Citizens Dedicated To Preserving Our Constitutional Republic
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.
“We are not going to let this country be invaded!
We will not be stampeded!
We will not capitulate to lawlessness!
This is NOT business as usual.
This is the Trump era!," the Attorney General said.
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U.S. Marine Corps And as fire comes in from all sides, the situation looks desperate for the trapped Marines. Cut off from the rest of their group, three men – Major Peter Ortiz and Sergeants Jack Risler and John Bodnar – attempt to dodge the hail of German ammunition by darting between dwellings. The U.S. soldiers try to give as good as they get, however, by returning fire.
It’s August 1944, and a small band of Marines find themselves perilously close to an approaching Nazi patrol in eastern France. Running for their lives, the Americans take refuge in a nearby village to regroup and perhaps come up with a plan to escape.
U.S. Marine Corps
And as fire comes in from all sides, the situation looks desperate for the trapped Marines. Cut off from the rest of their group, three men – Major Peter Ortiz and Sergeants Jack Risler and John Bodnar – attempt to dodge the hail of German ammunition by darting between dwellings. The U.S. soldiers try to give as good as they get, however, by returning fire.
It’s August 1944, and a small band of Marines find themselves perilously close to an approaching Nazi patrol in eastern France. Running for their lives, the Americans take refuge in a nearby village to regroup and perhaps come up with a plan to escape.
It’s August 1944, and a small band of Marines find themselves perilously close to an approaching Nazi patrol in eastern France. Running for their lives, the Americans take refuge in a nearby village to regroup and perhaps come up with a plan to escape.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is racing to avoid a partial government shutdown next Friday over President Donald Trump’s border wall. But you wouldn’t know it by the schedule, as lawmakers left town waiting for the White House’s next move.
The House is taking an extended five-day weekend, returning Wednesday night. The Senate returns Monday after a three-day absence.
The ball is in Trump’s court, both sides say, and the president met Friday with top aides to discuss his spending strategy. There’s an expectation on Capitol Hill he’ll reach out soon to offer lawmakers a plan.
The president said this week he’d be “proud” to shut down the government over the $5 billion he wants for the wall on the southern border, but he has since taken a softer tone, tweeting, “Let’s not do a shutdown, Democrats - do what’s right for the American People!” But Trump doesn’t have the votes from the Republican-controlled Congress to support funding for the wall at the level he wants.
Democratic congressional leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, made a counter offer during a contentious meeting at the White House of no more than $1.6 billion, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill. The money would not go for the wall but for fencing upgrades and other border security. Democrats also offered to simply keep funding at its current level, $1.3 billion.
Without a resolution, parts of the federal government would shut down at midnight Dec. 21.
Trump met on Friday with legislative affairs director Shahira Knight and budget director Mick Mulvaney to discuss strategy. Some White House aides were startled by Trump’s embrace of a shutdown during his meeting with Democratic leaders, though others argued that it was another example of Trump sticking with his campaign promises.
“The president made it very clear: He does want a border wall. He does want border security. He wants to protect the American people,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters on Friday.
While Trump has long rallied for the border wall with Mexico, a centerpiece of his 2016 campaign, Republicans on Capitol Hill never fully warmed to the plan, and they are less likely now to round up the votes for it after losing the House majority in the November election.
Each passing day brings Democrats closer to taking control of the House, and with Christmas approaching, enthusiasm for a prolonged fight over the wall was waning even among some Republicans who support it.
“We’re out of time,” said Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., who lost a bid for re-election last month.
Denham backs the wall as part of a broader immigration overhaul, but said Republicans would be better served by approving a short-term budget resolution that postpones the wall fight until January while keeping the government open.
“Allow the next Congress to come in, get seated, committee chairs to get filled, and then actually have a full debate on a bipartisan solution,” Denham told CNN Friday.
