Quotes of the week

“Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito. (Do not give in to evil, but proceed ever more boldly against it.)  – Virgil

The evil set loose in our land is one we will stop.  We are the many, the sane, the sound of mind, ranged against the insane few. Take heart. So long as we in our millions each do a little, and some do yet more, we will prevail and our United States of America will remain the great nation it has always been.

NOTE: Any Soap Box material written by Buddy may be copied and forwarded to family and friends. Material from other sources is usually copyrighted but likely can be shared so long as it is not changed or abridged and the publisher is properly credited, including a link to their site.

Buddy’s Soap Box

Preamble:

A quick thank you to those of you who email me expressing your support for Soap Box. However, I had hoped a bit of back-and-forth dialogue would have developed by now, back and forth between those who share a similar perspective to ours, and those of an opposite or near opposite perspective. Two things seen to be impeding such a development.

Many people, regardless of their perspective, fear they might be cancelled in some way. If you feel so, simply comment under a “secret identity.” Super heroes have such. So can you.

We hope those with a different perspective aren’t commenting because they think we will cancel them. We won’t. We welcome arguments favoring such things as critical race theory or open borders. Let’s argue merits.

A patriotic Texas howdy from Buddy,

The results from the Arizona election audit will soon be available, representing the first step in vindicating the millions of Americans who know President Donald Trump is our true president.  Next will come similar audits in other states, each a further vindication, until Biden’s illegitimacy is absolutely established.

Whereupon, our nation will face a dilemma never before faced. One that, had our elites been honest, would never have arisen.  The dilemma, bluntly put, is this: What do the people of a nation do when they learn the man in the White House is not the president? No mechanism in law or precedent exists to answer that question. We will be in uncharted waters.

The question just posed will require an answer within a few months. By that time, there will have been additional Arizona-like audits, despite the best efforts of the anti-Trump elite power structure to stop further audits. And those further audits will each in turn reveal what Arizona revealed.

There will then be calls for President Trump to return to the office he won. That may happen. We hope so. We want it to happen. That’s a compelling scenario.

However, an American president is limited to just two terms in office. Were President Trump to assume a now abbreviated second term, he would not eligible to run for a third term in 2024, not unless the truncated middle term were discounted, a long shot but a possibility.

But here is another scenario we may find more attractive.

It may be that, in stealing the election in 2020, all Democrats have done is delayed President Trumps second term until 2024.

President Donald Trump is healthy, a man of strength, energy and proven courage. While no man’s health can be predicted, the odds are that in 2024, he would be wholly ready to return to office.  And running, he would win, as by that point the fraud that made 2020 possible will have been fully exposed and preventive measures taken.

But what of the days between now and the midterm December 2022 election?

By December, 2022, the Dems will have had two full years to crap in the nation’s nest. Just look at the damage already done to the nation, and they are just getting started. A lot of voters are going to learn a lot about those Democrats and their ideas, despite the media putting lipstick on that pig.

In the 2022 midterms, Democrats will be swept from every office down to dog catcher. They may survive in a few blue states—some people never learn—but nationwide, that gone-to-the-wokes party will be toast. 

This nation survived the red Chinese virus. We will recover from the Democrat woke virus as well.

The rebuilding of those parts of America reduced to rubble by Biden will begin right after the midterm election. Red state style recovery will be well advanced by 2024 when the time comes to elect a new president. All but the politically blind will have ample opportunity to contrast woke Democrat accomplishments with what a free people are doing.

With a bit of luck—and prayer answered—President Donald Trump will be there to answer the call, ready to serve a second full four years as president. We know the man. He will be there for us if he can. But if not President Trump, we will have another who will fight for the little guy and not the woke elites.

Other Items of Interest

Biden tells Putin don’t cyber-attack these 16 U.S. categories, and in so saying tells Putin that it is OK for Russian hackers to attack the rest of the United States—and especially small businesses and individuals, If Soap Box thought this spasm of brilliant thinking came from Biden, we would say he has yet again revealed himself for the moron he is, but then we all know Hunter’s daddy can’t these days put together a list of items beyond maybe two.  No sir, that 16 list came from Biden’s advisors, who thereby reveal themselves to be fools the equal of their dotard puppet.

If you want to end up living in a hole in the side of a hill and eating your meat raw—if you can catch it at all—then let’s just stop taking oil and gas from the ground. When the wokies think of fossil fuels, their thought ends with fuel and maybe plastic bottles and straws.  Few understand that fossil fuels are more than just an energy source. They are also the raw materials that go into countless items that make modern living possible.

