Bold and Blunt

There is much to see in the world through dark eyes. There's Ukraine and the onslaught of Russian forces. There's the soaring inflation in America. There's the fecklessness and weaknesses of President Joe Biden, and the frustrating realization that he still has three more years or so to serve -- three more years or so to wreck America's economy and America's standing on the world stage. But America is still a nation of greatness, filled with great people. And when dark times come, Americans can remember fondly some of their most inspiring leaders -- like Ronald Reagan -- and realize: The nation's best days can still be ahead. Reagan expert Peggy Grande, who served for years with the former president, chats about the Gipper and his inspirational messages for the nation.

America 2022 is facing a complete loss of constitutional liberties, and with a feckless president at the helm, a complete loss of respect on the world stage. But America's seen tough times before. And so has the world. Whether we're talking about the American Revolution or COVID-19 pandemic clampdowns on freedoms or other times in history where world wars have brought out the ugliest, most vicious and greatest evil of humanity, good can -- and ultimately, will -- prevail. Historian and best-selling author Craig Shirley discusses one such dark moment in time, April 1945.

China's growing influence in America and around the world is at the point of alarm, and it doesn't help that we have a president whose reputation is feckless and weak and whose son is too-close-for-comfort with the communist regime. The One Belt, One Road Initiative, also called the Belt and Road Initiative, along with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, are rapidly opening doors for China to spread its anti-freedom messages, influences and controls in dozens of countries. Jack Brewer, former NFL player and the chairman of the America First Policy Institute's Center for Opportunity, speaks about the Olympics, the AFPI's China Policy Initiative, and the danger of allowing a godless country to spread its atheist, communist influences around the world.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin just signed into law a bill that handed back parental rights to parents by taking the decisions on whether or not to face mask kids in schools away from the bureaucrats. What a win for freedom. What's great about this is the fact this is a law, not just an executive order, not just a government mandate, not just a bureaucratically issued suggestion-slash-dictate -- but a real, true, constitutionally passed law. So Democrats in the teachers unions, in the school boards, in the political realm cannot undo this authority without passing a law that, in essence, undoes the authority. From fascism to freedom, in one fell swoop. Now more legislatures in more states and more politicians in more offices need to do the same. Enough of the coronavirus-fueled mandates, more of the constitutional and duly passed pieces of legislation. Time for normalcy -- meaning law and order -- to return. Longtime editor, commentary writer and media pundit Terry Jeffrey discusses the state of freedoms in America in this COVID-19 crazed atmosphere the leftists are desperately trying to exploit.

Call it the Joe Biden effect -- call it the swing of the pendulum. But the left is in turmoil right now because minorities, known colloquially in political circles as the bread and butter of the Democrat Party, are fleeing for more conservative grounds. Hispanics, women, blacks, no doubt tired of the open borders, lawlessness and disorder and defund the police movements that have spawned crazy crises in communities across the nation, are abandoning their Democrat politicos and threatening to give Republicans huge leads in the coming elections. Some are even running for office, hoping to unseat the Democrats and change the system from within. Joe Pinion left his hosting duties at Newsmax TV to challenge New York's Chuck Schumer for his Senate seat. He talks about the state of politics in America.

Too often in America, the public servant class is able to skirt constitutional accountability because of a system called qualified immunity that makes it nearly impossible for the private citizen to sue for government offenses. It's time to revisit this system and reform it. And while we're at it, we ought to look at no-knock warrants and civil asset forfeiture, too. Why should some in society be allowed to run around constitutional processes, while the majority cannot? After all, justice is supposed to be blind. America is supposed to have a classless society. Citizens are supposed to have God-given rights, not rights that come from government bureaucrats. And the political class is not supposed to be treated to better protections, more protections, additional rights and powers that lock out the private citizens from pursuing and obtaining justice. The Institute for Justice's Anya Bidwell talks about the shocking two-tier system of law in this country that's giving bureaucrats who brazenly break laws a court-sanctioned layer of protection from accountability.

If you want to know the source of cancel culture, look no further than the Bible. If cancel culture is a vicious desire to take down a person, wipe out a person's influence, destroy a person's ability to work, speak and function as normal in a free society, then it's obvious -- these are not fruits of God but rather the devil. Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame has a new book, "Uncanceled," in which he reveals the biblical basis of cancel culture, and tells how a faith-based culture can overcome the destruction of the individual. Here's a hint: forgiveness is key, and so is love.

Carrie Sheffield is a senior policy analyst with the Independent Women's Forum, a listed speaker with Premier, a frequent media guest and pundit for national television and radio, an author, a journalist and so much more. But she's also a person was raised in poverty, by a Mormon father who prophesied her doom, with a schizophrenic brother who tried to rape her, and under circumstances that at times were so dire and desperate, it's a wonder she could function in today's world, never mind grow to hold such influence. SO how'd she do it? In a word: God. Her story is one of inspiration because it shows how faith in God can lead Him to do great things in a life that the world would see as throw-away material. The takeaway is that if God does that for her, He certainly does this for all His children. Politics and culture are important, but the real and crucial issue is finding faith, and holding on to faith, in a world that's more evil than good.

Narcissists are destroying America from within because they're failing to grasp and advance key concepts that made this country great in the first place: for instance, the idea of moral and virtuous service to others, offered and provided voluntarily, so that government is kept in its limited place. And who's the most narcissistic of all? Millennials. Professor, author and pundit Mark Bauerlein discusses his "The Dumbest Generation Grows Up," and why the emerging leaders of America may prove the fatal blow to society's freedoms.

America was founded in large part on the quest for a land that offered religious freedom. But how rooted to that freedom is modern America? It's true, Americans enjoy God-given rights, at least in concept, and a First Amendment that underscores religious liberty as near-sacrosanct. At the same time, America has increasingly turned the corner toward secularism and materialism, and American businesses have become all too willing to jump into bed with countries that persecute believers. The American consumer, meanwhile, has become all too accustomed to buying products from nations with immoral governments filled with tyrannical politicians who lead up the persecution of believers. China, anyone? It's time to become part of the solution, not the problem. It's time to right America's skewed moral compass and put God, godly governance and principled government at the helm -- and set money-making as a secondary consideration, at best. Tom Garrett, former congressman, has a story of personal faith to share about how he left behind his demons to find a path of fighting for religious freedoms around the world. He talks about ExileSeries.com, a documentary production in the making that highlights the dire need for those of faith to help fight the persecution that's taking place right now, under our very noses, all around the world.