It is time for Christians individually and corporately to repent for the way we and our institutions responded to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Blaming people for contracting a catchy virus has been one of many widely deployed COVID manipulation tactics. That has shifted into blaming people for dying of a catchy virus after they decided their risks from taking the vaccines outweighed their risks from catching the disease.
Christian teaching diametrically opposes the underlying theology pushed in such articles and in many other popular COVID narratives. That’s true despite the appearance generated by the majority of Western churches prioritizing obedience to men instead of to God by shutting themselves down over COVID-19. Doing so contradicts numerous clear commands of scripture.
It’s a mark of the weakness of the Western church that more church leaders have not proclaimed this to the world by now. They’ve left standing for basics of the faith to the far too few strong pastors such as John MacArthur and Mark Dever. Let’s go through a few of these clear biblical teachings that even this theologically basic laywoman knows thanks to parents who read the Bible to her growing up and excellent pastoral instruction since then.
God Decides When We Die, Not COVID
For one thing, Christians believe that life and death belong entirely to God. There is nothing we can do to make our days on earth one second longer or shorter: “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be,” says the Psalmist. “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s,” says Saint Paul in Romans 14:8.
For another thing, for Christians, death is good. Yes, death is also an evil — its existence is a result of sin. But, thanks be to God, Jesus Christ has redeemed even death. In his resurrection, Christ has transformed death into a portal to eternal life for Christians. What Satan meant for evil, God has transformed into good.
Verse three of the 1540 Dutch hymn, “In God, My Faithful God,” beautifully expresses this timeless theology:
If death my portion be, It brings great gain to me; It speeds my life’s endeavor To live with Christ forever. He gives me joy in sorrow, Come death now or tomorrow.
The Christian faith makes it very clear that death, while sad to those left behind and a tragic consequence of human sin, is now good for all who believe in Christ. A Christian funeral is a cause for rejoicing, albeit understandably through tears from those of us temporarily left behind.
“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord,” says 2 Corinthians 5:8. This is not a small or unclear doctrine. It is repeated over and over again in scripture. It flatly rejects the heathen idea that death is to be avoided at any cost.
‘To Live Is Christ; To Die Is Gain’
Our Christian heritage also rejects the avoidance of death at any cost by venerating the millions of martyrs we honor precisely for choosing to confess Christ despite the indescribable costs to them of comfort, health, and life itself.
Still today, our brothers and sisters are routinely martyred in countries like Communist China. In the Middle East, Christians are raped and ethnically cleansed to punish their beliefs. It’s time for we comparatively comfortable Westerners to despise the shame and get back to running our race like their fellow Christians, not cowards.
As the Apostle Paul proclaimed, “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He, of course, himself went on to make good on that statement with a martyr’s death.
If he can do that, we can go to our safe, air-conditioned churches and worship. We can even go to the hospital rooms and bedrooms of those dying with infectious diseases and love them to the end, like the imitations of our Master Christians have boldly shown themselves to be for centuries, putting pagans to shame.
The Path to Destruction Is Very, Very Popular
The Christian church has always faced a stronger prospect of suffering and death because “the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” We are instructed to be, not driven by “consensus” and social comfort, but the truth as God has given it to us in His Word.
Christ our Lord says in the 10th chapter of Matthew, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” It is this commanded, holy fear of God before all others that motivates not just the noble martyrs but all Christians today who decline to obey the rulers whose commands contradict God’s.
Jesus is direct about what obeying Him, rather than men, can cost. He endured the worst of this cost Himself. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you,” Jesus says in John. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”
A bit later in that gospel, Jesus again emphasizes: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” To put it simply, people who want an effort-free, comfort-filled life need to fight that to be Christians.
Christians are explicitly called to spurn pagans’ approval, advice, and beliefs for the sake of our souls: “Enter by the narrow gate,” Christ says in Matthew. “For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Where Is Hope in Crisis? Give Me Jesus!
In a time of crisis, what do people need most? Christians believe the answer to that is: Jesus. Not food, not water, not even health. First and foremost, we need Jesus.
This is why, for example, it has been the historic practice of the Christian church for pastors to bring the Sacraments to the sick and dying. Our faithful fathers and mothers knew that, while God certainly works through doctors and scientists, the most important work, one that belongs utterly to Him, is the “medicine of immortality.”
It is this medicine that we sacramentalists crave and receive each Sunday. It is why there is for us no such thing as “Zoom church.” Church is not church without Jesus, and where has Jesus promised to be? “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Where else has Jesus promised to be? In his Word and Holy Communion. We can’t get those at home by ourselves. That’s why we’re commanded to “not forsak[e] the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Hebrews 10:25).
To forsake assembling for worship also breaks the Third Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” We break this commandment, says Martin Luther’s catechism, when we “despise or neglect God’s Word,” which means “failing to gather together in worship to receive God’s Word and Sacraments” and “rejecting or disregarding God’s Word.”
Repent Now, Because We All Could Die Any Moment
“How few are we within Thy fold, Thy saints by men forsaken! True faith seems quenched on every hand, Men suffer not Thy Word to stand; Dark times have us oe’rtaken,” laments Luther in one of his Reformation hymns. “…May God root out all heresy And of false teachers rid us.”
