries, we can no longer describe ourselves as nimble, efficient, and effective at the scale and speed of today’s problems, technologies, and social pressures. I can distrust government while still accepting its necessity. Is it too much to ask that government actually serve our citizens more than it serves itself?
America’s problems aren’t because our constitutional system is obsolete, but because we have expanded government to a point where clarity, accountability, and adaptability have disappeared. We still possess one of the world’s most admired constitutional frameworks, yet it struggles to decide, execute, correct, and adapt. The result is not merely bad government, but incoherent government.
How Government Became Incoherent:
The Constitution was designed for a smaller, more limited republican form of government. Over the last century, government expanded dramatically. Agencies, regulations, entitlement programs, administrative bodies, contractors, commissions, and layers of bureaucracy accumulated without meaningful pruning. New problems generate new institutions, while obsolete ones linger. Complexity grows; accountability disappears.
The separation of powers was meant to prevent tyranny, not lead to paralysis. Congress increasingly abdicates its responsibilities, with the Judiciary filling the vacuum, often forced to step in to settle government dysfunction. The result is a bitter struggle among the branches. Each can obstruct the others, but none can compel coherent action.
Bureaucracies outlast administrations. Agencies write rules, interpret statutes, enforce regulations, and develop their own interests. Leadership changes, but the machinery persists. When authority is diffuse, responsibility disappears. Competing jurisdictions cling to power regardless of cost or consequence. Pogo had it right: We have met the enemy, and he is us.
What’s most troubling is that many involved—from elected officials and ordinary citizens to bureaucrats—recognize the problem but avoid doing anything about it, like the proverbial third rail. Those who benefit from the current system have little incentive to change it.
What Incoherent Government Produces:
Systemic dysfunction creates fertile ground for waste, fraud, corruption, and incompetence. Many in government know where the bodies are buried, but incentives overwhelmingly favor silence. Whistleblowers are punished while contractors, lobbyists, agencies, and politicians operate freely. Budgets are judged politically rather than operationally, and programs develop constituencies that make them nearly impossible to eliminate. Waste need not be intentional to be corrupt; misaligned incentives produce bad outcomes and unwitting accomplices.
The recent news of a federal crackdown on pandemic-era fraud is even more concerning: the government formally suspended roughly 870,000 borrowers from receiving future federal assistance through SBA loan programs; one of an endless number of revelations! A source at the FBI told me privately that many of these cases would likely be prosecutable, but that DOJ could not handle numbers this high; hence, banning was the remedy chosen. We should keep in mind that the 870,000 number is the tip of the iceberg; over 19 other pandemic programs are under intense fraud scrutiny, plus dozens more elsewhere.
Technology has exposed the problem even more clearly. Modern problems move at technological speed: cyberwarfare, AI, financial markets, pandemics, energy systems, social media, drones, biotechnology, and global supply chains. Private organizations adapt in months. Government takes years, if it adapts at all. The mismatch between the world’s speed and government’s speed is the core danger. We see this playing out right now in the AI debate.
Dysfunction Changes the Public:
Citizens watch government fail and lose trust. They become receptive to movements promising dramatic solutions, even when those solutions would fundamentally alter the system they once trusted. Americans who favor limited government can be drawn to radical alternatives when conventional government seems incapable of solving problems.
People begin asking whether constitutional government itself is the problem. Dysfunction makes the extreme seem reasonable.
This creates a dangerous feedback loop: dysfunction produces distrust; distrust produces extremism; extremism produces institutional resistance; resistance produces deeper dysfunction. As government appears to fail, citizens become more receptive to factions whose rhetoric sounds reasonable in the moment. Institutions then respond defensively, producing even more gridlock and frustration.
The Democratic Socialists of America offers a current example of how dissatisfaction can connect to a broader political alternative. DSA advocates replacing the two-party system and making radical changes to institutions including Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court. The point is not that DSA caused dysfunction, but that dysfunction creates political conditions in which sweeping structural alternatives become easier to sell.
Reform, Not Revolution:
The uncomfortable truth is that the solution rests with the very people who created the dysfunction. Our system was purposely limited to enumerated federal powers. Article I, Section 8 defines Congress’s principal powers, while the Tenth Amendment reserves undelegated powers to the states or the people. This is where we went off the rails.
The Constitution has not failed us; our institutions have. We have layered government to the point where constitutional machinery is collapsing under its own weight. So how do we force Congress to take responsibility instead of punting on all the hard choices? How do we simplify regulation, measure performance, establish clear authority, and hold someone accountable when things go wrong?
Programs should face periodic review based on need, cost, and performance. Agencies should have defined missions and measurable results. Authority must be paired with responsibility.
The frustration is understandable. At times, the temptation simply to tear the whole thing down can be powerful. But before Americans choose revolution over reform, they ought to understand what revolution would mean.
The real answer is straightforward: demand that government do what the Founders intended and rescope it aggressively to accomplish that vision.
To do so, the people must insist. Without that mandate, we will fail. With it, nothing can stop us. The immediate challenge is leadership willing to commit to that mandate—a modern version of Newt’s Contract with America, but aimed at making government smaller, simpler, more accountable, and effective.
Making that happen will require more than legislation. It will require making government reform important to ordinary Americans. Lower costs, fewer regulations, faster government, less waste, and someone actually being held accountable are things people can understand. The public needs to see, in real time, that reform can put money back in their pockets and make their lives easier and more affordable.
That is how we defeat the forces exploiting our dysfunction. We don’t need to abandon constitutional government. We need to make it work again. If those who want to tear down the system can make their ideas compelling, so can those who want to restore it. The choice is ours: revolution—or reform. I know which side I want to be on.
I am back in Northern Virginia. It took a while, but I finally became relaxed down in Southside. I quit reading emails, or caring about obnoxious lawyers. I hit golf balls, visited with friends, enjoyed cocktails at the Club, saw one of my sisters, read books, and slept soundly. It was pure heaven. But now I am back in the land of lobbyists, defense contractors, politicians, and traffic. I can feel the tenseness creeping back into my soul.
The saving grace is that I will be with English and Dudley. Tomorrow English and I will visit the Farmers Market and The Locke Store, doing our weekly errands and routine. We will see friendly faces, and spend time together. Dudley will get eggs for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. English and I will attend Mass on Sunday, and enjoy a quiet breakfast afterwards. So if I can avoid leaving our little corner of Northern Virginia, I can probably avoid the insanity for another couple of days.
