FREEDOM: January 2015

SEX-TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR: THE TRUTH ABOUT SUPER BOWL AND SEX

It happens once a year—the great contest of pigskin being tossed back and forth over a 100-yard playing field in sun, rain, sleet or snow. The Super Bowl. It draws a massive audience from every demographic and pumps millions if not billions of dollars into our economy.

And every year, as if on cue, the city hosting the Super Bowl announces an awareness campaign to combat sex trafficking around what many in the media have referred to as “the biggest weekend for U.S. prostitution.” For example, Scottsdale announced a billboard campaign earlier this month, and the Phoenix police department recently revised its policy concerning prostitution. And while it makes sense that an event that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators would increase the demand of sex for sale, there isn’t much evidence to support the claims.

I am a victim of the sex-trafficking industry. I was trafficked for more than a decade in Minneapolis, Hawaii and Las Vegas. Based on my experience I can tell you that the Super Bowl is just another weekend for the hundreds of thousands of sex-trafficking victims in the United States.

That’s what it was when I was a sex-trafficked call girl in Las Vegas. The escort agency I worked for expected me to go on as many calls as I could fit in a 12-hour period, from 8 in the evening to 8 the following morning.

I would see between 10-30 different men a night. It didn’t matter how tired I was or how much money I made, I had to be loyal my entire shift for the entire weekend, or face a fine of $1,500. When I finally got home, as soon as I walked in the door, my pimp took 100% of my earnings.

Never mind that the tricks (the men that paid for sex) thought I was enjoying myself. Never mind they thought I was making great money, paying my way through college.

These were the lies my alter ego “Fallen” would tell with a smile on her face—only to make more money for my pimp.

When you live in fear of the next beat-down (I was physically beaten more times than I can count by my pimp and by tricks), this is what you must do to survive. Pretend you are someone else. When I began my time as a prostitute, I chose the name “Fallen” for my fake ID. I was no longer the Annie I knew and recognized; I was “Fallen”—a victim of high-class sex trafficking.

Was the Super Bowl my busiest weekend as a trafficked high-class escort? You would think so, since Vegas is a mecca for sports betting and conventions. But to be honest, it wasn’t my busiest weekend for money and tricks. In a town with more than 39 million visitors annually, any given weekend we were kept busy 24/7, 365 days a year, filling our pimps’ pockets.

I was sex trafficked by my pimps for more than a decade and have committed my life to helping those trapped in the sex industry. And while I cannot speak for the personal journeys of those who are being trafficked during the Super Bowl, I can share another truth: many reputable anti-trafficking organizations have not found much evidence linking the Super Bowl to a major rise in trafficking.

Though Super Bowl-related sex-trafficking statistics are few, the available statistics on sex trafficking in the United States and across the globe are startling.

* Sex trafficking is a $32 billion a year industry in the U.S., victimizing between 300,000 and 400,000 American children every year according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

* Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are 4.5 million people trapped in forced exploitation.

What is most important to note is that much like it is in Las Vegas, trafficking is happening in every city across the United States, 24/7, 365 days a year. Wherever there’s a Smartphone, computer, strip club, or massage parlor, trust that sex is being sold to those who demand it. And if sex is being sold, sex trafficking going on at the same time. It is literally happening everywhere, all of the time.

So instead of jumping on an “awareness campaign" during the Super Bowl let’s all be pro-active and learn more about the trafficking going on right now—in and around our cities. While awareness campaigns to “stop trafficking” are great, they don’t solve the issue. There is so much more work to be done.

We need to do more as a society to rescue the girls (and boys) who are trapped by trafficking.

There are shelters to fund for the souls who need rehabilitation.

We need more resources like doctors and lawyers, educational and vocational training to give those who are rescued a real chance at a brand new life.

The best sermon preached is one without words. Promises to love without putting those words into action are just empty proposals. It’s not tangible until it is actually seen. Love is action. If we were a people of action instead of awareness, we could put an end to sex trafficking.

To find out how you can take action to end sex trafficking visit the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at TraffickingResourceCenter.org. The interactive referral directory will help you find an organization working to send sex trafficking in a city and state near you.

If there had been more people of action, if there were more resources available, I like to think that I would have been rescued out of trafficking much earlier, and spared much of the suffering I experienced. Your decision to act can save the life of a trafficking victim, and together, one by one, we can put an end to trafficking in our great nation.

Annie Lobert is a sex-trafficking survivor, the founder of Hookers for Jesus and Destiny House, a restorative year-long program for ladies rescued out of sex trafficking and the author of the forthcoming book "Fallen: Out of the Sex Industry and Into the Arms of the Savior" (Worthy Publishing, Feb. 17, 2015).

