This episode takes a deep dive into the troubling revelations from a groundbreaking study on the abortion pill Mifepristone. Ryan Anderson from the Ethics and Public Policy Center unveils findings that suggest the FDA has grossly underestimated the drug's adverse effects, putting women's health at risk. Dr. Donna Harrison provides a compelling medical perspective on these findings, advocating for stricter safety regulations. Additionally, we highlight an ongoing Supreme Court case that tackles religious liberties in education, addressing parents' rights to opt their children out of controversial curriculum.
SPEAKER 20 :
from the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation's leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome to this Monday edition of Washington Watch. I am Jody Heiss, the Senior Vice President here at the Family Research Council and President of FRC Action. An honor to be filling in today and this week for Tony. Tony is in Israel. He's leading a delegation with some Christian leaders from here in the United States and I'll be filling in. Thank you so much for joining us. As always, we're already off to a packed news week and it's only Monday. Let me give you some of the highlights that we'll be covering today. Tomorrow marks President Trump's 100th day back in office and to kick off the week, the White House put focus on what he's doing on border security.
SPEAKER 14 :
Today we kick off 100 Day Week with a focus on the President's historic effort to secure our southern border. Later this afternoon, President Trump will sign an executive order on law and order and another executive order on sanctuary cities.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt earlier this morning, and I'll discuss the latest on President Trump's border security efforts when I'm joined by North Carolina Congressman Brad Knott here in just a few moments. And of course, not everyone is planning to use this week to celebrate President Trump's first 100 days. In fact, the legacy media wants people to believe that the president's approval ratings have plummeted.
SPEAKER 18 :
As we approach the end of Trump's first 100 days, it seems he was pretty quick to squander whatever goodwill he came in with. And that's not just me saying it. I mean, poll after poll after poll, and I literally mean there's so many of them, is making that all perfectly clear.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was former Biden White House Press Secretary Jean Psaki yesterday on her show that airs on MSNBC. But what do we need to know? What do we need to keep in mind when we see all these poll numbers that she references, especially when we consider how off so many of them were during the 2024 election? Well, I'll be discussing this later with Mark Mitchell. He's the chief pollster at Rasmussen Reports, which has been pretty accurate in their polling, certainly unlike those in the legacy media. And speaking about accuracy, there's a new report out, the largest known study of the abortion pill. And it says that adverse effects from Mifepristone, catch this, are 22 times more frequent than what is recognized by the FDA. Wow. Well, hopefully the new Trump FDA will take notice of that.
SPEAKER 07 :
Look, I believe as a scientist, you've got to evolve as the data comes in. And as you may know, there is an ongoing set of data that is coming in to FDA on mifepristone. So if the data suggests something or tells us that there's a real signal, then we can't promise we're not going to act on that data that we have not yet seen.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that was FDA Commissioner Marty McCary last Thursday at a summit in Washington, which happened to be just days before the release of today's report. And now that we have this data, could there be action soon to address the problem? Well, I'll be joined later by one of the authors of this new study, Ryan Anderson. He's the president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. And then I'll discuss it further with Dr. Donna Harrison. She's a CEO Emerita of American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. And then also on today's program, I want to share with you part of Tony's weekend interview with one of the attorneys who's representing the religious parents whose case was heard last week by the U.S. Supreme Court. And I can just assure you, you want to tune in for that. So as usual, we've got a lot coming your way today. You don't want to miss any portion of it. But in case you do, of course, our website is TonyPerkins.com. All right, let's jump into our first topic. Earlier this morning, the Trump administration kicked off the president's first 100 days week by highlighting his effort to secure America's borders. And in fact, on the White House lawn, they displayed photos of the worst of the worst. These are criminals, illegal criminals, immigrants who have been arrested since President Trump returned to the office. And they announced that the president would be signing more. executive orders today to further secure our borders. So with so much that's already been done by the administration to address the border, what does all this tell us about the claim of the previous administration that legislation was the only solution? Well, here to discuss this is Congressman Brad Knott, who serves on the House Homeland Security Committee as well as the Judiciary Committee. He represents North Carolina's 13th congressional district. Congressman Knott, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to have you.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you so much. It's good to be here.
SPEAKER 08 :
OK, let's see. White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt and the president's borders are Tom Holman. They were looking at two executive orders that the president was scheduled to sign today. Can you take us down that road? What were these executive orders? What more is he looking to do on our borders?
SPEAKER 12 :
It's a great question and it's an important topic. I want to go back to where you led into the question ultimately with what's different, what's distinct between this administration, what this administration is doing with the previous administration. And the executive orders that we see today, they are in the same theme that President Trump has really been exercising the entire time he's been in office. All 100 days, he has been focused on making America more secure and making America more free. And you cannot have a secure country with an open border. And President Trump has worked very effectively from day one in streamlining processes, freeing up resources, pressuring our neighbors to the north, the south, and all over the world diplomatically to really make sure that our border is secure. And it's not a very radical proposal. All we're after is we want to know who you are and why you're here when you come into the country. And if you do come into the country, you must do so in accordance with our laws. The previous administration, as you alluded to, They did not, not only did they not enforce the laws, they worked very vigorously to deconstruct any legal enforcement. If you showed up on our border, you were going to get legal entry, or excuse me, you were going to be granted entry whether or not you came through the, quote, legal process or the illegal process. And the harm that our country has faced is, it's hard to quantify it. And the claim that Joe Biden made that it required new legislation, was flatly untrue and he knew it was untrue. He worked the entire time he was in office to welcome anybody who wanted to come to the country, into the country, regardless of their legal versus illegal status. And President Trump has effectively stopped that effort.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and he continues. I mean, now the big news last week, we were seeing going after sanctuary cities and all this kind of stuff. I mean, he's just been relentless to protect our borders, as you mentioned, as the previous administration did just the opposite. In fact, the Biden administration had claimed for years, really, that – Nothing can be done except legislatively. He spent four years blaming Congress for the immigration problems. And, of course, today, and I'd like for you to respond to this, Holman and Leavitt both drilled the Biden administration and claimed that his purposeful open border policies were at stake here. So is the Biden administration now reaping what they've sowed, do you think?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, really, the country has reaped what the Biden administration sowed, and that's the real tragedy. We've seen that, again, this was a purposeful construct from Biden. They not only welcomed people into the country here illegally, they signed them up for government entitlements. They placed them in politically sensitive environments. They shuttled them all over the country. You're still seeing that. We just saw it with Judge Duggan in Wisconsin. What did she do? She actively worked to protect an illegal immigrant criminal from apprehension by ICE while that criminal's victims were in her courtroom. What an astounding metaphor. You have a judge who is actively working to subvert the law at the expense of her state, of her country, and the victims that she should be concerned about who are American citizens.
SPEAKER 08 :
And that's really- What should happen to these judges? Real quickly, what should happen to these judges?
SPEAKER 12 :
When you do things like that, that is a clear violation of the law. Her arrest and apprehension were absolutely appropriate. She worked dishonestly to thwart ICE and their investigation and their apprehension, and then she took the next step in trying to assist the illegal immigrant in flight. She absolutely should have been charged. And of course, everyone's innocent until proven guilty. But if my account is correct and what I've read is correct, she should be sentenced. It's absolutely outrageous what she did. And you cannot assist lawbreakers and claim to be loyal to the United States. Anyone who's here legally should be reported.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well said. All right, let me shift gears for you. Our time is slipping away here. Of course, Congress is reconvening. My understanding, Speaker Johnson has met or perhaps is still meeting with President Trump to discuss the budget reconciliation bill. What can you tell us at this point about the bill's progress? What do you anticipate happening?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, we are working in earnest. Again, the president is working to secure the country and to make the country more free. And he's hoping to do that immediately by reversing Joe Biden's policies and then permanently through legislation. That's where reconciliation comes in. We are working in earnest, trying to get this big, beautiful bill tight. We're trying to get it across the finish line. And all the committees that I'm in, Judiciary, Homeland, and Transportation, are marking up bills this week to include in the reconciliation package. And so we're hoping to get this bill across the finish line in the coming weeks. Memorial Day is the target. We're hoping we're hoping we're working towards that. But again, a lasting, free agenda, a secure agenda, one that benefits the country and her citizens rather than the world is what we're after. And we're working very hard to achieve that.
SPEAKER 08 :
And what's your take real quickly? Because I got one more question for you with the Senate's role in this. What's going to happen on that side?
SPEAKER 12 :
We have worked with the Senate. Leadership obviously has. And we have gotten very explicit agreement that more liberty, more security, spending cuts, et cetera, are top of their list, too. So we expect them to follow the president's lead and to follow the House lead as we move through reconciliations.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, great to hear that. We're going to be keeping a pulse on it and pushing and praying forward with you. All right. On a real quick final note here, you recently called for Congress to reauthorize the Tax Cuts and Job Act. You put out an op-ed, in fact, today in North Carolina. Explain your position on that. What is this act and how does it help your state? How does it help others?
SPEAKER 12 :
Again, the act is really the first term of President Trump when he enacted the tax cuts. Everyone felt the economic benefit, rising wages across every spectrum, robust job growth, robust job creation. There was really a vigor in the economy. I believe someone said that the animal spirits were back in the economy pre-COVID. And that bill had a 10-year sunset. And we're hoping to codify that bill on a permanent basis, again, to really invigorate the economy, to invite entrepreneurialism, and to secure, again, a free economy for generations to come that will protect America and ensure her long-term prosperity.
SPEAKER 08 :
Fantastic. Congressman Brad Knott, North Carolina, I want to thank you so much for the great work that you're doing. And as always, thank you for joining us on Washington Watch. Great to have you.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, sir. Thank you.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, coming up, we've got a lot more to bring your way. We're going to delve further into President Trump's first 100 days when we come back after the break. Specifically, we're going to be looking at and talking about all the polling numbers, which the legacy media would have you believe are plummeting. in behalf of President Trump. Well, is that really what's happening? I'll be speaking with Rasmussen Report's Mark Mitchell on that data when we get back. So stay tuned. Much more coming your way right after this.
SPEAKER 15 :
At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. That's why FRC President Tony Perkins went to Capitol Hill to testify on behalf of persecuted Christians in Nigeria. Islamist terror groups target Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria with brutal violence. Representative Chris Smith, who chaired the hearing, said 55,000 people have been killed and 21,000 abducted in the last five years alone. The congressman also stressed that 89% of Christians in the world who are martyred are from Nigeria.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yet the government of Nigeria has failed to make progress against religiously motivated persecution of Christians despite religious freedom being enshrined as an essential human right in their constitution.
SPEAKER 15 :
Tony Perkins called for the United States to send an unmistakable message.
SPEAKER 09 :
This is systematic religious violence. Nigeria must be redesignated a country of particular concern. The Biden administration's removal of this designation was a reckless mistake that emboldened the very terrorists who are slaughtering Christians.
SPEAKER 15 :
Redesignating Nigeria will enable the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians.
SPEAKER 09 :
These are not just numbers. These are fathers, their mothers, their children, their families.
SPEAKER 15 :
Bishop Wilfred Anagabe risked his life to speak out, sharing firsthand accounts of the danger faced in his church district in central Nigeria.
SPEAKER 02 :
We live in fear because at any point it can be our turn to be killed. But to remain silent is to die twice. So I have chosen to speak.
SPEAKER 15 :
FRC is calling on President Trump to act now to promote religious freedom around the globe and speak up on behalf of Christians in Nigeria.
SPEAKER 05 :
Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 04 :
Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today and join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We've created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective, read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family and church members and stand firm everywhere you go.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. Welcome back. I am your host, Jody Heiss, filling in for Tony while he is leading a delegation of Christian leaders in Israel. All right, as the Trump administration celebrates the president's first 100 days back in office, some new polling would suggest that Trump's popularity is waning. So we have different media organizations including, surprise surprise, ABC, CNN, they've published their own polls that claim the president's approval rating at this 100 days mark is the lowest of known polling data. But we must all ask, how accurate are these polls? Do they really reflect the actual feelings of the American people? Or do they just merely reflect the people whom these media companies cater towards? Well, here to discuss all this with me now is Mark Mitchell. He's a chief pollster at Rasmussen Reports. Mark, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you. Yeah, great to be back. All right, I'm looking forward to getting your take on this. You actually posted on X that you said all of this is just a psychological operation. Explain what you meant by that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, as an honest pollster, I'm basically daily fighting an information war against the lying mainstream media who, in my opinion, appears to have thrown out all profit interest in attempting to undermine the only anti-establishment candidate that I remember. And everybody's focused on Trump approval. You look at Google search volume. You can go look at Google trends and you can see that people are searching for the term approval now pretty much more than they ever have. And for some reason, Trump approval is way more interesting than Biden approval, Obama approval or Bush approval ever was. So that's telling me people are seeing headlines. They're hearing stories. They're getting push notifications to their phone. And it's all the mainstream media trying to undermine Trump to convince you that he's not popular. Another sign is that some of the pollsters like ABC News, Washington Post and New York Times haven't even really pulled Trump approval in months. And all of a sudden, Six of the pollsters dumped polls over the weekend that were really horrible for Trump, and it's the same kind of people who were six, seven, and even eight points to the left of me back in the fall. So what I consider is they probably just waited and said, hey, I got a little surprise for Trump on his 100 days. Rasmussen Reports gets elections right, and I don't think that you can poll approval without getting elections right. And we're the only people in the industry still polling approval on a daily basis. And what I can tell you is that if you take the first six months of Obama's first term away – and look at the rest of his polling, that's pretty much where Trump approval has been and is going to be. We're in a situation where it's like peak threat of violence. People are really political divisive. You're never going to see a Trump 60% approval rating, but I don't think it's going to drop below 45% either. And what I think is a much more important number is the fact that our right direction polling is setting records on a weekly basis now because Americans are finally getting what they voted for.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, so explain that, the right direction polling. What is that referring to? The people of America are saying we're going in the right direction, but what is that saying to us? What are you seeing from that polling?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, we've been in business 20 years, and just alongside presidential approval, the question we ask is, is the country headed in the right direction, or has it gotten off on the wrong track? And people have been really unhappy for a long time. Right direction, how has always been less than wrong track, except for one week. And that week happened a month and a half ago under Trump's second administration. It got up to 48% highest it's ever been in our polling history. And now it's setting a record for 13 consecutive weeks higher than 42% or higher. The previous record was only seven weeks. And that was also in a Trump term. And that's because Trump's an economic populist. And the general trend has been that Trump was elected because the American dream, our futures, the ability to put food on the table, to form families, to buy affordable houses, all that stuff has been stolen and shipped overseas. And Americans understand that.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. All right, so we have pretty strong differences in polling information. Of course, polls can say anything you want them to say, but Rasmussen is on target because you do authentic polling. Is it fair to say or assume perhaps that some of these other media organizations have a conflict of interest, that this is just a political push? You alluded to that, but do you think that really is the underlying factor that's driving these numbers that they're putting out?
SPEAKER 11 :
I think the trend we're seeing is a collapse in integrity in all of our institutions. And if you see this happen in the FBI, if you see it happen in corporate boardrooms, if you see it happen in church denominations, it's probably happening in newsrooms too. And that's if your boss or your boss's boss or your boss's friend in DC really wants some headline and your paycheck depends on it, you're probably going to give them the headline. And are some people doing it not on purpose? Sure. And also there are some honest pollsters who that are out there having their headlines and their numbers cherry picked as well. That's, you know, the information gatekeepers in these media organizations are very effective at spinning these tails. But even if you don't look at polling, if you just look at the percent of voters who turned out for Trump and how many of those voters he won in his second term, we're not talking about polling. We're talking about actually people that showed up and voted. Trump did really good this time around. He got 32% of the electorate. He He only got 28 percent his first time around. He increased, which means people saw his first term and they said, I want more of that. And they came and voted for him again. And that puts him a lot higher than many other previous presidents, higher than JFK, higher than both Clinton's Clinton terms, higher than Bush won, higher than the second term of George W. Bush. And Obama came in higher than Trump in his first term. and then got less of a share of the vote in his second election. So the idea that Donald Trump is something.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, in relation to that, I know AOC and Bernie Sanders have been going all over the place. Is there any polling that they somehow are moving the needle, be it with a third party or just in general? Is there any polling on them?
SPEAKER 11 :
No, I think they're just indicative of how bad the situation the Democrats are in. The Democrats don't really have a platform or authenticity to convince voters that all of a sudden they have an answer to MAGA. And so there's been this vacuum, and I think it's being filled by their noisiest people, Bernie Sanders and AOC, who quite frankly poll not that great. Um, they are third, fourth, fifth, when ranked against other Democrats about who they want to run the primary, but they're the only ones out there speaking. And I'll tell you, they have no chance. Americans fundamentally think that free market economies are better. They're not going to vote for open socialist candidates. And, um, right now they just need an answer to Trump MAGA populism and that's it. But there's a, there's a vacuum in the Democrat party.
SPEAKER 08 :
Mark Mitchell, chief pollster at Rasmussen Reports. Thank you so much for joining us. Great info. All right, friends, coming up next, we're going to air a segment of Tony's weekend program this week on Capitol Hill regarding the Supreme Court and religious liberties for parents. So stay tuned. We'll be back in a moment.
SPEAKER 19 :
Everything we do begins as an idea. Before there can be acts of courage, there must be the belief that some things are worth sacrificing for. Before there can be marriage, there is the idea that man should not be alone. Before there was freedom, there was the idea that individuals are created equal. It's true that all ideas have consequences, but we're less aware that all consequences are the fruit of ideas. Before there was murder, there was hate. Before there was a Holocaust, there was the belief by some people that other people are undesirable. Our beliefs determine our behavior, and our beliefs about life's biggest questions determine our world view. Where did I come from? Who decides what is right and wrong? What happens when I die? Our answers to these questions explain why people see the world so differently. Debates about abortion are really disagreements about where life gets its value. Debates over sexuality and gender and marriage are really disagreements about whether the rules are made by us or for us. What we think of as political debates are often much more than that. They're disagreements about the purpose of our lives and the source of truth. As Christians, our goal must be to think biblically about everything. Our goal is to help you see beyond red and blue, left and right, to see the battle of ideas at the root of it all. Our goal is to equip Christians with a biblical worldview and help them advance and defend the faith in their families, communities, and the public square. Cultural renewal doesn't begin with campaigns and elections. It begins with individuals turning from lies to truth. But that won't happen if people can't recognize a lie and don't believe truth exists. We want to help you see the spiritual war behind the political war, the truth claims behind the press release, and the forest from the trees.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony. I mentioned to you that he is in Israel leading with a delegation with a group of Christian leaders. But before he left, Tony sat down with Beckett Fund with an attorney to deal with the parents' case that the Supreme Court heard arguments about last week. And I'd like to share a part of that interview from Tony's program. It's called This Week on Capitol Hill. Here's how Tony got this conversation started, and we'll come back afterwards.
SPEAKER 09 :
So explain the issue here in this case.
SPEAKER 10 :
So in 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools introduced curriculum for pre-kindergarten through fifth graders that are storybooks. And these storybooks present topics like a puppy that gets lost in a pride parade. And at the end of that book, which is designated specifically for pre-K, which in montgomery county can have people as young as three there's a i spy section where it says hey go back through this book and try to find things like leather or drag king or drag queen and not only did the school board introduce these books but they also gave their teachers specific instruction of how to teach the books and so you know if a child says hey you know boys can boys have to like girls or girls can't like girls the teachers are instructed to disrupt either or thinking. And so when these books were first implemented and this instruction was first given, for the first year or so, parents were allowed to opt their children out of the classroom. But in March of 2023, the school board reversed course overnight and said, we're not gonna let you know when these books are gonna be read. We're not gonna give you the opportunity to opt your kids out of the books. And this caused a massive backlash by predominantly religious parents of Muslim and Ethiopian Orthodox faith, as well as others. My firm, the Beckett Fund, represents parents from Muslim backgrounds, Jewish backgrounds, Christian backgrounds who sued the school district saying, hey, you know, you can implement this curriculum if you so choose, but we want to opt our kids out of it.
SPEAKER 09 :
Why did the school change course? Was it too many parents were wanting their kids out of the curriculum, and so they were afraid that they weren't going to be able to get this information into the minds of kids?
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, we don't know for sure. They've given kind of differing reasons. You know, on the one hand, there's some evidence to say like some parents that hold views that the books are good things were upset that other parents were allowed to opt out. During the course of litigation, the school district came forward with this, ah, there's too many opt-outs for us to handle. That seems a little absurd given that the school district handles opt-outs in a number of other contexts. They've had Before this case, they had religious diversity guidelines because Montgomery County is one of the most religiously diverse counties in the country, saying, you know, if anything substantially burdens your beliefs, we'll opt you out of the classroom. And it wasn't until parents started opting out of these books specifically that they changed course.
SPEAKER 09 :
So, Colton, that is the issue before the court. The parents simply wanting, I mean, they're not trying to get rid of them. They're not trying to pull the books off the shelves. They're just saying, look, we want to know when our children are going to be exposed to this material because it runs counter to what we're teaching them. We just want to know so we can opt them out. Is that the question?
SPEAKER 10 :
That's right, Tony. It's purely, you know, we don't control the school board. We don't control what's in the classroom. But if teachers and people of authority are going to stand in front of a class and read from these books and provide instruction, our parents feel like they need to protect their children from the contents of those books. And especially since the contents of those books at times conflict with their religious beliefs.
SPEAKER 09 :
According to the oral arguments and the questions from the justices, this is not presented in a neutral fashion. Much of this is promotion. And even there's evidence to suggest that was introduced into the court that school board officials and other officials were derogatory in describing parents and their motivations for wanting to opt their children out of this type of curriculum.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, that's right. So during school board, after they implemented this policy change and removed the opt-outs, hundreds of parents protested. And in response to some of those protesters and parents showing up at the meeting, one school board member said that a Muslim girl was just parroting her parents' dogma. They compared the Muslims to xenophobes and white supremacists. So there was some pretty blatantly derogatory statements made about these religious parents.
SPEAKER 09 :
Colton, it appeared from the questions that the justices seemed taken aback by the fact that the Montgomery County School would not allow parents to opt their children out. It seemed like this is all you want. You just want to be opted out and they're not accommodating you.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, that's right. I think you saw some shock from members of the court, some of whom are residents of Montgomery County, saying, you know, Maryland as a state was founded on religious liberty. And this is exactly contrary to that teaching. You know, I would say, Tony, you mentioned Obergefell at the beginning of the segment. You know, even in the majority of opinion in Obergefell, Justice Kennedy notes that there can be people of good religious faith on the other side of this issue. And so in that, you know, we take that to mean like, look, if you're going to recognize a right to same sex marriage. That also means one day you're going to have to protect the religious liberty of people that disagree with that decision. And so this case is an opportunity for the court to recognize, like, you know, we have to permit religious liberty to thrive in the midst of a pluralistic society.
SPEAKER 08 :
Fascinating interview. That was an interview Tony had with Colton Stansberry with the Beckett Fund. It took place over the weekend on the program This Week on Capitol Hill. I encourage you, if you've not seen that or you would like more information about that program, check out thisweekoncapitolhill.com. Thisweekoncapitolhill.com. Fantastic interview there. All right, stay tuned. Much more coming your way after the break. There's new findings that have been released from the largest ever study in regard to the abortion pill, chemical abortion. You'll be shocked to hear what the study revealed. So stay tuned for those details. We'll be back.
SPEAKER 16 :
Are you ready to transform your trials into triumphs? Dive into the book of Daniel with FRC's new study guide, Daniel, Visions and Valor. Perfect for those seeking courage and wisdom from one of the Bible's most faithful figures. This 13-day journey is ideal for small groups or individual study as part of our ongoing Stand on the Word Bible reading plan. It's a timeless resource ready to deepen your engagement with Scripture. Explore how Daniel's life and God-given visions offer a blueprint for navigating challenges. Each day includes Scriptures, reflection questions, and space for notes to enhance your understanding and application. Available in digital and physical formats, order your copy of Daniel, Visions and Valor today and start your journey of transformation. To order, text the word DANIEL to 67742. That's DANIEL to 67742.
SPEAKER 03 :
What is God's role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government, a powerful 13-part series that equips you with biblical truth to engage in today's most pressing debates. From the Ten Commandments in Classrooms to the Immigration Crisis of America, we'll uncover the foundations of our nation's history and why it's relevant for today. Defend God's plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. New episodes available each Monday. To view the series on the Stand Firm app, text COURSE to 67742.
SPEAKER 13 :
How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow Outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm your host, Jody Heiss, filling in for Tony this week. That last interview with Colton Stanberry with the Beckett Fund, a fascinating interview dealing with religious liberties, specifically of these parents, but even more broadly than that is the issue that we're dealing with. And that reminded me, and I want to just encourage you, if you've not already taken advantage of the new God and Government series, that is putting together a 13-week video series for you. We just released week number 11 coming out this week, and this one actually deals with kind of like that interview was just talking about, deals with how to embrace a biblical worldview in a post-Christian culture. Folks, how important is that to understand? What does the Bible have to say? What are the essential ingredients for a strong culture and society? Well, you can find out. Get the God in Government series to get more information or to check it out yourself. Simply text the word COURSE to 67742. All right, there is a brand new study that's come out. It's a stating really what many have been saying for a long time, basically that the abortion pill mifepristone is more harmful than what the Food and Drug Administration officially recognizes. And it's actually worse than what many even thought. The study that has been published by the Ethics and Public Policy Center says that adverse effects from mifepristone are 22 times more frequent than what's recognized by the FDA. So how should this change the narrative on the abortion pill? And what kind of action is needed? Well, here to discuss it all is Ryan Anderson, who is the president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and one of the authors of this study. Ryan, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be with you. Well, it is our pleasure to have you, and what a monumental report that you've come out with. So break down, if you would, break down the contents of this study for us. What are the major takeaways?
SPEAKER 06 :
Sure, I mean, the major takeaway here is that it's a 22 times higher rate of serious adverse events for women who take the chemical abortion drug than what the FDA claims on the label. The FDA claims it's less than half of a percent of women will suffer from a serious adverse event. Real world insurance claim data shows that it's actually 10.93% of women who will suffer with a serious adverse event. Things like sepsis, hemorrhaging, infection, an ER visit, right? These aren't minor things like an upset stomach or diarrhea. Serious adverse events, 22 times higher than what the FDA claims. And this is based on real world data. This isn't based on idealized clinical studies where the drug is administered perfectly. This is how it's really administered in the real world based on 850,000 insurance claims. And then the last thing I'll say is that why do we see such poor outcomes? Both the Obama and the Biden administration got rid of most all of the major safety protections that the FDA originally required when they approved of the pill. So what we're calling on the Trump FDA to do is for right now, just reinstate those original safety provisions. Reinstate doctor office visits, in-office visits. Don't allow telehealth. Don't allow mail-order abortion pills. Require physician oversight as a woman takes the abortion pill. Women deserve to know the truth about the abortion pill, and women deserve to have safe, quality health care.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, when you're talking about 22 times higher adverse serious consequences, this is no insignificant number. How did the FDA miss it so much? I mean, you just said they took away some of the measuring equipment. elements, I guess, of all of it. But still, 22 times is an enormous difference. How did this happen when health is supposed to be the central concern?
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, a couple of things to say there. The co-author of the paper is our director of data science at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. What he discovered is that the original FDA studies, what they did was one study would look at ER visits, one study might look at hemorrhaging, one study might look at sepsis, and then they would add all of those things up together as if all of the studies had looked for all of the serious adverse events. And so there's a numerator-denominator problem here, if you're familiar with math, is that the numerator is way too small and then they inflated the denominator, ending up with a much smaller fraction. Maybe this was politicized, maybe this was just an honest statistical mistake. One way or the other, they got their math wrong. But then what we saw in the Obama years and now most recently from the Biden administration, it was clearly politicized medicine to get rid of these original safety provisions. It used to require three in-person doctor visits when the pill was initially prescribed and dispensed, three days later, and then two weeks later to make sure that everything was going well. That initial visit to make sure you didn't have an ectoptic pregnancy. Instead, they're now doing it with online telehealth, mail-order abortion pills across state lines. This isn't looking out for the best interest of women, certainly not looking out for the best interest of their unborn children.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. This is stunning information. You actually described this as like a Category 5 hurricane hitting the prevailing narrative of the abortion industry. I think that is a perfect word imagery of it all. But go into more details. What do you mean by that? Why is this such a catastrophic study for the abortion industry?
SPEAKER 06 :
Sure. I mean, pro-abortion activists say that chemical abortion drugs are as safe as Tylenol. That is not the case. I mean, the most conservatively estimated studies here would be something like one in 10,000 patients taking Tylenol will end up with a serious adverse event. Here we have one in 10. It's actually closer to one in 11. It ends up being 10.9% of women who have this serious adverse event. That's one in nine, sorry, virtually one in nine. That's not what we're seeing with Tylenol. This has been politicized. The Obama and Biden administrations didn't act on new data to get rid of safety provisions. They did this simply to make the abortion pill more accessible. What we've also now noticed is that many blue states, pro-choice states, are mailing the abortion pill across state lines. So one of the things that President Trump promised, he promised to make America healthy again. He promised to undo the Biden and Obama era bad regulations and policies. And he promised to leave abortion to the states. Well, you can't leave it to the states if California is mailing abortion pills to the other 49 states. You can't make America healthy again if you have a 10.9% rate of serious adverse events. And you can't undo all the stupid things Biden and Obama did unless you also undo what they did to the abortion bill. Right. So that's what we're calling on the Trump FDA to do here. And this just strikes me as both a winner politically and it's a winner for women's health and for their informed consent.
SPEAKER 08 :
Excellent information. Ryan Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Great job. Well done. Hats off to you and your team for doing this work and for getting it out. And as always, thank you for coming on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 06 :
Happy to do so.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, I want to continue this conversation, but more now from a medical perspective. Dr. Donna Harrison is a board-certified OBGYN with three decades of experience. She is also CEO Emerita and the current Director of Research for the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists at the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs. Dr. Harrison, welcome back to Washington Watch. It's an honor to have you.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thank you. Thank you for having me on.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. This is such a critical moment potentially right now. And you have authored peer review papers on maternal mortality and Mifepristone mortality and so forth. Does your own professional experience line up with what you probably just heard our interview with the EPPC, what they found in their study?
SPEAKER 17 :
Yes, it does. And not just mine, but app blog docs across the country are seeing similar kinds of things in the ER. Seeing women with hemorrhages, women with tissue left inside, women who have ectopic pregnancies that never should have gotten the abortion pill at all. And they got it because they never had an inpatient visit. They never had an ultrasound. And what really bothers the American Association of Prolifobi Gins is that this kind of sloppy distribution of mifeprex hurts women and not only kills their baby, but it also hurts the women. And there is no way that you can actually give informed consent to a woman if you don't know how far along she is in a pregnancy and there's no way you can tell how far along she is in a pregnancy by looking at a laptop screen it just it doesn't happen so we know that women who uh come into our office about half the time we change the due date based on an early ultrasound so there is no way that these women are being told what their risks are because As the pregnancy gets further and further along, the woman's risk of hemorrhage, infection, sepsis, tissue left inside, all of those risks increase. And she's not even being told whether or not she has a baby in the womb or in the tube. And a baby in the tube is an absolute contraindication to giving mifeprex. So I'm so glad to see this study come out. And finally, some real-world data looking at how women are being affected by this. And the abortion industry doesn't care.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, that's what's so stunning to me. It's like they do not care about the health of women with all of this. The study, the EPPC study, mentions that the current FDA-approved drug label is based on the results of 10 clinical trials with a little over 30,000 or so women. But less than 0.5% reported severe adverse reactions, and yet the truth is much less. worse than that is nowhere close to 0.5 percent no uh so how do you explain this how do we get it so wrong so there's a couple things going on one clinical trials are done under very controlled circumstances all of the women in those trials had an ultrasound
SPEAKER 17 :
before they got into the trial to make sure that they were eligible for the trial and to make sure the baby was in the womb. And if they had an ectopic pregnancy, they were excluded. And if they were too far along, they were excluded. So these trials sort out healthy women where their gestational age, the dating of the pregnancy is perfectly known. And then they're followed very, very, very carefully. OK, so that's not what happens in the real world. In the real world, Sally Smith, who may be 14, gets online, gives her gift credit card and gets mailed Mifeprex. She has no idea how far along she is. She may think that she's eight weeks. And I've seen cases where where women were told, oh, you're eight weeks along and they take the mifeprex and they deliver a 22-week baby who could have survived if that baby had been delivered under the right circumstances. It's this kind of horrendous care. And that's not the only thing going on. Women who have a blood type that's negative, like O negative or B negative or A negative, They're supposed to get a medicine called Rogam, and that's to prevent their body from rejecting the next baby that comes along. And that's supposed to happen whether they have a miscarriage, an abortion, or a delivery. When that doesn't happen and they don't get Rogam, they have a very high chance of that next baby dying, even if it's a wanted baby, dying in their womb because their body rejects it. So these women are not getting Rogam. They're not getting ultrasound. They're not getting informed consent. It's horrendous. And then who is taking care of the women who have a difficult time accessing care? These drugs are mailed to women who may not have access to an emergency room. So if you hemorrhage and you lose half your blood volume and you're right down the road from an ER that has blood, you'll survive. If you're in Timbuktu, you won't. You'll die. And this is the thing. There's no concern about the health care needs of women who are getting these drugs. It's just abysmal. So that's why I agree with EPPC stating that at the very minimum, at the very minimum, The safety requirements that were thrown away by the Obama and Biden administrations, those safety requirements should be reinstated. And they should add more if they don't pull the drug altogether.
SPEAKER 08 :
So this is such a dangerous drug. Why in the world has the FDA allowed it to be on the market for so long?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, I would suggest that you read the AHM versus FDA filing that you can find on the ADF website, where we detail all of the irregularities in the approval process. It was a political approval from day one. Clinton ordered the approval to happen. There were safety steps that were missed. It was approved under a... clause called Subpart H, which is for the treatment of life-threatening infections or life-threatening diseases. So they had to call pregnancy a life-threatening disease. I mean, it's ridiculous. Pregnancy is a physiological normal function. Normal women... become pregnant and they deliver healthy babies. That's the goal. Pregnancy is not a life-threatening disease and it never should have been fast-tracked. It was fast-tracked. There's a bunch of things that were wrong with the initial approval. But even at the minimum, we should go back to those safety requirements under the initial approval. You know what was really bad? When the Obama administration relaxed the requirements, they allowed for women to get this drug and not be monitored by a physician. They also, at the same time, told the abortionists, you don't have to report any complications anymore. You only have to report deaths. Isn't that crazy? You change all these safety requirements, you relax them, and then you say, we don't want to know about any complications that happen because of our change in the safety requirements. It's just, it's horrendous.
SPEAKER 08 :
It is horrendous, and may this be a moment in our nation's history on this issue, not just for those who are pro-life. This certainly, for those of us who are pro-life, we are pushing for this for multiple reasons, but just those who are concerned for health of the mother and the dangers that are associated with drugs like this. This is a moment in history to turn the corner. All right. Dr. Donna Harrison, thank you so much for this incredible time that you've spent with us. And thanks for the tremendous work that you do at the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. God bless you. Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, friends, that wraps up this edition. Wow, a lot going on, and we're just on Monday. So you want to join us again tomorrow and the rest of the week. God bless you. We'll be back tomorrow here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 20 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joins the show to share insights on the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire announcement and the broader implications for international diplomacy. Later, the focus shifts to domestic affairs with highlights on the Trump administration’s 100th-day media specials and its sustained impact on immigration policy. The episode also takes a critical look at humanitarian efforts in the Congo, emphasizing the importance of global religious freedom and moral clarity in leadership.
SPEAKER 07 :
We got breaking news. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt holds surprise morning press conference.
SPEAKER 09 :
Keeping you informed and engaged now more than ever. This is Sekulow. We want to hear from you. Share and post your comments or call 1-800-684-3110. And now your host, Logan Sekula.
