Townhall Review | Commentaries

After the recent CNN “Climate Change Townhall,” one gets the impression that the candidates are no longer running against Trump but instead running against beef.

Kamala Harris and Andrew Yang both called for either cutting back meat consumption dramatically or even nudging most of the world to go vegetarian completely. Beto O’Rourke says people who eat meat are part of the problem—and Cory Booker went full veggie a long time ago.

But the science behind The Vegetarian Myth, is rebutted by an eponymous book by former vegan Leirre Keith. Turns out that all that soy they’re pushing at us is much worse for the environment. The rain forests are generally being slashed and burned for soy farming, not for pasturing cows. Grass-fed cows maintain sustainable pastures with deep roots—whereas highly subsidized, shallow-rooted annual grain crops can leave soil vulnerable to run-off and depletion.

The war against beef has deep roots itself—in progressive ideology, but its scientific roots are rather shallow.

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The New York Times recently reported on alarming statistics on life expectancy. “For the first time in modern history, gains have stalled,” according to the report. “Alcohol and drug abuse, poor diet, obesity, smoking, and a lack of exercise have taken their toll … Older people are dying prematurely, their conditions worsened by isolation and depression.”

It’s a bleak portrait, but it’s not about America: the Times report focused on the United Kingdom, long-celebrated by the left for its National Health Service and other welfare state programs. Of course, in America we have identical problems of substance abuse, isolation and deaths of despair, but the situation in Great Britain reveals how socialized medicine and big government don’t offer simple solutions.

In most Western societies, the breakdown of family, retreat of religion and collapse of community, damage both the quality and length of our lives, regardless of government policies.

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American conservatives who view Israeli elections on September 17th as a simple “yes” or “no” on Prime Minister Netanyahu, will miss the underlying good news about the electorate. Polling shows complete collapse of the Israeli left; the secular, socialist Labor Party that dominated the first 30 years of Israel’s modern history, will barely win 5 percent of the new Knesset.

All left-leaning parties, including the “Joint List” that represents Israeli Arabs, draw a combined total of only a fourth of the voters. Even the centrist “Blue and White” Party that is challenging Netanyahu’s Likud for national leadership, is decidedly conservative by historic standards, led by former generals. Despite the distracting headlines about Netanyahu and corruption charges against him, the Israeli public shows growing commitment to free markets, religiosity and a strong security policy.

Whatever the final results, the voters have undeniably moved to the right.

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And then there were ten. That is: Ten Democrats who have qualified to participate in the next presidential primary debate on September 12.

Although the field has narrowed, the candidates’ drift toward far-left progressive policies continues—particularly when it comes to efforts to deal with climate change.

Elizabeth Warren recently unveiled a plan that would spend $3 trillion on government subsidies to combat global warming. Bernie Sanders wants to spend $16 trillion over 15 years, ban fracking for natural gas, and end the import and export of various sources of energy. Kamala Harris has a $10 trillion proposal that would bring what she calls “climate justice” to areas impacted by flooding, heat waves, and shortages in water or food.

Democrats are tripping over themselves to spend more and tax more, all in the name of environmental friendliness. But instead of dealing with climate change thoughtfully, they’re putting forth irresponsible proposals that will damage our economy and ultimately hurt American families working hard to make ends meet.

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“Suddenly a shot rang out, Kate fell, and looked at me and said, ‘Help me, dad.’ Those are the last words I’ll ever hear from my daughter.”

Jim Steinle offered those words on behalf of his daughter Kate before the Senate Judiciary Committee four years ago as he urged Beltway politicians to permanently remove violent criminals who are in America illegally.

That hasn’t happened because D.C. Democrats are less interested in protecting American families from illegal immigrant criminals than are the presidents of Mexico and El Salvador.

What ensued for Steinle was what amounted to a four-year persecution of their family at the hands of the justice system, culminating now with an appellate court overturning the wholly unsatisfactory conviction of Kate’s murderer for illegal possession of a firearm.