BOEHNER: "NOBODY IN THE WORLD BUT NETANYAHU CAN SPEAK ON IRAN AND TERRORISM

Despite the criticism he has received, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner does not regret the decision he made to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress in early March.
In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Boehner said he notified the White House of his decision on the morning that he extended the invitation to Netanyahu.

“There’s nobody in the world who can talk about the threat of radical terrorism, nobody can talk about the threat that the Iranians pose, not just to the Middle East and to Israel, our longest ally, but to the entire world, but Bibi Netanyahu,” Boehner said in the interview.

Boehner then criticized U.S. President Barack Obama for failing to take the threat of terrorism and the Iranian nuclear threat seriously.

“The president is trying to act like it’s not there,” he said. “But it is there. And it’s going to be a threat to our homeland if we don’t address it in a bigger way.”

Asked about passing additional sanctions on Iran to stop its nuclear program, Boehner said that he thinks “the House believes that more sanctions, if they don’t come to an agreement, are in order,” and that he disagrees with Obama, who has said that additional sanctions during negotiations would ensure the failure of diplomatic efforts.

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Republican Senator John McCain on Sunday defended Boehner’s decision to invite Netanyahu to speak before Congress. McCain said that he feels the relationship between the Israeli and the U.S. governments has deteriorated, and suggested that the Iran issue has likely contributed to the worsening ties.

“I do believe that it’s important that Prime Minister Netanyahu speak to the American people,” McCain said. “We need congressional ratification of any agreement that is made [with Iran].”

Netanyahu addressed the Iran issue on Monday during a visit to Israel Aerospace Industries’ Systems, Missiles and Space Group.

“The agreement now being forged between the major powers and Iran is unacceptable to Israel,” Netanyahu said.

“This agreement is dangerous to Israel, to the region and to the world. … I, as prime minister, stand up and say this unequivocally: We will do everything in order to prevent the arming of Iran with nuclear weapons capabilities,” he added.

A senior Israel official with knowledge of the Iran negotiations said Monday, “I don’t believe that an agreement will come at any price.”

He added that a deal is unlikely to be reached before March, and that a great deal rests on “difficult decisions that Iran must make … though there has not yet been any real change among the Iranians with regard to concessions that could lead to an agreement.”

“The combination of diplomatic and economic pressures increases the chances of a good outcome from the negotiations. Putting pressure on Iran won’t guarantee a deal, but a lack of pressure will ensure that there is no deal,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Supreme Court Justice Salim Joubran is expected to rule in the coming days on whether Israeli media outlets will be permitted to air Netanyahu’s address to the U.S. Congress, which will take place two weeks before the March 17 Knesset elections.

Joubran requested that Netanyahu personally respond by Feb. 1 to the left-wing Meretz party leader Zehava Gal-On’s petition that the speech before Congress not be televised on the ground that it would constitute electioneering, and he further named Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein as a respondent in the petition.

By JNS

ANOTHER SNOW JOB

The network meteorologists barely had time to come up for air while “forecasting” the latest snowstorm non-disaster. Politicians, fearing what might happen to their approval numbers if a blizzard hit, went on TV to announce they were taking proactive measures. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio shut down tunnels, bridges, even the subway to prepare for the worst. Governors Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie announced road closings in New York and New Jersey.

When wide-scale devastation failed to materialize, though New England was hardest hit, those same forecasters explained that snow is “unpredictable” and began backtracking faster than a four-wheel drive pickup on an icy road.

One year ago, on January 31, we were treated to another of these “Snowmageddon” scenarios. At the time, USA Today quoted Gary Szatkowski, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, as saying: “It’s a little surprising that people are falling for this.”

I’m not surprised. People are gullible. Look at our politicians.

Here’s some “breaking news”: It’s January and in many parts of America, it snows; sometimes a lot. When I was a kid I got my sled and, together with other kids celebrating the snow day, took to the hills. We threw snowballs and came home soaked and exhausted. Mother would hang my wet clothes on a radiator to dry.

Today, politicians and their ideological fellow travelers in the media use the normal cycles of the seasons to promote “climate change.” That was the conclusion of Bill Nye of MSNBC, who said, “I just want to introduce the idea that this storm is connected to climate change.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the same assertion.

For those not buying into the cult of climate change, formerly known as “global warming,” the website climatedepot.com is an excellent source for authoritative science and reporting that debunks the claims of climate alarmists.

Recently, we heard assertions from some “reliable” people that 2014 was the hottest year on record. News anchors and reporters dutifully, and without their usual skepticism, conveyed the news as fact. The Associated Press reported that 2014 was the hottest year, citing NOAA and NASA data, but was later forced to clarify its story, conceding that it “. . . did not include the caveat that other recent years had average temperatures that were almost as high — and they all fall within a margin of error that lessens the certainty that any one of the years was the hottest.” NOAA and NASA also quietly had to concede that 2014 was probably not the warmest year, but I would venture to guess that very few people noticed the update.