Sin destroys faith. It is time for Christians individually and corporately to repent for the way we and our institutions responded to the COVID-19 outbreak. Our refusal to preach and obey the clear teachings of the Bible amid the world’s panic have betrayed Our Lord.
Thanks be to God, there’s a way out for us. It’s the same as for Saint Peter, the coward Christ transformed into a lion. That way out is repentance! Then let us rejoice and sin no more.
California’s attorney general announced his office is opening an investigation into the oil pipeline leak in Huntington Beach. During a press conference Monday, Rob Bonta discussed the probe into what caused the major crude oil spill.
His announcement came as state and city officials reopened beaches to surfers as well as swimmers after they had been closed for over a week due to the leak. Water quality tests reportedly showed no detectable levels of oil-associated toxins on the shoreline.
Bonta said depending on what the investigation turns up, charges will be filed if the law was broken. He has confirmed oil company Amplify Energy is at the center of his investigation.
“We also wanted to know how this happened, who knew and when,” stated the state attorney general. “That’s why today I’m announcing that the California Department of Justice is investigating the oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach. Our investigation will determine the facts and who is ultimately responsible. If our laws were violated, we will hold those responsible accountable.”
The oil spill off of Huntington Beach is an environmental disaster for our fish & wildlife, our communities, & our economy.
The U.S. Coast Guard revealed the underwater pipeline, which caused the oil spill off the coast of Southern California, was initially damaged several months to a year ago. In a press conference on Friday, officials said video evidence shows the pipeline was intact in October 2020, but has since moved 150 feet. The investigation has, so far, revealed a ship’s anchor dragged the pipeline, but it wasn’t the only factor which contributed to the rupture.
“When I say multiple incidents, we know that the oil spill started occurring later, at least was noticed later, than several months ago,” announced Capt. Jason Neubauer, U.S. Coast Guard. “So there could be contributing incidents down the line, either anchor strikes or geological events.”
The oil spill created an environmental disaster, which threatened marine life and impacted coastal communities. Coast Guard officials said the investigation is still underway and will now focus on vessel movement above the pipeline over the past year.
Last week, Coast Guard Capt. Rebecca Ore confirmed about 4,000 feet of the pipeline, located off the coast of Huntington Beach, was somehow moved. She added, they also spotted a split in the line at the bend’s peak.
Meanwhile, Amplify Energy President Martyn Willsher said it’s rare for a pipeline to move the way it did. He asserted that he will not speculate about the cause, but will wait for a full investigation to determine the factors.
More than 140,000 gallons of oil spilled out of the pipeline since the rupture was first discovered. The spill caused serious ecological impacts and a major disaster declaration was requested for Orange County. Officials said cleaning up the spill was considered a high priority.
Some people are also still questioning whether Amplify Energy was aware of the problem before reporting it to the public. Federal and state laws require immediate notification of spills and pipeline safety regulators reported the time of the incident at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, even though the pipeline wasn’t shut off until around 6 a.m. that same day.
Meanwhile, California congressman is now pushing to preserve natural resources following the massive oil spill. Rep. Mike Levin (D) surveyed the damage on Monday. He said it’s inconceivable to keep drilling off the California coast considering it doesn’t make up that much oil for the country as a whole. The lawmaker also said there are only 23 active oil rigs in a 200-mile span.
“Why in the world are we drilling for oil out here in this beautiful place with millions and millions of people?” asked the Democrat lawmaker. “And our entire coastal tourism economy, the thousands and thousands of jobs directly linked to having clean beaches and clean water…it’s just inconceivable to me that we would keep drilling for oil.”
Levine reiterated he has authored legislation, which would end all new offshore oil drilling off California’s coast.
SKyTruth analysis of MSC Danit (world's biggest container ship in 2009) using AIS data from @exactEarth shows it repeatedly crossed damaged pipeline off Huntington Beach while "at anchor." Detail in our FB post at https://t.co/Sloxk6O9qFpic.twitter.com/22KLPXnEr5
Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard will be questioning the owner and operator of an MSC Mediterranean shipping company cargo ship in connection with the spill. Authorities boarded the vessel in the Port of Long Beach on Saturday, suspecting it was responsible for dragging its anchor across the ocean floor and rupturing the Southern California Pipeline.
As a result, officials said the owner of MSC Danit and the Dordellas Finance Corporation were named as parties of interest. The cargo ship is just one of several ships under investigation as the probe continues.
A tale of two drugs. One has become the standard of care at an astronomical cost despite studies showing negative efficacy, despite causing severe renal failure and liver damage, and despite zero use outpatient. The other has been safely administered to billions for river blindness and now hundreds of millions for COVID throughout the world and has turned around people at death’s doorstep for pennies on the dollar. Yet the former – remdesivir – is the standard of care forced upon every patient, while the latter – ivermectin – is scorned and banned in the hospitals and de facto banned in most outpatient settings. But according to the NIH, a doctor has the same right to use ivermectin as to use remdesivir. And it’s time people know the truth.
Although the NIH and the FDA didn’t officially approve ivermectin as standard of care for COVID, it is listed on NIH’s website right under remdesivir as “Antiviral Agents That Are Approved or Under Evaluation for the Treatment of COVID-19.” It is accorded the same status, the same sourcing for dosage recommendations, and the same monitoring advice as remdesivir … except according to NIH’s own guidance, remdesivir has a much greater potential for severe reactions in the very organs at stake in a bout with acute COVID.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the details.