SPEAKER 07 :
Happy Monday, everybody. This is Logan Sekula. Will Haynes joining me in studio. Mike Pompeo will be joining us a little bit later in the broadcast. We break down all the news that happened over the weekend as well as the incredible work of the ACLJ, including some big wins that have happened and some new updates about what's going on in the Congo. I know that's something that's been very important to a lot of our listeners as Christian persecution has been on the rise there to a point of really disturbing and disgusting. what's happening there and we're going to give you plenty of warning before we talk about that detail be a lot later in the broadcast right now though we did want to start with a couple breaking news items one of which of course you may have seen we'll get to that a little bit later with secretary pompeo which is a moment of ceasefire that may be coming for the russia ukraine war this is over the weekend as president trump met with vladimir zelinsky at the pope's funeral or in that proceeding beforehand. But also, we're about to mark the 100th day of the Trump presidency. With that, there's a lot of pomp and circumstances, including a Disney Plus Hulu special that ABC News has produced that will be on tomorrow night, available on all these streaming services, one-on-one interviews, as President Trump's taken a lot of these. But a lot of people also woke up to the lines of the driveways to the White House covered in signs. These signs are basically mugshots of all of the different people that have been arrested that were here illegally. And these are people who had incredibly violent past. These are not just people who were here illegally. These are people who have a lot of them even committed murder.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. So this was 100 yard signs that had the mugshots of individuals that were taken off the streets and what they were described as the worst of the worst by the administration. And not only did they put up this theatrical show for everyone where it shows what the criminal offense was and that they were arrested, but there was a surprise event. early morning press briefing from Caroline Leavitt, the press secretary at the White House. This is very unusual to have an early morning press briefing.
SPEAKER 07 :
Before most of you probably were awake or at work, this was happening.
SPEAKER 08 :
And this was with Tom Homan. And it was to highlight the success of the actions taken by the Trump administration on the border. And we'll play a clip here. This is her opening line from this press briefing.
SPEAKER 07 :
And again, this was just this morning. So this has just happened. This is all breaking news items happening right now.
SPEAKER 01 :
Historic effort to secure our southern border. Later this afternoon, President Trump will sign an executive order on law and order and another executive order on sanctuary cities. The first EO will strengthen and unleash America's law enforcement to pursue criminals and protect innocent citizens. The second EO is centered around protecting American communities from criminal aliens, and it will direct the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to publish a list of state and local jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws. After these are signed, the president will have signed more than 140 executive orders already, rapidly approaching the total number signed by the Biden administration over the course of four years in office.
SPEAKER 07 :
And again, that was from just this morning with Caroline Levitt. And I'm going to restate the beginning because it cut off. She stated, today we kick off our 100-day week with a focus on the president's historic effort to secure our southern border. Later this afternoon, President Trump will sign an executive order on law and order and another executive order on sanctuary cities. So I wanted to make sure you got full context of what was happening there because it started a little bit late. I want to know your feedback and your feelings. When you see this 100-day celebration, if you will, it is focused on the border. Now, we know the border has been a tough topic. Nobody was thrilled with what was happening. But how do you feel about now sort of the pomp and circumstance the other way, where they're aligning the White House with these mugshots? Do you like it? Do you not like it? Do you find it to be kind of inappropriate? Do you like the fact that we're showing these people off and giving them this kind of attention? I want to know your thoughts. I genuinely do. 1-800-684-3110. Because somewhat it plays into the nature that the attacks on President Trump are. That it feels a little dehumanizing and all that. But of course you're talking about people who are convicted of horrible, horrible crimes. 1-800-684-3110. I want to hear from you. We'll be right back. welcome back to seculo some phone lines are open for you got like two open right now 1-800-684-3110 if you're watching on youtube uh some of you had a little bit of a glitch there we're working on what that problem is i'm going to ask you if you are watching right now hit that thumbs up button for me that will help make sure that you are all watching and in the feed and i'll help get back to more people who maybe got cut off we don't know exactly the issue but we're working on it i want you to know that i see a lot of the comments uh coming in as well Of course, we're restating what's going on. It's President Trump's 100th day in office tomorrow, I believe. Is that official tomorrow? That's right, yes. Tomorrow will be the 100th day. And you're going to have a lot of celebrations happening, a lot of conversations, interviews, including a Disney Plus and Hulu special that will air tomorrow night via ABC News, not ESPN, via ABC News. And, you know, President Trump... Interestingly, taking these interviews, spending time with it. He talked about it last week with Goldberg. Yeah, with the Atlantic. From the Atlantic. He's going to take some of these maybe more less friendly, as you'd say, interviews. So we'll see that tomorrow. And then, of course, a lot of it is focused on immigration, where there has been some, what you'd say, success. Even Bernie Sanders a few weeks ago said, hey, I don't agree with President Trump on many things, but I do on the border. I think we have that bite. We can play that. We do. Let's take a listen to Bernie Sanders. By 28. Is there anything that you think Trump has done right?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. I mean, I think cracking down on fentanyl, making sure our borders are stronger. Look, nobody thinks illegal immigration is appropriate.
SPEAKER 07 :
So, I mean, that's coming from, again, Bernie Sanders. Phone lines are open for you. What do you think? Obviously, we know you probably are for a stricter immigration policy as we had such an open border problem going on for the last four or five years. But what about right now? What about when you see it actually happening? Look, there's a lot of people on here. I know that you are good, sweet people. You're Christian people who see maybe some of this and go, I don't know. Where's that line? Where's that line between humanitarian? Where's the humanitarian part play into you? And where does the securing the border play into you? Where is it dehumanizing? Is it dehumanizing by by lining the White House or is it just even too much in terms of a show? we still have so many issues going on in the country that is sometimes where my initial like gut feeling is that i kind of kind of have to take a second to think about it because part of me goes i want it's like when i see uh you know police going after very very very small crime or not even crime just that like pull over to check you out kind of thing where i go is this really what you'd be spending your time on like is there not a better place to be putting your time and of course It's not like a lot of time for them to print some signs and put them out there, but it does send a message, and I'm not sure how I feel about that message. What do you think at 1-800-684-3110? I think we should take some phone calls here in just a minute.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, we should, but here's what's interesting and also what plays into this as well, Logan, is that Multiple polls came out about approval rating for the president. And these happen periodically where they're doing the overall approval rating. Then they get into kind of the details. And so what we've got here is kind of a conflicting view of approval rating polls. Now, we may not care too much about polls in the American public, but the administration actually does pay attention to them and politicians pay attention to them to know what they should go after, what they should talk about more, how they should frame things. And we have conflicting polling data about the immigration issue right now. A CBS poll that was conducted April 23rd through 25th, so this is just being released because it was just completed, has the Trump administration's program to deport immigrants illegally in the United States 56% approval rating. Now, that's great. That sounds like, okay, his overall approval rating is lower. It's in the 40s. But on that issue, it seems like the American public generally, there's a majority of Americans that approve of this. But then you have a Washington Post poll in ABC News that came out Friday. that has Trump with 53% disapproval so the opposite and 46% approving of how he's handling immigration so there's a split there almost identical mirror images of how these polls are conducted and these aren't by one's a conservative organization that's getting you know a different data set these are both CBS and Washington Post, mainstream media conducting these polls with their polling partners. And it shows one shows a majority of Americans are are definitely liking what the policies are. And the other shows that a majority of Americans definitely disapprove of it. So conflicting. That's why I think it's also interesting to take it front to the audience here. of our listeners and and what do they think about this do they think that it is getting too theatrical and we need to see more work and proof of that work instead of of just tweets that saying we did all this yeah exactly let's go to jerry who's calling a rhode island first listening on the radio jerry you're on the air all right good morning team uh being of your father's demographic former law enforcement every department has ucr report they report the status
SPEAKER 12 :
for the regards to what's lining the driveway we want to see the progress of what we voted for i do wish they had put what state these people were taken into because various states are blue so and remember who takes the poll most people in my demographic unless we know who's taking the poll and how it's going to be manipulated we don't answer it so i don't answer those polls too jerry when they come in i'll be honest when they come in i usually think i'm getting some sort of scam so i don't uh i don't do it as well i'll hang up or i won't do it online
SPEAKER 08 :
And Jerry, actually, to your point, on the White House website under their articles section, they have the entire list of who those mugshots are. In the first hundred days, Trump administration has taken killers off our streets. And it goes through and it says ICE Baltimore arrested this individual, ICE Buffalo, ICE El Paso, ICE Houston. So if you go through, you do see mugshots. Which team of ICE, it doesn't necessarily give the exact state. If ICE Chicago was in one of the suburbs or something like that. But it's giving at least the region and most likely the state that they were taken into custody in. And many of them are in blue states. You see Buffalo, you see San Francisco, Chicago, Denver.
SPEAKER 07 :
I think all of that is great. I think having a list and then being able to see what's happening right now, I think that's great. The sort of, I guess you'd say, quote unquote, maybe tacky nature of doing the signage, I'm not so sure of. I don't know if it's becoming to the United States of America, if that feels like the right thing to do. And again, I know a lot of you are going, Logan, it's not about your heart. Well, I mean, somewhat it is. I think we have to make sure the American people are showcased in a way that represent us and make sure they represent us properly. correctly yes take care of crime get rid of it make sure that we're serious about the issues that are going on and maybe that's why i have maybe somewhat of a little bit of an issue with this because it feels a bit showy it feels a bit and look president trump's a showman i understand that uh i would consider myself a bit of a showman as well a bit of a song a dance man but in general there are moments that feel like you just get this initial sort of, you know, ick to it. And this kind of had that moment for me where I'm looking at it going, I don't know if I want this at the white house. Uh, but that's just me personally. I know a lot of you feel differently and that's okay. Uh, cause I get the point. I get the point of showcasing. Look what we've done. I don't know if this is the way to do it. Someone mentioned, uh, and maybe it's a call. I have to look like, what about like a nationwide ad campaign or something like that? I kind of like that a little bit more, almost the, um, you know, the old billboards, like most wanted kind of billboards. Right. Like I, And like that saying, look what we've done. PSA kind of style. Yeah, look what we've done. Look what we've taken off streets. That to me is a bigger warning for the potential criminal than it is putting their face on a little placard outside the White House. Which was done only for the media.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Because that is the entrance of the White House where the media walks through. And so the photos that are being taken other than the ones released by the White House are the ones that are taken by media and they're showing them. And MSNBC blurred out these convicted criminals' faces on the mugshots. I don't think that they blurred out President Trump's photo of his mugshot when it was posted everywhere. Of course not. But they wanted to protect the privacy of convicted criminal illegal immigrants in the United States. But to your point as well, I think this is more interesting that should be highlighted because really, yes, there is a problem with a large amount. Tom Homan said probably about 20 million illegal immigrants in the country. And the deportation is something that people voted for, but also just the stopping the flow of it. And this is bite 11 from Tom Homan that really highlights how well they shut down the border. And I think that's really what people want to hear. Let's play bite 11.
SPEAKER 02 :
And finally, that was said earlier, on the first 100 days, it was actually January 20th to April 1st, last year, 184,000 illegal aliens were released into the United States. Under this administration, nine. Four of them were material witnesses in a criminal investigation. We need them here to testify in a serious criminal trial. Four was extreme medical condition. We couldn't return them because they were in such bad shape. and one was a humanitarian issue. This is unprecedented success. The border is secure. President Trump is saving lives.
SPEAKER 07 :
I love that. Right. And I think that should be the focus.
SPEAKER 02 :
There was heart in it.
SPEAKER 07 :
There was feeling. There was emotion. And it also proved the point of what they're doing. I am not saying I disagree with the methods they're even using. I think having this sort of show actually devalues the success. I think you need to focus on how important it is and make it serious that this is being done.
SPEAKER 08 :
One other point that he brought up, too, was how many women and children are victims of assault and other things and trafficking. And that when you shut down 184,000 that are being let go once they get to the border, when you stop that, you're also protecting them. You're also stopping crimes against women and children that are making this dangerous journey.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah. You know how many people are getting saved. Hey, I want to encourage you right now. Mike Pompeo is going to be joining us in the next segment. We're going to talk a little bit more about the work of the ACLJ. But only two days remain in our life in Liberty Drive. Then you don't have to hear me say this over and over again. But right now, your donations are matched. And we really could use your help. We're down a little bit. Have your gifts doubled right now. Don't wait. While you still have a chance, do it right now. Time is running out. Scan the QR code that's on your screen and have your gifts doubled. Please give now. Go to ACLJ.org or scan the QR code to join the fight. We'll be right back with more on Sekulow. Welcome back to Sekulow. Phone lines are jammed right now, but they'll open up at 1-800-684-3110. We're now joined by Senior Counsel for Global Affairs, of course, former Secretary of State. Mike Pompeo, who is joining us right now. And Mike, you have a terrific piece we're going to get into a little bit later on the ACLJ website. But of course, we wanted to kick this off talking about what is going on in Russia and Ukraine. It was someone who's visited. You had over the weekend some meetings between President Trump and Zelensky. And then obviously you had Putin announcing now a three day ceasefire with Ukraine starting May 8th, claiming that is to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany. So the question is, should America and Ukraine see this as a test for Putin, who is obviously famous for breaking these ceasefires? Is this just another show? I want to get your thoughts.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, look, the connection to World War Two shouldn't escape anyone. President Putin has talked about this for a long time. He always rewrites that history, frankly, in the same way he has tried to rewrite the history with the Soviet Union and Ukraine. I do hope that they're closing in on a solution here. I hope that they're going to get the guns to settle down. President Trump has been working diligently. He's got a team that's been working hard on it. But, you know, the American people get the get the joke. We all want peace. We want there to be no wars. But we're not prepared to surrender 16000 kids that the Russians have taken into their country out of Ukraine. We're not we're not willing to give Vladimir Putin the victory of aggression. And that's the that's the rub. That's why we haven't been able to pull this off in the first. a couple of months of President Trump's time. And I hope, I hope this ceasefire for three days. I hope it lasts three days. He's often announced these fires and then not live it up to them. That's also true for the Ukrainians. They've done the same. But I hope he'll live up to it. And then I hope it can be extended. And I hope the Europeans can step forward, provide the resources necessary for a security arrangement in the aftermath of this aggression from Vladimir Putin, and that we can get a solution that is lasting and long-lived in Europe. And we don't have to deal with these issues of thousands of people being lost lives, innocent civilian lives being lost every month.
SPEAKER 08 :
Mr. Secretary, one of the big pieces to this that's being reported, that a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia would involve Crimea remaining under Russian control. Obviously, this is the region that was taken by Vladimir Putin under the Obama administration. Really interesting. When the beginning of this conflict started, if you if you want to kind of pinpoint it, then there was some calm for years. And then when Joe Biden took office was the full fledged attack by the Russians. Where do you think with this this potential carrot that's maybe being dangled by the Russians that will accept this deal? This is kind of our sticking point, though. Where do you think Ukraine would land on this? It kind of seems like a very hard sell for Zelensky. But we know that Zelensky met with the president and the Vatican over the weekend and just kind of wanted to get your thoughts on that. Is it a trick by Russia because they know it's not going to be accepted or what do you make of it?
SPEAKER 06 :
No, I think actually both of these leaders are very serious about Crimea. It is a pivot point strategically. It's got the important Russian access through Sevastopol and the Russian port there into the Black Sea, which leads out into global trading waters. I think both sides really want this. They want the political control that comes with it. So I think this will actually turn out to be the hardest issue to resolve but that's that's what good diplomacy is about there may well be a solution that looks like something that goes back to pre-2014 where the russians still have their access to the port but it is under ukrainian control you can imagine that where the russians claim it the ukrainians claim it in the united states is agnostic you could you could imagine that being a solution i think that's where president trump's head is at um I, for one, think it's really important that the United States not acknowledge Russia owning and controlling Ukraine. That's why I made the statement that I did with President Trump's approval back in 2018. I think we have to try to get that right. But we've got to bring this conflict to an end. And it's very clear that the Russians have military control of that place today. Very difficult to get it back.
SPEAKER 07 :
Secretary Pompeo, I also wanted to pivot a little bit and talk about a piece that you wrote on ACLJ.org called Be Not Afraid. And it really is about having moral clarity, leadership clarity, and faith, and how it can shape the future. I encourage everyone to go read it. I just did, even right before the show, just to get myself back familiar with it as you wrote it. It's really a wonderful piece about sort of that mix of faith, morality, and when it comes to leadership in our country and in our world. Obviously, it's talking on the heels of the passing of the Pope. And you also mentioned your time watching and observing the previous Pope, Pope John Paul II. So I just wanted to give you a little bit of time to elaborate on this article and why you think it's important to have that kind of clarity going in to a future.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thanks for the question. This is why I'm so proud to be part of what the ACLJ is doing. The ACLJ stands for this exact concept, the central thesis that we know good from evil, we know right from wrong, we know decent people from the inhuman. And what I talked about in that piece was the importance of those of us who are of faith to never walk away from that faith, to always maintain our faith and to try to live our lives that way. And when we lead, when we have institutions for which we're responsible or trying to interact with others in the world, make sure that they understand with absolute clarity the moral principles that we have. It's not that from time to time there aren't practicalities that appear in the world. There are. You know, talk about what this pope had done, allowing the Chinese Communist Party to select the bishops in China. I just I just think they didn't do everything they could have to speak with the power of the Catholic Church in a way that would protect the human dignity of the worshipers inside of China. And so I always tried to do that in my public life. And I hope each of us in our current walks will do the same. Try to try to live with that moral clarity that that we all know is the right thing to do.
SPEAKER 08 :
quick final question here. Over the weekend, there was a massive explosion at an Iranian port that just so happened to be coming from fuel that would fuel Iranian ballistic missiles. The Iranians are claiming it was an accident, that it was caused by someone on the ground there. Many people died and were injured in this, but It always has that lingering question in the back of your head. Could it have been some sabotage? Just want to get your take on this real quick.
SPEAKER 06 :
Easy answers. It could definitely have been some sabotage. I don't know that. I'm not suggesting that it was. There are also chemical accidents that happen all across the world almost every day at some level. So it could have been either. But two things are certain. One, it's great that they're not going to have this fuel for their missile program. And the second is, I think this does tell us a lot about the Iranians and their efforts as we are now engaged in negotiations with the Iranian leadership. These folks are diligently working to build out not only the nuclear weapons, but the missile capability, that is the ability to deliver those weapons not only into the Middle East, but more broadly. And so great caution is required in those negotiations.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you so much, Secretary Pompeo, for joining us today. Hey, everyone who's watching right now, I do encourage you to go read that new article on ACLJ.org. And while you're there, we only got a few days left, literally two days left in our life in Liberty Drive. It's a great time to support the work. And if you don't get us for the second half hour of this broadcast, do it right now. Scan the QR code, go to ACLJ.org, or if you have to leave right now, we're about to take a break for about one minute. And in that one minute, this is a great time to support the work of the ACLJ. Immigration is obviously in the headlines, what we're talking about today. And there are judges trying to block every action coming in from President Trump to secure the border. And we got to take action. Tomorrow we're filing a major brief at Supreme Court with the West Virginia Attorney General's Office in a major immigration case. You're going to be a part of that. We're going to talk about that a little bit later in the week. And we also are taking very specific action on that battle going on in the Congo border. as their version of ISIS has been celebrating the murder of Christians. And while I do not want to share the details of that on air as it is too horrifying, I want you to know that the ACLJ is there, and we are sending a major legal letter right now to the UN Special Rapporteur traveling to the Congo demanding an investigation and prosecution for those responsible for this heinous act. That's how the ACLJ and our European affiliates can get involved. And how you can get involved is by supporting the work. Go to ACLJ.org. scan the qr code join the fight or become an aclj champion that's someone that supports the aclj on a monthly basis recurring you cancel any time but know how important it is to create that great baseline and your first gift will be doubled we'll be right back keeping you informed and engaged now more than ever this is seculo And now your host, Logan Sekulow. Welcome back to Sekulow. We'll be taking your calls at 1-800-684-3110. The first topic we were discussing at the beginning of the show was the 100th day of the president's administration. Tomorrow there'll be specials that are running. There's going to be a Disney Plus special with President Trump. And they're kicking off the week. And they kicked off the week with lining the driveway to the White House where all the media is with placard signs. Almost you'd think like campaign signs if you're trying to picture it. with different mugshots, who was arrested, and what they were arrested for. Of course, this is about the crackdown at the border, which most people are in favor of. But I asked a question early on if you were in favor of sort of the show part of this. Did you feel like that this was okay, that we're doing it this way, that this is for the media, this is for attention, to showcase it? I think some people brought in some very interesting points of view. In some ways, I didn't even think about it. Let's go to Kathleen, who's first calling in California. Go ahead, Kathleen.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. Thanks. Yes. Sanctuary state and the city of Los Angeles. I live in Glendale, which is close to the city. And I'm so happy to see that they put those posters up to show the reality of what these people that are coming across our borders or that were, And the crimes they've committed, it makes it a reality for people to see. Because the media won't report it. And when they do show, which every day we have people stealing cars, crime going on in the city, but they're not showing close-ups.
SPEAKER 07 :
Kathleen, I think you, I'm only cutting you off because we're running a little low on time on this segment. Kathleen, I think you actually brought up a good point. Because I told you I wanted you guys to weigh into this. I wanted your opinions. I wanted your thoughts. Because initially, I do have sort of a visceral response to this. But you are right. When the mainstream media decides not to cover what's actually happening, you do have to take some unordinary steps. You have to go things a little, go a different way. And you can't ignore... lines of signs on the white house lawn uh it becomes a story a rather controversial one but it becomes a story but at least draws attention to the fact that this is happening so kathleen you may have won me over in that point you may have actually brought me to a point going okay i kind of understand that point of view i don't necessarily love the visual but what when the news and when the mainstream media doesn't report on the success happening you only have to turn to bernie sanders saying yeah i like what president trump is doing
SPEAKER 08 :
then maybe he should maybe kathleen's right well i also have a little bit of a caveat to that because i think what tom homan also did with in within that press briefing bringing up that every day president trump's policies are saving lives and he said there have been studies done that show 31 of women that make the journey through the use of cartels get assaulted And when President Trump has the illegal immigration down 96%, when 96% less people are coming, how many women aren't being assaulted by the cartels? How many children aren't dying making that journey? And so while I agree with Kathleen to a degree also that, yeah, it's forcing them to cover it. I feel like if they had a little bit more tact and were able to push that narrative to the left, it'd be hard to argue with that success. It really would. Because that is the humanitarian angle saying, yeah, these are the criminals. These people are convicted of murder and horrific crimes. These are convicted criminals. yeah the people on the signs are people that have are here illegally and have been convicted right of a crime so i want to make sure that's clear this isn't just people who are accused of a crime right or are just here illegally and i think that you're illegally plus make that differentiation a little bit better to a broader audience i feel like that 55 from the cbs poll Could be much higher because I think you could hit every group that thinks a pipeline from the cartel bringing up people through the United States that are being trafficked, abused, assaulted. That's a humanitarian issue that everyone can get behind protecting them, but as well of getting the criminals off the streets. But I feel like with the facing forward pageantry, it is only really playing to the base.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, hey, phone lines are open for you. I have three lines open. I'd love to take your calls because we took some. 1-800-684-3110. When we get back, we're going to talk about the important work the ACLJ is doing in this country for those who are conscientious objectors, if you will, from performing abortions, as well as what we're doing in response to the horrible tragedy that's happening around the world and in Congo. So we're going to talk about that coming up in the next segment. If you want to call in on this topic, you can go ahead. 1-800-684-3110. Look, it is part of our life and liberty drive to focus on what's going on and our support for the unborn. And it's easy to look at the overturning of Roe versus Wade a couple years ago and think that's the end. The journey ends there for a lot of you. And I know, look, I can see in the numbers sometimes that is the truth. Where people just think, oh, we won and went back to the States. That's what we wanted. Time to move on from this topic. Wash your hands of it. That's simply not the truth. And it's simply not what's happening around the country. And it includes an issue that we have been a part of for decades now. And that is those in the medical field who decide, hey, I would like to be in the medical field. I'd like to work at this, I don't know, Baptist Hospital and not be forced to perform abortions. And we are there for these medical teams whenever they need us. Because we believe it's within their rights to object to doing these kind of procedures. And again, we've been talking about it for a very, very long time. And we've been able to do it at a pretty big success rate. And that's because of people like you. Obviously, you support the work of the ACLJ. You're listening right now and you go, well, how do you have the resources? How do these nurses, how do these techs have the ability to do it? Because we're able to take on these cases. We're able to pursue legal things that are necessary at zero cost to the client. Because a lot of these techs, medical techs, those kind of things, these are not high-paid positions that could... where they have tens of thousands of dollars to take on big legal expenses to go fight for their beliefs. We're able to do it because of people like you. So I wanted to make sure that was clear at the very front of this. We're going to talk a bit about life here, Will. So if you're listening with small kids, we're not going to get too graphic, but understand the topic at hand. So let's continue on. Let's talk about this, Will, because there is some big updates and some wins that have come out of the ACLJ. And they're on the ACLJ website right now at ACLJ.org. As we have always been there to support these medical professionals.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. This is our cases involving two medical professionals in Kentucky, actually. One was a nurse and the other a surgical tech at this hospital. And there were some changes in the policies that they were concerned about. The nurse initially was concerned about hearing that there may be times where she would have to assist in abortion-related procedures. And she asked for clarification because of her faith and was initially given vague limitations on her accommodation, saying, we acknowledge your moral beliefs, but here's kind of where we're at. We got involved with this individual. This was actually a few weeks ago that we secured a victory for her where... The hospital granted a full religious accommodation so that she can continue to do her job where she feels she has a medical calling to help people and to preserve life. But also she won't be forced to violate her moral convictions and her faith. So we already had that victory, but we were still fighting for our second client there. who was a surgical tech who was involved in surgical procedures. And there were some concerning situations where they gave sort of accommodations, but then also left areas where there could be loopholes or concerns that our client may have to participate in procedures that would violate her conscience when it comes to abortion. And we can now say that we have fought and gotten for our client. full religious accommodation so she will not be forced to participate so this is a win for both of the clients that work at the same hospital that they can continue what they believe god has called them to do and work as medical professionals but not be forced to compromise their deeply held religious convictions against the procedure of abortion yeah and understand these are tough decisions have to be made even by these medical professionals
SPEAKER 07 :
Because in general, you don't want to necessarily start getting involved legally against your employer. You know what that can mean for your career. So if you lose, it's bad news probably for your career. But if you feel that this is so important to you that you're willing to risk it, we're willing to be there for you at the ACLJ. We're willing to help support you. And with this, get full religious accommodations means they don't have to perform abortions or abortion-related services. That should be a huge win. Hopefully inspires a whole new group of people that want to get into this facility or into this career path, but they don't want to be forced by the facility to perform things that go against their moral convictions and their religious convictions. That's the only way we can do it. We got to bring up a whole new group of people who believe the way, essentially, the way we believe the Bible says to. And that is to really, the sanctity of life, very important. Every human being is important. And we can't do that without having some protection for Christians in this country. So that is something we have been dedicated to, again, since the founding of the organization. Now, about 25 years ago, we started to really expand internationally. And the ACLJ started looking at different ways we could get involved on a global scale, whether that was at the European Union, whether it was the European Court of Human Rights, whether that was in countries we can't talk about here, even on the air now, some of the work that we have done and that we continue to do. But we are also able to get directly involved in issues that are really important. And though you hear about these persecution moments that are happening in our country, we know they do exist for Christians. We do know that there's rampant anti-Semitism happening right now, rampant anti-Semitism in the country. But we also know that there are places in this world, and again, this is a fair warning to anyone who is listening with small children or just don't want to hear this on their lunch break, and I understand. There are places in this world where there are still the murder and genocide of Christians just because of their beliefs. Some of them by their own government, some by from terrorist groups. And it's happening right now in Congo. You've heard about this. We've talked about it. What happened? We're talking about a mass murder moment at a church where people were mutilated for simply being Christians. We saw your response, and it was a response that we had as well, the humanitarian response saying, well, we got to stand up to this. What can we do? The ACLJ has got to get into action. And look, sometimes these issues are a little harder to get involved in. You're dealing with a different part of the world that doesn't necessarily share exactly the same beliefs, the same legal structure that we do. But they do have some. And the ACLJ, because of our European Center and other affiliates, we're able to get involved in a way that a lot of organizations cannot. We don't just talk about it. We figure out a way to take action, Will, and that is what is happening right now.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. And many people may have heard news that was actually very widely reported about a ceasefire in the Democrat Republic of Congo. And that is where the government faction and the kind of militant rebel group have called a ceasefire. And that sounds great. You're like, oh, great. The persecution can stop for a while. But that doesn't include the ISIS affiliate that is still waging terror, that can still try to attack these government groups and this rebel group, because it's not just a bilateral war there. It is an unstable region with multiple warring factions going on. And so we have sent a letter, and this is our contribution for the visit of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And this is what the Special Rapporteur, which is like a UN special investigator, so to speak. They have a specific task. This individual is going to the DRC to investigate and look and see what is going on to report back to the UN. And a lot of times, if we can get the right information in front of the right person at the UN, when they go back and they have the report to the UN, it can put real pressure on these countries to do something about this persecution, because a lot of them receive a lot of aid from the United Nations. And so they don't want to disrupt that flow of money to their nation, to their government. So they will actually make accommodations. And so sometimes you have to use the United Nations as a tool to your advantage, even though generally in the United States, the UN doesn't have the greatest reputation of being the best. But we can utilize the UN to our advantage to help protect Christians that are being persecuted around the world. And it takes a group like ours. that does focus on that to bring it to light because many of the other NGOs are not worried about it. But I will also say this is that we've worked to protect Christians from genocidal Islamic radical groups like ISIS for a long time here. And when we were working with some of the groups on the ground, they sent over packages of here are things that are going on for our attorneys to view. So as they draft this and we've we've seen a lot of this violence before. But our attorneys, when they received it and said, hey, maybe these are things we can use for documentary to showcase what's going on, looked at these files and said no one opened them. they were so shocked at how graphic and how horrific the violence against the Christians were even though we've worked in this field for a long time they said don't even open these files for a lot of people who are doing we're not going to show any of that of course but you're right now
SPEAKER 07 :
converse of that i'm seeing some of the comments and hey right now we're about to go to break in one minute we don't take as many calls we can we lost a lot of calls in that segment i'm not sure what happened there we have five lines open right now so this is a great time to call in 1-800-684-3110 but i see people saying how is this our fight why do we need to get involved in this what are we doing here i see some of those comments right now in our chat and what i'll say if you are a bible believing christian who loves not only this country but the religious freedoms that we have in this country the protections that we have as christians get your head out of the sand and actually pay attention what's going on in the world okay it's not that hard to get involved we don't live we don't live in a very small world anywhere a very big world anymore everything is very small everywhere is accessible You need to be a part of that as well. Sure, we're going to always have the biggest cases we do. Everything will be centered here in the United States just based on what we do. But that does not mean we ignore the truth that's going on around the world. This is the time to get involved. 1-800-684-3110. Get on the phone right now. All right, last segment of the day. I want to hear from you. There still are some phone lines open at 1-800-684-3110. We can talk about those posters that are lining the driveway to the White House right now for the media to see of all of the... It's 100 of them, mugshots and showcasing. And these are people, Will, that were convicted. These are people that aren't just being thrown out of the country. A lot of them have done egregious and horrible, horrible acts. All of them, I'd say, that they've been convicted of. But let's go ahead and take a phone call to kick it off. Of course, we can talk about what's going on in Congo. We can talk about what's going on with religious freedom around the country and around the world. But first, let's take a call. Lisa's calling in California. Listen in on the radio. I appreciate it, Lisa. You're on the air.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hi. Yeah, I think it's a good idea. The only thing is, I think President Trump needs to, I don't want to say fine tune, I want to say America tune the idea. I think they need to be put in strategic places. You know, those that have been sex offenders and things like that, maybe put them where you know, they'll be seen by women and, you know, it might make them think. I like the idea that, you know, he's putting them there for the media. You know, people are walking through the White House, yeah, but to make them so big and put them out there for, you know, the 100th day or whatever, I don't necessarily agree with it that way. It needs to be done tactfully. And also, I just feel that he needs to, you know, change his verbiage in that When he says, you know, I did this or this, he needs to focus more on we because I just know a lot of people are against him already just because of the negative media. And they always one of the things they accused him of was, you know, just being arrogant and oh, he's so arrogant. Well, you know, he needs to just change his verbiage and just start saying we did this.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, I think a lot of people feel that way. I'm sure there's a lot of people that don't feel that way in our comments as well and people that call in. But I think you represent a good portion of people who agree with the things that Donald Trump has done. the policy he's put in place, the things that have actually been accomplished, but don't necessarily always align with the rollout. Don't always align with some of the verbiage that gets used. And I understand that. I think that's something real we need to think about as we play at the world stage. Now, some of it... And I think maybe that's also what it is, too, is because he's in a second term at this point, there is a little less of the campaign side of it, you would hope. But because he's in a second term, they also know we are not too far away from another election. So you're wanting to get this stuff in people's minds. When you talk about being strategic in placement, I think that's important, too. We did that, look, very strategically with our Choice Begins Here campaign that we've been running throughout the state of Massachusetts. But it's not just anywhere in the state of Massachusetts. It's not like we just clicked, run it there. It's where? College campuses. It's areas that have a high level of abortions. Those are kind of things that we're doing. You can be targeted. You can geolocate, geofence. So I think there is some of that that can happen as well. Everyone knows how to target their audience more and more. This, I understand, is a media moment because then everyone's talking about it, but not necessarily in a positive way because, like you said, it comes off a little arrogant, a little tacky, but not necessarily, though there are a lot of people who disagree with me. So it's fine.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, liberal Logan is right today. That's what I feel like we're seeing in the chat. But I think Delisa's point, because I think the issue that we maybe see with it on the White House lawn just for the media, it feels like a troll. It feels just like a troll to the media.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, maybe it's not serious enough.
SPEAKER 08 :
And instead, that messaging is really important. And that messaging maybe should be gotten out there in a different way. I liked your PSA kind of idea or billboards or something that also have an effect on maybe other criminal migrants that are in other places that are like, okay, maybe I need to get out of here before they come after me.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's actually doing the job, not just a political stunt.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right. But that's kind of just how it felt. And that's why I also like the stuff that we're hearing from Tom Homan about how secure the border is. And there's a big narrative right now. And then we'll get to other calls, I know, but that Drudge Report just put it out, you know, now Trump's favorite antagonist that Biden was deporting more people than Biden. And that's what now you're trying to say that, no, he's actually not that successful. Tom Holman actually addressed it and we won't play the bike because it's running short on time. But what he was saying is that there were 10 and a half million people that were encountered crossing the border. If they in the media is counting border removal. So if just 5% of that were immediately turned away and they count that as a deportation, that's going to be logically higher, but they don't have those numbers coming to the border because it's secure. So just even the encounters being lower are going to make the statistics seem like it's lower.
SPEAKER 07 :
You want less people to be attempting. Exactly. Of course. All right, let's go ahead and take some calls connected to that. Kit's calling in Colorado on line one. You're on the air.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I think it's great that ICE just cleaned up, you know, 100 criminals out of Denver. Denver is, in many respects, it's never been worse. It's finally starting to turn around. And then as far as my other comment, well, two comments. One was as far as these posters that allegedly were on the White House fence. You know, deportation of aliens and criminals. Obama deported three million people. As far as I'm concerned, if it was okay when he did it, why is it not okay now? And I think that Because the progressive media hates Trump and everything he does. It doesn't matter what he does.
SPEAKER 07 :
it's a no-win scenario i think that's why it's a little surprising he's even doing some of these i mean biden wouldn't do it a lot of times uh these hundred day celebratory interviews if you will uh including like i said there's gonna be a special that's on disney plus tomorrow night abc news special and hulu uh you're not talking about walking into a place that's that favorable now hopefully they're fair and it's a good piece with george stephanopoulos but we know how that goes
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and to Kent's point, Tom Homan actually even said at least President Obama, even though he didn't necessarily have the best policies, did take border security seriously, just didn't necessarily do the right things that he would have approved of. He's like, the difference was Biden freely opened.