Facts do not lessen the belief of cult members.
Consider some of the statements posted on climatedepot.com from scientists who question the honesty of those producing climate change “evidence.”

Climatologist Dr. Roy Spencer says the public is being misled: “I am embarrassed by the scientific community’s behavior on the subject.”

Former Harvard physicist Dr. Lubos Motl: “NASA’s Gavin Schmidt knew about this fact. That didn’t prevent them from pushing virtually all mainstream media to publish the lie — in the very title — that NASA was declaring 2014 the warmest year.”

Real Science accused NASA’s Schmidt of “cheating” to “create the required talking point” of the “hottest year.”

Climatologist Dr. Tim Ball accused NASA’s Schmidt of “climate deception”: “‘Schmidt knows, after all his years with participating in the creation and naming of the RealClimate.org web site, that it is all about the headline.'”

As blogger Tom Nelson has correctly observed, NASA’s Gavin Schmidt “is referee and commentator, along with his paid job as coach and cheerleader for one side.”

The one-sided reporting and blind faith in climate change has infected politicians who are incapable of balancing the federal budget. So why put faith in them — or the meteorologists who track with them — that they can do anything other than talk about the weather?

By CAL THOMAS

MIKE HUCKABEE BRINGS TV STARDOM TO THE 2016 TRAIL

Mike Huckabee has served as Arkansas governor, run for president and published 12 books, but right now the most important item on his résumé may be his six-year stint as a Fox News host and radio personality.

Since he last ran for president in 2008, conservative media have helped shape Huckabee’s brand and establish his sizable public profile. Among many of his fans, Huckabee's celebrity and airwave-friendly banter are major selling points. Now, those could factor in Huckabee's bid for the presidency.

Asked whether he will run for president again in 2016, Huckabee has taken to citing his decision to leave a very comfortable spot at Fox News as proof that he is serious. Huckabee ended his show, “Huckabee,” at the beginning of January.

“I believe it ought to be pretty obvious to everybody that I did not leave my incredibly good Fox job three weeks ago just because I’d like to spend more Saturdays at home,” Huckabee said Tuesday during an appearance in Virginia's capital city. "I feel, obviously, that I’m moving in that direction."

"Let me tell you something: Being a candidate is hard. Being an officeholder is really, really hard," Huckabee added. "The easiest job I’ve ever had is talking about it, and it pays the best. There’s something incredibly wrong with that, but I sure have enjoyed it for the past six and a half years."

And why stop now? Although he is gearing up for a potential bid for president, Huckabee talks about television nearly as much as he does politics and policy. At a stop Wednesday on his book tour for God, Guns, Grits, and Gravyhosted by the Family Foundation, a Christian advocacy group, Huckabee riffed on some of his on-camera experiences.

“Rosie O’Donnell and I get along,” Huckabee said, recounting an appearance on “The View.” “I know that’ll shock you.”

But despite Huckabee’s warmth, conservative media can be a fickle mistress.

The talk radio host Laura Ingraham fired a shot at Huckabee on “Fox News Sunday” earlier this month, expressing her skepticism that he could be a serious candidate for president.

“The idea that Mike Huckabee is going to be President of the United States?” Ingraham said. “I’ll predict that that’s not going to happen.”

Huckabee pushed back Tuesday, “I think she’s zero-for-three in the past cycles.”

And while Huckabee has had great success with Fox News, he has found a reliable foe in Glenn Beck, a former Fox personality.

Beck and Huckabee have been at odds publicly for years, but the rivalry has recently become even more heated. Earlier this month, Beck called Huckabee “one of the most disingenuous men I have ever met” and accused him of being “a liar to your face.”

At least in conservative circles, the battle of personalities has resonated. On Tuesday, an audience member asked Huckabee, “Why is Glenn Beck upset with you?”

“You’d have to ask Glenn. I honestly don’t know,” Huckabee said. “We have a mutual friend who today told me that he’s trying to help Glenn to see some things that he needs to understand about me.”

“I’ve really been baffled by that,” Huckabee added. “I can’t understand it.”

If such a spat might seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of presidential politics, the dispute has genuinely left some supporters torn. Mary Ann Merritt, who attended Huckabee’s event in Richmond, cited Beck’s criticism of Huckabee as the primary reason she has dismissed him as a potential presidential candidate.

“[Beck] has really torn him down a lot,” Merritt said.
But Huckabee’s charm Tuesday had Merritt giving him a second look. It was a made-for-TV performance, as Huckabee himself noted.

“Let me make it clear: I don’t believe the federal government has any role in education,” Huckabee said, in answer to a question about the Common Core education standards. “As they say on television: crystal clear.”