Hunter (for his missing laptop) Biden, whiz kid par excellence, despite drug and sex addictions, is a boy child (or rather non-gendered person) of manifold talents. His accomplishment and consequent earning (50% going to good old dad) from the Ukrainian energy firm are well-documented. And now comes his Picasso side, drawn from the creative left side of his brain. Turns out that Hunter has discovered himself as a painter and the liberal art world is agog with equally instant admiration.

Prices for Hunter’s art range from $75,000 for works on paper to half a million bucks for his large paintings, so says his Soho art dealer, Georges Berges, who once served jail time for assault with a deadly weapon. — Artnet

Hillary Clinton, you’ve met your corruption match. You thought you were clever in styling your cash take from foreign nations not as contributions directly to you, but rather contributions to your non-taxable Clinton Foundation “non-profit.” But know this, former birth person. Boys can sometimes be cleverer than girls. Big Guy Joe’s son has hit on a sure-fire way to launder his influence pedaling in a way that will be difficult to challenge.

Look for a lot more politicians with influence to pedal discovering that they, too, have an offspring with a sudden knack for art.

Texas is the latest state to enact a law prohibiting the use of private money to administer elections, keeping outside cash from influencing how future elections are run. But, as Erin Anderson reports https://blast.texasscorecard.com/t/d-l-qhtuytd-urdycxt-j/, a left-leaning foundation has already rushed $1 million to Houston/Harris County’s elections administrator before the new law takes effect.

The ban is considered a key election integrity reform, after millions in third-party funds from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (known as ZuckBucks or ZuckerBucks) was funneled to select local election offices last fall as part of a Democrat-led “shadow campaign” to influence the 2020 election.

Several other states have also passed prohibitions on using private money to administer elections, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, North Dakota, and Tennessee.  — The Texas Scorecard

IRS Denies Religious Group Tax Exempt Status; States “Bible teachings” are “affiliated with the Republican party.” Brothers and sisters, this isn’t all bad news. There’s a bright side. Apparently the woke IRS (all government agencies are woke these days) has decided God is on our side. And they may just be onto something.

So, think about it. If you are in a fight for survival, and this nation is, who would you want on your side, a woke government or God Almighty?  A no-brainer, right!

For further details, see our guest column section below.

The Washington Post found itself widely mocked on Twitter Monday for an extensive report titled, “The racist legacy many birds carry.” Though the Post published the story on June 5, the headline didn’t become widely shared until June 14 when an account by the name of @LauraWhitt32 posted a photo of the headline with the comment, “I give up.” At that point, a number of Twitter users shared her post with jokes about the newspaper’s process of publishing the article, including guesses about how the story assignment came about: “Daily WaPo meeting: ‘so what’s racist today?’ *blindly flips through encyclopedia* it’s birds!”

Black police officer and host of the podcast “Reasonable Suspicion,” Zeek Arkham, quipped, “A bird pooped on my car the other day. I thought that it was because I parked near a telephone line, but it was white supremacy all this time. I’m so tired of all this oppression.” —  The Daily Wire

Nonsense Patrol found the following, well, nonsense…

What Does It Really Mean To “Decolonize” Wellness?  “Some people are calling this process an attempt to ‘decolonize’ wellness, which can be broadly understood to mean an attempt to decenter whiteness in wellness spaces; to honor the complex histories of wellness practices; and to make some form of reparations to the communities from whom the practices were taken.” — Mirel Zaman, June 9, 2021, from Wellness. And likewise, from June 9^th, How Does It Feel To Have A Partner Who Does Sex Work? — The wokies take such articles seriously. We find only a good laugh. Soap Box

This week’s Aesop’s Fable: The bee and Jupiter

A bee from Mount Hymettus, the queen of the hive, ascended to Olympus to present Jupiter some honey fresh from her combs. Jupiter, delighted with the offering of honey, promised to give in return whatever she should ask.  She therefore besought him, saying, “Give me, I pray thee, a sting, that if any mortal shall approach to take my honey, I may kill him.”  Jupiter was much displeased, for he loved the race of man, but could not refuse the request because of his promise.  He thus answered the bee, “You shall have your request, but it will be at the peril of your own life. For if you use your sting, it shall remain in the wound you make, and then you will die from the loss of it.” 

Moral of the story: Evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost.

Highly Recommended

The following are excellent resources for those of us (way more than 75 million strong) who want full and honest news reporting. We’ll be adding to this list as we go along. Those who prefer filtered news—only the news deemed safe for them to know—can stay with the legacy media, such as it is.

New to list!
Need a free nonpartisan site that can make you a well-informed voter in elections at the local level as well as state and national? We recommend Ballotpedia.

Here’s a great way to join thousands—and eventually millions—of others who are letting their government representatives know their thoughts on pending legislation.  Heritage Action for America from the Heritage Foundation makes doing so super EASY! They do the research. They inform you. Then in almost the blink of an eye, you contact your federal or state representatives regarding pending legislation expressing your support or opposition.

Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) AARP is a shill for big government, AMAC isn’t.

Fox News and One America News (OAN) Cable channel

The Epoch Times print newspaper and web site/email updates

Dennis Prager  This man will help you find the mainstream conservative hiding inside you.

President Donald Trump’s Great America PAC is now up and running.  Give to this PAC or to individual candidates you know to be truly conservative. Money given to the Republican Party is money down a RINO hole. https://texasscorecard.com/state/legislative-priorities-tracker/

Texas Score Card https://texasscorecard.com/state/legislative-priorities-tracker/

Morton Blackwell’s Leadership Institute.

Project Veritas, Fun and informative hidden camera videos exposing the secret agendas of the left in their own words.

Columns worth reading

Each week under this heading, Soap Box will feature columns or intros to columns you can read in full elsewhere on the internet. Each of these columns pretty much express Soap Box’s views, else we’d not be sharing them with you.

Two columns this week.

GUEST COLUMN #1: “IRS Denies Religious Group Tax Exempt Status; States “Bible teachings” are “affiliated with the Republican party,” is yet another example of the woke politization of government, and in this case a laughable example. While Soap Box freely grants that more Republicans are Christian than Democrats are, the fact remains that neither party has a monopoly on faith.

GUEST COLUMN #2: In the second column, Why the Left Has to Lie About American History by Scott Centorino, Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) exclusive, inspires and reminds us that true heroes come in all colors.

GUEST COLUMN 1: IRS Denies Religious Group Tax Exempt Status; States “Bible teachings” are “affiliated with the Republican party”

Friends and Supporters,

We filed for our tax-exempt status back when we launched December 2019 – over 18 months ago. Since that time – it has been a fight!

I will spare you all the details, but know this: once the IRS finally sent us our determination letter – rejecting us – it was clear where they stood. The bias is real!

The IRS actually stated in writing that “Bible teachings” are “affiliated with the Republican party”.

Please read the press release below from our friends at First Liberty that just went out to the news media outlets. Unbelievable statements by the IRS in writing that we couldn’t let go without a response.

We are appealing this decision by the IRS with the help of our friends at First Liberty – not just for our organization and for all of our supporters who have partnered with this ministry, but for Bible believing Christians ALL OVER AMERICA.

Ordinary Christians who want to pray, vote, and engage regularly and encourage others to do the same should not be stopped. This is an important case for America and we are proud to take it on!

For Liberty –

Bunni Pounds

President of Christians Engaged

News Release

For Immediate Release: 6.16.21

Contact: Lacey McNiel, media@firstliberty.org  

Direct: 972-941-4453

IRS Denies Religious Group Tax Exempt Status; States “Bible teachings” are “affiliated with the Republican party”

First Liberty Institute represents Christians Engaged, Texas nonprofit in appeal 

Washington, DC— Today, First Liberty Institute appealed an IRS determination denying tax exempt status to Christians Engaged, a nonprofit organization that exists to educate and empower Christians to pray for our nation and elected officials, vote, and be civically engaged. In a letter issued in May, the IRS argued that Christians Engaged was not eligible for 501©(3) status in part because “[B]ible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates.”

“The IRS states in an official letter that Biblical values are exclusively Republican. That might be news to President Biden, who is often described as basing his political ideology on his religious beliefs,” said Lea Patterson, Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “Only a politicized IRS could see Americans who pray for their nation, vote in every election, and work to engage others in the political process as a threat. The IRS violated its own regulations in denying tax exempt status because Christians Engaged teaches biblical values.”

Christians Engaged President Bunni Pounds said, “We just want to encourage more people to vote and participate in the political process. How can anyone be against that?”

Christians Engaged incorporated in July 2019 as a Texas nonprofit corporation “formed exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes.” From its religious perspective, Christians Engaged provides nonpartisan religious and civic education, focusing on encouraging and educating Christians to be civically engaged as a part of their religious practice. Christians Engaged applied for tax exempt status in late 2019. On May 18, 2021, IRS Exempt Organizations Director Stephen A. Martin denied the application, contending that Christians Engaged “engage[s] in prohibited political campaign intervention” and “operate[s] for a substantial non-exempt private purpose and for the private interests of the [Republican] party.”

In its administrative appeal letter, First Liberty says, “By finding that Christians Engaged does not meet the operational test, Director Martin errs in three ways: 1) he invents a nonexistent requirement that exempt organizations be neutral on public policy issues; 2) he deems an organization to accomplish nonexempt purposes to the extent its positions on public policy issues overlap with a political party’s policy positions; and 3) he violates the First Amendment’s Free Speech, and Free Exercise, and Establishment clauses by engaging in both viewpoint discrimination and religious discrimination.”

