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Articles by Lathan Watts
The key Democratic Socialists of America agenda item to know as midterm elections approach
In their 1968 hit song “Revolution,” the Beatles’ John Lennon sang, “You say you got a real solution. Well, you know, we’d all love to see the plan.” This year, the Democratic Socialists of America published a plan. Much of its plan reads like it was lifted from Lennon’s most famous solo hit, “Imagine,” which is little more than melodic Marxism. However, as the midterm elections approach, one aspect of the DSA’s agenda deserves closer scrutiny by the media and the voting public.
How can we defend free speech if we can’t define it?
Due to the lack of appliance sales or happy hour specials, many Americans may not be aware that the third full week in October is designated National Free Speech Week. The lack of celebration notwithstanding, free speech will endure only if each generation remains zealous in its defense. A recent Buckley Institute survey reveals we have much work to do as a nation to secure this blessing of liberty for ourselves and our posterity. In fact, we might have to secure it from our posterity.
Government Shouldn’t Be Forcing Christian Ministries to Hire Non-Christians | National Review
The Yakima Union Gospel Mission case tests whether religious charities can require employees to share their faith. The dispute raises broader First Amendment questions about religious autonomy, faith-based hiring, government interference, and the proper meaning of separation between church and state.
Virginia’s ‘Religious Test’ for College Students Is Unconstitutional | National Review
There's a government line being drawn between which kinds of religious study the state will bless and which it won't.
A Winning Year for Freedom in the States
In 2026, ADF’s Government Affairs team worked on over two dozen model bills that became state law, advancing protections for women’s sports, parental rights, student free speech, and religious liberty. ADF attorneys testified over 60 times before state legislatures and congressional committees, and over 60 ADF model bills cleared at least one chamber—part of more than 160 policy proposals the team helped draft this year.
Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government
“I am not a role model,” Charles Barkley snarled in an iconic Nike commercial circa 1993. For NBA fans today, Barkley is the affable, plainspoken broadcaster with an infectious laugh, but early in his career, he was perceived as surly and controversial for his style of play and attitude. The commercial was his response to his critics and sparked a conversation about athletes and the responsibilities of those in the public eye that continues to this day.
In Ohio, poker night is fine, but praying with friends is forbidden
The biblical account of Daniel in the lions’ den is so well known that even those with differing religious beliefs or none are likely familiar with it. Daniel, a devout Jew exiled in Babylon, was praying in his home, which violated King Darius’s decree. As punishment, he was cast into a den of lions, but God saved him by miraculously closing the lions’ mouths. Thousands of years later, another Daniel finds himself at odds with his government over prayer.
23 States Are Out of Excuses After Supreme Court Ruling on Women’s Sports
Men are not women, nor can they become women. It follows then that Title IX, a federal law enacted to protect equal opportunities for women, permits states to enact laws that preserve and protect women’s sports by ensuring that only women participate. It also follows then that, when states enact these laws, they do not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Waning Prominence of Pride Month Is Cause for Hope
As we approach the midway point of our nation’s month-long cultural rejection of the traditional norms upon which Western Civilization rests, also known as Pride Month, some might have noticed a decline in the prominence of public displays and support. National Public Radio reported recently on the drying up of corporate sponsorship of Pride parades and other activities, and Gallup polling now indicates a decline in America’s embrace of same-sex relationships and marriages.
Supreme Court gets it right: Harassed pregnancy center deserves its day in federal court
I WAS TRAFFICKED, ABUSED, AND RAPED. GOVERNMENT SHOULDN’T STOP ME FROM HELPING WOMEN Former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin made no secret of his hostility toward pregnancy centers like First Choice.
Kansas Legislature Shows Rest of Nation How to Get Good Things Done
By Lathan Watts In our federalist republic, states are often referred to as the “laboratories of democracy.” Policy ideas implemented in an individual state or multiple states can, depending on the results, inform and inspire other states and even our federal government to enact sound policy for the nation. This current state legislative season, the “experiment” in Kansas should be replicated in other laboratories across the nation and in our capital.