SPEAKER 07 :
That's the difference is I think the Obama administration, what I've said is I didn't support maybe anything they did. Probably 99.9% I disagreed. However, they were governing. They were working. It felt like they weren't just like throwing their hands up and saying, eh, whatever. They may have been working towards an agenda you disagreed with, but at least it felt like they were working towards an agenda. With the Biden administration, it just felt like, oh, the media cycle wants this. So that's what we're going to do as the wind blows or do nothing. And that's really what happened at the border. I think that's why you have so many people upset about it. Charles, very quickly, you got like 10 seconds on the air, but I'll let you go ahead.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I'll give it a shot. I agree that I think every one of them that's here illegally ought to be deported. They come in here, they get free benefits, they get free rent, they get free food, free insurance, free everything. America is trillions and trillions of dollars in debt. And we're not going to get out of debt by giving all this free stuff away to people that's not even citizens of the United States.
SPEAKER 07 :
Charles, all right, I'm only cutting you off because we're running out of time here. I appreciate it. I think a lot of people feel that way. And look, we've been calling for some form of real immigration reform for pretty much the existence of our broadcast here because we believe that it is a messed up system. Now, thankfully, you are seeing the border get more secure. But even before, even when the border was secure, I'd say, you know, at this point a decade ago or during the pre-Trump, when it was better. We still have a kind of messed up immigration policy and system. The timeline it takes, that's why you see President Trump putting in things like the gold card and those kind of options. Why? Because it's fundamentally broken to begin with. So we got to address that too. First, we got to close the border, get that all fixed, handle that crisis that's happening. And then once the crisis hopefully is handled, you can actually address the real problem, which is that the immigration process to get into this country is really not set up to benefit anyone. Thank you for listening today. I want to encourage you. We only have two days left in our life in Liberty Drive. Didn't do a whole lot of pitches today. So because I didn't do a whole lot of pitches, I'm just going to ask you, you know, maybe you like that. Go to ACLJ.org. Make a donation if you can. Scan the QR code. We'll be back tomorrow with more on Sekulow.
Join us as we explore the resilience of Christians globally, especially in nations tightening their grip on religious freedoms. Highlighting a rise in spiritual curiosity among youth, the episode also discusses how younger generations are actively seeking the teachings of Jesus amid challenging times. Discover how faith perseveres, even when confronted with overwhelming adversity.
SPEAKER 01 :
The Crawford Stand with the president of Crawford Media Group, Don Crawford.
SPEAKER 02 :
Take up your cross, my cross, and follow me, our Lord Jesus Christ said. Again, take up your cross and follow me, said Jesus Christ. So if you become a Christian, and you should, and I pray that you are, you have one promise from our Lord of what is to come. among others, of course, and that is persecution. It will happen. Of course, there is joy, rejoicing, grace, bliss, faith, hope, strength, and so much more when you join forces with and become a disciple of and fall in love with Jesus Christ. Nothing like it. Nothing like it. But there comes with all these positives the negative of persecution. Persecution. For the most part, the world hates Christianity. Why? I'm not really sure. There are probably any number of reasons why. But secularists disavow and dislike anything about Jesus. And that leaves secular governments to crack down on Christians and Christianity and the belief and practice thereof. And boy, is that happening in the world today. Take China, for example. The Chinese communist dictator Xi Jinping has tightened his grip on religious activities in the world's second most populous country. The Chinese Communist Party announced last week that starting May 1st, foreign missionaries will be prohibited from sharing their faith or preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. as well as establishing religious organizations. None of that can happen again without severe criminal repercussions. So, if you are Christian in China, you cannot testify about your faith and your belief in Jesus Christ, nor can you preach the gospel, nor can you establish congregations or churches or any type of religious Christian organization in China. Wow! talk about a major shutdown, that to me is simply unbelievable. And frankly, it's unacceptable. And thankfully, again, it is so for President Trump. And it will be unacceptable for so many Christians in China. I believe that nothing will prevent them from sharing and testifying. Nothing. We will certainly see. And many of our brethren in Christ will become martyrs. jailed, or even killed and executed for their faith. They will gladly, willingly, and lovingly take up their cross and lay their all on the altar and count themselves blessed if martyrdom happens. And as a result, they go to their eternal reward with their Lord. China and the Chinese Communist Party are absolutely brutal. Brutal. What a change in that country in the last century. The Chinese Communist Party wants to sinicize, did you get that word? Sinicize all religion in China. That is, make all religion China's religion. And that is whatever the Communist Party determines religion will be. And it will be the only one in China if China has its way. And after May 1st, 2025, there will be new regulations, a greater crackdown on all religions, but especially Christianity. And persecution will be the new norm. Persecution will be the new norm. It's coming, it's happening, and it's brutal. We often think of Russia as the main enemy of the United States, and traditionally that nation has been just that. But today, the number one threat to democracy and America and the world is none other than the second most populous country in the world, China. China. It is becoming and already is a superpower and its military strength, its army, navy and marines and special forces grow every day. And China becomes the number one threat to America. and the world over, militarily, and that is a nation to be reckoned with, and it will be used by the forces of evil to challenge every nation in the world. Small wonder that, whatever we the people may think of the means used by President Trump, he stands up against China, hallelujah, knowing that this incredible threat which besets democracy and freedom of speech and freedom of religion and the subterfuge and infiltration and spying which goes on from China in America, that all of that must be dealt with now. Now. Now. None of that will be tolerated by the Trump administration. And I say amen. What do you think? What do you think? And the same thing happens in Egypt. We hear little about persecution of Christianity in Egypt, but it exists, and in some cases in large measure. Christians face daily discrimination, harsh restrictions, and constant pressure to hide their faith. And in the world at large, it is estimated that one in seven Christians, did you hear that? The world at large. one in seven Christians face harassment, violence, or even death. And in Africa, the number of Christians enduring constant persecution is one in five. One in five. And persecution of Christians who have given their entire lives to Jesus Christ is on the rise everywhere, as both Scripture and our Lord prophesied. Soon, it will be worldwide, and in every nation, and will be a regular happening. Are we ready? Are you ready, true believer in Jesus Christ, to face that persecution? The apostle Paul was beheaded because of his Christian faith. The disciple Peter was crucified. And James, the apostle, James was murdered. And John was ostracized to Patmos. And then came the book of Revelation. The early church, especially under Roman dictator Nero, experienced aggressive persecution. It began at the time of our Lord and it will continue until the rapture. And it will only get worse. Are you ready? If and when it comes to you. Are you ready to lay your all on the altar as the Christian command goes and take up the cross of Jesus Christ and stand for Him and your faith when persecution comes? Are you? I do hope so, for it is a decision none of us have had to make in America, not really, even though there is indeed mild persecution. But the day will come when mild is replaced by aggressive, and then, and only then, will you know the strength of your faith and the extent to which you really believe in Jesus Christ. And the same thing now exists in Australia. Australia, no less. In New South Wales, Australia, newly enacted legislation allows prayer or expression of any religious belief if and only if it is not directed to changing or suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. You can pray about anything you want, but you can't pray about sexual orientation or gender identity. So says the New South Wales Australian government. Wow, unbelievable. And if any would pray in that way, that is a crime and punishable by imprisonment. In practice, this law would criminalize anyone who said a prayerful word with regard to sexual orientation or gender. Repent. Just the simple word repent, much less change, and off to jail you go. My friends and my fellow Christians, persecution has only just begun. And again, when you are faced with that, aggressively or even passively, are you ready to stand? Are you ready to resist and to accept persecution, even criminal penalties for your faith? Are you? I ask myself that question all the time. I never have, but I sure would wonder how I would react. I think I know if aggressive persecution comes at me personally. Thankfully, however, the younger generation begins more so to turn towards religion. Okay, that's a good first start. But sooner or later that turn, we do hope, turns to Christianity. And then again, an even greater turn and that is to the loving, saving person of Jesus Christ. The very respectful firm Barna has found in a nationwide survey that 77% of American teens are interested and even motivated to continue learning about Jesus throughout the rest of their lives. That really sounds good. I hope and pray it's true. Don't you? That at least is a start, but by no means the end. Remarkably, 52% of the younger generation said they are very interested in knowing more about Jesus. Ah, may it be so. Hallelujah. There seems to be, said Barna, an openness and curiosity about spiritual matters among today's teens and young adults. A good thing. But again, it's only a start. Many of America's young know the futility of the woke generation. Utterly futile. and its so-called principles, and this generation hungers for something more, much more. They can only find that in Jesus Christ, and I hope they continue to search until such time as He is found. We, the believers, should thank God that there is now an openness to Christianity and truth, which has not existed for years, and revival, revival is on the horizon, praise the Lord. All of that is happening in spite of persecution, in spite of the secular, godless governments which somehow have gotten control as witnessed by what is happening in China, Australia, Egypt, and many other nations of the world. The love of Jesus Christ is the most powerful force on this earth, and it should be our prayer that our teens, our younger generation in our beloved America, find and experience that love, And no matter the persecution which may come, and it will, it will, continue searching until they find the ultimate answer. Him. Him. Our beloved Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. Amen. The views expressed here on the Crawford Stand are those of the speaker, and of course, Mr. Crawford would love to hear from you this week. Won't you take just a moment and write to him at stand at CrawfordMediaGroup.net. When you do, be sure to tell him on what station you hear the stand. His email address again is stand at CrawfordMediaGroup.net. When you want to review what you hear, go to our website, CrawfordMediaGroup.net. The Crawford Stand is a public affairs presentation of Crawford Media Group and this station, serving God and country. I'm Bill McCormick.
Join Mike and Mark as they explore the recent arrest of a judge for helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE detection, sparking widespread discussion about the rule of law and civic responsibility. Amidst these heavy topics, they maintain a light-hearted spirit, emphasizing gratitude for sponsors like MyPillow that enable impactful dialogue. Tune in to experience the 'M&M Experience' as they navigate the confluence of entertainment, business support, and poignant social issues.
SPEAKER 02 :
Mike Gallagher. Every day, Mike visits with Mark Davis, morning host on 660 AM, The Answer in Dallas. Here's today's Eminem experience.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's you. I thought maybe you'd play something like Pillow Talk or something.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, no, dude. Well, but here's the thing. There's always a tie-in. There's always a tie-in. Who was that singing to you?
SPEAKER 03 :
Who were you being serenaded by? I don't think that was Doris Day, was it?
SPEAKER 04 :
That was Ann-Margret, the great Ann-Margret, who is 84 today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Good for her. Boom. Good for her.
SPEAKER 04 :
And good for you, because pillow talk would certainly be appropriate, because there you are in the MyPillow factory, which is where in Minnesota?
SPEAKER 03 :
It is in Shakopee, Minnesota. Just a quick drive from the airport in Minneapolis, St. Paul. We are going to shower MyPillow with a bunch of love. And let me just tell you why. This guy, if you know what President Trump has been put through, picture that kind of persecution on steroids. Mike Lindell has been, in his words, personally, financially ruined. The company is one of the great American success stories. And he's been with us from day one. I mean, MyPillow is one of the most prominent advertisers in the history of the Mike Gallagher Show. Without MyPillow, there's not a Mike Gallagher Show. Our sponsors lift us up just like they do with you and your show. And I just decided a couple of weeks ago, we threw this together quickly. I said, let's have a MyPillow day. Let's have $100,000 of sales in one day during the Mike Gallagher show. And, Mark, I think we're going to do it. I think you are, too. You know what I mean? I believe in you. Well, I believe in this company. Because I've met, we're going to talk today to employees of MyPillow. Now, we're going to talk about the judges' arrests. We're going to talk about the news, the new information about the pilot and the Potomac.
SPEAKER 01 :
I want to talk to you about that.
SPEAKER 03 :
We've got a lot to cover. And you and I are going to do that together. But, hey, if 660 AM The Answer fans and Mark Davis supporters and people who love what you do Want to support a great company like MyPillow? Do me a big favor today. You go to MyPillow.com. Look for the Mike Gallagher specials. Buy a set of percale sheets for $25. Buy a pair of MySlippers. Buy the pillow that started it all for $19.98. Use the promo code MikeG when you make your order. and let's shower my pillow with a bunch of love because these people here are not demoralized, but they're nervous. They're apprehensive. They know that the beast wants to cancel them. They know that people have come after Mike Lindell because of his belief in election integrity and paper ballots. He's a big, staunch advocate of that because his friendship with President Trump, I mean, they used to love him. He was the darling. CBS Sunday morning, oh, beautiful profile.
SPEAKER 04 :
What a comeback story. I mean, Mike was an actual crack addict, an actual crack addict, and wrote a book about his redemption and climbing out of that pit to the kind of success that he enjoys today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. I mean, his story is transformative and inspirational, and yet they've tried to destroy him, and he will not be cowed. I love this guy. He's a character. I mean, he's a fascinating guy to be with. He's going to be on the show with us a lot today. And my goal, if you're, you know, we're going to sell $100,000 worth of product. I feel it. And I just, I've got, I know it's ambitious. Mark, I've never done this before. I have never, it's almost like, and we've got a tote board. We've got Christian from our video.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's the Jerry Lewis telethon.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm going to break out into song. When you walk through the storm, hold your head up. No, I want to do a tote board that shows in real time how the sales are coming and if we're going to hit 100,000. I've got a good feeling about it, Mark, so please go to MyPillow.com if you want to show appreciation because here was my thought process. We feel helpless when a guy like Mike Lindell is targeted by the media and Hey, the FBI, they confiscated his cell phone on a hunting trip. They've got lawsuits against him. This guy has been absolutely, you know, eviscerated, but he keeps believing in the country. He's a dear friend of President Trump, and Trump believes in him, too. So do me a favor. Go to MyPillow.com. Let's see if we can get a big jump, like we often do with these campaigns. But this is different. This is a little unusual. We're helping to save a great American company like MyPillow. Not that they're in danger, I think, of extinction, but let's show them how much love. Because they're doing great. I mean, you see them on TV. You see them on Fox News. The pillows, the slippers, the doggy beds, the sheets. And these percale sheets, by the way. This is the last day for this crazy wholesale price of $25 for any size, any color. And it's the final day for this blowout price on these percale sheets. So if you want some five-star hotel quality level sheets for $25, any size, any color, final day. And we've got to have their back. I want to have MyPillow's back, Mark. So thanks for letting me do this. MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG. Let's sing along. Let's get this morning started off on the right foot. Dan, let's hit the jingle together. Mark and I will sing along in our heads. MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG. MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG. Or call 800-928-6034. 800-928-6034. Everybody sing! For the best night's sleep in the whole wide world, visit MyPillow. Promo code MikeG. There you go.
SPEAKER 04 :
Sorry, that's all the time we have, everybody.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, no, no, no. All right, so now let's... Oh, we're just getting warmed up. So we're getting started. All right, help me understand. I'm going to say something that's going to get me in trouble right off the bat. Can't have that. Why the heck? It's Monday.
SPEAKER 04 :
Let's go.
SPEAKER 03 :
We're with risk-takers like Mike Lindell. Let me just take a risk. I want to understand this narrative. The New York Times does an investigation into that horrific collision between an Army helicopter... and that passenger jet. Tons of deaths, and it's been revealed that there was a female pilot. It's been revealed that a male co-pilot was telling her, bank left, bank left. She allegedly didn't bank left. She was told she was flying too high. She allegedly was flying too high. Do you see this horrific? Can you explain to me why the conclusion is, well, that's because she's a woman? In other words, Mark, how do we know that those same set of mistakes wouldn't have been committed by a man? Thank you. Am I wrong?
SPEAKER 04 :
You are not. There is enormous attention to this because there's enormous attention to DEI in every walk of life. And by the way, properly so. Rightfully so. Exactly right. So if you find that somebody is a woman or somebody is of another race or somebody is whatever, whatever, and you think, wait a minute, we're the...
SPEAKER 01 :
Hi, everyone. Tom Mustin here for the Legal Help Center. If you or someone you know were diagnosed with lung cancer or mesothelioma, listen up. This could be the result of asbestos exposure, and you could be entitled to significant compensation. Call us at 800-304-4700. That's 800-304-4700. To find out if you qualify for a cash settlement, we have legal professionals standing by right now to take your call. And they'll tell you if you qualify. The call is free, the consultation is free, and you'll speak with a live agent right now. So, if you or someone you know were diagnosed with lung cancer or mesothelioma, call right now to find out if you qualify for a cash settlement. Call us at 800-304-4700. That's 800-304-4700 to see how much money you could potentially get. Advertisement sponsored by Legal Help Center. May not be available in all states.
SPEAKER 04 :
Were the qualifications dumbed down for this person, resulting in not as good a doctor, not as good a pilot, not as good a whatever? And frequently, sadly, the answer is no. Yes, which is a dishonor to women and people of color. So there's the backdrop, which is 75% of the answer. Then when you have something like this, a ton of people jumped in, and in the case of Captain Rebecca Lobach, said, well, there you are, there you are.
SPEAKER 03 :
There it is.
SPEAKER 04 :
But you are 100% correct. Let's go back in time, make this... So many things are pilot error. So many things are pilot error. It appears this was, too. It's very distracting, and I'm not making excuses for anybody, but your point is the best point of all, and that is we have no way of knowing. And there was somebody on board with more experience than she had.
SPEAKER 03 :
And incidentally, why didn't he take over? Look, here's a guy that's watching her apparently screw up. And he's just kind of calmly saying, well, we should bank left. Well, we should bank left. At what point do you take over? You take over and say, look, Mayday, Mayday, this is bad. But my point is this. There's an inherent sort of, I don't know, I don't want to use the word. misogyny, but to say, well, see, she's a woman. Things went wrong. Ergo, women don't know how to fly a helicopter. So there we go. And you're right, Mark. Look at the qualifications that were set. I get that. That's fair. DEI is out of control. I love the pushback against it. I appreciate being able to say enough is enough. But to simply say, because we confirmed, according to the New York Times, that that the woman pilot made a mistake doesn't necessarily mean that women shouldn't be pilots.
SPEAKER 04 :
Precisely right. I had the opportunity to fly with the second of the 149th out of Grand Prairie, a wonderful, wonderful pilot named Carissa Kimbrough. I want to say she was from either Aledo or Weatherford or some such. She can fly a Chinook for me anytime. So qualified, so great. But here's the thing. You mentioned misogyny, which is actual disregard for women, and I don't think that's it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it is if you say, well, a pilot error is due to the female status of the pilot.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think I would just attach an asterisk to it in the following way, that it may not be from people who overall hold women in low regard, which is what misogyny is, but rather opportunism. Such a burning desire to make a point like, ha, there's another example of DEI. Ha, there's another one for our side. Ha, there's another point that makes my point, that they just instantly gravitate to that for convenience's sake.
SPEAKER 03 :
Bingo. You nailed it. You nailed it. Because to say, well, okay, therefore, if somebody falls short because they're black or they're Hispanic or they're a woman, the fact that they're black, Hispanic, or woman doesn't make them unqualified. That's not the way this should go. So I'm glad we agree. Incidentally, look at my MyPillow text line, which I brought with me here to Shakopee, Minnesota, Dallas, Texas. I just made a MyPillow order. I hope for great success for Mike Lindell and the team. So we're getting a good start. MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG. Number two, help me. I feel like I'm in this twilight zone.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
So let me get this straight. Judges are actively and vigorously thwarting the law by trying to protect illegal criminals. Mm-hmm. They get arrested. The left melts down. Let me read Amy Klobuchar. Please.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is out of Wisconsin where a judge helped an illegal immigrant escape ICE detection.
SPEAKER 03 :
Go out the back door. Come on. Get up. Take your lawyer. Go out my side door. The judge's chambers. Go out the back door. And then they had to do a foot chase. Get the guy. And this is a bad dude, man. It's a bad hombre. It's a bad hombre. So Amy Klobuchar decides to weigh in. Let me quote from her post. This is not normal. The administration's arrest of a sitting judge in Wisconsin is a drastic move that threatens the rule of law. While we don't have all the details. Mm-hmm. This is a grave step and undermines our system of checks and balances. Wait a minute, dopey. Don't you want to have the details before you condemn the arrest of the judge? That'd be good. Wouldn't that be a nice start? Are you kidding me, Mark? Look, I've decided I've realized what they're doing. You saw J.D. goofball. Pritzker, right? Governor Illinois. I've never advocated for mass disruptions, but I do now.
SPEAKER 04 :
We have to have mass disruptions. Listen, those are two Democrats you've named. How about David Brooks, pseudo-Republican, pseudo-conservative, appearing on a show saying, you know, two things can be true at the same time. We can't condone this. It appears to be a violation of law, but there's something heroic about it. It is time for civic, not civil, but civic unrest. What a moron.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know what they're doing? I know what they're doing.
SPEAKER 04 :
What?
SPEAKER 03 :
I mean. They got nothing. They're losing. They think they're on to something by feigning outrage and trying to rev people up with faux anger. All this is is fake. It's not organic at all. They're sitting around on the steps of the Capitol with their kumbaya moment over the weekend, a bunch of dopes. But it's fake. And it's going to be up to you. The trouble is we've got a lot of impressionable people in America. who can sit around and say, well, you know, I don't know, maybe this is terrible. But it's fake. They're not angry about it.
SPEAKER 04 :
And that's what concerned me about Abrego Garcia, all this functional anger about this one guy. Yeah. And you know it's crazy. I know it's crazy. MS-13, he's a bad hombre, too. Deserved to be deported. If we send him somewhere we shouldn't have sent him, fine. Bring him out of the prison, put him somewhere else. And that's what led me to say that maybe the El Salvador people ought to let him out and just let him out on the streets of San Salvador. Because for that very reason, there are these are the most important days like in recent American history. We've got some and I know the midterms are in a way forever from now, but they're also in another way like tomorrow there. They're coming so fast. Time moves so quickly. We can't afford to have people with narratives that make them less enthusiastic to vote Republican.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. Amen. No, you're right on the money. All right. Well, we're going to go sell some pillows. Let's do it. We're going to go sell some sheets. You go to MyPillow.com, promo code MikeG. It's MyPillow Day officially here on the Mike Gallagher Show. And starting at 10.05, I hope you tune in. We're there for you. Let's do 100,000 plus in sales. And let's get a good start with the KSKY family of listeners. Appreciate it very much.
SPEAKER 04 :
Ready to go. We got your back, man. And we're ready to listen to Mike as soon as we are done at 10 on 660 AM. The answer.
SPEAKER 02 :
Download the podcast and hear all of Mike and Mark's conversations at MikeOnline.com for the M&M experience.
This episode of America's Veteran Stories with Kim Munson honors the remarkable heroism of John Chapman, an American patriot who gave his life in Afghanistan for his fellow soldiers. Through emotional family interviews with Lori Longfritz and expert commentary from Rob Harrison, listeners will navigate through the complexities and controversies surrounding the operation that changed lives forever. The discussion raises important questions about truth, valor, and the legacy left behind by those who defend our freedoms at all costs.
SPEAKER 01 :
world war ii korea vietnam the gulf war afghanistan and her other wars and conflicts america's fighting men and women strapped on their boots and picked up their guns to fight tyranny and stand for liberty we must never forget them Welcome to America's veteran stories with Kim Munson. These stories will touch your heart, inspire you and give you courage. We stand on the shoulders of giants. Here's Kim Munson.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome to America's Veterans Stories. Be sure and check out our website. That is AmericasVeteransStories.com. And the show comes to you because of a trip that I took in 2016 with a group that accompanied four D-Day veterans back to Normandy, France, for the 72nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings. and return stateside realizing we need to know the stories of our veterans and of our military, and we need to record them and broadcast them and archive them, so hence America's Veterans Stories. And I'm really pleased to have on the line with me Lori Longfritz, and she is the sister of John Chapman. And John Chapman was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions that he took on a mountaintop in Afghanistan in 2002. So, Lori, welcome to the show. Hi, Kim. Thank you for having me. And also on the line with us is retired Chief Master Sergeant from the Air Force, Rob Harris. And, Rob, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you, Kim. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, and Lori, we actually had recorded a show about your brother that broadcast initially, I think, back in 2021. And there's been some new things that have occurred regarding his Medal of Honor. There's a new Medal of Honor museum that is either closed. just about to open or is open. So bring us up to speed on that. But first of all, let's talk about your brother, John Chapman. And these were actions that were taken in 2002 on a mountaintop in Afghanistan. So tell us what happened, Lori Longfritz.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, I guess the short story is he was attached to a SEAL Team 16. At this juncture, I would say he drew the short straw when he was assigned to that particular team because the mission that they were sent on or that the team leader – and I also use that term very loosely – agreed to do. Other team leaders, at least one other, had said, no, we're not taking that mission. But this one, Slavinsky, decided, yeah, sure, let's do this.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, why did some of the other leaders not take that mission?
SPEAKER 11 :
Because they knew it wasn't a good mission, it was stupid, and it was dangerous, what they were trying to do. So, yeah, people with, I guess, more of a backbone just said, no, I'm not doing it. And to his credit, Swabinski did try to push it 24 hours, but failed. But once the command in Bagram said, no, you have to keep going, he said, okay, fine.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 11 :
So Jabba's attached. He was an Air Force combat controller attached to the SEAL Team 16. They went to – the different things happened. They were supposed to, you know, offset and kind of climb up and – and get on the top of the mountain. And Rob, correct me if I'm saying any of this wrong, but he, they, oh, I lost my train of thought now.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, so the mission was initially wanted to push it 24 hours, but ended up they were going to drop these guys on the top of this mountain, right?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. Yeah, they ran into some mechanical issues, so they lost some time, they lost some night, you know, some undercover darkness time, and they still decided to just, well, how about we just drop on the top of the mountain, which I'm not even military, and I know that's not even the right thing to do, especially since they did have intel that there were bad people up there. So, yeah, so when they went to land, they took a RPG fire and machine gun fire and hit the helicopter. And at that point, Navy SEAL Neil Roberts fell out of the back. There was a whole incident with that, but I'm not going to get into that. So he fell out, but the pilots didn't know. They crash landed, I don't know, maybe seven kilometers away at the base of another mountain. Then there was more time. We're trying to get another helicopter calling in to be rescued from there. And once they returned to the top of the mountain to retrieve Roberts, that's when, of course, their helicopter was hit again. And this one landed and Slavinsky got out first. John was right behind him. And Slavinsky fell in the snow. So John stepped over him and kept going, attacked the attackers. He went to the first gun nest and took out the two fighters in there and then started heading towards the second bunker. They call them the bunkers. I think that Slavinsky was following in his footsteps in the snow, which is, from what I understand, not how you're supposed to... act when you're attacking the attackers, but you're not supposed to follow in a line. You're supposed to spread out, but, um, There were lots of things that he was supposed to do that he didn't do or he claimed to do that he didn't do.
SPEAKER 10 :
And this is going to there is controversy that we're going to be getting into. And so I will, Laurie, I thought I probably should make an effort to reach out to Slabinski and offer for him to be able to tell his side of the story. So I will make that offer to him, Laurie. But I've read this piece that was published. Let's see. I had it right here in front of me just a moment ago. And that was from the Air and Space Forces by Sean. Let's see, Sean Naylor. And that's super informative regarding what was going on at that time. So, Rob Harrison, let's have you jump in. Tell us how you're involved in what was going what was happening that day.
SPEAKER 03 :
Sure. So I ended up being a crew member on call sign Grim 32, which was an AC-130 Spectre. It's a gunship, a C-130 transport plane outfitted with sensors and artillery cannons. And we provide close air support for ground forces, specifically our primary customer tends to be special operations customers. So that particular night, this is night two of Operation Anaconda, which was a combined conventional and special operations effort. It was the spring offensive in 2002. So after the towers fell in New York in 9-11 in 2001, We immediately deployed to Afghanistan, took the fight to the enemy, tried to annihilate anything that was al-Qaeda over in Afghanistan that had been harboring those terrorists. As the winter onset and the fight had gone on, the fighting kind of dies down a little bit because of the weather and so on. The enemy ends up retreating into particular strongholds in mountainous regions. In this area, the closest main area is a city called Gerdes. They're in the Chiayi Cote Valley, and Operation Anaconda is going to take place there with a mixture of conventional and special operations. So on night two, I find myself in the situation being crew member on Grim 32. We're an emergency on-call close air support platform. And when the initial insertion was attempted in their aircraft, which was callsign Razor 03 and MH47 by the Army's Special Operations Aviation Regiment, It got hit with the gunfire and RPG that Laurie was talking about and it crash landed in the valley just north of the original infiltration site. So at that point, Laurie's brother John is the combat controller on the SEAL team that is on board that helicopter. And John comes up on the radio as Mako 30 Charlie. That suffix is specific to him as a controller with the team. Anyway, he calls any grim, any nail, which were call signs for the gunships. Mayday, mayday, mayday, any grim, any male, this is Mako 3-0 Charlie. And we established radio comms with him, found out his location and what the situation was, and immediately made a beeline for their position.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, and Lori, just for people, civilians that don't know what a combat controller is, what does he do exactly?
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, my gosh. What don't they do? They have the longest and most rigorous training pipeline of all of the special tactics community because they embed or get attached to Delta or SEAL teams or even, you know, Australian Special Forces, so they need to be able to hang with all of them. I guess you'd say their main job, if you will, is calling in airstrikes, but there's so much more to them than that.
SPEAKER 10 :
With John growing up, his sister, what was special about him as a little boy? What do you think? How did he end up being a combat controller?
SPEAKER 11 :
He always liked to test himself and those around him, but he was always pushing himself and looking for, you know, to better, what can I do better? How can I do this better? If he failed, and I rarely saw him fail, I know that's unbelievable, but I very rarely saw him fail. And if he did, or when he did... He would, if he really cared about it, he would do whatever he could to overcome that failure. And yeah, when he joined the Air Force, my mom asked him to at least try something safe. So for about a couple of years, he was sat behind a computer and he was miserable. And he decided, you know what, I tried. I fulfilled my promise to mom and now I'm going to go for combat control. Wow.
SPEAKER 10 :
So what about family? When he went to Afghanistan, obviously your sister, but did he leave other family behind as well?
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, yeah. My mom, my dad, my brother, and my other sister, or my sister. He also has a wife and two little girls. They were three and five at the time he died. They're almost four and six.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. OK, so he's on a on a mountain in Afghanistan and it's a mission then that's gone gone wrong or not gone well. Right. Rob Harrison.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, so when you asked Lori earlier about what it was that other people had denied that particular mission, the observation posts had been infiltrated to the area days in advance. And so if you're going to put a reconnaissance team or an observation post team in, you typically infill them to an area away from the place where from which you want them to observe. That way they can be sneaky and stealthy in getting to that position. That way the enemy doesn't know where they're hiding. Well, this particular mission, they were trying to force this particular observation post team, the SEAL team, into a plan that they weren't originally part of. I think it's arguable whether or not they were needed to be there. Most people that were part of the original plan would tell you it was unnecessary. They didn't need to be there. I think that there were some overzealous leaders on the SEAL team, specifically the executive officer who went on to become a vice admiral. His name is Tim Zemanski. He's the XO who's basically twisting the arm of Britt Slabinski, the team leader. And when you think about the Seals, the Seals are designed that... their senior enlisted are the most tactically experienced. They're the ones that should make the operational and tactical decisions when it comes to how they employ and so on. So when Britt was actually trying to delay everything, he was trying to delay it because tactically it didn't make sense. You don't infill directly to your observation point and you don't do it so quickly to the point in which you are trying to be operationally in place. So again, everybody else did it days in advance. He was, his hand was being forced. And so when he tried to delay, he tried to delay and say, Hey, I'll infill here and then give me 24 hours to get into position. Well, his organization, orders, which very seldom does he actually talk about this. He's very evasive when you see the questions that'll come to, well, why'd you do it? He said, well, sometimes I need to be a good follower, and my orders were, and things changed, and things happened. Well, what happened was Tim Zemanski told him, expletive, you're a blank frogman, and you will be in place by sunrise. And so that forced that situation. Rather than this team leader say, no, this does not make sense, which is what he should have done, he did not. And the mission went on. And ultimately, it just results in a mess. We lost three helicopters and seven servicemen as a result of this operation. Wow.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, well, we're going to continue this discussion. I'm talking with Lori Longfritz, and she is the sister of John Chapman, Medal of Honor recipient, and then retired Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force, Rob Harrison. We will be right back.
SPEAKER 05 :
RE-MAX realtor Karen Levine helps bring to life the individual stories of our servicemen and women. With her sponsorship of America's Veteran Stories with Kim Munson, Karen honors the sacrifices of our military and is grateful for our freedom. As a member of the National Association of Realtors Board of Directors, Karen works to protect private property rights for all of us. Karen has a heart for our active duty military and veterans and is honored to help you buy or sell your home. Call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516 to help you navigate buying or selling your home. That's 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 04 :
All of Kim's sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Munson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmunson.com. That's kimmunson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome back to America's Veterans Stories with Kim Munson. Be sure and check out our website. That is AmericasVeteransStories.com. And the show comes to you because of great sponsors. One of those is Hooters Restaurants. And they have five locations, Loveland, Aurora, Lone Tree, Westminster, and Colorado Springs, and great specials Monday through Friday for lunch and for dinner. Great place to get together with friends to watch the sporting events and how I got to know them. It's a really important story from when I was on city council. And it's a story about proper role of government and I call them PBIs, politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties, and how all that matched up. And so you can find that story at KimMunson.com. Talking with Lori Longfritz, she is the sister of Medal of Honor recipient John Chapman and also retired Chief Master Sergeant from the Air Force Rob Harrison. And, Rob, when we went to break, we were talking about what happened on that mission. We lost three helicopters, and we lost seven souls on that mission. So now how are you playing into this with what is happening on that mountaintop now? Sure.
SPEAKER 03 :
Sure. So when John comes up on the radio as Mako 30 Charlie, he's looking for anyone to respond to the emergency that's unfolding, and that is their initial infill helicopter crashing in the valley floor. So he requested gunship coverage. We immediately fly and establish an orbit overhead. While we're on the radio with him, he tells us about their teammate, Petty Officer Neil Roberts. They called him Fifi. He's the SEAL team member who had fallen out of the helicopter on top of Tucker Garr. So he tells us about that, asks us to slide our orbit from overhead, his downed helicopter, over to the top of the mountain. So immediately, they're adjacent to one another. It's a pretty easy maneuver from an aircraft standpoint. So we take our sensors, we slew to the position that he gives us for Roberts, and adjust the orbit. Meanwhile, our sister ship, a different AC-130 Spectre gunship, comes in and establishes the orbit over the downed helicopter. While we're there, we're giving them an update on Roberts. We can see him on top of the mountain. He's not moving. His strobe is active, so he has an emergency infrared strobe that's visible by our sensors. and then all of a sudden the enemy just comes out of the woodwork and surrounds him. And so we don't know his status. We don't know if he's dead or alive. We're assuming that he's alive, and that is the information that's essentially going to kick off what would be a hasty rescue mission because now the team knows that they've got a teammate up on top of this mountain, and they need to get back up there and get him. Otherwise, he's severely outnumbered and outgunned. So we're on the radio with John as Mako 30 Charlie. We facilitate the pickup of the air crew and their assault team by their sister ship helicopter, Razor 04. I think it's interesting because nowadays when you look at interviews with Brett Slavinsky, he says that he's the one who rescued the air crew, and that is flat out not true. It's one of the opening lines in his citation that he marshaled the forces to recover those air crew. The fact of the matter is that John Chapman marshaled those forces because he's the controller responsible for getting air support. Our aircraft was what you call the unseen commander. So we're the initial responding aircraft. So we're the ones who coordinate any and all efforts at the request of John Chapman. And then we coordinate RZA-04, who actually rescues the crew and the team. So it's just it's kind of funny how a narrative gets spun. But Britt Sabinsky did not rescue that crew. John Chapman did it via Grim 32 and Razor 04.
SPEAKER 10 :
So did you see that with your own eyes or how do you know that this narrative that's been pushed?