As you can see, they admit that remdesivir causes renal and liver failure! One of the symptoms is “ALT and AST elevations,” which are indications of liver damage. Is that really the drug you want when someone is at risk for a cytokine storm and thrombosis? They even have a monitoring requirement for these side effects. Also, it does have some drug interactions as well.
Now, let’s move on to the ivermectin side effects.
Notice how the NIH is essentially saying it has no side effects by the fact that it prefaces the section by noting the drug is “generally well tolerated,” a distinction not accorded to remdesivir. Then it proceeds to list the same boilerplate GI and nausea warnings on every drug under the sun. There are almost no drug interactions and ZERO specific guidance for monitoring!
Just looking at the NIH’s own table, why in the world would remdesivir be the expensive mandatory standard of care and ivermectin, buttressed by 64 studies, be relegated to hemlock status even for patients about to die and with no other options?
Yes, we get the message – every one of those studies is supposedly low-powered, a fraud, and all the thousands of doctors turning people around on ivermectin are some how frauds even though they have nothing to gain and everything to lose from pushing it. But if that is our standard for ivermectin, it raises the obvious question about remdesivir. How could remdesivir not only be approved but made the standard of care when it has negative efficacy in trials, has a negative recommendation from the WHO, and, by the NIH’s own admission, causes liver and kidney failure?
Even if the medical establishment dismisses the preponderance of evidence and reality of the past 18 months, with ivermectin saving so many people, just from a safety standpoint, why would they not allow people to at least try something this safe while forcing on them a dangerous drug like remdesivir? In addition, these are the same hospitals that administer Olumiant, which has a rare FDA black box warning for blood clots, even though these very patients are at high risk for a pulmonary embolism and other clotting disorders?
In other words, there is no way anyone can justify the war on ivermectin (and every other cheap treatment that has been and will be proposed) as being rooted in anything related to medicine and science. If that were the case, the medical establishment would be dead set against remdesivir and Olumiant. Moreover, to the extent remdesivir has any efficacy that is worth its risk, it would be outpatient during the viral stage. There is quite literally no scientific way remdesivir can work in the pulmonary inflammation stage. Unlike ivermectin, which tones down inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1beta and IL-10 as well as tumor necrosis factor alpha, remdesivir has no anti-inflammatory qualities.
Gee, is there any wonder hospitals will fight patients in court – including those whom they already recommend to remove from life support – to not even try ivermectin as a last resort?! So much for the desire to flatten the curve of hospitalizations. They want people in the hospital! If they really cared about the run on hospitals, they’d promote treatments that work early and outpatient so that nobody would need to come to the hospital.
Here’s one other strong piece of evidence that this is not about any shortcoming of ivermectin, but stems from unrelenting war on anything off patent that might work, in order to run interference for expensive, dangerous, and ineffective tools of big pharma. Let’s go back to that NIH chart of potential antiviral drugs for COVID. There is actually a third one on that list aside from remdesivir and ivermectin.
Nitazoxanide, much like ivermectin, is a (potentially) cheap off-patent anti-parasitic that has been praised for years as a very safe, broad-spectrum anti-parasitic mechanism and is written about glowingly in studies. And it actually has an even longer and more direct precedent of research and clinical use against viruses than even ivermectin. It is the standard of care for norovirus and rotavirus in Brazil and has shown promise against not just flus and hepatitis, but coronavirus colds, SARS, and MERS. This research has been known even in the media for well over a year! Gee, we have an antiviral that is so safe it’s given to young kids for viral diarrhea and has been known to work against coronaviruses. Yet our government has refused to pursue any meaningful research for 18 months!
Originally, it was as cheap as ivermectin, but one company seems to have bought it up, and now it is prohibitively expensive in the U.S. However, were the government to promote it, this off-patent drug could easily be mass-produced for pennies on the dollar and costs just a few dollars for a full regimen in Mexico and Brazil.
Notice that, just like with ivermectin, the NIH prefaces the side effects section on nitazoxanide by saying it is “generally well tolerated” and then proceeds to list the boilerplate of typical minor side effects that are disclosed for every drug under the sun. Anyone merely looking at this NIH page alone can see how the government and medical establishment’s treatment of remdesivir vs. every other therapeutic that has been tried is built upon control, greed, and something much darker than that. Now, just remember, these are the same people who will look you in the eye and say the shots are 100% effective and carry zero risk. It’s all in the $cience. What is self-evident from the NIH’s disclosure, which was updated as late as July 2021, is that ivermectin and nitazoxanide work for a lot more than just parasites. It’s primarily the political parasites that fear that those drugs.
Colin Powell, the first black secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, died Monday at age of 84
His family announced his passing on Facebook and said it was ‘due to complications from Covid 19’ despite being ‘fully vaccinated’
When diagnosed with COVID, Powell was already battling blood cancer and living with Parkinson’s
Powell is, to this day, the only black man to have ever served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – appointed by George H. W. Bush and serving two years into Bill Clinton’s presidency
He rose in the ranks of the Pentagon after first joining the military as part of ROTC during college and serving in Vietnam. He went on to serve as an Army lieutenant after graduation
After serving in multiple top-tier positions, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Powell retired as a four star general and went on to serve as Secretary of State
Powell is survived by his wife, Alma Powell, and his three children Michael, Linda and Annemarie
Alma Powell also had a breakthrough case of coronavirus
Colin Powell, the first black Secretary of State who formulated foreign policy under several presidents, died Monday morning at the age of 84 of complications from COVID.