About First Liberty Institute

First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.

To arrange an interview, contact Lacey McNiel at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.

READ the full press release on their website with the actual IRS denial letter and today’s appeal letter here.

As we take on this fight and stand firm for ALL CHRISTIANS around America – will you help us?

We need you more than ever as a monthly foundation builder or as a one-time donor. Thank you for standing with us!

We are in this for the long haul. Our determination to find awakening Christians and activate them into habits of prayer, voting, and engagement is only getting stronger. Join us!

DONATE

Why the Left Has to Lie About American History

by Scott Centorino, Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) exclusive

As the left vainly tries to deceive Americans into accepting the toxic reign of identity politics, they are forced time and again to contort American history and falsify heroic stories from our past because a truthful telling would reveal the mendacity of their narrative and the bankruptcy of their agenda. The forgotten tales of two Americans—both named James—are the perfect reminder of why.

 Born in the 18th century, James Forten worked odd jobs along Philadelphia’s waterfront to support his mother and sister after his father died. By 1781, he was fifteen and old enough to volunteer to join the Continental Navy. 

 In his first taste of combat, he demonstrated his physical courage. But it took getting captured to demonstrate his moral courage.

 A British warship, the Amphion, captured his ship’s crew off the coast of Virginia. The British captain quickly sensed his intelligence and made Forten a generous offer.

 In exchange for freeing Forten from life as a prisoner of war, Forten would serve the British captain at his country estate in England.

 Forten didn’t hesitate. He turned it down.

He told the British captain, “I have been taken prisoner for the liberties of my country and never will prove a traitor to her interest.” Instead of a comfortable life tutoring the captain’s sons, Forten re-joined his crewmates in a prison ship, waiting for freedom for himself and his country.

 James Forten didn’t want comfort. He wanted to serve his nation.

 Two centuries later, in 1961, Jim Zwerg joined his Fisk University classmate, John Lewis, to participate in bus trips through the Deep South to fight segregation.

 These ‘freedom riders’ challenged the real Jim Crow, not what progressive activists today label as Jim Crow with shameful nonchalance. In a time of segregated drinking foundations, targeted fire hoses, and brutal killings, the real Jim Crow meant real risk.

Jim Zwerg accepted that risk gladly. He later said that “my faith was never so strong as during that time. I knew I was doing what I should be doing.”

When Zwerg’s Greyhound bus pulled into Montgomery, Alabama, the bus station appeared empty. Then the ambush came. From his window on the bus, Zwerg could see young white men outside holding baseball bats and chains.

The police had left. Their protection had abandoned the area.

But Zwerg stood up from his seat anyway, walked down the aisle, and got off the bus.

The crowd did what it came to do. It smashed Zwerg’s face with his suitcase, pinned his head down, and methodically knocked teeth out of his mouth. He only regained consciousness two days later. Newspapers published pictures of his bruised face and shocked the nation.

James Forten and Jim Zwerg shared courage, a sense of purpose, and a love for the promise of America.

But these attributes have seeded the American experience for centuries. What makes their stories so special, aside from their common name and age?

You might have guessed that James Forten and Jim Zwerg did not have race in common. One was white. One was black.

But it might surprise you to learn that James Forten, the Revolutionary War sailor, was black and Jim Zwerg, the civil rights activist, was white.  

For each, their race made them singular targets in their time.

Every time James Forten sailed into a southern port, he risked seizure for chained slavery. Forten’s acceptance of that risk for the sake of the American cause as it existed then would befuddle the woke mob today, addicted as they are too crude and distorted history, as exemplified by the 1619 Project.

Jim Zwerg, on the other hand, knew the mob in Montgomery would treat him more harshly than his fellow passengers.

The stories of these two brave men do not conform to the identity politics narrative that has taken over our culture.

 Remembering these tales—and others like them—can help bring our culture closer to Martin Luther King’s ideal, in which every individual is treated as a unique person with dignity and a soul that transcends their ethnic or racial identity. 

 If the antidote for tribalism is individualism, individuals like James Forten and Jim Zwerg show us the way.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article. While you’re here, we have a small favor to ask…

As we prepare for what promises to be a pivotal year for America, we’re asking you to consider a gift to help fund our journalism and advocacy.

The need for fact-based reporting that offers real solutions and stops the spread of misinformation has never been greater. Now more than ever, journalism and our first amendment rights are under fire. That’s why AMAC is passionately working to increase the number of real news articles we deliver WEEKLY, while continuing to strengthen our presence on Capitol Hill. AMAC Action, a 501 (C)(4), advocates to protect American values, free speech, the exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, the rule of law, and love of family.