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Among the facts these immigrants were told they must know included:
It is doubtful that many Americans today have read those books that were recommended to the early immigrants who wanted to become an American.* Nor can many Americans today cite the U.S. Presidents, the U.S. population, the States and capitals, and sing the Star-Spangled Banner and America. In fact, this growing failure in civic literacy has been shown in repeated surveys of Americans. In October, 2018, a poll by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that only 36% of all American adults could pass a basic multiple-choice citizenship test. While three-quarters of seniors passed, only 19% of adults under 45 years old could pass, with a lenient grade of 60%. Five years later, a national survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in 2023 found equally alarming results. Over 70% of registered voters failed. Most Americans knew little of American history or the simplest of topics like the three branches of government, the number of Supreme Court judges, or where bills became laws. What made this citizenship book special is that it recognized that being an American was more than knowing facts and figures. As it said:
Early Americans felt in their hearts a responsibility to give back and work to make this country greater and greater, following the examples of the brave men and women who'd founded this nation in order to ensure the freedoms and rights all citizens shared. .
How was the "True American" defined? What defined an American citizen in past generations is incomparable to today. It is the starkest illustration of how deeply America has fallen and how much has been lost…and what we have to restore if we hope to make America great again.
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Immigrating to America was associated with a yearning to become an American; a promise to learn the history of the Founding Fathers, to learn English, and to understand the country's documents that ensure freedoms and liberties for all; a pledge to be a good and upright citizen, to work hard, be self-supporting and not look for a hand out; a sense of duty and commitment to give back to the country and be part of making it a greater nation; a desire to love America and make it your home; and finally, being a patriotic American. Many of these ideals feel unrecognizable today. America really was born of ideas unlike any other country on earth: that all men were created equal and given rights by God that no man could take away from them. America was a unique new concept, achieved through hard fought battles. Early immigrants overcame hardships, discrimination, tyranny, and adversity to get here. They came looking for economic opportunities, individual liberty, or religious freedoms and found them all made possible in the founding documents. Immigrants brought their own rich traditions and treasured ancestries, while embracing the special values found only in America, to come together in a new national identity. Patriotic assimilation is what bonded them together to become one. They no longer identified themselves as French, Mexican, Italian, German, African, or a collection of separate and divided ethnic groups… but all one people: Americans. They also welcomed America's founding principle of equal treatment under the law for everyone: no discrimination, no privileged or ruling class, no victims or oppressors. The idea of giving groups special privileges or benefits was viewed as repulsive, unacceptable, and un-American. They came from all walks of life, different cultures, languages, and abilities but were united with one thing in common: a love for America. That love brought each citizen to contribute their part into building the country and making it continually greater and more exceptional. Today, patriotism, loving America, and feeling proud of our country and what it once stood for has been redefined into something dark, cynical, evil, racist, sexist, and unjust. How did we get to this point? This series reveals that it was a concerted, planned and purposeful effort that began over a century ago. In tracing this evolution, we'll begin by doing a little time traveling in Part Two. . © Szwarc 2025 . Last week, Texas became the first state in the nation to return the Bible to school classroom curriculums. Texas voted to adopt a school curriculum that includes the historical and literary role of the Bible. Oklahoma and Louisiana have also recently included the Bible and Ten Commandments at their schools. With 77% of Texans Christians and 68% of all Americans identifying as Christians, it isn't surprising that Texas and States across the country are working to restore faith-based values to schools. Mainstream media has predictably responded in unison with outcry, citing "separation of church and state" fallacies and misinterpretations of the First Amendment. However, the Supreme Court established over 50 years ago, in Abington Township School District v. Schempp, that academic Bible classes in public schools are constitutionally permitted. As Justice Clark opined:
Justice Stewart added:
Alliance Defending Freedom, the world's largest legal organization protecting the freedoms of speech and religion, has defended students' rights to pray together in school during free time, distribute religious fliers, have Bible clubs, depict the Bible and religious symbols in artwork, and share their beliefs, just as schools permit other secular activities that don't disrupt operations. Clarifying another frequent misunderstanding, they add: "A school may not prohibit student expression solely because others might find it offensive.” The Bible has historically held the core of school curriculums in America. Bible instruction in schools is nothing new. It's perhaps one of the most important ways we can begin to heal our nation and unify and restore our Country. After decades of revisionist secular education, America has lost its soul. Millions of young people no longer understand or appreciate what it once meant to be an American, grasp and value the unique freedoms and self-government established in our Constitution, or share the Founders' assurances in the guiding protections of Divine providence. "Sad will be the day when the American people forget their traditions and their history, and no longer remember that the country they love, the institutions they cherish, and the freedom they hope to preserve, were born from the throes of armed resistance to tyranny, and nursed in the rugged arms of fearless men." – Roger Sherman , a Founding Father of Christian faith who signed all four of our Country's Founding documents. America Is America Because of the Bible No book shaped America's founding more than the Bible. This important aspect of American history is undeniable, but seldom taught in public schools or revered nowadays, as secular culture increasingly removes religion from the public square. Known as the "people of the Book," the first colonists carried the Geneva Bible when they departed Holland. As God's people, the colonists faced horrendous hardship, sacrifice and danger to flee religious persecution and cross the Atlantic. They were part of the Virginia Charter for colonization, primarily guided by their Christian purpose, believing "the way to achieve good success, is to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country and your own, and to serve and fear God, the Giver of all Goodness; for every plantation which our Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out." Upon landing on the shores of Virginia, they knelt in prayer and Thanksgiving, and erected a wooden cross. Three days later, on April 29, 1607, they shared communion and dedicated this land to God, establishing the First Landing Covenant of Dedication. They vowed the Gospel of Jesus Christ would go forth through the New World, and to raise up Godly generations as long as this earth remains. There was broad agreement among the Founding Fathers, regardless whether they were all Christians, although most certainly were, that the Bible was essential for nurturing the civic virtues that give citizens the capacity for self-government and that are necessary for a republic form of government to succeed. It promotes the principles of wisdom, justice, dignity, virtue, and goodness. They understood that without a national morality, a representative republic form of government could not survive. "The Bible contains the most profound Philosophy, the most perfect Morality, and the most refined Policy, that ever was conceived upon Earth. It is the most Republican Book in the World.”- John Adams The Bible can actually be seen as the fourth Founding document. It was the most frequently read and cited book throughout America’s founding era and played a major role in the establishment of our government. The Declaration of Independence expressed the soul of the new Country, establishing the moral, spiritual, rational, political and legal grounds for its founding. Each sentencecame from the Bible. The Constitution laid out the fundamental features of our country’s representative republic form of governing. While the authors made no actual mention of God in the Constitution, they didn't need to as the Bible was a core of daily life at that time. Judeo-Christian concepts − of covenant, sovereignty, limited government, consent of the governed, social contract, unalienable rights, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, rule of law, due process of law and representative government – all also came from the Bible. The Bill of Rights – which laid out the essential principles of human liberty and rights given to all people from the Creator – came from the Bible. First among those rights was the First Amendment : freedom of religion to believe and practice our faith without interference from the government; the freedom of speech and a free press, and the right of people to assemble and petition to the government. The Founding Fathers understood that religion, speech and assembly were essential for a free and sovereign country. Totalitarian rulers understand this, too, which is why these are the key freedoms they try to destroy. To recapture the Spirit of '76, a critical first step is to bring understanding of the Bible and the admirable beliefs and qualities of our Founding Fathers. Biblical author, B. Nathaniel Sullivan, shares twelve essential characteristics to instill in our children, communities and leaders in order to meet the challenges we face as we work to restore our country. The Bible's Long History in Education As States across the country are bringing the Bible back to schools, it's actually not a new concept, just a forgotten one. The Bible had a fundamental role in education and in school curriculum throughout America's early history. The Puritans strongly supported education and literacy, which they believed was necessary to read and understand the Bible, and to have an informed citizenry. They believed that building a Christian culture required knowledge of God's Word and the ability to think and reason through its truths. During America's first 150 years as English colonies, most children were home schooled. The Bible was their primer. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Even the Father of American Education, Noah Webster, believed it was important to teach the worldview of the U.S. Constitution and its underlying Christian principles of liberty and civil governance, wrote theological professor, Dr. Elizabeth Youmans. Webster understood that words are the building blocks of ideas and that the "colonies had fought eight years to win independence from England in order to be self-governing under God." His first 1828 American Dictionary referenced the root meaning of words in Greek and Hebrew and defined them according to how they were used in Scripture! "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government ought to be instructed. . . . No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people…Education is useless without the Bible." – Noah Webster In The Remarkable Role of the Bible in Early American Education, Dr. Youmans explains how Scripture was heavily relied upon by early leaders and in America's public schools in order to produce thinkers. The Bible defined "education" and learning in America's schools. And that learning is not gained by passively sitting in front of computer screens, filling out endless worksheets and checking multiple choice boxes, she said. "Christian imagination is cultivated to dream God-sized dreams and to wonder at His glorious creation and His overruling hand in their lives and nations," she said. Dr. Benjamin Rush, a physician and co-founder of five colleges, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and founder of the Bible Society, wrote in 1791 that teaching the Bible in schools could "eradicate infidelity among us and render civil government scarcely necessary in our country." A biblical curriculum was designed to nurture children and give them an understanding of Christian history, with each lesson built on a biblical principle to guide them to reason and rightly apply truth to their own lives. The Society of Biblical Literature, founded in 1880, is the oldest academic organization advancing academic study of the Bible. It saw the winds of social turbulence after the Civil War and by 1900, the waves of anti-God and Marxist beliefs, and new age naturalistic beliefs threatening every traditional Christian doctrine. This international organization has a deep history of research and teaching the importance of Bible literacy in contributing to American scholarship and creating a more informed and enlightened citizenry. It has produced resources , guides and lesson plans on teaching the Bible. Today's popular objections and concerns are decisively addressed in its comprehensive Bible Electives in Public Schools: A Guide. Character and virtue education has historically been seen as the most vital part of education. "Educators throughout the centuries believed that it was of utmost importance to create a society that was loving, compassionate, civil, and self-disciplined," wrote William H. Jeynes, education professor and Senior Fellow at Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, NJ. "Without this foundation, having intelligent people was of limited value." America's Founders understood the Bible's importance in developing character and educated, reasoning citizens. Their centuries-old wisdom has proven true in modern academic research. In a comprehensive meta-analysis of forty studies, professor Jeynes found a clear association between character education and overall successful outcomes, academic achievement, higher levels of self-discipline, sense of purpose, perseverance and moral decision making in students. His research, published in 2017, helps explain "why educators for well over 2,000 years have placed such confidence in the efficacy of character education," he wrote , and makes it difficult to argue against. In the early 1960s, courts removed voluntary prayer and Bible reading from public schools, thereby removing Judeo-Christian foundations, resulting in the "de-facto jettisoning of character instruction from American public school classrooms," he wrote. Schools removed all semblance of moral education in schools with disastrous results. By the 1990s, calls grew to reintroduce the Bible and religious foundations to public schools. Over recent decades, he wrote, up to 99% of Americans believe qualities such as the golden rule, patriotism, honesty and responsibility should be taught in public schools. The Bible Literacy Project, begun nearly two decades ago, has identified significant reasons to teach the Bible, as key to understanding our culture, helping children succeed academically, and develop character. According to BLP, academic Bible study promotes critical thinking skills, incorporates a range of disciplines (literature, language, social studies and arts), and develops leaders and informed citizens. At least eleven states have already passed legislation encouraging Bible literacy in schools. But public schools have generally continued to fail to embrace and teach the Bible and its role in our lives, our history, and the moral fabric of America. Students have lost an understanding of who we are, where we’ve come from, and what we can become. Those disastrous results have been very real for students, families and our nation. Public School Exit, an education nonprofit, has identified the Top Reasons parents, families and churches cite as they actively work to get children out of government schools as fast possible to protect them. Among the reasons cited are:
Homeschooling is now the fastest growing form of education, and Christian schools have exploded, both outpacing government schools, as parents rush to provide better educations for their children. Today's parents are recognizing that our nation's public schools are deeply troubled. But they face an uphill battle to overcome the country's largest union and lobby, the National Education Association (NEA), with $388.4 million in revenue in 2023. It's been the political and financial power behind public schools and directly responsible for their extreme progressive policies . Americans may soon have an opening to enable making change happen, though. President-Elect Donald Trump plans to eliminate the federal department of education, which was only just established in 1979, thereby cutting the massive federal layer of administrative bureaucracies. Decisions and control of educating children would be returned to states and local communities, as well as to parents, homes and families. This is just as was the original intent and long tradition of education in America. Our Founding Fathers intentionally established our Constitution so that most aspects of life would be managed by the people and those closest to the citizens, their local communities and States. Our nation is recognizing that the U.S. Constitution gives no authority over education to the federal government , which has become bloated and corrupted , has scholastically failed our children, and radically departed from the morals and values of most of the country. The word "education" doesn't even appear in the Constitution and it was unthinkable to have federal control over schools well into the 20 th century, wrote Neal McCluskey with Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom. So, the onus will be on parents, local communities and States. Our work has just begun if we are to save our children and restore our Country. If we take the example and admonitions of our Founding Fathers, bringing the Bible back to schools is a wise and proven first step. It is not a radical idea. It is America's educational tradition. *** Our nation is in a deep spiritual battle for survival. It's a battle between good and evil, between truth and lies. This should be the finest hour for Christians and God's people to stand up for Christ and speak out against evil. Yet, disturbingly, most churches and pastors have remained silent. Instead of being shepherds for Christ and lights of faith, they've chosen to be hirelings, as Pastor Matt Trewhella at Mercy Seat Christian Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin describes. They've let their flocks fall prey to the tyranny of wolves and the evils of this world. In just days, Americans will decide the path for our future, yet even this critical hour has not awakened the church. This election drew me to the book of Judges 5:16-23, the Song of Deborah . Its lesson speaks so strongly to God's people today. It took place during the critical moment in the history of Israel fighting against their enemies and fighting for their survival, much as they are today. That period of struggle in Israel was a time of fear and oppression, when people were bleak and desperate. Under Deborah's leadership, the people were called to act. Believers stood behind their leader and willingly took up the battle for the Lord against mighty warriors. Zebulun risked his life to the point of death, as did Naphtali. Some, however, sat immobile, indecisive, and failed to act or join the battle for God. They failed in their duty of patriotism. Those who failed to act, and the unhelpful city of Meroz, were cursed and shamed by the Lord. Judges 5:23 reminds us that apathy is not innocent, but a willful choice against God, with great consequences. The Meroz people knew the right thing to do. They knew that a battle was raging and that men and women were putting their lives on the line for God. Still, they did nothing. They chose comfort, safety, and convenience over courage and faithfulness. I believe the Bible is teaching us that, as Christians, when faced with evil, neutrality and not doing the right thing and what Jesus calls us to do, is never an option. The greatest sins − sins that are often easily overlooked − are the sins of omission. As James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote: "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17) In the conservative Bible belt of west Texas, Christians in Lubbock, for example, lived the lessons in the Song of Deborah. They understood that Judges 5:16-23 teaches of courage and faith against overwhelming odds and evil. It sings of the joy and blessings of being a willing instrument of God and winning for God.