For all of the serious policy questions, and there were many, his supporters still wanted to talk TV. One audience member wanted to know: Who does Huckabee consider to be the smartest on-air personality at Fox News?

“A lot of people make fun of how beautiful the women are at Fox, and yes: Compare them to any network, and ours are easier on the eyes than anybody else’s,” Huckabee said, mostly dodging the question. “However, they’re not there just because they’re attractive.”

Huckabee singled out the primetime anchor Megyn Kelly, who he said is “just amazing in her ability.”

“I wouldn’t want to get into a verbal fight with her,” he chuckled.

BY REBECCA BERG

RUSSELL WILSON TALKS ABOUT HIS FAITH

Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks Quarterback, is preparing for his second consecutive Super Bowl appearance this coming Sunday. This Christian football star wrote in The Player’s Tribune how his faith plays a huge role in his career;

"Alot of people have been asking me the same questions this week. They want to know how we were able to come back against Green Bay. They want to know how we were able to right the ship this season and get back to the Super Bowl. It starts with a little red button.

When we were down against Green Bay in the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship Game, it seemed like everything that could go wrong had gone wrong. Personally, I was having one of my worst games of my career. But after every single throw — whether it was a tipped ball or an incompletion or a touchdown — I’d turn back toward the huddle, close my eyes and think of a table in an empty room. On that table was a big red RESET button, just like in the movies. I’d imagine pressing the button. Boom. On to the next one. What’s the situation now? How can I make a play?

It might sound silly, but I’ve been working on that visualization for years now with Dr. Mike Gervais and Trevor Moawad. It’s like my very own mind trick. No matter what the situation, no matter how bad the circumstances are, I can close my eyes, hit the red button, and focus on the moment at hand.

I can honestly say that in Green Bay, even when we were down by three scores, my mind was never wavering. I believed we were going to win. That might sound naive, but that’s what makes our team so special. Every time I went to the sideline after a series, a teammate would come up to me and look me in my eyes and say, “One Mission, Russ.”

Ever since we were struggling at 3-3 earlier this season, we talked about our One Mission. This isn’t your standard rah-rah speech. The mission isn’t just about winning the Super Bowl. It’s about something bigger than football. It’s about playing for one another, even if that means sacrificing personal stats, even if that means going an entire game without getting the ball.

Coming off a Super Bowl win like we did, it’s easy to go into training camp saying, “These are my brothers.” When you’re winning, it’s all easy. But those bonds are never truly tested until you’re faced with adversity. The outside world questioned us plenty this year. Are we together? Do we have leaders?

In truth, it pushed us closer than ever. Being on this team has been the most exciting year of my life. It taught me about respecting the process and embracing the journey of life’s ups and downs. Because there will be downs. You will lose a game, or have a bad day at work, or mess up on a math test. The key is to surround yourself with amazing people who will help you grow. I’ve been able to lean on guys like Marshawn Lynch and Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin. I’ll never forget when Doug came to me after the Rams game when we were really struggling to find our identity, and with all his fire and passion, he said, “You know what Russ? We’re leaning on you, man.”

Doug and Jermaine are great players who have a relentless work ethic, but they’re even better human beings.

Faith is a big part of my life, and I talk to my pastor Judah Smith almost every day. One thing that he has really instilled in my heart this season is the idea of “surrender and surround.” Surrender yourself to a higher cause, and surround yourself with special people.

This team is filled with late-round draft picks and unheralded free agents and underdogs who have turned into incredible football players. But when people ask me what makes this team special, it’s hard for me to explain in the usual terms. The defense is unbelievable, of course. Marshawn is a one-in-a-generation running back. But it’s about more than just football. I’ve had so many conversations with Robert Turbin this year that have gone late into the night. Robert is my running back. But he’s also the guy who I talk to about life. About who we want to be 15 years from now, not just as football players but as husbands and fathers.

That’s just as important to my legacy as whatever happens this Sunday.

There’s a Bible verse that is very close to my heart. John 3:30. “He must increase, I must decrease.” That defines this year for me. In my life personally, I’ve noticed that people tend to put you on a pedestal when things are going well. It’s easy to hit the reset button when things are going bad. But will you be able to hit the reset button when things are going well? That’s a challenge that’s bigger than football.

When I saw Jermaine come down with the ball in the end zone in overtime, it was one of the most emotional moments of my career. But as incredible as that moment was, I tried to close my eyes and hit the reset button. On to the next one. There’s only ONE MISSION."

by Russel Wilson

FRANKLIN GRAHAM STANDS WITH ATLANTA FIRE CHIEF WHO LOST HIS JOB BECAUSE OF HIS CHRISTIAN FAITH

Former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran says he was fired because he wrote a book expressing his Christian faith, according to a discrimination complaint filed Jan. 19 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

"I believe that I have been discriminated against because of my religion," Cochran wrote in the complaint.