The Pentagon powerhouse who served as a soldier in Vietnam and went on to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was fully vaccinated and battling blood cancer and Parkinson’s when he passed away at Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland, according to his family.
Retired Four-Star General Powell, who was also suffering from Parkinson’s, is survived by his wife of 59 years, Alma, and three children, and has a celebrated career that saw him rise up the military ranks after growing up in a Jamaican immigrant family in Harlem.
Alma Powell also had a breakthrough case of COVID but responded to treatment, according to reports.
President Joe Biden released a statement shortly after noon on Monday, four hours after his death was announced, commending Powell as having ‘the highest ideals of both warrior and diplomat’ and commemorating his humble beginnings.
He also ordered all US flags across government buildings and military posts nationwide to fly half staff until October 22.
‘Jill and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and a patriot of unmatched honor and dignity, General Colin Powell,’ Biden said. ‘The son of immigrants, born in New York City, raised in Harlem and the South Bronx, a graduate of the City College of New York, he rose to the highest ranks of the United States military and to advise four presidents. He believed in the promise of America because he lived it. And he devoted much of his life to making that promise a reality for so many others.’
‘As a Senator, I worked closely with him when he served as National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as Secretary of State. Over our many years working together – even in disagreement – Colin was always someone who gave you his best and treated you with respect.’
The first black Secretary of State, Colin Powell (left), died Monday at the age of 84 due to complications from COVID-19. He is leaving behind his wife, Alma (right), who also had a breakthrough case of coronavirusPowell is survived by his wife Alma (pictured) and three children – Michael, Linda and Annemarie. He and Alma met while Powell was stationed in Fort Devens, Massachusetts and got married in 1962
He listed off Powell’s numerous accomplishments both on and off the battlefield, adding: ‘Above all, Colin was my friend. Easy to share a laugh with. A trusted confidant in good and hard times. He could drive his Corvette Stingray like nobody’s business—something I learned firsthand on the race track when I was Vice President. And I am forever grateful for his support of my candidacy for president and for our shared battle for the soul of the nation. I will miss being able to call on his wisdom in the future.’
Vice President Kamala Harris also commended Powell on his trailblazing career as the first black Joint Chiefs chair, Secretary of State and national security adviser.
‘What an incredible American. He obviously served with dignity, he served with grace. He was the epitome of what it means to be strong, but at the same time, so modest in terms of everything that he did and said, in a way that it was never about him and it’s about the country, and it was about the people who served with him,’ Harris told reporters aboard Air Force 2.
‘Every step of the way, when he filled those roles, he was – by everything he did and the way he did it – inspiring so many people.’
Powell’s family confirmed his death in a statement on Facebook, but didn’t mention whether he had received a booster shot. It’s also unclear when he was diagnosed with COVID or how long he was hospitalized for, but he had previously been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that impacts the body’s ability to fight infections.
‘General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from COVID’, his family’s statement said.
‘He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment. We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American.’ He served under several Republican administrations – including for Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.
Former Presidents Bush and Carter, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also led tributes from around the world to the larger-than-life figure, who rose from modest means to oversee some of the most significant foreign policy shifts across the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The American flag flies at half-staff above the White House to honor the late Secretary of State Colin Powell
American flags across the country are flying half staff on Monday to honor Powell’s passing. Joe Biden ordered them to stay at half mast until sunset on October 22
The retired four-star general’s decades-long legacy was marred by a 2003 speech to the United Nations Security Council in which he claimed Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.
‘Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell’, they said in a joint statement. ‘He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam.
‘Many Presidents relied on General Powell’s counsel and experience. He was National Security Adviser under President Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under my father and President Clinton, and Secretary of State during my administration.
‘He was such a favorite of Presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom – twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad.
‘And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend.’
The oldest living former president, Jimmy Carter, 97, also expressed his condolences for his former staffer.
‘A true patriot and public servant, we were honored to work beside him to strengthen communities in the United States, help resolve conflict in Haiti, and observe elections in Jamaica,’ Carter released in a statement. ‘His courage and integrity will be an inspiration for generations to come.’
Powell served in Carter’s Democratic administration as an executive assistant in the Energy and Defense Departments.
His first senior White House role came when Ronald Reagan appointed him to be his national security adviser.
The Reagan Foundation released a statement on Monday declaring Powell’s life to be emblematic of the ‘American Dream.’
A young 1950s Powell shown on left, and on right the most recent image of Powell on September 11, 2021 coming off the stage at the Kennedy Center after speaking at a 9/11 Commemoration concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and the United States Marine BandPowell’s family announced his death on Facebook Monday morning. They said he was fully vaccinated against coronavirusPowell (second right) poses with his wife Alma (right) and three children – Linda, Michael and Annemarie – at the White House after being appointed as National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan in 1987Linda Powell, one of Powell’s daughters, posted this touching family tribute to Instagram after her trailblazing dad’s death
It also credited Powell for helping Reagan bring an end to the Cold War.