We are blessed to be living in an exceptional country, founded on Biblical teachings , a land of unprecedented opportunities, rich with God-given resources, and surrounded by absolutely beautiful mountains, coastlines and prairies. But we are now in a battle for the soul of our nation. People are turning away from God, working to obliterate the Constitution and our representative republic form of government, and erase our history. They're embracing a self-absorbed material world of drugs, sexual depravity, and killing for convenience or profit, absent of God's teachings. Our laws and borders have been eradicated, criminals given free reign. Police, doing God's work to help keep people safe, have been maligned and defunded. Once thriving and beautiful areas like Colorado, Oregon, California and New Mexico now have drug addicts passed out in parks where children once played, human feces and needles littering sidewalks, downtowns abandoned, tent cities overtaking neighborhoods, and small shops and family restaurants boarded up. Our children and Christians face a daily torrent of indoctrination and falsehoods at every turn, and are increasingly targets. Attacks against churches in the U.S. have increased 800% since 2018, according to the Family Research Council. Good people have been fleeing those "blue states" because they can't live or safely raise their families there anymore. Nor can they freely live their faith. It's been called the biggest mass migration in American history, as millions of people have moved from "blue states" to "red states" like Texas and Florida. More than 100,000 Californians moved to Texas last year, alone. But those who'd moved to west Texas to safely raise their families, prosper and escape problems are finding that the problems of California, Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico are increasingly moving to them. In fact, our entire nation is now under attack and under an invasion. Vicious Tren de Aragua gangs from Venezuela have taken over apartment complexes and entire neighborhoods. We've read that in the news from San Antonio, El Paso, Houston, and Aurora, Colorado. Even Queens, New York is gone. No community is safe from this crisis now, the nation's Sheriffs are warning. Problems on the border have even moved to small communities across the country. The instigators behind the October 7th massacre of 1,500 innocent men women and children in Israel have brought their terrorism to destroy America here, as Capital Research Center just reported. Over 150 terrorism groups are now active in the U.S. and growing increasingly militant and violent. This is the most dangerous time in America in my lifetime. Even the FBI was caught quietly "revising" their crime data, and revealed that earlier reports claiming crime had dropped under the Biden-Harris Administration had been false. In actuality, violent crime in America increased 4.5% just between 2022-2023. The FBI had hidden 1,699 murders in 2022; along with 198,015 property crimes; 80,029 violent crimes; 37,091 aggravated assaults; 113,975 larceny thefts; 54,216 vehicle thefts, 7,780 rapes, etc. These alone are horrific numbers, but they are just the ones that had not been reported. As Christians, it feels impossible to look the other way and pretend nothing's wrong, or not try to do something to help God's children being hurt and killed. Standing idly by, like the city of Meroz, and doing nothing would make us guilty of the sins of omission. We cannot let ourselves be deadened by sin and neglect. The only way to change the destructive secular course of our nation is for Christians to step up and help steer America towards a Biblical path. This is our time to follow the Song of Deborah and stand behind a leader fighting against tyrannical and unbiblical enemies. The Bible teaches us that our duty is to stand behind the Lesser Magistrate in fighting evil, just as Zebulun and Naphtali stood behind Deborah against Israel's enemies. They were victorious against overwhelming odds because they were on the side of God, just like those west Texans had been. Following the Song of Deborah, all Americans now can come together on the side of God. Our nation is burning down and our time is now. Our duty to act today is to vote. Let us pray that God pours his grace on all of us, helping us practice discernment, test all things and follow his wisdom as to what is good and right. May we all come together and examine the candidates' records in light of biblical teachings and vote for candidates that most honor Jesus and his teachings. When our choices are between imperfect candidates, we can't turn away because our task is too hard. Our duty is to stand behind the candidate who will most enable us to do God's work. Let us pray that Christians across America will search their souls and choose to not be guilty of apathy or indifference. May all Christians care enough, love enough, to come together and stand up for Christ.
© Szwarc 2024 Our Country's survival is down to hours. Americans will decide whether the U.S. will continue to be a free nation, with rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, or if we will turn away from God and follow the destructive path of tyranny and globalism. How many Americans grasp the lateness of the hour? How many get the spiritual battle our Country and Christians currently face? Christians have been left on their own to discern how to vote this election. Tragically, churches and pastors have largely failed to talk about the issues most concerning to Christians or to provide guidance from Biblical teachings, according to a disturbing study by Culture Research Center. Silence in the face of evil is evil itself, said Father James Altman. Choosing to remain silent when God calls you to speak up, doing nothing when God calls you to act, is what we are facing in this election between the Dominion of Good and Evil. Failing to vote is not an option for Christians. A few days ago, media and most churches and pastors ignored a story that offered a powerful cautionary message for today. It was the 40 th anniversary of the brutal slaughter of Father Jerzy Popieluszko by the Polish Communist Secret Service, martyred for his faith and standing up against Marxism and tyranny, and standing for Truth. This story showed the reality of living in a country without religious freedom and what America is at risk of becoming. This isn't a Catholic story, it's a story for all free people of faith and for all Americans. Father Jerzy was a simple, average man except by the most important measures. He was a man of integrity, dignity and heart, and a man of faith, who spoke the truth and united people together against cruelty, intolerance, and evil. After seminary, the Communist regime tried to break him, sending the young priest to a special unit where he was physically tortured so severely he required extended hospitalization. He would suffer serious health problems for the rest of his life. He was relentlessly hunted down, followed and threatened with death by the secret police throughout his ministry. The Communist regime declared war against the Polish people on December 13, 1981 and instituted martial law. This was a period of arrests and imprisonment without trial, food shortages, censorship, wiretapping and police violence, wrote journalist Dorothy C. McLean. While the Solidarity movement was forced underground. Father Jerzy remained unafraid and continued to speak out and help those escaping arrest. His response to the Communist tyranny was to defiantly hold a regular "Mass for the Homeland," even while security forces circled the church and tried to incite the congregation, Catholic records accounted . Father Jerzy's powerful and deeply theological sermons were heard by millions and were broadcast by Radio Free Europe into homes across Poland. Father Jerzy spoke about human rights, condemned injustice and the state's tyranny, and advocated for truth and freedom. His motto became, "Truth that costs nothing is a lie." Father Jerzy's faith, conviction, and courage inspired the people of Poland to stand against the oppressive Communist rule of the 1980s. Silencing him became the top priority of the state regimen, according to Catholic records. The state police planted grenades, explosives and ammunition, and leaflets calling for armed uprisings, in his apartment and locked him in prison again. As he grew increasingly more frail and sickly, he endured continual interrogations, attacks labeled as an "extremist," and attempts on his life. In 1984, at age 35, he was kidnapped by the Polish secret police (Służba Bezpieczeństwa). He was brutally and viciously beaten and tortured beyond recognition, and killed for his beliefs. His autopsy was so horrific, the Church suppressed it. His story became a documentary film, Messenger of the Truth. The authors wrote:
A raised fist became the sign of defiance and fight.
The anniversary of the Martyrdom of Father Jerzy was commemorated on Saturday, and its significance was explained by former President Donald Trump. Mr. Trump appears to understand that America is on the brink of following socialism that threatens our freedoms, our Country and our faith. He and Melania Trump had visited Poland in 2017, and paid tribute to the Polish people, their Solidarity Movement and brave defenders of freedom, saying that "the triumph of the Polish spirit over centuries of hardship gives us all hope for a future in which good conquers evil, and peace achieves victory over war." In Saturday's Commemoration presented to Father Jerzy's family, Mr. Trump said that in December 1981, after the Communist regime in Poland imposed martial law, Father Jerzy's response was to stand up against the regime and celebrate a monthly Mass for the Homeland to pray for those who had been murdered or imprisoned by the Communist regime under martial law. Mr. Trump said:
Father Jerzy's story strengthened the faithful and galvanized the entire free world around the cause of a free Poland and free Europe, said Mr. Trump. "His powerful witness serves as a light of freedom." Echoing his words from seven years ago, Mr. Trump concluded:
Contrasting Choices The contrast between the Presidential candidates was made more striking last week. Kamala Harris held a campaign rally on the campus of La Cross University in Lacrosse, Wisconsin on Thursday. While promoting abortion, two students in the crowd exclaimed, "Jesus is Lord" and "Christ is King." VP Harris laughed at them and said : "You guys are at the wrong rally," as she waved them away from the room. The two Christian students who had spoken out were heckled by the crowd, cursed, physically pushed and kicked out of the rally. The following morning, they were interviewed by Fox & Friends where they revealed what really happened at the rally and why they felt they were there for the right reasons and that God is watching them. The students then gave their testimony of faith and shared a message they felt was important for young people to understand. © Szwarc 2024 Examining the Presidential Candidates in Light of Biblical Teachings
Part 1: Trusting Jesus in Making the Right Choice Part 2: Beginning the discernment journey – Learning that Media is Not a Source for Truth Part 3: Religious freedoms and rights of conscience Part 4: Scripture and LGBTQ+ Rights Policy Part 5: Living our faith at the voting booth – Life and Abortion in Scripture Part 6: God's Word on crime and abuse of office in public servants Part 7: Border Walls and Sovereignty of Nations in Scripture Part 7 continued: What's the truth of a border crisis? Part 8: Scripture on Taxes and Government Spending Part 9: False Doctrine of Climate Change Part 10: The Spiritual Battle for our Country – Growth of Evil Part 11: The Spiritual Battle for our Country – Their world vision Epilogue: Following Jesus' Teachings as We Vote © Szwarc 2024
"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe." − Proverbs 29:25 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." – Romans 8:38-39 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you "Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Thank you for following along with me on this journey of discernment. I learned a lot in researching the Presidential candidates' deeds and words in light of Biblical teachings. It opened my eyes to things I'd never known and helped me rethink things I'd once thought were true. I hope it has been of help to you, too. The facts showed more powerfully than I might ever have imagined, that this election is the most important one in my lifetime if we are to save our Country, our faith, and our Constitution. Jesus' teachings guide us to what He would want us to do. We are at a crossroads at this moment in history: whether we will continue to be a free and sovereign nation or succumb to the evils of an anti-God, anti-life, and anti-free global world governance. Yet, currently 104 million Americans of faith don't plan to vote! In a study just published by Cultural Research Center, 99% of church-going Christians said the candidates positions on the key issues as in this series will affect who they vote for. That same survey found, however, that fewer than half of churches and pastors talked about the teachings of the Bible on these same issues. Abraham Lincoln said the Bible is "the best gift God has given to man" and he often turned to its reason when making moral decisions. As Christians, it's up to us to do the right thing, as warriors for Christ and for good. The Bible matters and is the soul of our Country. It teaches that we are to read, test all things, learn and share the truth. By testing we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) This critical election calls for each and every one of us to Vote, with the Bible in one hand and Jesus' teachings in our hearts. Seal of Hope I wanted to close by sharing this message of hope from Jesus that helped me not become overwhelmed as we are surrounded by so much evil in the world. Jesus taught us not to fear, as fear is the work of Satan and evil men. He also reminded us in Scripture that He has marked his true believers with a seal which is promised to protect us through to the end. We can hold in our hearts his promise to his faithful. I pray Christians will follow Jesus' lessons to practice discernment as diligently as they can, help others to hear the good news, and follow his Word with all their heart. That will be the saving grace for our Country and for God's people everywhere. Let us pray for America, for our leaders, churches, children, and the future. And never give up the hope that Jesus brings. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land." − 2 Chronicles 7:14 *** © Szwarc 2024 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Our soul waiteth for the Lord:
"Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. Decades of organized efforts to remove God from our culture and replace His teachings with globalist ideologies have effectively brought our country to this brink. Continuing the examination of this spiritual battle, there was one discovery that changed everything and made me understand that is election would decide if we will be able to preserve our Country and our First Amendment to practice our religion and freely speak the truth. On December 18, 2020, the World Economic Forum named their top five most powerful women in the world. Ms. Harris was listed third on a list that included the Chancellor of Germany and the President of the European Central Bank. They ranked her global importance over that of the President of the European Commission and Melinda Gates with the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation! Kamala Harris is considered the third most powerful woman global leader!