Democrats, meanwhile, are not inclined to give an inch, as seen by the backing Pelosi received after confronting Trump during their televised meeting in the Oval Office. She’s poised to become House speaker when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3.
As of Friday, Trump had neither accepted nor rejected the Democrats’ proposal, according to the Democrats. He told them he would take a look. Trump will need Democratic votes either way, now or in the new year, for passage.
The mood on Capitol Hill has quickly shifted as newly elected members arrive to set up offices on Capitol Hill and dozens of Republicans head for the exits. Outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan’s pre-election prediction of a “big fight” over the wall has run up against the reality of the changed circumstances.
Thursday was supposed to be the House’s final day in session for the year, but lawmakers instead were told to return Wednesday night. Already Republican attendance during the lame-duck session has been spotty, and it’s unclear how many votes Ryan will be able to garner in the final days of the GOP’s majority in the House.
Even if a bill with the wall funding passes the House, it is almost certain to fail in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, and Democrats have pledged to block it from receiving the necessary 60 votes needed to advance.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the incoming minority leader, said on the House floor as lawmakers left for the long weekend that he thinks “going into a shutdown is stupid,” but he offered no immediate plan to resolve the standoff.
Fellow California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, the top Democrat on a subcommittee for homeland security spending, said it makes no sense to be “squandering” $5 billion on the wall when the nation has so many other security vulnerabilities.
“Republicans are driving our nation to the brink of another disastrous government shutdown - at a time of great economic uncertainty and right in the middle of the holiday season,” Roybal-Allard said in the Democrats’ weekly address.
For now, Republicans still control the House, the Senate and the White House, she reminded listeners. “They have the responsibility and the power to keep our government open.”
If the two sides do not reach agreement, about one-quarter of the government would be affected, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks.
And as fire comes in from all sides, the situation looks desperate for the trapped Marines. Cut off from the rest of their group, three men – Major Peter Ortiz and Sergeants Jack Risler and John Bodnar – attempt to dodge the hail of German ammunition by darting between dwellings. The U.S. soldiers try to give as good as they get, by returning fire.
Then, in August 1944 it was time for Ortiz’s mission – codenamed Union II – to begin in earnest; alongside the now-major were just seven other soldiers. The team duly parachuted into the south-eastern area of Haute-Savoie, ready to meet up with the French Resistance, but they immediately lost one of their number. Tragically, one man died during the jump after his chute failed. Another soldier also wouldn’t be able to participate, having injured himself upon landing – cutting the group’s total to just six.
What was left of Ortiz’s team rendezvoused with the resistance fighters and spent a number of days training the French to use the weapons that had also been dropped in the region. The combined forces then conducted several raids against the Germans. There would be severe repercussions for any members of the resistance captured by the Nazis, however; they would be immediately shot.
.ut Ortiz’s actions didn’t end there, since the major was indeed able to negotiate with a Nazi officer. The proposition was that the Marines would lay down their arms – but only if the villagers’ safety was assured. The German major agreed to this measure, and so the two remaining U.S. servicemen came forward from their hiding places.
So, it seems that Ortiz’s decision to surrender when half of the Union II squad found themselves pinned down in another small town wasn’t just surprising and brave, but selfless as well. The major would explain in a later report on the mission, “Since the activities of [Operation Union II] were well known to the Gestapo, there was no reason to hope that we would be treated as ordinary prisoners of war.”
But the Nazi soldier was furious after the Americans had revealed themselves. Having thought that an entire Allied battalion was in the area, the major couldn’t believe that just three Marines had held off almost 4,000 German troops. When a search of the town produced no further combatants, however, the officer had no choice but to honor the deal.
Ortiz’s story doesn’t end there, though. Having been taken as a prisoner of war in Germany and held for several months, the major managed to escape his captors. However, after ten days in the wilderness, he eventually walked back into the POW camp, having decided that eating in captivity was better than starving in freedom. That turned out to be a canny decision, since the camp was liberated by the British just two days later.