His attorney, Jeremy Tedesco of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith, said the ADA wants to vindicate the former fire chief following his "unjust termination."

The mayor may have the LGBT activists, the union and the New York Times on his side—but Chief Cochran has some much bigger firepower—the nation's evangelical community.

/>"Americans are guaranteed the freedom to live without fear of losing their jobs because of their beliefs and thoughts," Tedesco said.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed threatened that the former fire chief's reputation would be destroyed should he file a lawsuit.

"He's gonna lose," Reed told television station WAGA. "And in the process his reputation is going to be destroyed because people are going to see he's dishonest."

The EEOC complaint is the latest move in a battle between Cochran and Reed that has generated a national debate over religious liberty in the public marketplace since it began in November.

Cochran was suspended without pay on Nov. 24 for writing a book about Biblical morality, "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" He said homosexuality is "vile" and listed it among other forms of "sexual perversions."

He was also accused of giving the book to colleagues at work with whom he had personal friendships.

An investigation by the city of Atlanta found that "firefighters throughout the organization are appalled by the sentiments expressed in the book." (Image: Cochran's book/via Amazon)

The report went on to say that "there is also general agreement the contents of the book have eroded trust and have compromised the ability of the chief to provide leadership in the future."

But the investigation found no evidence of discrimination against LGBT firefighters.
"There is currently no indication that Chief Cochran allowed his religious beliefs to compromise his disciplinary decisions," the report states. "No interviewed witness could point to a specific instance in which any member of the organization has been treated unfairly by Chief Cochran on the basis of his religious beliefs."

Cochran was cleared of any wrongdoing. But on Jan. 6—the day he was supposed to return to work—he was fired.

The mayor denied that Cochran's faith had anything to do with his dismissal. Instead, he said it was lack of judgment and management skills. He also said Cochran violated the city's code of conduct.

Folks, this was nothing short of an old-fashioned witch hunt led by the mayor, LGBT activists and the city's left-wing firefighter's union.

According to the city's investigation, they interviewed a retired lesbian battalion chief who harbored "suspicions" about Cochran's Christian faith.

"She stated that she took a voluntary demotion because of these suspicions," the report states.

What a load of fertilizer.

The Atlanta Professional Firefighters Local 134 piled on, commending the mayor for firing the Christian fire chief.(Photo via Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

"Local 134 supports LGBT rights and equality among all employees," the union said in a statement, urging the city to "improve LGBT rights by adding an LGBT liaison for the fire department."

Now, the leadership of Local 134 is either ignorant or illiterate—because the official investigation clearly shows the fire chief NEVER DISCRIMINATED AGAINST LGBT FIREFIGHTERS.

The New York Times editorial board said it doesn't matter if Chief Cochran was innocent. That's not the point, it wrote Tuesday in a scathing editorial titled "God, Gays and the Atlanta Fire Department."

"It should not matter that the investigation found no evidence that Mr. Cochran had mistreated gays or lesbians," the Times wrote. "His position as a high-level public servant makes his remarks especially problematic, and requires that he be held to a different standard."

The mayor may have the LGBT activists, the union and The New York Times on his side—but Chief Cochran has some much bigger firepower—the nation's evangelical community.
Leading the charge is Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Graham told me he's known Cochran for years—and found him to be a decent and honorable man.

He said Cochran has become the latest victim of a national cleansing of Christians in the public marketplace.

"We need to stand up with Chief Cochran and others when they are persecuted," Graham told me. "This man is being persecuted because he believes the Bible."

Robert White, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Convention, called The New York Timeseditorial "quite remarkable."

"It declares his innocence and then declares him guilty," he said. "Guilty of what? He didn't discriminate against any homosexuals. He vowed that he wanted to have a healthy workplace for all of his employees."

The Times went on to argue that while Cochran is free to believe whatever he wants, there are limits to where he can believe and still maintain gainful employment in the public arena.

If I didn't know better, I'd say The New York Times is suggesting a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for public workers who happen to be Christian.

by Todd Starnes

HUCKABEE SERVES UP 'GOD, GUNS', AND A DOSE OF CONTROVERSY

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is currently considering jumping into the race for the Republican presidential nomination. But if you're looking for a clear sign of his intentions, you won't find it in his new book, God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy.

The book is less a policy blueprint than Huckabee's diagnosis of the cultural divide in America. Huckabee contrasts the cities of New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. (what Huckabee calls "Bubble-ville") with much of the rest of the country, and, in particular, rural America (what he calls "Bubba-ville"). The latter, Huckabee writes, is where you can find the land of "God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy" of the title.