WEF had published articles before she'd run for office in 2019, complimenting her as the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco, the first woman Attorney General in California, and voicing "has the time finally come for a female U.S. President?" After she was elected VP, WEF again featured her, writing how the election result offered hope for "we the people" to build a better future. They called her words "so potentially transformative" and important for progressives fighting for social justice. Simultaneously, the WEF author maligned outgoing President Trump for alienating and terrifying, and being divisive. What actions has Ms. Harris taken that would place her in the spotlight of the world's top globalist organization? As I came to see, Ms. Harris has personally launched a number of global initiatives, all of which appear to be responding to and garnering the approval of the recognized leaders of the global order movement. In fact, she has been working alongside them. Throughout Ms. Harris' term in office, she has supported and expanded WEF and UN initiatives both globally and in our country, and worked in lockstep with globalists. In Part 7 , we already examined Klaus Schwab at the WEF working side-by-side with Ms. Harris to advance her Call to Action for the Northern Triangle of Central America. We also looked at George Soros, another WEF globalist member, her ties and work as a prosecutor ; and his funding of illegal immigration and specifically for Haitians, which Ms. Harris followed with immigration initiatives she created. Mr. Schwab went on to announce the WEF would convene and leverage its Fourth Industrial Revolution Network and facilitate partnerships in support of Ms. Harris. On May 26, 2022, at the WEF meeting at Davos, Mr. Schwab introduced new ESG initiatives to make significant commitments to VP Harris' Call to Action to companies and social enterprises for Northern Central America, bringing together 150 CEOs to align their corporate strategies with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles. But the story is much larger. On the World Economic Forum, Schwab issued his Global Gender Gap Report 2020. Subsequently, on October 22, 2021, Ms. Harris and Biden announced the first ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, writing that America has never fully lived up to the ideals of equality. However, this new policy was actually a worldwide global initiative, calling for a "whole-of-government" effort in partnership with "foreign governments and multi-lateral organizations, and non-governmental actors." The White House strategy included: reinstating funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA), expanding Obamacare and expanded health care globally , and supporting a federal Constitutional "right" to abortion. * President Trump had ended funding to UNPFA in 2017 after multiple investigations had uncovered unimaginable human rights abuses. VP Harris has never acknowledged the well-known human rights abuses associated with UNPFA.
That same day, the Biden-Harris White House also issued a "Proclamation on United Nations Day," proclaiming their success as the world's largest financial contributor to the UN in supporting global initiatives (most also reversed President Trump's actions) including: 1.) restoring membership in and funding for the World Health Organization, 2.) rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, 3.) $15 billion funding of the global Covid-19 response including donations to COVAX (directed by the GAVI Vaccine Alliance ), and 4.) affirming their support for the United Nations and the UN Charter and its Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In March 2023, Ms. Harris further advanced Schwab's calls for gender equity and to close "the digital divide…and advance gender equality" in Africa, when she personally released the "Fact Sheet: Vice President Harris Launches Global Initiatives on the Economic Empowerment of Women, Totaling over $1 Billion." It stated "the Vice President i s announcing a series of investments and initiatives from the U.S. government and in response to her call for investment from the private sector and philanthropic community ." (Translation: the philanthocapitalists at the World Economic Forum.) This was Ms. Harris' project, too.
Ms. Harris has been surprisingly involved with the UN. On December 15, 2022, at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, VP Harris chaired a "Leaders Summit Working Lunch on Multilateral Cooperation," announcing more new global initiatives. She affirmed her commitment to the UN and African Union founding documents and to be "more inclusive and responsive to global institutions, build a strong and sustainable global economy, foster new technology and innovation, strengthen health systems and prepare for the next pandemic, tackle the food security and climate crises, support democracy and human rights." She issued a White House briefing , outlining plans to invest at least $55 billion for Africa as part of her global initiatives. The Biden-Harris White House had signed an Executive Order on January 21, 2021, reversing President Trump's decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization, as their Administration began the work on "a path to global citizenship for the U.S." and plan to invest one-third of all U.S. development assistance to be dedicated to global health initiatives. WHO's Pandemic Agreement, first introduced on December 7, 2022 and supported by the WEF, would give WHO sweeping, legally−binding, worldwide powers over every national government and over every individual, in the event it declares another "pandemic." WHO also proposed amendments to its International Health Regulations (IHR) that would give it more authority to track, quarantine, force vaccinate, and censor speech during any WHO-declared pandemic . Earlier that year, WHO had also issued abortion guidelines stating abortion rights would continue even during global health crises. * Mises Institute explained, it is "One Health" and ignores the core principles of democratic governance. * The Heritage Foundation Issue Brief stated the texts being developed by WHO and the IHR would harm U.S. interests. According to the U.S. Constitution, any international agreement requires supermajority approval by the Senate, which the Senate reaffirmed in the "No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act." The President can't simply make international treaty agreements. But that hasn't stopped the Biden-Harris Administration. WHO's Pandemic Agreement, with its power grab of nations' sovereignty, failed to gain the support of free countries and didn't pass in June. So WHO has extended negotiations until next May 2025. Even Britain refused to sign onto the WHO global pandemic treaty. However, on April 16, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its "Global Health Security Strategy" in support of WHO and to make the U.S. a leader for driving global action towards WHO and IHR goals. Skirting the U.S. Constitution and required legislative votes, they stated their plans to "further accelerate country implementation of the International Health Regulations and contribute towards achieving the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness Global Health Security Agenda targets." * In the event the pandemic treaty fails to pass, it appears the U.S. government plans to get the job done itself, Sharyl Attkisson reported. These examples show a Presidential candidate with clearly conflicted interests, not devoted to the United States at all, but to global leaders and fully on board with their global governance agenda. Rereading VP Harris' speeches and briefs with each of her global initiatives, I was unable to find positive mentions of our country or her being proud of America. Virtually all of the initiatives she's personally led and promoted have been globalists' agendas. It genuinely feels like a vote for Ms. Harris is a vote for the totalitarian globalists at the UN and WEF… not for President of the United States. President Trump stands alone President Trump, on the other hand, as we saw in Part 10, is not one of them. He is not spoken of favorably by globalists at WEF or the UN. In fact, they've been quite contemptuous of him. President Trump admittedly made mistakes during his Presidency, but on this issue he has demonstrated that he gets the bigger picture. In order to create their "New World Order" and power grab, globalists have to bring down America. Why? Because a nation whose citizens follow Biblical principles, believe in individual freedom, think for themselves, are self reliant, work hard, and love their families, neighbors, churches and country, won't willingly give it all up and turn themselves over to global monarchs. President Trump surprised the world by making a bold decision to go to Davos, Switzerland and speaking to the WEF at their exclusive annual meeting on January 23, 2018. It was the first time a sitting U.S. President had gone to Davos since 2000. Then, he also surprisingly took the podium at the UN General Assembly on September 25, 2018. In his speech addressing Schwab and WEF, President Trump said: "Yet despite all of the cynics, I have never been more confident in America's future…For the first time in decades, we are no longer simply concentrating wealth in the hands of a few. We are concentrating and creating the most inclusive economy ever to exist. We are lifting up Americans of every race, color, religion, and creed… The American Dream is back — bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. No one is benefitting more than America's middle class."
With every paragraph, President Trump voiced his pride in our Country, optimism for the future and boldly stood up for our Country's national sovereignty: " A nation's highest duty is to its own citizens. Honoring this truth is the only way to build faith and confidence in the market system. Only when governments put their own citizens first will people be fully invested in their national futures. In the United States, we are building an economy that works for everyone, restoring the bonds of love and loyalty that unite citizens and powers nations. Today, I hold up the American model as an example to the world of a working system of free enterprise that will produce the most benefits for the most people in the 21 st century and beyond. A pro-worker, pro-citizen, pro-family agenda demonstrates how a nation can thrive when its communities, its companies, its government, and its people work together for the good of the whole nation."
Yet, he specifically demonstrated how nationalism was not isolationist. He talked about working together with countries while still preserving and respecting the national sovereignty of each other. Then, he went after globalist's fearmongering: "This is not a time for pessimism; this is a time for optimism. Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action. But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse. They are the heirs of yesterday's foolish fortune-tellers — and I have them and you have them, and we all have them, and they want to see us do badly, but we don't let that happen. They predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the ʼ70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s. These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform, and control every aspect of our lives. We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country, or eradicate our liberty. America will always be the proud, strong, and unyielding bastion of freedom.
Speaking to a less than receptive audience at the UN the following September, again his theme was America, its support of countries around the world, work for peace, and respect for national sovereignty. He closed by saying: "America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism and embrace the doctrine of patriotism."
President Trump stood up for our Country as no President I've watched in my lifetime has ever done. He has shown his willingness to risk everything for our Country – * Lose the money he'd earned as a businessman (losing a third of his net worth while in office, and never taking a Presidential paycheck );
Illegal election interference shows just how serious the efforts are to stop Mr. Trump from being elected. A Press Release was issued jointly by the ODNI, FBI and CISA on August 19 th about Iran's efforts to interfere with the elections. It included known recent activities to compromise his campaign, involving online theft and illegal disclosures. A July 9 th news release from ODNI warned the public of Iran using social media platforms to promote their false narratives on Gaza and Trump, in order to influence the election and stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions. FBI officials said on September 6 th that Iran's cyber operations targeting Trump are likely still active. A second joint agency Press Release on September 18 th confirmed Iran had hacked Trump's campaign email and stolen confidential material and has been releasing it to U.S. media and to Biden's campaign in June and July. The stolen confidential documents had been leaked to Politico, New York Times and Washington Post. Mr. Trump has demonstrated a willingness to lay down his life and everything he has to try and save the country. By his actions, President Trump has shown his true heart and what he holds fast. With literally historical efforts trying to stop him, he has not waivered on that. After studying the massive international powers working not only against him, but also against all Americans, patriotic citizens, and Christians, what President Trump said after they'd tried to impeach him in 2019 now makes sense: "In reality they're not after me. They are after you. I'm just in the way." While media scoffed at that, a prominent WEF member revealed this past January just how correct it was to WEF. Yuval Noah Harari openly said that if Trump is elected, "it will likely be the death blow to what remains of the global order." * Harari went on to share his views that nationalism leads to war and global government brings peace. His latest book, Lessons for the 21 st Century, promotes his view of scientism (which he calls secularism) and equates religion with fake news. "When a thousand people believe some made-up story for one month – that's fake news. When a billion people believe it for a thousand years – that's a religion." Never in my lifetime have I seen the globalists come together and devote such massive efforts − stopping at nothing − to bring down and block one man running for President and leader of the free world. They clearly see him as a menace to their totalitarian plans. I can't imagine a better example calling for the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate . Under that doctrine, the duty of Christians is to rally behind the lesser magistrate when he takes a stand against a tyrannical and unbiblical civil ruler. Recent news may have made the voting decision hard for some Christians. I went back again to the key question for Christians when selecting between imperfect civil leaders: which one will most enable Christians, and all people of faith, to practice their religion and share the Word? It's clear now. I don't think that our choice is even close. In closing, the Epilogue shares Jesus' message to Christians when faced with evil. © Szwarc 2024
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." − Ephesians 5:11
"For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light,
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." − John 1:5 "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
My journey in discernment showed to me that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle for our souls and for our Country like never before. There was one discovery that changed everything for me and made me realize, in the pit of my stomach and the bottom of my heart, that this election was the most critical one in my life if we hope to preserve our Country and our faith. The Bible teaches us to shine light on evil and, in John, Jesus teaches that evil hides in darkness. People doing wrong don't want us to know the truth and do everything possible to keep it from us, including censoring information and destroying those who might speak honestly. The vehemence of those attempts of deception and repression also helps us recognize when something isn't right and good. Jesus taught believers to expose harmful ideologies and unrighteous acts of the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites six times in Matthew 23 alone. God also told Christians we are to expose false teachers, be warriors for Christ, defend the faith, and protect the innocent and vulnerable. So, I must share with your what I learned. The greatest enemies of totalitarians and globalists are truth and light.
One-world leaders have done everything possible to malign, name-call, twist the U.S. Constitution, revise history, cast doubt and depart from Scripture. Globalists have openly admitted that only two key groups of people can stop them from their goal of taking global power: Bible-believing Christians, and patriotic Americans.
National sovereignty and free democratic republics are the enemy of those who want to take that from the people. Christians who hold to biblical teachings are the enemy of those who preach false doctrines and want us to follow false ideologies. Globalists have made no secret that Mr. Trump is not one of them. The World Economic Forum wrote in their 2016 Agenda papers how they were taken by surprise, had missed the mark in under-appreciating the strength and resiliency of American religion after the "election surprise" when President Trump was first elected. Their "blind spot," they wrote , was misreading a decline in Americans identifying with specific religions, with loss of faith. They'd also mistakenly dismissed what they called "flyover territory," but learned 21 of those 27 states had voted for President Trump. Their advice to secular investors was not to ignore religion. Perhaps, that helps to explain the rise of fake purported Christian groups campaigning for Biden and the more recent ones for Harris, such as Evangelicals for Harris . That's a for-profit campaign of environmentalist Rev. Jim Ball, who's become a veritable one-person news feed. Jesus reminded us in Matthew that not everyone who talks of him are his followers and recognized by Him. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, Then there's the new movement against "Christian Nationalism." Historian William J. Federer explained that the term "Christian Nationalist," is a recent made-up term meant to be derogatory towards Americans. Nationalism is about country, which is the opposite of globalism and that won't do. It's really that simple. It used to be called patriotism and Christian patriotism was something past Presidents of both parties once encouraged, he said. The term actually didn't show up until Donald Trump entered politics, which explains why it's primarily used to denigrate President Trump supporters and call them names. Now, anyone white, Christian and patriotic is made out to be a threat. Those proud of the exceptionalism that America once was and know that, on balance, America has been a source for good in the world, are now marked as "white supremacists" or "Christian nationalists." "It's exceptional because God is the one who is significantly blessing America because of its presumed Christian roots and its ongoing allegiance to God," said Professor Sean McDowell during a recent Biola University Talbot School of Theology podcast discussing Christian Nationalism. Now Christian patriotism is being equated with "right wing extremists" who are racist, sexist and just all-round deplorable. One such effort of maligning American patriotism is called "Christians Against Christian Nationalism." It's a project of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. BJC has a platform indistinguishable from that of Freedom From Religion Foundation, a tax exempt organization that says it works as a state-church watchdog and "voice for atheism and agnosticism." BJC's efforts have included opposing crosses and the Ten Commandments in public spaces, filing amicus briefs against a baker for following his religious beliefs and against President Trump's White House for restricting illegal immigration, and leading efforts to organize over 100 denominations and some 5,000 faith leaders to exclude political discussions in houses of worship and charitable organizations. BJC itself takes donations claiming it's a tax-exempt religious organization. One of the main nonprofits fighting against anti-religion and anti-American freedom groups is Alliance Defending Freedom . America has had support from around the world, brave men of faith who've been willing to sacrifice everything to shine the light on globalism. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò was one of the early ones speaking out and he suffered harsh consequences as a result, and was excommunicated by globalist Pope Francis. Archbishop Viganò wrote a message to Americans at Christmastime in 2021, saying: "Be proud of your identity as American patriots and of the Faith that must animate your life. Do not allow anyone to make you feel inferior just because you love your homeland, because you are honest at work, because you want to protect your family and raise your children with healthy values, because you respect the elderly, because you protect life from conception to its natural end. Do not be intimidated or seduced by those who propagate a dystopian world in which a faceless power imposes on you contempt for the Law of God, presents sin and vice as licit and desirable, despises righteousness and Morality, destroys the natural family and promotes the worst perversions, plans the death of defenseless and weak creatures, and exploits humanity for its own profit or to preserve power…. so also today your commitment to the moral rebirth of the United States of America –one Nation under God — will have the blessing of Our Lord and will gather those who govern you around you. Amen. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America."