Then, in 1939, after World War Two had been declared in Europe, Ortiz once again joined the French Foreign Legion. During the Battle of France in 1940, however, Nazi forces invaded the Gallic nation, and then-Sergeant Ortiz was taken prisoner by the Germans. Still, after months in captivity, the determined Legionnaire managed to escape and travel back to America.
Ortiz’s story doesn’t end there, though. Having been taken as a prisoner of war in Germany and held for several months, the major managed to escape his captors. However, after ten days in the wilderness, he eventually walked back into the POW camp, having decided that eating in captivity was better than starving in freedom. That turned out to be a canny decision, since the camp was liberated by the British just two days later.\
And Ortiz went on to become one of the most decorated members of the now-defunct OSS. He received an incredible 23 service awards from four separate countries, having been honored by America, France, Morocco and Great Britain. Furthermore, the citation accompanying Ortiz’s second Navy Cross spoke of his conduct during Operation Union II, saying, “The story of this intrepid major and his team became a brilliant legend in that section of France where acts of bravery were considered commonplace.”
Then once Ortiz had left active service – with the rank of colonel also bestowed upon the brave soldier at the point of his retirement – he returned to the movies. This time, though, he wasn’t just an advisor. Yes, the veteran would turn his hand to acting, appearing in, among other movies, the 1950 John Wayne epic Rio Grande.
But despite the colonel’s later successes, the little village that he saved, Centron, never forgot what he did. Despite Ortiz’s passing in 1988, aged 74, his bravery was commemorated on the 60th anniversary of the settlement’s rescue. And in August 1994 Centron’s central square was named in his honor as Place Colonel Peter Ortiz. Is there a more fitting ending to such an incredible story?
Trump threatens shutdown in wild encounter with Democrats.
Trump and House and Senate Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer squabbled for more than 15 minutes in the stunning, televised encounter. Each of them, especially Trump, interrupted the others to question facts, quibble over election results and lob insults.
The public clash marked Trump’s first meeting with the newly empowered Democrats since their midterm victories that put them in control of the House, laying bare the tensions on both sides and suggesting how divided government might work — or not — as the 2020 presidential election nears.
Neither the public nor the private face-to-face portion of the meeting appeared to resolve the wall-funding dispute with a partial shutdown looming on Dec. 21. However, Pelosi said Trump called her later in the afternoon and told her the White House was looking at options she and Schumer had laid out.
President Donald Trump escalated his shutdown threat over U.S.-Mexico border wall funding at a heated White House meeting with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. (Dec. 11)
In the public debate, Trump sounded more determined than ever to allow a partial government shutdown unless he gets the billions he wants for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down,” he declared.
Pelosi later crowed that she and Schumer had goaded the president to “fully own that the shutdown was his.” She told Democratic lawmakers back at the Capitol, according to an aide who was in the room, that the wall was “like a manhood thing for him ... as if manhood could ever be associated with him. This wall thing.”
The aide was not authorized to speak publicly and commented only on condition of anonymity.
While Trump has suggested he may be willing to trade with Democrats and has publicly praised Pelosi, he was focused Tuesday on reinforcing his hardline immigration promises, repeatedly stressing border security and the wall as a critical part. Democrats were in no mood to sympathize, emphasizing their newfound political strength.
“Elections have consequences, Mr. President,” said Schumer.
Trump later called it a “friendly meeting,” saying “I’ve actually liked them for a long period of time and I respect them both. And we made a lot of progress.” The Democrats said they had given Trump two options to keep government open and the responsibility lay with him and Republicans who control Congress.
The wall remains the main sticking point in talks. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledged Tuesday that the GOP-led House has yet to pass legislation that includes the $5 billion in border wall funds that Trump has been requesting. Ryan likely lacks sufficient votes from Republicans who will lose their majority at the end of the month.