Huckabee prefers "Bubba-ville," and writes that he feels "out of place in Washington, D.C." But, with a big wink toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Huckabee writes of Washington, "There's only one address in that city that I'd want to relocate to. ☺"

While promoting the book, Huckabee has kicked up controversy — particularly for his comments about singer Beyoncé Knowles and her husband, Jay-Z. In a chapter called "The Culture of Crude," Huckabee writes disapprovingly of the pair's provocative performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

"Does it occur to [Jay-Z] that he is arguably crossing the line from husband to pimp by exploiting his wife as a sex object?" Huckabee writes.

The remark has been criticized for, among other things, suggesting that Beyoncé's career is controlled by her husband. In an interview with NPR's Arun Rath, Huckabee defends the passage in question, and expands on his depiction of a "cultural disconnect" in America, which, he says, can be even more polarizing than the divide between Democrats and Republicans.

On America's cultural divides
In the three bubbles of influence — New York, Washington and Hollywood — most of the cultural template of America is established, whether it's in fashion or finance or politics or government or music, entertainment, television, movies. A lot of people who live in the "flyover" land will sometimes say, "My gosh, that's very different than the general prevailing attitude of the land of God, guns, grits and gravy."

So this book tries to explain, here's who we are. It says to the people out there in flyover country, you're not alone. There are a lot of you. And you may not think there are a lot of you, because everything you see on TV and in the movies is more connected to the bubbles.

On the divide over gun ownership
Even my own Fox News staff that I would work with every week — good people. Many of the people on my show staff, anyway, were conservative, but many of them were not. But if the issue of guns came up, it was almost universal ... "You really own a firearm? Why?"

Most of them had never owned a gun, never picked up one, never shot one, had no idea what they would ever do if they did have one. And that's just very different from the way I grew up, where I had a first BB gun at age 5, and a pellet gun at age 7, and a .22 rifle at age 9. But I grew up also never imagining that I would point it at someone and murder anybody over it.

On the controversy over his comments on Beyoncé

I never thought that that particular reference was going to create any controversy. And I do believe that a lot of people were reacting not to what I said in its full context — they were reacting to what the headlines said that were the reports on it and the blogs on it, which have been numerous to say the least. ...

It's not a value judgment that one [culture] is right, the other is wrong. But what is completely, maybe, normal and not the least bit distressing to people in the cultural bubbles of New York, D.C., and Hollywood. And I'm not just talking about language — but what's normal in Washington, for example, and the way government works is appalling to those of us who live out here and have to pay for this nonsense.

by NPR

NEW YOUR SHERIFF ON GUN REGISTRATION LETTERS: TOSS THEM IN THE TRASH

I have to tell you that I like this sheriff! Fulton County, New York Sheriff Thomas Lorey volunteered his county to participate in a pilot program that asked gun owners to go online and register each of the guns they own. However, Lorey did so with a specific purpose and that was to send a message to the bureaucrats in Albany, including the governor. What message did he want to send? “We will not comply.”

New York Sheriff Thomas Lorey

“I’m asking everyone that gets those invitations to throw them in the garbage because that is where they belong,” Lorey said to a group of conservative activists. “They go in the garbage because, for 100 years or more, ever since the inception of pistol permits, nobody has ever been required to renew them.”

The State of New York wants to implement their new online gun registration database in February, but Lorey doesn’t think they will be able to accomplish that task.

“Let’s have everybody’s permit expire the same day and let ‘em see what they’re going to do with it,” said Sheriff Lorey.

He also told the group that his office is not to be feared. “I want to assure you that everyone in Fulton County has nothing to fear from the sheriff’s office. We’ve got real crime and real criminals to occupy our time with.”

Alan Gottlieb, president of the Second Amendment Foundation, praised Sheriff Lorey saying that he wished more sheriffs were like him.

“Sheriff Lorry is a patriot,” Gottlieb told WND. “His stand in defense of the Second Amendment is an example for all law enforcement.”

Implementation of the NY SAFE Act have been difficult, largely due to the fact that is how tyranny works. It has to be meticulous and requires many challenges to crush freedom.

The Times Union reports:

The challenges of creating vast statewide databases have become apparent with other components of the NY SAFE Act.

A system allowing background checks for all ammunition sales was originally supposed to be in place by Jan. 15, but its rollout has been indefinitely postponed amid reports the database isn’t ready.

Nor has it gone unnoticed that county clerks were told the pace of work on the handgun effort would likely pick up at the end of the year — after the November elections, in which voters who are still upset about the NY SAFE Act could be a factor.

According to Leo Hohmann, Sheriff Lorey had something to say about that too.

Lorey said New York’s gun permit law was never meant to be restrictive in nature. He said the new rules can be applied in an arbitrary manner and are open to abuse. It will also likely be used as a revenue producer for the state, he said, as one county is already charging $15 for the “recertification.”

“The judges of the state of New York have gotten together and thought this up on their own,” he said. “It’s just a little device that helps them revoke your permit if they should suddenly get mad at you.”

