Problematic

‘Truth Rising’ Film Dedicated in Memory of Charlie Kirk

Since the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk on the afternoon of September 10, friends, fans and followers of the late Turning Point USA founder have been encouraging like minded individuals to honor his memory by living as he did – fearlessly, faithfully and courageously.

This is why Focus on the Family has decided to dedicate Friday’s release on X of the ministry’s newest film, Truth Rising, in memory of the slain 31-year-old Christian activist.

“This past weekend, thousands honored Charlie Kirk – a husband, father and follower of Christ who lived with courage and conviction,” reflected Focus president, Jim Daly. “That same spirit beats at the heart of ‘Truth Rising,’ a film that tells the stories of brave believers who choose conviction over comfort in the face of cultural pressure.”

Charlie’s public outreach began with an op-ed on Breitbart in 2012 when he was just 18 years of age in which he extolled conservative ideals. A producer at Fox News was impressed and intrigued. Charlie’s first appearance on the cable network then led to an invitation to speak at Benedictine University.

It was at the Lisle, Illinois school where Charlie met Bill Montgomery. Impressed with his substance and presentation, Bill told him, “I don’t know you, but you need to start an organization to reach out to young people with your message.”

Bill and Charlie got to know one another and went on to co-found Turning Point USA that same year.

From the beginning, Charlie Kirk was never afraid to speak up or stand up to forces threatening our country and its founding principles. He pushed against the elites, ignored the critics, engaged the opposition, talked openly and regularly – and let his good example inspire others to do the same.

That’s precisely what many of those featured in Truth Rising have done over the years. In the face of controversy and threats, against long odds and despite being ridiculed on the public stage, stalwarts of the faith have withstood the fire and by doing so, sowed seeds of truth.

Hosted by the beloved apologist Os Guinness and Colson Center president John Stonestreet, viewers are treated to the incredible and courageous story of Christian baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop here in Colorado. You’ll also learn about the extraordinary journey of Chloe Cole and the inspiring convictions of the Babylon Bee’s Seth Dillon.

It’s our hope and prayer that by releasing Truth Rising on X on Friday, social media users on the global platform will be challenged and convinced to reconsider the many lies that have been peddled by radical activists over the years.

Even better, we hope and pray that it will propel you to action and live with the grit and gumption of Charlie Kirk.

“We need you to join us right now,” urged Jim Daly. “If you have an X account, search for Focus on the Family and share the film with everyone you know. Let’s make ‘Truth Rising’ not just a movie, but a movement.”

Image from Getty.

Jay Leno on Wife with Dementia: ‘I Like Taking Care of Her’

Even outside Christian circles, the trajectory of Jay and Mavis Leno’s dating relationship would be considered unusual.

Meeting at Los Angeles’ “Comedy Store” in the late 1970s, Jay Leno, who didn’t drink, offered his new love interest $35 instead of buying her something from the bar.

“Look, let me give you the money, and you can buy a blouse or something,” he told her. “I don’t want to buy you a drink.”

As their dating relationship progressed and Jay fell in love, he became concerned that Mavis didn’t have any safety net in the event something happened to him.

“I had this insurance policy, and I thought if something happened to me, my girlfriend wouldn’t be covered, but if we’re married, we’re covered,” he told People Magazine. “So we might as well get married. Not the most romantic.”

Mavis, who described herself as a feminist, hadn’t even considered tying the knot.

“I always had this idea that I would never get married,” she once shared. “But with Jay, I began to realize that this was the first time I was ever with someone where I had a perfect, calm sense of having arrived at my destination.”

Now at 75 years-old, Jay Leno has been retired from The Tonight Show since 2014. He’s continued to perform as a stand-up comic upwards of 200 times a year and hosts a show on YouTube called “Jay Leno’s Garage.” He owns more than 250 antique and exotic automobiles and is known to enjoy tinkering with and driving many of them.

The former late-night host recently sat down with podcaster Graham Belsinger and talked at length about his life, including his 44-year marriage to Mavis.

“I always tell people, marry the person you wish you could be,” Jay offered. “And that’s why if I married another self-centered person who was funny, one of us would die. My wife does a lot of charity work and things like that. And it worked out great. I married the person that had the ideals I wish I had.”

Mavis Leno is now suffering from dementia. How has that changed the Lenos’ marriage?

“I go home, I cook dinner for her, watch TV. And it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s basically what we did before, except now I have to feed her and do all those things. But I like it. I like taking care of her. I think somewhere in my life, she’s a very independent woman. So I like that I’m needed. You know, and I need to be there.”

In another interview last May, Jay told a reporter that Mavis has been his best friend.

“We have a lot of fun. People say marriage is difficult. I don’t get it. I enjoy her company. I enjoy taking care of her. We have fun. She’s the most independent woman I ever knew. Again, I just couldn’t be prouder of her. I am part of her legacy and that’s what I’m proudest of.”

While Jay Leno has suggested his faith has kept him going, he hasn’t spoken or reflected publicly about how or what that faith means to him.