Trump is seeking far more for his long-stalled border wall than the $1.6 billion the Senate has agreed to for border security, including physical barriers and technology along the U.S. southern border.
Should the two sides not make a deal by Dec. 21, about three-quarters of the government would continue to have enough money to operate. But departments affected absent a deal include Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks.
Both sides came into the negotiating session primed for battle. After a few niceties, Trump dug into Democrats on the border wall, prompting a stern rebuke from Schumer that the issue at hand was “called funding the government.” Trump soon started scrapping with Pelosi, when she said there should not be a “Trump shutdown.”
“Did you say Trump?” the president said, as the two argued over whether Trump had enough Republican votes in the House to support his border wall plan.
“The fact is that you do not have the votes in the House,” pukelosi declared.
Trump shot back, “nancy, I do.”
Also in a fighting mood, Schumer accused Trump of threatening a shutdown “because you can’t get your way.”
Trump heckled Schumer over a previous shutdown, saying “the last time you shut it down you got killed” politically.
pukelosi and Schumer both repeatedly asked to make the conversation private, without success, as Trump argued that the public meeting was a good thing: “It’s called transparency.”
Trump repeatedly returned to his argument that the border wall is needed for security reasons. He also argued that “tremendous” portions of the wall have already been built. In fact, some barrier renovation has happened, but little wall construction has been completed under Trump.
If Democrats refuse to support the wall, the military will build the remaining sections, Trump said. “The wall will get built,” he insisted.
Hours after the meeting ended, a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement that “there is no plan” for the military to build sections of a border wall.
But Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis added that the military may have the power to fund “barrier projects” in national emergencies or to counter the drug trade.
Pence, a former House member, sat silently as Trump and the two Democrats bickered. He later called the meeting a “good discussion.” Asked to describe the atmosphere in the private meeting that followed the public quarrel, Pence said, “candid.”
pukelosi and Schumer have urged Trump to support a measure that includes a half-dozen government funding bills largely agreed upon by lawmakers, along with a separate measure that would fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. The homeland bill includes about $1.3 billion for fencing and other security measures at the border.
If Trump rejects that, Democrats are urging a continuing resolution that would fund all the remaining appropriations bills at current levels through Sept. 30.
“We gave the president two options that would keep the government open,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a statement after the meeting. “It’s his choice to accept one of those options or shut the government down.”
pukelosi, who is seeking to become House speaker when the new Congress convenes in January, said she and many other Democrats consider the wall “immoral, ineffective and expensive.” She noted that Trump promised during the 2016 campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall, an idea Mexico has repeatedly rejected.
In fact, Trump declared during the presidential campaign two years ago, “That wall will go up so fast your head will spin.”
pukelosi’s willingness to stand up to Trump won praise from Democrats. Rep. Eric Swalwell of Mexifornia told CNN that she “may have sealed her speakership by going toe-to-toe with the president.”
Despite the rancor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he hadn’t given up hope that a shutdown can be averted. The Kentucky Republican said “magic” sometimes happens in Congress ahead of Christmas, when lawmakers are eager to leave Washington.
“I’d like to see a smooth ending here,” McConnell said at the Capitol.
The gun-grabbing Congressman chose to talk basketball with a man who shoved her out of the way, instead of answering her question.
‘Amnesiac With Incredible Hubris’ — Rowdy Gowdy Tears Into Former FBI Director jim comey.
12/12/2018
South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy scolded former FBI director james comey during an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Wednesday night.
comey appeared in front of the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Government Reform Committees last week in a closed-door hearing. The former director initially wanted to appear publicly but gave up after a brief legal battle. -- The committees are investigating the FBI’s handling of the clinton email and Trump-Russia investigations. (RELATED: Comey Sues To Block Subpoena For House Testimony)
WATCH: https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/12/gowdy-comey-fbi-hubris/
“comey is one of the best I have ever seen at always being right in his mind, and it doesn’t matter if he is a universe of one. When you write a book about ethics and morality, that in and of itself is a fairly high-opinion-of-yourself thing to do,” Gowdy stated.