As for the renewal fee, Lorey said, “The state of New York now wants to charge you for a renewal permit, for a right you already have.”

He’s exactly right. This is all about control and money. It isn’t about safety. That is just the slogan used to advance the agenda. The real motive behind the SAFE Act is control and money.

New York, a bastion of tyranny, passed the SAFE Act back in 2013. Since that time numerous arrests have been made that have been a result of that legislation and one of those arrests was due to an unlawful search that revealed a man had three more bullets in his gun than he was supposed to. In fact, even the police were considered in violation of it. Now, it has grown to the point where the state is claiming that nearly 300 gun owners, who have legally obtained their guns and permits, are “mentally unstable” and could have their weapons confiscated and lose their ability to legally obtain a firearm.

Gun maker Kahr Arms declared they were finished with New York following the SAFE Act’s implementation.

New York Patriots stood up against the SAFE Act, including Iraq combat veteran Aaron Weiss who gave a powerful declaration that his rights trumped any number of dead children killed with a gun. Some even gathered for a day of burn barrels and burned their gun registration forms.

Lorey just may be on to something by demonstrating that there will be no way to enforce this pretended legislation that seeks to control a free people. I hope for New Yorkers’ sake it works.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SNUBS ISRAEL PM

The Obama administration reportedly is fuming over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to address Congress in March regarding the Iranian threat, with one unnamed official telling an Israeli newspaper he will pay “a price” for the snub.

House Speaker John Boehner invited Netanyahu -- and the Israeli leader accepted – without any involvement from the White House.

In public, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest politely describes this as a “departure” from protocol. He also says the president will not meet with Netanyahu when he visits in early March, but has attributed that decision only to a desire not to influence Israel’s upcoming elections.

But in private, Obama’s team is livid with the Israeli leader, according to Haaretz.

"We thought we've seen everything," a source identified as a senior American official was quoted as saying. "But Bibi managed to surprise even us. There are things you simply don't do.

“He spat in our face publicly and that's no way to behave. Netanyahu ought to remember that President Obama has a year and a half left to his presidency, and that there will be a price."

The anonymous quote was a throwback to when, last year, Atlantic magazine quoted another unnamed senior administration official calling Netanyahu a “chickenshit.”

Administration officials, including Earnest, did not deny the quote at the time, though the White House stressed the criticism did not reflect how the rest of the administration views Netanyahu.

On Friday, Earnest once again was asked about tensions with the Israeli government. Asked if the decision to speak to Congress was a slap at the Obama administration, he said, “I certainly didn’t interpret it that way.”

As for the decision for Obama not to meet with his Israeli counterpart, he stood by the earlier explanation.

“This administration goes to great lengths to ensure that we don’t give even the appearance of interfering or attempting to influence the outcome” of democratic elections abroad, he said.

Meanwhile, Haaretz also reported that Obama had directly warned Netanyahu to stop urging U.S. lawmakers to back legislation teeing up new sanctions against Iran.

Obama has threatened to veto such a bill, saying it could derail delicate talks over Iran’s nuclear program – and Netanyahu’s visit to Washington could give him an opportunity to further encourage sanctions legislation.

Haaretz reported that Israel’s ambassador already has been urging members of Congress to support the measures. The newspaper reported that Obama told Netanyahu to stop during a Jan. 12 phone call.

On Friday, Earnest acknowledged that Obama and Netanyahu have a “fundamental disagreement” about the diplomatic talks with Iran.

“He doesn’t share [the administration’s] view,” he said. But Earnest also said the “differences of opinion” do not undermine America’s commitment to Israel’s security.

As Obama officials often do, he described that commitment as “unshakable.”

A MAN FILMING THE DROP BOX ABOUT A PASTOR IN KOREA RECEIVES JESUS CHRIST

A man filming the story of a pastor in Korea who spreads love like Jesus never expected that God would save his soul in the process! And how God used a boy's 'disabilities' to change a heart and save lives--WOW! I cannot wait to go see 'The Drop Box'. Who else is ready for a trip to the movies? Check out the story behind the movie

Hundreds of babies are abandoned on the streets of Seoul, South Korea every year, but one brave pastor has made it his mission to save them.

"The Drop Box" - Documentary Trailer from Arbella Studios on Vimeo.

This powerful true story comes to life when The Drop Box comes to movie theaters for three nights only - March 3, 4, and 5, 2015. For more information, visit: http://thedropboxfilm.com #thedropbox

ELLEN DEGENERES AND ANDERSON COOPER, LARRY TOMCZAK HAS A WORD FOR YOU

Last week, Larry Tomczak awoke to discover Ellen Degeneres had spoken directly to him on her nationally syndicated, award-winning talk show over a column we posted on Charisma News. After that, CNN's Anderson Cooper picked up the story continued where Degeneres left off. Here's Tomczak's prayerful response to both of these homosexual media figures.

