Free Republic

I guess it’s time for women to duck and cover, at least according to the mainstream media. For months now, left leaning news sources and politicians have been preaching the existence of the GOP’s “War on Women.” In actuality, it’s nothing but a blatant attempt to pander to women voters. Under the liberal version of “war,” Republicans have been busy targeting women by “denying” us free birth control, aiming to restrict abortion, and defunding Planned Parenthood. However, if that’s what war means these days, then call me a pacifist. Fighting against a socially liberal agenda isn’t exactly the textbook definition...

I like superhero movies just as much as the next person. Ok, maybe more than the next person. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that I was one of the first in line for The Avengers movie last Friday night. Besides a brief cameo by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, I can say the movie exceeded my expectations. However, as I walked out of the theater, still reeling from the 3D action scenes and suspense, a question popped into my head. What if politicians were a bit more like The Avengers? No, I’m not expecting Barney Frank...

When I was younger, I loved to read. At one point, I basically devoured a book a day. By the time I was 8 years old, I was flipping through To Kill a Mockingbird. However, despite the plethora of novels I had at my fingertips, I still liked to read “the classics;” books by Shel Silverstein, Carolyn Keene, and Dr. Seuss. For years, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss was at the top of my list of favorite books. The story tells the tale of the “Lorax,” a whimsical, environmentally-conscious creature who speaks out about how increasing industrialization has led to...

“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.” These words, famously spoken by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope struck me on the morning of March 1st as I obsessively clicked the refresh button on my computer. I fervently hoped that perpetually restoring my Google Chrome browser would eventually produce a different result. However, this truly was a case of desperate insanity. I finally accepted the horrible news I had discovered plastered all over the internet. Conservative icon Andrew Breitbart passed away on February 29th, 2012 at the age of 43....

Recently, Hayley White, a 29-year-old mother in the UK rushed to her son, Elliot’s, school in the middle of the day only to find him confused and in tears. Most would assume that Elliot had gotten into a fight at school, had been caught cheating, or engaged in some other cliché’-worthy schoolboy activity. Well, the majority is wrong. On that cold February day, Hayley learned that her son had been labeled a “racist” by school administrators. Earlier that day, the inquisitive boy asked a fellow classmate, “Are you brown because you come from Africa?” Now, had Elliot been a 19-year-old...

While in Washington DC for CPAC 2012, Brandon, Kelsey and I decided to take a walking tour of our nation’s capital in the frigid February weather. As we strolled down K Street, we (somewhat intentionally) stumbled upon Occupy DC’s encampment at McPherson Park. While Kelsey and I at first kept a safe distance by taking pictures of the movement’s signs from across the street, Brandon marched boldly into the center of the camp. After several minutes, Brandon was nowhere to be found, so Kelsey and I decided to search for our fellow CR. Considering the environment, we had no idea...

When I was younger I was constantly in a fight with at least one of my siblings. When we both got caught in our collective wrongdoing, the first words out of our mouths were “He (or she) did it!” My younger siblings and I were often incapable of taking responsibility for our own actions, but this isn’t unheard of. In fact, the “blaming” phase of childhood is one that we all have experienced. Personal responsibility and acceptance of consequences come later. Children aren’t expected to automatically take personal responsibility; they must learn to accept it. Unfortunately, however, many Americans have...

Every once in a while, I can’t resist indulging in a sleeve of hot, crispy McDonald’s French fries. Not even Michelle Obama can resist the attractive allure of the crispy spuds. However, that doesn’t stop her from trying to curb the desires of her fellow Americans. I can only assume that the First Lady’s stint in office will long be characterized by her perpetual battle against America’s increasing waistline. Her attempt to halt the increasing health concerns of overweight Americans is certainly a noble cause, but her methods (unsurprisingly) are not always acceptable within the confines of a classical liberal...

On the cusp of the Iowa Caucus, the debate as to whether winnability should factor into voter decision making rages on. Should I sacrifice principles and values for a candidate’s greater probability at electoral success? Or should I vote for the candidate with whom my values most closely align, regardless of their poll numbers? More often than not it seems that the answer to the former question is “yes.” A candidate’s capability for success is attractive to the voter whose only goal is to see Barack Obama reenter private society in 2013. However, the strong desire to remove our current...

Yes America, There is a Santa Claus By: Amy Lutz In 1897, a young girl named Virginia wrote a letter to The New York Sun, asking if Santa Claus did in fact exist. Newsman Francis Pharcellus Church responded with a now-famous editorial entitled “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.” Virginia worried, since she had neither seen Santa Claus nor did she possess tangible proof of his existence, that the jolly man was not real. Francis Church reminded Virginia, and all of us, that seeing is not believing. We must first have faith and believe in the existence of Santa...