This brilliant commencement address was sent to me by a friend and is an absolute must listen if you claim to be an American.

I am posting this right before we leave for Raleigh, N.C for a board meeting of The GMOA:

https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/page.redir?target=https%3a%2f%2fyoutu.be%2f_MOSi41tM98&srcid=37495&srctid=1&erid=19735714&trid=241b0e66-5aa6-4918-8a97-c26701d27cd0

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Specific to the facts of this particular case ,The Supreme Court decided religious beliefs have some economic place in Colorado's society. (See 1 below.)
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Israel should respond swiftly and overwhelmingly to Hamas' attacks with burning kites. (See 2 below.)

Hamas are wild/rabid animals because they act like wild/rabid animals. Therefore, they need to be treated as such. (See 2a below.)
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Have we become a nation where Charles Schultz would still have a place? I would like to think so but am not sure. (See 3 below.)
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Lynn and I had dinner this evening with our dear friend and former Headmaster of The Savannah Classical Academy, Ben Payne. I/we was/were out of town when news of Ben's sudden departure was reported. I promised that I would not express myself. I/we wish him, Amanda and their three beautiful kids a bright future and I long for the day when I can express myself about this bureaucratic tragedy/blunder.
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Dick
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1) Supreme Court's BIG Ruling for Religious Freedom

The Supreme Court issued a decisive 7-2 ruling today in favor of a Colorado baker who declined to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

Liberal Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan joined the conservative majority, absolving the Colorado baker of any wrongdoing.

The 7-2 verdict criticized the state's treatment of Jack Phillips' religious objections to gay marriage in 2012, several years before the practice was legalized nationwide. The justices ruled that a state civil rights commission was hostile to him while blocking other bakers from creating cakes that demeaned gays and same-sex marriages.

As a result, the long-awaited decision did not resolve whether other opponents of same-sex marriage, including bakers, florists, photographers, and videographers, can refuse commercial wedding services to gay couples. Phillips' victory, the court said, was limited to the facts of the Colorado case.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the court's decision against the same-sex couple, Charlie Craig and Dave Mullins, departing from his long history of opinions in favor of gay rights dating back a generation. Included among them was the court's 2015 decision legalizing gay marriage nationwide.

Kennedy emphasized that we as a society must resolve these disputes with civility and tolerance for sincerely-held religious beliefs.

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2) Liberman vows retaliation for Hamas, Islamic Jihad kite attacks

By GIL HOFFMAN

Defense Minister revealed that there have been 600 kite attacks, of which 400 were intercepted with technology. The remaining kites caused 198 fires, burning 9000 dunams.

Israel will retaliate for incendiary kite attacks from the Gaza Strip, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman vowed at Monday’s Yisrael Beytenu faction meeting at the Knesset.

Liberman revealed that there have been 600 kite attacks, of which 400 were intercepted with technology. The remaining kites caused 198 fires, burning some 2,500 acres.

“It must be clear, we are unwilling to accept kite attacks, riots on the fence, or attempts to rush the fence and harm land that is under Israeli sovereignty,” Liberman said.“We will act according to Israel’s interests at timing that is comfortable for us. We will not leave accounts open. We will settle accounts with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the rests of the terrorists operating against us from the Gaza Strip.”

Liberman revealed that he had briefed mayors of communities in the Gaza periphery. He praised their strength and restraint and said they understood the decision-making of the defense establishment.

In a Kulanu faction meeting, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said the damage from the kite attacks was NIS 5 million. He said farmers would immediately be compensated for half their losses.

The opposition blasted the government’s handling of Gaza.

“I heard the prime minister and his ministers declaring victory in the previous round of fighting,” Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said. “I want to ask them a question: If over 170 rockets and mortars landed in Jerusalem, would you also declare victory? If the forests around Jerusalem or parks in the city went up in flames, would you also declare how pleased you are with the result? The government has no strategy when it comes to Gaza. At the moment Netanyahu has no policy when it comes to Gaza except to wait for the next round and the next arson attack. The residents who live around Gaza deserve better.”

At the Zionist Union faction meeting, party leader Avi Gabbay announced that the faction would tour the Gaza fence area on Thursday.

Regarding the North, Liberman said Israel’s policy is that neither Iran nor Hezbollah should be in Syria.Israel will retaliate for incendiary kite attacks from the Gaza Strip, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman vowed at Monday’s Yisrael Beytenu faction meeting at the Knesset.

2a)

Dershowitz on Gaza and the Golan

'Hamas gave terrorists maps of shortest route to Jewish areas, including Jewish daycare centers and kindergartens; it was a lynch mob.'

Renowned constitutional attorney, jurist, and political commentator Alan Dershowitz spoke to Arutz Sheva Thursday night at the Yeshivat Hesder Sderot Anniversary Gala Dinner in Manhattan about his recent trip to Israel in which he visited terror tunnels and received a flyover briefing on the Golan.

"The important point is that when Israel was attacked, it made the point that it would not accept any attack on its soil, and it destroyed multiple Iranian missile launchers," Dershowitz said. "I was there two days after they were destroyed, and was told by IDF people that it was now safe to go there. I flew with my grandson in a helicopter over the Golan Heights, and you could hear the rockets and you could see the puffs from the fighting that was taking place within Syria."

Regarding his observations from Gaza, Dershowitz related: "I was under a Hamas tunnel halfway to Gaza, then I went to the fence and I saw where the 'protesters' were going to be gathering the next day, and Israel has to protect the citizens of Sderot, and other areas around the fences. We know that Hamas gave its terrorists Google maps of the shortest route to Jewish areas, including Jewish daycare centers and kindergartens, because this was a lynch mob; this was an attempt to lynch, kill, kidnap as many Jewish civilians as possible.

"It's very hard to predict what Gaza is going to have happen - talks about a cease fire, maybe - but in the end the Palestinians have to decide who their leadership is going to be. We're nearing the end of the Abbas leadership, and if Hamas takes over the victims will be the Palestinians. They will suffer the way the people of Gaza have suffered, because Hamas uses every recourse to try to kill Israeli civilians rather than try to feed its own civilians. There's no question about that.

"When I was in Qatar recently and I spoke to the Emir, and he said they're giving money to rebuild Gaza, and I said, 'But the money you give to rebuild Gaza is diverted and not used to help the people of Gaza but to try to hurt the citizens of Sderot and he said, 'Well, you know, we have to try and stop that.' But talk is cheap; action is much more important."

Asked whether his calling Gazans at the fence "protesters" was said tongue-in-cheek, Dershowitz replied "They're not protesters. They are a lynch mob. Their goal is to try to break through the fence and lynch - literally lynch - as many Israeli children and women and elderly and civilians as they can."

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