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, absolutely. Yeah, like I was an eyewitness. I was literally on the aircraft. I witnessed all of this happen. I was part of the coordination of getting Razor Zero 4. I could regurgitate to you what happened on the radio that night. But better than just hear it from me, there's multiple interviews from Alan Mack, who was the pilot of Razor Zero 3, the guy that crashed. And he tells it not only in his book, Razor Zero Three, but I've watched multiple interviews where he recounts exactly how that rescue unfolded. That John Chapman, the controller, got a hold of the gunship who got a hold of Razor Zero Four. And my sister ship came and picked us up.
SPEAKER 10 :
OK, so, Laurie, there then ends up. This controversy regarding, well, obviously what happened there. And then the Medal of Honor is awarded. There has to be eyewitnesses to the actions. And I think it has to be Americans, if I remember right. Is that correct? Yes.
SPEAKER 11 :
I don't know the specifics of that. Um, I do know that initially John was awarded the air force cross and they had only, I don't know why there were only three eyewitness accounts, three from three of the team. There were more than three. Um, but they gave their accounts and he was awarded the air force cross in 2003. And then for the upgrade, um, they were, they were asked to sign their original statements because it was done electronically, so they didn't sign them. And at that point in time, they refused to sign them. Yeah, I don't... I don't know if a foreigner can say, hey, yeah, I saw this happen, and it counts.
SPEAKER 10 :
And I think I'm just doing that from memory. I think it's just a moot point, so not a problem. So that's interesting they didn't sign that. But what is also very interesting is there was a Predator drone camera footage, right?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, they didn't count on that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, so explain what happens, or Rob, do you want to take this?
SPEAKER 03 :
If I can add, so what's interesting about the Predator drone footage is just within minutes, minutes of us landing. I know from a gunship standpoint, we had an individual meet us at the aircraft and said, give me the tapes. And typically, you know, that's not abnormal because when you have a mission of that magnitude where loss of life happens, immediately people want to triage the video and go through and get whatever critical data points are necessary. Well, in this case, within a day or two of the mission, The SEALs actually sent two guys up in civilian clothes to our deployed location in Uzbekistan, and they confiscated the tapes. And so what's really significant here is that the data had already been transmitted back stateside to the Department of Defense. And conveniently for us, that data existed in a number—I'm talking in the thousands—of small segments on the server. Well, they confiscated the videos, and those videos went under lock and key, so for years we didn't have access to it. Well, lo and behold, the data wasn't ever completely erased off those servers, and it existed historically under lock and key for years, like about 15 years before it actually started getting looked at based on the guidance from the Department of Defense. But yes, so there was predator video, there was gunship video. Those things had been confiscated by the SEALs who literally directed this mission to occur. And I think that they did that in order to cover everything up.
SPEAKER 10 :
So they confiscated the footage from the C-130, but did they also confiscate it from the predator drone as well?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think that's a safe assumption. I don't know directly. I know they confiscated the video footage from the from the gunship. There was recordings at our location of the predator footage because a lot of the ground command and control elements had access to that footage. They were watching it in Bagram, they were watching it in Tampa, they were watching it in Virginia, they were watching it in Uzbekistan, and they were even watching it from the safe house according to various accounts over the years. So I think they tried to essentially get whatever copies they needed, whatever was loosely floating out there.
SPEAKER 10 :
So this would be new then, relatively new, because this is 2002. And I hadn't really thought about this, Rob, but that would have been right after – 9-11 within just a short period of time i hadn't really connected that particular dot but was is this kind of one of the first times that we ever saw combat where you had it being watched in different locations like this
SPEAKER 03 :
I'd say it is more the first time that it was proliferated as much as this. But if you think back to predators and drone footage, I think that stuff goes back to the mid to late 90s. And we would have seen that in areas around Bosnia and Serbia.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay. Interesting. So let's finish up what happened on that mountain. So Lori, tell us what happened with John then, and then we'll also have Rob give his account of it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, at one point when the Slavinsky did catch up to John at the second bunker and John had been shot, he went down and, um, And Slavinsky afterwards said he checked him. He kept changing his story, how he checked him. He never did. The drone footage shows that he never did. It was suggested at that point in time, once they were proven lies or incorrect evidence. memories um that they uh they put out there that well perhaps they he thought that neil roberts's body was john um because he came closer to roberts than he did to john um but neil roberts i don't want to get into detail but he was uh The enemy had time with him, and there's no way at all, I don't care how dark it was or how many bullets were flying over your head, there's absolutely no way anyone could mistake Neil Roberts at that point in time for John. So they left. They decided, and again, I'm not taking anything away from what they were going through at the time they were getting shot at.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, there's a lot of chaos going on.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, everybody except Slav, which was interesting to me. Every single one of them had gotten wounded in some way, and that's when Slavinsky decided to retreat from the mountain.
SPEAKER 10 :
After they retreated... And you could see with a lot of chaos, confusion, things not, you know, so much going on, guys getting wounded, it would be a difficult situation, right, Lori? Yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
Absolutely. And I try to give them grace for what happened on the mountain. I wasn't there. There's a whole lot of crap going on. Mostly what I can hold them accountable for is the lies that started the moment. They got to the bottom of the mountain.
SPEAKER 10 :
So that's that's the thing that you're that we're going to talk about a bit more here in these next segments. And Rob, before we finish this segment, anything else you want to add to what Laurie said regarding? And so, well, we didn't you didn't finish the story. So John is wounded. And well, and then they retreat and he ultimately then is killed on the top of that mountain. Right, Laurie?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, no, there's a lot more that happened after they retreated. Um, he came to somehow, but I don't know. Um, I think Rob was thinking that some of the, uh, the, the tonnage of the ordinance that they were dropping, uh, may have awakened him, but, uh, he got up and fought for another, I think hour and 15 minutes, 20 minutes by himself, um, a hand to hand, um, shooting, whatever he could. And, uh, Yeah, he actually gave his, he was, I believe they say about, he could hear the QRF coming in because Slavinsky had called for a quick reaction force to come in and rescue them. And they were laying on top of the mountain again. And so John was about, I think if the timing is right, He had about a minute where he actually probably saw the helicopter before he was killed, but he had to lay down, chose to lay down suppressive fire to protect that helicopter from suffering the same fate that the other two had. And that's when he gave his life for the other, the QRF guys.
SPEAKER 10 :
I just got chills on that. Okay, you know what? Let's go to break because we're about out of time on this. Then, Rob, I want you to weigh in on this. I'm talking with Rob Harrison and Lori Longfritz, and we will be right back.
SPEAKER 09 :
In these tumultuous times, it is necessary that we each have a freedom library to know and understand our history. Bury Him! A Memoir of the Vietnam War by Captain Doug Chamberlain is a must for your personal library. In this honest and gripping memoir, Captain Chamberlain recounts the chilling events that took place during his command of a company of young Marines at the height of the Vietnam War. Chamberlain painfully recalls the unspeakable order he and his Marines were forced to obey and the cover up which followed. Purchase the book at MarineDougChamberlain.com. That's MarineDougChamberlain.com so that you gain perspective on this time in our history.
SPEAKER 08 :
Eyes peeled and moving quickly, Lance Corporal Jack Swan led 164 of his fellow U.S. Marines from Mike Company 3rd Battalion 5th Marines over the face of a bare rocky knoll to rescue an isolated company of fellow Leathernecks besieged by the Communist North Vietnamese Army. Then all hell broke loose. Instead of rescuing their fellow comrades, the Marines now faced complete annihilation. Author Doyle Glass tells their story in Swift Sword, a true Vietnam War story of epic courage and brotherhood in the face of insurmountable odds. Order Swift Sword by Doyle Glass now. They never gave up. We should never forget.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome back to America's Veterans Stories with Kim Munson. Be sure and check out our website. That is AmericasVeteransStories.com. We're talking with Lori Longfritz. She is the sister of John Chapman, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. And Rob Harrison, retired Chief Master Sergeant from the Air Force. He was on an AC-130 plane. On March 4th, 2002, was over this mountaintop in Afghanistan. So Rob, walk us through this. As we went to break, John Chapman had been shot. He was wounded. Maybe he had been unconscious. He possibly came back to obviously came to if he'd been unconscious. And he said that he was on the top of that mountain for an hour and 15 minutes shooting at the enemy hand to hand combat. So walk us through what was going on on the top of the mountain at that time. Sure.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's if you'll. Humor me for a moment. I want to go back to the initial infill, because if you recall, I referenced Britt Slavitsky's Medal of Honor citation and was telling you how the first key point in there was him claiming to have marshaled the rescue forces to recover the air crew and themselves. So I tell you, that is a lie. That is not true. And I witnessed what actually happened in Alan Mack. has put it in his book, and he has done a number of interviews, and he was the pilot of that helicopter. So he's intimately familiar with how that went down. The next key statement in Britt Slabinski's citation actually covers the initial actions once the team infills. So Laurie mentioned that slab had fallen in the deep snow. Well, John leapfrogged slab at that point, and that's what put John on point. They're in a side deep snow. It's about a 17 to 18 degree incline. And that initial bunker that is the biggest threat that the team is being shot at almost immediately from three different directions. That initial bunker is about 275 feet up this mountain in thigh-deep snow. And once they first gather behind where they had exited the helicopter, John is partially up the hill, and the rest of the SEAL team is in what they call a wagon wheel formation. And just as they're all conversing and trying to figure out a plan, gunfire erupts from all around them. Primarily, the biggest threat is that first bunker. John immediately rushes to the site of the ambush, which is an understood tactic for them to execute. The SEAL team then breaks into two-man firing teams, and two of them go to the left of a big boulder up the mountain lateral to John. Two of them remain about where they are, and they're focused down the slope. And then Slab himself is joining John to assault Bunker One.
SPEAKER 10 :
And who is Slab again?
SPEAKER 03 :
Slab is the team leader, Britt Slabinski. Oh, okay. So he's the other Medal of Honor recipient from this event and where this controversy centers. So John is on point. John is going like full throttle towards the threat. He empties a couple of magazines, putting down fire against this bunker as he's going up the incline. Eventually, he makes it all the way up to the entry of the bunker, and he's off to the left of it. He kills the two occupants within it at point-blank range. enters the bunker, and comes out on the right-hand side. Well, while this is going on, Slabinski is following directly behind John, and he gets no closer than about 15 feet or so. And while he's going up, what's interesting is we don't observe any rounds being fired by Slabinski until he gets point blank at the entry point of the bunker that John has already cleared and killed the two occupants. Well, that's when SLAB fires confirmatory rounds into the dead enemy that are in the bunker. So that's the... That's the extent to which he co-assaulted this bunker. And that is another key entry in a citation. So John assaulted that bunker. Slab followed him. John killed the occupants. Slab was along for the ride. So it's just not true. And this is all confirmed by the ISR footage, both from the gunship and from the Predator. From there, there's actually an accurate statement in Slab's citation. And this is where Slab is on the left of that bunker and John is now on the right. And now we're at the point where where Lori had referenced that that John got hit. Well, they're both assaulting now the biggest threat, which is bunker two behind bunker one and up the slope. It's well, well protected. Both men are firing on it, and this is where John gets hit, and John is rendered unconscious. The medical exam says that's a mortal wound that John suffers, but he did not die from this, and we know this based on the pathological forensic medical examination that was done after the fact. So Slab and John were engaged in Bunker 2. John is taken out of the fight at this moment. Slab tries to use his rifle, grenades, all kinds of stuff to go after Bunker 2. Well, it's not working. So he retreats back behind from his... His closer cover to bunker two, back behind the big boulder, comes up with a plan. That's when his machine gunner climbs up on top of the big boulder, and he gets hit by an enemy grenade. And now the casualties, with John being down, another team member being injured by the grenade, that's when the tactical decision to reposition is made. So the team pops smoke. This is where, by Slab's account, he says that he crawled right over John. And this is interesting because his first account is that he looked at John and could see a laser from John's weapon, and he was watching the rise and fall. And then he didn't see the rise and fall, and he thought John was dead. But that was in a—I want to say it's a New York Times article where he says that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well— And just to clarify that, the rifle was on John's chest, so you would see the rifle go up and down if he was breathing. Is that right? That's what he's claiming, yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
But when we did all of the imagery analysis, the premier agency in our government that does imagery analysis mapped that mountaintop down to just the most specific of detail. At any point in time, you could drop a pinpoint on the map and you could show what the point of view was from that position. So combine that with all the imagery of the actual full motion video footage of the team, we knew exactly where they were and we could drop a pin and say, okay, if they're laying down, kneeling, standing, whatever, we could show you exactly what their perspective was. Well, the point where Slab says that he could see the laser, he's actually terrain masked, and you can't see John from that position. Where he is behind the rock, and he says that he could see it, you wouldn't have been able to see it at all because now you're obscured completely. If... And later in 2016, when we presented all of this evidence to the team, this is when Slab actually changed his story, and he says that he crawled right over the top of John. Well, he never crawled right over the top of John. We have the footage. The closest person that he crawled over the top of was Robert's. And the team all stated that they never saw Roberts. They were literally right next to him. And so what's interesting about this is that the team claimed to never have seen Roberts because they knew the footage existed and people were watching this fight unfold in real time. So when we say that John was up there fighting for an hour and 20 minutes by himself, the Navy thought that that was Roberts. They wanted that to be Roberts. So the statements from the SEALs coming off the objective was they never saw Roberts, and that gave them an inkling of hope that it was Roberts that was up there fighting by himself. Well, all this time, it was Chapman, and we know this now verifiably by all of that evidence. So when they say that they crawled right over John, the closest thing they could have crawled over was Roberts. They absolutely did not crawl over John, and they were terrain masked from John, meaning they could not visibly see his body from their position as they were breaking contact.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay. And when you mentioned then Pop's smoke, again, as a civilian, I guess that this is probably a message to come get us, yes? Yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
So in this case, they threw a smoke grenade. The sun's coming up. It's partially daylight at this point. We're still orbiting in the gunship, and we have not established two-way comms with them so that we could give them supporting fires against those enemy positions. Plus, they were what we call danger close hitters. they were too close proximity to the enemy for us to safely fire our weapons on the enemy positions, despite not being in comms at all. So when I say pop smoke, They've taken a couple of casualties. They threw a smoke grenade to mask their movement off the mountaintop. They wanted to break contact, go down the slope a little bit, put terrain between them and the enemy, and to find some element of safety. So we watch all of that unfold. The whole team leaves the top of the mountain, minus Roberts, who is actually dead at this point, and then Chapman, who's incapacitated with a mortal wound. once they break contact over the edge of the mountain, they're finally able to come up and establish radio comms. And that's when we start shooting on top of the mountain. That's what wakes up Chapman. And he's a seasoned combat controller artillery rounds that are 105 millimeter. They're big, big artillery rounds. They're going off close to his position. That's one heck of an alarm clock. Um, in our footage, You see a strobe illuminate and a guy getting into the bunker, and we are totally confused. Don't know exactly what's going on because what we're hearing on the radio doesn't match what we're seeing. Because now SLAB is on the radio telling us that they've got a possible KIA and that they need fire on top of the mountain now. Well, we assume that the possible KIA is Robert's. We didn't realize that Chapman wasn't with him because he was partially obscured by a tree during their initial retreat. Well, once we start putting fires down, we have two different sensors, and one of them is looking at the friendly position and one is engaging the enemy. And the guy who's keeping tabs on the friendlies is moving back and forth from the friendly position to where the rounds are impacting. And when he does that, Chris, the TV sensor operator, sees the second strobe and says, hey, I've got another strobe up here. And that's our first indication that someone else is alive on top of the mountain.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, so next question. If you're a C-130, that's an airplane, so you would be circling around. Were you actually able to see what's going on, or is it because of the camera footage, or what did that look like, Rob Harrison?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, so I'm in the booth of a gunship. I'm sitting in between the two primary sensor operators. One is an infrared with a heat picture, and the other one is an all-light level TV, like a night vision goggle. So it's magnifying ambient light. So combined, those two pictures are the visual that we get. The rest is the sensor aspect from the radios, being able to hear what's going on, talking to the team, and so on. So when I say I see it, I see it from the booth looking at the screens that are the sensor camera footages.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, got it. So then what happens now that you've said, oh, my gosh, there's somebody else up there? So what happens?
SPEAKER 03 :
This is when our friend Murphy pops his head up. So anything that can go wrong will. Before we ever even communicate specifically with the team about that second strobe, we're talking about it internally. We never tell them that, hey, there's another strobe active. The team starts taking incoming mortar fire, and then the enemy has repositioned, and now they're trying to shoot rifles at them as well. So we immediately... Mark that point where we saw that second strobe, that person had crawled back into the bunker. That person is John Chapman. We know this after the fact with hindsight of all the analysis that went into it. But Chapman is now in bunker one. We've marked that position as potentially friendly, just as we know exactly where Roberts is at this point. So we are deconflicting our rounds as they're impacting the ground from the friendly position. Meanwhile, we're protecting the main element, Mako, from the incoming mortar and the rifle fire. So we never even get a chance to really talk to them about seeing that second strobe because it was on to the next closest alligator to the boat.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay. So let's finish this up, what happened on that mountaintop, and then we'll come back and talk about this concern regarding what's happening with the— National Medal of Honor Museum. So what else happened then? Finish this up for us.
SPEAKER 03 :
That team breaks contact. They continue to move a little bit further away from the mountaintop because they've got severely injured teammates. We are putting down covering fire. The background of what else is going on is the sun's coming up. Gunships aren't supposed to fly during daylight. We're ignoring that rule because we know that there's a team in trouble that needs us. And our higher headquarters is really upset with our decision. So they're fussing at us on the radios. We had shut them off. We ended up getting fussed at for all this kind of stuff. But we were trying to do the right thing for the team that was in trouble. So ultimately, we're ordered off station. We try to facilitate a handoff with the next available assets, which is a two-ship of F-15E Strike Eagles. They come in, we relay all the pertinent data to them, and they are going to cover the Mako element and the top of the mountain until the QRF gets there, the quick reaction force. That is the main element. They're split. It's an element of rangers. They're split between Razor 01 and Razor 02, the two helicopters that are going to bring them in. And then all of that stuff gets messed up because the QRF comes back to the top of the mountain. We've departed at this point, so they don't have the luxury of a gunship coverage. And you've got the fast movers, the fighter aircraft that are trying to do the close air support, and the Predator is watching overhead. But it never gets communicated that, hey, the LZ is still hot, the landing zone, and the QRF lands right in the fray. Well, that's when John exposed himself, brought himself out of cover, and laid down the covering fire, ultimately sacrificing his life to protect that helicopter when the QRF comes in. That begins a 17-hour battle with the rangers to secure the mountain, and the SEAL element makes their way down the mountain with their injured folks, and ultimately everybody stays in the field until the next period of darkness when it's safe for helicopters to come and recover them.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay. And John dies then as he gets out of cover and gets out of the bunker and does the covering fire.
SPEAKER 03 :
He was laying down at an angle, putting covering fire downslope, and an enemy from that bunker two position behind him shot him at that point. The shot that took John's life, we know exactly where it entered his body and where it impacted in his upper left shoulder. And the angle of all of that matched the down slope and the prone position John was laying in and the origin source of the rifle fire. And it actually took off the top of the aorta. And that's what helped put everything into a chronological sense as far as his wounds. because you knew that at that point he lost all blood pressure and any other bruising or anything else that the doctors could have ascertained of the wounds on his body, it ends at that point and that's when his body actually starts to cool as well. So not only did you have the medical aspect, but you had the heat signature and it was verified on the camera and so on. Okay, got it. There's a totality of information. It is absolutely airtight what John Chapman did. Okay. It's unbelievable.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, well, let's go to break. We're going to come back and continue this discussion with Rob Harrison and Lori Longfritz.
SPEAKER 07 :
That's 303-880-8881. Call now.
SPEAKER 06 :
You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Monson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmonson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 01 :
From the mountains to the prairies.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome back to America's Veterans Stories with Kim Munson. Be sure and check out our website. That is AmericasVeteransStories.com. We are listening to a riveting story of John Chapman and who gave his life to give cover to a, I guess it was a helicopter that was going to try to get some guys off of a mountain up in Afghanistan. Do I have that right, Rob Harrison?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, ma'am.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay. Lori Longfritz is John's sister, and she's very concerned about some developments that have happened. So, Lori, let's walk through this.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, let's run through it. I would say the short story is they were creating the Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas. I went there with a friend from John's unit, the 724 unit, to tour it while it was being built. They showed us where John's exhibit would be. And we offered to them artifacts from the family from the unit we left that was in February of 24 and we left and never heard from them again basically I received intelligence intelligence from in a November from someone who said hey when you were at the museum you were misled and that was came from someone within the museum and Once I investigated it, I asked them directly, and I said, well, what do you mean? They said they were going to diminish John and prop up Slavinski. And I said, there's no way they would do that. There's so much proof out there of what happened. But when I addressed this with the museum people, they said, yes, Slavinski will have an exhibit, and John will not. So what rankled me on that one is, number one, Slavinsky's on the board. He's a Navy SEAL who's the president and CEO. There are other Navy SEALs on the board. You know, and if Slavinsky had an exhibit, I had no problem when I went there to see it. Like, okay, John's going to have an exhibit. Slavinsky's going to have an exhibit. My only concern at that point in time was, are they going to be side by side? Because I just, I just, I didn't want that. It wasn't my call. But so I asked the question and they said, no, they'll be in separate places. Little did I know that. the extreme difference that the exhibits would be. John doesn't really actually have an exhibit. His is a photo on the wall and a muted, very shortened video of the drone video. And that's all they have.
SPEAKER 10 :
So Rob Harrison, we've got a couple of minutes left. This is a pretty big deal that you're coming out to talk about this. Why? Why are you concerned about this?
SPEAKER 03 :
So I hadn't paid any attention to it since 2018 when both members, both men had been awarded their medals of honor. When the museum piece happened, I saw Lori's post and took interest and started looking at what was going on. Then I see a number of interviews from Slabinski. Then I realize the number of lies that are being told. And then you dig in a little bit deeper and you see who's a member of the board at the National Medal of Honor Museum. And it's a couple of retired SEALs that are essentially spinning a narrative. And it's just wild. I've told you two lies from a citation. There's a third that I won't go to say that it's a full-up lie, but it's definitely a half-truth. So when I see the elevation and then the distancing of Slabinski from John Chapman and what should be 100% tied together at the Battle of Roberts Ridge, all you can draw from this is that it's them trying to protect their own image because they don't want to be looked upon as somebody that left another teammate behind. And all along, we would never have said that they did it on purpose because It was just a fact that happened in combat under extreme circumstances.
SPEAKER 10 :
And that does happen. But on my show, we always search for truth on these issues. And I think that's the thing, Lori Longfritz, that you're just so concerned about is you want to make sure that the truth about John is out there, right?
SPEAKER 11 :
Right, right. They're trying to bury the truth or separate the two. And you can't separate the two. John saved their lives. And now they're, well, for 23 years, they've been lying about it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 11 :
If your listeners truly want to understand the Medal of Honor Museum stuff, I would definitely highly recommend them reading that article that you referenced in the beginning by Sean Naylor.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay. Well, we're out of time. I so appreciate Lori Longfritz, sister of John Chapman, of sharing this story. Rob Harrison, retired chief master sergeant in the Air Force. I appreciate it as well. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank you, Kim.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks. It was a pleasure.
SPEAKER 10 :
And my friends, indeed, we have to know these stories and we do stand on the shoulders of giants. So, my friends, God bless you and God bless America.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to America's Veteran Stories with Kim Munson. Be sure to tune in again next Sunday, 3 to 4 p.m. here on KLZ 560 and KLZ 100.7.
SPEAKER 02 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
This episode dives into the significant financial dynamics shaping our current economic landscape. Tune in as we explore how strong earnings reports have driven market success, despite potential setbacks from tariffs and political discord. We also look ahead at the barrage of earnings reports coming this week, with heavyweights like Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon leading the charge. Whether you're an investor gauging market conditions or a curious listener, this discussion provides a comprehensive market perspective.
SPEAKER 01 :
He's been seen on CNBC, the Fox News Channel, and the Fox Business Channel. His articles can be found on MarketWatch, Seeking Alpha, TheStreet.com, and many other places. He's the author of the weekly Best Stocks Now newsletter and the inventor of the Best Stocks Now app. He's president of Gundersen Capital Management. Here is professional money manager Bill Gundersen.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome to the Monday edition of the Best Stocks Now show with professional money manager Bill Gunderson, president of Gunderson Capital Management. I'm here with Barry Kite, our chartered financial analyst, on this April the 28th, 2025. The futures were down last night, but we are at least mixed here in the market so far today. The Dow is up 251 points. After a very good week last week, the Dow to 40,365. The NASDAQ is down 16, however. A little weakness in NVIDIA today. We'll get to that in a bit. NASDAQ's at 17,367. The S&P 500 is up 11%. $5,536 on the S&P 500. Interest rates about the same. They're up a couple of basis points this morning with the 10-year at 4.28%. Gold is up a little bit. Not at its all-time high, just slightly under it. Gold is at $3,311. Oil $63.14. I noticed $2.49 gas here in South Carolina. Over the weekend, gas prices have come down since the Trump inauguration. And so has the market. Bitcoin is up $749 right now. BitClear up to $94,746 and has been in rally mode. So welcome to today's Best Stocks Now show with professional money manager Bill Gunderson, president of Gunderson Capital Management. I'm here with Barry Kite, our chartered financial analyst. By the numbers, Barry. Since I wrote that article on the market's going to be fine, the S&P, that was the day the S&P bottomed, and it's up 14% since then. So another pretty good gutsy call from Gunderson out there. I don't hear a lot of other guys making those calls. In the landscape, I listen to the Kramers. Well, I don't listen, but I know what they're saying. And other market gurus, UBS, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley. I didn't hear any of them making that call. Now, the Wall Street week last week, that was the second best weekly gain of the year. And keep in mind that we started the week with a 1,000-point drop when Trump went into a public feud with Jerome Powell. That's how we started our week last week with the Dow down 1,000 points. But we had a 5% advance last week in the market, which is pretty good. It was led by big tech. Information technology, you know, the Palantirs of the world, the Meta, CrowdStrike, et cetera, that technology, information technology was up 7.9% last week. Humor discretionary was up 7.4% and communication services up 6.4%. I would say it was pretty much about earnings, earnings, earnings last week. And the headline of my newsletter was, Earnings Trump Trump. Trump can say what he wants and upset the markets, but at the end of the day, the next four days were all about earnings. And the earnings were good. Now, brace yourself. We have 120 S&P 500 companies reporting this week. And I'm going to give you an update on this earnings season, which is surprisingly good. And I think that's why you saw the 5% gain in the market. That's the biggest reason, which included a 1,000-point drop on Monday. I think we maybe had Barry drop. I don't hear Barry out there. We'll have to pick him back up, but that's okay. We'll soldier on here. European markets rise on signs of easing trade tensions. Are there easing trade tensions? I guess. I guess it seems like the market eventually gets used to things. Unemployment in Spain, 10.6%. That's pretty high. I don't know what's going on in Spain, but that's been one of the leading indexes. In the world, the Canadians go to the polls in economy and trade. And, of course, you know, it would be interesting to see what happens after Justin Trudeau finally stepped down. And I don't think a lot of Canadians were real happy with him that he took the country in. It's going to be very interesting, very interesting. A federal election day is underway in Canada amid a worsening economic outlook for the country. The cost of living has been noted as one of the most important issues for voters. Slow productivity growth. A lot of things on the ballot there. Conservative Party head Pierre Pallivier had a big lead going into the end of 2024, but given the chaos surrounding the exit of leader Justin Trudeau and his minority candidates, government since then the heir to trudeau's liberal party mark carney i heard him speaking yesterday has closed the polls due to his haired mind stance against u.s threats and economic national and he's pretty much running on a platform of anti-trump we're not going to let the u.s uh screw us we're not going to let the u.s take us over blah blah blah All this and that. But anyways, he's more of the liberal agenda with the climate change and things like this, the green economy. So we'll see which way Canada goes. There is Election Day in Canada. Pretty high stakes there, I would say. Big Tech faces high-tech earnings week amid tariff jitters. Wow. I mean, we've got a lot of companies that are going to be checking in this week, including Microsoft, Apple, Meta, Amazon. We heard from Google last week. I think we might get NVIDIA. I have to check on that this week.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I don't know if NVIDIA is this week, Bill. I think it's four out of the seven, quote, unquote, magnificent seven. Yeah, Meta and Microsoft on Wednesday. We've got Amazon and Apple on Thursday. And then we also have, you know, a couple of things called the adp employment report right on wednesday and then we get the employment report on friday which non-farm payrolls which should be a it's going to be a pretty interesting number we'll see what yeah and the election in canada we got a big week coming up here and don't forget the kentucky derby on saturday that's how we i'm gonna need to get some uh i'm gonna get some i'm gonna need to get some picks uh picks from you at some point uh this week so
SPEAKER 03 :
I was going to go this year, and my wife has a church assignment downtown Charleston about this time of year, every year. They have a house of all the churches in downtown. Which, you know, we're the cradle of freedom of religion. We've got like every denomination.
SPEAKER 04 :
The holy city.
SPEAKER 03 :
We call it the holy city. No building can be higher than a steeple, believe it or not, here in Charleston. So she's going to be one of the guides down there this Sunday. nixing our Kentucky Derby trip this year. I've been once. She's been once. We were going to go this year, but holy city trumps the Kentucky Derby. We'll have to watch it on Saturday. Now, I'm going to go over these earnings reports and where we stand. We've got about, I think, 35% of the companies. We've got a trend going on, and I want to talk about that because with 130 companies this week reporting, If that trend continues, that could be very significant. Trump tariffs trigger sharp drop in U.S. port and air freight demand. So it's starting to show up now in the supply chain. It's showing up at the ports. It's showing up at the airports. Of course, you've still got 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
SPEAKER 04 :
I saw one, only one over there on the one terminal side where you can have usually three, and they're usually filled up. So I saw a map, too, where you can follow shipping maps, right, and see where a lot of these big freighters, you know. there's not that much activity, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, the shelves are going to be empty here pretty soon at Home Depot and Lowe's and all the others, you know. The port of Los Angeles forecasting a 33% drop in scheduled arrivals for the week. We need to see some progress with China. Besson was on the Sunday show yesterday, one of the Sunday shows, and he said he doesn't know if Trump has talked personally with Xi or not. He did reiterate that the two have a pretty good relationship, although you wouldn't know it by the big standoff that's taking place right now. But he continues to say that it's unsustainable for China. These tariffs on China are unsustainable. They depend upon manufacturing, and they depend on selling what they make, unless they're going to start just stockpiling like they did with the cars. Yeah, all of a sudden you're going to have all of these widgets stacking up. some city in China that never gets sold. So anyways, we would like to see some progress made this week in those negotiations. The elephant in the room is China. Update on earnings when we come back. And welcome back here to the second quarter of today's Best Stocks Now show. There is definitely a trend in the earnings reports. Now, remember, this is the first quarter that companies are, you know, starting to figure in the cost of tariffs and the impact on their earnings going forward. So it's a very significant quarter and very important to see what the trend is right now. So Q1 2025, which obviously finished 28 days ago. Now we have all these companies reporting. We've had 36% of the companies in the S&P 500 report earnings so far. 73% have reported a positive earnings surprise. So I see no dip whatsoever in the companies that beat their earnings in the first quarter of this year. That's about average, 73%. 64% have reported a positive earnings revenue surprise sales. I don't see any dip there either. And again, that's about a normal quarter so far. Now, here's the big number for me.
SPEAKER 04 :
And it's hard to manipulate revenue, too. Yeah, you can. Earnings is a non-cash number. There's certainly some tricks that have been used over the years for that. But revenue, it's hard. Unless you're booking revenue earlier than you actually earned it. But other than that, it's a good number in terms of 60-something percent there. Right.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, here's the big number for me, though. When we started this, well, last week, let's just go back to last week before all these companies reported earnings this week. We were expecting 7.2% growth versus the same quarter last year, 7.2%. By the end of the week, that number rose to 10.1%. That's significant. It's one thing to have 73% of the companies beat their earnings estimates, but to have the earnings estimates improve by that much, from 7.2% to 10.1%. that's the trend okay that is what the way the earnings are trending here what will it be by the end of this week if that continues i mean you could see like fifteen percent or so which would be phenomenal And I believe that those earnings beats last week, and that number going up 10.1 from 7.2 was the biggest reason why we had the second best week in the market last week, and that's why I coined the phrase, earnings trump trump. It came down to earnings. Now, last year... Stocks follow earnings. Yes, exactly. So, all right, now... This has been a very good earnings season so far. We're expecting $61 per share, somewhere in that neighborhood, versus $56.45 in the same quarter last year. The forward PE ratio right now is 19.9. So, you know, a lot of that easy value in the market was taken out last week. We had a move of 5% last week. So we started the market very undervalued. And, of course, by Monday... When we were down 1,000 points, we had a pretty good valuation on the market, but then you had four days that squeezed a lot of that valuation out, and we're back to 19.9 forward earnings right now, which is about par. So we're in fair value. But going forward, we still have plenty of upside in the market. A little bit below average, however. Now this week, 180 S&P 500 companies, including 11 Dow companies, 11 companies in the Dow are going to report this week. We'll be reporting. So we'll see. I mean, the trend is up. The trend is, you know, for bigger growth than we were expecting. And that's why you're seeing the market so far. And I would just say from my perspective, I looked at the headlines of each company. And unless you're in the direct line... of tariffs okay the automobile industry or the uh... like companies that sell big discounted trinkets from china and things like this uh... you know i didn't see that many companies really warning that that the tariffs were going to have a big impact on their business so That's where we stand in earnings right now. Okay, now, who's going to report this week? Well, we mentioned several. Let's get a little bit more granular here so we know which days to have our tums ready. Let's see here. On Monday today, we're going to get, let me get to my schedule here real quickly. Here we go. Okay, Monday. Monday, NXP Semiconductor, not a big deal there. Transocean Offshore, Waste Management, Domino's Pizza has already reported. So not a real big day. Usually your big days for earnings are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Tuesday, you're going to get Pfizer. One of the worst stocks in the Dow. The Dow's got too many soggy stocks in it from my perspective. Get Pfizer out of there. Replace it with Lilly. Get UnitedHealthcare out of there. Also reporting on Tuesday, PayPal, Visa, Altria, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, General Motors, UPS, Kraft Heinz, Spotify. There's a big one for us. Booking Holdings, which is the old Priceline.com. Okay, then we go to Wednesday. Microsoft, that will be a very big report for the NASDAQ. Meta will report. That will be a very big tech report. Qualcomm, Caterpillar, Teladoc, Etsy, MGM, MetLife. Then on Thursday, you're going to get Apple. And Apple is in the midst of moving all of their production, all of their assembly.
SPEAKER 04 :
For U.S., yeah, for U.S. essentially phones that make it here to India.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, and Apple will report on Thursday. Amazon will report on Thursday. That's a huge day. McDonald's.
SPEAKER 04 :
That Apple call will be interesting. Every once in a while you always get these transcripts where I'm like, you know, that's what I want to read through, right? That would be an interesting one.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, here's the big question with Apple, and I think I know the answer to it. By moving their production to China and having those iPhones made in China.
SPEAKER 04 :
In India or in India.
SPEAKER 03 :
In China. No, in China.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
It wasn't long before China had their Huawei phone.
SPEAKER 04 :
Which works very similar to the Apple phone, okay?
SPEAKER 03 :
So that's the risk you take, obviously, when you move offshore.
SPEAKER 04 :
Those are your trade secrets.
SPEAKER 03 :
The question is, and that's one of the big controversial stocks today, is NVIDIA. Huawei has a chip that they're going to demo that supposedly is almost equivalent to the NVIDIA chip. That would be a big blow to NVIDIA. NVIDIA is down a little bit, so there's some doubt there. But obviously, I mean, NVIDIA has been selling a lot of those chips to China, and they're pretty good at reverse engineering things. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 08 :
This is Bill Gunderson. Thank you for tuning in to today's Best Stocks Now, Best Inverse Funds Now show.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, back to the second half of the show.
SPEAKER 07 :
And welcome back here to the second half of today's Best Docs Now show. Well, we're just three weeks out.