HUCKABEE: SOCIAL ISSUES AREN'T GOING AWAY IN 2016

By Aliyah Frumin

“I hear governors and even some aspirants to the presidency say, ‘Well that’s settled. It’s the law of the land.’ No. It isn’t the law of the land.”

Former Arkansas governor and potential 2016 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is urging states to resist the Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on gay marriage – a sign that hot-button social issues will be part of the next election cycle, even if some Republicans wish they would disappear.

Huckabee, a staunch social conservative and an ordained Southern Baptist minister, took issue with the “notion of judicial supremacy” as it relates to the Supreme Court, which said last week that it would rule on whether same-sex couples in the United States should have right to marry. The ruling is expected by late June.

“If the court makes a decision, I hear governors and even some aspirants to the presidency say, ‘Well that’s settled. It’s the law of the land.’ No. It isn’t the law of the land,” he told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday.

Huckabee added, “Constitutionally, the courts cannot make a law. They can interpret one and then the legislature has to create enabling legislation and the executive has to sign it and has to enforce it.” The nation’s highest court, however, is not creating new legislation but is deciding whether or not the Constitution gives states the right to ban gay couples from tying the knot.

Although the upcoming Supreme Court ruling may provide potential candidates some wiggle room to say “it’s out of our hands,” potential candidates like Huckabee could force Republican competitors to talk about the issue, even if they don’t want to. There’s still also a subset of Republican voters in early voting states that care about issues like gay marriage and abortion. And the Republican Party platform still defines marriage as the “union of one man and one woman.”
Huckabee’s remarks come as other likely 2016 hopefuls have indicated they want to shift focus to other issues, like immigration, and as polls suggest more Americans believe the government should not promote traditional values. Even former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum – who made a name for himself for being an outspoken critic to same-sex marriage—has seemed disinterested in the upcoming decision by the Supreme Court.

“Whether the Supreme Court finds it constitutional or not or mandates it, or whatever, the vast, vast majorities of marriages in America are still going to be moms and dads having children,” he recently told msnbc. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was against gay marriage during his time in office, also seemed to shrug it off, lamenting to the Miami Herald that “it’s been overturned by the courts, I guess” before issuing a more conciliatory statement urging people to “respect the rule of law.”

But Huckabee isn’t alone in wanting to keep the issue of gay marriage on the table. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas – who also has expressed interest in a 2016 run – recently laid out 10 issues he wants the Republican-controlled Congress to tackle. Cruz said he wanted to “rein in judicial activism,” and that the “Senate should stop confirming activist judges who will impose their own preferences, such as striking down state marriage laws.”

Would Huckabee have a chance in 2016? According to the latest average of polling data surrounding the still nascent Republican presidential nomination, compiled by Real Clear Politics, Bush is in the lead with 17%. He is followed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with 11.2% support, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin with 10%, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky with 8.6%. Trailing is Huckabee, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, each with 8%.

CONGRESS DELAYS 20-WEEK ABORTION BILL VOTE, BUT WHAT THEY ARE VOTING ON INVOLVES YOU HELPING OTHERS WITH THEIR ABORTIONS

"Americans have been forced to violate their conscience and religious convictions long enough by being made to fund President Obama's massive abortion scheme. It is appropriate that this new Republican controlled Congress make the 'No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act' one of their first majority initiatives." -Tony Perkins, FRC.

The US House was set to vote on the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Act"—H.R. 36—which would ban abortions after 20 weeks of gestation; however, when controversy arose regarding the bill's rape exceptions, Congress chose to delay the vote. (Photo: March For Life 2015/via Fox News/AP)

Instead, the House will vote today on another important bill, the "No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act," which would prevent all federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, and if the mother's life is in danger.

It's certainly appropriate to vote on legislation that helps to put an end to the destruction of innocent life through abortion, on this, the 42nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that made it legal. Today (Thursday), thousands of people are braving the winter conditions at the National Mall in DC for the annual March For Life.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, spoke yesterday about the delay of H.R. 36...

"One of Family Research Council's top legislative priorities has been the passage of the 'No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act.' Polling released today by Marist finds that 68 percent of Americans remain opposed to the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.

"Americans have been forced to violate their conscience and religious convictions long enough by being made to fund President Obama's massive abortion scheme. It is appropriate that this new Republican controlled Congress make the 'No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act' one of their first majority initiatives.

"While we are disappointed that a handful of Members caused a delay in the 'Pain Capable Unborn Child Act,' we applaud the leadership for remaining committed to advancing pro-life legislation. The excruciating pain that unborn babies feel at five months is a matter of biology, not a matter of belief. It is time that Congress put an end to this barbaric horror," concluded Perkins.

by Aimee Herd

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