Many have recognized what has been going on and the dangers America and the free world face. But one discovery made me understand that this election may be the last hope for our country. This critical issue continues in Part 11. © Szwarc 2024
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…every thing
"While the earth remains (until Jesus returns), seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, "I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, Scripture teaches us that God is sovereign over all of creation and declared His creation "good." His design was and is perfect and complete. God's miraculous creation precisely balanced the elements, gases, carbon dioxide cycle , and all things vital for all life on earth. The element carbon is present in everything on, in, under and over the planet… including in us. God also created a gas that's vital to all life. Carbon dioxide is essential for all living, growing plants on the planet. False teachers preach that this life-giving gas is actually deadly, and that God's design was inferior and depends upon human rulers to intervene to save a fragile planet. "Climate Change" is a doctrine that worships a false idol, the earth . It is everything the Bible warned against. It attempts to lead Christians from the foundational truths of our faith.
God made man with an intellect, an ability to think and reason, and warns us throughout the Bible to practice discernment and test all things, and not to rely on our own understanding. He gave all of us the capacity to learn discernment – that is simply calm reasoning and critical thinking, also called the scientific method (as opposed to "science"). Knowledge and common sense are not exclusively reserved for academics. Biblical discernment refers not only to Scripture, but to all things in our lives today. It was precisely through practicing discernment − studying Scripture and researching independent, objective, verifiable information in order to separate sound scientific evidence from false information found in popular media − that many people have been able to see the lies, untruths, fake and junk science, and false claims. Fear Not One of the simplest ways to recognize untruths is when we are led to feel afraid. Fear is a tactic of wrongdoers and those trying to sell us on something that is not good, right or truthful. Scaremongering is not used by legitimate and objective scientists, doctors, or anyone following the scientific method of testing all things, exploring different ideas, and helping to bring people out of poverty and suffering. God warned us to "fear not" about 365 times in the Bible . God clearly thought it was an important guidance for us! So, all of that scaremongering − surrounding such things as global warming, climate change and fossil fuel energy, radical environmentalism, and over-population − has been used, just as God warned, by false teachers who have ulterior purposes and want to lure us down a dark agenda. [Part 10 examines the wrongdoers and what they have planned for us.] Few Christians or Americans would feel it is following Jesus's teachings to use heartbreaking human tragedies and the suffering of natural disaster victims, such as of Hurricane Helene, to scare people that a "climate crisis is more urgent than ever." Not only it is an example of fear being used for political gain, but it's a false ideology. National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center data clearly does not show increasing hurricanes striking the U.S. since records began in 1851. Nor does global tropical cyclone activity support increases in extreme weather and climate events. Even school kids know there's been no increase in the number of hurricanes around the world. God's teachings help children learn the truth and not to fear or be hurt by scares. Ms. Harris has been devoted to the UN's climate change agenda throughout her career. In examining the Presidential candidates, Ms. Harris is known for her vehement opposition to fracking and critical view of oil companies. Fracking is a process of extracting oil and natural gas from shale rock that goes back to 1862. It's not new or without safety testing ; but horizontal drilling techniques increased production 40% since 2006, reduced the environmental impact on the land, and cut natural gas prices in half. Currently, two-thirds of the natural gas produced in the U.S. is through hydraulic fracturing.
Her opposition to fracking was so strong that as California Attorney General, before leaving her position, she'd even sued the Obama administration for permitting fracking off the Pacific coast. In an announcement of her lawsuit she stated: "We must take every possible step to protect our precious coastline and ocean." At a Presidential Town Hall televised by CNN last year, she strongly reiterated her support for banning offshore drilling. She told the national audience that "there is no question I am in favor of banning fracking" and would take executive action on "day one" to ban fracking on all public land and move to have Congressional action to prohibit it on all private lands. Last month, CNN reported on her track record as "a tremendous champion on climate and environmental justice," including suing oil companies and investigating Exxon for its role in "climate change disinformation." [At the 2019 Climate Forum, Ms. Harris said she'd sued Exxon Mobile but Poynter Institute's Politifact rated her claim as False, finding no evidence she'd actually sued the company.] While Senator in 2019, she co-sponsored her Green New Deal, saying: "Climate change is an existential threat to our country, our planet and our future…we have a shrinking window to take drastic action to cut carbon emissions and make meaningful change to save our planet." She issued her own $10 trillion plan to achieve "net zero carbon emissions by 2045." It was more radical than the plans from progressive Democrats. She proposed the U.S. have 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2030 and all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035. As Vice President, Ms. Harris issued a statement at the Secretary of War Suite in October 2021 in support of the UN's climate agenda, and repeated frightening claims of drastically lower sea levels and the critical need to reduce energy emissions. She introduced her new agenda along with Biden's Build Back Better, to reduce emissions 50% by 2030, and prioritize electric vehicles and green energy. Even school children know that melting Arctic ice does not raise sea levels and that most of Antarctica has actually cooled over the last 40 years. Jesus teaches his children not to fear. She personally gave another briefing on August 1, 2022 on the threat of climate change, citing recent floods, forest fires and hot weather to support a climate crisis. She added that the National Hurricane Center had briefed her on "extreme weather fueled by climate change." With that, she announced $1 billion in spending on "climate resilience" projects in 343 towns, cities and counties around the country, promising the grant projects will create good union jobs, and that the White House has already committed to doubling that to $2 billion next year. She added they'd already invested "tens of billions of dollars to put more electric vehicles on the road" and $65 billion for electric grid and transmission infrastructure to support wind and solar. There continues to be no evidence that climate policies have had or even could have significant effects on the climate. Just last week, researchers from several European institutions analyzed 1,500 climate policies implemented in 41 countries since the turn of the century. They reported in the journal Science that 95.8% failed and the meager effect of the remaining policies result in bankruptcy, untold suffering for people, increase poverty rates and homelessness, are environmentally destructive, and destabilize the power grid. FACTS. The results of Ms. Harris' environmental policies have been felt by Americans. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' July 2024 report stated electricity prices have increased for all urban consumers, 4.9% since just one year ago.
Last December, Ms. Harris spoke at the United Nation's COP28 in Dubai where she pledged $3 billion of U.S. tax dollars towards the globalists' Green Climate Fund. According to UN Climate Change News, COP28 marked the end of fossil fuel and completed implementation of the Paris Agreement. The highly controversial COP28 is estimated to cost between $110 trillion to $275 trillion – 2.6 times the entire global GDP for 2023 , according to Forbes. The World Economic Forum explained that under the UN agenda, food production will be especially impacted by the regulations slashing emissions. In response, the UN globalist stakeholders created a coalition to create a new "sustainable" food system with a $10-$20 billion commitment. In April 2024, Ms. Harris announced the communities chosen to get money for climate change projects from her $20 billion Inflation Reduction Act which she'd personally ensured passed. Last month, she and Biden issued their Environmental Justice agenda, showcasing 24 federal agencies getting over $600 Billion between 2022-2027, along with massive new regulations, environmental laws, and environmental justice reforms. The effects for American consumers are yet to come. VP Harris has taken personal ownership of the most detrimental, unsound, costly, and unbiblical global initiatives in the name of "climate change" ever imposed on Americans. A coalition of climate change groups with the Environmental Defense Fund recently announced a new massive $55 million advertising campaign for Ms. Harris. President Trump, in contrast, had introduced an energy independence policy, promising taxpayers relief from Obama's Clean Power Plan − 2,658 pages of regulations that imposed higher energy costs on American families and businesses for meaningless climate benefits, according to an analysis by the Former Deputy Direct of the Thomas A. Roe Institute. President Trump said Obama's Clean Power Plan cost up to $39 billion a year and "increased electricity prices in 41 States by at least 10%;" and was opposed by 27 States, 24 trade associations, 37 rural electric co-ops and 3 labor unions. Trump's White House reported that air quality was even cleaner under his energy independence initiatives, which demonstrated that energy production and environmental stewardship is possible. EPA government data shows that to be true, reporting improved air quality on nearly every measure and all air pollutant emissions showing significant declines during his Administration. FACTS. Retail electricity prices were stable throughout the Trump Administration, averaging $10.52 cents/kwh, according to Statista.
At a December 19, 2017 Trump White House press briefing, it was reported that 22 regulations had been rolled back for every new one,saving taxpayers over $8 billion. President Trump approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, instructed EPA to end the war on coal, and opened up ANWR to responsible energy exploration. FACTS. Gasoline prices during Trump's Presidency averaged $2.57, gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
President Trump was the first President in over 70 years to actually achieve "what every President since Nixon had promised: Energy Independence," headlined Investor's Business Daily on December 7, 2018. * The simplest way to measure energy independence is if the U.S. exports more energy than it imports. By this metric, the U.S. actually did achieve energy independence for the first time in 2019 under President Trump, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Trump's White House stated he led an energy revolution , eliminated unnecessary burdensome rules and regulatory mandates that encumbered energy production and raised costs for consumers. That proved true, too. Columbia Climate School counted 100 environmental rules that had been reversed, revoked or rolled back under Trump's Administration, calling it an unprecedented legacy. American consumers and businesses were able to keep more of their money rather than it go to climate change special interests. By trusting and following Jesus' teachings, we know that God's design is perfect. The Presidential candidates are widely different in their trust of God and Biblical teachings. Finally, Part 10 examines the biggest issue of the election, the spiritual battle for our Country. © Szwarc 2024
"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord." − Leviticus 27:30
"Honor the Lord with your wealthand with the first fruits of all your produce."Proverbs 3:9 "Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD. The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves. You shall take the atonement money [silver] from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting." – Exodus 30:14-16 "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."– 2 Thessalonians 3:10
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." − 2 Corinthians 9:7
"Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need." – Ephesians 4:28 "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."Matthew 16:6 God blessed his people with civil leaders who are God's servants and given the primary role of carrying out God's wrath on wrongdoers, protecting the people from crime and evil enemies within its borders and beyond. A second role of rulers in scripture is to collect taxes to pay for its God-ordained work on our behalf, but not to acquire wealth for themselves (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). Jesus taught that we are to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God" (Mark 12:13-17). And while we are to pay taxes, Jesus also specifically warned his people to be wary of the gifts and benefits that civil leaders will try to seduce them with (the "leaven") to follow the wrong path. These perks lead people to become more dependent on the State, not on Jesus. The average working American is taxed 24% of their income by the Federal government and up to another 13.3% by the State; and on top of that are local taxes, licenses and fees, property and sales taxes, taxes on savings accounts and investments, etc. People can keep only the leftovers of their labor, to tithe to the church, support their families, and do God's work. Taxes have grown well beyond the 10% for government services, as in Numbers 18:21-28, and many times more than the Lord's tithing. The Bible says the first fruits of our labor are God's and are holy to the Lord. But today, governments seize taxes far beyond Biblical tithing and for functions that God did not authorize civil governments to do. In doing so, the State is put ahead of God and is assuming God's authority. Our difficult role as Christians is to support rulers who most follow God's teachings and account for people's money wisely and honorably. Key Administrative Role in Federal Taxes and Spending Regulations In examining Ms. Harris, I learned she has personally held the key to federal taxes and spending regulations during her term as Vice President. The Vice President of the United States also serves as the president of the Senate and casts the deciding vote anytime there is a tie. VP Harris has cast the most tie-breaking votes of any VP in the history of our country, according to Ballotpedia . She was the deciding tie-breaking vote and personally accountable for the largest federal spending, largest federal deficit and inflation in our country's history… and did it through falsehoods. On February 5, 2021, her vote resulted in the passage of the $1.9 Trillion Covid-19 economic relief bill. But that paled compared to the tie-breaking vote she cast for the "Inflation Reduction Act" on August 7, 2022 . The Act was intentionally deceptively named. It wasn't about reducing inflation. It actually was the biggest climate change legislation in history. The Act gave massive subsidies to the green energy industry and for 22 consumer "tax credits" for green energy technologies associated with zero-carbon goals, while also mandating climate agenda items like electric vehicles, heat pumps, solar-wind and battery plants, and consumer products down to what light bulbs, washing machines and stoves people will be allowed to use. The regulations cover 30% of new home construction. The Congressional Budget Office had falsely claimed the Act she saw approved would reduce the deficit by an estimated $90 Billion through 2031. The Biden-Harris White House sold the Act to Americans with promises it "will lower costs for families…reduce the deficit and ask the largest corporations to pay their fair share." Seniors on Medicare were promised their prescription drug costs would go down because drug companies will be required to negotiate prices, and their drugs costs under Medicare Part D would cap at $2,000 per year. The Act included $80 billion in additional funding to the IRS over ten years, which the Biden-Harris White House told the public was about "fairness" and enforcing tax compliance among the wealthiest tax evaders. The Act also imposed complicated new tax regulations and tax increases on companies and investors. Ms. Harris failed to reveal that the Act included a new IRS program to monitor workers' tips so they could be taxed. Nothing about The Act was biblical, reasoned or true. Americans certainly have not seen the U.S. debt falling on the Debt Clock! Federal spending, the budget deficit and national debt are all soaring upward so fast, it's hard to see the numbers. Even NPR reported the Federal deficit had nearly tripled in the first nine months of 2023 and was nearly double that of a year earlier. President of the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget questioned how anyone could possibly think this was sustainable. Inflation is solely the creation of government and no one else, explained the famous economist Professor Milton Friedman. Only government can print money and create money out of nothing, has control over the money supply, and can excessively spend public money that it doesn't have. By every objective measure, Americans have been hurt by higher inflation. Everything costs more and money isn't worth what it once was: * Average monthly expenses for American households, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, increased 9.1% between 2021-2022. Inflation increased the living costs for the average couple $7,800 and for the average family $9,339 more, in that single year alone.