Stopping domestic gun crime and identifying those bent on acts of terrorism are vexing legal and cultural questions.

Removing a convicted felon seven times over who had been deported five times is not.

It’s a simple matter of political will.

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Are the kids okay?

According to a new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC, just 30 percent of millennials and Generation Z say religion is important to them. Only 40 percent of young people say being patriotic is important—and one-third say having children is important.

Polls come and opinions go, but this data represents a real change in the thinking of America’s young. If religion, country, and children aren’t of great consequence, what is in this life? Staring at social media? Playing games? Watching movies?

Something profound is happening in America. Our youth are in danger of living frictionless, commitment-free lives. We need a recovery of confidence in our first institutions: church, family, nation. We are—young and people and older people alike—called to build a life build on something more than our own self-interest.

Let’s get back to business. Let’s look beyond ourselves. Let’s do hard things.

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“Drag Queen Story Hour Continues Its Reign at Libraries, Despite Backlash.”

That was the headline of a recent story in the New York Times—a story presented as if there is a normal America where drag queen story hour makes perfect sense and then there is that other backward America that responds with backlash.

Of course, the word “backlash” has negative connotations as if this is some wrongful negative, conservative overreaction.

It’s worth pointing out that these “Drag Queen Story Hours”—and this article admits as much—are targeted at children, because children are impressionable and easily influenced to come to celebrate the life choices of those leading the story time.

In a stunningly short amount of time, we’ve watched a massive restructuring of the entire moral universe of modern America —that makes drag queen story time first unimaginable, the plausible, then actual—and then celebrated.

Yes: We are a culture in crisis.

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“You said, what punishments of God are not gifts. Do you really believe that?”

“Yes.”

That was a question from CNN’s Anderson Cooper and an answer by late night talk show host Stephen Colbert during a most pleasantly shocking interview.

CNN anchors and network TV comedy personalities are not exactly known for their thoughtful treatment of Christianity … but that’s exactly what Colbert & Cooper provided.

Colbert conveyed his understanding of the communal nature of suffering and how it prepares us to better empathize with and provide ministry to others when they experience loss.

He also acknowledged our existence as a gift from God and that suffering is part of that gift. One is tempted to push him on the sanctity of life from conception to natural death given his affirmation.

But I’m happy to go slow here.

As William F. Buckley instructed, we have to leave room for people to come over to our side.

To paraphrase Tom Bodett, we’ll leave the light on for Stephen Colbert.

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Left-wing intolerance has infected every corner of American journalism—even the entertainment and sports pages. Kurt Bardella, writing for NBC News.com, declared that naming Sean Spicer to the new cast of “Dancing With the Stars” has served to “undermine the pillars of our democracy.”

Sports columnist Nancy Armour equated Sean Spicer to scandal-plagued pro athletes Ray Lewis and Lamar Odom, who were disgraced by an indictment for murder and a cocaine overdose in a brothel, respectively.

So what was Spicer’s crime? A rocky year as President Trump’s press secretary.

Armour also asked: “Were O.J. Simpson and Sean Hannity not available?” – as if Hannity’s outspoken support for the president somehow equates to Simpson’s likely guilt in cutting his wife’s throat. The intensity of liberal hatred for those who dissent from progressive principles has reached a level of intensity that’s not only insane, but dangerous.

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Those who call for personal change—like Christian ministers—are now being told they need to change.

In California, the State Senate continues to push a resolution that condemns religious leaders and counselors who teach the historic positions of their respective faiths.

Such teaching, we’re told, is “harmful” towards those drawn to alternative lifestyles—including those different views on sex and gender.

But: The call to personal transformation is found at the very root of Christian theology—and Christianity is not alone in promoting the idea that people are flawed and in need of personal transformation.

America has long recognized the value of such perspectives. But today, First Amendment-protected religious liberty is under fire. Ironically, those who encourage others to change spiritually are now being told they need to change.

People are free to disagree with the message of the minister.

They ought not try to silence that minister.

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