SPEAKER 03 :
From our Cleveland visit, Warrensville, Ohio, the Marriott, the big Marriott there, just east of Cleveland. Tuesday night, May the 20th, 7 p.m., I'll be teaching a little class. Well, you know, an update on the market and the different criteria that I look at. And you'll be able to meet the crew there. And then Tuesday and Wednesday during the day, we're open for appointments. We've got Edie booking them, and we usually fill up. I've never gone on a trip yet where it wasn't full or overfilled. We've added a day before. Yes, added today. So you can call us at 855-611-BEST to set up a financial planning, take a look at your portfolio. This is an opportunity for you. We're going to try to get to Cleveland a couple times per year. 8-5-5-6-11 best. 8-5-5-6-11 best.
SPEAKER 04 :
Bring some statements in or some positions. Bill loves going through those sheets.
SPEAKER 03 :
I love shaking my head and holding my nose. I don't do that. I try not to do that. I try to be discreet, but inside I'm going... There's Johnson & Johnson. There's Kimberly-Clark. They all are. IBM. Anyways, we shall see. We should have a prize for the best portfolio that comes in. If there is such a thing, I don't know. You've named a couple before. I've seen a few good ones because they've listened to me and bought all the stocks I talk about. All right. Trump says U.S. ships should travel through the Panama and Suez Canals for free. After all, I mean, we helped build them, and we shouldn't be charged anyways. France is eyeing big cuts to state agencies. That's a shock because they're probably one of the most. oppressive, restrictive. They'll fine you if you don't dot an I or cross a T. But they're looking to, they're going to doge, do a little doge dance in France.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, the thing is, it's a big employment base, right? I mean, you know, a lot of their, you know, have employment bases. You know, some of these, you know, would consider, you know, kind of federal type jobs. And, you know, cutting that workforce, essentially, right? You're cutting... you know, potential growth, retail sales, right, those things. So it's a tough situation to kind of maneuver out of because, you know, you fire those people or you let them go early, but at some point, you know, you've got to kind of reintegrate them into the workforce in some capacity.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, maybe that trend will continue, you know, and go through Italy and Greece and Portugal and Spain where there's a lot of bloated bureaucracy.
SPEAKER 04 :
Do you see where Spain is actually? I know you mentioned Spain having that, what, 10%?
SPEAKER 1 :
10.6%.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and they always kind of run a bit high. But I saw where they had blackouts there, and I think Portugal almost, where they, you know, almost a whole countrywide blackout.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, the green energy won't keep up with the demand on the grid. The windmills, maybe it was not windy over the weekend. But, you know, look, I mean, that's a big problem. Energy needs going forward for AI and all of these different things. We've got to have good nuclear and liquid natural gas and coal. I mean, those are the three most efficient sources of energy. Goldman Sachs, okay, who I rarely agree with. They say we're almost at their year-end target right now. Well, yeah, okay, so what are they going to do, revise it up? With the S&P climbing 5% for the week, bullied by easing tariff concerns and the kickoff of a pivotal earnings season, I would say it was mostly earnings. And, of course, David Koston has always been very, very... bearish and negative for the most part he's their chief equity strategist what wasn't it abby joseph cohen for years at goldman sachs uh she was always pretty cautious too the rally has pushed the index close at that bank kind of almost like a bank bent where they're yeah i think the sky's falling kind of yeah Bankers always think the sky is falling. That's pretty much right. The rally has pushed the index close to the firm's near-term target price of $5,300. Well, we're at $5,500. Somebody should tell David Koston over there. Knock on the window and have him go outside and look. It's sunny outside. Looking ahead, next week will be critical with 41% of the S&P 500's market capitalization set to report earnings. So, you know, it hit $5,300, which was pretty easy to come up with that target price. You can see my latest target price. It has come down a little bit. You know, I've built in some revisions to earnings going forward. They have come down a little, not much. i'm gonna say that the earnings estimates for this year and next year have come down maybe five percent something like that which isn't very much i mean if you're talking two hundred and fifty dollars in earnings uh... five percent would be about twelve dollars somewhere in there i don't even think it's been five percent that's even do i spend more like two or three percent now for this rally to uh... continue We need a resolution to China. That's the elephant in the room. I think we need a couple of Fed rate cuts, no question about it. And we need consumer strength to stick. That's what Bank of America says. I totally agree with that. Obviously, we need these earnings. But you know what? They're still very bearish. They say cash is still king over there at Bank of America. There's another one, Michael Hartnett, that I very seldom agree with. He's their chief investment strategist at Bank of America. Merrill Lynch is their investment arm over there. And they remain very, very bearish on the market. For a true breakout in the market, they need a Trump-Xi peace agreement for sure, and a Fed rate cut obviously would really spur the market. It's interesting.
SPEAKER 04 :
When I look at the CME group, they give you percentages of what the rate is. rate range will be right at least you know in terms of contracts and where people are putting their money and if you look at the end of the year contract i mean it's a you know you've got almost 50 percent of folks are you know kind of in that almost you know basically three cuts for the year yeah there's another 35 percent group that's in in four you know four cuts i don't see that i mean that's just a It's just pretty interesting where you see kind of what the Fed has been saying, right? And then, of course, where the market is saying, hey, they will cut. So we'll see where that ends up at.
SPEAKER 03 :
The ECB has cut seven times, and we haven't cut once. So that's how far behind Europe we are. Now, when we go, okay, so after Cleveland, then we go back to Lakewood Ranch, and then we're headed up out to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I want to go by, I don't know if it's possible, but they're building this no-frills truck under $20,000, Slate Auto. That's an interesting story. There's a picture of it today. I mean, it's no frills at all. There's no navigation. There's no radio. I don't know if there's even air conditioning available. But you're going to get 150 miles of range, and it's going to be under $18,000. It's a cute-looking little deal, you know. But the interesting part of it, the investors are Jeff Bezos, obviously from Amazon, Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the L.A. Dodgers. and the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, and Thomas Toll, who is the lead investor of Build Manufacturing. That's the name of the company that's doing this. It's inspired by iconic vehicles like the Ford Model T and the Volkswagen Beetle. That's quite a combination. We built it. You make it. So you can then do a lot of upgrades and this. But the base model is going to be under $20,000. This basic little electric pickup. Now, you know, for a college kid or something like that, that was my first car was a Datsun pickup. When those small trucks, we wouldn't let in the big trucks. And then finally they did. They let in the Toyota. Kathy Wood projects Bitcoin to soar to 1.5 million by 2030. That's just five years from now. Why am I working? Why don't I put everything I've got into Bitcoin and just play all day? If it's going to $1.5 million, where does she come up with this stuff? She's the craziest. I don't understand it. But that'll get you headlines, Harry.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I mean, if she thinks Tesla's going to $5,000 or whatever, then, you know, Bitcoin to, what, a million and a half, 1.25? I mean, it's possible, apparently.
SPEAKER 03 :
In the meantime, ARK funds have sorely underperformed the market by a long shot. But that's her Bitcoin price, $1.5 million. Okay, when we come back, we've got some individual companies to talk about here. This is the Best Docs Now show.
SPEAKER 06 :
You've got to go where you want to go and do what you want to do and win whoever.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back here to the final segment of today's Best Stocks Now. Show some stocks in the news today. Let's look at NVIDIA first. It's down 2.5%. It had a huge day on Friday. It looks like it's put in a pretty good bottom there, and it looks pretty cheap to me. But there is rumor. We'll just have to see. I mean, does Huawei – did they pull it off? Did they come up with a competitor to NVIDIA's chip? And, of course – I don't think the rest of the world would buy it, but it would solve the problem for China, who is restricted from buying the NVIDIA chips. So we'll see. I mean, right now NVIDIA is down. Okay, now Pony. Pony has been a weird stock. Okay, Pony is China's answer here to – I'm getting some ticking here in my microphone. I hope it's not going out on the air. Pony is up 30% again today. That is a phenomenal move. That's been like three or four days, four or five days in a row. We own Pony in our emerging growth portfolio, okay? So Pony having a huge day today, up 30, 29%. Pony has got, let's see, there's some news on Pony. What was it here? They showcase their new models at the Shanghai Auto Show. So Pony and WeRide, W-R-D, are the two big players for autonomous vehicles, AVs, over in China. And I guess it showed pretty well, their car.
SPEAKER 04 :
I was on that Slate website during the break. Is that interesting? It's kind of interesting, yeah. I mean, I've got to close this thing out. It seems like you could spend all day on here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, when you send your boys to college, give them a stripped-down electric. It's 150 miles. At least it'll get them out of town. for you right and 50 bucks i mean you know i think the reserve is 50 dollars or something so um yeah it's pretty that could be a a player i mean it's kind of like when the japanese trucks came here uh what how much is a cyber truck for heaven's sake i mean this is a basic little truck to get you around.
SPEAKER 04 :
And you can turn it into an SUV or a fastback.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's a lot of stops, though, every 150 miles. Seems like it. And you don't want to wait until it's 140, believe me, because finding a charging station. But still... I mean, for a starter car, Taiwan Semiconductor sees bullish view at B of A after the technology symposium event. The chips have definitely improved. I see a bottom there in Taiwan Semiconductor for sure. I see a bottom in NVIDIA. I see a bottom in AMD, at least for now. And it's a pretty good one. It's a pretty good one. The other stock that's been interesting to watch here, Celsius made that big buy of Alani, A-L-N-I. I think they made a pretty good buy because Celsius has gone from 21% to 36%. About a 60% move. They say Alani New is a $1 billion brand. Wow. Alani New sold out, too. I'm sure they made a lot of money. But, you know, they're in some big outlets. Alani New, I've seen them at Walmart. I've seen them at Sam's or in Target. I think they're at Costco, too. Is that the blue can? 200 milligrams of caffeine. Wow. That'll last you all week. I mean, you go 150 miles on one can. Domino's Pizza falls after reporting a decline. You know, I just think that the pizza stocks, they had a corner on the market in delivery. And now with DoorDash and Uber, you can order. You know, I saw even the downtown Charleston restaurants are now on DoorDash. If you do a search...
SPEAKER 04 :
You can get Xiaobao delivered to your door. I mean, it's pretty amazing, and it's not that expensive. They don't take reservations there, so at that place you'd have to actually get there at a decent time to get the food.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, we had it delivered from Johns Island one night. It was 30 miles away, and the traffic's horrendous. I mean, to go there and back would cost you $20 in gas. It was $5 to have it delivered. I don't do it very often. We had Mario's Peruvian Chicken. That's a good place. Had that delivered Friday night. I didn't smell anything up there in the kitchen cooking, you know, my wife. And I said, I'd better order something that doesn't look too promising. Got that Mario's Peruvian Chicken. Okay, now the last one I'm going to mention here, Opera. Why do I mention Opera? Because Opera is a big AI stock. Out of Norway, of all places. I made a lot of money in opera a couple years back. It went way up. I should have sold it when it was way up. Then it started to trickle downwards, and we did take a good profit in it, but it was a lot higher at one point in time. Opera reported earnings, and that stock's up 3.7% today. So anyways, if you get a chance, the newsletter, pretty important update on the macro outlook. Because now we're starting to see tariffs factored into the equation. And, you know, I mean, what does that mean? Is it going to be a 25% hit to earnings? That would be $60 a share in the S&P this year. Is it going to be a 10% hit to earnings? That would be $24 a share. A 5% hit would be $12 a share. Out of 20 times multiple... So $12 a share would mean 240 points for the S&P 500. But I updated everything based on what we have in the books right now, 36% of the companies. But by the end of this week, it's going to be way up there. We're going to have about 60% in the books. And that's all I can say is we went from 7.1% growth to over 10%. That's a big move in just four days of earnings reports. That's the trend right now. getting to be a fatter and wider beat than expected. That's a good trend. Okay, we're out of time. To book your reservation in Cleveland, May 20th, May 21st. That's a Tuesday and a Wednesday in Warrensville, Ohio. At the Big Marriott there, we'll be there during the day and in the evening. Tuesday evening will be a workshop at 7 p.m. We have limited space for the reservations. We have limited space for the workshop itself. Call 855-611-BEST, talk to Edie, or go online at GundersenCapital.com. That's GundersenCapital.com. You don't have to be in Warrensville or Cleveland to talk with us. If you'd like to book an appointment with us over the phone or Zoom, 855-611-BEST, 855-611-BEST to get a four-week trial to the newsletter and the live trading, GundersenCapital.com. GundersenCapital.com. Have a great day, everybody.
SPEAKER 02 :
This show is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Bill Gunderson or clients of Gunderson Capital Management may have long or short positions in stocks mentioned during the show. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Gunderson Capital Management is a fee-based registered investment advisory firm. All accounts are held at Charles Schwab. Schwab is a member of SIBC and FINRA.
Join Kim Munson as she dissects the recent developments in Colorado's state legislature. Through interviews and detailed analysis, explore how government policies are reshaping the landscape, from AI technology in wildfire detection to controversial children’s rights legislation. This discussion emphasizes the significance of civic engagement and the power citizens hold in shaping policies that align with values of freedom and autonomy.
SPEAKER 02 :
It's the Kim Munson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 08 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water. What it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 02 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 08 :
Under this guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it's actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 02 :
Today's current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 08 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 02 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Indeed, let's have a conversation, and welcome to the Kim Munson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You're each treasured, you're valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. Thank you to the team. That's Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. It is Monday, and we're off to the races, Producer Joe. Yes, ma'am. Happy Monday. Happy Monday. Hey, check out our website. That is kimmunson.com. And while you're there, make sure that you've signed up for our weekly email newsletter that goes out on Sundays, which highlights all of the upcoming guests as well as our most recent essays. Really a good one from Alan Thomas, Life on the Fringe, regarding... politics here and what's going on here in Colorado. So be sure and check that out. My email is kim at kimmunson.com. I am a little behind on emails. Working on that, though, that's going to change. Text line is 720-605-0647. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice on an independent station searching for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through this lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. something's a good idea you should not have to force people to do it and it's not compassionate nor altruistic to take other people's stuff whether or not it's their rights their property freedom livelihood opportunity childhoods or their lives via force force can be a weapon But we see it as policy, unpredictable and excessive taxation, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation, the agenda by the World Economic Forum, the globalist elites, the United Nations, this Colorado state legislature. Oh, my gosh. And this governor. here in Colorado, then land use codes, zoning regulations, force fees, conservation easements, national monument designations, transmission lines, CO2 pipeline easements, and the list goes on and on. And so remember, if something's a good idea, you should not have to use force to implement it. The show comes to you 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, and the first hour is rebroadcast 1 to 2 in the afternoon, second hour 10 to 11 at night, That's on all KLZ 560 platforms, which is KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website, the KLZ app. And you can say, Alexa, play KLZ, and it comes in loud and clear. I wanted to say thank you to the Harris family for their longtime support of the show with their goal sponsorship. I do greatly appreciate them. And the word of the day... now I had practiced on spelling it, it's discordant. And it could be being at variance or disagreeing or quarrelsome. It's spelled D-I-S-C-O-R-D-A-N-T. One more time, D-I-S-C-O-R-D-A-N-T. And I would say that there's a very discordant tone there. down at the statehouse. And what we're seeing is these extremists that have taken over the Democrat Party are shutting down all kinds of debate and voices. And we're supposed to have a representative government, but that doesn't seem to be happening here in Colorado right now. Our quote of the day is from James Wilson. And this is Lectures on Law in 1791. And he was born in 1742. He died in 1798. And he was a British-born American founding father, legal scholar, jurist, and statesman. He served as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1789 to 1798. He was elected twice to the Continental Congress, was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. and was a major participant in drafting the US Constitution, becoming one of only six people to sign both documents. He was a leading legal theorist, and he was one of the first four associate justices appointed to the Supreme Court by George Washington. and he said this in planning forming and arranging laws deliberation is always becoming and always useful and we are not seeing any deliberation really down here at this colorado state house the um this session will conclude on wednesday the sixth of um i've got to make sure that's the wednesday of may and we're going to really be keeping an eye on what is happening down there because there is there could be a lot that's going on these last this last week and a half on wednesday that very onerous house bill 25 13 12 which is the radical transgender bill that That basically says if a family does not affirm a child's gender confusion, which will have been sown at school quite often, that the child could be possibly taken away. And so I talked to Erin Lee just briefly yesterday yesterday. And she has been really working diligently to shed light on what is happening there. And as you know, she's very involved with Protect Kids Colorado. And her child, 12 years old, went to what she thought was after school art club. Well, it was actually a transgender indoctrination session. And you can get that whole story by going to artclubmovie.com. That's artclubmovie.com. But you'll want to make your voices heard. And you can go over to the Colorado Parents Advocacy Network, CPAN. and they have a petition that you can sign regarding 1312. You can also go to the Colorado Union of Taxpayers website, which is coloradotaxpayer.org, and we have that as a bill that you can just very quickly make your voices heard by just sending an email, and we've got it all set up for you. that has the cup position on it you can add on to that then that will go to the bill sponsors and your legislator and your senator if you so decide and that can be done again it's very quick to make that happen so check that out and I do want to say thank you to this my fellow cup board members because they have done amazing work This legislative session, we're all volunteers and have been watching legislation since 1976. And it's difficult to make a difference down there right now because the extremists that have taken over the Democrat Party are totally in charge. However, we have to know what's going on first and foremost, and that is the first tool to have in your toolbox is to be a member of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. It's only $25. And this board is Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamill, Rob Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner, Marty Nielsen, Rami Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onozorg, Paula Beard, and Ray Beard. When you see them out there, say thank you. to them for all the great work that they are doing on that. So next thing, now I can't even remember if I mentioned this on Friday. It was on my list. And it was interesting that up in Boulder, there was going to be a sex camp for kids, if you will. And sex education, I guess it was a sex education camp. And great news is that the camp apparently has been canceled. Right. And this is, again, this is a way to be grooming our kids by, I can't even believe that they were going to be sending a camp, having a camp like this. But this was Colorado Peak Politics said that Boulder Abortion Clinic hosts a sexy time summer camp for children. And then they updated that to say that it's actually been canceled. But it was saying it started out this way. It said, your tax dollars are funding a sex education camp at the CU Boulder Campus for children ages 10 to 14 this summer to play with stuff. I'm just going to say that. While talking about their bodies and sexy feelings with total strangers. And then it... You know what? I can't even read the rest of the stuff that this says that's going to be happening there. But... Anyway, I can't just say that they were going, ages 10 to 14, well, that's been canceled, and our tax dollars were going to be used to do that, which is absolutely unbelievable. Next thing I wanted to mention is all of you regarding Holly Kaysen, and she's going to be on Friday to give us an update regarding their appeal to stop NGO, non-governmental organization, lawfare. And they needed to raise $60,000 for this appeal. And between what she's done, what Ash Epp has done, and Sean Smith, and what all you, the listeners, have done, that money has been raised. And I want to thank all of you. This is going to be a big deal. I think it could make it all the way to the Supreme Court. And it could really start to take a chink out of the armor, if you will, of these NGOs. And then another thing that was very interesting here is this is from CBS News, I think. Yeah. Colorado Senate, they override a veto by Jared Polis, and they said that leads to a schism at the state capitol. It says for the first time in 14 years, Colorado state legislature could override a governor's veto. And it's Senate Bill 85, which imposes a host of new regulations on social media companies. He's saying the bill is unworkable, erodes privacy, and could violate civil rights. The Senate voted 29-6 to override his veto and repass the bill. State Senator Lindsay Doherty, one of the bill's sponsors, accused the governor of caving to big tech. And she says, if we fail to act, we let this veto stand. We are choosing to protect the business interests of billion-dollar tech companies over the safety of Colorado kids. I find it interesting that dotary would actually hide behind taking care of Colorado kids when these radical activist Democrats are all over all these things regarding mutilation, either pharmaceutically or surgically, surgical mutilation of our children. So stay tuned. We've got a big show planned for you. And I would really recommend that you sit down with the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance team and go over your insurance coverage. I was thinking about it. I think I'm up for renewal probably within the next month or so, and I need to sit down, just go through everything with them so that I have everything that I need and want. And to make that complimentary appointment, give them a call at 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 13 :
Car thefts, hailstorms, and uninsured motorists are presenting unique insurance challenges for everyday hardworking Coloradans. The Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team knows that when you need to make an insurance claim, financial strength matters. State Farm consistently receives high marks for the company's financial condition and ability to pay claims. For that peace of mind, to know that you are working with a financially strong company, contact the Roger Mangan team now at 303-795-8855 for a complimentary appointment to assess your insurance coverage. That's 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
SPEAKER 04 :
The Second Amendment was established to ensure that all individuals have the right to resist oppression, stand firm against government overreach, and protect our ability to defend ourselves, our families, and our freedoms. Today, that right is under relentless attack in Colorado. Colorado's premier grassroots Second Amendment organization, the Second Syndicate, is on the front lines, fighting to preserve and protect your constitutional rights. We expose the most pressing threats to the Second Amendment and provide the education, resources, and tools to stay informed, empowered and prepared join the movement protect your rights visit thesecondsyndicate.com that's thesecondsyndicate.com where the second is first
SPEAKER 05 :
Focused and wise marketing is essential for your success, especially during tough economic times. If you love the Kim Munson Show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership, sponsorship opportunities. Email Kim at KimMunson.com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at KimMunson.com.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to the Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at Kim Munson dot com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And we're winding down on this legislative session, and there is a lot of very onerous, overreaching pieces of legislation that have been proposed, passed, some of them signed by the governor down at the statehouse. Mike Rolick is really keeping an eye on that. on many of these things, particularly regarding our privacy. But I wanted to get an update on what he's watching for this next week or so, as the legislature will be winding down in this session. Mike Rolick, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 21 :
Hey, good morning, Kim. How are you?
SPEAKER 08 :
I am well. So what do we need to know today?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, you know, you and I have been talking a lot about the SB 25011, which is the AI use in wildfire detection from companies such as TAN-OAI, but I know there's others as well out there, but they're one of the preeminent ones in the business. We talked last time, it was going into the Appropriations Committee. It did pass with one small amendment, which I consider to be rather ineffectual in theory. If there is a donation made one time, it would not obligate the state to continue funding that donation. I think it misses the mark in the sense that If you or I put in enough money, say $50,000 or so, to install a camera, well, then the subscription costs could cover ongoing maintenance and what have you for that camera. So I think the big cost would be the install. So I kind of fail to see what this amendment actually achieved. Unfortunately, it went to the full Senate and it passed 26 to 9. Folks, this is a rather bipartisan win for the sponsors and a loss, I consider, for freedom. Just want to bring up some of the notable no's. Senator Carson and Frizzell, Kirkmeyer, Lundeen, Marchman, who's a Democrat. I'd love to see what the thought was there. But like I mentioned way back, I saw Democrats also very concerned about the privacy aspect of this. So I think You know, we should be able to, you know, reach out to these folks as well and kind of see where they're going with things. Also, both Senators Pelton, Byron, and I forget his, the other. Rod. Thank you. I was going to say Ron. James Rich and Tom Sullivan, which is unique. Yeah, a Democrat. Again, you know, voted no. And I don't know if it's because it's not strong enough or he disagrees with the privacy aspects of this. I just don't know. But unfortunately, both Baisley and Cleve Simpson voted yes, which is kind of a letdown.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, that's really interesting. Huh. Okay. One of the other things about the Senate Bill 011, and this is one of the things that we watch from Colorado Union of Taxpayers, is these – and I first saw this when I was reviewing some of the initiatives that were on a ballot, where I saw that they could actually have basically private – and I have that in – But interested parties could actually put money in behind these things that are put into law through gifts, grants, and donations. So we put something into law, and then what happens is you could have interested parties put money in behind that. And the Senate Bill 11 has that language in there, which I think that that is also of great concern, Mike Rollick.
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, absolutely. And we've talked about that potential. And the amendment that said if it's a one-time gift grant or donation does not force the state to continue funding the situation is kind of, like I said earlier, a little disingenuous in the fact that the major cost is the installation after that, just general upkeep and maintenance. When you have a camera on a pole – The heavy lift is already done. So I fail to see what that amendment actually achieved. But there we go, folks. I think it's going to go to a House vote. I would recommend everybody reach out to their House representatives.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 11 :
That's how you feel. Okay. And I also, you know, when you mentioned that the legislative season is winding down, I think, though, It is kind of also winding up in the sense that last week we did mention the May 6th election of the fire protection boards. And so this is a technology that will be used by your local fire protection boards in theory if it comes to pass, right? And so I think getting involved in some of these more local races and staying involved year-round on the people who are making the decisions to opt into this technology is a good idea.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know what? Now that you mention it, I don't recall getting any ballot for any, like, South Metro fire protection. So I'm going to have to check and see if that was something that needed to be requested or if there's an election. We all need to be watching that because they have a lot of money and, boy, they'll have a lot of power. That's really important. Now, you feel, so this will be going over to the House. So I'm wondering if we can get this on CutEngaged, which I would really recommend people go to coloradotaxpayer.org, go to CutEngaged, and you can weigh in on these bills. So let me, I'll check on that, Mike Rawlick. So what's the next thing people should be aware of?
SPEAKER 11 :
I testified a while back on Senate Bill 25-143. There was going to be a full lifting of the ban of facial recognition in schools, including kindergarten, K-12, I believe. Well, there was a partial lift proposed instead, and that became law on the 18th. But it is quite a lift indeed, because now facial recognition services will be allowed to be used in actual educational purposes. So the first component, it says, allows for facial recognition services in education, so including products, devices, or software that allow for the analysis of facial features for education purposes in conjunction with curricula, again, thinking locally, approved by the local school board. These types of things have been used in other countries, and they actually try to analyze the face of the student to see if they're paying attention, to see if there might be a learning disability, what have you. And I was looking at this really interesting article by Lutzker and Lutzker that talked about how China uses intelligent behavior management systems that collect, store, and respond to student facial recognition. And they mentioned a U.S.-based professor who's developing a system similar to monitor distracted students. So that's a real big concern. And your local school board would be the ones who would vote to say, yes, we want the service or no, we don't. So while the legislative season might be ending, I think the last stop would be what the school boards are up to. I can't imagine a world where we're staring at a screen, the screen staring back at us, and the moment you know, I look out the window, I get a point knocked off, so to speak.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow, and you know what, Mike Rawlick, this is another one of those bills that interested parties can put their money into it, which is a real problem because it has the gifts, grants, and donations clause in it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, you know what's interesting is, again, these uncommon partnerships of thought. When I was testifying, the ACLU was there as well, testifying wholeheartedly against this bill. They thought it was just about the worst thing ever. So they wanted the freedom for the students to be free of it. Now, the good news is there is an opt-in. for this situation. So a student and the parent or guardian would have to actually opt in for this to be used. But however, you know, think about this. If there's some really cool, shiny objects, so to speak, you know, some great new software that's being talked about and all teachers get excited and then the students get excited. There's a peer pressure aspect to this kind of thing, right? So now maybe the parent says, well, I don't think this might be right for you. And the student could be like, well, all my friends are doing it and they're having so much fun. And, you know, because remember, gosh, you know, the effect of like the little dings and whistles that people get have been found to give like little dopamine drops, right? So if this kind of thing is associated as a positive reward for something like a facial recognition or a monitoring system, I worry that there'd be some peer pressure to say, come on, mom, can I just do this Your phone does it anyway. What's the big deal? And that's the kind of cop-out I think we always hear when we talk about facial recognition. It's like, well, they already have you anyway. You know, your phone does it anyway. And I think that that's going to be a real easy opt-in for folks to just kind of cave into, especially if there isn't a decent alternative. They're supposed to leave an alternative for students, but they're really, you know, through peer pressure, who knows what's going to happen there.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, that's terrible. Hey, Mike, who do you think's behind writing this legislation? Because I'm learning, particularly how many bills, I need to take a quick look, that many times, many, many times, these legislators are not writing these bills. There's somebody that comes and shops this legislation to them to try to get money. Senator or a representative to carry the bill and so it's really kind of interested parties that I think that are pushing this do you happen to know who's behind this facial recognition bill no I do not however during the testimony because this is for sure there were people from the educational facial recognition industry
SPEAKER 11 :
They're saying we can't stop progress, you know, by making these things illegal in paraphrase. But I remember there's a few folks from from the industry there. testifying for it because this is progress. This is the way the world's moving forward. So it was kind of frightening to think that just because something can get done doesn't mean it should get done. And I think that's a tenet we should always remember, right? Just because, say, gain of function can happen doesn't mean that it should. I don't know. I don't think so personally. But those are the lines that I think ethically we should make sure that no matter if the technology is available, should that line be crossed.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER 11 :
And we're talking about first graders here, you know, having their facial features recognized.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. Okay, we're just about out of time. One more thing that people need to be aware of or something on their radar?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, so along with that facial recognition bill, there is some provision for also school security. where a school official or a LEO, law enforcement officer, can actually switch on this, either when there is a credible threat made or if a student skips class, which is kind of a little big brother for me. And then the House Bill 25-1169 and 1214, that was the quote-unquote yes in God's backyard, where they wanted to build on land owned by churches. That's up for floor work today. And the appropriate use of prison beds, you know, where they're trying to basically accelerate folks out of jail for class five and class six felonies. That is also for house floor work. So, um, yeah, I guess the big takeaway here is people just have to stay engaged in the local things like school boards like the fire races and just all year during during the interim committees.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, my, you're doing such great work, and I appreciate this. There's 724 bills or resolutions that have been proposed this legislative session. And it's almost, it seems just almost overwhelming to watch all this. But it is so important, and I really appreciate you keeping us in the loop on all this. So thank you so much, Mike Rollick.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, thank you so much, Kim. Have a great day.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. Oh, my gosh. And to be informed is so important. You need independent voices on independent stations. That's who we are. And we're on the air because of our great sponsors. I know all of them personally. And for everything residential real estate, reach out to Karen Levine.
SPEAKER 01 :
Award-winning realtor Karen Levine with RE-MAX Alliance understands the importance of home ownership. Karen Levine works diligently at the local, county, state, and national levels to protect your private property rights. With over 30 years experience as a Colorado realtor, Karen Levine will help you navigate the complicated metro real estate market, whether you are buying your home, selling your home, considering a new build, or exploring investment properties. Kim Monson highly recommends Karen Levine. Call Karen Levine at 877-7516. That's 877-7516 for answers to all your real estate needs.
SPEAKER 09 :
A serious accident or a life-changing injury can leave you with seemingly insurmountable physical, emotional, and financial challenges. How will you be able to afford your medical bills? What if you can't return to work? The attorneys at Bozen Law understand the immense stress you are under and want to help. Bozen Law's attorneys have decades of experience helping people like you navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives. Bozen Law can provide the guidance and support you need to get back on your feet. Call Bozen Law now at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary appointment. That's 303-999-9999.
SPEAKER 21 :
Don't delay. All of Kim's sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of the Kim Munson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmunson.com. That's Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMunson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMunson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. May is right around the corner, Mother's Day, Father's Day. And a great gift would be to buy a brick that will be on one of the pathways of service at the USMC Memorial Foundation to honor your loved one's military service. And to get more information about that, check out their website. That is usmcmemorialfoundation.org. But you'll receive just this lovely certificate. It's a great gift. So be sure and check that out. I'm very pleased. And they've been on the show before and will be on regularly. And that is Alicia Garcia. and teddy collins with the second syndicate their new sponsors of the show and it's great to have them alicia garcia welcome good morning how are you kim good i'm well good to have you and teddy collins welcome
SPEAKER 12 :
Hey, thank you for having me. Good morning.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, good morning. And Alicia, I was working on different quotes and things as I was preparing for the show, the quote of the day. And I ended up with this quote from James Wilson about laws, the deliberations that we should have on laws. There's no deliberation going on down at this Colorado State House. It's the radical activists, extremists are in power. And they are doing everything they can, it seems like, to limit law-abiding citizens' right to keep and bear firearms to protect ourselves against bad actors. So we talked about Senate Bill 003, and you've written an excellent piece that we have at KimMunson.com. What is your ear to the ground that's going to continue to happen now over the next few days in this session?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, we have a very, very scary bill that's being actually heard for Senate floor work this morning at 10 a.m. in the Senate chamber. It is a bill proposed by Representative Linstead, Representative Sirota, and Senator Kathy Kipp. It is HB 251314. It is regarding giving peace officer status to certain Department of Revenue employees. It's basically creating... a Colorado-style ATF board that has law enforcement capabilities that would be able to enforce laws against federal firearms licensees that are very, very much like my business partner, Teddy Collins. So this is a very, very dangerous bill that I don't think is on a lot of people's radar that they actually absolutely should be paying attention to and reach out to these prime sponsors as well as their Senate representatives right now to let them know that this bill is a ridiculous overstep and this is something that should not be passed whatsoever.
SPEAKER 08 :
wow and uh so that is you said there it'll be uh on the floor today so people should reach out on this particular bill to the sponsors and and say that well and to our legislators say we do not want this to pass right absolutely this bill would basically
SPEAKER 14 :
arm Department of Revenue employees to enforce laws that are obviously unconstitutional. We already have the ATF that does this. So my concern is why are they wanting to arm and enforce laws towards FFL? It makes me concerned to wonder what they plan on doing and what their angle is for this.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, that is really of great concern. Teddy, it seems like they're coming at carrying a firearm every which way. So to really put more and more laws on businesses like yours is a real problem. Did we lose him? Is he still there? Okay, whoops, I think Teddy fell off the line. So, Alicia, why don't you go ahead and take that question then?
SPEAKER 14 :
So, essentially, this bill, HB 251314, is... Their focus is basically attacking a constitutionally protected industry. So this unit that they want to appoint is going to be allowed to carry weapons, make arrests, enforce state laws. And it's a brand new policing unit that is being created inside of the Department of Revenue. So why do they want that? And they're saying it's a zero fiscal note, which is. In the words of my counterpart, Teddy Collins, he says, I want the numbers to their accountant because I want to know how they're able to, with a $1.3 billion debt, create a $0 fiscal note for positions like this that are going to have to create a post-certified criminal investigator exam to empower these people, etc. How are they going to be able to do that for free?
SPEAKER 08 :
Right, right. Right. The other thing, Alicia, because people may say that, gosh, I don't carry a firearm. And so they don't really think about that. And so it doesn't they say it doesn't really affect me. But the problem, Alicia, is when government starts to do unconstitutional things and overreach in one area, you can pretty well rest assured that if a tyrannical government will do it in other areas as well, Alicia.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, the scary part of this is this bill was kind of flying under the radar because they were proposing it to be involved solely for, like, the automotive industry. But they snuck a little tick in there that created this for all FFLs, licensed firearms dealers. So this gives them power to knock on your door if you are a licensed firearms dealer, all backed by the Department of Revenue, enforce all Colorado laws, not just those related to firearms. They can carry weapons, make arrests, they can investigate you. So who's to say that this isn't the beginning of the Gestapo to start knocking on doors of private citizens to investigate them based on tips? or information pertaining to firearms to confiscate those guns. And when we start imposing laws like this, it opens those doors to bypassing your due process for illegal search and seizure to violate your right to privacy, which are all constitutionally protected rights. So if we're going to be accepting things like this for the firearms industry, who's to say that they won't start doing this to parents who they don't agree with how they are in raising their children like we were just discussing oh boy or hey you know our kids want to be able to do this and they're going against the grain of the indoctrination that's happening in schools hey guess what now we have law enforcement abilities from these departments to knock on your door and investigate you based on these things it's a slippery slope so when you start accepting law enforcement for these types of things You're opening the door to all possibilities for them infringing on your rights and violating your right to say no or to raise your family the way you want to.
SPEAKER 08 :
Goodness. Gosh, Teddy, as Teddy Collins with Spartan Defense, as I think about this, this is really scary. I don't know what else to say.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, I mean, it's definitely a new step, and it's equivalent of arming IRS agents, essentially, is how I like to explain it, but that are loyal to the governor, not to the president or to the federal government, but to the governor and the state of Colorado and all these crazy laws that they're passing.