‘With sadness, the Reagan Foundation joins the American people in mourning the loss of Gen. Colin Powell. His life story was, in many respects, a reflection of the American Dream: Raised in the South Bronx as the son of hard-working immigrants, he rose to the highest reaches of our nation’s military and political leadership,’ the late president’s foundation wrote.
‘His wise counsel was indispensable to many of President Reagan’s foreign policy triumphs – most significantly, bringing a peaceful end to the Cold War.
‘President Reagan trusted Colin Powell for his sound and honest advice on what was right for the country. He often shared with friends that he hoped one day Colin Powell would run for president and that, if he did, he would proudly vote for him.
‘Today, the Reagan Foundation is grateful for Gen. Powell’s extraordinary service, and we extend our deepest condolences to Alma and his family at this difficult time.’
The four star general was the first black secretary of State and to this day is the only black man to ever serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He served under several Republican administrations – including for Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.
Also, from 1991-1993, he served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Bill Clinton after being appointed to the post halfway through Bush Sr’s tenure.
‘Colin Powell was a courageous soldier, a skilled commander, a dedicated diplomat, and a good and decent man. The son of immigrants, he rose to the top levels of military, civilian, and non-governmental service through intelligence, character, and the ability to see the big picture and attend to the smallest details,’ Clinton said through his spokesman Angel Urena.
‘He lived the promise of America, and spent a lifetime working to help our country, especially our young people, live up to its own ideals and noblest aspirations at home and around the world. Hillary and I send our condolences to Alma, Michael, Linda, Annemarie, the entire Powell family, and all the people whose lives he touched through his service and example.’
Former President Barack Obama also weighed in, calling Powell ‘an exemplary soldier and an exemplary patriot.’
‘And although he’d be the first to acknowledge that he didn’t get every call right, his actions reflected what he believed was best for America and the people he served.’
On a personal level, Obama stated he was ‘deeply appreciative’ that Powell not only endorsed him in 2008 but ‘what impressed me more was how he did it.’
‘At a time when conspiracy theories were swirling, with some questioning my faith, General Powell took the opportunity to get to the heart of the matter in a way only he could.’
He recalled a time Powell corrected someone on Obama’s religious faith, and added, ‘What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?’
Obama continued on to say ‘That’s who Colin Powell was.’
Current Secretary of State Antony Blinken memorialized his Republican predecessor in a televised address late Monday morning.
Blinken said he was a ‘huge admirer’ of Powell’s and said the late general was always ‘very generous’ with him.
‘Secretary Powell was, simply and completely, a leader and he knew how to build a strong and united team. He treated people the way he expected them to treat each other and made sure that they knew he would always have their back – the result was that his people would walk through walls for him,’ Blinken said.
Blinken credited Powell for modernizing the State Department, working to shift American focus to diplomacy-based solutions rather than military might and establishing the Powell Doctrine for military use-of-force.
‘Colin Powell dedicated his life to public service because he never stopped believing in America, and we believe in America in no small part because it helped produce someone like Colin Powell. Thank you, Mr. Secretary,’ he concluded.
‘The world lost one of the greatest leaders we have ever witnessed,’ Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said when speaking of Powell’s passing on Monday. ‘Alma lost a great husband. And I lost a tremendous personal friend & mentor. He has been my mentor for a number of years. He always made time for me.’
‘And I can always go to him with tough issues, he always had great, great counsel,’ Biden’s top civilian military leader continued.
Austin paid tribute to the ‘first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, first African American Secretary of State, a man who was respected around the globe.’
‘It will be, quite frankly, it is not possible to replace him,’ he said. ‘We will miss him. Again, my thoughts & prayers go out to the family. And we’re deeply, deeply saddened to learn with this.’
Austin added that he feels ‘as if I have a hole in my heart.’
Despite being a lifelong Republican, Powell said in June 2020 that he was planning to vote for Joe Biden because Trump ‘drifted away’ from the Constitution and was turned off by the president’s inclination to insult ‘anybody who dares to speak against him’.
Trump responded to the criticism in a tweet at the time saying: ‘Powell, a real stiff who was very responsible for getting us into the disastrous Middle East Wars, just announced he will be voting for another stiff, Sleepy Joe Biden.’
Powell praised other retired generals who denounced the then-president – specifically in response to the protests that precipitated after the death of George Floyd.
‘I think what we’re seeing now with the most massive protest movement I have ever seen in my life, I think it suggests that the country is getting wise to this and we’re not going to put up with it anymore,’ Powell told CNN at the time.
Powell was born to Jamaican immigrants in New York City and raised in the South Bronx, according to his biography.
He first joined the military as part of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) during college and went on to serve as an Army lieutenant after graduation.
Politicians and pundits were taken back by the seemingly sudden death.
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City Mayor and personal attorney to Trump, tweeted: ‘Colin Powell was a great American and a good friend.’
‘I was one of a small, but determined group, that urged him to run for President in 1996,’ he added. ‘What if???’
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose years-long and sometimes strained relationship with Powell survived both Bush administrations, said he was ‘fortunate’ to have worked with the late Republican.
‘I’m deeply saddened to learn that America has lost a leader and statesman. General Powell had a remarkably distinguished career, and I was fortunate to work with him. He was a man who loved his country and served her long and well,’ Cheney wrote in a statement released by his daughter, GOP Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.
