Daly Focus Blog
The opening ceremonies for the 2021 Summer Olympics are today in Tokyo, Japan.
The Olympics is one of the greatest displays of skill, physical ability, and dedication in all the world. Not only are the athletes performing on a world stage, but they’re competing at such a high level and under such intense pressure (decades of hard work and training often boil down to a single performance) that we often never consider the very real limitations each athlete must face and overcome.
The president returned to familiar turf inside the United States Capitol on Wednesday to meet with Democrat lawmakers to discuss the budget, a massive spending proposal that promises to plunge the country deeper into debt.
Since we were kids, we’ve been told that money doesn’t grow on trees, but you wouldn’t know that from the way Congress has been doling out dollars of late. Based on media reports, the Senate majority are expected to ask for somewhere between $3.5 trillion and $4 trillion dollars for the upcoming fiscal year.
Of course, contained within those trillions are vital and critical items – military spending to ensure our nation’s safety, infrastructure to keep America operational and, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, measures intended to protect our citizens’ health and well-being.
Yet, also included are dollars many liberals and radicals want to “transform” America – i.e., turn upside down and inside out fundamental values and traditions that have distinguished the United States for well over two centuries.
Sadly, there seems to be a prevailing philosophy in Washington these days that money will solve any problem, and the more money we spend, the fewer problems we’ll have.
It’s just not true.
Take for instance our ongoing battle to eradicate poverty.
Since President Johnson declared a war on poverty in 1964, nearly $26 trillion in taxpayer funds has been spent to fight it.
By a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court has ruled that a California law requiring charities to disclose the identities of their donors is unconstitutional.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts called such disclosure requirements a “dragnet for sensitive donor information” and found that such a law violates an individual’s First Amendment right to free association.
Big Brother may always be watching – but after Thursday’s ruling, he won’t be seeing as much as some government bureaucrats and bullies wished he would.
Unanswered – or poorly answered questions, never go away.
Nevertheless, it’s very good news that the United States Supreme Court announced earlier today that they’ve agreed to review Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
At issue is a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks.
The nine justices should use this case to re-evaluate Roe and Casey and best case, overturn them both. At the very least, the court should allow the states more leeway in prohibiting abortion pre-viability, including for things like gender, race or disability.
History tells us not to pin our hopes on the court in cases like this.
President Joe Biden’s “American Families Plan” is being touted by the administration as “an investment in our kids, our families, and our economic future.”
In reality, it’s a very bad bet – and for numerous reasons.
Of particular interest to me in the bill is the president’s proposal to spend an extra $225 billion on childcare and another $200 billion on “free” preschool. The premise and rationale for such a massive expenditure is that more federal dollars equate to healthier kids and families.
Last week’s fatal shooting of a Columbus, Ohio teenager by a police officer set off another fierce debate about the competence and racial motivations of law enforcement.
As you will recall, Columbus police were called out to a violent knife attack. Body camera footage later revealed one of the teen girls attempting to stab the other just prior to the gunfire.
To be sure, the police officer, who was white, was faced with a horrific dilemma that required an almost instantaneous decision.
I sometimes wonder if government officials who champion abortion are blinded to the truth – or just knowingly embrace an indefensible position for the sake of ideological partisanship.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken comes to mind. He recently declared, “Standing up for human rights everywhere is in America’s interests.”
I would agree – it’s never right to embrace a wrong and defending the dignity of each person is a noble ideal. The United States may not be the world’s police force, but America has historically stood up for those in need, something we can all be proud of.
Yet during the same speech, Mr.
Details continue to emerge regarding last week’s murder of eight people at three different massage parlors in suburban Georgia.
The alleged gunman, Robert Aaron Long, reportedly told police his actions stemmed from a sex addiction he’s battling. Angry with himself, he apparently targeted women who enabled his desires.
It’s impossible to fathom how someone in that position would carry out such evil and horror – but that hasn’t stopped both the Washington Post and The New York Times from trying to pin the blame not just on Long, but his supposed belief system.
In short, reports in both papers have alluded to the 21-year-old’s self-described evangelicalism as the root of his actions, specifically a biblical sexual ethic that calls sex outside marriage sinful.
Sunday’s New York Times cited Dr.
Given his previous record of hostility to pre-born life, today’s confirmation of Xavier Becerra to serve as head of the Department of Health and Human Services foreshadows the coming of government sanctioned antagonism towards people with deeply held religious convictions.
Mr. Becerra has been a strong supporter of taxpayer-funded abortions, sex-selective abortions and while a member of Congress, voted in favor of partial-birth abortion. In the past, he’s also tried to force pregnancy resource centers, organizations committed to the preservation of life, to actively promote the destruction of it.
According to official reports, nearly 10,000 children arrived at our southern border last month without a parent – three times more than in February of 2020.
Although some are struggling to define and quantify the extent of the situation, there’s little doubt that it’s a growing humanitarian crisis, especially as facilities explode beyond capacity.
Why is this happening? What’s going on? And why should we care deeply about it?
While it seems obvious that many of those coming across the border believe President Biden’s immigration policies are more favorable to them than President Trump’s, this current crisis has been years in the making.
In part, it’s the combustion of tyrannical, oppressive regimes driving desperate people to exploit inconsistent and unenforced American immigration laws.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