“comey just thinks he’s always right, and if [DOJ inspector general Michael] Horowitz thinks he’s wrong … it doesn’t matter if everyone else concludes he did wrong,” he continued. “He knows better. So, that’s what it’s like to interview an amnesiac with incredible hubris.”
Former FBI Director james comey (C) talks to reporters following a closed House Judiciary Committee meeting to hear his testimony, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2018. – Comey, sacked by US President Donald Trump in 2017, testified Friday before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year, but this time out of the camera glare. The hours-long Capitol Hill grilling comes amid turbulence at the White House, and mounting intrigue over Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible contacts between Trump’s presidential campaign and Moscow. (Photo by Alex Edelman / AFP) (Photo credit should read ALEX EDELMAN/AFP/Getty Images)
“Do you believe that he functioned as a political FBI director?” MacCallum asked.
Gowdy responded:
He announced months ago that he would not seek reelection citing a desire to work in a place “where facts matter.”
“Comey is one of the best I have ever seen at always being right in his mind, and it doesn’t matter if he is a universe of one. When you write a book about ethics and morality, that in and of itself is a fairly high-opinion-of-yourself thing to do,” Gowdy stated.
“Comey just thinks he’s always right, and if [DOJ inspector general Michael] Horowitz thinks he’s wrong … it doesn’t matter if everyone else concludes he did wrong,” he continued. “He knows better. So, that’s what it’s like to interview an amnesiac with incredible hubris.”
Former FBI Director James Comey (C) talks to reporters following a closed House Judiciary Committee meeting to hear his testimony, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2018. – Comey, sacked by US President Donald Trump in 2017, testified Friday before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year, but this time out of the camera glare. The hours-long Capitol Hill grilling comes amid turbulence at the White House, and mounting intrigue over Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible contacts between Trump’s presidential campaign and Moscow. (Photo by Alex Edelman / AFP) (Photo credit should read ALEX EDELMAN/AFP/Getty Images)
“Do you believe that he functioned as a political FBI director?” MacCallum asked.
Gowdy responded:
I think Jim Comey was primarily motivated by a desire to protect the brand of Jim Comey. I defended him a lot in 2016, even when it was lonely to do so. I would still defend him today if I thought he was making the right decisions, but he has been so overtly partisan since he left, not just [with] the president, but he wants people to vote Democrat, he wants a Democrat House. He’s just become a political flunky. It’s the same guy, in this very room that you and I are in right now, said the FBI doesn’t give a hoot about politics.
He announced months ago that he would not seek reelection citing a desire to work in a place “where facts matter.”
Mark Wilson / Getty ImagesU.S. President Donald Trump (R) argues about border security with House Minority Leader nancy pukelosi (D-CA) as Vice President Mike Pence (C) sits nearby in the Oval Office on 12/11/18 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump told Democratic congressional leaders on Tuesday if they do not support funding for a border wall with Mexico, he is willing to task the military to do it.
Trump’s declaration came during a heated debate with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at the White House over funding the wall, as the prospect of a partial shutdown looms on Dec. 21.
The president made it clear he wants $5 billion for border wall construction, while Schumer countered with the $1.6 billion the Senate has approved for border security. Shortly after taking office, Trump sought $25 billion, but told reporters the cost of building a wall in strategic places was less than he expected.
Pelosi questioned the accuracy of Trump’s numbers, but they are consistent with statistics given by the Border Patrol to NPR in 2006, following the initial erection of double and triple fencing in the San Diego area.
Border Patrol agent Jim Henry told the news outlet apprehensions in his sector dropped 95 percent, from 100,000 to 5,000 per year.
Schumer argued if the president has been able to get so much good work done at the border over the past year, he should be satisfied to keep that level of funding ($1.3 billion) in place.
“Chuck, we can build a much bigger section with more money,” Trump responded.