By March 24, 2023, Goldman Sach reported the tax credits in Harris' Act alone will cost about $1.2 Trillion - three-times more than had been claimed . It found Democrats had used "accounting gimmicks" and that the Act "may go down as one of the greatest confidence tricks on taxpayers in history." The Tax Foundation's report of the Act's first year found the new complexities in the tax code were so hopelessly convoluted, complicated and unworkable, payments for both the minimum tax and stock buyback tax are on hold until the IRS issues can be figured out. It found that the Act is leading to skyrocketing budgetary costs, approaching $1 trillion the next decade. By May, energy credit costs were already double original estimates . Worse, the manufacturing production credit, modified energy credit and electric vehicle costs had all more than quadrupled! The Tax Foundation said recently proposed mandates by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will push cost estimates even higher, and add another $210 billion in tax revenue losses, $136 billion from EV credits and $74 billion from battery production. The Act can only worsen deficits. The Tax Foundation concluded that the problems with the Act are so daunting and inflation reduction "most clearly off course," it's unclear it can even be salvaged. I want to point out an insidious part of the Act that wasspecifically aimed towards seniors. The Act actually gutted Medicare to fund electric vehicles and other green deal subsidies. The new mandate, called the Drug Price Negotiation Program, is really a price-fixing scheme on prescription drugs. Its legality and Constitutionality have resulted in at least nine lawsuits , while support for the price-fixing scheme comes from progressive academic and nonprofit foundations. Under this controversial program, the government will select drugs from a list of drugs in Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to apply price controls, with the number of drugs increasing each year (ten drugs targeted in 2023, another 15 in 2025, etc.). The Tax Foundation explained that compulsory lower government payments for drugs provided through Medicare will reduce investments by the pharmaceutical industry in research and development, meaning fewer new drugs will come on the market. But that's not the full story. The Act promised to keep Medicare drug premiums low for seniors, but it only gave the appearance of the government not raising drug prices. In actuality, it simply shifted the costs to the insurance companies managing Medicare Part D benefits, who will have to find a way to absorb or pass those higher costs on to seniors. According to the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget, the Act was designed to hide huge increases in monthly premiums for Part D plans until after the election, which are expected to triple by 2025 . To continue under drug price fixing, most insurance companies are increasing "prior authorization" requirements to push patients to cheaper therapies and away from medications that can be most effective or safe for them. Other companies are stopping offering Part D altogether − 100 plans disappeared in 2023 and fewer than half survived this year. Mutual of Omaha was planning on dropping its Medicare Prescription Drug Plan next year, which could leave another 200,000 seniors to fend for themselves. Since Obamacare, Medicare benefit coverages have been continually cut and capped , as designed. Seniors are forced onto government-managed Medicare at age 65, only able to waive Part A if they forfeit all of the Social Security benefits they've paid into their entire working life. And old-fashioned private PPO health insurance is illegal to offer and unavailable to anyone age 65+. So the only way to avoid Medicare Part B is to self-pay, an option only possible for the ultra-wealthy. And anyone who doesn't enroll in Medicare Part B immediately when eligible at age 65+ is hit with alifetimepenalty. Several years ago, the government began bundling Medicare payments , which means the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) gives a lump sum of money to pay the doctor and hospitals for a given procedure (like hip and knee replacements ) or diagnosis (like cancer ). Providers are incentivized to not care for the sickest patients and to cut costs and treatment options to keep their costs down and maintain profits. That leads to lower quality of care for the very people who most need medical care. Besides massively increased government regulations, mandated clinical care guidelines, and reporting requirements for Medicare, providers are paid increasingly less under the government managed care program. Another 3.37% reduction in Medicare physician payments went into effect this year. Last month, AIER reported that Medicare has cut reimbursements to doctors by 10% just in the past decade (they aren't adjusted for inflation, either). It's no wonder, seniors are increasingly finding fewer doctors want to accept Medicare. In August, Fidelity Investment Group issued its 2024 retiree healthcare cost estimates . All of the healthcare costs that Medicare doesn't cover (premiums, drugs, dental, vision, hearing, etc.) are left to retirees to manage. Fidelity's research reported that a 65-year-old retiring today can expect to spend $165,000 on health care in retirement, a 5% increase from last year andmore than double the estimate from 2002. Ms. Harris has supported government managed health care throughout her career . While California AG, in 2011 she filed an Amicus Brief in support of Obamacare . She established strict government conditions for California hospitals and required them to certify participation and compliance with Medicare and Medi-Cal mandates and uphold all compulsory critical services, including requiring "reproductive services …without restrictions or limitation." Six failing Daughters of Charity Health System hospitals in California went up for sale in 2015. Ms. Harris placed conditions on the purchase that prospective buyer, Prime Healthcare Services, said were "onerous and unprecedented." After concluding Ms. Harris' conditions were so burdensome and restrictive that it would be impossible for any buyer to operate and save these hospitals, they ended up backing out of the $843 million sale. Verity Health Systems , a secular nonprofit owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, agreed to operate the hospitals, but by 2018 it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection facing $175 million/year losses. Ms. Harris personally campaigned on compulsory Medicare for all and government-managed universal health coverage. Healthcare should be a right, she has repeatedly said. Under her plan, private health insurance plans would be allowed a role, but only as providers under government-controlled Medicare guidelines. She and Biden also just announced plans to expand health coverage care for about 100,000 illegal immigrant children next year. In doing the work of discernment, I could find no objective evidence to support Ms. Harris' vision of government-managed healthcare for all. Nor is it found in Scripture or part of God's covenant with his people. Government-managed health care is not a God-authorized role of civil government. President Trump's actions while in office were the opposite those of Ms. Harris. On taxes, President Trump passed the largest tax reform package in history, $3.2 trillion in tax cuts, across every sector. Did it actually help regular Americans and middle class families or just the rich? Everyone. Examining actual IRS tax data after Trump's 2017 tax cuts, the Tax Foundation found that everyone benefited with significantly lower taxes. By increasing the standard deduction, IRS returns were also simplified, slashing the numbers of people at every income level itemizing, trying to find ways to lower their tax bills. President Trump followed the Biblical and anti-Marxist concept of helping people gain independence and worked to enable them to elevate themselves out of poverty and dependency on the government. During his first term, media condemnation was relentless against his efforts, such as his HUD Secretary, Dr. Ben Carson's attempts to clean up and reform social programs, such as Obama's Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulations . His launch of a new Envision Center Initiative , to try and help bring Blacks and minorities up out of poverty and help HUD-assisted households become self-sufficient, was labeled racist. As Wall Street Journal reported, President Trump inherited a slowing economy with widespread recession concerns. Yet, his tax cuts and reductions in regulations resulted in hundreds of companies increasing wages, salaries and benefits ; while gross domestic product nearly doubled within the first two years. In 2017 alone, he "rolled back twenty-two regulations for every one new regulation, saving taxpayers over $8 billion and liberating America’s economy from the grip of bloated government," said his press secretary Sarah Sanders. The economic boom and lower corporate taxes most benefited low- and middle-class households, including a disproportionate number of Blacks whose incomes grew more than whites, according to the WSJ. Everything he did was labeled by media and his opponents as racist . So, it was surprising to learn that President Trump had worked closely with black leaders, like Scott Turner at the America First Policy Institute, to develop policies that would help minority communities realize their dreams. Mr. Turner described a few examples in Capital Matters of how blacks benefited: record low poverty rates; 1 million lifted out of poverty between 2016-2019, and black home ownership increased 47%. President Trump's agenda included: * The Tax Cut and Jobs Act that created nearly 9,000 opportunity zones with zero capital gains taxes on long-term investments, and raised $75 billion for underserved communities in the first two years enough to create about 500,000 jobs.
Were blacks really better off during President Trump's Administration? I ran the numbers. During the first three years of Biden-Harris' administration (2021-2023), median incomes for blacks (alone or mixed race) households went from $54,660 to $56,880. Adjusted for inflation , black households saw their real incomes DROP $4,585.00 during the first three years of Biden-Harris Administration. In contrast, during the first three years of President Trumps Administration (2017-2019), median incomes for these same black households went from $48,930 to $54,460. Adjusted for inflation , black households saw their real income INCREASE $3,427.00 the first three years of his Administration. That's a difference of $8,011. On healthcare, President Trump took a hard stand against Medicare-for All, saying : "We have to reject the socialist model that rations care, restricts access, slashes quality, and forces patients onto endless waitlists. Instead, we believe in freedom. We believe in choice. We believe in the highest standard of care in the world — anywhere in the world."
President Trump appears to have realized that the universal socialized-like model of healthcare and the massive bureaucracy will take time to redirect and do in a way that protects and cares for the truly needy, widows, children, disabled and elderly. Every powerful corporation and stakeholder, from Pharma to healthcare management companies to public health agencies, fought him on any changes, as was wildly evident in professional and consumer publications throughout his administration and to this day. Still, he eliminated the Obamacare individual mandate and signed the first-ever executive order making it a federal policy to protect patients from pre-existing conditions denials of coverage. He promoted more choices for individual health insurance, helped employers offer less expensive plans, and allowed the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The other changes in health insurance, Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, and health savings accounts, tweaked government regulations, but in a single term of office were unable to significantly lessen the federal government's grip on healthcare. Healthcare policies are inordinately complicated. Some of his greatest weaknesses were in medical science and health decisions; the advisors he placed his trust in; and the agency bureaucrats he empowered. But objectively, on balance, his weaknesses pale compared to the consequences seen in the enormous expansion and continuation and doubling down of government health mandates that followed under Ms. Harris. Part 9 examines the candidates' actions on God's creation, our world. Did their energy policies follow and honor Jesus' teachings? © Szwarc 2024 "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." - 1 John 3:18
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:32
"Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known." - Luke 12:2
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:12-14 One of the most challenging issues in examining the candidates in light of Jesus' teachings is the border crisis and immigration policies. Yet, it may be the deciding factor for many Christians still undecided on how to vote. Examining the issue of "Border Walls And Sovereignty Of Nations In Scripture," Part 7 began by looking at the actions of Kamala Harris as lead on the border: the more than a hundred executive orders and immigration policies that she had created and rewritten, without congressional approval or the vote of the people. Under her management policies, more than 2.6 million illegal aliens were "paroled" and released into our country, nearly 1.9 million more were given "temporary protected status," and the more than 100,000 illegals were let in as "refugees" under new criteria she created, the most in three decades. No one knows the real number of gotaway illegal aliens through the virtually open border. I looked past the conflicted media's efforts to keep the truth from the public and found unsettling facts of what the small community of Springfield, Ohio has been facing as a result of her immigration policies. Continuing Part 7 , I tried to grasp the reality of the consequences for all of us when the Administration fails to follow Biblical teachings or our Constitution. Ms. Harris has been accountable for U.S. immigration laws being thwarted, violated and rewritten by Executive Order. By going to original sources, it proved impossible to ignore the harmful consequences of her border management. The border crisis now surpasses the worst case scenarios warned by nearly every law enforcement, medical, economic, humanitarian, and legal expert. The exact number of people in the country illegally is hard to know for certain. The popular figure cited by media back in 2021 was 11 million and the source of that number was Pew Research Center, according to ESR Research. [Pew Charitable Trusts is an NGO that quickly drifted left after its founders died, and by 1994 has become a massive bureaucracy working to influence government and private organizations, funding 40-times more liberal causes as conservative.] But Yale researchers found that the popular 11 million figure was completely bogus and estimated that in 2016 the actual number of illegals in the U.S. had been closer to 22.1 million. FAIR research estimated the number of illegals in the U.S. in June 2023 was about 16.8 million, and had increased 16% during the first two years of the Biden-Harris administration. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner reported to Representative Tony Gonzales in a letter dated September 24, 2024, that as of July 21, 2024 a total of 425,431 convicted criminal illegal aliens had been released into the U.S. - guilty of murder, rape, drug trafficking, kidnapping, larceny, assaults, burglary, etc. - with another 222,141 pending criminal charges during this Administration. These 425,431 convicted criminals are on the streets of America. The September 18, 2024 Committee on Homeland Security meeting and accompanying investigative report , Crisis by Design, reported on the intentional unlawful Biden-Harris policies that dismantled border security and immigration laws. Their Administration's directives, they found, signaled to illegals that the borders were open and that anyone crossing illegally would be released into the interior. Sadly, this also motivated desperately poor people to risk their lives, often becoming victims of crime themselves, to try and get to our borders. * Growing numbers of Illegals on the terrorist watch list are being apprehended â 388 by border patrol between ports of entry and 1,468 by Office of Field Operations (OFO) at land ports of entry â since FY2021; and more than 53,600 criminal aliens had been apprehended.