The other day I had a discussion with another on the merits of a “smash burger” versus a hamburger. Full disclosure, I have a friend–Jason–who purportedly cooks a mean smash burger. I do not know exactly, as he has never cooked one for me.
But I have had a smash burger at a diner, and done correctly, they can be a nice change. Rumley’s Restaurant used to make a smash burger before the term was even invented.
But given a choice, I prefer a hamburger. Plump, charred on the outside, rare to medium rare in the middle (I am not afraid of rare hamburger meat). Sliced onion, cheese, mustard, and pickles, with a warm bun. Very nice.
And real hamburgers can be accompanied by a variety of beverages. Who does not like a milkshake, or a Coke with their burger? Want something stronger? Cold beer! Or, I can attest that an ice cold martini pairs well with a good hamburger. I have even enjoyed a robust glass (or 2) of Cabernet Sauvignon with my hamburger. But do not try that with a smash burger.
Now smash burgers are everywhere. Everybody’s got a smashburger, and mostly they are all boring and bad. Why is this encrapification? Because the idea behind a smashburger is that any doofus in an apron can prepare it. All he’s got to do is press down really hard and cook the thing until it’s a tasteless hockey puck covered with too much salt. All smashburgers are the same. America’s unofficial national food has gone from something juicy into an overcooked saucer of third-tier meat. You don’t have to use good beef if you’re going to cook it beyond well done. Cut the quality but jack up the price – it’s like private equity invaded our restaurant’s kitchens.
You should not have to go to a Morton’s or Ruth’s Chris steakhouse at lunchtime for a decent hamburger. You sure should not have to pay $35.00 for a decent hamburger. You ought to be able to go to your local, run of the mill restaurant, purchase and enjoy a rare hamburger for a reasonable price. I do not even need fries to be happy!
I keep emphasizing “rare” because that is the best temperature for cooking beef. Everyone will not agree, but they are wrong. Back in the 1980s, my father used to enjoy going out to this particular restaurant for a hamburger in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina. Then in its infinite wisdom, South Carolina passed a law forbidding restaurants to serve hamburgers cooked less than medium well. We never went out for hamburgers again.
Thankfully, South Carolina modified its stupid hamburger law. Now, if you are 18 or over, you can order a rare hamburger, but only if you are warned that eating meat cooked less than medium well to well done could sicken or kill you. How appetizing! I wonder; do they check ID for rare hamburgers in the Palmetto State?
English cooks a wonderful hamburger. So did my Mother. I’ll be Jason does too.
I am not so talented. But I am fully capable of eating a hamburger at any time. I could eat them every day of the week. Long time readers know of my affinity for In-N-Out burgers. Indeed, my favorite meal during our time in Dallas, Texas for Holland’s graduation, was at In-N-Out. Double Double with cheese, and a strawberry shake. So good!
The hamburger is all American. Even if it was invented in Hamburg, Germany.
“October is crisp days and cool nights, a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book.”
—John Sinor.
President Trump assembled a gathering of the nation’s leading tech companies, where the parties agreed to self-regulate the development of Artificial Intelligence so as to avoid the horrors predicted by some. Indeed, it is in these companies’ self interest to develop and deploy safe and productive products. LET THE FREE MARKET REIGN!
Democrats, of course, want the government to set the rules, and regulate AI. Such a regulatory regime would be self-defeating, strangling innovation in the crib. But there is nothing that elected officials do not think that they should oversee. Even though they know nothing of the subject.
Think of society’s most regulated sectors; housing, insurance, and healthcare. Government has done nothing but create problems, and raised costs. Everything government touches becomes more expensive, more difficult, and scarce. Leave data centers and AI alone. Let something be free from government overreach.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Virginia State University for discriminating against student run Christian clubs. Virginia State University stripped the Christian clubs of any campus privileges, while recognizing other religious clubs, including Muslim clubs.
For the 3rd time, the United States Supreme Court overturned a ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy (a China Joe appointee), and permitted the Trump Administration to resume deporting illegal aliens to third party countries. Sigh. Impeach and convict Judge Murphy.
Puddin’head spoke at Cornell University, where participants sang “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Soon Be Free”. Because the Left hates Israel, and hates Jews.
“Child care in America should be free.”
–Representative Ro Khanna (D. Ca.).
Do you want to be taxed so that you can pay for your neighbor’s child care? I do not.
Senator Charles Schumer (D. N.Y.) called for “amnesty” for all illegal aliens present in the United States, and a “path to citizenship”. Sigh.
The mainstream media is constantly berating and accusing the Trump Administration of violating the First Amendment, and endangering the freedom of the press. This criticism comes even if the Trump Administration does nothing close to violating the First Amendment. So is it not strange that no media outlet is reporting on the news that former Special Counsel Jack Smith seized thousands of communications between members of the press and the Trump Administration, as a part of his investigation into President Trump? We think it is very strange. Hmmmm.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, women who do not paint their fingernails are racists, pushing “white supremacist standards of beauty.” Good grief!
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D.) is running for President in 2028. In preparation for his run, he is positioning himself much as U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D. Tx.) has, a compassionate Christian Democrat. Andy Beshear seems to think being a good neighbor is now about how generous the government can be with your tax money. Hence, any attempt to limit taxes and reform social spending is cruelty to the poor. Us ordinary folks have to pay till it hurts and do what liberal government elites, like Andy Beshear and his dad, also a two-term governor, tell us to do.
Well, that’s not Christianity, it’s a variation on a heresy sometimes called Erastianism, where big government replaces the Church at the center of Christianity. The late Mario Cuomo (D. N.Y.) was probably the last Democrat to sneak in some Erastian thinking on the campaign trail. He once said that Ronald Reagan’s economic ideas were “Pelagian.” Forgetting, of course, that free markets are history’s best poverty fighter. Individuals starting businesses on their own, without government help and approbation, Cuomo thought, were somehow denying a gift of grace from above. Very weird.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D.) signed a series of bills purporting to ban ICE from using certain weapons and tactics within The Golden State. The Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office has formally told ICE to ignore the California laws. Because the California legislature cannot dictate to the federal government.
Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D. N.Y.) is starting a program called “Opera For All”. Poor New Yorkers will be able to enter a monthly lottery, whereby they can receive from the government tickets to Lincoln Center performances. Sigh. Priorities.
A New York State Supreme Court judge struck down Comrade Mayor’s luxury tax on 2nd homes in New York City. GOOD!
Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration is offering taxpayer-funded scholarships for an activist program while limiting participation to immigrants, including non-U.S. citizens. The Immigrants Lead Boston program, run by the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, is designed for “emerging leaders” interested in advocating for Boston’s immigrant communities. Participants meet city officials and receive training aimed at helping them engage with local government and organize within their communities during the 10-week program. Sigh.
“Dear Student Loans. It’s above me now. I don’t wanna pay it back. Education supposed to be free.”
–U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon (D. Fl.).
U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hamilton (D. Ks.), who is a Methodist minister, called on his congregation to “repent” for contributing to “climate change”, and to show their repentance by eliminating “driving” automobiles, and eating beef. Sigh.
This election season, Democrats have really glommed onto Christianity, claiming that they will do the Lord’s Work in Washington, D.C. Last time I checked, Jesus did not ask government to do a damn thing.
And do not be fooled. Yes, it sounds extreme for someone to advocate eliminating driving automobiles and eating meat. Because it is extreme. But just because it sounds extreme does not mean that the Democrats will not work night and day to force these policies down the American people’s throats. Believe them, they will.
U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D. Tx.) was always in favor of the radical “trans” agenda. Then when he began campaigning for the Senate, he denied that he ever favored the radical “trans” agenda. Flip, flop. But now we are back to flip, as Mr. Talarico vows to fight as hard for “trans” folks in the U.S. Senate as he possibly can.
The Observations is compelled to state the obvious; there is no such thing as a “trans” person. There are men and women. And neither can change their sex.
The University of Maine is stripping former Senator George Mitchell’s (D. Me.) off a school and scholarship funded in his name. Because . . . Senator Mitchell’s name was mentioned in the Epstein files. Kind of a low bar, is it not? There are no allegations that Senator Mitchell did anything untoward, or knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s behavior. But since his name was contained in Department of Justice files, well . . . .
Oscar Evaristo Nunez was arrested on September 15 by federal agents. He’s an illegal alien and has been charged with multiple counts of child rape. Fairfax County, Virginia officials let him go, rather than honor an ICE detainer. Sigh.
ICE ought to flood Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia, in search of illegal aliens. Round them all up, and stick ’em in an airplane to anywhere else. Because they are wreaking criminal havoc on Northern Virginia. And the Democrats in charge do not care about Virginia’s citizens.
President Trump announced that Mesabi Metallics will invest $15 billion in a new steel plant in Iowa. When completed, the plant will be America’s largest steel plant. There will be 6,000 jobs created to build the plant, and 1,750 to operate the completed plant. WINNING!
In-N-Out Burger is opening 4 new restaurants in the next couple of months, 3 in the Los Angeles area, and 1 in Stockton. YUM!
Happy Birthday to White Castle’s hamburger stands. The chain is 105 years old. And you can also find their delicious burgers in your supermarket’s frozen food aisle.
Buc-ee’s is ready to open its 1st Oklahoma location. Finally! What took them so long? Who would believe that there was a Buc-ee’s in Harrisonburg, Virginia before there was one in Oklahoma?
The co-pilot of a jet bound for Tel Aviv, Israel from Dubai, stabbed the pilot, and attempted to crash the plane full of passengers. It is believed that the co-pilot was attempting a 9-11 style attack on Israel.
The United States closed its last military base in Iraq, and withdrew completely from the country. Now what?
Another observation on the fans at The President’s Cup competition last week. A fan shouted during International Team player Nico Echavarria’s backswing, causing him to hit a wayward shot. Echavarria’s competitor, USA Team member Scottie Scheffler addressed the rude fan, telling him that there was no place for that at the competition. Scottie Scheffler went even further, conceding Echavarria’s 32 foot par putt (no gimme there), thus ending that hole in a tie. The fan was a bore. Scottie Scheffler was a class act.
Last Saturday, I watched the Texas/Tennessee football game. But I missed something; Texas defensive end Colin Simmons sacked Tennessee’s quarterback, and then simulated urinating on the football field. Texas head coach Stever Sarkisian excused Simmons’s actions, claiming he was influenced by social media. Doesn’t matter. Simmons’s behavior was vulgar and disgusting. He should have been pulled off the field and made to walk back to Austin. But that did not happen. Simmons behaved very badly. And so did Sarkisian. Absolutely no standards of decency at UT football.
Actor Dennis Haskins, best known for his role as Principal Belding in the television series, Saved By The Bell, has died at age 75. R. I. P.
Robert C. “Robin” Wood, III, (W&L ’62A), has died at age 86. Robin Wood was an attorney in Lynchburg, Virginia, and taught Virginia Civil Procedure at Washington & Lee University School of Law for 40 years. He was an excellent teacher. R. I. P.
Today is the last day of September. October begins tomorrow, as we draw ever nearer to year’s end. Where does all the time go?
English reminded me that 11 years ago this past Sunday, Dudley joined our family. He was a cute little puppy, who actually seemed to like me then. He is still a very cute little dog, but he definitely does not care for me, most of the time. Certainly not if English is around (or absent). But we love him, and are very happy to have him as a member of our family. He brings much joy into our lives, even mine.
According to data published by the Federal Reserve, the wages and salaries of full-time middle-class workers rise faster, after subtracting for inflation, when Trump is president, as compared with other recent presidents.
There are several reasons why middle-class wages and salaries go up faster when Trump is president:
Tariffs. Trump’s tariffs upon imported goods encourage the building of new factories within the United States, and manufacturing jobs tend to pay higher wages than service-sector jobs.
Investment: Trump has been receiving promises from businesses to greatly increase their investment in new U.S. facilities, and workers benefit when businesses expand.
Deregulation and Tax Cuts. Trump has been reducing business regulatory burdens and cutting business taxes, which encourages businesses to expand.
Immigration. Trump keeps out and sends back illegal immigrants who drive wages down when they compete for jobs.
Prices. Trump fights inflation by encouraging the production of inexpensive fossil-fuel energy instead of expensive green energy.
For these reasons and others, median wages and salaries go up faster when Trump is president. Trump helps those who earn their livings through wages and salaries.
The Trump Administration adopted relaxed automobile emission standards which eliminate China Joe’s electric vehicle mandates. WINNING!
“Barghouti has a unique standing among all Palestinian factions. He’s seen as non-corrupt, a strong leader, and secular. Barghouti could deliver a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. Releasing Barghouti does not provide him with a pardon or moral absolution of crimes he may have committed. In fact, a number of human rights groups say he did not even receive a fair trial. But the release is needed to move peace forward . . . .”