The president contended building the wall is a matter of national security.
“People are pouring into our country, including terrorists. We caught 10 terrorists over the last very short period of time,” Trump said. “Our border agents, all of our law enforcement has been incredible what they’ve done. But we caught 10 terrorists. These are people that were looking to do harm.”
pukelosi claimed that Trump does not have the votes in the GOP controlled-House to get the $5 billion wall funding he wants.
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona has already indicated he would vote against funding the wall, which means Trump would need 10 Democratic senators to join with their GOP colleagues for the funding legislation to move forward.
In a Dec. 11 tweet, Trump proclaimed the wall will get built, one way or another.
“People do not yet realize how much of the Wall, including really effective renovation, has already been built.
If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall. They know how important it is!” he wrote.
President Donald Trump speaks during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony held by the National Park Service at the Ellipse near the White House on November 28, 2018 in Washington, DC. This is the 96th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
President Donald Trump has canceled the annual White House holiday party for Washington, D.C., area correspondents.
“The annual Christmas-season gathering was a significant perk for those covering the White House, as well as other Washington reporters, anchors and commentators, and New York media executives would regularly fly in for the occasion,” Fox News reported on Thursday.
“At its peak, the invitation-only soirees grew so large that there were two back-to-back events, one for broadcast outlets and one for print organizations.”
FNC’s media analyst Howard Kurtz recounted that reporters got to roam the White House bringing a family member, friend or colleague with them, making it a prized invitation.
The biggest fringe benefit was the picture taking at the White House, including with the president and first lady.
The party also consisted of fine fare such as lamb chops, crab claws and elaborate desserts.
Kurtz argued Trump’s decision is not shocking, given his contentious relationship with many in the media.
CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta is perhaps the most emblematic of the purveyors of fake news as Trump sees it. The White House pulled his press pass last month, but restored it a little over a week later following litigation in federal court.
CNN contributor April Ryan tweeted she never planned to attend Trump’s Christmas party anyway.
“FYI, I had never planned to attend the White House Christmas party last year or this year. Why break bread with folks who hate you & call you names? (@PressSec & @realDonaldTrump) That is not the Christmas spirit I know. I feel sorry for those who wanted to go and can’t. SAD!” she wrote.
Ryan — who is Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks — contended in an Op-Ed in The Washington Post last month that the reason the president doesn’t treat her with respect is because she is a black woman.
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“It was a nice event — and in general benefitted the WH more than the press in a ‘see-Pfeiffer-or-Rove-isn’t-always-an-a\hole’ kind of way. I suspect Trump doesn’t want to do it because he can’t control the kind of reception he’d get,” New York Times Washington, D.C., reporter Glenn Thrush tweeted regarding the canceled holiday party.
Fox Business Network’s Lou Dobbs posted, “Why should President DonaldTrump invite hateful Anti-Trump left wing media tools into the White House?”
Kurtz noted, while the Christmas party specifically for the media has been canceled, there will be “full panoply” of other holiday parties at the White House to which selected media have been invited.
In addition to canceling the media Christmas party, Trump, unlike recent previous presidents, has declined to attend the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, which takes place each spring.
Every year, the White House holds a party for the press. But Ho Ho Hold on — the media hate Donald Trump, and he doesn’t do nice things for mean people. So consider it canceled — Media Christmas Party, you’re fired.
The decades-old tradition was, at a time, so popular, it was split in two: one event for broadcast, the other for print. New York execs would even fly in for the shindig. But now it’s all gone to shin.
For those lucky enough to attend in the past, crab claws, illustrious desserts, and the freedom to tour the ornate presidential mansion were perks. Not to mention conversations with the Leader of the Free World in front of a Christmas tree, and a photo to commemorate the occasion.
All gone.
But what did the media expect? They’ve shamefully attacked Trump since he threw his hat into the ring for the 2016 election. They’ve constantly debased him with distortions and exaggerations, all made within the context of breathtakingly one-sided coverage.