SPEAKER 08 :
Gosh, elections really do have consequences. And so we've got to really realize that as we're going to the ballot box on these particular issues. So we need to make our voices heard on this House Bill 1314 for sure. And the status on this. OK, it's in the Senate third. The last action was the third reading on that. Right. So where is this at exactly, Alicia? I know you're watching this closely.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes. So today is for Senate floor work at 10 a.m. in the Senate chamber. So you can still reach out to your senators and say, hey, this is an agreed overstep. There is no need for this. I mean, if you think about it, we have marijuana in the state of Colorado. The marijuana division doesn't even have this much enforcement. So why do they want to do that to us? the firearms licensee department. Why do they want to mess with us in this way? Teddy and I are also involved with the Colorado Federal Firearms Licensee Association that was established last year because of all these egregious laws that are attacking the the gun the gun industry so we are doing our best to stay informed and to push back against these things but you know we're only a few people we need the people to get involved and we need national outrage in addition to state outrage reach out to your senators and say hey this is this is unnecessary this is uncalled for we do not want this we have plenty of laws in the state of colorado that have not even went into effect yet let's see how those laws affect the colorado you know dichotomy of guns versus non-gunners and let that play out the way it needs to before we start just drowning out this industry with legislation
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and Teddy Collins, this firearms industry, people, there are hunters from all political areas, Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, unaffiliated. I've heard that many hunters and fishermen, they don't vote. Have you heard that by any chance? No.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, and I've seen it, including with the customers that come through my store, is that they're just not informed and they don't vote. People need to start taking their Second Amendment rights seriously and start showing up to the ballot and being a 2A voter. Because of things exactly like this, the things that we're seeing in Colorado, it's... The Second Amendment should not be a partisan issue, but it has become one. And we have to vote people into office that empower us. It's the citizenry to protect ourselves, to defend ourselves, and to allow us to make it so that we're able to exercise our constitutional rights.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and the founders put the Second Amendment into the Bill of Rights for a reason. And I love your tagline, Alicia, regarding the Second Amendment and how it relates to the first. So what is that?
SPEAKER 14 :
So the second protects the first. That's exactly the whole point, is the second protects all of these rights. If you have no ability to defend what you want to say, you have no ability to resist, what other freedoms do you have? This is a beautiful thing because our forefathers just finished liberating an entire country. They didn't create the Second Amendment for hunting. They created the Second Amendment to be able to stand up and resist tyranny if ever it got out of control. And as I mentioned in the article that I wrote for your wonderful network and website is we are living in modern tyranny right now. And what I'm fearful of is that things are going to get a little bit spicy here in Colorado because there's a lot of people that are very tired and they're very worn out. And we've done everything by the book. But the problem is our opponents aren't. They are playing dirty games. They are, you know, using strategy that is uncouth. It's not representative of the system that we created, and it's very backhanded and dirty. And it's to the point that people are discouraged because they feel that no matter what they're doing, no matter how often we show up to the gold dome and testify and stand up against these unconstitutional laws, we're outnumbering democracy. People in public testimony that are pro-gun tend to won almost every time. And yet these legislators completely ignore and disregard the voice of the people and continue to vote for these egregious oversteps on our constitutional and human rights. So right now we're at a come to Jesus moment, if you will, that people are like, OK, it's quite apparent. that you are not caring about the voices of the people. You're serving your own personal agendas and your own ideologies of wanting to disarm Colorado. Something has got to give, and I'm very concerned with what that's going to look like. So I want to tell everybody out there, not only is it time to arm up and protect yourself, but it's time to start looking to how we can get people to run for office. Let's get these horrible people out of office that are running unopposed, that are literally... put into these seats in office that were walked into there. And now they're running unopposed. People like Chad Clifford that, you know, he was he was appointed. He wasn't elected. And then he was in this last election. He ran unopposed. People out there, you need to start believing in yourself and using your voice, stepping up and running for these offices and getting people with conservative pro to a values back in office to protect these rights.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, well, we're going to continue the discussion. I'm talking with Teddy Collins and Alicia Garcia with the Second Syndicate, and they are doing amazing work. This is so important. And again, it almost seems like these legislators down there are flooding the zone with so many different bills just to wear people down. But we've got to stay engaged on this and stay informed, and that's why we do the show. And it comes to you because of great sponsors like The Second Syndicate. And for everything mortgages, reach out to Lorne Levy.
SPEAKER 16 :
High inflation and increasing property taxes are making it more challenging for seniors to make ends meet. If you're 62 or older, a reverse mortgage may be the solution for what's keeping you up at night. It is essential that you understand the process and work with a trusted professional. Mortgage expert Lorne Levy will help you craft solutions for your unique circumstances, whether a mortgage, a second mortgage, or a reverse mortgage. If you'd like to explore what a reverse mortgage can do for you, call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. That's 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 22 :
Call now. You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Monson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmonson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 17 :
It's late at night, you're winding down with your family, and then you hear something outside. Your heart races. What's your next move? At Franktown Firearms and Colorado CQB, we make sure you're not caught off guard. Our purpose-built 360-degree defensive shoot house puts you in realistic home defense scenarios so you can build the skills to protect what matters most. in our home defense series you'll train with experienced military and law enforcement instructors to handle critical situations with confidence learn to assess threats at your front door clear rooms safely manage entry points and make smart decisions under pressure even in low light conditions because when it's real life there's no time to second guess And with Franktown Firearms located in one of Colorado's lowest tax districts, you'll save money while investing in your safety and your family's future. Be prepared. Be confident. Learn more now at klzradio.com slash Franktown.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to the Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at Kim Munson dot com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And I did want to mention the Center for American Values located in Pueblo, and they are doing amazing work honoring our Medal of Honor recipients with their portraits of valor, but also educational programs to continue to instill these values of honor, integrity, and patriotism. We've got to understand these values so that we can reclaim our state and reclaim our country. And so get more information by going to AmericanValueCenter.org. That's AmericanValueCenter.org. So pleased to have on the line with me Alicia Garcia and Teddy Collins with the Second Syndicate. And Alicia, you and Teddy created the Second Syndicate because we should really be united in it. in trying to protect our Second Amendment. But what's happened, and in some ways I think it's by design, protecting our Second Amendment, there's been a lot of different organizations in that arena, but instead of fighting to protect the Second Amendment, people have ended up kind of fighting each other. So you put this together to unite people so that we can get focused on what we really need to be doing.
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely. We, you know, we play friendly and we're very cordial and nice with all two organizations here in the state of Colorado. But at the same time, I feel that there's a lot of you know, miscommunication and bad blood based on previous histories of things that have happened in Colorado. And we really need people to be focused on working together right now. So Teddy and I and his wife, Rocio, we united to create the second syndicate because truly the second is for everyone. And we want people to understand that this is a nonpartisan organization where we solely champion the rights for the people in the Second Amendment. So we welcome people of all walks of life, all ALL SECTIONS, ALL CHOICES, ALL PARTISANS. SO I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT, WE DON'T CARE WHAT YOU CHAMPION IN OTHER topics or what your political views on other things are. We are conservative people. We absolutely have certain values, but at the same time, we truly believe that it is not our place to impose it on people. We need people to understand and respect the right to bear arms, to come in under the umbrella of the second syndicate and unite not just federal firearms licensees, but unite firearms instructors, companies that have training organizations or ancillary products that make optics or holsters or Whatever it is that you can think of that's in relation to the Second Amendment and give them a place where we can unite, where we can communicate and rally together and push back against these tyrannical infringements that are flooding our state.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and, Teddy, I really congratulate you on having the vision. Thank you so much for having me. And it's really an important piece about the Senate Bill 25003, Teddy. And I know people are concerned about it, but a lot of people don't understand what it is. So can you explain that for somebody that just doesn't know? And, oh, Teddy dropped off again? Oh, my gosh. Alicia, I don't know what's happening with Teddy. He must be traveling or something. Okay, let's have you jump in here. He was traveling. What's that?
SPEAKER 14 :
He was traveling. So, essentially, Senate Bill 25003 is asking the state... for a permit to purchase a semi-automatic firearm, which is egregious. So let me put it to you this way. I am the plaintiff in Garcia versus Polis that is the three-day waiting period in order to obtain a firearm that you already passed a background check and pay for. So in addition to now, to that waiting period that is being enforced and on the books in gun shops across Colorado, this is an additional requirement in addition also to the uh what is it the colorado uh handgun permitting process to be able to conceal a firearm so there's firearm concealment permits that you're going to have to get in order to walk around and conceal a firearm now they're imposing a permit to purchase that says hey you know what i have to ask the state if it is okay for me to buy a semi-automatic magazine fed firearm so you're going to have to jump through hoops through the department of wildlife and say, hey, I have to get this training. It's either a four-hour or a 12-hour class, so basically 16 hours of training and education. Then that petition goes to your sheriff in your county, and you have to ask them if it's okay if you can buy a firearm. Now, how egregious is this? This is egregious because they have the ability to exercise discretion based on your personal recognizance to say, hey, you know what, do I want this person to be able to have this firearm? So they can look at your social media. They can look at your, you know, the fact that you speed all the time and they don't like the fact that you have a lead foot. Or maybe you are very libertarian and you don't like to pay your taxes because you believe all taxes are infringements. Whatever it is that. they find repugnant about you, they can rubber stamp your application and say, you know what, this person does not fit the mold of who we want to be armed in Colorado. We are going to deny them this right. And now, even though you jumped through the hoops to get your concealed handgun permit, you've waited three days for years to get a handgun, now we're going to say, you know what, we may not like what you're doing, so we're going to deny you the ability to permit or supply this firearm, and they have to do that. God bless you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. I keep throwing it over to you, Teddy, and I think that you must be traveling because the call gets dropped. So let's get your comments on this Senate Bill 003. And would people just go to a different state and purchase a firearm?
SPEAKER 12 :
So unfortunately, how federal law works is that for a federal firearms license dealer to sell you a firearm, the firearm has to be compliant with the state that you reside in on the ID that you provide them. And also, you can't purchase handguns across state lines, only long guns. So going to Wyoming, for example, to purchase an item that would be noncompliant here in the state of Colorado wouldn't work. People would have to do some things that would be considered borderline illegal under federal law in order to possess items that weren't compliant in the state of Colorado.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow, so this is really going to make it. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we've seen this governor and the mayor of Denver welcome in people here illegally. And we know that there's some bad actors that have arrived. And so they're welcoming bad actors into our state and yet then trying to deny law-abiding citizens, the citizens, the right to protect ourselves, Teddy.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, it just goes to show where their priorities lie. They don't care about our right to carry. They don't care about our right to bear arms over, defend ourselves and our family members. The hypocrisy is great. They could have, there's so many things they could have done to increase penalties for firearms theft, crime, things of that nature that he did not do this legislative session. In fact, some bills were brought up that they pushed to the side or rooted against in many cases, yet they won't. citizens bear the responsibility and have these restrictions put on their everyday life, on their ability to exercise that constitutional rights. It's just our rights. And that's where we are in the state. That's why 2026 is extremely important. In the district you live in, you should look and see who's running for those House and Senate seats here in the state of Colorado for the Colorado legislator. And if no one's running, maybe you should consider running yourself because The fact that about one third of these seats were appointed this last legislative session. And now we have this this new law that affects all of us here in Colorado shows that we need to show up to vote and we need to make sure we have candidates running.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and Teddy Collins with Second Syndicate, thank you so much. And also you're with Spartan Defense and Alicia Garcia. We have just about a minute left. How can people do people join the Second Syndicate or just contribute to the work? What's the best way to support you?
SPEAKER 14 :
We have a give, send, go that you can go to at the Second Syndicate and donate to us. We are a 501c4, so literally a 50 cents of every dollar that you donate to us goes directly to protecting and defending the Second Amendment, whether that is creating ballot initiatives or procuring candidates for certain districts that we want to put in office or... You know, recall initiatives, whatever it is that we want to do that we can make sure that we are defending and protecting the Second Amendment. So please go ahead and donate to us if you'd like. We will get a donation link on our website here soon. But every dollar, everything that you do to reach out to us, we appreciate. If you have a skill set and you want to volunteer and get involved. shoot us an email at info at thesecondsyndicate.com. That's info at the2nd.com. Or just reach out to us and say, hey, I'd like to get involved. Let me see how I can help.
SPEAKER 08 :
We welcome all people. Oh, you're doing such great work. Teddy Collins, thank you. And Alicia Garcia, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Kim. Okay. And our quote for the end of the show is by James Wilson. He said, So, my friends, today be grateful. Read great books. Think good thoughts. Listen to beautiful music. Communicate and listen well. Live honestly and authentically. Strive for high ideals. And like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you. God bless America. Stay tuned for hour number two.
SPEAKER 06 :
I don't want no one to cry. But tell them if I don't.
SPEAKER 18 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
SPEAKER 02 :
It's the Kim Munson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 08 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water, what it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 02 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 08 :
Under the disguise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it's actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 02 :
Today's Current Opinions and Ideas.
SPEAKER 08 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 02 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Indeed, let's have a conversation. And welcome to our number two of the Kim Munson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You're each treasured, you're valued, you have purpose. Today's drive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body, my friends. We were made for this moment in history. Thank you to the team that I get to work with, and that is Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Monday, Producer Joe. I feel very somber. This is a very somber... show, both our number one and talking with Alicia Garcia and Teddy Collins and also Mike Rolick regarding disarming law-abiding citizens. And somebody just sent this over on the text line. This was a Fox News headline. It says, Mexican nationals arrested while transporting 180,000 rounds of ammunition from Utah to Colorado. And it says that it was a traffic stop last month. and they were on non-immigrant visas i don't know what that means uh exactly uh they have 180 000 rounds and yet this legislature is trying to prevent us from ammunition you know what this is exactly this is exactly one of the things the founding fathers was pretty uh they were pretty frustrated about producer joe
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I don't understand how you... 180,000 rounds, that's definitely got to be a cause for concern in the first place. And on non-immigrant visa, that doesn't make any sense.
SPEAKER 08 :
It doesn't make any sense, does it? And keep those cards and letters coming in on the text line 720-605-0647. And this is... uh just a great concern so let's get over here to our word of the day it's discordant and it's d-i-s-c-o-r-d-a-n-t could be uh being at variance or disagreeing or quarrelsome and uh so your challenge is to use that word discordant d-i-s-c-o-r-d-a-n-t in a sentence today our quote of the day is from james wilson he was born in 1742 he died in 1798 he was a founding father He was elected twice to the Continental Congress. He was a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. And he was one of only six people to sign both the Constitution and the Declaration, which is pretty amazing. And he was a Supreme Court Justice who was appointed by George Washington. And this was from something he'd written lectures on law 1791. He said, in planning, forming, and arranging laws, deliberation is always becoming and always useful. And then you've got to have this goal of liberty, the responsible exercise of freedom. So that is a quote from James Wilson. Let's see, our, well, several, you know what, this is actually going to be a subject that I think is really important, and that is, and I mentioned this, that I think once people really understood what was going on, and many of you had sent this to me, and it was a sex ed summer camp, It was learning about ourselves and our world. And this was at CU Boulder. And actually, and it says when, fifth and sixth graders and seventh and eighth graders. And it says why. This is on their flyer. Because all humans, especially young humans, deserve information about their bodies, other people's bodies, and how to communicate about them in ways that that feel fun, affirming, and exciting. Hmm. Your tax dollars at work. So this was then they decided that they're not going to have this sex camp once people figured out what was going on. And so this was an article. Hold on here. From colorado peak politics it says it was updated the sex ed camp has reportedly been canceled due to safety concerns is what they said but initially the initial article said this your tax dollars would be funding a sex education camp at the cu boulder campus for children ages 10 to 14 this summer and then it goes on to say all the stuff that they were going to do and this is actually i would say grooming kids getting them to think about things that they probably don't really need to be focused on And so we're going to be talking with Dr. Greg Veeder as well as Dr. Travis Morrell here in the next few segments about what's happening down at the state legislature, shutting down voices, and it's going to be really important to chat about that. Before we do, though, as I mentioned, I get to work with amazing sponsors, and we like to keep you informed about what's going on. I have so many questions regarding insurance coverage, and that's why I'm so pleased that the Roger Mangett State Farm Insurance team are partners of the show. And Roger is in studio. And, Roger, I've got a question for you. We talked last week about roofs and total replacement insurance. I had a friend that she was in that area a few years ago with the tornado and the hail storm, and her roof was damaged, but the insurance company only wanted to replace part of it, and things weren't matching.
SPEAKER 19 :
It was a nightmare for her. So address that. What should people know about that? Thank you, Kim.
SPEAKER 20 :
A good question. I think that issue has been resolved by some insurance companies where you can buy a partial roof replacement endorsement. So the scenario is your hailstorm comes in from the north and your roof is facing north and south. And the hailstorm does extensive damage, total damage, to the north side of the roof. But the south side, because of the angle of the hail, just ricochets off the roof. And there's some damage, but not enough to... It might be cosmetic, and cosmetic damage isn't really covered. It has to be substantial damage to affect the integrity of the purpose of the roof, which is to keep water out of the house. So basically, you've got, let's say, a $20,000 claim, and the insurance company says, here's $10,000 for the damaged part. And they only are obligated to pay for that which has been damaged. So you get a $10,000 claim. check minus your deductible, which might be $2,000. So you're walking into an $8,000 situation, and the roofer says, ma'am, you really should have a full roof put on. And the insurance company says, sorry, we're obligated to only replace that which was damaged. So what you can do is call your agency if your company has what they call a partial roof endorsement that you can put on at renewal. You can't do it midterm. And it's probably going to cost you between $100 and $150 a year, say $12 a month to put that endorsement on. So if the scenario unfolds as I just described, your company would be obligated to give you a total roof. So that hasn't been around that long, and many companies have not embraced it. So if you want a quote from us, we would be glad to give you an opportunity to see if that fits for you. And if you would like, call my office at 303-795-8855.
SPEAKER 08 :
So, Roger, I do think that most people think that they have full replacement costs on their insurance. But they get into the claim, they're going to find out they may not. So the good thing to do would be to call you guys, right?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, absolutely. I think 95% of the companies in Colorado have full replacement costs on roofs. It is the partial cost. part of this conversation I would say most companies don't offer that and if you don't know about it if you want to know about it call your company or agent find out if it's available and as far as depreciation on a roof there are companies out there and I'm not going to name them, but at the end of 10 years, their full replacement cost coverage goes off the policy on roofs. And then they start depreciating in year 11, 12, 13, and so forth, where you could end up with a... For example, 50% coverage in year 11, then it goes down 10% a year. So in the 20th year, you might end up with 10% to 20% coverage on a $20,000 loss. And you've been paying premiums all these years. Yeah, your premium doesn't change. Your premium is going to stay what it was and probably go up, and you're going to have less coverage. So... It's incumbent upon you, and please, I don't want to sound like I'm a terrible insurance guy, but it's up to you. I mean, you have some skin in the game. You have to call your insurance agent and say, hey, do a quick review for me. Take 10 minutes and talk to me about what my gaps are in my homeowner's policy or my auto or my life insurance or whatever it is that you may have exposure to. Make us earn our commissions.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 19 :
And individuals do need to be proactive, not only with their insurance coverage, but with their lives as well. What's the best way for people to reach you, Roger Mangan? Yeah, please call us at 303-795-8855. That's 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 01 :
Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty, wrote founding father John Adams. RE-MAX realtor Karen Levine has been working diligently at the local, county, state, and national levels to protect property rights and home ownership. Karen has navigated the often challenging Colorado metro real estate market for years. That's 303-877-7516. That's 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 22 :
You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Munson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmunson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMunson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice, and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And we are into basketball, hockey playoffs, great place to get together with friends to watch the games is Hooters Restaurants. They have all kinds of TVs there. for all the sporting events. They have five locations, Loveland, Aurora, Lone Tree, Westminster, and Colorado Springs. So be sure and check that out. And then also thank you to the Harris family for their goal sponsorship of the show. We are an independent voice on an independent station, really delving into these important subjects. And so thank you to the Harris family for making all of that happen. On the line with me is Greg Veeder. I referred to him as Dr. Veeder because I think that he's really, really smart. But he corrected me and he said he's not a doctor, but he is a licensed Colorado psychotherapist and really appreciate having him on the line. Welcome, Greg.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thank you very much. Good to meet you this morning.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good to have you. And Dr. Travis Morrell has been on the show a number of different times regarding different pieces of legislation that have been down at the Statehouse. He's also very involved with CPAN, which is Colorado's Parents Advocacy Network, doing such important work trying to protect children. So, Dr. Morrell, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thanks, Kim. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
So, Greg, I saw you a couple of weeks ago, and you handed me a piece that had been published at FAIR Colorado on March 28th. And in it, you've said you've been a Colorado licensed psychotherapist for almost 40 years. And tell us just a little bit about your practice.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, as you said, I've been a licensed clinical social worker for... over 40 years, and I was the founding mental health professional on the Colorado Sex Offender Management Board and served as the mental health professional on that board for the first seven years of its existence, and I've also had a private practice, and I've also ran a long-term sex offender treatment program for over 30 years, and so I've been dealing with awkward, complicated, and dangerous situations for all that time. And that work has exposed me to not just sex offenders, but all sorts of victim and sexually difficult issues. And now I'm getting involved in this particular sexual dysphoria problem.
SPEAKER 08 :
Greg Veeder, as I was reading your piece, I was thinking about your career. I was thinking that there are jobs that I couldn't do, and yours is one of them, I think. But it's a very important one. And you're concerned because a bill was passed in 2019. It was 1129, so House Bill 19-1129, which basic and i remember seeing this bill thinking this is a problem but what i'm seeing regarding different agendas is there's a long-term approach so dr travis morrell in 2019 this 1129 is passed which basically says that psychotherapists cannot that or therapists have to affirm gender confusion or dysphoria. I can't talk about other things and really a silenced voices. And I remember looking at that thinking this could be a real problem, Dr. Morrell.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. As Greg said, a lot of therapists tell me that. And we had a lawyer, Candace Jackson, recently at our CPAN summit about gender-affirming treatment harms that said, yeah, this is really silencing therapists because they, so this is bad because if parents come and think, oh, good, well, my kid's confused, but I really think they're autistic or really think they're just depressed or really think they're struggling through trauma or whatever, they might bring them to a therapist and just assume the therapist is going to make the best decisions for them. But actually right now, especially in Colorado, your therapist is very, very likely to affirm the delusion rather than try to help the child. And even if the therapist doesn't believe that's the right thing, they might not really directly treat what they really think should be treated.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and Greg Veeder, the reason is because they're concerned about losing their licenses, right?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, let me add to that. It was 11-29, and I think it was in 2019 that this came out. And since then, therapists have simply been afraid. Every therapist I know, that doesn't mean I know every therapist, but everyone I know is scared of, some doing work with a child who is questioning their sexuality or seeking support towards going down a transgender changing path of puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries. Those therapists have to or cannot really talk about the pros and cons of such a path for that child, for the kid himself, lest the kid get angry with the therapist and turn around and report that therapist to DORA, the Department of Regulatory Agencies. The fear of DORA investigations and the impact that would have on their license and their ability to function has actually chilled therapists. In fact, I run a support group for therapists that range from licensed clinical clinicians all the way to concluding psychiatrists who won't come out and say what I'm saying for fear of offending their referral source or, more importantly, offending DORA. So, yeah, it's had a real chilling effect, and now that same chilling effect is being extended with 1312 to parents themselves And the threat there is through Department of Social Services. And that's not academic because I'm also working with parents who have had their children removed and they don't have control of their child or see their children even. So we're now dealing with a very scary situation.
SPEAKER 08 :
So, Greg Veeder, you know families where the child has been taken from them by the government? Yes.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes. Yes.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, Kim, we know parents whose kid has been taken in this exact situation is 13-12, which is to say one parent doesn't think a kid should get lasting medical change, medical castration, and one parent does. And then in the divorce, the parent who... is sane and protective, loses the kids custody. So that's already what Colorado is doing to parents. You've seen some articles about this in the news about dad, Robert Cameron. I know at least one other. And so by name and then others by people have told me about them and so forth, but by rumor. But I know several personally, and my organization has written legal briefs to try to help one of them. Colorado took a 13-year-old from a father and put the kid on puberty blockers against his will. And as we know, that can have long-term effects for his relationship, his intelligence, and his life. And so Colorado is already doing this, but they're going to put through 1312 so that they can put it in law, that that's officially how they do it. And then I don't know what will be the next step, but the bill that you're talking about is silencing therapists. The next bill is going to silence parents. And Greg was quick to point out that this really just puts a tool in your ex or the kid. And if they just don't like you, they can complain. And that's actually a very powerful tool against therapists and doctors.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, let's talk a little bit about the family situation. Children come home from school or elsewhere, now from social media, with all sorts of ideas. This prevents families from even being able to wrestle the wisdom of the idea because they have this looming threat of social services over their head, and the kid, often an adolescent, angry at their parents for not just jumping on board, then knows that they can turn around and initiate the removal of themselves and then turn back around and threaten their parents with it. It's not difficult to see how that can happen, particularly since I've already seen it happen.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and Greg, let's think about this, though. Our children are just being bombarded with sexualizing them beginning at a very early age. In fact, the curriculum, my understanding is the curriculum has to include talking about, I think first graders talk about Jared Polis is gay. Of course, what does the next question is? What is gay? Well, then you're headed down. the whole sex conversation with a little kid. And I think this is by design. But so our kids are going to school. They're being tossed. And, of course, we've got the whole pronoun game as well, that parents might not be identified that they're having a different name or pronoun at school. And there's all kinds of peer pressure. And it seems like they're kind of trying to make it cool to be questioning your – And this is really preying upon our children by kind of knowing what kids are and how impressionable they are, Craig.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. You just used two important words, cool and identify or identity. And it's long been cool to get in conflict with one's parents. I would say half of the material that comes out of Hollywood depicts examples of that. One way or another, that's the arc of so many stories that we see on media. We have taken the concept of cool and essentially run off a cliff with it. We need to now put much more value in families learning how to talk with each other and The struggle is in the family, not at the Department of Social Services. Number two, you use the concept of the word identity. It's very important to understand that identity is fluid. That being said, the professionals that are promoting the gender-affirming model speak to The notion of a true gender identity. Well, gender identity is fluid, too. I mean, can be. And so the notion that identity is a singular fixed thing discounts the fact that all of us go through identity changes through the course of our lives.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. Okay. Okay, we're going to continue the discussion with Dr. Travis Murrell and Greg Veeder. This is so important. Colorado, I think, may be at the tip of the spear on these particular issues. I know California has crazy stuff going on. We'll find out when we come back. These discussions happen because we have amazing sponsors, and they were on it in the first hour, and that's Alicia Garcia and Teddy Collins with the Second Syndicate.
SPEAKER 04 :
The Second Amendment was established to ensure that all individuals have the right to resist oppression, stand firm against government overreach, and protect our ability to defend ourselves, our families, and our freedoms. Today, that right is under relentless attack in Colorado. Colorado's premier grassroots Second Amendment organization, the Second Syndicate, is on the front lines, fighting to preserve and protect your constitutional rights. We expose the most pressing threats to the Second Amendment and provide the education, resources, and tools to stay informed, empowered and prepared join the movement protect your rights visit thesecondsyndicate.com that's thesecondsyndicate.com where the second is first
SPEAKER 16 :
We'll be right back. Knowledge is power and preparation leads to success. Call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881 so that you are prepared for the opportunities in the mortgage market. That's Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. Focused and wise marketing is essential for your success.
SPEAKER 05 :
especially during tough economic times. If you love The Kim Munson Show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership, sponsorship opportunities. Email Kim at kimmunson.com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at KimMunson.com.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is kimmunson.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at kim at kimmunson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Something's a good idea. You shouldn't have to force people to do it. And do check out the USMC Memorial Foundation's website. May's right around the corner, and their second annual golf tournament is May 15th out at the Ridge in Castle Pines. And so be sure and sign up if you're a golfer. Great round of golf. Meet some great people and support the foundation. That website is usmcmemorialfoundation.org. On the line with me is a licensed psychotherapist, social worker, Greg Veeder, and Dr. Travis Morrell, who's with Colorado Principled Physicians. And Greg, I'm going to ask you this question first. It seems sometimes that Colorado is worse than California. Are we, and that's a terrible designation, but are we worse than California on all of this transgender stuff with our children?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, first of all, I want to say that I'm representing Fair for All in arts, education, medicine, and I'm also representing grandparents for kids. Oh, great. That's a race that I don't know how to measure, but it's not a good one, and we appear to be in it. Okay.
SPEAKER 10 :
Great answer. Kim, I would add, actually, this similar bill, this one that requires parents to affirm the gender delusion of their child or potentially lose custody, they actually passed that bill in California last year, and Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed it. And in our state, all signs so far right now point to it being passed and signed. So this will be a good litmus test to officially test your statement whether Colorado is worse than California.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. Is there any other states? Nonetheless, it's effectively happening already.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's true. Yeah, this practice that is getting codified with 1312 is already going on.
SPEAKER 08 :
Is this happening in other states other than Colorado or California, Travis Morrell?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes. Yes. Although most states now have passed some kind of ban on performing permanent gender procedures on kids, gender medicines on kids. In fact, most Democrats by a slim margin think that doctors shouldn't be able to do that to kids under 18. But for this custody thing, we do hear reports of this in other states as well.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, so Greg Veeder, in your piece that was reprinted at Fair Colorado, Substack, you said that prior to 2014, the transgender population was very small, and treatment for individuals experiencing distress with their natal sex was primarily occurring amongst adults. What changed in 2014?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, the best I understand it, we've had the social media is a big piece. Then a little later, we have the COVID problem where kids are isolated. So then they're on the computer even more. So those would be the dominant factors. And I think that families have experienced progressively more invasion by our borders. SOCIAL SERVICE SYSTEMS PROGRESSIVELY OVER TIME. SO I THINK IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING. IT'S BEEN A PROGRESSION WHICH 1312 IS A BIG PROBLEM OF IT PERPETUATES THIS PROGRESSION AND WE NEED TO STOP IT. SO I'M SURE I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN EXACT START POINT, BUT IT'S THE COMING TOGETHER OF THOSE VARIOUS FORCES.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, Dr. Travis Morrell, you have such an interesting journey because you had, as a doctor, been assisting adults with transgender surgery, yes?
SPEAKER 10 :
I had assisted surgery. I did prescribe hormones to adults, yes.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, okay. And your journey, though, has moved you over to now really working to protect children.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, well, it's... pretty clear when they started doing it to kids that that would just absolutely be wrong on kids. So for adults, most of us just accept the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and what they say as far as guidelines. Of course, over time, we've learned that that's really an activist organization posing as a medical organization, and I don't really think we can trust them with anything. They openly in their guidelines recommend that some people be castrated as part of their gender, just strict castration as a unique gender. Doing this to kids is obviously bad because kids, unlike adults, are developing. And if you put, say, a boy who's, say, 12 or so on puberty blockers, which Colorado Medicaid pays for as young as 8 to 13, if you put that kid on puberty blockers and then when they're a little older, put that boy on estrogen, a cross-sex hormone, by the time they're an adult, they're going to have very small genitalia that literally don't work. And so it's very easy to think like, wow, that's not going to be good for them if they're trans, if they're gay, if they end up straight, it's just not going to be good for them. And so when you realize that this gender ideology is hurting the same kids that they're supposedly helping, it's very shocking and offensive to me as a physician.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and Dr. Travis Morrell, you mentioned something, and that is money. And first and foremost, I do not think tax dollars should be used to pay for this, nor should insurance companies be forced to cover this surgery. If people really, if parents really wanted their child to be on this thing, then I think that first and foremost, they should pay for it themselves. But there's a lot of money in this industry, yes? Yes.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, we do know that there's at least some hundreds of millions of dollars in it and probably billions by some estimates. We don't really know. But there is money in it, especially over the long term, if you think. Once a patient goes down this road, they become a lifelong patient. So there's no point where they get enough medicine or get enough surgery where they don't need it anymore. So it becomes a lifeline stream of income. Probably not really for the individual doctor so much because people will bounce around. But for the pharmaceutical industry and for hospitals and medicine. Now, I do think that a lot of this is not just by money, not individual doctors wanting money, although that's an influence, but a lot of doctors just, they think they're helping people and they're being really tools of activists that are, they're going along with this because they think they're doing life-saving care. And so that's kind of embarrassing for me to see as a doctor.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and I say all the time on the show, if something's a good idea, you shouldn't have to force people to do it. So if something's a good idea, Greg Veeder, then it should be able to stand on its own two feet in the battle of ideas. But ultimately what's happening here is a therapist with this House Bill 1911-29, they're being forced to not talk about, you know, not... not talk about all sides of the issue. So that is a big red flag that the issue very possibly doesn't make sense to me.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yep, your instincts are right on. If you can't talk about it, then there's a problem with it. And if our legal system makes it illegal, effectively, to talk about these issues from a thoroughly, you know, weighing all sides, either in the family or in the therapist's office, then the issue probably needs to be ended or shown the light of day for the problems it generates. The problems like just exactly what Travis Morell said, the permanent patients that they create.
SPEAKER 08 :
So this House Bill 25, 1312, Dr. Travis Morrell, is being heard in the Senate on Wednesday, right? So I know that Lori Gimmelstein and the whole team over at Colorado Parents Advocacy Network, they're doing a petition over at coloradotaxpayer.org with our Cut Engaged. You can easily weigh in with the sponsors and your legislators there. And we'd say flood the zone with both things on this. But I know that you're doing great work over with CPAN as well, correct, Dr. Travis Morrell?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I love working with CPAN. I think they're definitely leading the state and everybody should go to ColoradoParents.org and check in with them and see what they're doing. Laura Gimmelstein is doing great work. I know that Lori Gammerstein's group, as well as Aaron Lee's group, Protect Kids Colorado, is having a rally this Thursday night at 1 p.m. at 7 p.m. as well. If people want to check that out, that's something they can physically do. It's at momsforliberty.org slash town hall. And that's going to be this Thursday night talking about the bill with some representatives.
SPEAKER 08 :
OK.
SPEAKER 15 :
OK. The bill is also going to be heard on Wednesday in the Senate. And I know I'm going to be testifying along with a 61-year-old transsexual friend of mine who's definitely against this bill.
SPEAKER 08 :
Interesting. So how does that work, Greg? I was thinking when it was heard in the Senate that you could only testify in committee, but you'll be able to testify in the Senate as well?
SPEAKER 10 :
It will be the Judiciary Committee of the Senate.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, it is the – got it.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, right. He's right.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, got it, got it. Okay. And, again, also go to coloradotaxpayer.org, and you can weigh in on the 1312 as well. So, Greg Veeder – this always comes in on the, on the text line when we have these egregious bills is, is there going to be a legal challenge, a legal challenge? And there is a very important case at the Supreme court right now. Uh, Childs versus Salazar. Tell us about that, Greg.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. Uh, Kaylee Childs is, uh, sued, uh, I think it's Patty Salazar, uh, who runs Dora and it, uh, got turned down in the 10th district right here in Denver. But the Supreme Court now is taking up this because it's such an incredible threat to the freedom of speech. And so that's how come we're hearing about it. It should be heard, I believe, this fall. And ask me a specific question about that if you'd like.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. Well, yeah. What is it exactly that Kaylee Childs has sued Dora for?
SPEAKER 15 :
Essentially just what I said earlier, that the law as it exists now prevents her from having a full discussion with her clients. And she can't talk with her clients either just in a secular therapy fashion or even in a religious fashion because or a Christian fashion. Therapists that can talk, you know, represent themselves as having provided spiritual guidance, and therapists represent themselves, as I do, as just being secular and not spiritually guided. Either one is now being prevented by the existing law, which was 1129. in our state. Did I make that clear enough?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I think so. Travis Morrell, with this 1129 and therapists having to basically affirm gender confusion or delusion of children, What happens? Families are out there. They're doing the best they can to try to raise their kids. They're trusting that the schools are teaching them how to read, write, do arithmetic. Of course, we look at the results on that. It's not good. So that means that something else must be going on. So let's say this happens. Your adolescent girl daughter comes home and says, hey, I think I'm a boy, and parents want to do something about it, but they can't put the child in therapy or that would be very difficult here in Colorado. What should a parent do?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, that's a scary question. And like you're saying, this Bill 1312 makes that even more difficult of a situation for parents. So, I mean, if you had a kid with this confusion, you would probably want to move. But if that's not an option, Therapy First is an organization that people should check out, Therapy First. And they do have parents. They do have therapists that will work with your kid and not affirm the delusion that will deal with the other issues that they have. Greg Veeder is, you know, I'm sure knows people and is an option. Wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER 15 :
Let me speak to that. The Therapy First has a Colorado chapter. But the few, like about half a dozen therapists that are part of Therapy First Colorado Chapter are not doing this gender. They aren't doing the very therapy that the law prevents them from doing. They don't want to break the law. They believe in what we're talking about, but they're a part of the group of silent therapists. So I can't tell you where you can get therapy. just regular, full, meaningful therapy for your children. And where the therapist is going to be open about that. Okay. In this state, that's not, I don't believe they are doing that because I've talked to them.