–Representative Ro Khanna (D. Ca.), arguing for the release of an Arab terrorist Marwan Barghouti, whose actions murdered many innocent Israeli civilians, for which he is serving 5 life terms in prison.
Why? Why is the only path to peace for Israel to be kind to those who murder them? And what makes anyone think that a murderous terrorist is the right man to lead a peace movement? Absolutely insane.
There is no question about Barghouti’s guilt. But Representative Khanna felt the need to point out that some thought he did not receive a fair trial? What kind of trial did Barghouti’s victims receive?
“He [President Trump] went from being the guy who solved the border problem to one who had created a new problem, which was all this descension in major cities . . . over an ill-informed ICE effort.”
–former George W. Bush aide and political analyst, Karl Rove.
Uh, Karl? Candidate Trump promised mass deportations. He is delivering on his promises. He is upholding the rule of law. He is doing his job.
I did not like Karl Rove when he emerged on the national scene in 2000. I do not like him any better now.
“I will say I use that word intentionally, and the reason that I do it is because, so, I grew up in the Presbyterian Church, and after Trump got elected, I stopped going to church for the first time in my life, because I was like, ‘I cannot sit in this room of people.’ At the time, I was stationed somewhere that was pretty conservative. I was still in the military at the time. I was like, ‘I cannot sit in this church full of people who voted for Trump.’ And then, ultimately, I decided they do not get to decide what Christianity looks like, and to me, it’s the same thing about [how] they do not get to decide what patriotism is. You do not get to wrap yourself in the flag while you are literally murdering Americans in broad daylight.”
–U.S. House of Representatives candidate Rebecca Bennett (D. N.J.).
Democrats. So tolerant. So loving.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D.) spoke at the United Nations last week, where he referred to President Trump as “an invasive species” who threatens progressive values around the globe, and must be removed from office. Governor Newsom is such an a$$.
“When Jesus healed the sick, he didn’t ask for a deductible. So when I fight for universal healthcare, I’m doing it on biblical grounds. When Jesus fed the hungry, he didn’t price gouge to turn a profit. So when I say that no child in the state of Texas should go to bed hungry, I’m doing it on biblical grounds. And when the Hebrew prophets saw corruption in high places, they spoke truth to power. So when I take on the politicians who are serving themselves and not the people, I’m doing it on biblical grounds.”
–U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D. Tx.).
Uh, Mr. Talarico? When Jesus healed the sick and fed the hungry, he did not demand tax monies to do it.
“I think capitalism is in death throes. You’re gonna have to throw everything overboard. It’s like, that’s the next chapter of human rights. It’s like, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness is not capitalism. That every person has a right to medicine, to a livable wage, stuff. That’s not radical.”
–Reverend Jim Rigby, St. Andrews Presbyterian pastor and mentor to U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico.
The Frederick County, Virginia Board of Supervisors voted to deny future permits to construct data centers. The Luddites have seen the future, and declared “not in my backyard”. Fools. Absolute fools.
“God is nonbinary. But I’m going to go further than that, and I’m going to say God is actually also trans. God was assigned a gender at birth, and later on it became clear that that gender wasn’t right. So if you’re gonna deny that God is trans, I think you’re going to be denying the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and I have some notes about that.”
–Episcopal priest Flourish Klink, a nonbinary, “trans” man (i.e. a woman who thinks she is a man), preaching at Christ & St. Stephens Episcopal Church in New York City.
Who allows this man/woman/it to preach this blasphemy in church? Or anywhere? It is beyond offensive. It. Is. Blasphemy.
Luke 1:30-31 – “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.'”
Klink is a heretic. Did we not used to burn heretics at the stake? Maybe parishioners should start gathering some kindling wood.
“AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths.”
–Bill Gates.
Artificial Intelligence is a tool. Just like an automobile, knife, gun, tractor, or chainsaw. The tool is not the problem. People are the problem.
Kentucky Fried Chicken is unveiling a new restaurant concept in McKinney, Texas. The new restaurant incorporates an Art Deco design and mid-century modern influences alongside large glass windows, digital ordering and drive through technology. At the same time, the restaurant features lobby hosts, table service, booths and outdoor dining designed to encourage customers to gather. Okay. But how is the fried chicken?
“We are all poor sinners and unworthy even to mention your name, and so we beg our Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, in whom you are well pleased, and the Holy Spirit, to give you thanks for everything.”
–St. Francis of Assisi.
Today ends Saint Michael’s Lent, and is Michaelmas, also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, and the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. Michaelmas is a Christian festival observed in many Western Christian liturgical calendars on September 29 and on November 8 in the Eastern Christian traditions. Michaelmas has been one of the four quarter days of the English and Irish financial, judicial and academic year.
The Archangel Michael is considered as the greatest of all the angels, being particularly honoured for defeating Satan in the War in Heaven. Saint Michael also carries souls to Heaven, where he weighs souls on his perfectly balanced scales. Finally, Saint Michael is considered the Guardian of the Church.
Because it falls near the equinox, this holy day is associated in the Northern Hemisphere with the beginning of Autumn and the shortening of days. Saint Michael’s prayer is as follows:
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
I confess that I fell short during St. Michael’s Lent. I had the best of intentions, and in some areas I excelled. In other areas, I set low bar goals, and in other areas, I was just so, so in adhering to my disciplines. I find that is the same experience I have in Lent, and in life. I want to do better, I strive, sometimes I succeed, but I always fall short.
I know not how many readers participated in St. Michael’s Lent, if any. For those who did participate, I hope you found it spiritually gratifying. For those who did not participate, there is always next year, and I can heartily recommend the experience. Are you reading this, Robert?
How Was the Sacrament of Marriage Established: An Overview from the Old Testament through the Council of Trent
BY: Dr. Valerie
The Old Testament presents marriage as a human relationship rooted in creation and divinely ordained (Gen 2:18-24). The spouses form a permanent bond of “one flesh” (Gen 2:18-24), which Jesus reinforces by saying that what God has joined together should not be separated (Matt 19:4-6). The New Testament develops marriage’s relational and spiritual dimensions (Eph 5:23-33), including reciprocal dignity (1 Cor 6:16-7:16). Marriage is to be honored (Heb 13:4), and fidelity is emphasized (Mal 2:13-16; Prov 5:18-19). Marriage rests on Jesus’ relationship with the Church (Eph 5:22-23), with mutual spousal love reflecting God’s love for humanity. Marriage is an irrevocable personal covenant through which the spouses give and accept each other. These biblical passages emphasize marriage’s permanence and sanctity. The spouses’ unity as one flesh (uno caro) is rooted in both Genesis and Matthew.