‘Working with him during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, I saw first-hand General Powell’s dedication to the United States and his commitment to the brave and selfless men and women who serve our country in uniform. Colin was a trailblazer and role model for so many: the son of immigrants who rose to become National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Secretary of State.
‘Lynn and I extend our prayers and profound condolences to his wife, Alma, and to their children. His legacy and unparalleled record of service will never be forgotten.’
Richard Grenell, the former Acting Director of National Intelligence under Trump, tweeted: ‘Thank you for your service, former Secretary of State Colin Powell. RIP. And a sincere thank you to your family for their sacrifices, too.’
GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a fellow military veteran, wished Powell’s family well and called the late general ‘legendary.’
‘I was surprised and saddened to hear of the passing of one of the great American leaders of any time, General Colin Powell. His service to our nation was legendary on so many fronts,’ Graham wrote in a series of Twitter posts. ‘General Powell cared deeply about the men and women of the State Department. He is noted as a great military leader, justifiably so, but he also had a passion for diplomacy and the benefits of avoiding war by stabilizing troubled regions.’
‘The men and women of the foreign service never had a better champion. My prayers are with his family and many friends in the days ahead.’
Powell served as secretary of State under President George W. Bush from 2001-2005 (pictured with Bush in the Rose Garden less than two weeks after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks)Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. To this day he is the only black man to have ever held that post (pictured at a press conference with Clinton in September 1994)Powell got his first senior White House gig when Ronald Reagan named him as his national security adviser (pictured on Thursday, November 5, 1987 in Washington for outgoing Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger)Powell speaks with then-President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on December 1, 2010Among the many awards Powell earned over the years was the Presidential Medal of Freedom – twice. Here First Lady Barbara Bush fastens the Medal around Powell’s neck as then-President George H. W. Bush watches in 1991
Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah also weight in.
‘Today, the nation lost a man of undaunted courage and a champion of character,’ he tweeted. ‘A statesmen & trailblazer, devoted to America and the cause of liberty, Colin Powell’s legacy of service & honor will long inspire.’
‘Ann & I offer our love & sincere condolences to Alma and his family.’
House Republican leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California said: Colin Powell leaves behind a distinguished legacy of service. He will be remembered as a man dedicated to country who broke barriers and led an impressive decades-long career serving our nation. We pray for the Powell family as they mourn his loss.’
Senator Ted Cruz lauded Powell’s civilian and military achievements and wished his family well.
‘Heidi and I send our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of General Colin Powell during this time of mourning. As our nation’s first African American Secretary of State, Powell’s life was as historic as it was extraordinary,’ Cruz wrote on Twitter. ‘In his tenure as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff & throughout his remarkable career, General Powell dedicated his life to the defense & security of our nation. We’ll always remember the life & contributions of such a distinguished public servant & a proud American soldier.’
Democratic lawmakers also chimed in to thank Powell for his lifetime of service. Progressive Rep. Maxine Waters of California wrote on Twitter, ‘Colin Powell served as a four-star Army general, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, & Secretary of State. He was a highly accomplished individual who made so many people in this country proud, especially those of us in the Black community. May he rest in peace.’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: ‘Today, the nation has lost an historic leader who dedicated his life to defending our nation and our families.’
‘The sad loss of Colin Powell is another sad indication of the devastating toll that the coronavirus continues to take on our country. As we pray for the General Powell’s loved ones, we pray for the families of the nearly 725,000 Americans who have been taken from us by this vicious virus.’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who like Powell was born and raised in New York, highlighted Powell’s modest beginnings in a Twitter tribute.
‘Colin Powell was born in Harlem, raised in the South Bronx, a product of NYC public schools and CUNY. And he became the first African American to be head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to be Secretary of State. My thoughts are with his wife Alma and his whole family,’ Schumer wrote.
Stacey Abrams, the first black woman from a major political party to run for governor of Georgia, tweeted: ‘Godspeed to Secretary Colin Powell who led with integrity, admitted fallibility and defended democracy. Deepest condolences to his loved ones and friends.’
Powell started his military tenure in the Vietnam War. This photo from 1986 shows him and wife Alma during a farewell ceremony in Frankfurt when Powell was a Lieutenant GeneralPowell is sworn in as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney (left) in 1989Powell demonstrating on a map of downtown Baghdad in a 1993 press conference in Iraq. He had continued to serve as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair under the Clinton administration for nearly Clinton’s entire first yearThen-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell talks with a soldier who has stomach problems while visiting the Air Transportable Hospital in Saudi Arabia in September 1990
‘My condolences to the family of Colin Powell,’ the Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader, tweeted.
‘Though we disagreed on many issues, I always respected him and was proud of his achievements,’ the liberal added. ‘When he and I ran into each other and conversed, I always left feeling he was a sincere and committed man to what he believed in.’
New York State Attorney General Letitia James tweeted: ‘General Colin Powell was a proud New Yorker and City College graduate who always put his country first.’
‘Colin Powell will be missed, and my condolences go to his family and loved ones,’ she added. ‘May he rest in peace.’
Former Bush Jr. official Robert Charles also responded on Fox Monday morning: ‘He was ever a listener but he is honest as the day is long. This is a man who was his own man and a great leader.’