SPEAKER 08 :
So, Travis and Roel, did you say that if, in the scenario, that you should move? Is that what you said?
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh, yeah. I mean, if you had a kid that was really in this confusion, that's what you should do. And the reason I say that is I know I have several physicians. I have physicians in my group that this happened to where they were their kid was in school and the physicians are super, you know, lifelong Democrats wouldn't probably hardly talk to a Republican. And then this happens to their kid behind their back at school. And again, these are not religious people. These are not right-wing people, not that there's anything wrong with that, but just to speak to stereotypes. And then their kid, young kid, preteen, this happens too. And what they've done is they've at least moved to different districts, have new friends for your kids, lock down social media, because like Greg already said, These kids that are in this confusion on average have four and a half hours more problematic social media time per day is what studies show. So you don't really get into a delusion and stay into a delusion unless you have people constantly reaffirming it. And studies also show that these kids tend to have very quickly developed friend groups where most of the kids in the friend groups are also friends. so-called trans or have some other, you know, other identity that's not real. And so it's only with this constant re-encouragement from friends and on social media that is not going to be there, by the way, when they're dealing with scars and fertility issues when they're adults, that is a necessary ingredient. So yeah, you definitely need to get your kid out of a situation where they're constantly being told that this is a good thing for
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and one of the first things it sounds like is limiting social media. We are going to continue the discussion with Greg Veeder and Dr. Travis Morrell regarding, again, these are pieces of legislation that are being pushed here in Colorado. And when I say in Colorado they've been playing long ball, they have. Because House Bill 19-11-29 silenced the voices of therapists. Now House Bill 25-13-12 would silence the voices of parents. And I think the things are connected. That's why we do the show is to help you connect the dots. And all this happens because of our sponsors. If you've been injured, be sure and reach out to John Bozen and Bozen Law.
SPEAKER 09 :
You don't have to suffer the consequences of someone else's negligence on your own. The attorneys at Bose & Law have extensive experience handling all types of personal injury and wrongful death claims involving motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, catastrophic injuries, and more. Bose & Law also assists clients with matters related to workers' compensation, and Social Security Disability, SSD. Bose & Law takes pride in truly getting to know their clients and genuinely cares about helping you seek the justice you deserve. Call Bose & Law at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary consultation. That number is 303-999-9999. Call Bose & Law now.
SPEAKER 21 :
All of Kim's sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Munson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmunson.com. That's kimmunson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 17 :
It's late at night, you're winding down with your family, and then you hear something outside. Your heart races. What's your next move? At Franktown Firearms and Colorado CQB, we make sure you're not caught off guard. Our purpose-built 360-degree defensive shoot house puts you in realistic home defense scenarios so you can build the skills to protect what matters most. In our Home Defense series, you'll train with experienced military and law enforcement instructors to handle critical situations with confidence. Learn to assess threats at your front door, clear rooms safely, manage entry points, and make smart decisions under pressure, even in low-light conditions. Because when it's real life, there's no time to second guess. And with Franktown Firearms located in one of Colorado's lowest tax districts, you'll save money while investing in your safety and your family's future. Be prepared. Be confident. Learn more now at klzradio.com slash Franktown.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to The Kim Munson Show. Check out our website. That's Kim Munson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You can email me at Kim at KimMunson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And we want to think about high ideals as human beings, thinking about creativity and innovation and high ideals like America was founded on. And a great way to understand those ideals is to become involved with the Center for American Values. And they're located in Pueblo. They focus on these values of honor, integrity, and patriotism. And when you're thinking about those kinds of things, you can't be thinking about some of the stuff that they were trying to teach at this sex ed camp up in Boulder. Dr. Travis Morrell, I received a number of people texting me this flyer once somebody got a hold of it. People were very concerned. It was a sex ed camp for kids ages 10 to 14, fifth graders through eighth graders, paid for by our tax dollars. Apparently it's been canceled, probably because so many people caught wind of it. But what's your thoughts about this sex ed summer camp that was being proposed up at CU Boulder?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, yes. CU Boulder and also Boulder Valley Health Center, which is a clinic that has their doctors have come to testify in favor of these bills that encourage gender affirming care, so-called treatment on kids, because they directly perform it and profit off of it. And so those are the two co-sponsors with the University of Colorado. And I think the thing worth seeing is if anybody has social media, Scott Shamblin, who's the executive director of Right to Life in Colorado, Scott Shamblin went to the registration classes for this sex ed summer camp to see, hey, what can parents look for that their kids will get to learn at this camp? And it's so disturbing. I don't know. But it was basically they were going to play with puberty toys, and I quote, and dental dams, and I quote, and she kept saying play with them. and so that they could learn how to use these. Again, fifth graders, they're teaching the kids that they're about, quote, bodies beyond the binary. In other words, that they're going to need the medicine and surgery that, or not surgery probably, but the medicine that they perform at Boulder Valley Health Center. So I think that's a great way to groom kids for your clinic, I guess. And it's pretty horrible though for their family life and for their personal health. So I think it's horrible and I'm glad that people spoke up. That being said, even though it died, We have to remember, Colorado pays for, I think it's $22 million for camps through Queer Joy Camp, I think every year is federal money. And this kind of stuff is going on in schools and stuff all the time. You just don't realize it. They hide it. They hide it called Art Club or something like that. But this is a much bigger issue. But it is good to see that people spoke up about this one.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes. And Greg Veeder. There's another piece. Yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER 15 :
There's another part in here. And that's the concept of privacy. And privacy is both a right and a responsibility. And it gets particularly kind of the nexus of this very issue is with our sexuality. That's why it's illegal to go around flashing people. And privacy really start, people learn that as young children in the home. And the home is the best place and the most appropriate place to continue that education of how to go through life being appropriately private. And the school should be echoing what the parents are teaching in this department. Connected to that, if schools want to help with sex ed, the better way to do that is talk to parents about how they can talk to their kids, and then they, the parents, can handle it as they feel is appropriate in their respective households, and that'll be different from household to household, but that's where it belongs.
SPEAKER 08 :
Most definitely. Okay, so what do people need to do? What's their to-do things to do today, Dr. Travis Morrell?
SPEAKER 15 :
I can answer. I'll give Phil in his space.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, sounds great. Greg?
SPEAKER 15 :
The first thing to do is to do whatever possible to kill 1312 and use that as a starting point. Secondly, they all should be involved in their parental organizations related to their schools so they can get the school squared away and in doing what they should be doing, which is focusing on basic education. rather than social change. Those two projects alone will keep any parent occupied.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I agree, Kim. And they can testify for against 1312 this Wednesday. It'll be after 1.30 p.m. You can do it on Zoom or in person. And if they follow me, Lori, you know, Gimbelstein, any of us, Aaron Lee, They can find out how to do that if they don't already know how. And then Thursday night at 1 p.m. Sorry, at 7 p.m. on May 1, there is a parental rights in danger in Colorado with HB 25, 1312 Town Hall with some representatives. And they can read about that at Moms for Liberty slash Town Hall, Moms for Liberty dot org slash Town Hall.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good information. Now, we have just a couple of minutes, and this came in from Jenny. She said, we do not affirm any other delusions. And Greg Veeder, with the postmodernism and relativism that really started, I think, in the 60s and 70s, where instead of real truth, that it was, oh, I have my truth, you have your truth. I think that that was the... founding of where we've gotten down to with um people saying that they're a different gender it's been a long progression but uh i think it's now you know slapping us in the face that is there real truth there is real truth and we have to stand for real truth and so greg veder i appreciate what you're doing oh do you want to comment on on the on what you just said yeah i guess if you yeah give me uh 30 seconds
SPEAKER 15 :
Just that I agree with you that using the victim-victimizer-oppressor model for everything, and the parents now are the oppressor, is a great way to create social division. And I think that's at the heart of this.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. Greg Veeder, thank you so much. And Dr. Travis Morrell, your final thought.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I agree. This identity, making this into changing people's identity into physical permanent scars on kids is really a danger. And then it has bad impacts on the family and society. So we need to protect our kids from that. So please come out and testify.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. And that is this this Wednesday in the state Judiciary Committee. Gentlemen, thank you so much. Thank you for caring for our children.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 08 :
And our quote for the end of the show is from James Wilson. And he said, By a state, I mean a complete body of free persons united together for their common benefit to enjoy peaceably what is their own and to do justice to others. So, my friends, today be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and live so well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 06 :
And fast on a rough road, riding high through the mountains, climbing, twisting, turning further from my home. Young like a new moon, rising fierce through the rain and lightning. And I don't want no one to cry. But tell them if I don't survive.
SPEAKER 18 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
In this touching episode of A Guy's Perspective, we delve into the emotional journey of Andre, a father who shares the highs and lows of raising a child with cerebral palsy. Through candid conversation, Andre reveals the complexities and challenges that come with parenting a special needs child, while offering advice and support to other parents in similar situations. Listeners will gain insight into how he coped with his son's significant health struggles and ultimately, his passing.
In this episode, Andre also mentions his son's passing and a GoFundMe that has been set up if listeners would like to contribute to funeral costs or send condolences. You can find that link here.
SPEAKER 03 :
I can't hide myself I don't expect you to understand I just hope I can explain What it's like to be a man It's a lonely road And they don't care about what you know It's not about how you feel But what you provide inside that home
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to A Guy's Perspective, where they discuss real life topics that men today are dealing with. Whether married, single parent, or just single, we invite you to call into this live program with your comments and questions. And here they are.
SPEAKER 06 :
good afternoon everybody this is 5 60 a.m klz you can always reach out and talk to the guys at 303-477-5600 again it's 303-477-5600 um heath isn't with us today he's off doing something i'm not really sure but um we just want to give a shout out to him and Our Reno's back in the studio with us, boys. Tell us how you been, man. I've been good. I'm glad to be back, though. That's it, man. You're a part of the group. We love it. Again, if you ever want to talk to the boys, just give us a call again at 303- 477-5600. Wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER 07 :
You guys might be a boy. I'm a man.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, fine. You want to talk to the men. One other thing we want to give a shout out to the Upper Room. Pastor Derwood Tate, you are the man. We love you to death. Can somebody give the address to the Upper Room? That's 1001 South Pearl Street. Today, we're hoping this is our best show yet. Andre is going to talk to us a little bit. I think what we're going to talk about most people, whether you're male or female, can relate to all this. With that being said, let's give you the floor. Before we do, introduce you guys yourselves. I'm the truth. Aren't you the truth? Oh, okay. I'm Brock.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I'm Andre, your local electrician. Number one.
SPEAKER 04 :
And I'm Reno, the other local electrician. That's so funny, man.
SPEAKER 07 :
We got two local electricians. I love it. And I'm the local janitor. That's funny.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, man. Am I the only one in oil and gas, then? Yeah. Dude, you got a lot of gas. Oh! Coming back from Oklahoma, I sure do, buddy.
SPEAKER 08 :
Hey, guys, don't forget, you guys can catch up in any podcast on a guy's perspective or the guy's perspective on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, all these other ones. And KLZ has its own app that you can listen to whenever you can hear us live in that realm as well.
SPEAKER 06 :
That sounds good.
SPEAKER 08 :
all right let's get to it so now tell us um your your boy what he was yeah so anybody who doesn't know um i my son um was born in 2007 january or july 5th and uh You know, he had a lot of complications. He had cerebral palsy. And, you know, he just really struggled as a baby. And, you know, we sadly had a, you know, I was gone for about two weeks because in one week we had to pull his life support because his heart, you know, he had a condition that caused his heart to fail. So that's been pretty hardened and, you know. I ended up in the hospital, too, the week afterward because of a symptom called broken heart syndrome.
SPEAKER 05 :
My goodness.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, it literally was shutting my heart down, and I didn't realize it was a true out there. I didn't think that was true.
SPEAKER 06 :
We've heard that our whole life. I didn't think that was true.
SPEAKER 07 :
So did you say that he had a bunch of complications when he was a baby?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, he, you know, he basically had a lot of, cerebral palsy is one of those things that happens. Yeah, tell us about it. Yeah, where it's not genetic, even though they tried to find a genetic component. Cerebral palsy usually comes during either, you know, in utero there's an injury, you know, in utero or otherwise there's an injury. Right at delivery. And then fortunately, Austin had some things that happened with his mother where she actually fell. And, you know, he started to have clotting and all these other things from, you know, mom's womb entering his bloodstream. And then, you know, he started clotting too. And, you know, we were supposed to do, you know, he was supposed to deliver roughly the July 4th. But we delivered on July 5th. And, you know, they basically pulled him out and he was in what they call neonatal intensive care. And what that is is where they basically, you know, keep your child alive sometimes, you know, if they're premature or if there's some type of birth defect or, you know, if there's other additional causes like, you know, cerebral palsy, for instance.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let me ask you a question. He has cerebral palsy for... Anybody out there that's listening to this, any other man whose child has cerebral palsy, what's the best advice you would give them?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you know what's funny is I think for a lot of us parents that have had any type of child with special needs, there's nothing that really people know what to say. So that becomes understandable as well. But I would say that if you can find anybody or any groups or Bible studies or, you know, whatever it may be that can support you guys, that's the best thing you need because, you know, your friends don't know what to say. Your family doesn't know what to say. And, you know, the average person, whether they're at church or they just know about it, they don't know what to say. So they just say the cliche, you know, I mean, better you than me. No, I'm just, no, that's not true. No, no, no, no, no. No, but, you know, really, I think sometimes we think that because most of the time, you know, most of the time when you have a child, it's usually, hey, you got a healthy baby boy or you got a healthy baby girl.
SPEAKER 06 :
So let me ask you this. So leading up to, so basically your boy passed away recently. Yeah, yeah. Let me ask you this.
SPEAKER 08 :
he's in heaven oh this is this is what i want to know on this show when you get to heaven will your boy know who you are yeah i i believe so so i i mean you know the bible talks about we're surrounded by you know a great you know amount of witnesses and like i've had to tell you know his brothers because his brothers also took a heart you know most You know, the biggest thing that his sibling, you know, that was a year apart, he's taken a little heart. It's also a faith thing where you just got to figure, you know, did God really heal him? Did God not answer my prayer? And, you know, I had to tell him, God answered your prayer. You know, the healing came, but sometimes it's not what you expect a healing to look like. Wow. You know.
SPEAKER 07 :
So what does cerebral palsy, what caused the effects like?
SPEAKER 08 :
Good question. Yeah, cerebral palsy can actually, so basically the effects, it's a brain damage at birth. And the problem is that, you know, when someone is born, you know, they start to wire, you know, pathways through their brain. And that's why people that have a stroke, sometimes if they catch it quick enough, they can start to be rehabbed and they can start to walk, talk or whatever. Again, the sad part about cerebral palsy is that when there's a stroke or some type of brain damage, that wiring never took its initial course. So there's no pathway to generate. So sometimes children with cerebral palsy have problems. You know, hearing loss, vision loss. But most commonly, it's a loss in your muscle and motor control.
SPEAKER 07 :
So when you would speak to him or play with him, he knew you were there? Always. Yeah, he was very... Yeah, that's another good question.
SPEAKER 08 :
And so it depends on the severity. I mean, it is a good question because you can also have, you know, there is, you know, by virtue of the disability, you do have some... um you know they austin never really fully learned everything but i'll tell you what he was one of the smartest children and he brought a big smile to everybody he knew you know that um he was so aware of uh you know just the simple jokes even adult jokes i mean he loved he loved blondes i mean he was he was totally into blondes you know and so he would just totally check them out and scope them and You know, and if, you know, any of his nurses, if they just weren't attractive, he'd just turn his head away. That's super funny, man. Yeah, yeah. Have you ever seen a good-looking, you know, blonde, you know? You know, he basically just would just stare at him and, you know what? So he must have got that gene from his dad. Yeah. You good. See, now you're speaking truth again.
SPEAKER 06 :
But, so, I mean. Go ahead, man. You guys can go. I was just going to say, how are you coping with it now? How are you feeling?
SPEAKER 08 :
So, you know, it's another good question because I had one minister reach out to me and he said, you know, I know that this has been going on. There's a struggle where at some point you thought that Austin, you know, was going to pass away younger. And, you know, this is true. However, he beat all the odds for quite a while. He had just a great span for having cerebral palsy where there's a lot of children that they go for multiple surgeries and then, you know, eventually they die of complications because Austin was paraplegic, you know, so the ability for him not to stand and all that really affects people's health. And it affects your GI. Everything connects to everything, right? Right. So with that said, you know, yeah, we knew it was coming, but, you know, he finally had one major surgery. And I really think that's, you know, in June and then all of a sudden everything just started going. And I, as a dad. You know, knew something was very wrong. Oh, you could tell. I knew so. And I just kept my wife and I kept on saying, you know, because I'm remarried. My wife and I kept on saying he's he's dying. He's just there's something changed. And, you know, sadly.
SPEAKER 07 :
So why why give him a surgery anyway, if he's a paraplegic?
SPEAKER 08 :
Um, because he, um, so another thing with cerebral palsy is that, you know, all of us, believe it or not, are contracting or holding our positions together. If you get picked, if I picked you up, Brian, you know, you would be able to assist me in some way, unless you were absolutely passed out, you know? And that's kind of what it is with paraplegic is they don't have that ability to assist you because they don't have the tone, if you will. Their brain isn't firing enough to kind of assist you and contract muscles to aid you. With Austin, sometimes you have a hyper and then you have less of that muscle tone where his brain basically continues to say, you know, fire away and um he started to push his legs out of socket so he had a hip dysplasia starting to build in where it becomes you know really painful you know and it's only because he didn't it's he couldn't control how much you know his brain was telling his hips do you do you feel like because you have two other boys yeah that that's that was your oldest son right yeah my first
SPEAKER 06 :
Do you feel, wow, you're first, wow. Do you feel like you loved him just as equal as your other two boys, even though he couldn't function like your other two?
SPEAKER 08 :
So that's a really good question. I always loved all of my boys, you know, all of them.
SPEAKER 06 :
Austin, and I try not to play favoritism, you know, by virtue of his... Because I will say this, Joseph's father was at the wrong in the Bible by taking Joseph above his other brothers.
SPEAKER 08 :
But with that said, though, you know, when you have your siblings, you rely heavily on them. And, you know, but it made my other two sons better. It made, you know, even my, you know, stepdaughter better, you know, because... You know, once you got to realize, you know, this is how, you know, things work. And, you know, other kids would always stare at him like, you know, why can't he eat? Why can't he talk? Why can't he walk? Why is he in a wheelchair? But, you know, and the odd thing is that just became the new normal for us. But it wasn't easy. I mean, you get as a caregiver, sometimes you get what's known as caregiver burnout, right?
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow, yeah, for sure, though.
SPEAKER 08 :
What do you mean caregiver? So naturally, you know, you've had your daughters. And naturally, you know, as a father, all of us, you know, except for, well, Brian, with your fur babies. Now, naturally.
SPEAKER 09 :
Why do you got to interject that?
SPEAKER 08 :
But I didn't want to leave B Rizzle out. I mean, the truth. But so naturally, you know, as a dad, there's things, expectations that you have. You know, you live vicariously, truly. You look at the things, you know, I didn't get to do this in high school, so I want him to do that, you know, or... You know, there's certain things, you know, I didn't get these type of shoes. So now I'm going to hook my son up or whatever. With Austin, you know, the morning started the day that he was born because of what he could not do. And that's typical. You know, I learned it through a Bible study. And albeit it was hard, you know, it taught me a lot. And the kids, you know, they... basically learned in my opinion you know a lot about grace and a lot about patience and a lot about mercy because austin was able to only do what we could move him to do you know if he wanted to go somewhere it was because we moved him somewhere if he was going to eat it was because we fed him through a tube you know so um life expectancy of somebody with severed palsy is not too long right Unfortunately, yeah, because especially when they're paraplegic and, you know, the saddest part is I remember you and I can talk about that. But when you ask back in the day, I would ask that, you know, at one of the hospitals and it's almost they looked at me with contempt. But the simple truth is I needed to know. And, you know, sometimes they live up to their teens and sometimes they'll live, you know, in their late adulthood. But And, you know, the way Austin was going up until that surgery, we were just preparing and trying to get ready to, you know, move him into the adult, you know, disability programs and try to figure out what's going, you know, what to do next, you know, in the event that we pass away as, you know, parents. So, yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
So I didn't realize that was his senior year.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was.
SPEAKER 04 :
And the amount of talent he had. Yeah. So I was kind of blown away with the artistic ability.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. He even lettered. He lettered in academics.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, he was a smart kid.
SPEAKER 08 :
And, you know, this was going to be his prom weekend, or the beginning of his prom. Well, no, that was last weekend while I was in the hospital. He even had a date set up. Yeah, I was going to say, I had a prom date. Yeah. I mean, but... Super cool, man. Yeah. It's just, you know, you hate to say it. Sometimes with a disability, it's kind of a shatter of dreams. But, you know, at the end of the day, you know, everything that people would tell me and try to comfort me with, you know, they had almost did a full... You know, 180 or 360 were basically, you know, the things that they said I couldn't take when he was born. But then that life cycle and just that life reflection, I realized a lot of what they had to say, even though they didn't probably were ignorant, but they're trying to use the comforting, you know, things to say. it came back and taught me a lot because Austin taught me a lot, you know, and maybe I miss circle and maybe you addressed it at the start.
SPEAKER 06 :
Did you in your ex know that your boy was going to have cerebral palsy when she was pregnant with them?
SPEAKER 08 :
So yeah, I think no, I mean, realistically speaking, cerebral palsy, again, is like an injury, you know, typically, you know, did the doctors have any knowledge? Well, if they did, you know, they're not. I think they. Well, so my ex, she she slipped and fell right on Austin, you know, when she was probably seven months pregnant with Austin. So and we did go to the hospital and it looked like he actually was going to be delivered. You know, it would have been delivered a pre preemie somewhat, but still, you know, viable to keep him alive. And I wish they would have because, you know, but, you know, they sent us home. I don't know why. And I've had an attorney look at it. And on the day he was born, I had an attorney look at that record, too. And they said, you know, he sat when it was time for him to give birth. He was flat for about four hours, meaning that the contractions didn't match the heartbeat. Because usually when a baby, when a, you know, the mother contracts, the baby's heart rate also contracts or moves along with the contractions. And Austin wasn't, but apparently they sat for four hours on him. So we probably had a lawsuit, but the saddest part is at that time, you know, in 2007, we The attorney told us, you know, it's you against, you know, a hospital and a bunch of lawyers.
SPEAKER 06 :
They're practicing. Again, if y'all want to reach out and... So talk to Andre. If you have a question for him or more you want to know, please give us a call at 303-477-5600. Again, that's 303-477-5600. Oh, so you guys are thinking that from the fall this could have damaged his brain.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I don't know that it damaged the brain, but it caused damage in utero, yeah, where there was clotting and such. You know, he lost his kidney because it went into atrophy. So that kidney, he only had one kidney for his whole lifetime. And then, you know, once a baby has any type of clotting, you know, they start to treat it with anticoagulant. That presents a new danger that it could cause a stroke.
SPEAKER 07 :
So when she was pregnant and seven months and fell, he lost his kidney then?
SPEAKER 08 :
No, it's just a cycle of time, you know, so he was probably pained. I don't know if anyone's had a blood clot, but it's a very painful experience.
SPEAKER 06 :
If it because like the medical field is so advanced now, you know, it's way different.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's I don't think it's as advanced as you think. I think surgery nowadays is worse than. In the 80s where people had to go to the books and actually study. Oh, no. I think surgery today is worse than back in the 80s.
SPEAKER 04 :
What were you saying, Reno? I disagree. Oh, I disagree too. It's way more advanced now. It's way more advanced.
SPEAKER 07 :
I guess it depends on the surgeon you receive. No.
SPEAKER 06 :
No. I've heard so many bad stories. Look at all the knowledge we have of it now.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you got to remember too, Brian, as doctors are practicing, you know, anytime you have a practicing physician, they're really just practicing on you as an individual. That's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER 07 :
I'm scared, bro. I have a back problem and I'm too scared to go to the doctor.
SPEAKER 08 :
I can tell you what you need, bro. You don't even have to go to the doctor.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, think like the medical field in the 80s, 90s, 2000s. I mean, you're looking at 30 years of advancement, better equipment, more knowledge.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let me ask you a question. Everybody I've known that had back surgery had to have another back surgery. They had to have another back surgery. But you're telling me these people are advanced. So why do you have one back surgery? You got to go in for another back surgery and another one after that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Help me. So the way the medical field works, like let's say his back, like he's talking about. They can diagnose what it is and try to fix it. But your body compensates for it being off, so you might damage something else. So now they've got to fix that part of your back.
SPEAKER 08 :
I can tell you from my experience is that the syndrome that basically they told me essentially that I had a – Broken heart syndrome. Well, that just came out, that diagnosis. But the reason why is because you have empirical knowledge now. You have decades of knowledge back behind it. Oh, for sure. Decades of advancement. For instance, like the broken heart syndrome was called Takato Subo Cardiomyopathy. Man, that makes you want to do a Chinese thing right there, buddy. It's actually a Japanese physician that figured that out. And it basically is that... When you get a whole bunch of physical stress, it shoots a bunch of hormones and stressors and whatnot in and it starts to shut down your left ventricle. And that's what was starting to happen with me. My heart started coming down.
SPEAKER 07 :
And so you think this is a result from broken heart syndrome?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, the doctors diagnosed that. But I would kind of have a... But see, that's the thing about you, B. Rizzo, is that no matter how many times people tell you something, you ignore it. You start YouTube and stuff, and you go on Dr. Google.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, let me ask you this. For people who are... And this is back to being a serious question. For a man who, let's say his child is going to have... a lifelong of complications, and he's thinking about abortion. What would you say for something like that? That's deep.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, that's funny because when Austin was born, they rushed him immediately to resuscitate him with not even asking us, not even telling us. Hey, you know, I mean, he had an emergency C-section. So when they pulled him out, I remember looking at a lifeless and what I thought was more lifeless because his arm was just dangled and they just rushed him off to a different area. Would not explain to us what was going on. And, you know, my wife then, you know, Austin's mom, you know, we only knew what we were told. And so, you know, I've contemplated that because, you know, in this case, I loved my son so much. And I do see where people say he was a gift from God because he did teach me a lot. Um, but like my dad said in his time, you know, Austin would have naturally passed away. And sometimes I think we intervene too much that, you know, if nature should take its course, especially on me, for instance, I'd be, do not resuscitate. Cause you know, the second time around with Austin, he, you know, first time around, he was a child. I seen everything. He had the intubation, all the EEGs, EKGs, all these things they were doing to him. Then when he had the heart failure a couple weeks ago, they resuscitated him, but he was not there anymore. And I'd seen the big difference. And I knew he was gone. For a fact, I asked God, is he with you? And absolutely overwhelmingly, I knew so. But to answer your question about...
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, because it's going to be different for everybody. And listeners, listen, we're a guy's perspective. We talk about everything. There's nothing we don't talk about. So that's a deep question. If you don't want to answer it, that's fine.
SPEAKER 07 :
I don't know how to answer it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, gotcha. Because it would be different for everybody, right?
SPEAKER 07 :
That's a tough situation to be in.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, because in one sense, people are so against abortion, other people aren't. But when you have somebody that may suffer their whole life, how do you balance? Because then you're judge and jury at the same time.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, see, I don't think I could for the simple fact that he might touch somebody's life. That's a good answer.
SPEAKER 04 :
You would never know. Yeah, you would never know. You would never know. He might be there to save your life. What do you mean by you would never know? You don't know the outcome. Gotcha. You would never know what's going to happen. Gotcha. So the only way to find out is to let it play out. Yeah, for sure. Let it play out. And that's hard. Like Andre said, if it takes its natural course, that's not really abortions.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, who are we to intervene? Yeah, for sure. You know, that's why, you know, when he was on life support, you know, his mother and I spoke and, there's no reason to keep him like that. You know, I think he already left his body, his, you know, his spirit left and his soul went to, you know, rest with the Lord. And, you know, and I, like I told my boys, you know, he made it before all of us. So now it's up to us to make sure we make it and see him again. So, yeah, I do believe he'll see me just getting back to your question.
SPEAKER 06 :
The original question. Yeah. You believe he'll see you. Cause I do believe that. I believe children that go on before their parents will know their parents. No, for sure. Yeah.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 08 :
But so how many surgeries did he have to have? And that's the irony is that, like I said, Austin did a great, uh, he, he lived for the most part, all things considered, you know, he did maybe three surgeries, four surgeries. The fourth one was the one that I think did him. Yeah. And that was for his hips, right? Correct, yeah. Yeah, the first one was a cochlear implant. Then he had some other. Now was that to help you eat? Cochlear implant? No, because he, you know, he lost his hearing at about age two, you know, because they would not treat his ear infections in the timely manner.
SPEAKER 07 :
So they, but they know he's just, he had cerebral palsy at birth. Well, after birth. After birth, they know that. Again, just reiterate. Yeah.
SPEAKER 08 :
Cervical palsy is usually done because of a birth or damage at birth or delivery. But, hey, guys, I just want to say one quick thing. You know, a lot of people have helped us out through the way, you know, and it's amazing how many people have come so far and we haven't talked forever. And, you know, I want to thank everybody who has. We have my wife, you know, Andrea. She set up a – yeah, Andre and Andrea – my wife set up a go fund me because you know it's expensive and we've had to deal with a lot of different you know unfortunate things that have happened and so i might post put that on our facebook page if that's okay with you guys yeah by all means post it in in yeah and donate yeah let people donate you know i mean that's have you donated no i haven't no i'm going to i just got back in town no Honestly, I'm thankful. There's more people that amaze me that haven't seen Austin forever and they just contributed. So where do you go to donate exactly?
SPEAKER 06 :
That way everybody knows.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and that's the hard part. The irony is that GoFundMe can set up an account for people that can buy million-dollar homes or multi-million-dollar homes because they're accused of a crime. And then, you know, you have a poor, you know, innocent child. And, you know, it's odd how many people just want to hold on to their money and use it for Starbucks or triggers or, you know, some other things. I've seen so many things. But anyway, I do want to be – I appreciate you guys asking. You know, I'm thankful he is with the Lord. And, you know, it's been –
SPEAKER 06 :
Again, this is KLZ 560 AM. That was Andre talking. And, again, you can always reach out to us at 303-477-5600. May 31st, remember, go to Facebook and donate to Andre's situation. And if you would like to participate in our fundraiser, post a picture of the best-looking dog. And we've got a jersey in. a dinner we're giving away to people. And again, you know, God bless everybody. And, um, next week we're going to start going an hour and, um, we're just going to keep getting better boys.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. And catch up with us on, uh, you know, Spotify or any of those podcasts forums. If you miss the live broadcast, you can always catch us.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's not about how you feel, but what you provide inside that home.
SPEAKER 05 :
is what you make it you can't always live up to expectations you try to please everybody while you struggle so you fake it and end up out of balance compromising situations as a good man do what he should man I'll give everything he has and do everything he could man you might find yourself feeling all alone inside a house you built that you don't recognize as home and that's what my
SPEAKER 02 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Crawford Broadcasting, the station, management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
In this episode of The Good News, Angie and Dr. Cheryl dive into the intricacies of parenting as the ultimate leadership role, drawing insightful parallels with professional environments. Listen as they dissect the unruly happenings at a basketball game, reveal five truths people often overlook in life, and discuss major issues in the horse racing industry with PETA's Kathy Guillermo.
SPEAKER 05 :
welcome to the good news with angie austin now with the good news here's angie hello welcome to the good news with angie austin and friend today dr cheryl lentz the academic entrepreneur joining us hey cheryl hey hey hey how is everybody today happy spring oh i am great and uh i want to talk to you a little bit about some painfully clear truths that we always uh forget
SPEAKER 04 :
too soon in life so just some things that'll help us you know maybe live a better life and then you've got something that sounds pretty interesting it's the how to be a good human series i'd like to be a good human what's this all about well it's very interesting that a friend and i were getting really annoyed about all of the things and it's always in the wind of what it means to be a good human and it's very similar to what you're reminding people about what it was like to play as a good kid in kindergarten in the sandbox to share your toys to be nice to be kind to smile all those things. I'm sorry that we're seemingly missing and all the niceties and all the manners. And I was equipping to my friend once. It's like, maybe I just need to teach a class and how it is to be a good human. And he just kind of, he goes, you know, you might not be too far off. So he and I are partnering on May 2nd and we're going to give some gentle reminders of what it's like to be able to be human and to see if we might catch a little bit more kindness and smiling than some of the, not so nice stuff that's in the news these days.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's interesting because I saw a business speaker talking about the soft skills that they can't teach you. They can teach you how to run the computer and use Microsoft Word, but they can't teach you to be ethical and to arrive on time and have a good work ethic. These things like you learned as a kid with your parents, like with sports practice, when the kids don't want to go, they have to go because they made a commitment. You know, so we're teaching them to be responsible, to honor commitments so that you can't just quit your team because you don't feel like playing, you know, all of a sudden, you know, that you have to honor those commitments. Exactly. be on time, good work ethic, treat others well, don't lie at work, be respectful of your coworkers, don't backstab people, like all these things about being a good human, they also make you a really good employee, good boss, good husband, spouse, mother, sister. They make you just better at everything you do.