Early Church fathers had difficulty reconciling marriage’s goodness with sexuality. Clement of Alexandria defended marriage’s inherent goodness by arguing that God created all things and is good; therefore, marriage, as God’s creation, must be good. Origen and other early thinkers argued that spiritual integrity is based on marital relationships undertaken only for procreation.
Judith Dwyer, editor of The New Dictionary of Catholic Thought, stated that Augustine established an influential model by identifying three ascending goods of marriage—procreation, fidelity, and sacrament, with the sacramental dimension serving as a bond for the couple that points beyond itself. She also stated that Augustine emphasized procreation but was concerned with original sin and concupiscence. Later Christian thinkers refined the sacramental understanding to emphasize that marriage signifies the union of Jesus and the Church.
Medieval thought excluded romantic love from marriage, treating it as a legal transaction, until the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 established formalized rules for marriage, including the publication of bans and the requirement of public weddings. By the mid-1200s, theologians such as Thomas Acquainus recognized marriage as a sacrament of the New Law. The Second Council of Lyon (1274) included marriage in the list of seven sacraments. The Council of Trent (1547) formalized marriage as a sacrament instituted by Jesus, requiring priestly oversight. The twentieth century witnessed a fundamental reorientation.
Although marriage was part of the Church’s life from the beginning, its sacramental status emerged from a long period of theological clarification. The first three centuries lacked a specific Christian marriage ceremony. Initially, the Church required couples to attend a special Nuptial Mass to give the marriage contract its religious character. Evidence from the first two centuries, as recorded in the writings of Ignatius of Antioch, indicates that Christians should marry only with the Bishop’s assent. Blessings at marriage became customary from the third century onward, and were accompanied by a Eucharistic celebration by the fourth century. Beginning in the fourth and fifth centuries, the Church developed marriage liturgies, and ceremonies moved from the home to the Church. The priest became involved, though the bride and groom remained the ministers of the sacrament.
Tertullian’s writings present the Church as an “agent and conciliator in marriage,” mentioning a benediction of the married couple at the Eucharist. Evidence from the fourth and fifth centuries shows that marriage was regarded as having positive value that led to salvation, although general celibacy was regarded as higher. Augustine saw marriage as both a legal bond and a religious symbol signifying Jesus’ marital union with the Church, perfected in Baptism. Weddings were secular, but rites, prayers of petition, and blessings became customary and, by the 5th century, were combined with a celebration of the Eucharist. Beginning in the fourth century, the Church also established several impediments to marriage, especially differences of religion and blood relationships.
In the Western Church during the Frankish period, weddings were placed under Church auspices, with priests under Charlemagne conducting the marriage examination for the couple and then officiating at the wedding that united them. By the tenth century, a judicial framework required that all marriages be conducted in public liturgy. The medieval period decisively supported incorporating marriage into the sacraments, a development that took place between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. A crucial consequence of the marriage of two baptized persons was that it constituted both a sacrament performed within the liturgy of marriage and a contract through the exchange of consent. It was indissoluble through the first sexual act.
By 1200, only Church marriage survived, performed at the Church door; beginning about 1300, the marriage took place in the Church. Marriage had to be consummated to be indissoluble. The Decretum Gratiani, the foundational text of Catholic canon law compiled by Gratian, stated that a marriage before a secular authority was valid. By the mid-12th century, the Church had established the classical concept of a sacrament.
Centuries of Church teaching established several foundational principles of marriage, most fundamentally that Jesus established matrimony as a sacrament. The Council of Trent defended this truth by declaring anathema on anyone claiming that matrimony is a human intervention rather than a divinely instituted sacrament that confers grace. St. Paul articulates the reality of marriage in Ephesians 5:21-33, grounded in mutuality. Ephesians 5:21-33 also shows a parallel between human marriage and the spiritual union of Jesus and the Church. Additionally, St. Paul references Genesis 2:24 in highlighting the spiritual unity of marriage.
The First Lateran Council in 1123 had forbidden clerical marriage; however, the Second Lateran Council made holy orders a “diriment impediment,” rendering such marriages invalid. The Second Lateran Council in 1139 decreed that ordination automatically invalidated marriage, marking a seminal moment in the Church’s relationship with clerical marriage. Hence, while the First Lateran Council in 1123 forbade clerical marriage, the Second Lateran Council declared such marriages invalid.
The Council of Verona in 1184 called marriage a sacrament in a doctrinal statement. The Council of Florence in 1439 decreed that matrimony constituted the seventh sacrament, with mutual consent as the cause: mutual consent creates the contract. It serves as the sacrament’s cause, with the contract and sacrament becoming inseparable. This follows Thomas Aquinas, who states that matrimony is one of the seven sacraments, with the form being the verbal expression of consent and the matter consisting in the obligation to sexual and communal life. The framework established the couple as ministers of the sacrament. The Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 affirmed that married persons could achieve salvation; thus, the sacramental status of marriage became doctrine by establishing it as one of the Church’s seven sacraments.
The Council of Trent (1547) established the Roman Catholic Church’s seven sacraments and listed marriage among them. In 1563, the council presented its doctrine on the Sacrament of Matrimony, along with twelve attached canons. The council defended the sacramentality and grace-giving power of marriage, as well as the Church’s competence to make canonical rules regulating matters related to marriage. The council also affirmed the indissoluble bond of marriage; however, it did not elevate its indissolubility to dogmatic status. The council also passed the decree Tametsi for the reform of marriage ceremonies, which required that marriage must take place before a priest or pastor and two or three witnesses to be valid. Notably, the council did not address the matter, form, and ministers of this sacrament.
In 1563, a decree was issued by the Council of Trent (1563) that was in effect from 1563 to 1907, which reformed Catholic matrimonial law by requiring a priest and two witnesses to be present for a valid marriage. This decree reformed the marriage ceremony, requiring that marriage take place before the pastor or priest with appropriate faculties and two or three witnesses. Any Catholic who did not adhere to this obligatory form could not make a valid marriage. Consent was interpreted as a contract, and from that point onward, doctrine and canon law maintained the inseparability of the contract and the sacrament.
It’s ironic that those who proclaim — naively — that “we all believe in the same God” are typically interested neither in God nor religion.
