Saturday was a big day for President Trump. While thousands of left-wing activists were protesting in the streets, the president was busy working for the American people.

He went to Dover Air Force Base to do what he described as “the toughest thing I have to do as president” — receiving the remains of four heroic Americans who gave their lives in Syria. He also spent time with the families of the fallen.

The president then attended a naturalization ceremony for a select group of new citizens in the Oval Office. Here’s an excerpt of his remarks:

“By taking this oath, you have forged a sacred bond with this nation, its traditions, its culture, and its values… And our Constitution is now yours to safeguard, celebrate, and cherish.

"As Americans, and American citizens, we are bound together in love, and loyalty, and friendship, and affection. We must look out for each other … and always act in the best interests of our nation and all citizens living here today.”

Less than an hour later, President Trump delivered a televised address and made yet another offer to reopen the government. The president’s plan called for:

• $5.7 billion in border wall funding.

• 2,750 new Border Patrol agents and 75 new immigration judges.

• $805 million for drug interdiction efforts at ports of entry.

• $800 million in humanitarian assistance. 

In exchange for these measures, the president offered a three-year extension of legal protections for 700,000 DACA recipients and 300,000 temporary refugees. There was no amnesty in the president’s offer, as some critics have claimed.

Unfortunately, Democrat leaders didn’t even wait until Trump had finished speaking before they rejected his offer. 

At this point, there is no doubt who is responsible for the ongoing government shutdown. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer will not give one inch in order to do what is necessary to secure the border.

What Is A Man?

As you have probably heard by now, Gillette recently made headlines for embracing the left-wing narrative of “toxic masculinity.” Previously known for its slogan, “The best a man can get,” Gillette ran an ad that has been widely mocked on social media. 

Among other things, the ad seems to suggest that men who hang out in their yards grilling steaks are products of the same harmful ideology that produces sexual predators who prey on women. It grossly over-generalizes and leaves one with the impression that most men are bad.

Now the owner of the Egard Watch Company has responded with a video that praises masculinity by noting the obvious — that most first responders and veterans are men, that men make up the majority of workers in physically demanding professions like the energy industry. 

Our society needs strong men willing to protect the weak and vulnerable. This is not to suggest that men are superior to women. The video also notes that men struggle with depression, homelessness and suicide. 

But it makes a point that is often overlooked in our politically correct culture: There are real differences between men and women, each is complimentary to the other. These differences should be respected, not treated like a threat. 

Trump Bi-Polar Disorder

Two stories dominated the media’s coverage of President Trump over his first two years in office. What’s amazing about these stories is that they completely contradict one another.

The first story involves what much of the media call Trump’s toxic patriotism. The second story the liberal media tell about President Trump is that he’s committed treason by colluding with Russia against the United States.

But how can Trump be both an over-the-top America Firster and a traitor to his country?

Read more in my latest opinion piece at The Daily Caller.

Christian Wokeness

Two recent incidents have once again exposed the assault that religious education is under in America.  Last week, Vice President Mike Pence’s wife Karen was attacked for her decision to teach art appreciation at a Christian school in Northern Virginia.

Then a few days later, leftwing journalists and social media trolls attacked a group of boys from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky who were in Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. Relying on selectively edited videos and their own prejudices against Christian conservatives, they depicted the boys as callous bigots who were mocking an elderly Native American man.

Footage later emerged that completely exonerated the boys. In fact, the video showed that the boys acted with remarkable restraint as a group of black men mocked and tried to provoke them. But that didn’t stop violent threats from pouring in against the teens and their school. Covington was forced to cancel school Tuesday over security concerns.

To the left, the very idea that a religious school in America would be allowed to teach that life is sacred and that marriage is God’s institution is beyond the pale. After the Karen Pence incident happened, the hash tag “expose Christian schools” trended on Twitter.

The left uses the term “woke” to describe someone who has become alert to an injustice in society.

But there are many injustices that conservative Christians need to become woke to. For all of us who believe in Christian education, in the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty, we need to awaken to the well-organized, well-funded campaign being waged against us.

The point of the left’s campaign is not to marginalize normal, Christian education, but to make it completely unacceptable. And if you want to stay alert to what’s happening on the front lines of this battle, please follow me on Twitter at @GaryLBauer.