SPEAKER 04 :
So that's why we're thinking that perhaps, particularly as a professional educator, that if you can't assume that we come with these skills in our toolbox, So now instead of getting frustrated and banging my head against said wall, I'm going to see if I can do something. And maybe these gentle reminders might just, you know, they pay it forward, right? We have to remind people to be kind. And as soon as one person does it, then there's a whole flood. If it makes your day, why can't we be like that more every day? And so that's what we're doing. But it's just so funny that, I have to teach somebody how to be a good human. I mean, that's just kind of incredible, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. But, you know, I am seeing at so many of these events that we attend with other families. This weekend we attended an event and I thought about their kid who was maybe 16, how she's already on the path to not being a good human. So there's like a family maybe of eight or more. I don't know if it was like grandmas, grandpas, whatever, kids, parents. And there was a girl sitting next to us, and we were on our team's side, which I prefer to be divided from the other team, because particularly in basketball, it gets kind of nasty. The first call, the ref had to tell the guy that was yelling at him, he said, look, it's the first call of the game. We're not going to have this. You're here to cheer, and that's all you're here for. And he kind of set the tone right away. Well, this kid sitting next to my husband on the wrong side with her family, they bring in a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and they're passing it around and eating Kentucky Fried Chicken in the stands, which gross. I've never seen somebody do that before. Usually if you have a little snack in the stands, it's kind of, you know. Yes, thank you. That's the word I'm looking for. Yes, not a giant bucket of chicken you're passing around and all your greasy napkins thrown all over and invading our space. So there's that. And then they're on the wrong side. So they're cheering and they were just whooping our teams behind because our girls were 14 and 15. And our girls were so good in that whatever age range that they bumped up to 17s. So they're playing against junior and senior varsity players. And my daughter is a little freshman. Well, she's a great ball handler, but, you know, she's just how these girls are towering over her. So anyways, like 60 to 20 or something like that. Right. And my husband says, my daughter, oh, that was a good move. Well, it must have been against their their daughter, which interestingly enough, you Our daughter said, oh, the player actually said to me that was a really good move because she was able to get around her because she's so fast with the ball. But then this 16-year-old kid sitting, the sister of the player, starts giving my husband these dirty looks and laughing at him. And then he's really into basketball. She was like, oh, well, that was a travel. And then she looks at me again. She's like laughing and smirking. So he leans over to me, and I'm with my 82-year-old grandmother who uses a walker. So we're with this handicapped grandma and this girl's snarking at us. And so my husband said, oh, my gosh, this kid is really giving me the eye. And I look over and she's again laughing and smirking. Well, then her family like turns on us like a bunch of like rabid raccoons. The mom's like, how dare you point at my daughter and you can't talk to her. And here's what is the bad human part. She knew her family couldn't see her face. So she totally wanted to mess with us. And I said to my husband, wow. Be a kid and to be that brave and disrespectful that you want to mess with another family and not have your family see what you're doing. So I stood up and I stood in front of my husband because he was getting into it with the parents. And the dad's like, just look at the scoreboard. Look at the scoreboard. And I'm thinking, she's fantastic. 15, guys, your kid's like a senior. My kid's a freshman. So anyway, big deal. So anyway, I look at my husband in front of him and I grabbed his shoulders because he was on the first step so I could get right in his face. And I said, let's move. She's not going to stop making faces. And this is basically where they're beneath us. This is beneath us, this behavior. We don't even need to engage. and i had my headphones on so i so because i i don't want to hear that stuff cheryl there's so many bad humans in the stands that i wear i wear noise um canceling headphones in the stand so i don't have to hear all the comments and so i probably said that really loud because i had my headphones on and i think that's when the parents realized that their daughter was like provoking us and they saw that i was trying to calm the situation down And so my husband didn't want to move, but then it stopped because the mom told the kids to all stop, even though the mom was involved in it. And so I thought, gosh, I wonder, like, if you're raising a kid like that, who's obviously not being a good human, just the guts that a kid has to, like, mess with us behind her parents' back and then have the whole family turn on us. Like, we are somehow harassing the kid, right? And I thought, well, that's her face, it's her smirking, her laughing, you know, and giving us the side eye and a smile like, ha ha, I got you in trouble. And she'd maybe 16 maybe.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'm doing a keynote on May 1st, the day before, and it's all about leadership and we're starting it with parenting because most of my kids who are, you know, my students who are parents don't consider parenting leadership. I'm like, honey, that's the most important leadership job you'll ever have.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh my gosh, are you kidding me?
SPEAKER 04 :
If you don't do this correctly, you're going to get the 16-year-old smart aleck in public that the moms should be embarrassed about if she values that behavior. But the problem is, is if the parents don't value and don't correct it, the child grows up believing that's acceptable.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. Yes, exactly. And then her family even backed her, you know. But I was glad that I said she's going to keep making those faces and doing that. So, you know, so then I think that that's when they realized, oh, well, there's a reason why they're looking over here at our daughter. And again, it wasn't like a five, six, eight year old kid. This is like a 16 year old. This is the age of the high school kid, you know.
SPEAKER 04 :
Anyway, it's time to be able to model because what people don't often realize with leadership, it's not just what we say. It's what other people watch us say. Those children are watching everything you and the parents, both hers and yours, are doing. And when you see people doing bad things, children grow up thinking, well, they're adults. They must know better. So I guess it's okay. No, it's not okay.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. Imagine getting your family in an argument like that. It's like you're already winning 60 to 20. Why do you have to mess with us? I would love to see a coach.
SPEAKER 04 :
that would actually bring all the parents in and say, all right, kids, I'm going to talk to you for a minute. And then they're like, parents, listen up. We're going to talk to you, too. This is not how you behave when you're in public.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's what the ref did. I wish I would have gotten a chance to talk to him because he literally stopped the very first play, the very first foul. He's like, this is the first foul of the game. We're not going to do this. You're only here to cheer. You know, so and loudly he said it. Oh, and then he gave the other coach on the other team two technicals. For whatever he was saying to the ref was so inappropriate per the ref's discretion. He felt it was so inappropriate. He gave him two technicals. And I did feel that maybe some of the girls should have been given technicals, too. There was one that something happened and the girl was on the ground and she got right in her face and clapped really hard, right in her face, like, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. And I'm like, oh, my gosh.
SPEAKER 04 :
Those kinds of things we need to deal. And if the coaches won't correct it, that is a coaching issue. Then the refs have to coach. You can see how.
SPEAKER 05 :
But the coach is getting technicals.
SPEAKER 04 :
I know it. I know it. That's my point is that if you can't mirror good behavior, then I don't care how good of a coach and how good of a winning streak you might have. That is not appropriate behavior. But some people will think. That Machiavellian, the ends justifies the means. As long as you're winning, I don't care how, just win. And I'm like, yeah, no, the how's pretty important here, coach.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, but what's interesting is they only lost by this particular team in this other game with the technicals because we played this guy and then he played another team. Whatever. So with the technicals, they only lost by a few points. Their coach may have lost the game for them with his technicals. Like you need to apologize to those kids and say, you know what, I really messed up. And, and to get a second one in the game, he obviously can't like control his anger. And I'm just, this whole, how to be a good human thing. I do believe it starts with the parenting. And I think that this could really be something, Cheryl. I think this could go somewhere.
SPEAKER 04 :
Just completely. What do we need to do to correct this behavior? I am a professional educator. I am tired of my students doing these things. I'm tired of people not seeing the connection between really being a jerk and not performing in work and hurting someone's feeling. And you don't see how the two are connected or, You break up or there's family strife or stress. I'm like, this all comes down to personal accountability. And so I was really being just a smart aleck in the moment. He's like, you might be on to something. So we're going to try this and see if I can't in the moment offer, because if we show up differently, they will show up differently. Just like that ref who said, no, no, no, no. First game. This is how it's going to play, boys and girls. You play nice. You're done.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I like and I like the whole idea of maybe even relating it to business because you are a professional speaker, like how to be a good human and how that relates to business, you know, and how to be.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'm not sure how it's going to go. But the day before we're talking about parenting as leadership and the rest of it. And there's so much in the wind. I'm going, all right, if I need to use my platform to speak, I am not opposed to being able to have to remind people of the things that happen every day that I don't know if they even see it. Angie, if you wouldn't have pointed it out to this family. Would they have even taken notice that this was inappropriate behavior? I don't know.
SPEAKER 05 :
Right. Yeah. Why did they think that we were looking at their daughter? Because she was totally messing with us. You know what I mean? Like, why were we looking? Why did my husband say something to me? And then I look over at her to see her smirking and laughing, you know, and making little faces at us to, like, make fun of, like, you know, our team or whatever. I don't know, but...
SPEAKER 04 :
think about the culture I was making stuff because we went to the Elite Eight in basketball this year for the University of Illinois and it was very funny in which schools we played and there was one school in particular that I do not like their fans because of how they behave I will go to this other school's fan like the University of Nebraska I don't care what sport win or lose I'll buy them a beer we go and they'll be sitting right next to you in the stands and it doesn't matter and you have such a good time win or lose they are amazing you have some other schools which I will not name And I don't even want to go to the games because they're just so horrific, so elitist, so poorly behaved, win or lose. They typically do a lot of winning, which is where some of their arrogance comes. But they're just not nice people. And I'm thinking, oh, that's bad.
SPEAKER 05 :
Here's what I don't get. How does that improve their self-esteem that someone that they know or that they cheer for is a good athlete? Like, here's my husband, 6'6", and a great athlete. He trains my kids every day. He's starting to get up. I'm on school days now at 530 with one of my daughters to shoot baskets and he already did it on the weekends. They get up at 530 because that's the only time they can get the gym to themselves to shoot. And so on school days, they're getting up at 530 in the morning on work days and going to shoot. OK, so that guy is saying how much better he is than us, that family. But the dad was saying, look at the scoreboard. And he's a short little fat guy. And I'm looking at my husband who could beat him in a game, you know, any any day of the week. But he thinks he's better because his 17 year old daughter's team is winning. It's so bizarre to me that people can wait. All right. We have to take a break. We have to take a break and we'll be right back. Let's keep talking about how to be a great human. And then also this topic that I love. Five painfully clear truths we always forget too soon in life. Be right back.
SPEAKER 02 :
It's that time of year to start cleaning out your closets, basement, and garage by donating to ARC Thrift. With 34 thrift stores and 15 donation centers across the Front Range, you have almost 50 different locations to donate your gently used clothing and items you don't need anymore or are taking up space in your home. ARC will also take large furniture off your hands by scheduling a pickup through the ARC website. Any soft goods you choose to donate, you can just put in bags, while hard goods need to go into boxes. This helps ARC turn their 5,000 weekly donations per store into resellable items immediately. With spring around the corner, donate the spring and Easter clothing that is too small or just sitting in a closet to help out another family. And while you're there, get your Easter decorations and clothing. To schedule your large furniture pickup or to find the nearest ARC Thrift Donation Center or store location near you, go to arcthrift.com.
SPEAKER 06 :
Fort Morgan is listening to the mighty 670 KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, Dr. Cheryl Lentz and I, Angie Austin here with The Good News, we are talking about her new speaking event, How to Be a Good Human. Okay, and so I love this. I just think this could go somewhere. So let's wrap this up with you, and then we'll go on to our five painfully clear truths we always forget too soon in life. So what else do you want to say to wrap up How to Be a Good Human?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I tell my students all the time, if you don't shoot, you can't score. And so I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. And so this is where this series has come up to see if we can't try and change some of the behavior and plant some seeds that people would have a really good time with some of these things rather than behaving poorly, which we've seen. So that's what we're trying to fix.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay, I love this. We could talk about this for days. So after you do the event, I want to talk to you about the feedback and how it went, etc. Okay, so let's talk about these painful truths. Five painfully clear truths we always forget too soon in life. There's five of them, but there's a couple that resonate with you and me. You really like five, and I really like... Let me just go through them, and then we're going to really in-depth discuss the ones that really touch our soul. Number one, life is relatively short and nothing is guaranteed. Oh, isn't that the truth? And whenever my kids say, I mean, this is going to sound kind of arrogant on my part, but whenever they're like, well, the kids at school, you know, think we're rich. And I go, you're not rich. We are.
SPEAKER 04 :
That is really, oh, I love that. I love that. They understand that the helping hand is at the end of their wrist, not yours and supplying. That's fantastic.
SPEAKER 07 :
If they drive like my new car or people drop them off at our house, we have, you know, a decent house and they'll be like, Well, the kids on the team say I'm rich. You're not rich. We are. I know it sounds so snotty of me, but it's not.
SPEAKER 05 :
These kids, they're not better than other kids because other kids' parents are poor. They're all equal. They're all starting off from scratch in life. So stop being, you know, fully yourselves because you have a pool or whatever, right? All right. Now, number two, everything will change again soon. I've talked about that a lot lately, how we don't like to embrace change, but it's happening all the time. And then my favorite, Changing your response is what puts you back in control. And then life storms can be a source of long-term strength. Boy, my difficult childhood and your background, that's a source of strength for us. And then let's just jump to yours. You can discuss yours and then I'll move on to mine. You don't need all the answers right now. Why does this really connect with you? You don't need all the answers right now.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is coming up in a lot of my classes. It's a concept known as thinking gray, is being able to suspend judgment, to be able to look at being present in the moment without evaluating it, without judging yourself or others, and just to be able to be in the moment. Just how they had it in that phrase of being able to say, we don't want to get to the end. We want to be able to enjoy having our wings, being able to enjoy the moment of stretching and growing. And sometimes we don't enjoy the pain because it's not pleasant, but If we changed our focus and we enjoyed the moment, it wouldn't have that judgment because judgment is against is a matter of what was or what could be in the moment is pure. And if we can just stay in that moment, enjoy everything, then we wouldn't have that judgment. And I think that is just beautiful.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right. How about I like that, too. I like that, too, that life that I just feel like people can't make a decision because they feel they can't make a choice because they don't feel like they have the answers. But by not making a decision, you're making a decision.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. So why do you have to in that moment? Can't you just find the joy, find the gratitude, find the ability to enjoy that moment? Because sometimes when we aren't so busy trying to look for answers. The clarity comes in that moment, the relaxation, the joy, the happiness. And we can go, oh, so that's what it's all about. You know, life is a journey, not a destination, not where we get to, but what we enjoy in the moment. And I think that is the hardest skill is not to worry about the past or the future and just Be in that space. That's a hard skill for me.
SPEAKER 05 :
And I think so many of us worry about making the right choice or decision. Gather all the information you can and then make the best decision at that moment. But then if you veered off course, you can grab the steering wheel and make another decision when you get more info. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think that's also, it's kind of like deciding what you want to be when you grow up. You don't just get one choice. I've had eight different careers so far. I'm probably going to do it again. But it's a question of we have these societal norms of what everyone says that's acceptable. As long as you're not hurting anyone and you're following acceptable behavior, give yourself a little grace. Give yourself a little fun to be able to enjoy the moment instead of being so serious. Because I think this is what our previous conversations have been about. Everybody gets so wrapped around the axle. Couldn't we have focused just on the basketball game and enjoying to watch these? Yes. And we could have made great comments on both sides regardless of what team and regardless of the outcome. That's what being a good human is all about, and we forget that part.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, and I just want to enjoy it. That's why I wear the headphones. I just want to enjoy my kid and be proud of my kid, even if they're losing by 40 points. She is such a good player, and they were walloping all these other teams, and that's why they moved up. I don't know why they took them from 15s to 17s, but they were doing so well in their division that it wasn't even a challenge for them anymore. with kids their own age. So now they're getting their tails handed to them, you know, because they're getting beaten so badly.
SPEAKER 04 :
But I mean, how many of those students or those parents in the stands have never played basketball? I never know. It's such an awe. I know. I'm going, can you do that? Could you do that at her age? Then shut up. Right. Enjoy the fact that they're demonstrating skill that I'm lucky. I can put the darn ball in the basket, just standing there. Not when you've got 12,000 people around you. Right. And so can't we just be,
SPEAKER 05 :
impressed and enjoy not arrogant not evaluative not judgmental just wow isn't it cool what god gave them as gifts that they can share with us instead of us complaining you know well this changing your response of the five we just went through number three is mine changing response is what puts you back in control i have um my temper takes longer to flare than my husband's And so I can usually get situations like under control or like if there's a family disagreement, I'm usually more the voice of reason, you know, but it takes about 10 minutes for me to lose my temper. It takes him about 10 seconds. And I mean 10 minutes of constantly someone going at me. you know what I mean? It takes me, it would take me a long time. Like I've never lost my temper, like a family, a game event, anything like that. Like I'm usually the one that can calm things down. And so changing your response, and I haven't always been that way. I had a much hotter temper when I was younger. Yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well done. You've worked at it. And it's self-discipline.
SPEAKER 05 :
So changing your response is what puts you back in control. And I just think this also has to do not just with getting angry and responding calmly, but just in general in life, changing how you respond to so many things can just give you more gratitude and to show more gratitude and to be more empathetic about what people may be going through. I've been taking my mom to the Lazy River at the Rec Center, and she also has a really hot temper, and she's known to yell at kids. And so in the Lazy River, she's going to get bumped. And so I said, look... We're going to go at a time when kids are in there, not just senior citizens, and they are going to bump into you. So I don't want you getting angry and yelling at these kids like I had to kind of prep her. And she actually was really good. She was kind of joking with the kids.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's awesome. And then it becomes a non-brainer when you are prepared and you can choose some of those skills. I think that's brilliant. It did exactly the right thing. And look at the outcome it had. That's fantastic.
SPEAKER 05 :
Exactly. All right, Dr. Cheryl Lentz, your website?
SPEAKER 04 :
DrCherylLentz.com.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, always a thrill and always a thrill to, you know, show how we can care more for animals. Changing gears here, you know, we are big animal fans here at The Good News. And recently I was in Kentucky and I visited the location of the Kentucky Derby and went to the Churchill Downs Museum and I didn't learn any of this that we're going to learn next. What exactly is happening to horses in the racing industry? PETA is calling for simple changes to spare the lives of these horses. Joining us is Kathy Guillermo, Senior Vice President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Welcome back, Kathy.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, just two years ago, I understand a dozen horses died during the Triple Crown season. What's happening in horse racing now and why should people be concerned? Because I have to tell you, I was just at...
SPEAKER 03 :
um uh churchill downs and i went through their museum and i didn't see anything about this kind of story it's not the kind of thing they really like to publicize and i think they would have been very happy if nobody noticed but the headlines were huge so they couldn't ignore it um that we have seen some improvements i still would like churchill downs to to do more than they have done uh they have uh examine the surface of the track to see if that's anything to do with it. But the one thing that I haven't seen that I would love to see is the end of the use of medication for racehorses. If they need medication, then they shouldn't be racing at all. We know that 90% of these broken bones that lead to the deaths of the horses are caused by pre-existing injuries that was covered up by the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatories and these kinds of medications. So all of these drugs should be disallowed from racing.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, it's amazing to me because I consider myself to be fairly well-versed on news. I've been doing this for 30 years. And I really wasn't aware of these types of issues with drugging animals that are really not at their prime. There's such an investment in these animals that they want to look the other way because the investment becomes more important to them than the animal.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, I think all too often that is the case. You've got a very expensive animal. And if that animal is not racing, then there's really no chance of income. And in the meantime, the horse is taking up stall space, is using training fees. And certainly the very expensive veterinarians who have become so common in the racing industry that, you know, most horses will have something like 15 to 25 injections in the weeks leading up to the race. And all of that is legal. There have been some tightening of the drug rules, and certainly in California we've seen some great improvements. But still, I believe horses need time to recuperate, and if they need that medication, they should not be racing.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, heartbreaking. In general, just give us some things you think the racing industry could do better.
SPEAKER 03 :
There are some simple measures that they could take. And we've seen some of this at the tracks in California. They need to be looking at the records of every single horse. Has that horse had a layoff from racing that was perhaps several months long? That would indicate an injury and that horse needs special scrutiny. What medications has that horse been on? The horses should be observed when they're training or even when they're just walking or trotting around the stable area. The other things that they can do are pretty simple, too, although some are expensive. It's worth it to spare these horses. The dirt tracks should be converted to safer synthetic tracks surfaces because we know that fewer die that way. There is now portable, cutting edge, low radiation CT scan equipment and horses can be run through this easily without being anesthetized and that can detect injuries that might not otherwise show up. We think that the veterinarian should be not running around the tracks writing prescriptions for every horse on a daily basis. If a horse needs medication, there can be a central pharmacy at the track as there is in Hong Kong, which has the best safety record in the world. And that way, medication can be taken into consideration and can be observed by track officials. And in addition to that, let's get rid of the whip. It's time to stop beating these horses to make them run faster. That's not something we should ever see in a sport involving animals.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, in terms of anything we can do or where we should go to gather more information, so maybe we could help out or we could take action, because I've learned a lot from you just today.
SPEAKER 03 :
We have tons of information on our website at PETA.org. That's P-E-T-A dot O-R-G. We've done nine undercover video investigations of the racing industry over the last decade, so you can see exactly what it is we're talking about. And there are action alerts that people can participate in where people emails are sent to officials or to law enforcement or to whomever needs to hear from us about what should be done. And of course, we're coming up on Triple Crown season. The Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 3rd. And as long as horses are dying, it really doesn't deserve our attention. So don't watch it on TV. Take a hike, go someplace, do something fun, but it doesn't have to be watching the race and certainly don't bet on the race.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I definitely learned more from you, Kathy, than I did last week on my tour at Churchill Downs at the museum. So I feel like I'm a lot more well-versed now, and I will not be watching. So thank you for all you do for animals, and thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
Join Rick Hughes as he embarks on a compelling discussion about the essence of logistical grace and its role in our daily lives. Through engaging narratives and profound biblical teachings, we learn how grace orientation serves as a solid foundation for both living and approaching the final moments of life with confidence. This episode focuses on understanding that God’s grace is a critical tool that not only aids in everyday challenges but also offers the ultimate assurance of peace and fulfillment. It's an inspiring invitation to reassess how grace can empower us in every aspect of life, and how faith can enable us to transcend beyond life's temporal realm.
SPEAKER 02 :
Welcome to The Flatline with your host, Rick Hughes. For the next 30 minutes, you'll be inspired, motivated, educated, but never manipulated. Now, your host, Rick Hughes.
SPEAKER 01 :
Good morning and welcome to The Flatline. I'm your host, Rick Hughes. For the next few minutes, I'd like to give you a cordial invitation to stick around, listen up to the things that we have to say. I want to remind you that God has given you two ends today. One of those ends you sit with and one of those ends you're thinking with. And your success and your life depends on which one of them you use. You know, like heads you win, tails you lose. I don't know how your life goes, but if you find yourself committing the same mistakes over and over and over again, you get frustrated with yourself because you want to change, but you can't change. You can't do what you want to do. You do what you don't want to do. That sounds like the Apostle Paul. Romans 7, he talks about it. He said, I don't understand myself at all because I want to do what's right and I keep doing what's wrong. And then he said, it's evident that it's sin in me that causes this. When we talk about soul renovation and actions renovating, we have to understand if we're going to change the way we do things, we must change the way we think. That's why God gave you a brain. God gave you a thought so you can think in terms of rational reasoning in your life. And the Bible does tell us in 2 Peter 3, 18, we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That's in your brain. You're supposed to come to understand, to know, to comprehend, to realize, conceptualize exactly what God's plan is for your life. But nobody ever grew by singing some song, that's for sure. It comes by only one way, 2 Timothy 2.15. Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth. So if you ever want to grow, if you ever want to have any hope of changing the destructive patterns in your life and the failures that you frustrate yourself with, then it only comes through spiritual growth in your life. And that's what the Flatline is about, growing spiritually. On the Flatline, we teach 10 unique problem-solving devices called the 10 Problem-Solving Devices. The Flatline of your soul are these invisible assets that help you stop the outside sources of adversity before they ever become the inside source of stress. Two of the most important doctrines you could ever learn or even understand in those 10 problem-solving devices are doctrinal orientation and grace orientation. You must learn to orient your life to what the Word of God says, divine viewpoint thinking, that's doctrinal orientation. And you must learn to operate under the concept of grace, that's grace orientation. Our Lord's disciples had to learn that their future ministries would be funded by grace. And he had a wonderful way of teaching them. Remember, there were several of them were commercial anglers. And they depended on their catch to make a living. That's how they made money to feed their families. They got paid for catching fish. and selling them, but they did not get paid for being fishers of men. They didn't get a paycheck for that. So they had to learn to depend on God's grace provisions. And this is exactly the same concept for you and I. We must learn to depend on God's grace provision. Listen to Luke 9, 1 through 5. And he, that's Jesus, called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons to heal diseases. This was sort of like a credit card representing who they were and who they were identified with. And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing, again, identification. And he said to them, here it is, take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money. and do not even have two tunics apiece. So whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. And for those who do not receive you as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. Now, they were to preach the kingdom of God. They were to heal the sick as a sign of their authority from Jesus. The healings that they demonstrated, that they did, demonstrated the power in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, thus showing that he was indeed the real true Messiah and could bring in the kingdom of God. So they were forced to depend on the goodwill offerings of those who responded to their message, the message about Jesus of Nazareth being the true Messiah. I mentioned in last week's message on giving that there's no place for manipulation or finances in the ministry. A couple of weeks ago, I think I talked about giving gimmicks or grace. So there's no place for manipulating people about money. Gimmicks that produce income are a disgrace to God's grace provisions. Sometimes I'll hear people say, for a gift of such and such, I'll be glad to send you absolutely free. I'm not like, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. I remember going to listen to a revival one time, and the preacher was selling his sermons online. in the foyer and the music leader was selling his songs in the foyer. And I'm thinking, what in the world are we doing here? If we're in the ministry, we don't take offerings. We don't solicit funds. We let the Lord handle that detail. And so whenever you have to use a gimmick, sell a t-shirt, sell a music video, sell a sermon, You're not depending on grace. You're trying to raise money to finance your ministry. And people justify this saying, well, you know, it's okay to do. And I say, no, never mention money, never raise money, never solicit money. Don't do that if you're in the ministry. Grace orientation starts with salvation by grace. That's where it starts. We are saved by grace. Listen to Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, and not as a result of your works, so that no one can brag about it. No one can boast. So none of us can approbate God into giving us eternal life. None of us can say, well, you know, God, I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't chew, I don't run around with those that do, so I deserve to come to heaven. It's God's logistical grace. He gives us grace, grace in salvation. Grace is a free undeserved gift. That's why the Bible says, he who knew no sin was made sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God through him. That's the good news. Jesus Christ, the anointed son of God redeemed me out of the slave market of sin. He paid my debt to God, and now I'm free from the penalty of death, and I'm free from the power of sin. When I accepted Christ as my Savior, I accepted the offering he made on my behalf, free, a gift from God, compliments of God. Titus 3, 5 through 7, not by works of righteousness which we've done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. So now I'm a Christian. Now I'm in God's royal family. Now I'm depending on God to supply my needs, and it's called logistical grace. Logistics, what I need to get by every day. Logistical grace provisions for God's children is guaranteed as long as we're in the devil's world. He promises that. And he promises that for you and for me as well. Logistical grace is defined as divine planning, divine support, divine provision, divine blessing for the execution of the protocol plan of God. by the royal family so we can fulfill god's will god's purpose and god's plan for our life so he will give you what you need to fulfill that plan your objective is to grow daily redeem the time the bible says you only have so many days you can't afford to waste them And if you're going to glorify God to the maximum, you must redeem the time by studying to show yourself approved unto God. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. It would be pitiful to show up in heaven and have the Father say, you blew every opportunity you had to glorify me because you were so self-centered. that you were so busy you wouldn't take time to learn the plan. God's plan is called protocol. The plan demands that a right thing be done in a right way. That's why you've heard me say before, you can do a right thing in a wrong way and it does not glorify God at all. Right thing must be done in a right way. And I've always said by example, it's never wrong to pray. But there is a right way to pray and a wrong way to pray, and therefore the Bible says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. There's a right way to go to church and a wrong way to go to church. The wrong way is to go to church with unconfessed sin in your life, having quenched the Holy Spirit, thus grieving the Holy Spirit, and he's not able to do his job. He's not able to take the information the pastor gives you and help you to process that information. So it is the support God gives you, logistical grace. It's defined as, I'm gonna say it one more time, divine planning, divine support, divine provision, divine blessing, so you can execute the protocol plan of God in your life. God's will, God's purpose, and God's plan for your life. You know, logistics is a military term and refers to a science in the military, a science of supply, provision, and planning when you have troop movement. It's the provision and the movement and the maintenance of all resources, all services necessary to sustain military forces while they're in the field. They've got to have logistics. It's not just soldiers going over there to fight or Whatever, it's logistics back home. It's people making sure the soldiers are fed. It's people making sure the equipment works. It's people making sure the bullets are there. It's people making sure the fuel is there. Logistics making sure the food is there. That's all logistics. So life support is provided for you and me, for every one of us believers in this church age. This explains to me, and hopefully to you, how and why we are alive every moment. The only reason that you and I are still alive is because of God's logistical grace. We don't earn it, we don't deserve it, and there's nothing we can work for to do it and keep ourselves alive. It's all grace. And all of this logistical grace support, where does it come from? It comes from the justice of God. And what's it going to? Well, God sends that support to his righteousness in us. The perfect righteousness of God in you. Listen again now. He who knew no sin was made sin for us so that we may be made the righteousness of God by means of him. When God sends that logistical grace blessing, he's sending it to his righteousness in you through Christ, which means you can't bargain with God to get it. You can't bargain with God for anything. God blesses his absolute righteousness standards in your life that were imputed to you through Jesus Christ. Just like God is absolutely righteous and perfect in righteousness, in standing you have absolute righteousness too. Not in your experience because you still have a sin nature. But that's God's logistical grace support coming to the perfect righteousness of God in you. All those grace provisions come from God's integrity. And it's even for Christians who fail to execute the Christian life. You know, Christians who wind up backslidden and in reversionism. God still keeps them alive. God still provides for them. Grace, that's a wonderful policy. It's for the execution of the Christian life in this church age. You know, even in the Old Testament, logistical grace functioned. God provided. David gave a testimony of old age to logistical grace. This is what he said about God's logistics in Psalm 37, 25. I was young, but now I'm old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken. That means logistical grace given to the imputed righteousness. He said, I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor have I seen his seed begging for bread. What does that mean? It means that logistical grace blessing to you can extend even to your family, to your grandchildren, to your children, even to the third generation, I think the Bible teaches. So God's logistics to you can be a blessing by association. My cup overfloweth, David said. Truly, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. The testimony of the shepherd is found in Psalm 23, one through six, or Psalm 23rd Psalm. You know it already. The Lord is the one who shepherds me. That's logistical grace. Therefore, I cannot lack for anything. He supplies every need I have. He causes me to lie down in green pastures of choice food. That's life support. He leads me to waters of refreshment. Again, life support. He restores my soul. That's when I rebound and confess my sin. He guides me in paths of righteousness. In other words, he gives me those problem-solving devices because of his reputation. Also, when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, that's dying grace, which we will all come to, I will fear no evil because you're with me. Your rod, that's the divine discipline of God, and your staff, that's the divine deliverance of God, they comfort me. You have prepared before me a table in the presence of my enemies. That's God's logistical grace. You've anointed my head with oil, that's promotion from God. My cup, that's the escrow blessings that God gives him, is overflowing. Only the good, that's the prosperity of escrow blessings, and the grace, that's logistical grace, will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Now, I gave you a lot there. I know you didn't get it all. Let us go through it one more time. The Lord is the one who shepherds me. Therefore, I cannot lack for anything. He gives me all of my logistical grace needs. He gives me my food. He gives me my water. He protects me in living. He protects me in dying. His rod is over me. He promotes me. And as a mature believer, my cup overflows to those in my periphery. Testimony of Paul in logistical grace is found here in Philippians 4.19. Here it is. My God shall supply all of your needs. That's logistical grace support. According to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Here's the principle. God will never run out of riches to support you. Riches, in that passage, refers to God's virtuous actions towards you. My God shall supply all of your needs according to his riches, his virtue in Christ Jesus. That's where it comes from. Well, if you're not in Christ Jesus, good luck. You're the disadvantaged one. I mean, you don't have God providing for you. You're trying to provide for yourself and you will beat your brains out in the devil's world as he laughs at you as you truck on down the my way highway. The testimony from our Lord is addressed to the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, 9, when Paul was frustrated over some suffering that he was going through. He had a thorn in the flesh, and he kept praying for God to remove it. By the way, that thorn in the flesh was people testing, people testing. And so here's the answer from God once he prayed for that to be removed. God said, and quoting now, 2 Corinthians 12, 9, then he assured me, that's God speaking to Paul, my grace, that's logistical grace provision, has been and still is sufficient for you. For the power is achieved with weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness so that the power of Christ may reside on me. So the weaker I am, the more power grace gives me. And that's what Paul is saying. I'll boast about my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest on me. No believer, not me, not you, not anyone, no pastor can live on this earth apart from having logistical grace support. It's so important grace orientation is a problem-solving device. Listen to logistical grace here. Hebrews 2.14, that through death he might render powerless the one who has power of death, that's the devil, and might deliver those who through the fear of death were subject to slavery all of their lives. One of the greatest enslavements in this world is the fear of death. Logistical grace delivers us from that. We have logistical grace support and it renders powerless the threats of Satan. In Psalm 68, 19 through 20, blessed be the God who daily bears our burdens for us. That's logistical grace support. The God who's our deliverance. The God who is to us a God of deliverance. And to God belongs the escape from death. that's logistical grace support and time and then we come to the point when we will check out of here it's going to happen sooner or later hopefully later but you're going to have to check out you're going to have to transfer into the face-to-face realm with your father so Dying grace is another phrase of grace orientation. Dying grace. We have an eschatology that looks forward to dying and death because we know that God has provided dying grace For those who go through that door, the door of hope, I call it, confident expectation, you and I must have a personal sense of destiny about the future. And we've learned that God decides the time, the manner, and the place of our death. We have nothing to say about it. Unless we, of course, do something stupid like walk out in front of a train, well then, obviously, you took your own life. So at the moment of our death, We will remain in a place of no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, and you will stay in the presence of God forever. That's dying grace. In your thinking, you go forward to that fantastic future, if you think about it right now. the future you will have, and you bring it back into time, and it gives you strength and power to overcome your present problems. See, that's the mechanic of confidence or hope as a problem-solving device. So you know where you're headed. You know what's waiting on you. You can see it. That's what faith does. Faith gives you the ability to see the unseen. You can see it, and you know what's coming. So you have confident expectation. Dying grace, wonderful grace asset. It's the death of a mature believer. It's experienced at physical death. It's some sort of special provision of grace where the believer involved experiences both blessing and happiness while he dies. It's not fun to watch an unbeliever die because they're frightened, they're fearful, they have no hope. And it's not fun to watch a backslidden, reversionistic believer die. I've watched people die and it's not fun. They're frightened, they're afraid. And in the case of a mature believer, totally opposite, totally confident, totally looking forward to expectation. You know, dying grace is really the extension of living grace, and that's how we glorify God. If we glorify God when we live, and then we can glorify God when we die. It's through the function of the spiritual life that we glorify God in living. And if you can do that, it's inevitable you will glorify God when you die. dying grace can occur regardless of the amount of pain or suffering. I don't care if it's cancer. I don't care what it is. If you are a believer, a mature believer, dying grace can occur regardless of the amount of pain. It could be a maximum amount of pain or a minimum amount of pain, but in either case, you will have maximum soul stimulation and happiness because of the confidence you have in God's word and God's promise to you. And dying grace is for the mature believer only, only. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who are occupied with him, on those who have confidence in his grace to deliver their souls from death and to keep them alive in depression. Psalm 33, 18. So, if you are a mature believer, if you have grown in the grace and the knowledge of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as I implore you to do every week, to get with the program, to grow up spiritually, to learn God's word and live by God's word, then you can experience dying grace which will remove any fear of death because according to Psalm 23, 4, 1 Corinthians 15, 55, dying grace takes the sting out of death. It's a great blessing, and it comes at the termination of our life. I mean, it's still a part of living, but physical death plus the word of God in our soul equals the greatest blessing in this life. So when a mature believer comes to that time, It's a part of God's blessing paragraph to him. It's the link between temporal time and eternal time. It's the bridge that takes you over from time to eternity. And that's a bridge you got to walk over by yourself. So you can walk over frightened and afraid, or you can walk over confident with expectation. And you can hear your Lord say, well done, my good and my faithful servant. Well, if God provides the greatest for us in time, and he does, then he cannot withhold anything less in eternity. I mean, it's easier for God to produce blessing in time than to produce temporal blessings in eternity. He does it. He gives it to us. It's there. It's all there for you. And without blessing in time, we can have no blessing in eternity. God knows that. He provides that. And so the relationship of blessing in time with blessing in eternity is found in dying grace because dying grace, dying grace brings all eternal rewards into a clear focus. Job teaches that in Job 5.19. The mature believer, hopefully you, will have nothing to fear at the point of death. No fear of death. No fear of anything dangerous. No believer will die until the Lord says it's time to come home. And once God calls a believer home, nothing can keep him here. The living must go on living and the dying must go on dying. But a person in dying grace never would hinder another from continuing their living. That's why we say God is the expert. He decides when it's the perfect time for each of us to depart from this earth. It's his best time. And the disciples had to learn this. They had to understand it because they were all persecuted and they all died martyrs with the exception of John who died alone on the Isle of Patmos. They had to learn, depend on God's grace provisions to supply their logistics and to supply their future, just as you must learn and I must learn what grace is all about. Next week, we'll try to go into doctrinal orientation and emphasize the importance of that in our life. I sure hope you're enjoying it. I hope you're listening and learning. That's my prayer. That's why we're here. Until next week, I'm your host, Rick Hughes, saying thank you for listening to The Flatline.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to The Floodline with your host, Rick Hughes. If you'd like to contact Rick, please write to him at P.O. Box 100, Cropwell, Alabama, 35054, or online at www.rickhughesministries.org.