More often than not, they are New-Agey, a-religious people who use this pious-sounding claim to excuse themselves from praying to ANY god, or following ANY religious tradition.
They see themselves as “good people” in a humanistic sense, and therefore feel no need for some mysterious spiritual power telling them how they should live their lives.
With few exceptions, people who think this way are young, part of a generation that has received a great deal, but given very little in return; a generation that prioritizes “personal freedom” over “archaic” rules of conduct, and the enjoyment of life over personal sacrifice. Their hope for the future hinges on new technologies and personal resourcefulness, NOT in conversion and the promise of eternal life.
To make things worse, this benign-sounding heresy is being perpetuated by many priests and bishops within the Church herself. They will not think twice about watering down the Catholic faith to avoid “offending” other religions in order to advance their misguided ecumenical efforts.
They ignore the fact that this heresy is SO antithetical to the Truth, that Our Lord came into this world to PERSONALLY dispel it once and for all. His uncompromising and unapologetic message throughout His life was:
a) No one can come to the Father except through Him, and
b) His Church is the ONLY means through which ALL people can be saved.
Throughout the centuries, these claims have set the Catholic Church in opposition to ALL other religions precisely because they understand that we DO NOT, in fact, all believe in the same God.
If we still need further proof of this, all we have to do is look at the evidence around us:
— The conflicts in the Middle East are rooted in the DIFFERENCES between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. However you may want to spin it, it is obvious that the peoples in these areas DO NOT believe in the same God, and the differences are SO dramatic that they have fueled wars, terrorism, and violence for centuries.
— People who are Pro-life clearly DO NOT believe in the same god as those who claim that abortion, euthanasia, and the other abominations associated with the culture of death, are a form of “health care” or “acts of mercy”.
— Those who created the Epstein fiasco, as well as the rich and powerful who participated in those horrible crimes, clearly DO NOT believe in the God who identified Himself with the poor and defenseless (“Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me.”)
— The Illuminati, Freemasons, Marxists, globalists, and others who are obsessed with the pursuit of world power without concern for the welfare of humanity, clearly DO NOT believe in the God who told us to use our positions of authority to serve, not to be served.
— The religious fanatics who, even today, continue to persecute Christians throughout the world, often resorting to murder and violence, clearly DO NOT believe in the God who came into the world as the Prince of Peace.
— The God to whom those children were praying while they were at Mass in Minnesota, is NOT the same god of the lunatic that ended their lives.
— The mainstream media and Hollywood elites who regularly accuse Catholics of “hate crimes” simply because we do not support abortion and the LGBTQ agenda, clearly DO NOT believe in the same god we do.
Maybe the time has come for ALL Catholics to finally believe this Truth ourselves, and reject this dangerous heresy once and for all:
We DO NOT all believe in the same God!
Let us pray to the One True God for the grace and courage to defend our Catholic Church from the enemies outside, and the traitors within.
BY: Everett Piper, The Washington Times (September 27, 2026).
In case you have not noticed, talk of religion is no longer verboten in the ranks of the political left.
From the likes of the loud and proud homosexual and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to the current Democratic Senate nominee and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico, it seems that Jesus is all the rage for Democrats in this year’s election season.
This is a world that some have dubbed “exvangelicalism,” a theological and political camp for aggrieved and disenchanted millennials and Gen Z-ers who have concluded that the biblical definition of Christianity is no longer acceptable for them.
Theirs is a religion of feelings, emotions and “personal lived experience,” not the centuries-old orthodoxy of the patriarchs and the Bible. It is a more “generous” faith than that of their parents and grandparents.
Theirs is a religion of inclusion that excludes any of the exclusive teachings of Christ, his apostles or his church.
Enter stage right: the Rev. Benjamin Cremer.
Though you have likely not heard of him yet, Mr. Cremer is a burgeoning thought leader for the postmodern and progressive “Christians” cited above. He presently serves as the Amity campus pastor at the Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise, Idaho, where he describes himself as the product of a “very fundamentalist or ultra-conservative” family that he ultimately left for his more welcoming and affirming deconstructed church home.
By way of further introduction, here is one of Mr. Cremer’s most recent posts to social media: “If our Christianity causes us to defend the President rather than the poor, the powerless, the sick, the hungry, the homeless, and the immigrant, that’s when we know we are following someone other than Jesus.”
To which one of Mr. Cremer’s fans added: “This point is simple and devastating. If a Christian’s political allegiance runs so deep that defending a President becomes more urgent than defending the vulnerable … then something fundamental has shifted. Not the theology. The object of worship.”
How should we respond? Do Mr. Cremer and his tribe of exvangelical sycophants have a point, and should we consider what they are saying?
In the simplest of terms, the answer is no. The truth is that Mr. Cremer’s point, and that of his social media friends, is not devastating at all. Frankly, it is just dumb.
Defending the poor, the vulnerable and the powerless — are you serious!?
Tell the powerless Black citizens in Springfield, Ohio — who have lost their neighborhoods, homes, parks and schools to the crime and vagrancy of illegal immigration — that supporting the enforcement of our nation’s laws and borders is akin to worshipping another Jesus.
Tell the poor Hispanic American citizens in Aurora, Colorado — who are afraid to leave their apartments because illegal gangs now control major swaths of their town — that defending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the local police is idol worship.
Tell the vulnerable Asian American small-business owners in downtown Seattle and Portland, Oregon — who have lost their livelihoods to the rampant crime of illegal immigration — that supporting the Trump administration is wrong and unjust.
Tell the Lebanese Christian Americans in Dearborn, Michigan — who live in fear of the swelling influence and intimidation of Shariah — that voting for Republicans is the worship of another God.
Tell the Mexican American ranchers in southern Texas — who sit every evening with rifles across their laps for fear of cartels invading their homes and harming their children — that their concerns are unrighteous and wrong.
Tell the hundreds of thousands of underage boys and girls being trafficked for sex as a result of Mr. Cremer’s politics that enforcing America’s immigration policies is un-Christian and cruel.
Tell all the blue-collar, working-class Americans in city after city across the nation who have had their freedom and safety sacrificed to the politically correct gods of smug, self-righteous exvangelicals such as Benjamin Cremer that supporting the Republican Party is akin to false worship.
Mr. Cremer and his fan club need to look in the mirror rather than out the window before they start condemning others for political idolatry. Their religion of self-worship embodies the very idolatry they pretend to condemn, while they ignore the poor and underprivileged they claim to care so much about.