Both Jay’s and Mavis’ reflection about her “feminism” and “independence” are telling and instructive. The empty promises of both are exposed and revealed in the Leno story. Mavis almost never got married because of feminism, and Jay was almost deprived of the honor and fulfillment of serving his wife because of her otherwise stubborn streak.

It’s estimated that over seven million Americans are suffering from some form of dementia, a crippling and cruel disease that robs individuals of not only their memories, but sometimes their personalities, too. This condition hits the individual, of course, but it also severely impacts spouses, children, grandchildren and other caregivers.

Mavis Leno and all those suffering from memory loss are deserving of our prayers, as well as their caretakers like Jay and all the spouses, children, and professional healthcare workers committed to serving others with compassion, dignity and respect.

Jay Leno makes his living telling jokes, but there is nothing funny about the challenges he faces as a husband. But his public proclamation of support and devotion to Mavis is honorable, refreshing and inspiring – and undoubtedly, his finest act yet.

Image from Getty.

The Absolute Awfulness of Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s, the Vermont-based ice cream company known for its eclectic flavors and liberal causes, is openly cheering for the death of its future customer base.

Earlier this month the company, which is owned by Unilever, hailed and feted abortion providers on a day set aside to champion the evil and wicked profession.

Over the years, Ben and Jerry’s has lobbied for a wide range of social issues and often by designating a new ice cream flavor so-named as to call ongoing attention to it. 

There’s been “Rainforest Crunch” to save the rainforest, “One Sweet Whirled” to bring attention to the ever-changing climate, and “Yes Pecan!” which played off of then candidate Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can!” campaign slogan. “Hubby Hubby,” “Apple-y Ever After” and “EngageMint Party” all applauded the legalization of same-sex “marriage” either here in the United States or abroad.

The company is yet to concoct an abortion-themed ice cream flavor, but on March 10th’s “National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day,” they went all out sharing their reasons for supporting the designation.

Ben & Jerry’s trotted out the usual debunked claims, such as pro-life laws jeopardizing the health of mothers. They conveniently ignored the fact that every abortion kills a child and jeopardizes the health and even life of the mother. 

The company also suggested another reason they support abortion is because “communities of color are disproportionately impacted.” They’re not wrong – but almost inconceivably claim it’s because pro-life laws are making it more difficult for black women to get healthcare due to “systemic racism.” 

Of course, what they fail to mention is that the most dangerous place in the world for a black baby is the womb. In short, abortion is killing the black community. In fact, of the more than 60 million babies aborted since Roe in 1973, over 20 million of those children have been black. That’s over a third of all abortions, even though just over 13% of the American population is black.

Ben and Jerry’s also defended their support of abortion because they claim abortion providers are being attacked and murdered. To buttress this claim, they cite statistics from over 50 years.

Tragically, rare violent or disruptive acts have occurred over the years. They’re never acceptable, and normal pro-life supporters never condone them. It hasn’t even been clear who was responsible for some of them.

The ice cream maker failed to mention that hundreds of pregnancy medical clinics and even churches have been firebombed and vandalized since the Supreme Court overturned Roe in June of 2022.

But has Unilever, which acquired Ben and Jerry’s back in 2000, finally had enough of the company’s radical social agenda?

Earlier this week in a Manhattan federal court lawsuit filing, the ice cream maker accused Unilever of suppressing their “social mission” and planning to fire Ben & Jerry CEO Dave Stever for his devotion to various liberal causes.

According to reports, Unilever has objected to Ben & Jerry’s support for Palestinian Hamas activist Mahmoud Khalil, and, among other concerns, its desire to criticize President Trump in advertisements.

When Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield sold their company to Unilever back in 2000 for $326 million, they negotiated an arrangement where the ice cream liberals would be allowed to continue their liberalism. It’s now up to the courts to decide who actually has the final authority in company advertising – but it’s the customers who will have the ultimate say when it comes to who buys and eats their ice cream.

Thankfully, those of us who love the sweet treat have plenty of other non-radical, non-abortion-cheering, non-smug, and unsanctimonious ice cream makers to choose from. 

Image from Shutterstock.

Raising Cane’s Founder: ‘God Made Me Good at Chicken Fingers to Help People’

Todd Graves, co-founder of the chicken tender Raising Cane’s restaurant empire, managed to convert a poor college grade into a multi-billion-dollar thriving business.

His secret?

“I believe God made me good at chicken fingers to help people,” he’s said. “I think God makes us all good at what we’re doing, ultimately, to help people.”

A devout Christian, Graves calls himself, “CEO, Fry Cook, and Cashier of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.”

As a student at Louisianna State University in the early 1990s, Graves and classmate Craig Silvey submitted a business plan in a class detailing their idea for a singularly focused chicken tender business. The professor wasn’t impressed, accused them of not doing enough research, and gave them a B- for the paper – the lowest in the class.

Only Graves had done the work.

“I’d basically written the Bible on a chicken finger restaurant,” he told Inc. “I even knew what our aprons would cost.”