On August 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced an additional $380 million in expenses for community Shelters and Services Program. That's in addition to $259.13 million prior to April. In FY 2023, the DHS spent over $780 million for illegal services. These figures do not include costs to process illegals, including transportation, shelter, detention, food, medical care, education for children, translators, hiring training, legal defense costs, and more. These costs also do not include $4 Billion sent by Biden-Harris to Central America, according to the CIS. The July2024 Startling Facts from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, released on August 16, 2024 to the House Committee on Homeland Security, reported thecrisis "still out of control." By July, the total of illegal encounters under the Biden-Harris administration had reached 10.1 million â 200% increase from 4 years combined (FY2017-FY2020), which didn't include at least 2 million "got-a-ways." In a June 17, 2024 Cost of Illegal Immigration report, CIS said that the crisis began when Biden-Harris campaigned to get rid of President Trump's immigration policies, such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, which resulted in soaring "frivolous asylum claims." The administration also contributed to the problem, they concluded, by ending agreements with several Central American countries that curtailed illegal migration, such as Title 42, which encouraged more people to come and overwhelm the entire system. There is now a record 51.6 million immigrants in the U.S , making up 15.6% of the U.S. population, and these low-wage workers collectively have been a net drain on our country and communities which are losing their middle-class tax base. On April 24, 2024, Homeland Security reported over1.7 million illegals had entered the country in the first six month of FY2024, the greatest number in history; the majority were single young males. CBP agents also seized 10,026 Pounds of fentanyl during that period (a lethal dose is 2mg), enough to kill 2.2 billion people. The Center for Immigration Studies testified to Congress at the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee hearing on January 11, 2024 that the illegal alien population estimates since Ms. Harris took office had grown to 12.8 million by October of 2023 . Most of the adult illegal immigrants had no education beyond high school (about double compared to U.S. born citizens) and were making extensive use of welfare. More than half, 59%, use one or more major welfare programs and receive over an estimated $42 Billion in benefits. The children of illegals (many born in the U.S.) also receive free school breakfast and lunch, WIC, many are provided Medicaid, and had cost public schools $68.1 Billion in 2019 . Their analysis found the taxes paid by some illegals were not nearly enough to cover their costs to taxpayers. According to a November 13, 2023 Special Committee on Homeland Security Majority Report, the border crisis cost Americans, already struggling under record-high inflation and a down job market, an estimated $451 billion annually. It found the net cost of illegal immigration was greater than the total annual GDP of 15 states and was costing every American taxpayer an average of $1,156 . * A significant portion of those costs were going for health care for illegals, overwhelming providers, reducing access to medical care for Americans and seniors, and leaving U.S. hospitals with billions in unpaid bills . * The Report went on to document the effects on schools, law enforcement, public food and housing and childcare benefits, destruction of private property and livelihoods for farmers and ranchers along the border, and dangers to the illegals themselves and innocent children. Title 42 was ended by the Biden-Harris Administration the spring of 2022 and media has been largely silent on the consequences. Ending Title 42 eliminated medical vetting to ensure migrants are not coming into the country with contagious and deadly diseases. Medical literature is rarely reported in mainstream media, but it reveals growing concerns among healthcare professionals. More illegals are now coming from atypical countries (Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and as far away as China an Afghanistan). It's resulted in unprecedented surges in cases of formerly eliminated communicable diseases are now being reported by public health departments â including tuberculosis , hepatitis B and C, polio, syphilis, measles, diphtheria, and more. * The CDC reported in May, for example, that 84% of measles in a recent Chicago outbreak were linked to Venezuelan migrants, with the rest from Peru and Chile.
Crime Wave Almost daily, Americans are learning of horrific crimes by undocumented aliens, with significant increases in violent crimes , such as reported by Nexstar Media Group, a news network validated by independent watchdog groups. Local news agencies have also been unable to ignore the growing problem of gangs coming through the border and criminal activity in our cities that now occur on a regular basis. The National Sheriff's Association reported a record number of suspected terrorists were apprehended in 2023 and reported that the influx of people, illicit narcotics and crime were straining local resources for border sheriffs and law enforcement across the country. The head of the Association sounded the alarm of drug poisonings, comparing the number of fentanyl deaths to a large plane crashing every day. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that 64% of federal arrests in 2018 involved noncitizens, despite being only 7% of the population at that time.
FAIR has reported examples of serious crimes by illegal aliens from verified sources every year since 2007 and shares videos of their personal stories. A partial list of Americans killed by illegal immigrants is also compiled by ALIPAC (Americans for Legal Immigration) volunteers and includes 789 Americans as of March 18, 2024, with links to the full stories of each murder. The accounts of some of the legal cases are also discussed on their forum. The efforts by the victims' families are simply to bring awareness that illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.
Arrests by Border Patrol agents of illegals at the border with criminal convictions grew to 15,267 last year and are already 14,697 so far in 2024. Newsweek reported in March that during Biden-Harris administration, there had already been162 homicides by illegals, compared to 11 during the entire Trump Presidential administration. Crime statistics are notoriously incomplete and difficult to compare, especially with undocumented immigrants, but undeniably, any crime by someone who has not entered our country legally would not have been committed if they hadn't broken the law in the first place.
Yet mainstream media, such as CNN, continues to deny that illegal immigration brings crime. CNN based their claim on an old Texas Department of Public Safety study that had checked immigration status of arrest records from 2012-2018; which is not only unrepresentative of today's undocumented migrants, but curious. Just this week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott with Texas Secretary of State, sent a demand letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services because the federal agency was refusing to provide citizenship and immigration status of people registered to vote so that Texas could verify if they can legally vote. Mainstream media calling the illegal crime wave a myth typically base their claims on a "fact-checking" report from Brennan Center for Justice â yes, a Soros Open Society Foundation funded Democracy Program. * Brennan Center is a far-left activist group, according to Capital Research Center, lobbying for the elimination of the Electoral College, opposition to Mr. Trump, racial equity, Supreme Court reform, gun regulations, voting rights, and BLM. * Ann Coulter explained the logical fallacies and flaws behind the myth of low immigrant crime studies. * A 2018 review by sociologists in Annual Review of Criminology found significant variations in academic immigration-crime studies, with some conclusions negative, positive or null, depending on their design. In other words, reader beware. As Ms. Coulter advised, look to concrete numbers not phony studies. Reading everything happening with immigration in our Country is overwhelming. None of this illustrates Biblical caring for Americans or for our neighbors. God prescribed borders for his people; he sent his people out into the world to develop different cultures and languages; and called upon them to take care of their families first. Biblical teachings are simply absent in Ms. Harris' border policies. In contrast, Mr. Trump is well known for his border wall initiative. Border walls are not unusual in the world. By the time he was elected, there were 77 massive border walls or fences in nations around the world. Before elected, Mr. Trump had promised : "I will never waver from my sacred duty to defend this Nation and its people . We will get the job done." Was that true? From the first day in office, everything shows President Trump did work to try to follow through on that promise. Significant legislation signed by President Trump included secure the border , strengthen immigration enforcement, support ICE, provide humanitarian aid at the border, increase border drug enforcement, end discretionary federal funding of sanctuary cities; streamline and expedite asylum hearings. He launched the Family Fraud Initiative to identify crossers using children to fraudulently claim family units and curb the abusive trafficking of children; and address the crisis of cartels, drug and human traffickers, and gangs. Other immigration actions during President Trump's term included building over 400 miles of border wall, and illegal crossings dropped over 87% where the wall was constructed. * He ended catch-and-release, signed three historic asylum cooperative agreements with Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala; and enacted a historic partnership with Mexico called Migrant Protection Protocols, to safely return asylum seekers to Mexico while awaiting immigration hearings. * Resettlement from the world's most dangerous terrorist regions was suspended; and national security travel bans to keep out terrorists, jihadists, and violent extremists were instituted. * Regulations were issued to ensure migrants are financially self-sufficient and not reliant on welfare; end birth tourism; make illegals ineligible for free federal housing funding; and direct federal agencies to prioritize hiring of U.S. citizens. * And finally, and most important he withdraw from the United Nations' Global Compact on Migration. Every American wants to feel safe and protected in their homes, communities, churches and schools. Our civil leaders are God's servant to protect us from evildoers and punish evil, and follow Jesus' observance of borders. When it comes to keeping us safe and observing our nation's borders and immigration laws, President Trump has shown to be the only candidate that has upheld those Biblical lessons. In Part 8, I studied what the scripture teaches on government taxes and spending. What about tithing and our role as Christians when examining God's servants in managing the peoples' money? Copyright Szwarc 2024
"And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, "You have established all the boundaries of the earth."– Psalm 74:17 “Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation or destruction within your borders; “You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, "Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from
"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, The word "boundary" is found at least 15 times in describing the perimeter of Judah. − Joshua 15 Jesus' teachings are surprisingly firm in his regard for borders and national sovereignty. Americans are blessed to be living in a country whose Founding Fathers believed in a government of the people, and reflected Biblical principles in our U.S. Constitution. Our Constitution is firm in recognizing that citizens and our elected representatives in Congress have absolute and total power over immigration , and complete authority to decide whether aliens may enter or remain in the country. Our laws are not made by the executive branch or by Executive Orders. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (INA), which Congress has amended several times, is the public law that establishes the provisions of immigration law in our country, including governing how executive branch agencies may regulate behavior. In examining the Presidential candidates in light of these Biblical teachings, it was only possible to know what they truly stood for by going to their actual record. Ms. Harris' support of illegals and decriminalization of unlawful border crossings goes back more than a decade. While San Francisco District Attorney, she initiated and ran a city program for felons that included criminal illegal aliens, to train them for jobs they were not legally able to have. It's not known how many illegals were part of the program before it was exposed. Harris refused to seek the death penalty for an illegal alien from El Salvador and an MS-13 gang member with previous arrests as a juvenile (city authorities had failed to turn him over for deportation) after an especially gruesome murder of a father and his two sons. As California Attorney General, Ms. Harris had issued a bulletin to state and local law enforcement agencies of potential liabilities if they voluntarily complied with federal ICE agencies. She instructed the law enforcement professionals that they may only detain an individual if they obey a list of California conviction criteria. She told the press that an illegal immigrant is not a criminal and she would continue to refuse to uphold Federal immigration laws. While Senator, Ms. Harris stated multiple times in media that she would never support a border wall, calling it a "medieval vanity project." In 2019, she co-sponsored Federal legislation to end deportation of illegal aliens and support sanctuary cities; while also revoking Trump's order "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S.." Senator Harris was also given an F- Grade by NumbersUSA for her opposition to border enforcement and amnesty measures. During a Senate confirmation hearing, Ms. Harris compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Ku Klux Klan . Ahead of their inauguration, the Biden-Harris Administration announced their plans to open the border, giving the welcome invitation to millions of illegals, caravans and traffickers.
Harris Took the Lead on the Border As is well known, on March 24, 2021 Ms. Harris was specifically assigned the lead role in the White House Administration to stem migration on the southern border,work with "nations to accept returnees and enhance migration enforcement at their borders," and be the point person on immigration issues. In accepting the position, she gave her commitment that she "will enforce the law." The White House brief didn't specify what law she would enforce. When VP Harris took on the assignment to address the root causes of migration from Central America, the public didn't realize the actual intentions in her border initiatives were to advance the global sustainable development and climate change programs of the United Nations and World Economic Forum… calling for open borders and global governance − the opposite of U.S. national security and sovereignty. Two months later on May 27, 2021, VP Harris personally issued her call to action : "Fact Sheet: Vice President Harris Launches a Call to Action to the Private Sector to Deepen Investment in the Northern Triangle." It called upon the world's largest corporations, international financial institutions, and NGOs to partner with government to support people in the Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Her strategy included economic opportunities to address inequities and systemic social change to bring democracy; promote progressive taxation, empower women and address LLGBTQ+ inequities, sustainable development to address climate change and food insecurity, ensure stronger response to Covid-19 and other pandemics, increase education and health, develop security forces and law enforcement and policing, and embrace green energy and technology. No one questioned how these globalist ideas had anything to do with securing our border and enforcing Congress' immigration laws.
VP Harris didn't come up with this initiative alone, nor does it appear she was working for the American people . That very same day, Klaus Schwab spoke alongside VP Harris to the globalist membersat the World Economic Forum in Geneva. He promoted Ms. Harris' call to action for "inclusive and sustainable economic development opportunities" in the Northern Triangle of Central America. Another WEF globalist member, George Soros, who's pushed for open borders, has invested $500 million for illegal immigration since 2016 alone. That's in addition to the $18 billion he moved in 2017 to his pro-democracy foundation. In November 2021, after Ms. Harris' call to action, Soros specifically funded $1.3 million towards ending U.S. deportations of Haitians, legal services for Haitians, and changing immigration policies at the southern border. Soros' money went to Haitian Bridge Alliance, UndocuBlack Network, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, and Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project. By June 8, 2023, VP Harris personally announced new strategies , expanding global private-government partnerships to the eastern Caribbean, specifically Haiti. She herself agreed to a new U.S.-Caribbean Partnership To Address the "Climate Crisis" (PACC 2030). For Haiti, in addition to $53.7 million to Haiti for humanitarian aid, her lengthy project invested an initial $20 million for green energy and climate change businesses, $15 million for climate disasters, $5 million for climate change national security and millions more in various climate change programs. Ms. Harris also described her role in World Banking actions to address global climate change development, low-carbon investments, and international climate change infrastructure, such as the U.S. supported $100 million International Bank loan to Barbados in 2023. She also committed American taxpayers, for example, to lend up to $21 Billion through the International Monetary Fund for sustainable climate change programs. Executive mandates The first 100 days in office, the White House under Ms. Harris' immigration management took 94 executive actions on immigration, Migration Policy Institute reported , including: · reduced enforcement of immigration laws and ICE removals; ICE arrests were cut over 60% and detentions by two-thirds in the first month in office.