“We give you thanks because, having created us through your Son, by that holy love with which you loved us, you decreed that he should be born, true God and true man, of the glorious and ever blessed Virgin Mary and redeem us from our captivity by the blood of his passion and death.”
–St. Francis of Assisi.
SAVE is a federal database that permits States to check the citizenship of applicants for federal welfare benefits. Under President Trump, the database was expanded to permit States to verify the citizenship of their registered voters. Makes sense, correct? Well, not to the League of Women Voters and other Leftist associations. They sued to prevent the use of the SAVE database for voter verification, and a China Joe appointee blocked States’ access to the information. On Friday, the United States Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the SAVE database could be used for voter verification. The 3 Democrat appointed justices dissented. Sigh. And I wonder why. Nevertheless, MORE WINNING!
President Trump hosted Chinese President Xi at a White House State Dinner. The main course was fish. Sigh. Where’s the beef?
President Trump and President Xi reached an agreement on trade, lowering tariffs. EVEN MORE WINNING!
“Before I begin, just a quick announcement, if there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now.”
–Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the United Nations as scores of delegates walked out on his upcoming remarks in protest.
Mr. Netanyahu gave an impassioned speech to the U.N. General Assembly, where he denounced terrorism, anti-Semitism, and rejected any notion that Israel was engaged in “genocide” of Gazans.
“We’re going to win. We have no other choice.”
He boldly put Iran on notice that it would lose the current conflict with the United States and Israel.
“Fourteen years ago, I stood on this podium and I drew a red line. I vowed to prevent Iran’s murderous dictatorship from developing atomic bombs, nuclear weapons aimed at destroying Israel, nuclear weapons that could threaten the entire world. That’s exactly what we did.
Now, let me say something that might surprise you. Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard, it was very hard to do, but for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister. Because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead.
Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony? In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thanked us privately for taking out Iran’s nuke.”
It is long past time that the Islamic Republic of Iran was “annihilated”, replaced by a government that cares about its people, and can live in peace with its neighbors. Perhaps that time has finally come. God Bless Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Trump.
There were numerous protesters outside the United Nations, angry at Prime Minister Netanyahu’s presence and address. Actresses Susan Sarandon, Ellen Page, and Hannah Einbinder were arrested. Several New York City councilmen, and Democrat Congressional candidates were also arrested. Losers. Susan Sarandon is a whore, Ellen Page thinks she is a man, and who in the world is Hannah Einbinder?
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (D.) admonished Prime Minister Netanyahu, claiming that when he suggested that Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D. N.Y.) was anti-Semitic, he was lying. No he was not lying. Comrade Mayor is anti-Semitic.
Representative Ro Khanna (D. Ca.) went on to CNBC to promote the Democrat agenda if voters give them control of Congress. Mr. Khanna called for higher taxes, more social welfare spending, including socialized medicine, price controls, gutting defense, abandoning Israel, “no more wars”, amnesty for illegal aliens, abolishing ICE, and impeaching the President. Same thing, different day.
Reality check: gasoline, diesel, and hamburger were all more expensive under Presidents Obama and China Joe. Do voters angered at high prices really want to bring the Democrats back into power?
The deranged former FOX News host Tucker Carlson called for the removal of President Trump from office, for his threat to “annihilate” Iran. Sigh. Do people really care what Tucker Carlson thinks anymore? He was so much more fun when he was drinking.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R.) is considering running for President in 2028. He told reporters that “the third time is the charm”. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! That is a good one!
“Devout Catholic” China Joe received a lifetime service award from Planned Parenthood, at a Champagne and Chocolate reception. Huh. Celebrating the deaths of millions of innocent children, and toasting a man who betrayed his faith with champagne, and munching on chocolates. How fitting for the unserious, but evil, American Left.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D.) is spending millions of dollars on sending social workers to perform “welfare checks” on mothers who recently gave birth. That knock on the door? And uninvited government bureaucrat coming into your house to see if you and your surroundings are fit for your newborn. Big Brother is no longer a nightmare. Big Brother is reality.
For years, Hannah Gann has been an activist for “Palestinians”, Hamas, and Hezbollah. She is a terrorist lover. She also proudly proclaimed her “Palestinian” and black heritage. Just one problem. Hannah Gann is actually white and Jewish. Hannah Gann is the Rachel Dolezal of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Riverside County, California Sheriff seized electoral ballots cast in last year’s election on redistricting, as part of a criminal investigation. The County reported tabulating 46,000 more votes than received ballots. Attorney General Rob Bonta (D. Ca.) sued to stop the Sheriff’s criminal investigation, and the California Supreme Court ruled in his favor, halting the criminal investigation, and ordering the return of the ballots. No surprise. We cannot run the risk of Democrat corruption being exposed in The Golden State.
“Cars are the modern-day cigarette. They’re just like this, like, why do we do it this way?”
–U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D. Mi.).
The shock is not that Abul El-Sayed wants to ban automobiles. Of course he does, he is a Democrat. But why would the United Autoworkers of America endorse this man? That is shocking.
U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson (D. Me.) is apparently a very volatile and unpleasant person. How unpleasant? Troy Jackson was kicked out of a Facebook group formed to support his candidacy, for being rude to members posting on the page. Wow.
“Whether or not Jesus existed doesn’t really matter to me,” she said. “The fact remains that that message that was delivered by someone named Jesus, supposedly, and it could have all been made up for all I know.”
–St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Reverend “Babs” Miller, a non-binary lesbian, who proudly proclaims that Christ “didn’t die to save our sins.”She also said that “I don’t have a need for a God”, and that St. Andrews Presbyterian Church “is not a worshipping church.”
St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Reverend Miller confided to his/her parishioners that U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D. Tx.) was hiding his true views, and essentially lying to voters, in order to get elected. Reverend Miller assured his parishioners that once Mr. Talarico got elected, his progressive views would reemerge. As we at The Observations have said all along.
“We all got in by lying.”
–St. Andrews Presbyterian Church head pastor, Reverend James Rigby, explaining how he was allowed to join the Presbyterian Church.
Reverend Rigby denies the immaculate birth of Jesus through Mary. He even doubts whether Jesus existed, and insisted that there is no “proof” that he did. Hmmm. Apparently Reverend Rigby is unfamiliar with The Bible.
“Western civilization shows us that most social and moral progress has been brought about by persons free from religion.”