Kansas Legislature Shows Rest of Nation How to Get Good Things Done
In our federalist republic, states are often referred to as the “laboratories of democracy.” Policy ideas implemented in an individual state or multiple states can, depending on the results, inform and inspire other states and even our federal government to enact sound policy for the nation. This current state legislative season, the “experiment” in Kansas should be replicated in other laboratories across the nation and in our capital.
SCOTUS struck down ‘conversion therapy’ bans. What’s a leftist state to do?
The 19th-century evangelist Charles Spurgeon once said, “Let the pure Gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.” This notion has evolved to the saying, “The truth is like a caged lion. Turn it loose, and it will defend itself,” often incorrectly attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo. Regardless of who said it first, wisdom endures.
Päivi Räsänen's conviction: Finland considers Christian free speech as 'war crime'
By , Op-ed contributor | The 18th-century Christian hymn “Be Still, My Soul” is a cherished favorite of my family. The lyrics are a comforting reminder that a loving and sovereign God both sees and understands what troubles us and will set all things right in His time. The hymn is set to the tune “Finlandia” by Sibelius. I hummed this to myself to quiet the rage I felt when reading the news that Finland’s Supreme Court criminally convicted Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola on March 26.
The ugly truth of discrimination in corporate charity-matching programs
Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is more than a genre-defining film. The title is so embedded in the American lexicon that many use the phrase without knowing its origin. It is also a useful paradigm for examining corporate America’s reaction to charitable gift-matching programs this shareholder season. Asset management giant BlackRock is playing the role of the Good, coffee king Starbucks is unquestionably the Bad, and a much lesser-known entity called Benevity is just plain Ugly.
The Haunting Beauty of Ben Sasse’s Swan Song
Last week, I witnessed something so rare I was unsure if it actually still existed. “Uncommon Knowledge,” a production of the Hoover Institute hosted by Peter Robinson, featured a one-hour conversation with former University of Florida President and U.S. Senator Ben Sasse. As has been reported, Sasse is facing a terminal prognosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Robinson, who at times during the interview was visibly moved to tears, opened the show asking, “What matters?
European censorship is a threat to American free speech
On June 4, 1940, Winston Churchill rallied his countrymen to defend not only their lives, but their way of life, concluding what many consider his most famous speech with the hope that Great Britain would persevere “until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” The Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives heard testimony recently that could be characterized as the old world appealing again to...
What’s Next After That $2 million Detransitioner Lawsuit Win?
Post hoc ergo propter hoc is the Latin phrase meaning "after, therefore because of." It is a common assumption that is rarely true. The phrase is akin to the logical fallacy of correlation equals causation. But new events in the fields of law and medicine may be the exception that proves the rule.
115 Years After His Birth, Reagan's 'Shining City on a Hill' Is Still Shining
On this day in 1911, Nelle Reagan gave birth to a baby boy who would later become our nation’s 40th president. Volumes have been written on President Ronald Reagan’s wit, wisdom, and legacy. One of the many memorable and widely quoted phrases of Reagan’s career is, “If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.” The original context of the statement is even more relevant today than it was when Reagan first said it in 1984.
Reality Had Quite a Week
"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." This bit of wisdom is often attributed to the English novelist George Orwell. Though the statement is an excellent summation of a central theme in his satirical works "1984" and "Animal Farm," Orwell has never been confirmed as the source. Whoever originated the phrase must have been smiling down on the events of last week in the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Senate.
Christian Mission Can Refuse To Hire Anti-Christians Original
Most legal experts, court watchers, and even casual observers would not likely characterize the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit as a bastion of conservative jurisprudence. But, in a recent decision, a panel of that court unanimously rejected the state of Washington’s attempt to force a religious ministry to hire employees whose beliefs contradict those of the ministry.
Taking Stock of President Trump’s Executive Order on Shareholder Proxy Voting
President Calvin Coolidge, in a speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors on the role of the press in a free market economy, stated in his usual matter-of-fact tone, “After all, the chief business of the American people is business. They are profoundly concerned with producing, buying, selling, investing, and prospering in the world.” One hundred years have passed since Coolidge’s remarks, and Americans are still profoundly concerned with prosperity.