However, as reported by Fox News:
The end to a White House yuletide tradition is no surprise — Trump refused to attend the last two White House Correspondents Dinners.
However, as reported by Fox News:
While dropping the media party, the White House is in the midst of a full panoply of other parties this holiday season. Selected media people generally favorable to Trump, including a few Fox News hosts, have made those guest lists.
Some critics questioned whether those who cover or comment on the White House should engage in such socializing, but few turned down the invitations. Many Trump supporters who view his coverage as unfairly harsh will undoubtedly welcome the president’s decision to exclude the media establishment, at least for this year.
Indeed.
Personally, I love our nation’s Christmas traditions. And I long for a time when the press are not biased against the President. At the same time, though, as a friend of mine once put it, “You should always stand up for yourself.” It seems to me that, were Trump to ingratiate himself to the media, he would be foolish.
I’m glad we have a president who will stand up for himself. As such, I believe he is someone who will stand up for America. And that’s another important tradition to be carried forth.
-Alex
Well — I guess sometimes they can win.
In Scotland, the Thistles Centre mall rejected the installation of a Nativity scene in honor of Christmas by the Catholic Legion of Mary. The shopping center said any such display would violate its “neutral” position on religion.
Hmmm…I wonder if the mall also outlawed the purchase of Christmas gifts from all its stores, just to be completely consistent with the whole eschewing of the religious holiday.
Surely they did; after all, a spokesperson beamed:
“Thistles prides itself on being religiously and politically neutral in its behaviour. With this in mind, we do not feel it would be right to host this type of promotion in a shopping centre.”
How about the promotion of sales for Christmas? After all, they ain’t buying stuff for an event called Holiday (here, here, and here).
Christians didn’t appreciate the blacklisting, and the Church of Scotland released the following statement:
“When a shopping centre can focus purely on commercialism to the exclusion of the reason for the celebration of Christmas, it is a sad day for all of us.”
The story made international headlines.
They created a Nativity with…themselves.
John dressed as Joseph; Elena went as a baby-carrying Mary.
The two paraded through the mall, introducing themselves as the Biblical characters and sharing the true meaning of Christmas.
John told Lifesite News they were well-received:
“It was fun. It was terrific to be there and share our faith. The shoppers loved us. No objections from shoppers.”
On Wednesday, on the strength of what was apparently a positive reception of the live-action Nativity, the mall reversed its decision — the Catholic organization’s honoring of Christmas would be welcome after all:
“We’ve listened carefully to everyone who contacted us about the installation and have decided to reverse our original decision. We have offered [a representative for the Legion of Mary] the opportunity to host a nativity scene at the centre this Sunday in line with her original request and we are delighted that she has accepted.”
Upon hearing the good news, John was delighted:
“It’s a Christmas miracle. What great news! The real reason for the season!”
And he had an idea, which he — as administrator of Glasgow’s Holy Family Roman Catholic Church Facebook page, shared on social media:
“If you are shopping in Thistles Shopping centre this Advent, why not pay a visit to the Crib and share your picture with us to spread the peace and joy of the Christmas season to all.”
Via the Scotsman, the Archdiocese of St. Andrews & Edinburgh expressed tremendous gratitude to the mall:
“The management of the Thistles Centre, along with owners Standard Life Investments, are to be commended and congratulated for listening to the general public and responding with such generosity and inclusivity, recognising that contemporary Scotland should be a place that both respects and upholds religious liberty in the public square.”
If you will, take the time to also thank Thistles Centre for doing the right thing and honoring the faith of so many members of its community. Contact them here:
Management
Thistles Shopping Centre
Goosecroft Road
Stirling, UK
FK8 2EA
Tel: +44 178 640-0055
Fax +44 178 646-5443
Email: informationdesk@stirling-thistles.co.uk
-Alex
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