Apparently, Reverend Rigby is also unfamiliar with the history of Western Civilization. Because he is so very wrong on this point. One small example; compare the American Revolution with the French Revolution. Then get back to me.
Why does all this matter? James Talarico insists that Christianity is central to his being, and that everything he learned, he learned it at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. He has been an attendee since he was 2 years old.
I do not know what religion Mr. Talarico actually believes in, if any. But it is definitely not Christianity.
James Talarico–a man that once compared unborn children to “tapeworms and parasites–said that sex education is the most important subject that should be taught to children in schools. This is no surprise given that Mr. Talarico has been an avid supporter of using the education system to indoctrinate children into leftist ideology on issues like race, sexuality, and gender identity. It does not matter if a child can read, write, or do mathematics. All that matters is advancing the LGBTQ++ agenda.
“Billy Bob in f***ing Red Cloud, Nebraska, who lives next to the f***ing Trump store as you pull into town and is waving the flag, all he knows is that he’s on the winning team. It’s really that simple. And Trump . . . that’s why he’s been so effective. He’s been so effective at taking Billy Bob and his wife Mary Jane or Mary Jo and telling them . . . you’re on the winning team. And that’s all they care about, because their lives probably suck so f***ing bad.”
–U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn (I. Ne.).
Wow. Do you think Dan Osborn could have any more contempt for his fellow Nebraskans? Mr. Osborn went on to explain how he was hiding his views from the voters, stating:
“I can go and I can be the voice for LGBTQ and immigration and all of these issues. cThen I lose the election. It feels good in the moment. At the end of the day, I’m gonna win this election. And then I’ll be the Senator for six years and everybody else can f**k off.”
Dan Osborn is a damn liar. Just like James Talarico. Just like Governor Abigail Spanberger (D. Va.). Democrats love to lie. Because it is all about power.
Luccino’s Pizza is offering a pizza wrapped Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. It feeds four (4). No thank you.
Pizza is fine. Especially if it is authentic (no chain pizzas). A Philly Cheesesteak sandwich is fine, particularly if from either Geno’s or Pat’s in Philadelphia. But together? Disgusting.
SMU beat Missouri State. Stanford beat Georgia Tech. California lost to Clemson. Boston College lost to VPI in a downpour. Wake Forest beat Louisville, in Louisville.
Texas traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, where it narrowly beat the Volunteers in a thriller. President Trump attended the game, and prior to kickoff, the crowd roared and applauded as Air Force One flew low over the stadium. Democrats are surely made nervous at the sound of 100,000 people standing and loudly cheering the President of the United States.
Auburn beat Vanderbilt. Florida decimated Ole Miss. Mississippi State remains unbeaten after beating Missouri. Did you know that Missouri plays all its games in the Central Time Zone, but still cannot put together a championship season? LSU, Alabama, and Georgia won.
Indiana just got by Northwestern. Iowa beat Michigan in The Big House on the game’s last play. Penn State had a 17-0 lead, but managed to lose to Wisconsin 24-20. Ohio State beat Illinois. UCLA thrashed Maryland.
USC ended the suspense early, dooming their season in a loss to Oregon in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Normally USC waits until mid-season to blow up, but this season it got it over with early. FIRE LINCOLN RILEY! He is so overrated.
Utah State beat Troy. Utah beat Iowa State. Arizona beat Washington State. Oregon State beat UTEP. Boise State and Fresno State won. Wyoming beat Hawaii, and Air Force beat Nevada. New Mexico State beat New Mexico. Stated differently, New America State beat New America.
Army beat Temple. Navy lost to University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Congratulations to Team USA on winning The President’s Cup at Medinah Country Club, outside Chicago, Illinois, for the 11th straight time. Some great golf was played by both teams.
After the 1st 3 days, Team USA was on its heels. The International Team seemed unstoppable, and Team USA would have to win 8 of the 12 individual matches on Sunday to win the competition. Team USA did that, and more.
Team Captain Brad Snedeker was effusive in his praise for his players. He was complimentary toward the International Team, the Medinah Country Club, and everyone associated with the competition. And he gave a shout out to President Trump, who had offered Team USA words of encouragement before Sunday’s matches. Cue the howls from the Left. Ha, ha, ha, ha!
I must write something concerning the crowd’s behavior. It is okay to cheer for the American Team, including the quite loud USA! USA! chants. That is fine. But to jeer the International team’s players’ good shots, or to openly applaud their bad shots, . . it is just wrong. It is rude. It is antithetical to the entire spirit and meaning of the game of golf. It is also no way to treat your guests. The International Team was composed of incredibly talented golfers, and behaved at all times in a professional fashion. They deserved much better treatment from the crowd.
Golf is not the NFL, the NHL, or college basketball. Golf is a gentlemen’s game, where the rules are enforced by the players themselves, and where good grace and manners demand that you appreciate your opponent’s skill, and compliment their talent, just as they should do for you. Because in golf, you are not playing your opponent so much as you are playing yourself, and the course. You do not lose by your opponent’s excellence. You lose by your own failure to exceed your opponent’s excellence. Same with winning. You win by playing better, not by your opponent playing worse.
Perhaps in this world of hyper-competitiveness, tribalism, and the consumption of massive quantities of alcohol at sporting events, the notion of applauding the other team’s demonstrated skill is quaint. But hopefully, not gone or forgotten.
Former Virginia State Golf Association President Frances “Fran” S. Wray has died at age 82. R. I. P.
Bob Petit, the very first National Basketball Association MVP, has died at age 93. R. I. P.
Edward O. Henneman served the Washington & Lee University School of Law for 33 years. He was a native New Yorker who had the good sense to attend high school in Virginia at Woodberry Forest. But then he went back North to Yale for undergraduate studies, and then on to Harvard Law. Dean Henneman (he was an associate Dean of the Law School for 8 years) was the stereotypical New Yorker Harvard graduate, and I have no doubt that he often looked askance at me as a non-serious, immature yokel (perhaps deservedly so). But he was also a kind man, who took a chance on a young man from Southside, and he championed me for admission to law school. And he was kind to others also, being involved in many charitable and civic organizations in Lexington, Virginia. He was a faithful member of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church. And he rarely missed a W&L lacrosse game, home or away. He touched the lives of many. Edward O. Henneman was a large influence in my life, and I am not sure that I ever fully communicated that to him. I hope he knew. No doubt he knows now. Thank you for everything, Dean Henneman. Your death at 88 was too soon for many. R. I. P.