On January 20, 2021, in another example of an Executive Order, the White House also revoked the Muslim ban and the African ban for immigrants; and revoked two Trump admission programs with vetting and heightened screening for Visas and other immigration benefits; claiming they were Islamophobic and racist. The call to action went out to Muslim and African illegals with resources and free legal services. Promptly on February 4, 2021, by Executive Order the Biden-Harris White House ordered the U.S. Refugee Admission Program to expedite applications for "humanitarian" status, engage private and public sponsorship of refugees and partner with resettlement agencies to issue Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) programs for Iraqi and Afghan migrants. On March 27, 2024, the Soros-funded Haitian Bridge Alliance along with 481 Soros-allied organizations petitioned the White House calling for extending TPS status of Haitians. That June, the Biden-Harris administration announced 18-month extensions and re-designations of TPS for up to 309,000 illegal aliens from Haiti in the U.S. Its new policy was entered into the Federal Register on July 1 st and extended TPS for Haitians until February 3, 2026. Two Harris-Biden Executive Actions in June 2024 gave legal protections to about 500,000 families and about 50,000 noncitizen children of undocumented immigrants who'd entered the country illegally, allowing them residency status without needing to leave the country. Newly Created and Rewritten Immigration Policies In trying to make sense of these immigration actions, which have not abided by the Constitution or Jesus' teachings and have made illegal immigration worse, I learned that these were her own creations and revisions. Not Congress. Not by the vote of the people. Parole. Under her, the Administration instituted extensive new parole programs for illegals: Central American Minors Parole Program (implemented in April 2022); CHNV parole program created specifically for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (implemented between October 2022 and January 2023); and a "family unification process" for Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Columbians (implemented in July 2023). "Parole-on-place" was created out of thin air and was an abuse of the parole authority established under federal law (Section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), explained FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform). Granting parole en masse was done unconstitutionally, without Congressional approval and circumvented Congress. It prioritized illegal aliens over Americans, legal immigrants and the rule of law. The parolees' paper applications are approved in about a day and bypass usual health checks, criminal histories, in-person interviews with an immigration office, and numerous other paperwork required of those immigrating into the U.S. legally. By August 1st, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had recorded at least 2.6 million total paroles under this Administration, including the illegal aliens paroled and released into the United States by ICE, Border Patrol, CBP, OFO, and CHNV. Under the special CHNV parole program she created, Haitian, Cuban, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan illegal aliens are flown directly into the country, "paroled" and released inside the country . None of those admitted through CHNV are legally permitted to enter the country under federal law, according to DHS documents. They are inadmissible, not eligible for visas, and have no legal status," said FAIR. By the end of August, the CHNV parole program had flown in nearly 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans and granted them "parole." This new CHNV program has been letting these single men illegally enter the U.S., according to DHS. The DHS Inspector General also found these illegals were not being vetted as claimed. Members of violent prison gangs and illegals with histories of violent crimes, drug and arms trafficking, kidnapping, and cartel members were being let in. Media reported to the public that this new parole program was court upheld to allow "a limited number of migrants" up to 30,000 each month – but in actuality 4.5-times more illegal aliens were paroled… and all in violation of federal law. Even more troubling, FAIR uncovered the parole program had massive fraud. The wide variety of accepted paperwork to show illegal residence is "easily forged and nearly impossible to verify." In fact, FAIR found over 100,000 fake applications had been filled out by a set of serial sponsors, with the same social security number, who'd each completed twenty or more forms. TPS. " Temporary Protected Status" (TPS) was another program significantly rewritten and broadened under Biden-Harris. In 2021, it extended new temporary protected status for about 309,000 Haitians here illegally, and enabled Haitian illegals already here to re-apply under the new designation. TPS illegal aliens are immediately eligible for green cards, free public schooling, and health care. "Haitian parolees are immediately eligible for all major federal benefits programs on the same terms as legal permanent residents," said FAIR. They can get: Medicaid, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Federal Student Aid. Pew Research Center estimates that 1,187,230 illegals are in the U.S. under TPS eligibility. As of June 2024, 16 countries were designated for TPS, according to American Immigration Council. Refugees. On June 20, 2024, the Biden-Harris White house released a Fact sheet celebrating its "rebuilt U.S. Refugee Admissions Program" that let in over 100,000 migrants this year alone, the most in three decades , and its "whole-of-government" efforts to rebuild the resettlement network; triple the number of DHS "refugee officers;" invest in a resettlement network bringing the total number of local resettlement offices to more than 350; and launch a "Welcome Corps." Thirteen states were the top resettlement states getting over 2,000 illegal aliens each so far in 2024. Reforms to the 1996 welfare laws have steadily expanded the government benefits available to illegal aliens, as the National Immigration Law Center reviewed .
Americans trying to learn what's really going on at the border, as well as in Springfield, have to get past the massive conflicted media with its trusting news collaborations (funded by Democracy Fund , Knight Foundation , Gates Foundation, Soros, and others) that spin disinformation. Soros and these disingenuous news outlets have been intent on confusing the public with misinformation claiming the Haitians migrants are legal, knowing that few consumers understand the Constitution, role of Congress and the Executive branch, or immigration law. They're a source for the unbalanced stories of how the Haitian aliens are revitalizing the economy and creating a vibrant community in Springfield. Worse, these disinformation groups have been fueling anti-Trump divisive claims of racism and bomb threats in the Springfield community. Upon investigation, every bomb threat has been a hoax, said Governor DeWine, without "any validity at all." Rumors that threats are being fueled by President Trump or JD Vance are also untrue, said state and local officials. Many are coming from overseas and made by those wanting to fuel discord, Gov. DeWine told the media. He added: " It's been a mess. And frankly, the Biden administration has not done a very good job in regard to the border. So when Donald Trump brings it up, or when JD Vance brings it up, or a candidate for U.S. Senate brings it up, it is a legitimate issue. I have a job though in regard to people who are here legally in Springfield and a community that people are making comments about them. I have an obligation to speak out."
Why would Soros media be so intent on trying to deflect attention and de-legitimize reports of concerns over the illegal immigration crisis in Springfield? The issue has brought awareness that not just Springfield, but communities across the country are being overwhelmed with illegals being released by Harris' policies. But it may be bigger than that. The City of Springfield openly published on its webpage that temporary protected aliens legally qualify for financial assistance, health and nutrition benefits, employment and education services, and housing benefits with most of these benefits administered through the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services. Not only that, but as part of its benefits registration process, the Department is required by state law to provide voter registration forms to every applicant, regardless of illegal status or citizenship. The forms are available in English and Spanish. While Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment prohibiting voting by non-citizens in 2022, no effort has been made to stop the practice of handing out voter registration forms to illegals. The Ohio Secretary of State found nearly 600 non-citizens had voted last year or earlier this year and is actively working to ensure legal voting. It is not known how many of the millions of illegals have been given voter registration cards or how many will vote in this election. In researching government and independent sources, the truth of our borders and immigration policies emerged. Part 7 continues with "What's the truth of a border crisis? © Szwarc 2024
"For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad…for he is God's servant for your good.
"They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also
"Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." − Matthew 5:9 “Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” − Psalm 82:4 It was surprising to learn that the Bible has clear instruction for civil leaders in what they must do as servants of God, as well as our role in examining our leaders in light of scripture. The Bible says that the work of our leaders is to carry out punishment on wrongdoers and support the peacekeepers. I learned that Ms. Harris' record while San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General was highly stained. What was Ms. Harris' promise to Americans in keeping citizens safe from crime and supporting law enforcement? Ms. Harris' promises were spelled out on September 9, 2019 in her plan to "transform the criminal justice system and re-envision public safety in America." It was not a commitment to enforce the laws as established by Congress and legislatures, acting as representatives of citizens, nor was it a commitment to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Her vision was for a "fairer and more equitable" criminal justice system. Her plan was based on the false premise of widespread problems among police of "racial profiling, excessive force or other misconduct." Sadly, "racial profiling" has become a slogan created by and used for decades by Soros-led progressives and media to divide the country, rather than foster understanding and unity, or bring true solutions that help all Americans. * The subject has become fraught with taboos that have gone beyond inhibiting debate and discussion, wrote attorney Scott Johnson with the Claremont Institute. "They have fostered destructive ignorance and political exploitation." To this day, the most objective, comprehensive and thoughtful examination of racial profiling was done in a 2015 ten-part series by attorney Johnson.
Ms. Harris' plan for criminal justice reform called to remove local governing of police departments by elected officials, and establish a national police department review board, double the size of the federal Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, mandate Community Oriented Policing Services to assess law enforcement professionals, institute regulations to ensure technology didn't further "racial disparities," and place federal guidelines on law enforcement equipment to "de-militarize police departments." Her lengthy plan included federal sentencing guidelines such as eliminate mandatory minimum sentences to let judges issue more lenient sentences, shorten probations and other community supervision of released convicts, legalize marijuana (based on another myth when, in actuality, there are no inmates in Federal prisons for the simple possession of marijuana), end bail, end the use of fines and fees or penalties for unpaid fines, and end the death penalty. Ms. Harris is on record for speaking out nationally in support of the defunding the police movement. While Vice President, she and her husband have also personally repeatedly donated to an anti-police and pro-sanctuary city nonprofit calling for slashing police budgets and reducing patrols in high-crime areas, according to White House financial disclosures. She supported the defunding of police in Los Angeles and called for Congressional action for police reform . While San Francisco DA, in 2004 she refused to seek the death penalty for a gang member who'd gunned down an officer. The poor relations between Ms. Harris and the San Francisco public defender's office were widely reported . As California AG, she failed to support efforts to ensure police deadly force incidents were independently investigated and instead, announced that her DOJ would take an expanded role. She issued law enforcement reform , instituting "implicit bias training" for "racist and anti-gay bias," and formed a policing working group focused on procedural justice and training, and a ceasefire program. After the George Floyd incident, Ms. Harris campaigned in support of a controversial bail fund, helping it reach over $41.6 million in donations that were used to put violent criminals back on the streets in the name of "social justice," only to have some commit more crimes, including murder. During her 2020 campaign, she promoted the organization, Minnesota Freedom Fund, after the city was being burned down and looted by protestors. The fund has paid $21.2 million in cash bails and $4.8 million for immigration bonds, freeing 2,537 accused criminals from pre-trial detention and letting 463 immigrants avoid detention since 2016. She was called out , by liberal media, for blatant falsehoods she posted while campaigning for President in 2019, trying to build the systemic racism story and case for "racial equity in our justice system." She and Elizabeth Warren had both written that Michael Brown had been shot and killed by a white police officer and the killing was racially motivated murder. The lie was so outrageous, even an Obama administration investigation found the story false. Since Day One in office as VP, she and Biden have focused executive actions for Blacks and racial equity. Every candidate has some bad to go with the good in their record, acknowledged Branko Marcetic, a staff writer with Jacobin , a far left socialist publication. However, Ms. Harris' record is defined by flip-flopping policies that undercut her proclaimed vision, and empty statements, such as her nonexistent record on drug reform while AG, he reported . In reshaping "California's criminal justice system, Harris has something of a reputation in the state as a marginal figure on the issue." A civil ruler “must not acquire many horses for himself…
"You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him…you shall do no injustice in court. "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another."– Leviticus 19:11
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."– Exodus 20:16 Ms. Harris' years of prosecutorial abuses and epidemic of prosecutorial misconduct while San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General were widely reported throughout California. A Superior Court judge concluded that DA Harris's office had failed in its constitutional duty to inform of problems surrounding a cocaine-skimming scandal at the state crime lab that had resulted in the police shutting down the crime lab and led to the dismissal of 600 drug cases. The judge determined Ms. Harris had been informed of the problems but had kept it hidden from the defense and violated the defendants constitutional rights. Her record of working with law enforcement and being tough on crime is fraught with controversy. As California AG, Ms. Harris was condemned by the editorial board of the Sacramento Bee for failing to inform the public that Proposition 47 reduced certain drug and property offenses to misdemeanors and restricted DNA collection and law enforcement's ability to solve serious crimes. As AG, Ms. Harris told media during a high-profile murder trial, in which eight people had been murdered, that she knew there was misconduct in the Orange County DA's office but refused to launch an investigation. The abuses were so damning a Superior Court Judge disqualified the entire DA's 250-lawyer office and her office was then compelled to launch an investigation. She stalled the investigation to let charges drop against the unconstitutional jailhouse snitch program that tainted more than a dozen criminal cases, including murder. A 2015 investigation chronicled the prosecutorial failures and cover-up tied to the misuse of jailhouse informants by county prosecutors. The California Superior Court investigation found rampant prosecutorial abuses (falsifying reports, destroying investigation notes and eye witness statements, lying, etc.) by AG Harris "so pervasive and egregious, so corrupt and tainted " that he terminated the Cal Fire wildfire case and administered sanctions. In the course of that case, it was discovered $3.66 million in state funds had been diverted to a secret slush fund by Cal Fire employees, a felony under state law. AG Harris refused to investigate. The California Court of Appeals found AG Harris to again be the problem behind "outrageous government misconduct" and her staff of falsifying a defendant's confession transcript and adding two lines to the "evidence" to threaten charges carrying a life sentence. It resulted in the disqualification of the defense counsel and dismissal of an indictment completely. "Undaunted by the criminal conduct of a state prosecutor, or the district court’s opinion, Ms. Harris [then] appealed the decision dismissing the indictment." Even her Senate campaign was marred by a history of lavish misspending of campaign funds on herself to support her "diva lifestyle." After elected was she a more accountable public servant? GovTrack.us, which tracks legislative actions by all members of Congress, stated she missed 31.2% of roll call votes, 13-times worse than the median 2.4% over the lifetime records of senators. They also rated her ideology and leadership as extremely far left, with only three Democrat legislators more extreme, and her being significantly further left than even Senators Feinstein or Warren. I couldn't figure out how a prosecutor could repeatedly have had such a dreadful track record of failing to protect public safety, allowing criminals to escape prosecution, charging illegals and gang member murderers with lighter sentences, not supporting the police, not supporting Federal laws, and on and on… Then, I started putting the pieces together. It turns out, Ms. Harris was the original Soros prosecutor, Washington Times reported. Remember the scandal that was exposed several years ago about how Soros has been funding radical social justice prosecutors across the nation? He was ensuring their elections by paying for as much as 90% of their campaign costs, sponsoring programs, free trips and forums; and coordinating amicus briefs to influence criminal cases and judicial policies . * The Legal Defense Fund documented 75 Soros prosecutors were currently in office as of June 2022 in a damning report called Justice for Sale . Its investigation found these corrupted prosecutors were intentionally placed in communities with the largest numbers of murders and represented more than a third of all violent and property crimes in the country. Soros was using a series of shell organizations, affiliates and pass-through committees to steer campaign donations and provide gravitas and perks to preferred prosecutors. Soros has been investing massive sums of his $23 billion fortune to transform our criminal justice system and influence our elections for well over a decade. In just four years, four Soros prosecutors alone had received $13 million from Soros, according to the LELDF report.