Despite the negative feedback from his professor, Graves was determined to make the mere idea a reality. Banks didn’t seem to believe in the idea either. So after graduation, Todd took a job as a boilermaker at an oil refinery – and then headed to Alaska to fish for salmon. Both roles were tons of work and highly lucrative, allowing the budding entrepreneur to sock away money he’d use to open the chicken business.

Moving back to Louisiana, Todd and Craig opened the first “Raising Cane’s” just outside the entrance of LSU in Baton Rouge. He named the restaurant after his yellow Labrador Retriever, “Cane.”

Like many small business owners, Cane’s grew but struggled. Hurricane Katrina almost put the company under, both literally and figuratively. But they were able to bounce back and actually gained market share as other businesses remained closed. The COVID pandemic was another struggle – and opportunity for growth.

Looking back, Todd Graves credits his attitude of seeing his work as an opportunity to serve others for helping the company experience such growth.

In fact, Graves has established an entire department within the company called “Cane’s Love” as a means by which to express appreciation to their employees They send out over 4,000 thank you cards per week, have a generous benevolence fund for special needs, and provide tuition assistance.

Scripture has a lot to say about our work.

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3) urged Solomon. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” wrote the apostle Paul (Col. 3:23).

Gallup has recently found that only 23% of the global workforce is what they term “engaged.” Most employees aren’t quitting or finding other employment – they’re simply just doing enough to get by and then go and collect their paycheck.

It might seem as though the God of the universe has more important things than to specially gift a guy on how best to prepare and sell chicken fingers. But it’s in the details of life, and using the hands and feet of His people, where the Lord often accomplishes His purposes.

Every Raising Cane’s employee receives a hard hat on their first anniversary. It’s a nod to Todd’s work as a boiler maker, the half of the hustle that helped him raise the dollars to launch the first store. The helmet also serves as a reminder that God’s work can sometimes be hard even as we help others.

Image credit: Todd Graves/Instagram

Stephen Miller, Civics Teacher

The American public is in a desperate need of a strong civics education.

According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, only 22% of 8th grade students were deemed “proficient” in civics and just 13% in history.

This spells trouble for not only America today, but the future stability and sustainability of the nation going forward.

It was Abraham Lincoln who warned, “The philosophy of the schoolhouse in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next.”

But every now and again individuals emerge on the national stage who possess an ability to teach while they talk. 

Enter Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and United States homeland security advisor. 

According to The New York Times, Stephen Miller is “one of the most powerful unelected people in America.”

Of late, media outlets have been using the “unelected” moniker a lot, presumably a reaction to individuals and perspectives they don’t appreciate. Questioned about Elon Musk’s “unelected” role in the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Miller assumed the role of teacher.

“Many people in this room who have used this talking point that Elon is not elected fail to understand how government works,” he said from the White House briefing room. 

He continued,

“A president is elected by the whole American people. He’s the only official in the entire government that is elected by the entire nation, right? Judges are appointed. Members of Congress are elected at the district or state level. The Constitution, Article II has a clause known as the Vesting Clause. And it says the executive power shall be vested in a president, singular. The whole will of democracy is imbued into the elected president. That president then appoints staff to then impose that democratic will onto the government.” 

Miller is correct that every administration and nearly the whole of government is populated by unelected citizens.

He went on to warn, “The threat to democracy, indeed the existential threat to democracy, is the unelected bureaucracy of lifetime-tenured civil servants who believe they answer to no one, who believe they can do whatever they want without consequence, who believe they can set their own agenda no matter what Americans vote for.”

Stephen Miller, who is 39 years of age, was born and raised in California. He’s said the former NRA CEO’s Wayne LaPierre’s book, Guns, Crime, and Freedom, helped him shape his conservative world view. He started in talk radio as a teenager and began appearing on Larry Elder’s show. He graduated from Duke University with a degree in political science.

Known for his aggressive commentary, edgy and maybe even impatient temperament, Miller first worked for Representative Michelle Bachmann and then Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. He also worked in the first Trump administration. 

Earlier this week, Stephen Miller defended President Trump’s decision to deport Venezuelan gang members of Tren de Aragua, a foreign terrorist organization, under the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798. Here’s what he told CNN’s Kasie Hunt:

The president of the United States and his administration reserve all rights under the Constitution to conduct national security operations in defense of the United States. The Alien Enemies Act, which was passed into law by the founding generation of this country, men like John Adams, was written explicitly to give the president the authority to repel an alien invasion of the United States.

When the president is exercising his Article 2 powers to defend the country against an invasion or to repel a foreign terrorist that is unlawfully in the country, he’s exercising his core Article 2 powers as commander in chief.

Both President Trump and Stephen Miller’s interpretations of some of our founding principles are being challenged on various legal fronts – and right up to the United States Supreme Court. Time will tell how those play out, but for now American citizens who are following the news are receiving an almost daily civics lesson – and that is always a good thing.

Image from Getty.