‘We won’t see the likes of Colin Powell again for a long time,’ he added.
Christine Todd Whitman, who served alongside Powell as a Cabinet secretary in the George W. Bush administration, tweeted: ‘I’m heartbroken. #ColinPowell was a wonderful person, public servant and friend.’
‘We did so much together in our various roles that it’s hard to imagine not seeing him again,’ said Whitman, a former governor of New Jersey.
‘My prayers go out to Alma, his family, and to all whose lives he touched,’ she added.
‘Rest In Peace, friend.’
‘This is hitting me hard,’ wrote Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Jaime Harrison.
The former candidate for a Senate seat in South Carolina added: ‘Colin Powell was a statesman who put his country & family above all else.’
‘As a young Black man, he inspired me & showed that there are no limits to what we can be or achieve,’ Harrison tweeted. ‘Sending my prayers to his family.’
The iconic comic book hero Superman will no longer stand for ‘The American Way’, according to DC Comics’ chief creative officer and publisher Jim Lee, who claimed Saturday that the tag line which has been part of the character’s story since 1940 needs to ‘evolve’.
Lee announced that “To better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman’s incredible legacy over 80 years of building a better world,” Superman’s motto will now be “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.”
Lee added that “Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement.”
Despite the entire point of Superman being a story of America (an immigrant coming to a new world and standing for freedom, morality, justice etc etc) that wouldn’t be woke enough in 2021, and so the notion of America as a righteous place has been unceremoniously dropped.
DC comics previously had Superman renounce his American citizenship in a speech before the UN in which the hero declared “I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of US policy. ‘Truth, Justice and the American Way,’ it’s not enough anymore. The world’s too small. Too connected.”
Superman doesn’t fight for exclusively America. Him fighting for a better tomorrow is a better motto. He’s not the man of America, he’s for everyone. pic.twitter.com/sTnKa1us45
Recent woke issues of the comic have seen Superman protesting against wildfires caused by climate change, preventing a high school shooting, and protesting the deportation of illegal refugees in Metropolis.
In addition, DC comics has made Superman’s son a bi-sexual climate change concerned social justice warrior.
If he's that concerned with ice caps melting, why doesn't he just use his frost breath enough to make more? Or his normal breath to inhale a bunch of smoke, fly into space, then exhale? https://t.co/ydxDOBGCd2
Dean Cain, who played the character on TV for years wrote an op ed recently slamming the use of the character to trash America, noting “There is a clear agenda here. It’s globalist, it’s anti-America, but it’s not bold and it’s not brave.“
Cain added, “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” is no longer the catchphrase of Superman. The new phrase? “Truth, Justice, and a Better World.” Okay, I’ll buy that, but what’s the vision that accompanies this more expansive view of social justice? What would make for a better world? Socialism? Communism? Forced equality?”
The actor further noted, “There’s real evil in this world today, real corruption and government overreach, plenty of things to fight against. Human trafficking, real actual slavery going on… it would be brave to tackle those issues, shine a light on those issues. I’d like to see the character doing that. I’d read that comic.”
Dean Cain: "I promise you, as Superman, I wouldn't today be allowed to say 'truth, justice, and the American way.'"
An unusually brazen violation of the Johnson Amendment starring the second-highest official in the land. If Harris had limited her comments below to encouraging viewers to vote without specifying whom they should vote for, the churches airing the video would be within the law. Tax-exempt nonprofits are permitted to engage in “activities intended to encourage people to participate in the electoral process, such as voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives,” according to the IRS — so long as those activities are conducted in a non-partisan way.
When they aren’t, the law is clear: “[V]oter education or registration activities with evidence of bias that (a) would favor one candidate over another; (b) oppose a candidate in some manner; or (c) have the effect of favoring a candidate or group of candidates, will constitute prohibited participation or intervention.” Churches that air this video should lose their exempt status over it.
They won’t, but they should.
NEW — More than 300 Black churches across VA will hear from @KamalaHarris btwn Sun. and November 2 in video message that will air during morning services as part of outreach effort aimed to boost @TerryMcAuliffe.#VAGOV
“This is a very bad idea,” David French said of the clip. “The blatant mixing of religion and politics not only sullies religion, it escalates polarization into increasing religious conflict.” Right, but Democrats would say that that horse has already left the barn thanks to the GOP. In fact, white evangelicals as a group are now so synonymous with the Republican Party that support for Trump is a factor in predicting whether someone is likely to start identifying as “evangelical” or not.
Not surprisingly, then, less than two weeks after he was sworn in Trump told an audience at the National Prayer Breakfast that “I will get rid of, and totally destroy, the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution.” He didn’t keep that promise but having the leader of the party on the record as supporting campaigning in church may have encouraged Dems in deciding whether to have Harris do this video message. When called on it, they’re going to try to “tu quoque” their way out of it.
There’s a dirty little secret about the Johnson Amendment, though. It’s assumed that white evangelical churches are more likely to violate it because of their close affiliation with the GOP but a Pew survey from 2016 contradicted that. Black Protestants were far more likely to hear partisan electoral messages in church than white evangelicals were:
Given those numbers, it’s reeeeally stupid of Dems to want to mainstream the practice of campaigning in church. There’s far more room for growth in that area on the right than on the left, it appears. The black churches airing Harris’s message will doubtless go unpunished by the IRS lest the agency be accused of racism in failing to respect the African-American tradition of faith-driven political activism. But that’s fine from the Republican point of view. They don’t want the Johnson Amendment enforced, they want it discredited and ultimately repealed. Harris, McAuliffe, and the churches involved in this stunt have made that argument easier for them.