That information also helped explain the unusual close relationship being reported between Ms. Harris and Alex Soros, George Soros' son who recently took the reigns of the Soros dynasty. Fox News documented on June 6, 2023 that Alex Soros had personal access at the White House. Visitor logs had shown at least 17 visits since 2021. Alex had even tweeted, boasting of his visit with "Madame Vice President Kamala Harris."
President Trump, in contrast, demonstrated his support for law enforcement and aggressively prosecuted criminals. Police officers and law enforcement agents were increasingly becoming targets of violence as violent protests and rioting swept the country after the death of George Floyd. He got the endorsement of the National Association of Police Organizations and the country's largest police union, the Fraternal Order of Police with 355,000 members. Fraternal Order of Police President said: “During his first four years, President Trump has made it crystal clear that he has our backs…President Trump is committed to keeping our communities and families safe." President Trump made a promise to "make America safe again," saying he would put the safety, interests and well-being of citizens first. "I will fight for you with every breath in my body. And I will never ever let you down," he said in his Inaugural Address on January 20, 2017. By his actions, he showed those commitments to the best of his ability to be true . The election discernment journey took a surprising turn as I learned of Jesus' strong regard for borders and national sovereignty. Part 7 tested how the candidates' actions held up to those Biblical commandments. © Szwarc 2024
“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb." − Isaiah 44:24 " The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name." - Isaiah 49:1 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." – Jeremiah 1:5 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…My frame was "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him." – Psalms 127:3 “You shall not murder."– Exodus 20:13 The sanctity of life and abortion is an especially impassioned issue this election. The work of Christian discernment required close scrutiny to test how the candidates' actions aligned with Biblical teachings. This White House has openly made abortion rights a key agenda . Ms. Harris has consistently been zealously pro-abortion and long supported making abortion rights federally protected , and banning state interference. Federal "abortion rights" translates to a law mandating Americans fund and comply with abortions and making it illegal to fail to provide abortions, while also in reality, eliminating rights of conscience for Christians morally opposed to abortion. Ms. Harris demonstrated with sisters at Daughters of Charity Health System hospitals in California that this is precisely how she interprets abortion "rights." While Attorney General, their hospitals could only continue if they complied with providing abortion services. Ms. Harris has been the White House voice for "reproductive health rights" for the past 3 ½ years and it's central to her 2024 message. She was the first VP to visit Planned Parenthood clinics, did a nationwide tour for reproductive rights, and hosted nearly 100 events (video from April 26,2023). On February 24, 2023, she also convened a White House meeting to push for chemical abortions access. Ms. Harris has been the driving force for abortion rights, said the Executive VP for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a left-wing policy and lobbying group based in San Francisco. Ms. Harris also worked for two abortion bills, the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance in 2019, which she co-sponsored; and the Women's Health Protection Act that would have established federal mandates for abortion coverage and bar states or providers from introducing restrictions. Ms. Harris went public telling media she was eager to cast the deciding vote for the Women's Health Protection Act and in a rare occurrence she presided over the Senate vote. However, it failed in the Senate. Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Ms. Harris for President on July 23, 2024. Their press release described her long "unquestionable" record as a "fearless, unapologetic champion" for abortion and reproductive rights. Ms. Harris launched her "Fighting for Reproductive Freedom" bus tour earlier in September, beginning in Florida, falsely claiming President Trump wants a national ban on abortion. Under Ms. Harris' abortion leadership, this Administration has continued to use the Department of Justice to prosecute pro-life advocates across the country, seeing them convicted of FACE Act violation and even adding "conspiracy against rights" charges so they would face up to ten years in prison. One of the latest was a 75-year old grandmother given a two-year prison sentence for entering an abortion clinic and trying to talk to a mother and pray with her. An example of the growing hostility faced by pro-life students during this Administration was seen during a campus event organized by the Virginia Commonwealth University chapter of the Students for Life organization, when the speakers were interrupted by a storm of protestors shutting down the event. At least a dozen of the pro-lifers were detained by campus police. As California Attorney General, Ms. Harris was widely criticized of weaponizing her office against pro-life activists. She charged two undercover journalists, who had exposed Planned Parenthood executives discussing fees and prices for aborted baby parts, with 15 felony charges in 2017. She had reporter David Daleiden's home raided by 11 state DOJ agents with rifles and K-9 dogs, and seized the journalist's videos, files and personal information. He is still awaiting trial on eight felony counts in San Francisco Superior Court. Records obtained from Planned Parenthood, revealed that Ms. Harris' campaigns had received over $81,000 from Planned Parenthood and abortion advocates. As Senator, she had also hired the daughter of CEO of Planned Parenthood as one of her top aides. Troublingly, both Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump have spoken in support of IVF (in-vitro fertilization). IVF has actually gone the slippery slope of eugenics, selecting which babies can live sometimes based on their sex and genetics , then contributing to the death of half of the babies that are created who do not survive the process or are discarded when not wanted. Last year, close to 2 million embryos were killed by IVF. Christians who believe it is wrong to facilitate the death of a tiny new life will have struggles of conscience when they are forced to pay for it at an estimated price tag of $7 billion. Mr. Trump said that since Roe vs Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court and Constitutionally returned to the States for the people in each State to decide, he would support the people's right to make choices according to their own religious beliefs . But, he said, the "Republican Party should always be on the side of the miracle of life and the side of mothers, fathers and their beautiful babies." Pro-life Christians would prefer a President who's unyielding against abortion, but (with apologies to Abolitionists) the distinct difference currently between the candidates is that Mr. Trump would offer citizens the chance to vote in their States to advance pro-life positions, whereas Ms. Harris is committed to a national government mandate for abortions.
President Trump by his actions was the most active President in the history of the White House in protecting the sanctity of life . His pro-life stand resulted in progressive media labeling him as "divisive" and "polarizing." Once elected, President Trump promptly reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, preventing $9 billion in aid to fund global abortions and ensuring U.S. taxpayer dollars do not fund programs of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilizations. This international policy had first been created during the Reagan Administration and continued through subsequent Republican Administrations. He was the first sitting President in history to speak at a March for Life rally. At his 2019 State of the Union address, he set a precedent in the history of modern America when he spoke against abortion, saying: "Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children – born and unborn – are made in the holy image of God." President Trump worked to prohibit federal funding for elective abortions; allow employers with religious or moral objections to be exempt from Obamacare reproductive healthcare requirements; cut off funding for the U.N. Population Fund, associated with China's ethical violations of forced abortions and sterilizations; and issued guidance to enforce the requirement that taxpayer dollars not support abortion in Obamacare exchange plans. The National Right to Life documented his record on life , and his statement that reverence for life is "the first, and most important, of our 'unalienable' rights." For voters looking to cast their ballots for the candidate that will most enable God's work to continue and work towards one day abolishing abortion, Mr. Trump is undeniably the only option. In Part 6 , the candidate's actions as civil leaders will be tested. How well did each follow what the Bible calls them to do in as public servants maintaining law and order and honestly fulfilling the job called upon them? © Szwarc 2024
"But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." − Leviticus 18:22 "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; "Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." − Jude 7 "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged " Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Throughout the Bible, God's love for humankind and hatred for abominations against nature is unapologetic. When it comes to the Lord, "there absolutely are absolute truths, which never change. They have never changed and they never will," wrote Pastor Rob Pue. In today's lost culture, however, Christians are led to believe it's "intolerant" of them not to accept others' beliefs. But God's commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves also calls upon us to "speak the truth in love," as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:15. "Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth." – 1 Cor 13:7 "It takes courage to share your faith," Pastor Pue said , and not let people we love fall victim to false ideologies. "It doesn't matter what you believe if it isn't true." In turning to the Bible for guidance, I learned it's not more loving or compassionate to look the other way or turn away from God for my own selfish reasons of wanting to feel more comfortable in this world, to be more liked or popular, or seen as tolerant. Christian love means loving others so much we care that they are not hurt, both in this life and the next. To me, that means helping others learn God's truth. "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin." – James 4:17 So, I looked to what Jesus would want us to do and continued my journey of discernment. I next tested how the candidates' actions surrounding the difficult issue of sexual morality aligned with Biblical teachings. As California Attorney General, on July 28, 2016, Ms. Harris filed two Amicus Briefs for transgender rights , including access to school bathrooms consistent with gender identity, and threatening loss of Title IX funding of schools who fail to comply. The press release cited her long established commitment to LGBTQ+ rights, which had included filing multiple Amicus Briefs defending same-sex marriages and refusing to defend a California proposition ballot measure for traditional marriage. In a 2019 interview with National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) Action Fund, Ms. Harris talked about her long standing support of transgender rights and how she used her power as AG to push the transgender movement, including taxpayer funded trans surgeries for California imprisoned inmates . She told the ACLU she would use her executive authority as President to ensure gender trans surgeries would be covered by the state for inmates and illegal aliens in detention. Since taking office as VP, she and Biden have taken 65 actions in support of LGBTQ+ (24 just in first 50 days in office), as tracked by LGBTQNation . Her stand on LGBTQ+ is indisputable. Ms. Harris has supported LGBTQ and same-sex marriage rights throughout her career, even pledging to create a White House position dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights. Ms. Harris made history as the first sitting Vice President to march in a Pride event. She has regularly participated at Gay Pride parades in San Francisco, for example in 2019 and last year , when she and her husband also hosted a star-studded LGBTQ+ Pride reception at their residence. Earlier this year, she even hosted an event at the White House to celebrate the anniversary of a Queer Eye television series. And her current ads openly celebrate "Happy Pride." While district attorney in San Francisco, Ms. Harris personally officiated gay weddings on Valentines Day 2004 and again in 2008, supported transgender military service, gender-transforming medical care, and LGBTQ+ rights, even creating an LGBTQ hate crimes unit. She co-sponsored a bill to nationally ban conversion therapy. Instead, she has supported controversial , unscientific experimental transgender therapy on children, including puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries. According to Movement Advancement Project, an LGBT advocacy group based in Boulder, Colorado, currently 26 states cover transgender "health" care under Medicaid; and 14 states either have no specific policy or only exclude it for minors. In just four states – Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – taxpayers paid for 97 breast removals and 36 hysterectomies in minor girls from 2019-2023. "Other Medicaid-covered procedures performed on minors include nipple reconstructions, testicle castrations, removals of vaginal wall, “penis amputations,” skin grafts and nerve creations, vocal-cord procedures, breast implants, and urethra reconstructions," Washington Times reported , in an investigation of an ad campaign on gender transition surgeries in minors. Ms. Harris opposed "don't say gay" laws, and confirmed her commitment to adding gender identity and sexual orientation to Federal civil rights law and Title IX, according to LGBTQ Nation. This advocacy group published a supportive information sheet on all of her accomplishments. Equality California , the largest statewide LGBTQ+ rights organization in the country; Human Rights Campaign , the nation's largest LGBTQ+ rights organization; National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund , the oldest gay rights activist organization, have all endorsed Ms. Harris for President. LGBTQ+ groups responded to a call to action in a virtual fundraiser for Ms. Harris, raising over $300,000. Mr. Trump is on record stating he would ban gender transition surgeries on children and pledged to cut federal funding for schools pushing "critical race theory," "transgender insanity" or any other inappropriate sexual or political content on children. While President, LGBTQ+ organizations condemned President Trump as one of the most anti-LGBTQ+ presidents in history. GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ media advocacy organizations made 210 attacks against President Trump for not supporting queer Americans while he was in office. An absolute test of how our Presidential candidates have followed Biblical teachings is their commitment to our inalienable right to life. In Part 5, my journey in election discernment looks at the issue of abortion. © Szwarc 2024 |
Sandy Szwarc, BSN, RN, retired emeritusAs a former registered nurse with a biological science degree, my early clinical practice took me from critical care to triage, case management to medical outreach, but always immersed in research. Writing has been my devotion. I went on to work in communications and editorial in science, publishing, healthcare, medical research and ethics, public utilities, and public policy. I believe people deserve to know the soundest facts to make informed decisions and that policies affecting peoples' lives should be based on sound evidence and reason…and, most of all, guided by God's word. Archives
November 2024
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