Americans Take Warning: Tweeting Bible Verse on Trial in Finland
Mere days ago, the Finnish Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case the results of which will be a harbinger for the future of free speech not only in that country but also in Europe. Whether most Americans realize it, what is at stake in Finland will have implications for our own cherished freedom of speech. The case of Päivi Räsänen will be a turning point in the fight to preserve freedom of thought and expression in the West.
SCOTUS To Say If Science-Affirming Therapists Have Free Speech Original
On Oct. 7, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Chiles v. Salazar. This is the latest in a seemingly unending series of cases from Colorado that my colleagues at Alliance Defending Freedom have argued. The cases stem from the state’s apparent aversion to the First Amendment.
An Education for Sen. Tim Kaine on Constitution Day
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Patrick Henry, and…Tim Kaine? As our nation celebrates Constitution Day on Wednesday, the contributions of these Virginians demonstrate how our foundational documents and the principles upon which they were built have become a national Rorschach test.
Despite Cracker Barrel’s Rebranding Misstep, There’s Good News in Corporate America
Last week, the popular restaurant chain Cracker Barrel revealed its new logo as part of a “rebranding” of yet another familiar staple of American cuisine. The color scheme and font remained relatively unchanged, but the grandfatherly gentleman seated in a rocking chair next to the namesake barrel went the way of Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemimah, who now reside only in the memory of American consumers.
Fleeing Texas Lawmakers May Put Protections for Women, Young Girls at Risk
While many national media outlets are focused on the soap-operatic drama of Democrat lawmakers fleeing the state of Texas to deny a quorum to conduct business, one plotline is being overlooked. Those lawmakers are ostensibly abandoning their posts to prevent what they deem to be “gerrymandering” of U.S. House districts.
How to keep the Republic this 4th of July
Birthdays typically prompt us to look back on our lives and take stock of how far we have come, where we stand, and what we would like to do with the time we have left. As the 249th birthday of our nation approaches, Americans would do well to do the same, remembering the rich religious heritage and ideals upon which our nation was founded and considering how our future might be shaped if that heritage is revived — or forgotten.
The Tide Is Changing on Corporate Complicity in Censorship, Regulatory Coercion
“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Some attribute this aphorism to Thomas Jefferson, others to the abolitionist Wendell Phillips, depending on which search engine or AI model one uses. Regardless of its true origin, its truth abides. The genius of America’s constitutional order with its separation of powers, checks and balances, and republican principles, is the structural bulwark against the concentration of power in any of the three branches of our federal government.
Trump's Trade Negotiations Should Include Push For Free Speech Original
Much has been written about President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Regardless of the short or long-term economic impact of those policies, some negotiations with trading partners have begun. If they continue, the Trump administration should not miss the opportunity to promote an arguably more important global agenda of free speech and true equality.
We’ve Won a Major Victory in the Battle Against ‘De-Banking’
Chase’s decision to drop discrimination based on politics and religion is good for business. Source link
What Southern Baptists should know about the judicial branch
This episode discussing what Southern Baptists should know about the judicial branch continues our series of the ERLC in D.C. Welcome to The ERLC Podcast where our goal is to help you think biblically about today’s cultural issues. Today, we’re continuing our series focused on the work we do in Washington, D.C. The ERLC’s presence in our nation’s capital allows us to speak up, for, and from our Southern Baptist churches before various audiences, including our federal government leaders.
Trump Is Leading Government Back to Reality
Original Article Posted By: Imright, 1/28/2025 11:37:06 PM In "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis spoke of progress, noting, "If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man." I doubt President Donald Trump would ever describe himself as a "progressive," but by Lewis's definition, he is leading the nation in the progressive direction back to the right road on the...
Trump Is Leading Government Back to Reality
In "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis spoke of progress, noting, “If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.” I doubt President Donald Trump would ever describe himself as a “progressive,” but by Lewis’s definition, he is leading the nation in the progressive direction back to the right road on the critical issue of gender identity.
Ending three federal programs that serve radical progressive ideology would be a good start. Source link
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