“I’m hopeful that everyone will come to their senses by the end of the month,” said Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas). “If things don’t go well [in Virginia], there’s going to be a lot of different reckonings here.”
If McAuliffe doesn’t pull out a win, some pessimistic Democrats privately predicted a “collapse” on Capitol Hill, where party leaders are already struggling to unite sparring progressives and centrists around a roughly $2 trillion social infrastructure package. Meanwhile, the Senate-passed $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill is sitting on the shelf because the votes aren’t there in the House, much to Virginia Democrats’ irritation…
“Terry losing is catastrophic for the agenda,” said one longtime Democratic aide, summing up the views of the party’s most vulnerable members on condition of anonymity.
On top of Democratic paralysis in Washington, Biden’s declining fortunes, and rising anxiety about inflation, McAuliffe also has to worry about the fact that Virginians are simply burned out on elections. They vote in state races in odd-numbered years and in federal races in even-numbered ones, which means they’re always being inundated with campaigning and partisan bickering. That’s not a problem for Republicans there, who are itching to flex their muscle and send a message to Biden amid total Democratic control of the federal government. But it’s a major problem for Dems, who already accomplished their core mission of defeating Trump last year and have tuned out. Now, 12 months later, they somehow need to get excited again to elect [cringe] Terry McAuliffe. No wonder the party is pulling out the stops to try to boost him, up to and including torching the Johnson Amendment.
I’ll leave you with this, the entire McAuliffe campaign message in a nutshell.
Kamala Harris endorsement of Terry McAuliffe to air in more than 300 black churches in Virginia
An unusually brazen violation of the Johnson Amendment starring the second-highest official in the land. If Harris had limited her comments below to encouraging viewers to vote without specifying whom they should vote for, the churches airing the video would be within the law. Tax-exempt nonprofits are permitted to engage in “activities intended to encourage people to participate in the electoral process, such as voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives,” according to the IRS — so long as those activities are conducted in a non-partisan way.
When they aren’t, the law is clear: “[V]oter education or registration activities with evidence of bias that (a) would favor one candidate over another; (b) oppose a candidate in some manner; or (c) have the effect of favoring a candidate or group of candidates, will constitute prohibited participation or intervention.” Churches that air this video should lose their exempt status over it.
They won’t, but they should.
“This is a very bad idea,” David French said of the clip. “The blatant mixing of religion and politics not only sullies religion, it escalates polarization into increasing religious conflict.” Right, but Democrats would say that that horse has already left the barn thanks to the GOP. In fact, white evangelicals as a group are now so synonymous with the Republican Party that support for Trump is a factor in predicting whether someone is likely to start identifying as “evangelical” or not.
Not surprisingly, then, less than two weeks after he was sworn in Trump told an audience at the National Prayer Breakfast that “I will get rid of, and totally destroy, the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution.” He didn’t keep that promise but having the leader of the party on the record as supporting campaigning in church may have encouraged Dems in deciding whether to have Harris do this video message. When called on it, they’re going to try to “tu quoque” their way out of it.
There’s a dirty little secret about the Johnson Amendment, though. It’s assumed that white evangelical churches are more likely to violate it because of their close affiliation with the GOP but a Pew survey from 2016 contradicted that. Black Protestants were far more likely to hear partisan electoral messages in church than white evangelicals were:
Given those numbers, it’s reeeeally stupid of Dems to want to mainstream the practice of campaigning in church. There’s far more room for growth in that area on the right than on the left, it appears. The black churches airing Harris’s message will doubtless go unpunished by the IRS lest the agency be accused of racism in failing to respect the African-American tradition of faith-driven political activism. But that’s fine from the Republican point of view. They don’t want the Johnson Amendment enforced, they want it discredited and ultimately repealed. Harris, McAuliffe, and the churches involved in this stunt have made that argument easier for them.
So, knowing that, why would they move forward with it? Simple: They’re desperate. Numerous polls have showed Biden’s job approval slipping with black voters over the past two months. African-Americans were nearly 20 percent of the electorate in Virginia last fall. If they don’t show up for McAuliffe next month, he’s cooked. And if McAuliffe is cooked, the entire Democratic program may be cooked.
On top of Democratic paralysis in Washington, Biden’s declining fortunes, and rising anxiety about inflation, McAuliffe also has to worry about the fact that Virginians are simply burned out on elections. They vote in state races in odd-numbered years and in federal races in even-numbered ones, which means they’re always being inundated with campaigning and partisan bickering. That’s not a problem for Republicans there, who are itching to flex their muscle and send a message to Biden amid total Democratic control of the federal government. But it’s a major problem for Dems, who already accomplished their core mission of defeating Trump last year and have tuned out. Now, 12 months later, they somehow need to get excited again to elect [cringe] Terry McAuliffe. No wonder the party is pulling out the stops to try to boost him, up to and including torching the Johnson Amendment.
I’ll leave you with this, the entire McAuliffe campaign message in a nutshell.